A Commission’s Secret

The Provincial City Art University sprawled across a vast area, necessitating the use of scheduled campus buses to navigate its various zones.

Unwilling to bother with such an inconvenience, Liu Wanqing sought out the nearest available activity room.

“Please, have a seat,” Liu Wanqing said, settling them in the room. “There’s a small shop nearby. I’ll go fetch us some drinks.”

After Liu Wanqing departed, Luo Xuan settled onto a chair, her gaze sweeping around the room before she couldn’t help but sigh in appreciation. “Qingqing is truly a wonderful person, don’t you agree?”

‘Initially, they had merely sought a guide on a whim, never expecting to actually find one, let alone someone from the same online group. It was truly excellent, having shared hobbies and topics of conversation.’

Bai Jingjing pulled out her phone. “Actually, I think I just remembered that she commissioned me for a piece of work once.”

“Oh?” Luo Xuan asked, her curiosity piqued. “What kind of commission was it? What genre?”

Naturally, it had to be a yuri-themed commission (TL Note: Yuri refers to a genre depicting romantic relationships between female characters.), given they were all in the same group.

There was nothing wrong with that; it was just a matter of personal preference.

Yet, she found herself intrigued by the more specific sub-genre.

“Let me check, it’s been a while,” Bai Jingjing murmured, scrolling through the group’s member list for “Qingqing’s” name.

‘Come to think of it, if her memory served correctly, Liu Wanqing had been the very first person in the group to commission her. It was after completing that particular order that her identity as an artist gained recognition within the group, effectively marking her entry into the market.’

‘In that sense, Sister Qingqing was a good person indeed.’

Bai Jingjing then found the chat history.

“I’m back. What are you two chatting about?” Liu Wanqing asked, entering the room and placing several cups of hot tea on the table.

“Nothing much, really. Bai Jingjing mentioned you might have commissioned her before,” Luo Xuan replied with a friendly smile. “I was just a little curious, wondering what kind of piece she drew for you.”

“Oh, is that so? Hehe.”

Liu Wanqing maintained her gentle smile, yet for some inexplicable reason, it seemed to take on a subtly dangerous edge.

“It was nothing, really,” Bai Jingjing said, setting her phone down. Her small face remained perfectly calm. “Just an everyday-themed piece, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Indeed, it was hardly special. Ever since she began taking commissions, Bai Jingjing had received all sorts of bizarre requests: ancient god-girls with four arms simultaneously pleasing four other girls, magical girl wands personified, or a queen of the tentacle race with tentacles growing from her hair, interacting with a human girl.

Given the sheer variety of strange things she’d been asked to draw, an everyday human theme was by far the most mundane. So, this wasn’t really a lie, was it?

“Is that, is that so?”

Despite the placid expression on her adorable face, Luo Xuan distinctly noticed her ample bosom gently swaying.

According to the First Law, this was a clear sign of extreme nervousness, a heart pounding wildly.

“Yes, there’s really nothing to discuss. Let’s just have some tea first,” Bai Jingjing said, carefully putting her phone away before taking a small sip. “Excellent tea.”

‘Truly, there was nothing to say. It was merely a commission about a teacher and student—a story featuring a gentle, older sister-type teacher and a beautiful, busty (TL Note: ‘巨巨’ (juju) here is a slang term referring to someone with very large breasts, often used playfully or admiringly.) student with a childlike face, along with a few other *ahem* elements.’

‘Hardly worth mentioning.’

‘Which was why she’d said it was a very ordinary, everyday-themed piece.’

“Actually, there’s really nothing much to say about it. It was just a fleeting interest that sparked on a whim,” Liu Wanqing said, her gentle smile unwavering as she spoke with an air of nonchalance. “It’s not like I genuinely wanted to do any of those things.”

Bai Jingjing nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, exactly!”

‘You got that exactly right, Sis.’

Luo Xuan looked at the older sister across from her, then at the young girl beside her, and finally at the girl’s still-trembling bosom. She was utterly bewildered.

‘What in the world was happening?’

“More importantly, why did Bai Jingjing want to visit here?” Liu Wanqing swiftly changed the subject. “Are you planning to apply to this university?”

“Yes, actually, I intend to enroll this summer,” Bai Jingjing replied cautiously. “Due to some unusual circumstances, I took a leave of absence from high school and plan to enter as an adult student this year.”

‘Oh, an adult, but…’

Liu Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t resist asking, “Bai Jingjing, are you actually an adult?”

“I’m nineteen this year.”

‘Ah, this…’

Upon closer inspection, her small face bore no resemblance to that of an adult; it was far from it. Yet, looking downwards, her ample bosom seemed entirely *too* adult.

Indeed, it was so substantial that it was already resting on the table.

‘If one averaged the two, it might just balance out.’

Liu Wanqing’s thoughts raced. ‘Come to think of it, resting them on the table is an excellent idea, but I’m quite tall, and the chair is a bit high, so it might be awkward to place them… No, that’s not the point!’

“Even if you take that route for admission, you’ll still need to pass an examination, though it won’t be as rigorous as the Gaokao (TL Note: Gaokao is China’s national college entrance examination.),” she stated slowly. “I know you’re an excellent artist, but the exam won’t test you on that aspect. You… understand what I mean, right?”

In essence, the exam would certainly not test highly ‘two-dimensional’ (TL Note: ‘二次元’ (èr cì yuán) refers to fictional animated, comic, or game characters, implying a more niche or stylized art style.) drawing styles; it would be more traditional.

“Mm.”

Bai Jingjing paused, slightly taken aback. This was indeed her weak point, as she had never studied anything related to standardized tests.

“Aside from that, there are also general education courses. While the requirements aren’t high, you’ll still need to learn some basics,” Liu Wanqing continued, looking at her. “How were your high school general education courses? How much do you remember?”

Bai Jingjing’s ample bosom gave a little jump.

“Well, I took a leave of absence right after starting my first year of high school…”

“That might pose a slight problem, but fortunately, there’s still plenty of time. You’ll likely need some tutoring,” Liu Wanqing advised.

Luo Xuan quickly asked, “Then, Sister Liu Wanqing, do you know of any reliable tutoring centers?”

“Hmm…”

Liu Wanqing mused for a moment, countless thoughts flashing through her mind.

‘This girl named Bai Jingjing, though appearing sensible and well-behaved, nonetheless held her secret.’

‘It was a miscalculation. She had never expected that a casual meeting with an online acquaintance, driven by simple interest, would lead her to an artist who knew her secret. Of course, that wasn’t the critical part; the most crucial issue was that this girl might well become her student in the future.’

‘She absolutely had to find a way to get some alone time with her, to have a good “heart-to-heart” chat, and secure her secret with a bit of insurance.’

“How about this, then? I happen to have fewer classes this semester and no students to mentor, so I could tutor you myself,” Liu Wanqing offered with a gentle smile.

“Huh, Sister Qingqing, you’d tutor me?” Bai Jingjing blinked. “Well, that’s…”

‘If one were to call it a surprise, it certainly appeared to be one on the surface, yet for some reason, she felt a subtle unease.’

‘Moreover, the gentle smile playing on Sister Qingqing’s lips had given her a hint of danger before.’

‘Was it just a delusion?’

“I’ve also inquired about the entrance exam questions from my colleagues,” Liu Wanqing added, fanning the flames.

It was then that Liu Wanqing suddenly noticed that this young artist before her, this self-proclaimed nineteen-year-old with a substantial bust, wasn’t just a close match to the character she had requested in her original commission; she was practically identical.

‘What had Bai Jingjing thought when she received that request from her?’

‘She was truly curious.’

“Then… I’ll trouble Sister Qingqing with this,” Bai Jingjing decided. “However, I’m a bit busy this month. Could we start the tutoring next month?”

‘After all, she still had Xia Chu to look after this month.’

****