Si Nuo did not receive any rejection message from the other party even by evening. Seeing him looking wilted over the matter, Zhang Yu comforted him with a smile, “Perhaps they haven’t seen the message yet. An Imperial Highness is surely caught up in a thousand tasks every day. Maybe you’ll receive a message tomorrow morning.”
Si Nuo looked at him. “Do you even believe what you’re saying?”
Even if someone is incredibly busy, they surely have time to check a message. He didn’t want to lie to himself anymore! But he also couldn’t understand why the other party wouldn’t just reject him!
Hearing this, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I really want to take a picture of you and show it to Ren Ju and that fat jerk. An A-level mental power user is enough for them to brag about, yet our Si Nuo has been matched with an Imperial Highness and is miserable because the other party didn’t reject him. Isn’t that wild?”
Si Nuo was amused by this. “Keep it low-key, low-key!”
The two looked at each other and smiled. Si Nuo climbed out of bed. “I need to find something to do—I’ll paint!”
He got up, set up his easel, and cleaned his brushes. Seeing him ready to paint on a whim, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but take out his own drawing board and sit by the bed. “What are you painting? Mind if I join you?”
“I’m going to paint the night view outside the window,” Si Nuo said, gesturing toward the window.
Zhang Yu looked over. The moonlight was beautiful that night; it really was quite a sight. He realized that Si Nuo could easily find a pleasing view wherever he looked. This was surely what it meant to possess “an eye for beauty.”
He had intended to follow along—Si Nuo started his strokes, and he started his, but when he looked up at Si Nuo again, the window had already been outlined…
Zhang Yu: “…” No way, this is too fast!
Noticing Zhang Yu staring at him without moving, Si Nuo looked back at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Can you draw something so accurately just by looking at it once?”
Facing the doubt in his eyes, Si Nuo smiled. “If you practice more, you can do it too. Starting today, add one sketch to your routine every night. You will definitely improve in a month.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
Zhang Yu nodded. “Alright, I’ll do one sketch every night from now on. Once I’m done, could you help me correct it?”
“Sure!”
Zhang Yu let out a happy laugh. “If I keep at it, will I eventually be able to paint better than Ren Ju?”
Si Nuo nodded. “Guaranteed!”
Zhang Yu was even more delighted.
Si Nuo painted very quickly, occasionally teaching Zhang Yu a few things along the way. One painted and the other learned; before they knew it, it was late at night.
When Si Nuo finished the painting and placed it by the window, Zhang Yu put his own work next to it. Comparing the two, the difference was immediately apparent.
“How long will it take for me to reach your level?”
“If you keep drawing consistently, you’ll learn the basics in a year or two.”
“A year or two?” That was much shorter than he had imagined.
Si Nuo patted his shoulder. “It’s getting late; let’s get some rest.”
He planned to deliver the paintings tomorrow, and after that, he truly could not take any more commissions.
When Zhuang Ning received Si Nuo’s message the next day, he was surprised. [Master, you painted it so quickly! However, our intensive training hasn’t ended yet and we can’t come out. Is it convenient for you? Could you please help us deliver it?]
Si Nuo didn’t refuse. After all, the person had paid 300,000 for the paintings, so running an errand wasn’t a big deal plus, he had been there once already. [Sure, I’ll deliver it during my lunch break later.]
Zhuang Ning: [Thank you so much!]
After lunch with Zhang Yu, Si Nuo left the school with both the large and small paintings the small board painting was one he had done in the studio that morning.
He was already familiar with the procedures at the First Military Academy. After signing in, he went to the dormitory building where Lu Cen and Zhuang Ning stayed. When he set the items down, the elderly caretaker inside looked at him. “Kid, you’re here to deliver things again?”
Although Si Nuo was an adult, he looked youthful, and due to his constitution, he appeared quite thin. Being called a “kid” again left Si Nuo somewhat speechless, not expecting the old man to remember him after just one meeting.
“Yes, sir. You keep busy; I’m done here.”
“Oh, alright.”
Leaving the dormitory, Si Nuo returned the way he came. He didn’t wander around the First Military Academy out of curiosity, as it was different from their ordinary school. If he accidentally went somewhere he shouldn’t, Si Nuo didn’t think he could handle the consequences.
Just as he was thinking about catching a nap when he got back, a loud boom suddenly erupted from the apartment building he was passing. Shattered glass from the windows fell onto the lawn, and some fragments even landed on him.
Startled, Si Nuo instinctively crouched down to protect his head. After the noise died down, he looked toward the apartment in the distance, his eyes full of panic.
Was that an explosion? Is anyone hurt?
Si Nuo stood up and looked around at the empty surroundings. Not knowing how to call for help, he hesitated, then ran toward the apartment. It would be best if no one was hurt, but if someone was injured, he couldn’t just walk away when the commotion was this loud that could be life-threatening.
Because of the earlier shockwave, the door was already ajar. Si Nuo pushed it open without much effort and called out, “Is anyone here?”
There was no answer. Si Nuo searched the first floor and found no one. He went up to the second floor, which was not heavily damaged. He carefully walked up and found there were only two rooms on this floor. He opened one and saw it was a bedroom, but it was empty.
Si Nuo breathed a sigh of relief, thinking no one had been injured. He opened the last room a study. He stood at the door and peeked in; if it was empty too, he would leave.
Instead, he saw a man lying on the floor.
Si Nuo’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly went over to check on him. “Hey, sir, are you okay?”
The man was lying face down, and his condition was unclear. Si Nuo pushed him, but there was no response. He reached out to touch the man’s neck and felt a pulse, which made him feel a little better. With some effort, Si Nuo managed to roll him over.
The man had no visible wounds but was deathly pale. Si Nuo called out to him again, but there was still no response. Looking at the man’s face, Si Nuo felt a sense of familiarity. Upon closer inspection, he realized this was the officer he had bumped into the last time he was here!
“Hey, sir, wake up! Are you alright?”
The man remained unresponsive.
Seeing he couldn’t wake him, Si Nuo prepared to use his terminal to call an ambulance, as he had no idea what else to do. However, before he could dial the emergency number, his wrist was suddenly grabbed. In the next second, he was pinned to the ground by a powerful force, and his throat was clamped by a hand. Before Si Nuo could react, he found himself staring into a pair of sharp, black eyes. He felt a sharp pain in his neck as the man demanded, “Who are you!”
Si Nuo was terrified by the man’s imposing aura. “Ah… l-let… go…”
He patted the man’s iron-like arm, feeling like he was actually going to die.
But in the next second, the murderous man collapsed onto him and passed out again!
The hand loosened from his neck, and Si Nuo gasped for air, feeling as if he had narrowly escaped death. After lying on the floor for a long while, Si Nuo felt his strength return. He pushed the man off him. Looking at the man’s even paler face, he recalled the murderous look in his eyes when he had briefly awoken and couldn’t help but step back in fear.
He was certain that if the man hadn’t fainted, he would have killed him. He wanted to help, but he didn’t want to die.
Si Nuo didn’t dare get close again. He moved further away and prepared to call for an ambulance. Just then, he heard noise from downstairs. Si Nuo looked toward the sound and saw two men in uniform running up. Upon seeing Si Nuo, the adjutant stopped, shouted sternly, and placed a hand on the sidearm at his waist. “Who is that!”
Si Nuo instinctively raised his hands. “Don’t, don’t shoot! I just heard the noise and came up to check—I’m calling an ambulance!”
Si Nuo was already regretting it. What is this situation? Who are these people? Why are they all so scary?
The adjutant ordered the person next to him, “Keep an eye on him!”
And so, Si Nuo was taken downstairs and detained. During this time, a stream of people arrived.
Si Nuo sat on the sofa, feeling very anxious. He whispered to the officer standing guard beside him, “I-I, when can I leave? I’m really not a bad person. I was just passing by and heard the explosion, and I was worried about people being hurt so I came up. I really…”
“Sit down!”
Seeing Si Nuo about to stand up, the man immediately barked an order.
Si Nuo: “QAQ” So fierce~
Si Nuo sat on the sofa until it was dark. The officer who had detained him never appeared. He was hungry by now, and his stomach was growling quite loudly. He really wanted to ask the officer guarding him if he wasn’t hungry, and if they could get something to eat even death-row inmates get a last meal!
Just as Si Nuo was sitting there with a sulky face, feeling wronged and pitiful, hurried footsteps came from upstairs.
Si Nuo instinctively looked up. When he saw the officer who had detained him coming down, his eyes lit up, and he was just about to ask if he could leave.
The man walked straight up to him with a smile on his face. “Apologies for making you wait so long. You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? I’ll have someone prepare it immediately. Please wait a moment!”
Seeing the sudden shift in the man’s attitude, Si Nuo was stunned. “N-no, don’t trouble yourself. You believe I’m innocent, right? Can I leave now?”
“I’m sorry, I was just too worried at the time. I apologize to you. Please, by all means, stay and let us make it up to you. I will have someone take you back shortly.”
Si Nuo couldn’t help but feel that this officer was looking at him with a very strange expression.
The adjutant, meanwhile, was experiencing complex emotions. He never imagined that His Highness’s blind date would be the young boy before him. If he had known, he never would have left such a first impression!
When His Highness wakes up and finds out…