The Unveiling of Teacher Qing’s Secret

“I’m here.”

It was still the familiar door, the familiar click, the familiar gauze nightgown, its black silk texture perfectly complementing the pristine expanse of her figure.

“I’m here.” Bai Jingjing nodded, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

Don’t ask. If you only look in one direction and avoid glancing elsewhere too often, that’s what’s called ‘looking straight ahead.’

Besides, as a pretty girl, she was naturally a little shorter than the older sister, so her ‘looking straight ahead’ perfectly aligned with Tuan Tuan. Quite reasonable, wouldn’t you say?

“Teacher Qing, I’ve brought the test papers, but I haven’t finished them; I’ve only completed a portion.”

Liu Wanqing still placed a pair of small slippers before her. “Come in first.”

The words “come in” were unavoidable; they simply had to be spoken.

Bai Jingjing changed into the pink slippers, entered the room, and settled onto the sofa, setting down her schoolbag. Looking up, she noticed a steaming kettle on the table.

Seeing her gaze on the kettle, Liu Wanqing proactively explained, “When I saw your message saying you were coming, I boiled some plain water. The temperature should be just right now.”

“……”

Fine then. Since you’ve gone to such lengths, even if there really was something in the water, Bai Jingjing was prepared to accept it.

At worst, she would just lie down on the bed.

Gulp, gulp, gulp, she chugged it down.

By the time Bai Jingjing finished her water, Liu Wanqing had emerged from the bedroom. Though still not in normal clothes, she carried paper and a pen, giving her a semblance of a teacher.

Noticing the empty cup before Bai Jingjing, she asked with concern, “Are you very thirsty?”

Bai Jingjing paused. “Why do you ask?”

“You drank a whole cup, a very large cup, as soon as you sat down,” Liu Wanqing chuckled softly. “I thought you must be terribly thirsty.”

‘I boiled hot water for you, not for you to down it all in one go,’ she seemed to imply.

Bai Jingjing’s lips parted slightly, and she was speechless for a long moment, a trace of the recently consumed water still glistening dewy on her lips.

She wasn’t sure how to explain. As she had picked up the cup, she’d thought, ‘If there truly is something in the water, drinking too little might lead to a struggle, which would only make things harder for myself.’ So, she’d simply drunk it all in one go, reasoning that at worst, she’d just lie down on the bed.

“I just needed a little hydration,” Bai Jingjing offered an excuse. “I’m all hydrated now, perfectly fine.”

There was nothing wrong with a girl drinking more hot water, and she genuinely needed to replenish her fluids.

“Alright,” Liu Wanqing said, picking up the test papers. “Let me see.”

Bai Jingjing sat obediently, waiting. Noticing how quickly Liu Wanqing was reviewing, she volunteered an explanation: “I only managed to solve these problems with my friend’s guidance.”

“Your friend, is that the group admin? I recall her name was Luo Xuan, wasn’t it?” Liu Wanqing finished looking through the papers. “Which problems did you only half-understand?”

Bai Jingjing promptly pointed them out.

Today’s tutoring session went unexpectedly smoothly. She came in, sat down, drank some water, and then they got straight to the point. Although Liu Wanqing’s attire was rather alluring, when she actually started teaching, she was quite impressive.

After all, she was a teacher; with just a few words, she could grasp the core essence of a problem. Areas Bai Jingjing hadn’t understood despite several days of Luo Xuan’s tutoring were clarified by Liu Wanqing in a few concise sentences.

As for the water she’d drunk earlier, it was simply plain hot water. Her body hadn’t reacted strangely at all, save for having to make two extra trips to release some ‘holy water’ (TL Note: A euphemism for urination).

She had simply hydrated too much.

“I’ve written the problem-solving approaches on your paper; go back and memorize them well,” Liu Wanqing said gently. “The entrance exam only requires a passing grade, so you don’t need to master everything. Remembering most of it will suffice.”

Bai Jingjing stretched languidly. “Thank you, Teacher Qing. I truly envy your students for having such a gentle and considerate teacher.”

This was standard pleasantry, a polite exchange of compliments, but Liu Wanqing shook her head. “You misunderstand. My teaching isn’t usually like this.”

“…Huh?”

“My classes are quite serious, and they don’t cover as much content. Moreover, I’m not responsible for academic subjects.”

Bai Jingjing blinked in confusion.

“To tutor you this time, I specifically reviewed my old knowledge,” Liu Wanqing continued. “It’s been quite a few years, so it took a bit of time.”

Bai Jingjing’s heart skipped a beat, partly flattered, and partly…

“I never expected Teacher Qing to be so kind to me,” she said, flashing a sweet smile. “Thank you, Teacher Qing.”

Yet, one couldn’t help but wonder if a mere thank you was truly enough.

“Actually, if it were anyone else, I definitely wouldn’t have gone to such lengths,” Liu Wanqing looked at her, then hesitated. “You… come over here for a moment.”

Bai Jingjing tilted her head. “Over here?”

Liu Wanqing walked towards an adjacent room, and Bai Jingjing, setting her things down, rose and followed.

“This is where I rest and sleep, and also where I work… Oh, I forgot to mention, being a teacher is actually just one of my jobs, and in my mind, the art teacher position is merely a part-time role.”

At this, Bai Jingjing seized the opportunity to ask, “Then, Teacher, what is your primary profession…?”

“The same as yours,” Liu Wanqing said, pulling a signed postcard from a drawer beneath the desk. “I’m an artist.”

Bai Jingjing took it and saw a remarkably exquisite scene painting: a dragon and a maiden in an otherworldly style. The composition and colors were nothing short of masterful, and it felt vaguely familiar to her.

Then she saw the signature on the postcard—

“Teacher WQ!” Bai Jingjing exclaimed, startled. “You’re Teacher WQ!”

She knew that name; it belonged to a true top-tier expert in the industry, long-renowned. When Bai Jingjing had first started learning to draw, she often studied WQ’s works.

Bai Jingjing also recalled that Teacher WQ occasionally live-streamed her drawing on Bilibili (TL Note: A Chinese video-sharing website, similar to YouTube), and she’d watched a few times. Apparently, WQ used a virtual avatar, a mature and alluring older sister persona that was particularly provocative.

Upon closer inspection, on the desktop where the computer sat, there was indeed a microphone and a set of devices resembling facial capture equipment.

Frankly, in the face of this industry titan’s true identity, being an art teacher could indeed only be considered a part-time job.

“You can just keep calling me Teacher Qing,” Liu Wanqing said. “Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

Bai Jingjing blinked. “Can I help?”

Liu Wanqing remained silent, simply reaching into the desk drawer and pulling out several drafts.

Bai Jingjing looked again, ‘Ermmm, *When a Schoolgirl Visits Her Teacher’s Home, Even Trustworthy People Should Be Wary~*’

Wasn’t this the very manuscript Liu Wanqing had commissioned from her? The one Bai Jingjing had drawn herself!

“When you were advertising in the group back then, I noticed you because I found your personal style quite unique,” Liu Wanqing slowly explained. “At the time, with a ‘let’s give it a try’ mindset, I commissioned a manga draft from you.”

Bai Jingjing said cautiously, “This draft was the first commission I received in the group. I drew it very diligently, and I’m very grateful to Teacher Qing.”

As long as they didn’t discuss the manga’s plot, everything would be fine.