Xiao Yun had always thought the name of Si Yiheng’s online girlfriend sounded strangely familiar.
That day, on a whim, he glanced at the electronic rental contract and immediately spotted the tenant’s name.
Shuyu.
Who else could that be but Si Yiheng’s girlfriend?
Shen Qinghan chuckled. “Where is she staying? Don’t tell me it’s at your place?”
Xiao Yun laughed right along. “You’re getting sharper, Qinghan. Believe it or not, Yiheng’s online girlfriend is living at my place—right on the floor above Yiheng’s, actually. I rented the apartment out, and the tenant is none other than Shuyu.”
Hearing this, Shen Qinghan’s smile faded. “Why on earth did you rent it to her?”
“When I signed the lease, I had no idea she was Yiheng’s girlfriend!” Xiao Yun replied. “Otherwise, do you really think I’d charge rent to my friend’s partner?”
“Hey, do you reckon they’re living one above the other just to make it easier to meet up?”
Shen Qinghan felt an inexplicable twinge of irritation, and his tone turned sharp. “Yiheng doesn’t even know where she lives.”
Xiao Yun raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Wow, talk about perfect timing, then. Last time I mentioned his girlfriend, he got annoyed and blocked me. Why don’t you tell him? Let him know his online girlfriend is living right upstairs. Who knows—this might finally turn their online romance into something real.”
But Shen Qinghan was in no mood to continue the conversation. He hung up the call directly.
The apartment directly across from Shuyu’s was his. He was getting bored of staying at his own place anyway—he might as well move over there.
First, he’d keep a close eye on Shuyu to get a better sense of what kind of person she really was. Only then would he decide whether to tell Si Yiheng where she lived.
“I’m moving into your neighborhood starting tomorrow,” he told Si Yiheng.
Si Yiheng looked slightly taken aback. “Not going back to your family home anymore?”
Shen Qinghan scratched the tip of his nose. “I need a quieter place to focus on my studies. Besides… I’m doing this for your own good too.”
Si Yiheng shot him a cold, indifferent glance and said nothing more.
For Shen Qinghan, it was absolutely true—he was doing this for his friend.
He could barely remember what Shuyu looked like anymore. He needed to investigate her properly.
After all, he couldn’t let his best friend get taken advantage of.
Where else would Si Yiheng find someone so willing to go to such lengths for him?
Shuyu had not only uploaded sample illustrations to her commission platform but also shared her work on her personal social media account, Bait.
Her first set of drawings had gone viral instantly thanks to their solid, polished technique. They earned thousands of likes and brought in a flood of new followers, many of whom praised her as a “legendary artist.”
Shuyu was floating on cloud nine all morning. Were people in this world really this enthusiastic? Did every sketch she casually posted always receive this much love and appreciation?
Back in her previous life, when she was just starting out, she had been completely unknown. She could post art for days and get barely a glance—sometimes even hitting “like” on her own posts just to feel better.
“Yuyu, it’s not that they’re more enthusiastic here,” Iron Egg corrected her. “It’s just that you’ve basically started over at the beginner’s level of this world.”
Shuyu rested her chin in her hands, swinging her slender, pale legs. Her beautiful, delicate face held a soft smile, and sunlight filtering through the white lace curtains draped over her like a gentle, glowing haze.
The whole scene felt youthful, light, and so lovely it was impossible to look away.
“Starting over at the beginner’s level is amazing!” she said cheerfully. “I love the beginner’s zone!”
She happily scrolled through her private messages until one caught her eye.
Golden Corn: Bait, your work is absolutely incredible.
Golden Corn: Would you be open to commissions, Goddess? My budget is 50,000 yuan—would you consider me?
Shuyu thought it over. This was her first commission since arriving in this world. Though it was less than the 100,000-yuan minimum she had charged in her past life, it was still a price she was happy to accept.
Bait: Sure! Send me the character details and references, please. But the platform’s review system isn’t fully set up yet, so we’ll have to use WeChat for payment.
Golden Corn: Perfect!
Golden Corn had commissioned many artists for their original characters before, and knew that skilled professionals usually charged very high rates. Bait’s technical skill was truly outstanding—she had never expected someone of her caliber would actually take on the job, assuming someone this talented must already have plenty of large projects to work on.
They quickly added each other on WeChat.
Once Shuyu had confirmed all the details and design requirements, she got straight to work.
Golden Corn’s original character was a striking, imposing man standing at 1.9 meters tall—the mature, authoritative type.
The requested composition called for an elaborate, luxurious medieval setting, with the man kneeling on the floor in a tailored suit. He had accidentally spilled milk all over his hands and clothing, and the final pose was to show him licking the milk off his fingers.
Shuyu started right away, drafting the line art first. She spent the whole day refining the sketch until she was satisfied, then sent it over.
Golden Corn: Oh my goodness, Bait! Your understanding of anatomy is absolutely flawless—so powerful!
Golden Corn: The dynamic energy is already off the charts even in the line art. I’m blown away!
Shuyu beamed at the praise.
Little Fish Swimming: Great! I’ll keep going then.
Golden Corn: Thank you, Bait!
Shen Qinghan had already moved into the apartment directly across from Shuyu’s, but after several days of waiting, he still hadn’t seen her step outside.
He was half tempted to call the police—seriously, was she even alive in there? Who could stay indoors for an entire week without leaving?
Was Shuyu some kind of strange creature?
Finally, he heard movement in the hallway. He darted to his door and pulled up the security feed to see what was happening.
The delivery man made a quick call, then set the food down in front of the door.
About five minutes later, the opposite door opened just a crack.
Shuyu peeked her head out cautiously, glanced around the hallway, then stepped out to collect the order.
She was wearing soft loungewear—pale blue, decorated with two cute cartoon animals. Her hair was tied up neatly into a round, fluffy bun, revealing delicate, glistening ears and a face that was even more striking.
Her skin was smooth and flawless, like a peeled boiled egg. Her eyes were round and bright, framed by long lashes; she looked pure, beautiful, and almost like a perfectly crafted doll, with a touch of innocent, wide-eyed charm like a gentle little animal.
Shen Qinghan felt his heart skip a beat. Was this really Shuyu?
For a split second, he could hardly believe his own eyes.
He immediately dialed his childhood friend, who was currently abroad.
Xiao Yun had been fast asleep when the call came through. “Shen Qinghan, have you lost your mind? Do you not remember we’re in different time zones? Why are you calling in the middle of the night?”
“Are you absolutely sure you rented that apartment to Shuyu?” Shen Qinghan asked urgently.
Xiao Yun was ready to snap. “What is wrong with you? Yes, I rented it to her! Now go bother someone else!”
He hung up.
Shen Qinghan sat there, letting out a few quiet, amused laughs.
Well, that meant Shuyu hadn’t lied to Si Yiheng after all—those photos of her legs she’d sent him really were her own.
But he could have sworn she used to look quite ordinary.
Curious, he dug up some old documents containing her ID photos—taken back in high school.
In them, she looked tired and pale, with a faint, sickly air; her clothes were plain and dull, giving off a haggard, worn-out kind of beauty, as if she had been completely drained by the pressure of college entrance exams.
Shen Qinghan wondered if he had been blind all those years.
Haha—so the fool was me all along. I even introduced the wrong person to Yiheng.
If Si Yiheng found out now just how beautiful she was, would he still want to break up with her?
Not that he actually wanted them to split up… but wasn’t Si Yiheng always saying he preferred women with more average looks?
Shuyu had no idea someone had moved into the apartment across the hall—let alone that he had been watching her pick up her takeout.
After finishing her meal, she went straight back to her drawing to work on the final details.
By the time she finished, it was already two in the morning. She had barely slept properly for several days just to complete this piece.
After double-checking every detail, she sent a watermarked preview to Golden Corn, then collapsed into bed and fell fast asleep.
“Youth really is a gift—you can just drop off like that,” Iron Egg murmured.
But only half an hour later, Iron Egg let out a panicked shriek.
“Yuyu!!! Oh no! You just sent the image… to your boyfriend!”