Professor Shen’s Needy Little Lover - Chapter 23.1

Chapter 23.1

As Shen Zaiqing pondered the past, Shen Zailiang was already teaching Long Xin how to use the bracelet’s positioning function.

One was a dedicated teacher, the other an earnest student; only Shen Zaiqing noticed the half-eaten meal.

She separated the two heads leaning close together and put on a stern face: “Alright, you two. The food is getting cold. Finish eating before you talk more.”

“Alright, alright, I’ve finished the lesson.”

After squeezing in two more sentences, Shen Zailiang wrapped up. He looked up at his sister and said with a smile: “I’ve taught Long Xin how to operate everything. As for you, sis, you just need to know where the power button is.”

“Not hard, right?”

Shen Zaiqing glared at him, refusing to back down: “I’ve improved a lot lately; I won’t need it.”

Shen Zailiang curled his lip and muttered under his breath, “That remains to be seen.”

Long Xin fiddled with the metal bracelet on her left wrist, smiling as she watched the two bicker while sipping her plum juice through the straw.

She always drank quickly; in no time, the icy, refreshing plum juice was gone. Still wanting more, she looked around but realized the large glass bottle was empty.

Sitting opposite her, Shen Zailiang noticed this. He set down his knife and fork, picked up the red wine beside him, and prepared to pour it into her cup. “The plum juice is gone. Have some wine instead,” he said.

“Saves us from ordering a new bottle.”

Long Xin didn’t want to be wasteful and thought Shen Zailiang’s suggestion was good, so she gave a slight nod.

Shen Zailiang had already aimed the mouth of the wine bottle at Long Xin’s glass.

Shen Zaiqing was looking down at her food, but the moment she heard her brother say the word “wine,” her hair stood on end. She quickly reached out to stop him: “Brother, dragons can’t drink!”

Shen Zailiang didn’t pull back his hand. He asked, puzzled, “Long Xin is an adult, isn’t she? Why can’t she drink?”

Shen Zaiqing grabbed the bottle and snatched the red wine away. Seeing her pull forcefully, Shen Zailiang let go and didn’t fight her for it.

Shen Zaiqing placed the wine far away from Long Xin and spoke to her brother with a very serious expression: “It’s not a matter of age. It’s that the dragon species is naturally sensitive to alcohol. They get drunk very easily, and even a little bit makes them lose control and black out. Therefore, dragons must avoid alcohol.”

“It’s best if they don’t touch a single drop.”

Spooked by her brother, Shen Zaiqing looked at the residue in Long Xin’s glass and felt as if wine had already dripped in, so she hurriedly replaced it with a fresh one.

When Shen Zaiqing was in training, Officer Ye Zheng-ying spent an entire session discussing the reactions between alcohol and dragons. It was incredibly serious, and she had recorded it as key knowledge back then.

That was why her reaction was so strong when her brother mentioned wine.

Shen Zailiang looked at the stern Shen Zaiqing and then at the even more confused Long Xin. He compromised: “Fine. If that’s the case, I’ll never have the chance to drink with Long Xin.”

“What a pity.”

Shen Zaiqing ordered a new bottle of plum juice and poured it into Long Xin’s new cup: “Just drink juice. Why would you need wine?”

Shen Zaiqing couldn’t even imagine Long Xin losing control; she was so well-behaved and soft right now.

This was actually the first time Long Xin had heard such a thing. Having lived in the deep mountains for years, she didn’t know what wine was and had never tasted it. Since Shen Zaiqing told her to stick to juice, she followed orders.

Shen Zailiang thought of something and suddenly asked, “Long Xin, have you ever had wine before?”

Long Xin was taken aback by the question and shook her head.

Shen Zailiang looked thoughtful: “In that case, you really ought to taste it to know the flavor and remember it otherwise, you won’t even know if someone is trying to trick you later.”

“Want to try a bit? Brother will pour it for you?” Shen Zailiang winked at her.

Long Xin stared intently at the red wine swirling gently in Shen Zailiang’s glass. She was actually a bit curious about the taste.

Since entering human society, she was curious about everything unknown. Looking at the color, didn’t it look quite similar to the plum juice in her cup? Why did dragons have such a strong reaction to it?

Shen Zaiqing slapped Shen Zailiang’s face, pushing her brother’s mischievous expression away. “Brother, you look like a swindler tricking a child,” she roasted him.

“I’ll say it one more time: Long Xin cannot drink!”

Shen Zaiqing’s annoyed voice made both of them drop the idea. If they pushed further, she would definitely lose her temper.

Long Xin thought: If the Professor says I can’t drink, then I really can’t.

She also couldn’t imagine herself losing control. Supposedly, there was a 99.9% probability of blacking out, which meant not remembering anything that happened while drunk. Long Xin found that state terrifying and decided not to try it lightly.

After the meal, they sat for a while longer. Shen Zaiqing and Long Xin prepared to check their tickets and board the train.

Shen Zailiang saw them to the mini-train station and waved goodbye once they were in their seats.

The sightseeing mini-train was similar to a real train; it arrived and departed at set times, and passengers needed to buy tickets and sit in assigned seats. The number of tickets sold daily was limited, so the carriages weren’t crowded.

Tickets were hard to get; one had to stay on the webpage and grab them like tickets for the Spring Festival. Shen Zaiqing had only ridden it once before and hadn’t secured a very good seat.

With Long Xin, things were different; she enjoyed priority booking rights. Beyond that, she could choose first-class seats with tables and a wider view.

Once they were seated, the mini-train began moving along its dedicated track. There was a hidden spark of excitement in Long Xin’s eyes.

They were originally sitting opposite each other with the table between them, but Shen Zaiqing asked Long Xin to sit next to her, giving her the window seat while she took the aisle. Sitting this way made it easy for Shen Zaiqing to introduce the various sights along the way.

Their boarding station wasn’t far from the starting point, and their destination, Tiandai Mountain Station, was the final stop, so they would pass most of Jianghua City’s scenic spots.

Most of the time, Long Xin was the quicker one to react. With her sharp eyesight, whenever she saw something familiar, she would point at it and ask hurriedly, “Professor, what’s that?”

“That’s called a cable car.”

“And what about this?”

“This is a Kapok tree; those fiery red things are its flowers.”

The mini-train traveled at a steady pace, even slower than a regular bus. After all, it was designed for sightseeing, moving leisurely through this beautiful coastal city.

Long Xin was the one who seemed hurried, afraid that she would miss something interesting before learning its name.

After assisting with explanations for nearly an hour, Shen Zaiqing’s voice grew hoarse. She coughed twice and finished the last bit of water in her cup. Noticing this, Long Xin gradually slowed the frequency of her questions.

After soothing her throat, Shen Zaiqing felt better and comforted Long Xin: “No need to rush. If you like it, we can come and ride this often.”

Thanks to Long Xin, they could get tickets whenever they wanted. As long as they had the time, Shen Zaiqing would accompany her as many times as she wished.

“Mhm,” Long Xin nodded, focusing on the scenery outside.

Today she was wearing new clothes Shen Zaiqing had bought for her—simple colors and styles that perfectly matched her temperament.

Passing the shimmering sea and golden beaches, the scenery from the window looked like a painting, and Long Xin, propping her head with her hand as she watched, became part of that painting.

Shen Zaiqing found the scene harmonious and aesthetic, so she took a photo with her phone. Afterward, she began browsing her social feed and saw a similar image.

The post was from two seconds ago, shared by her graduate school supervisor, Li Mei. The angle was similar to Shen Zaiqing’s, capturing the sea and sand, but included two roadside trees Shen Zaiqing’s view lacked. This meant it was likely taken from a carriage behind them.

Captured in the frame alongside the view was her supervisor’s partner, wearing a bucket hat and also propping his head with his hand, staring intently out the window, unaware he was being photographed.

Shen Zaiqing hadn’t seen her supervisor in a long time; it was a rare coincidence to be on the same train. She wondered which station they would get off at.

Shen Zaiqing felt she should go and say hello.

“Long Xin, I have an acquaintance in the carriage behind us. I’m going to say hello; stay in your seat and wait for me.”

Long Xin turned her head: “How long will the Professor be?”

“Not long. I’ll just say a quick hello and be back.”

As Shen Zaiqing stood up, she saw a staff member in uniform pushing a dining cart toward them. She said to Long Xin, “Your water is finished, right? When the cart comes, buy whatever you’d like to drink.”

She had already taught Long Xin the rules of cash transactions; Long Xin understood after hearing it once, so she wasn’t worried. She had originally wanted to teach her how to use payment apps, which would be more convenient, but Long Xin didn’t want to replace the phone watch on her wrist, and Shen Zaiqing didn’t force her.

“Go ahead. I can take care of myself.”

Shen Zaiqing had taught her the basic rules of human society; she felt confident and wouldn’t be as panicked as when she first arrived. Buying things was a minor matter to her now.

Shen Zaiqing nodded and walked toward the carriages behind.

Shortly after, the service staff pushed the cart over, a gentle female voice reaching Long Xin’s ears: “Snacks or drinks, does anyone need anything?”

Long Xin waved to her and said politely, “Hello, I’d like to buy two bottles of drinks.”

The staff member parked the cart next to Long Xin. It was fully loaded; there were three whole rows just for drinks. Long Xin was overwhelmed; these were all drinks she had never seen or tasted.

Just like picking clothes, she chose based on the appearance she liked. She pulled out two bottles that looked appealing, placed them on the table, and asked, “How much for these two?”

“Fifteen yuan in total. Do you need straws?”

“Yes, please.”

After paying, the staff member pushed the cart further back, repeating the same line. A man in sunglasses in the back row waved, and the cart stopped by him.

Long Xin placed the two drinks in the cup holders. Shen Zaiqing had been gone for a while and would likely be back soon. She opened both cans, inserted the straws, and set them there, waiting for her.

She waited and waited. Long Xin’s ears twitched several times, but she still didn’t hear the familiar footsteps. Bored and thirsty, she took the straw in her mouth and began drinking the canned drink in front of her.

The texture was very different, providing a refreshing feeling in her mouth, with the fresh fragrance of peaches.

But for some reason, it went to her head. The more she drank, the dizzier she became. Her heart pounded like a drum, and her fair face turned red at a visible speed.

The drink that had been delicious suddenly changed flavor. Long Xin scowled and decisively pushed it away, abandoning the unfinished portion.

A fire was burning inside her, dragging her breathing and heartbeat into an abnormal rhythm. Her body temperature rose rapidly, and her face became incredibly flushed.

Why wasn’t the Professor back yet?

Long Xin didn’t know what was happening to her; she instinctively wanted to find Shen Zaiqing, but the seat beside her was empty.

Her head felt like it was going to explode. Long Xin slumped onto the table in distress.

Shen Zaiqing didn’t get free until her supervisor reached her stop.

She had intended to just say hello, but her supervisor hadn’t seen her in ages and had much to talk about, keeping her there for a long time. Only after seeing her off the train did Shen Zaiqing breathe a sigh of relief.

She turned and hurried back toward the front carriages. Long Xin had been waiting a long time—much longer than she had estimated—and Shen Zaiqing felt guilty.

When she reached the seat, she was about to apologize, but before she could speak, she saw Long Xin slumped on the table with a pained expression.

Shen Zaiqing immediately realized something was wrong. She approached and gently pushed her back, calling out urgently, “Long Xin, Long Xin!”

Long Xin didn’t react. Shen Zaiqing saw the bottle “drink” clutched in her palm.

She picked it up and her heart sank. A large character for “Wine” was written on the bottom right of the can.

Had Long Xin accidentally bought alcohol while trying to buy a drink?

Shen Zaiqing bit her lip, regret flooding her mind. The word “Wine” was her taboo; she had focused so much on avoiding it that she had never taught Long Xin to recognize the character.

Her brother was a jinx; his words had actually come true.

Shen Zaiqing checked the alcohol content and found it wasn’t very high, but shaking the bottle slightly, she realized it was almost empty. No wonder she was drunk.

Shen Zaiqing took a deep breath, recalling the points emphasized by Officer Ye during training.

First, confirm the state of the drunk dragon.

Shen Zaiqing sat beside Long Xin and pulled her up, letting her dizzy head rest on her shoulder so she could check her condition. Long Xin’s face was incredibly red, her body was burning, and her breath carried a searing heat. Her eyes were closed, her brow was furrowed, and her entire face was scrunched in pain.

“Long Xin, Long Xin.” Knowing she was in pain, Shen Zaiqing called her name twice more to see if she would respond.

“Professor…” Long Xin’s body was unstable and she was extremely dizzy. Her head moved restlessly on Shen Zaiqing’s shoulder, but her mouth finally gave the response Shen Zaiqing wanted to hear.

The little dragon could still answer normally, meaning things hadn’t reached the worst stage yet. Now, she just needed to coax her to sleep to resolve the crisis. Shen Zaiqing’s racing heart slowed down a bit.

Long Xin’s burning breath brushed against Shen Zaiqing’s neck. With eyes half-open, she muttered, “Professor, my tail is gone…”

“Long Xin, take a nap. When you wake up, your tail will be back.”

“Be good, go to sleep now.”

Shen Zaiqing had already pulled out her phone, quickly searching for nearby dragon hospitals. Once she coaxed Long Xin to sleep, she needed to get her to a hospital as quickly as possible for a sobering injection to fully resolve the crisis.

Shen Zaiqing had mapped out the route. Once they reached the final station, she would seek help from station staff to use the emergency passage. The priority was getting Long Xin to sleep.

“But I want to find my tail now. I want to turn into a little dragon,” Long Xin’s head moved restlessly on her shoulder; the rising temperature made her very uncomfortable.

Shen Zaiqing coaxed her patiently: “There’s no protective layer here. If you turn into a dragon cub now, we’ll both end up in a jail cell.”

“I know you’re in pain. Just hold on a bit longer; we’ll be at the hospital soon.”

Shen Zaiqing pressed Long Xin’s restless head against her shoulder and patted her back, still trying to lull her to sleep. She placed her hand on Long Xin’s flushed cheek, trying to cool her down.

Long Xin’s current temperature was almost exceeding what a human body could endure. If a normal human burned like this, they would surely go into shock. Long Xin must be in a lot of pain. Shen Zaiqing felt another wave of regret. Once Long Xin recovered, she vowed to keep her tethered to her side, wherever she went.

Long Xin’s breathing gradually stabilized and she became quiet. Shen Zaiqing thought she had fallen asleep and looked down to check.

To her surprise, Long Xin’s head suddenly lifted from her shoulder. She slid back a step, leaning against the window, and looked at Shen Zaiqing with a drunken haze. “I didn’t say I wanted to turn into a dragon cub. Why would an adult dragon like me turn into a dragon cub?”

“I don’t like being a dragon cub.”

“I am a nine-thousand-five-hundred-pound Chinese dragon. I want to fly, I want to ride the clouds, I want to soar through high mountains and deep canyons.”

Shen Zaiqing did a quick mental calculation. If Long Xin turned into an adult azure dragon in the carriage, this fragile mini-train couldn’t possibly survive her wreckage; there would be a major safety accident.

Should she be glad they were almost at the final stop? Most passengers had gotten off at the last station. The mini-train had entered Tiandai Mountain, moving further away from densely populated areas.

However, regardless of whether there was an accident, Shen Zaiqing knew that if Long Xin turned into an adult dragon outside a protective layer, they would both spend their lives in prison.

Shen Zaiqing stabilized her own mind and spoke in a gentle, soothing tone: “No rush, we haven’t reached your mountains and canyons yet. It won’t be too late to transform then. Why don’t you lie down and sleep for a bit? I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

She reached out to touch Long Xin’s shoulder, but she dodged.

Long Xin’s eyes suddenly turned cold: “Don’t touch me.”

She suddenly bristled: “I don’t want to sleep. If you touch me again, I’ll bite you.”

Shen Zaiqing looked into Long Xin’s eyes and noticed the color of her pupils had changed. Originally deep amber, they had turned into noble gold. Being stared at by such eyes, Shen Zaiqing suddenly felt a different sensation.

Her little dragon seemed like a different person.

A dragon’s pupil color changes with their emotions for example, turning red when angry is the most common. Other emotions like nervousness, shyness, or fear only cause subtle changes hard to see with the naked eye.

But right now, Long Xin had completely changed. Her golden eyes gazed coldly at Shen Zaiqing, and her body stayed far away, wanting no intimacy. She wasn’t the Long Xin she knew.

Shen Zaiqing felt things were getting more serious. If it were the Long Xin she knew, she had a chance of controlling her, but this version felt like a stranger; she wasn’t sure if she could make her listen.

She might have to apply for the use of a tranquilizer.

Shen Zaiqing opened her contacts, preparing to call Ye Zheng-ying. She had an anesthetic needle in her bag that could put a dragon to sleep quickly, but a specific code was required to open and use it. To get the code, she had to contact her training officer, explain the situation, and have her perform an assessment.

Shen Zaiqing had already opened Officer Ye’s name and was about to press call when the phone was snatched away by Long Xin and stuffed into her pocket. Her movements were extremely fast and caught Shen Zaiqing off guard.

“I won’t let you call.”

Long Xin gave a playful smile. The drunken haze on her face was no longer obvious, and her body could react freely. But to Shen Zaiqing, this wasn’t a good sign; it meant Long Xin had entered a state of complete lack of control.

A “loss of control” where the subject is clear-headed, conscious, and mobile is the most terrifying kind. If she didn’t stop her quickly, she might do whatever she wanted, just like the dragons in the training case studies. Shen Zaiqing didn’t want her little dragon to end up surrounded by police with live ammunition.

“Long Xin,” Shen Zaiqing called her name again, reaching out her hand and speaking in a soft, coaxing tone: “Give me the phone. You’re sick. We need to go to the hospital right now, okay?”

“Once we’re at the hospital, you won’t feel so bad.”

“Be good, give me the phone.”

Long Xin was completely unmoved. How obedient she used to be, and how rebellious she was now. She ducked down, passed under the table, and reached the seat opposite, escaping Shen Zaiqing’s reach instantly. She leaned against the backrest, head tilted, a triumphant smile on her face.

“Long Xin, stop playing around.”

Shen Zaiqing tried various tones and expressions, both soft and hard, but current Long Xin was completely immune.

Time ticked away. The broadcast for the final station sounded. Shen Zaiqing’s eyelids jumped as she saw Long Xin move her feet and curl her lips. Realizing she might do something, she quickly rose to stop her.

Long Xin was much more agile. As soon as the door opened, she flashed out onto the platform.

Shen Zaiqing was completely helpless against this version of Long Xin. Having her sit in front of her was already nerve-wracking; now that she had run onto the platform and was about to enter a crowd in an uncontrollable state, Shen Zaiqing was even more worried.

“Long Xin!”

Shen Zaiqing was frantic. Seeing her about to disappear, she hurriedly tried to chase after her. A staff member in uniform blocked her at the door, reminding her with a smile: “Hello, this is the final stop—Tiandai Mountain. This luggage is yours, isn’t it? Please take your belongings.”

Almost everyone in this carriage had gotten off; such a conspicuous suitcase right next to Shen Zaiqing’s seat had to be hers.

Shen Zaiqing was so focused on Long Xin that she didn’t care about the suitcase. She wanted to go out, but the staff member stood like a roadblock between her and the door, as if he wouldn’t let her off until she took it.

Looking over the staff member’s shoulder, Shen Zaiqing saw Long Xin standing on the platform, hands in the pockets of her white hoodie, eyes cold. She didn’t continue forward; she seemed to be waiting for her. But her gaze didn’t seem to be on her; she seemed to be staring at the back of the staff member’s head.

Shen Zaiqing didn’t have time to think about the details. She grabbed the suitcase, bypassed the staff member, and ran onto the platform. Long Xin turned and started walking as soon as she followed, heading out of the station.

Shen Zaiqing was several paces behind, constantly chasing.

The last passenger to get off the mini-train was a man in sunglasses. After he got off, all the train doors closed, and it headed toward the rest area.

The man in sunglasses held an electronic device resembling a tablet, looking down at it with a deep frown and a grim expression. The staff member who had blocked Shen Zaiqing walked over and asked, “How is it? Did you detect anything?”

The man holding the tablet shook his head and turned the screen toward her: “Temperature and heart rate have reached the threshold. Still not using magic?”

“She really can endure,” he spat.

In the top left corner of the screen was the name “Long Xin,” and in the center were several shifting curves. However, no matter how the curves in the middle fluctuated, the top-most line remained a perfectly flat straight line.

“They haven’t entered the protected area yet. Your job as a special auditor isn’t over. I think there’s still a chance.”

“I’ll follow and see.”

“I need to find my colleague for the shift handover.”

After they left, the platform was empty. The mini-train circled in the clearing ahead, and after a driver change, began its return trip.

Long Xin had walked out of the station, moving against the flow of people. Shen Zaiqing followed quietly and noticed that Long Xin was heading exactly in the direction of the guesthouse she had booked.

It was a few kilometers from the station to the guesthouse not far, but the path was winding and gradually left the crowds behind. The farmhouse they were going to was located on the west side of Tiandai Mountain, where the slopes were steeper and the trees denser, with fewer tourists.

To put it simply, the west side of Tiandai Mountain wasn’t a place for ordinary tourists; this area was developed specifically for dragon cubs, catering to families with them. Tourists usually went to the east side for hiking, cable cars, and farmhouses.

So from the start, Long Xin had the right direction, heading toward the guesthouse. If Shen Zaiqing quickened her pace, Long Xin did too. If Shen Zaiqing slowed down, she did as well. A constant distance was maintained between them.

Shen Zaiqing felt she was being treated like a monster; drunk Long Xin didn’t want to be near her at all.

But this was fine. She was like a farmer herding a chick back to the coop. Once her little dragon entered the area with the protective layer, she could be a big dragon or a small dragon as she pleased. Shen Zaiqing wouldn’t care.

Magic was allowed within the protective layer, and once she entered, the layer’s binding effect would kick in, suppressing her magic so she couldn’t fly outside. Within the layer, Shen Zaiqing would let Long Xin do as she liked.

The farmhouse they were going to had a protective layer installed around it. She heard the range was broad, but it was Shen Zaiqing’s first time there, and she didn’t know exactly where it began.

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