Professor Shen’s Needy Little Lover - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A police car drove into Jianghua University and picked up a professor from her office on the fourth floor of the College of Agriculture and Forestry.

No matter where a police car appears, it draws attention—even if its presence isn’t for a traditional emergency. A crowd gathered in front of the teaching building, standing amidst the fallen pink petals of the bauhinia trees, craning their necks to catch a glimpse.

Shen Zaiqing sat inside the car, casting a faint glance at the students before quickly looking away. Her fair fingertips tapped lightly on her knee, and her lips curled into a subtle smile; her usually calm eyes held a flicker of irrepressible joy.

The station wasn’t far—only a fifteen-minute drive. The officer in charge of her case was Ye Zhengying.

“Name?”

“Shen Zaiqing.”

“Age?”

“32.”

“Occupation?”

“Teacher at the Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Forestry, Jianghua University.”

“Any titles?”

“Yes, Professor level.”

“You applied to raise a dragon cub, right?” Ye Zhengying sat across from Shen Zaiqing. Having finished the intake, she put down her pen and studied the woman with a smile. Shen Zaiqing had a strong scholarly air about her; sitting there, she projected a sense of refined poise, clearly the product of an intellectual family.

“Yes.” Shen Zaiqing’s voice softened. She lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes trembling as if she were wrestling with a deep emotion.

Ye Zhengying thought she was having second thoughts. Anyone would feel a bit uncomfortable being whisked away to a police station after a mysterious phone call. For dragon raisers, however, such procedures would soon become part of daily life.

Last week, Ye Zhengying had met a responsible young girl who, upon hearing about the mountains of paperwork and guarantees required to raise a dragon, had backed out on the spot.

But Shen Zaiqing had been holding her breath for a long time. Finally able to speak her mind, her pleasant voice carried a hint of dejection and grievance: “I applied a long time ago. There was never any news. I thought something had gone wrong with the process.”

Ye Zhengying was stunned. She pulled a fully completed application form from a drawer, checked the date at the bottom, and then looked at the clear frustration written on Shen Zaiqing’s delicate face. Half-comforting and half-sighing, she remarked, “You really have been waiting a long time.”

Shen Zaiqing finally began to vent. “I moved into the ‘Expelled Building No. 3’ two years and three months ago. Neither the police nor the Dragon Management Bureau ever called me. The property management didn’t know anything either.”

“I thought I was being targeted.”

Ye Zhengying tilted her head, trying to find words to comfort her. Her station was only responsible for the training; she didn’t know the specifics of the logistics. She could only offer a guess: “Perhaps the survival rate of dragon cubs has dropped recently, making applications harder to approve.”

Shen Zaiqing’s expression slumped. She had a stomach full of grievances she couldn’t quite pour out to Officer Ye. It definitely wasn’t a survival rate issue. During these two years of waiting, she had personally watched residents who moved in after her get their dragons. Some families were even allowed to raise more than one.

In all of Building No. 3, everyone had a cute little dragon except her. When she went to the property manager, they even questioned her: “Have you ever had an encounter with a dragon? People without a ‘predestined connection’ cannot raise them.”

Shen Zaiqing had been fuming. Other people’s “encounters” were just seeing a dragon from afar. She hadn’t just seen one—she had been kissed by one!

Why hadn’t she received the notice? Was it because she had punched the dragon too hard back then, landing her on a secret blacklist?

She swallowed the rest of her bitterness and simply asked, “When can I see my little dragon?”

Ye Zhengying checked her electronic device and smiled. “The 15th—the day after tomorrow. But you’ll need to come to the station frequently over the next two days to finish the paperwork.”

Hearing the long-awaited good news, the knot in Shen Zaiqing’s heart loosened. Her brow smoothed, and her posture relaxed. Under Ye Zhengying’s guidance, she completed various training sessions and legal procedures.

March 15th. Shen Zaiqing, who rarely took time off, requested a leave of absence. The school leadership approved it immediately. After waking up early and counting down the minutes at home, she arrived at the Property Service Center on the second floor of Building No. 3.

Her mood was entirely different today. Two potted pothos plants with nearly no leaves stood by the entrance; usually, she would find them eyesores, but today they didn’t bother her at all. Shen Zaiqing walked in, her heels clicking on the floor. Her light makeup enhanced her radiant smile.

She handed her adoption form to the staff member, her voice bright: “Hello, I’m Shen Zaiqing. I’ve come to take my little dragon home.”

“Her name is Long Xin.”

Hearing that long-lost voice, Long Xin—who had arrived at the center early—became even more nervous. Her heart, which she had been trying to soothe for hours, began to race even faster, causing her dragon claws to tremble slightly.

Xiao Lin, the property staff member, had known about Shen Zaiqing’s situation for a while. She smiled and said, “Professor Shen, you finally got approved! Congratulations.”

Shen Zaiqing smiled back. “If I hadn’t, I would have gone to the Dragon Management Bureau to file a formal complaint against you all.”

Xiao Lin gave the standard response she had given a thousand times: “We really don’t have any secret rules; it’s all arranged by the higher-ups.”

Shen Zaiqing was in too good a mood to argue. “Where is my little dragon?”

Hiding behind the service counter, Long Xin heard Shen Zaiqing repeatedly say “my little dragon,” and her face flushed with a mix of anxiety and excitement. Before she was ready, her round body was suddenly lifted into the air. Xiao Lin picked her up and plopped her straight onto the service counter.

Xiao Lin was clever; she made sure to turn Long Xin around so she was facing Shen Zaiqing before saying with a grin: “Long Xin arrived early this morning. She’s been waiting for you.”

And so, Long Xin was suddenly face-to-face with Shen Zaiqing. Their eyes met, both filled with shock.

The first thing Shen Zaiqing saw were Long Xin’s eyes—clearer and more brilliant than any gemstone. But her size… something was wrong.

Shen Zaiqing gestured with her hands, looking at Xiao Lin in confusion. “Shouldn’t a dragon cub be… this big?” She held her hands much closer together.

Xiao Lin, a recent graduate, was also baffled. Generally, whatever the Dragon Management Bureau delivered was what the residents got. Dragons were a rare species; the property management didn’t have the power to swap them out. She scratched her head and guessed, “Maybe this one is just a bit older than the others?”

Was it an age issue? Shen Zaiqing had specifically applied for a cub only a month or two old—something about 40 to 50 centimeters tall, tiny and cute enough to melt anyone’s heart. The creature before her was clearly “over-limit.” Not only was she twice the expected height, but her plump, rounded build was not typical for a cub.

Shen Zaiqing tried to look for clues, but she noticed that after their initial eye contact, the dragon had bowed her head and refused to look up. She looked awkward, nervous, and deeply worried. Shen Zaiqing studied the dragon’s expression and finally sensed something was amiss.

“Xiao Lin, I might need to apply for a different dragon. Could you speak to your manager for me?” After much thought, Shen Zaiqing made her decision.

Her tone was gentle, but the words crushed Long Xin. It was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. A bitter taste filled her mouth; sadness overwhelmed her as her back slumped and the light in her eyes faded.

Standing face-to-face, Shen Zaiqing could feel the sheer dejection radiating from the dragon. It was like watching a lush green field suddenly wither. In just a few seconds, even the dragon’s round belly seemed to deflate.

Shen Zaiqing’s heart suddenly ached. Just as Xiao Lin agreed and started heading toward the manager’s office, Shen Zaiqing called out, “Wait, Xiao Lin! I was just joking.”

Xiao Lin looked back, confused. “I was going to say—you waited so long, why would you give up now? So it was a joke.”

Xiao Lin didn’t suspect a thing. She pulled out a form. “Sign here, and you can take Long Xin home.”

After signing, Shen Zaiqing bent down and reached out toward Long Xin, her smile softer than a spring breeze. “Let’s go, Long Xin. We’re going home.”

Long Xin’s clear eyes reflected Shen Zaiqing’s face. Her mouth hung open in shock. She couldn’t believe the turn of events—from hell to heaven in a single moment? She stared blankly, unable to react.

Xiao Lin helped by lifting her and placing her gently on the ground. Shen Zaiqing bent even lower, taking the dragon’s hand and gripping it firmly. Fearing the dragon was still in a daze, she took a small, gentle step forward.

Led by her hand, the “glitched” Long Xin finally rebooted and began to walk with her short legs.

Going to Shen Zaiqing’s home! Long Xin was so excited she began to sweat. It wasn’t easy for an adult dragon to pretend to be a cub; she didn’t even know how she had passed the first hurdle. She felt like she was in a dream. She kept her head very low, terrified of being recognized by other dragons she knew. The young cubs in the building were sharp-tongued; if they saw her, they might blurt out her true identity right in front of Shen Zaiqing. They would call her “Auntie.” And then her cover would be blown.

In the complex known as Xinghe Bay, Building No. 3 was unique—nicknamed the “Expelled Building.” Dragons were everywhere here; every household had one. Consequently, it was managed directly by the Dragon Management Bureau as a special zone.

The cubs living there were usually about 40cm tall with round heads, round bellies, short limbs, and two adorable little horns. They had whiskers, a bit of fuzz on their heads, greenish skin, and white bellies. Their tails usually dragged on the floor with a tuft of fur at the tip.

Until they reached adulthood, they stayed this size. But as Long Xin stood in the elevator, she was two or three times the size of the other cubs—like a mutation. It wasn’t necessarily an age difference, as adult dragons could maintain their cub form or switch to their adult form at will. Long Xin’s size was either a birth trait or… extreme swelling.

Fortunately, the residents of Building No. 3 were kind. Though they found it strange, no one mocked her or gossiped in front of them.

Shen Zaiqing’s home was on the 18th floor. At the bottom right of the front door, a small pet door had been installed with a miniature keypad designed for dragon claws. Shen Zaiqing had customized it for her dragon, linking it to the main lock so the dragon could come and go when she wasn’t home. Looking at Long Xin’s current build, however, Shen Zaiqing realized that door might be useless.

Shen Zaiqing opened the main door. Before inviting her in, she knelt down to be at eye level, taking on a serious tone. “Long Xin.”

Long Xin shuddered, her heart trembling. Is the moment of truth finally here?

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