A Commission and a Revelation

After such a protracted hiatus, Bai Jingjing finally secured a new commission, an event of profound significance.

Overflowing with enthusiasm, she patiently engaged in discussions with the wealthy loli.

[小白: To begin, regarding the action design and specific poses, do you have any particular requests?]

Poses that significantly alter human anatomy are considerably more challenging to illustrate, demanding greater effort and, consequently, commanding a higher price.

[Lemon: I… I don’t have any specific demands. Standard poses would be… perfectly acceptable.]

Being so young and inexperienced, she preferred to keep things conventional.

Their teachers frequently admonished them to proceed gradually, whether in their studies or any other endeavor.

[小白: Understood. Moving on to attire, do you have any specific preferences?]

Within the junior high girls’ dormitory at Huiguang Middle School, the white-haired loli, her hair tied in a single ponytail, cautiously surveyed her surroundings.

Her roommates were all deep in slumber, the morning’s lessons having proven too taxing for their young minds, leaving them to snore softly.

Outside the window, the faint, almost imperceptible chirping of cicadas only deepened the tranquil stillness of the languid afternoon.

With a slight sigh of relief, her small fingers tapped rhythmically across the phone screen.

[Lemon: What attire options are available?]

While the teachers advocated a gradual approach, she mused that occasionally, a slight acceleration might be permissible.

[小白: Any outfit you can articulate is feasible. However, for more intricate designs, the price will be subject to adjustment.]

Bai Jingjing dispatched a reply, then, after a moment of careful consideration, appended: [Should the request involve cosplay, an additional fee will apply.]

When an original character is depicted wearing the attire of another well-known character, meticulous attention is required to convey the explicit impression that it is, in fact, a cosplay.

Failing to do so could risk incurring the ire of dedicated character fans.

In essence, such requests consume more time, effort, and mental exertion, thus warranting an increased charge.

[Lemon: I understand completely. I’m aware.]

Two-dimensional (TL Note: Refers to anime/manga style) illustrations are significantly more expensive, and cosplay incurs an additional charge; this is standard industry practice.

Don’t ask for details; if questioned, she’d simply claim to have heard it through the grapevine.

[小白: Given these parameters, I shall first send you samples of my previous work. Please assess the quality, and if you find it satisfactory, we can then proceed to discuss pricing.]

Bai Jingjing’s spirits soared.

On her first day—no, within her very first hour—of resuming her previous craft, she had already secured a commission, signaling a brilliantly promising career trajectory.

Meanwhile, back in the junior high girls’ dormitory at Huiguang Middle School, the white-haired, wealthy loli clutched her phone tightly, her little heart thrumming a rapid, anxious rhythm.

It was coming, it was coming—the “inspection” phase was imminent.

Surely, they would be those risqué photos, though she wondered if they were 14X or 18X.

Regardless of the rating, she knew they were forbidden to her eyes!

*Buzz, buzz~*

[Your friend ‘小白’ has sent you the file ‘word.jpg’.]

‘Just one peek,’ she thought, ‘only one.’

The white-haired wealthy loli held her breath, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on the phone screen, before finally tapping to open the image…

It was a high-quality character illustration: lines flowed with graceful smoothness, colors vibrated with rich saturation, the figure itself was exquisitely rendered, and the background possessed a palpable realism.

Yet, to her utter bewilderment, this wasn’t a photo at all!

The wealthy loli’s small mouth parted slightly, her tiny mind reeling with immense confusion.

‘No, where are my photos?’

‘Where are my… my substantial older sister, my substantial risqué photos?’

A bird’s call from the window in the languid afternoon jolted her back to a semblance of clarity.

Her sharp, intelligent mind stirred, and suddenly, a thought sparked within her.

She scrolled back through the chat history—

[Lemon: Are you the rental girlfriend Eylla found? People in the group chat said you’re an artist.

小白: Yes, I am.]

Rereading those two sentences with meticulous care, she finally grasped the true meaning.

‘So, the profession the older sister acknowledged was that of an artist!’

****

Bai Jingjing, having sent her most accomplished work, settled into a quiet wait for a response.

‘It should be more than adequate,’ she mused.

She had, after all, perused various artist websites and was confident that the quality of her illustrations ranked among the best within her price bracket.

For an unestablished artist, value for money was the primary selling point.

Yet, the other party remained silent.

Bai Jingjing waited patiently for ten minutes before her phone finally vibrated to life.

[Lemon: I’ll order one hundred pieces! At the standard market rate!]

This declaration was, to put it mildly, tinged with a great deal of personal emotion.

Bai Jingjing had no inkling of what the wealthy loli had just experienced, but in this moment, she felt a profound sense of camaraderie, as if a kindred spirit had been found.

Naturally, given the loli’s tender age, impulsive spending was a distinct possibility.

Thus, she began to type out a message of gentle persuasion.

[小白: Please don’t order such a large quantity. I’m currently quite busy with tutoring for school, so I can only complete one piece per month.]

A lengthy silence ensued from the other end, followed by—

[Lemon: One piece is acceptable, but you must adhere precisely to my instructions for the drawing, and I will pay ten times the price!]

Bai Jingjing puffed out her cheeks, a small frown creasing her brow as she thought, ‘This wealthy loli truly is rather impulsive.’

[小白: There’s no need for such an exorbitant amount; double the standard rate will suffice.]

If the client’s demands proved excessive or modifications became too frequent, an increased charge would be entirely justifiable.

[Lemon: Excellent! It’s a deal! You’ll draw exactly as I instruct!]

[小白: Very well. What are your specific requirements?]

Again, the reply was slow in coming, several minutes passing before it arrived.

[Lemon: I haven’t decided yet! Let’s discuss it in a few days!]

Her avatar immediately grayed out, signaling she had gone offline.

It was already two o’clock; the lunch break had concluded.

Though she couldn’t discern the reason, Lemon’s final messages conveyed such intense excitement that Bai Jingjing had almost mistaken her for being angry.

Nevertheless, the outcome was favorable.

Bai Jingjing was delighted, having landed a substantial order right from the start.

One could only conclude that wealthy lolis were simply the best—so refreshingly straightforward.

“What’s happened?” Luo Xuan inquired as she entered, her gaze falling upon Bai Jingjing with a puzzled expression.

“You seem so exceptionally happy?”

“Nothing at all,” Bai Jingjing replied, climbing out of bed and dressing with renewed vigor.

“I’ve simply glimpsed a brilliant future ahead! Luo Jie (TL Note: A respectful term for an older sister or close female friend), let us commence our studies!”

Life, it seemed, was on an upward trajectory, and she felt an invigorating surge of energy throughout her entire being.

Luo Xuan, however, remained somewhat bewildered.

‘Aren’t we supposed to be studying?’ she wondered.

‘If so, why is she bothering to get dressed?’

It wasn’t until Bai Jingjing retrieved a book from the bedside table that Luo Xuan belatedly realized her mistake.

‘Oh,’ she thought, a blush creeping up her neck, ‘it’s *purely* academic study.’

“Alright then, today we shall delve into…”

Luo Xuan had no idea what had transpired, but Bai Jingjing’s enthusiasm that day was truly infectious.

Even Luo Xuan found herself swept up in her friend’s fervor, diligently immersing herself in their studies.

It wasn’t until she awoke the following morning, hearing Bai Jingjing’s bustling sounds from the kitchen, that Luo Xuan suddenly recalled she had forgotten to ask if her friend needed to learn any new skills.

Apparently, on Saturday night, her best friend, Xia Chu, had unleashed a formidable display of power, completely “draining” Bai Jingjing.

‘Draining,’ of course, referred to her skill pool.

“Bai Jingjing.”

“Hmm?” The young woman turned her head to look at her.

Luo Xuan was about to speak when her phone suddenly buzzed.

The screen displayed two characters: ‘Chuxia’.

Upon seeing her best friend’s name, Luo Xuan felt an inexplicable pang of guilt, and her words caught in her throat.

‘I should probably see what my best friend has messaged first.’

Bai Jingjing waited for a long moment, hearing no reply, and walked over with a puzzled expression.

“Luo Jie, what’s wrong?”

Just then, she watched Luo Xuan gasp, drawing in a sharp breath.

“Something big has happened!”

Her dear best friend, Xia Chu—the princess who never left her home—had actually invited them out for lunch?