Professor Shen’s Needy Little Lover - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“You’re Professor Shen, aren’t you?”

The lady who had walked over with the same drink to start a conversation was surnamed Huang. She was about forty years old, with very few wrinkles and a well-maintained complexion. Her hair was loosely tied up, and even her hair clip featured a cute watermelon pattern.

Her home was on the 15th floor, and like Shen Zaiqing, she lived in unit 01. They occasionally ran into each other in the elevator, though they hadn’t spoken much before.

The little dragon in her family particularly loved rolling around on the complex’s green lawn. Whenever she saw a butterfly, she would become exceptionally quiet, staring at it motionless with wide eyes. If the butterfly gathered nectar, she would gather nectar too.

Shen Zaiqing often saw her bringing her little dragon down for a stroll—once in the morning, noon, and evening—making her a very dutiful guardian.

“You must be Professor Shen,” Ms. Huang said with certainty, the words slipping out.

Faced with jaboticaba trees that made dragon cubs go wild, only Professor Shen from Jianghua University could say such things so calmly. After all, she was the one who had passionately donated these two jaboticaba trees on the lawn. With hundreds more in her cultivation base, she naturally had the confidence to speak that way.

Any little dragon who entered her cultivation base would surely feel like they had entered heaven; ten tow trucks probably couldn’t pull them away.

Every little dragon in Building No. 3 had heard of Shen Zaiqing. Beneath the jaboticaba trees stood an introduction board about thirty centimeters high, which featured a profile of her. While queuing, the dragons—not knowing where to look would focus on the board; after queuing a few times, they knew the contents by heart.

The little dragons all admired Shen Zaiqing immensely, especially during the harvest season. With hundreds of trees, wouldn’t the ripe fruit require trucks to carry? If spread out at home, would it cover the entire floor? Wouldn’t that become an ocean of jaboticabas?

Dragons are highly intelligent creatures, but when they encounter jaboticabas and watermelons, their brains become dull and prone to wild fantasies. Thus, their admiration for Shen Zaiqing was tinged with a touch of blind devotion.

Shen Zaiqing nodded, admitting it graciously, and warmly invited Ms. Huang to visit her home in a few days. The reason for the delay was that she had to wait until Long Xin was familiar with her surroundings.

They spoke quietly, but because of the proximity, their words were heard clearly by the little dragon cubs waiting in line across from them. For the first time, they matched the name “Shen Zaiqing” with her face, unanimously deciding that the next time they met her in the elevator, they had to greet her enthusiastically.

They also cast envious glances toward Long Xin one after another. This dragon, who lived in an “ocean of jaboticabas” and sat upon thousands of fruits whether awake or asleep, must be incredibly happy.

Consequently, the whole line of dragons focused their gaze on Long Xin; they wanted to memorize her face. The next time she came down to play, they wanted to make friends with her. Once they were close, they would be the “besties” of the jaboticaba tycoon. Telling people about it would give them a lot of “face.”

Why not now? Because it was absolutely impossible for them to abandon the opportunity right in front of them the jaboticabas were only a few dragons away.

“Long Xin just arrived today and isn’t familiar yet, so I’m taking her for a stroll,” Shen Zaiqing said.

After chatting on the bench for a while, seeing that Long Xin had finished her full cup of watermelon juice, Shen Zaiqing bid farewell to Ms. Huang. She wanted to take Long Xin to see other places; Building No. 3 had many great spots, and she wanted Long Xin to see them all.

“Come visit us when you have time!” Ms. Huang invited warmly, waving goodbye with smiling eyes.

“Yes, definitely. We’ll be going now,” Shen Zaiqing replied.

The residents of Building No. 3 were all very friendly charitable people from all walks of life who had passed layers of screening and assessment to earn the qualification to live there. Many were veteran residents who had seen batches of dragon cubs come and go; they were very experienced dragon raisers. Shen Zaiqing felt she should communicate with them more and learn from them.

After finishing the large cup of juice, Long Xin’s belly was rounded like a ball. Shen Zaiqing asked if she felt uncomfortable, but she said she was fine.

The sunset glow was still in the sky, deeper in color than before. Thinking the scenery at Carefree Lake would be lovely, Shen Zaiqing led her that way.

In the height of March, spring was in full bloom, and the peach blossoms by the lake were out, smiling brightly. Two naughty little dragons had already climbed the peach trees to nibble on the petals.

A dragon’s stomach is better than a human’s; nibbling on small flowers and grass is a common occurrence. For this reason, no pesticides were allowed on any plants in Building No. 3. Dragons are smart; they memorize things they shouldn’t eat. For instance, they only needed to be told once that the strange mushrooms appearing on the lawn after heavy rain were inedible. After that, even if they nibbled the ryegrass bare, they wouldn’t give the mushrooms a second look. Enthusiastic little dragons would even help the landscapers clear away those unknown fungi.

Carefree Lake was not an artificial lake but a natural one preserved during the construction of the complex, connected to the reservoir outside. Because it was adjacent to Building No. 3, it had been incorporated into the zone after the dragon cub nursery was established. The lake was full of small fish, shrimp, and white herons; the water had been treated and was crystal clear. The dragon cubs often lay by the edge watching the fish and turtles.

Swimming was allowed in Carefree Lake, but only during a concentrated period the last five days of each month. These five days coincided with the time when dragon cubs were most likely to lose their tempers; soaking in the water allowed them to vent all their bottled-up irritation. At other times, swimming was forbidden. Anyone entering the water privately would be taken to the security office for a lecture. The head of security was very fierce, and all the dragons in Building No. 3 feared him.

By the lakeside, there was a special area that had been hardened with cement to form a small platform about four or five meters long. It was very close to the water; one could touch the lake just by bowing their head. Beside the platform was a row of small chairs specifically designed for dragon cubs to sit and vent when they encountered unhappy things.

When a dragon cub loses its temper, it likes to breathe fire or spit water. In such moments, the situation enters “Level 1 Alert.” As soon as a cub expresses the intent to breathe fire, the guardian must snatch them up, tuck them under an arm, and dash downstairs. Only after reaching this venting spot by Carefree Lake can the alarm be deactivated.

Once at the venting spot, the unhappy cub sits on a uniquely shaped stool, grips the handrails, and “speaks” freely toward the lake. Whether they choose fire or water is purely down to personal preference.

Shen Zaiqing led Long Xin over and explained: “If Long Xin is unhappy in the future, you can vent here. Both fire and water are fine.”

As an adult dragon, Long Xin had the ability to regulate her own emotions and didn’t really need such a design, but she still obeyed quietly: “Mm.”

“You can also talk to me. If you’re willing.”

“Okay,” Long Xin agreed again.

Shen Zaiqing led her a bit further to a small artificial pond where several miniature dragon boats were floating.

“This is the place for practicing dragon boat racing. During the Dragon Boat Festival, Building No. 3 holds races there are family races and group races. Practice sessions take place in this small pond.”

Shen Zaiqing checked her phone for the date of this year’s festival: June 14th. Long Xin had arrived on the 15th (of March), so the festival fell exactly within her three-month assessment period. She could participate. Thanks to her, Shen Zaiqing could finally experience rowing on Carefree Lake; previously, without a dragon, she could only watch from the sidelines.

This was Long Xin’s first time seeing a dragon boat. Finding it novel, she circled it to take a look. Shen Zaiqing, thinking she was interested, asked: “Want to sit in it and try rowing? If you do, I’ll go to the security office to get a paddle.”

Long Xin knew Shen Zaiqing was trying to show her all the interesting parts of Building No. 3. Not wanting to ruin her enthusiasm, she went along with it. “Okay.”

“Then I’ll go get one.” Shen Zaiqing headed toward the security office. Though it wasn’t time for the races yet, borrowing a paddle from the guards shouldn’t be an issue.

Long Xin watched Shen Zaiqing walk away, seeing her back bathed in orange light, until her figure disappeared around the corner of a building. Only then did she reluctantly withdraw her gaze.

For Long Xin, being able to live with Shen Zaiqing was already the greatest happiness. If their relationship could stay this harmonious, she could wake up smiling from her dreams.

But Long Xin also knew that a harmonious life is never easily won. For example, the sudden malice appearing before her was something she couldn’t avoid.

A force abruptly kicked Long Xin into the pond. Simultaneously, several bursts of unrestrained laughter rang out.

“Haha! Bet you didn’t expect this, Long Xin! I’m your other evaluator. For the next three months, I’ll be the one giving you scores.”

Long Xin recognized that snide, mocking voice immediately.

The pond was shallow. Long Xin flipped over in the water and surfaced, only to see a face she utterly loathed.

“I’m going to give you a zero on everything,” the person said viciously.

Support Professor Shen’s Needy Little Lover