The first two periods in the afternoon were both art classes, a total of one hundred minutes taken together. However, students were allowed to move freely during that time, so no one complained. That said, Chu Lian hadn't had much contact with this subject in this lifetime.
In her previous life, she had loved all kinds of beautiful illustrations and anime, even to the point of being obsessed with certain images. But alas, she was born without any talent for drawing. After persisting with basic practice for several years, she despairingly discovered that she was worse than someone who had only practiced for three months, and finally gave up. Her explanation for this was: "It's not that this concubine didn't try, it's that this concubine simply isn't capable."
Even so, it didn't diminish her love for pictures. If she couldn't draw, then she would be a quiet observer—silently collecting images she liked, sharing some, and keeping others for herself.
Things were much better in this life. After arriving here, Chu Lian had tried drawing and immediately found that various drawing techniques came naturally to her. It was as if the previous owner of this body had once practiced it as a hobby. As a result, when she took over the body, she could skillfully handle various lines, scenes, and character renderings.
But due to the system's missions, she hadn't drawn again for a long time. This art class was the first time in quite a while that she picked up a paintbrush. At her previous school, art class was either taken over by other activities or the teacher only lectured without letting students practice, leaving no opportunity to get hands-on. Still, the feeling of holding a pen again after so long felt incredibly familiar.
She tilted her little head and looked at Cai Ya. Her eyes were fixed on her drawing board, and her pencil danced across the surface like a butterfly flitting through flowers. A shy little girl emerged vividly on the paper.
Then she looked at Zhang Feng. Though his speed wasn't as fast as Cai Ya's, he was very meticulous in capturing the scene. Bit by bit, a corner of the classroom began to take shape on his paper.
Looking to the right, the girl there didn't have as strong a foundation as the first two, but she still had decent skills. A handsome boy on her paper smiled as if tilting his head to look at her.
Looking farther away, she saw Li Xiu'er sticking out her tongue, holding up her drawing for Chu Lian to see. Alright, that was an image of her deep in thought. A perfect side profile captured her grace about seventy to eighty percent accurately, making her look like someone who had stepped out of a painting.
To this, Chu Lian could only respond with a gentle smile. She couldn't let the girl's heartfelt effort go unappreciated.
What was with this world? People at her last school were so focused on academics that she hadn't noticed, but at this school, the extracurricular interests and talents of these prodigies were on full display. At least half the class had a solid foundation in drawing.
Honestly, after discovering this, she was speechless. Fortunately, she hadn't shown any drawing talent in front of others before, or she really might have died of embarrassment. These students handled their pens like they were part of their own hands. As long as it wasn't a complex drawing, they worked with effortless ease.
She thought it over and decided not to exchange Culture Points for drawing ability just yet. Her body's innate talent for drawing was still quite high. With enough effort, she could eventually reach the same level, so there was no need to waste points here. After all, she planned to save some points to exchange for what she needed for her performance at the school celebration. According to her calculations, the remaining 30,000 points were just enough to meet her needs. So if she could save, she would.
Thus, she could only admire others' drawing skills while slowly sketching the figure she wanted to draw on her own board—the woman who appeared in her dreams, leaving behind only a silhouette. Though she had never seen the woman's face, she was certain that she was a beauty no less stunning than Ayase.
However, even after holding her pencil for a long time, she had no idea where to begin. Drawing a person's image might sound simple, but to convey that woman's unparalleled grace with just a silhouette was far too difficult for her current level.
Never mind, she would draw her another time. That scene had already become an indelible image in her mind. Even after a long time, it would remain vivid—there was no need to worry about forgetting it.
She took the paper off her drawing board and gently placed it on the desk, then inserted a fresh white sheet. Resting the end of her pencil against her chin, she realized that apart from that one scene, nothing else had left a strong impression. She truly didn't know what to draw.
As her gaze drifted aimlessly, a flash of vibrant red caught her eye, and suddenly, an image bloomed in her mind—Ayase, brushing aside wind-blown strands of hair with mesmerizing grace. That's it, she would draw her!
The double-length art class quietly drew to a close as she slowly put pencil to paper. The teacher didn't require them to submit their drawings unless they wanted to.
If submitted, the teacher would offer comments—pointing out strengths and areas for improvement—but no grades or further evaluations.
This approach reflected the school's teaching philosophy well. One could also call it a kind of laissez-faire education. How much one learned depended entirely on the student.
Naturally, Chu Lian had no intention of turning in her piece. She had only drawn an outline—not even the person's appearance was complete. She couldn't help but feel helpless about how long it had taken just to get that far.
Looking at the others, Cai Ya had already finished her shy little girl drawing. All her rough lines had been cleaned up; only coloring remained. From Chu Lian's perspective, it looked like something that would be quite popular on Pixiv.
Compared to her own piece, it wasn't just about speed—Cai Ya's expressive ability was leagues ahead. Fortunately, Cai Ya had no interest in comparing their drawing skills, or Chu Lian really might have gone to cry in a corner.
Zhang Feng, drawing at a slower pace, had just finished depicting every detail of the classroom. He hadn't added any people yet, and many of his draft lines were still visible, but at least the background was complete. It would likely take him a while to finish the whole piece.
The girl who had drawn the handsome boy was now admiring her work with satisfaction, looking left and right at her masterpiece.
Yet none of these blows compared to the shock that came next…
Li Xiu'er bashfully handed Chu Lian a slightly curled sheet of paper and fled the classroom as if escaping. She truly was shy.
Wait, hadn't she already shown me her drawing earlier? It was just my side profile, nothing to be embarrassed about. Really, this kind of personality was something Chu Lian found endearing—it made her want to tease her. But staying that timid wasn't good; she would need to help the girl build up some courage in the future.
As she thought this, she shifted her gaze away from the fleeing Li Xiu'er and looked at the curled-up sheet in her hand, slowly unrolling it.
"Ah..." Upon seeing what was drawn, she finally understood why Li Xiu'er had run off. Glancing left and right to ensure no one was watching, she immediately rolled the paper back up and stuffed it into her backpack. No one else must ever see this picture!
Since when had Li Xiu'er gotten so bold? To draw something like this... But why did she feel a strange fondness for it?
"My my, who would've thought that girl had such tastes. Looks like winning her over is going to be a piece of cake. Still, if this drawing ever accidentally gets out someday, the result would be sooo entertaining!"
Ayase's voice echoed in her mind. Chu Lian wasn't surprised. It would be stranger if Ayase didn't know. As for Ayase's concerns—that was nothing. As long as she was careful, it would be fine. Worst case, she could find a way to store the drawing in the system space.
Just then, a sheet of paper was quietly placed on her desk. Chu Lian looked up and saw Wang Tingsi. Her delicate brows furrowed—she had the urge to throw the paper back at him.
But then she remembered—this was a classroom. No matter how cold she usually acted toward him, as classmates, she couldn't go too far.
So she suppressed the thought and said quietly, "Alright, you can leave now. And remember, don't get too close to me. I don't want to get caught up in more trouble because of you."
Seeing her accept the paper, Wang Tingsi finally breathed a sigh of relief. It meant she still cared a little about their classmate relationship. But her next words made his expression fall. He forced a bitter smile.
He knew there wouldn't be any progress for a long time. That incident two days ago, where six people barged in trying to capture someone, had caused her a lot of trouble. And it had all started because of him. He deserved to suffer the consequences.
Once he left, Chu Lian glanced at the drawing. Wait, what was this?