Patience

It was Test Day.

At Tianhua Academy, this was a semi-annual ritual—a theoretical assessment of the students’ academic level. It was also the day Ning Rou dreaded most.

She had always loathed conceptual theory. Because she was naturally hypersensitive to external emotions, she had fallen in love with the path of acting since childhood, relishing the ability to experience and share a kaleidoscope of feelings. However, she held the theoretical side of dramatic arts in absolute contempt.

To her, unlike the lines in a script that breathed with the protagonist’s soul, these theories were hollow, cold, and clinical. Furthermore, her personality was one that craved freedom and spontaneity—traits that defined her performance style. These theoretical concepts, however, demanded the mechanical drudgery of rote memorization, leaving no room for her to express her individuality.

The only reason she had been admitted to the Tianhua Academy of Dramatic Arts in the first place was the prestige of her championship title in a major competition. But in a written theory exam, there were no policies that allowed acting talent to boost one’s score.

Thus, she could only steel herself and trudge into the examination hall.

“This is a disaster.”

There were four theoretical subjects to be tested, which happened to consume Ning Rou’s entire day. By the time she dragged herself out of the final exam, she felt as though her soul had detached from her body and drifted off into deep space.

The vibrant energy that usually radiated from her was nowhere to be found; currently, even the simple act of lifting her legs to walk felt like a monumental chore. In the past, she would have at least had a friend’s shoulder to lean on, someone to whom she could vent her frustrations.

But now…

Ning Rou turned her head and, as expected, saw Xiao Yuehua walking toward her. However, she didn’t rush over to grab her hand and complain like she used to. Instead, she lowered her head and sprinted toward the dormitory.

Since their argument that day, she had been afraid to face her old friend. Although they had apologized and cleared up the misunderstanding, the list of grievances Xiao Yuehua had poured out in her anger remained etched deeply in Ning Rou’s heart.

So, I’ve been hurting Yuehua so many times without even realizing it… I’ve been the one putting pressure on her all along…

Burdened by this self-reproach, Ning Rou couldn’t find the courage to invite Xiao Yuehua to sit down and talk. Their relationship remained frozen in an awkward impasse. Of course, she didn’t intend to let things drag on forever.

The Acting Students Grand Prix… on that day, no matter the result, I must take the initiative to talk to Yuehua!

Ning Rou set a deadline for herself in her heart. Once that time came, everything would get better.

However, whether things would improve in the future or not, Ning Rou’s troubles were far from over in the present. That very evening, as she checked her exam results, Ning Rou let out a mournful wail.

“I failed! I failed everything!”

Today, Xiao Yuehua’s hand found its way onto Jiang Li’s back once again.

Her soft, nimble fingers wandered wantonly across his skin. Whether it was out of comfort or tension, Jiang Li could feel goosebumps rising in waves under her touch.

“The flowers in the… the old forest… are always more vivid, aren’t they?”

“Professor, you got your line wrong again.”

“Sor—Sorry…”

“I told you, didn’t I? There’s no need to apologize. You’re just helping me train; you don’t owe me anything.”

Xiao Yuehua smiled playfully, her left hand brushing past Jiang Li’s lips with an ambiguous lightness. This overly intimate gesture caused a surge of discomfort in Jiang Li.

“But… but your hand…”

“My hand? What about it?”

She widened her eyes, feigning a look of innocent surprise, asking a question she already knew the answer to. Simultaneously, her right fingers misbehaved, sliding slowly upward along the curve of Jiang Li’s spine like a slick, wandering snake.

“Is the Professor dissatisfied? Do you think I’m not holding you tight enough? Is my emotion not rich enough?”

“Yuehua… enough is enough.”

Jiang Li gritted his teeth, glaring at Xiao Yuehua. Perhaps because this body possessed a B+ Grade Acting Method, his senses were much sharper than they had been in his original world. Currently, the stimulation Xiao Yuehua was providing made it nearly impossible for him to concentrate.

In truth, Xiao Yuehua’s overt and suggestive actions had long since exposed her feelings for him. If Jiang Li were willing, he could accept her heart right now, and their relationship would undoubtedly skyrocket. Courting her seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

The problem, however, was that she wasn’t his only target. If he committed to a relationship with Xiao Yuehua too early, the plan to win over Ning Rou would likely be buried for good. His dream of returning to the Main World and giving his sister a better life would vanish into thin air.

That was an outcome Jiang Li could never accept.

“I don’t quite understand what the Professor is saying.”

Xiao Yuehua feigned ignorance, while her other hand began to climb down Jiang Li’s thigh.

“But aren’t you supposed to be helping me get familiar with the character’s emotions? Why do you keep interrupting?”

She leaned closer to Jiang Li’s face with a slightly sinister smile.

“If we keep going like this, how could I ever hope to beat Ning Rou?”

By repeatedly and knowingly provoking the Professor and seizing control of his weaknesses, Xiao Yuehua felt a rush of intoxication from this reversal of status. Especially when she saw the Professor trembling under her increasingly brazen touch, watching him reveal those moments of vulnerability—the sense of possessing him exclusively drove her to the brink of frenzy.

I want… I want to control the Professor completely… master him… break him…

Intense desires continued to fester, making her movements increasingly rough. The Professor before her seemed to realize he couldn’t reason with her. With a face flushed with shame, he gritted his teeth and began reciting the lines, his delivery less than smooth:

“Rose… you… hiss… you are more beautiful… than the moon…”

Xiao Yuehua, satisfied, met him with her own surging desire.

“A-Cheng, I love you.”

“I… uh… I love you too…”

“Hee hee…”

In the midst of this eerie atmosphere, Xiao Yuehua suddenly broke into a shy, radiant smile, her eyes shimmering.

“Shall we kiss?”

Though it was a line from the script, and though it was phrased as a question, she showed no intention of seeking the Professor’s consent. Instead, she proactively and slowly offered up her cherry-red lips.

Desire was stirred, but logic screamed a warning. Jiang Li’s instinct was to flee. He knew the weight behind that sweet, dangerous kiss. Kissing a beauty was, of course, a good thing. But the problem was that it was ahead of schedule—it was happening too early.

Behind that kiss lay a future where he would be completely alienated from Ning Rou, unable to complete his mission. More importantly, in that future, the sister he had depended on for over a decade would be left alone in that Main World filled with pain, danger, and despair, struggling to survive.

No matter what, Jiang Li could not accept that.

With that thought, he steeled himself and bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. Accompanied by a sharp jolt of pain, his expression shifted instantly—a change that was immediately noticed by Xiao Yuehua.

“What is it? Professor, what’s wrong?”

Perhaps she cared too much for Jiang Li; she panicked instantly, completely forgetting about the rehearsal.

“Sorry… I was too nervous and bit my tongue,” Jiang Li explained, taking the opportunity to pull away.

However, Xiao Yuehua was not so easily fooled. As her expression gradually darkened, the air around them grew oppressive and heavy.

“Are you joking, Professor? You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“No… I didn’t.”

Jiang Li instinctively backed away further, his voice lacking its usual composure. But following his weak defense…

“That’s good then…”

Xiao Yuehua’s attitude suddenly shifted from stormy to bright.

“I thought the Professor hated me. Thank goodness that’s not it.”

“Y-yeah.”

“Well, since the Professor is injured, let’s call it a day. You must take care of yourself.”

Xiao Yuehua twirled around with a smile, her skirt fluttering slightly from the centrifugal force. At this moment, she looked like a princess stepping out of an oil painting—charming and cheerful, a world apart from her gloom of a moment ago.

But as she reached the door, she turned back and smiled at Jiang Li once more. Her voice made his skin crawl.

“But Professor, Yuehua isn’t exactly a very patient girl.”

“What?”

Jiang Li didn’t catch her meaning, his eyes filled with confusion. Xiao Yuehua continued to speak to herself with a giggle, her tone chilling.

“For the Professor’s sake, I will try my best to endure until the day I defeat Ning Rou. But that’s my limit. Professor, you should work hard to be prepared, too.”