Everyone was nearly ready, and Teacher Li informed us which page of the drawing we were to copy today. The students opened their books, carefully cut out the designated page with a craft knife, and then quietly started tracing it on their drawing boards.
The class was fully engaged in their work, and Xie Shu began to stroll around the studio, inspecting their artwork and occasionally pointing out issues.
Teacher Li sat for a while before heading up to the second floor.
The students in the studio said that the teachers' offices were on the second floor.
Xie Shu wasn't sure if Teacher Li had gone up there to work or to play on her phone.
Regardless, Xie Shu was diligently supervising the students without checking his own phone.
After all, this place was a villa equipped with cameras; he had noticed them the day before, presumably for monitoring from upstairs.
Xie Shu continued to patrol the area.
He didn't interfere with what the students were doing; his role was simply to help them with their artwork.
Some students would ask for his help, while at other times he would proactively point out issues. He would only nod for them to proceed to the next step when he felt there were no more problems at the current stage.
The students still had a lot to learn, especially since they were spending a lot of time just getting the shapes right.
As they moved on to the next step, they began to use a wider variety of tools.
Pencils of different hardnesses like B, 2B, 3B, 4B, HB, H, as well as tissues, highlight erasers, kneaded erasers, and other drawing materials were all at their disposal.
Of course, Xie Shu was still focused solely on their artwork.
Teacher Li would occasionally come downstairs to check on the class before heading back up.
Essentially, Xie Shu was left in charge of the students.
The teaching assistant was almost taking on the role of the main teacher.
No way!
He should ask for a raise!
During this time, the students weren't silent; they chatted and drew without neglecting either.
Especially after they realized their teaching assistant had a good sense of humor, their conversations with him became more frequent.
Eventually, they drifted into discussions about the future, and one student couldn't help but ask Xie Shu:
"Teacher Xie Shu, what majors can we choose after studying fine arts?"
"There are many options," Xie Shu said, resting his chin on one hand and pondering for a few seconds before raising his head and speaking deliberately, "If your pencils are sharpened long and pointy, you could consider setting up a stall to sell sugarcane. If you wash your palette ten times a day, then washing 5000 dishes a day in a restaurant kitchen won't be a problem. If your use of color and brushwork is impressive, then you definitely can't miss out on being a barbecue chef."
The students: "……"
Seeing that the students had all stopped their brushes and were looking at themselves speechlessly, Xie Shu quickly waved his hands, "I'm just kidding. Keep studying hard, and you'll have plenty of opportunities to shine in the future."
"When I was in university, my middle and high school teachers would call me back to school on weekends and ask for my help. Even the principal would offer me a couple of cigarettes."
The students, impressed by Xie Shu's story, eagerly asked, "What did you do?"
"I painted bulletin boards."
"……"
"Alright, no more teasing. Seriously, there are many choices: digital media, craft art, packaging, advertising, product design, and so on. It's really up to you."
"……"
So, is there another twist coming?
***
The morning class ended amidst everyone's chatter.
Teacher Li came down from the second floor to announce the end of the class, and the students put down their brushes and went to the backyard to wash their hands and faces.
Xie Shu hadn't touched a brush all morning, so as soon as class was over, he immediately picked up his phone, intending to contact Ruan Nianxi, that reticent girl.
But just as he picked up his phone and was about to unlock it, he received a call.
It was none other than Ruan Nianxi calling.
Seeing the name flashing on his screen, Xie Shu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The reticent girl was actually calling him proactively?
And she had timed it just right, hadn't she?
Progress!
He cleared his throat before sliding to answer and putting the phone to his ear.
"Hello."
Xie Shu spoke first, but there was no response from the other end.
Xie Shu: "???"
He quickly lowered the phone to check if he had pressed something by mistake, but as he looked, the call was indeed still connected.
What was she up to?
"Ruan Nianxi, what's wrong?"
He put the phone back to his ear and continued speaking.
This time, Xie Shu did hear Ruan Nianxi's voice, but she mumbled for a while before finally uttering a complete sentence.
"Your class is over, right?"
"Yeah, just finished."
"Do… do you need me to order some takeout for you?"
"No need, we have a cafeteria nearby."
Then Xie Shu heard nothing from her again.
He paused, then asked uncertainly, "Have you already ordered?"
"Um…"
Her reply was very soft, as if she was afraid of being rejected.
"That's fine," Xie Shu thought for a moment and agreed, "But I'm not very familiar with this area, and I'm not sure if the delivery can get in. Let me go ask."
"They can."
Ruan Nianxi's voice was a bit louder and very confident.
"How do you know?"
"The delivery people have already asked the security guards at the gate."
"Those people? They've asked?" Xie Shu was taken aback.
"Um, I ordered a lot. You and your teachers and students there can eat together."
Xie Shu: "!!!"
Xie Shu frowned, was she buying for everyone here?
That would be a lot of people; just the art class alone had over twenty students, and there were another ten to twenty in the media class upstairs.
Though surprised, Xie Shu didn't say anything.
He went along with Ruan Nianxi's plan, stepped outside to check the villa's house number, and relayed it to Ruan Nianxi over the phone.
Then Ruan Nianxi hung up, presumably to inform the delivery person.
Staring at the disconnected call, Xie Shu zoned out, pondering some things.
It was clear that Ruan Nianxi had ordered in advance, and the delivery person was already there. She had planned everything with perfect timing.
But her initial question was whether he needed it or not, and he didn't want to trouble her, so he would usually refuse.
If it weren't for the fact that he remembered how she had deliberately driven up to him that morning to offer him a ride, leading him to ask one more question, he might have actually refused.
What would she have done if he had refused?
Call the delivery people back?
What would have been the point of her preparation then?
Sigh, silly girl, why be so cautious.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan