Just then, Ning Dongya suddenly stopped what she was doing.
She turned around, leaning against the edge of the podium, arms folded, her gaze locking onto me in the corner with uncanny precision.
That stare was like a searchlight, instantly sweeping away the tiny bit of relief that had just begun to form in my heart.
Her red lips curled into a familiar, mischievous smile—exactly the same as in the elevator just now.
“But, you know…” She deliberately dragged out her words, savoring the sight of my body freezing up again, my ears standing on end in an instant. “Before we start, I think there’s something that needs to be settled first.”
She strode toward me in her high heels, unhurried, each step—tap, tap, tap—pounding in time with my heartbeat.
That powerful scent of her perfume washed over me once more as she drew closer.
Instinctively, I shrank back, my spine pressed tight against the cold wall, my throat tightening. “W-what is it? Boss?” My voice was hoarse to the extreme.
A cold premonition wrapped around my heart like icy vines.
Ning Dongya stopped in the aisle beside my seat, leaning forward just slightly, bracing her arms on my desk.
With the distance suddenly reduced, I could clearly see the mischievous, unrestrained glint in her eyes.
She brought her face close to my ear, her warm breath brushing the sensitive tip, making me shiver ever so slightly. Her voice was low and slow, carrying a dangerous intimacy:
“…Back in the elevator, were you secretly cursing me again, hmm? Little~ rascal~?”
“Meow?! N-no! Absolutely not!” I jumped up as if my tail had been stepped on, the chair legs screeching across the floor, my whole face blazing red, even my ear tips almost steaming. My heart thudded wildly, nearly leaping out of my throat.
I didn’t know why, but just a few teasing words from Ning Dongya made my body go strangely limp and weak…
She was way too close!
Those mocking, scrutinizing eyes were right in front of me, as if they could see straight through every thought I had.
I could even make out the playful glimmer flickering beneath her thick eyelashes.
But then it hit me—back in the elevator, I really had muttered a complaint about Ning Dongya under my breath.
She’d heard it after all!
“Oh?” Ning Dongya’s tone rose dangerously at the end, her red lips almost brushing my ear, which was trembling from fright.
“But I clearly saw your little mouth moving, just a few times, in the elevator…” she drawled, her gaze drifting from my eyes down to my lips, as if it had little hooks.
It felt like she could kiss me at any moment.
I’m doomed! She really did hear me! And I thought I was whispering so quietly…
Terrified, my whole body stiffened, shrinking back uncontrollably, wishing I could just disappear into the wall.
My lips trembled, but I couldn’t get a single word out—just a few weak little mewls escaped, “Mmm… meow…”
“Not going to answer?” She let out a light laugh, the sound like a feather brushing past, yet it made my hair stand on end.
She straightened up slowly, but the pressure she exerted didn’t lessen at all.
Looking down at me from above, she admired me the way someone admires a little animal trapped in a dead end, with nowhere left to run.
The interest in her eyes only grew deeper.
“No rush, little rascal. We’ve got all the time in the world… Let’s take it slow.”
She turned and walked toward the podium.
The clack of her heels on the floor was especially clear in the silent classroom—every step landing right on the center of my heart.
The light from the projector flickered back on, illuminating her elegant yet razor-sharp profile.
We’ve got all the time in the world… take it slow…
Did that mean she was going to save this up for later?
The realization landed in my chest like a buried landmine.
On the other side, Ning Dongya had already started the lesson.
There was no way I dared lose focus now—I had to pay attention to both her and the class content.
She taught with real expertise, her knuckles tapping the design guidelines on the projected screen, while I gripped my pen and the sheet of paper I’d prepared in advance, furiously taking notes.
“The key to rendering the texture of basic materials lies in capturing environmental light and adjusting the reflection channels,” Ning Dongya’s voice echoed in the empty multimedia room, her slender fingers gliding across the touchscreen as she pulled up several comparison images.
During the explanation, her gaze swept casually across the room, landing unerringly on me in the corner.
“I noticed in your previous work, you always rendered the clothing materials with nothing but a basic two-point shading. That’s why I added this section—I hope you’re listening carefully.”
Ning Dongya was right.
Every time, I did it just like that—I never put effort into portraying materials.
“Got it, got it, meow…”
I replied, scribbling away even faster with my little hand.
Ugh, she really is amazing!
Aren’t CEOs supposed to be the type who can only bark orders and don’t know how to do anything else?
“Alright, we’ve just covered the basics of rendering smooth materials like gems and metals. Next, let’s try something a bit trickier—how to show rust patterns on a metal surface, with a high degree of completion.”
Her gaze carried a weight, like an invisible web—making my hand clench the pen even tighter, my fingertips going pale.
I forced myself to focus on the beautiful sample images on the screen, trying to cram every word into my brain.
At that moment, apart from the pressure of the intense coursework, the oppressive presence of Ning Dongya never faded for a second.
That forceful perfume, mixed with her unique and overpowering aura, clung stubbornly to my nose, a constant reminder that she was everywhere.
“Ugh…”
For some reason, Ning Dongya suddenly stopped talking.
The only sound left in the multimedia room was the faint hum of the projector’s fan.
Then, her footsteps came closer and closer.
My back went rigid in an instant; it felt like all the blood in my body rushed to my head, my tail wound tightly around the cold metal chair leg, my knuckles turning white from gripping so hard.
Is it happening? Is it about to happen?
Just when I thought Ning Dongya was about to start another round of humiliation, instead—a soft hand gently stroked the top of my head.
A tingling sensation spread across my scalp, like some mysterious magic, bringing an inexplicable sense of comfort.
Then the same sensation came from my cat ears, as she carefully smoothed out the tangles in my fur.
I didn’t know why Ning Dongya suddenly did this, but my body relaxed uncontrollably, because it just felt too good, meow…
“Don’t be too nervous. I’ll make sure to train you well.”
Her soothing words were like a gentle medicine, dissolving the last of my tension.
There was a time when she’d said something similar to me, with just this tone, by my side.
I nodded, saying nothing.
Ning Dongya looked at me, her eyes blossoming with a delighted smile.
“Honestly, you really are just like that person—uncannily so.”