Professor Shen’s Needy Little Lover - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

It was actually her brother?

Long Xin never imagined that the imaginary love rival she had conjured up would be Shen Zaiqing’s brother.

Since he was her biological brother, the equation no longer held true, and the sour pang in her heart dissipated instantly.

“Mhm, such an impressive brother, there must be many people who like him. Long Xin is the same.”

This praise came from the bottom of Long Xin’s heart. Her scrunched-up face smoothed out; she was now beaming with joy, and her voice carried a clear sense of delight.

She leaned back, falling onto Shen Zaiqing’s soft pillow, wiggling her body and rubbing her head against the silky surface. Her entire being was practically radiating the words “utterly blissful.”

She pulled the blanket over her belly, clutching its edges with both hands and closing her eyes. Now, she would quietly wait for the Professor to get into bed, say goodnight, and then she could drift off into dreamland.

Hearing the movements behind her, Shen Zaiqing could piece together a picture of sunshine after the rain in her mind. She curled her lips into a smile and drew a rainbow next to the huffy little dragon in her diary.

After finishing, she closed the notebook, reached out to turn off the desk lamp, and walked to the window, preparing to shut it properly before turning on the air conditioner.

The sound of the chair moving caused Long Xin to open her eyes. Her gaze followed Shen Zaiqing’s figure to the window. Seeing her about to close it, Long Xin spoke up: “Professor, let’s not turn on the air conditioner tonight. Watermelon is very good for cooling down heat; I ate a lot, and my body temperature has dropped. This temperature is just right; it doesn’t feel hot anymore.”

Jianghua is a southern city. The temperature in March is comfortable; sometimes the evening breeze even carries a hint of chill. Usually, it doesn’t get truly hot until May, which is when most people start using air conditioning.

Shen Zaiqing walked back from the window to Long Xin’s side. She reached out to feel her forehead and found that what Long Xin said was true; her current body temperature was very close to that of a human.

Shen Zaiqing hadn’t expected watermelon to have such an effect on a little dragon. She joked half-earnestly: “It seems I’ll have to buy you watermelon to eat every day.”

Long Xin’s eyes widened at those words, and she nodded repeatedly.

She thought to herself: If I finish the watermelon and regulate my temperature, does that mean I can lie in the Professor’s bed and sleep with her every day?

Shen Zaiqing turned off the light, and Long Xin retracted her wandering thoughts.

Shen Zaiqing lay down beside Long Xin, turning her body toward her. Resting her head on her own arm, she said softly: “Long Xin, I have an early class tomorrow and have to go to school very early. Do you want to come with me?”

“Yes.” Long Xin turned her head to look at her, their gazes meeting in the dark. For a question like this, Long Xin barely had to think.

She wanted to stick to her even for sleeping, let alone during the day.

“Goodnight, Long Xin.”

“Goodnight, Professor.”

A dreamless night passed.

The next day, Long Xin was woken up by the doorbell. She opened her eyes to see that the space beside her was already empty, and the thin quilt Shen Zaiqing used had been folded neatly and placed at the head of the bed.

The curtains were fluttering in the breeze from the window, letting in bright streaks of light. Long Xin quickly threw off her blanket and sat up.

There were voices of conversation in the living room; Shen Zaiqing was speaking in low tones with a man.

On the bed, Long Xin smoothed out her small blanket, mimicking the way Shen Zaiqing folded quilts. She folded it neatly, cradled it in her hands, and slid from the edge of the bed to the floor.

The conversation in the living room hadn’t stopped yet. Long Xin’s little head squeezed through the crack of the door.

“Miss Shen, here are your car keys. Also, where should I put these things?” A man in a suit appeared in their home. The peeping Long Xin narrowed her eyes, scanning the suited man from top to bottom.

“Give the keys to me; put the things on the sofa.” Shen Zaiqing took the keys from the man. Seeing him place the items down, she exchanged a few polite words and saw him out.

Long Xin’s gaze followed them to the door, her body leaning out as well, only to come face-to-face with the returning Shen Zaiqing.

Shen Zaiqing was startled at first, but seeing the groggy, just-woken-up look on Long Xin’s face, she immediately broke into an incredibly gentle smile: “You’re awake. Did you sleep well?”

“Mhm, I did.” Long Xin’s attention was still on the suited man from earlier, so she asked: “Professor, who was that man just now?”

“I sent my car to the Dragon Management Bureau to have a protective layer applied. I was notified last night that I could pick it up, so I hired a valet driver to help drive it back.”

Shen Zaiqing’s classes today were packed; she had to stay at school from morning until night and wouldn’t have time to pick up the car herself, which is why she used a valet.

“Then what about these things?” Long Xin pointed to the two large bags on the sofa.

“This weekend, we’re going to play in the mountains. There’s a place specifically developed for dragon cubs—it has beautiful scenery, a protective barrier, and many interesting farming experiences. I want to take you to see it.”

“These are things we might need for the trip, like sun hats, small sunglasses, and a net for catching fish. Just odds and ends, quite a lot.”

Shen Zaiqing had fewer classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, but her schedule was heavy from Wednesday to Friday. The weekly graduate student meeting and project progress reports were also set for Thursday and Friday.

Today was already Wednesday. Fearing she wouldn’t have time to prepare these things, she had ordered them through a mobile app.

Coincidentally, the dragon cub supply store was right next to the Dragon Management Bureau, so after contacting the clerk to pack everything, Shen Zaiqing asked the valet to bring them back as well.

Long Xin nodded; all the doubts in her heart were resolved.

Thinking about going out to play with the Professor this weekend, the last bit of sleepiness in her head vanished, replaced by a surge of excitement.

Shen Zaiqing glanced at the blanket she was holding and tilted her chin toward her bedroom, her smile vibrant: “Just leave the blanket on my bed; no need to move it back and forth.”

Long Xin ran back in a flash, climbed onto Shen Zaiqing’s bed, and placed her small blanket by Shen Zaiqing’s pillow, side-by-side with her quilt.

Then, a realization hit her later: Does this… mean that in the future, I don’t need to apply for permission to sleep with the Professor?

Long Xin buried her face in the folded blanket, letting an uncontrollable smile leak out.

Shen Zaiqing came over and knocked on the door, urging: “Hurry and change your clothes, we’re heading out.”

“Okay!” Long Xin responded loudly.

They arrived at Jianghua University in Shen Zaiqing’s car. Before getting out, Long Xin was handed two warm buns, a cob of corn, and a cup of soy milk.

This was the breakfast she hadn’t had time to eat yet.

Shen Zaiqing had an 8:00 AM class and had four consecutive sessions in the morning. Having no time to look after Long Xin, she settled her in the office of the laboratory building.

“A student named Li Baixin will come to find you later. She’s my graduate student. She needs to collect specimens on campus today. You follow her, help her collect them, and take a look around our school while you’re at it.”

“Okay.” Long Xin, in human form, sat in Shen Zaiqing’s office chair and responded obediently.

As she spoke, Shen Zaiqing took a “watch” out of her drawer. Though feeling a bit sheepish, she strapped it onto Long Xin’s fair wrist.

“This is called a phone watch. You can make calls and send messages. I’ve already saved the numbers. If something happens, call me during the class breaks.”

Shen Zaiqing’s class schedule was posted on her desk, making the course information clear at a glance. She also demonstrated to Long Xin how to use the watch to make calls.

“Use this for a few days. When I’m free, I’ll take you to buy a phone pick one you like to replace the watch.”

This phone watch was also something Shen Zaiqing had prepared earlier. At that time, she didn’t know she was going to welcome a twenty-five-year-old young woman; like those clothes, it was prepared for a child.

It would serve as an emergency tool for now, and in a few days, she would buy her a phone meant for adults.

Shen Zaiqing explained her plan clearly. Long Xin stared at the brand-new phone watch on her wrist, unable to look away.

Actually, she liked the things Shen Zaiqing prepared for her very much. Her name was even engraved on the strap of this watch; it must have been custom-made for her by the Professor.

To her, it held a special significance.

“I’m running out of time, I have to go now. Be good and eat your breakfast.”

Before Long Xin could finish what she wanted to say, Shen Zaiqing left in a hurry. She had to save those words for next time.

After Shen Zaiqing left, Long Xin opened her breakfast on the desk and began eating slowly.

At 8:30 AM, there was a sudden “brake” at the door of Shen Zaiqing’s office, and Li Baixin appeared in a great rush.

Upon seeing Long Xin, she immediately waved her arm to greet her: “Hey, hi! You’re the one Teacher Shen sent to help me, right?”

Long Xin thought: This must be the Student Li the Professor mentioned.

So she nodded to her and said politely: “Yes. Hello, my name is Long Xin.”

“Hello, hello, I’m Li Baixin.”

Li Baixin scanned Long Xin a few times, then hurriedly turned to open the door to the lab across the hall. She put her bag inside and then made a series of clattering noises, seemingly busy with something.

This was Shen Zaiqing’s private office; the graduate students’ desks were all in the lab across the way.

Just as Long Xin was about to get up and take a look, Li Baixin walked over with a white lab coat draped over her arm, explaining the day’s itinerary: “I’ll take you to collect plant specimens this morning. Many hands make light work; your arrival is so timely!”

Li Baixin needed to complete the preparation of fifty campus plant specimens by the end of the month. Today was already the 17th, and she wasn’t even halfway through.

With a helper today, she decided to finish collecting all the specimens in one go!

“We’re going to the jaboticaba greenhouse in the afternoon. Teacher Shen specifically instructed it.”

No matter what Li Baixin said, Long Xin simply responded with a calm face: “Okay.”

She knew the Professor had already arranged everything, and she just needed to follow the plan.

Seeing that there was nothing else to explain, Li Baixin prepared to lead Long Xin downstairs. Reaching the door, she sucked in a sharp breath and backed up. She had forgotten the most important thing.

She asked Long Xin: “Do you have a lab coat?”

She waved the white lab coat on her arm in front of Long Xin’s eyes.

Long Xin shook her head.

Li Baixin said: “It’s best to wear a lab coat when we collect the school’s plants for specimens. Otherwise, if the other students see us, they might misunderstand and think we aren’t taking care of the flora.”

Long Xin was troubled: “But I don’t have a lab coat.”

Li Baixin’s gaze wandered around Shen Zaiqing’s office. Seeing Shen Zaiqing’s lab coat hanging on the cabinet, she said: “Just wear Teacher Shen’s lab coat. She won’t need it until her lab class in the afternoon anyway.”

Since Shen Zaiqing wasn’t there, Long Xin didn’t want to mess with her things. Like a loyal dog protecting its master, she refused: “Don’t take the Professor’s lab coat. If there’s a misunderstanding, I will explain it to them.”

“It’s nothing to wear it once; we students often borrow each other’s coats,” Li Baixin continued to persuade Long Xin.

“No.” Long Xin was exceptionally firm.

Li Baixin’s expression changed, and she suddenly narrowed her eyes at Long Xin, asking: “You really won’t wear Teacher Shen’s lab coat?”

Long Xin shook her head with unwavering determination.

Li Baixin rested her hands on her waist and let out two sighs: “To be honest, I’m a bit sad.”

Long Xin was bewildered. The topic had shifted so fast that she had no idea where this Student Li’s sudden sadness was coming from.

“According to the seniority, I should address you as ‘Mistress’ (Teacher’s Wife).”

“When dealing with a Mistress, respect is paramount. But I’m a straightforward person and don’t like hiding things; please don’t take offense, Mistress.”

“What I want to say is, there’s absolutely no need to avoid suspicion in front of me. I was the first graduate student Teacher Shen took on. Our friendship is so deep, yet I’m the last one to find out—is that appropriate? What’s most saddening is that now the person herself has appeared, and she’s still intentionally hiding it from me!”

Long Xin couldn’t keep up with such jumping logic. Her eyes went wide. They were talking about lab coats how did it turn into “Mistress”?

And when did she become her “Mistress”?

Li Baixin looked at Long Xin’s terrified face and met her gaze with an “I’ve seen through everything” look.

She muttered: “Aren’t you Teacher Shen’s girlfriend?”

Long Xin turned pale with fright and shook her head repeatedly.

Li Baixin explained the flaw she found: “The clothes you’re wearing are not only a couple’s set with Teacher Shen’s, but I’ve also discovered something others haven’t… and that is… this outfit, from head to toe, is something Teacher Shen has worn. These are simply Teacher Shen’s clothes!”

“You’re wearing Teacher’s clothes, yet you refuse to wear her lab coat. Are you afraid that showing too much affection will have a bad influence in the school?”

Long Xin was stunned into silence.

Li Baixin took her silence as a default, took down Shen Zaiqing’s lab coat, stuffed it into Long Xin’s hands, and gave her a very reliable look: “It’s fine. I’m one of you. My lips are sealed; I won’t go around talking. Just wear it.”

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