You Sound Sleepy

Surprised, the boy didn’t expect that she would refuse and continued to insist. “Junior sister, there’s no need to be polite to me. You can sit here.”

Junior…

Lin Mian also insisted. “I truly don’t need that seat. I just need to find a place to sleep – no, uh, to attend class.”

Don’t be ridiculous, I haven’t finished writing my 20,000 word reflection paper. If I stayed in the third row, Que Qingyan would find out about me sleeping in his class again. Little Xu Tong’s grades in this course would be a goner.

The class was still filled to the brim with students though. At glance, there were basically no empty seats in the immense lecture hall, which had a capacity of a few hundred people. Her eyes sweeping around the last row of the lecture hall, Lin Mian finally noticed that there was a seat that was still vacant. Just as she was about to walk over, a girl, holding a DSLR camera, seized the seat in an instant.

Taking out a mini tripod from her bag, the camera girl skillfully fiddled with the angle of the camera, and steadily focused and adjusted the iris in one fluid movement. Finally, she earnestly put up a textbook titled《International Economic Law》on the table. Not only did the textbook block the camera’s obvious parts, it also was cleverly placed so that only a little bit of the lens was peaking out.

Lin Mian: “…”

She finally knew how the 360 HD sneaky photos of Professor Que on the K University’s forum came about.

Now there really weren’t any seats left.

People could inherently sleep sitting or standing.

Lin Mian could be flexible given her options. After thinking for a second, Lin Mian briskly turned, and moved towards the seat that the little schoolboy reserved for her. Sitting upright, she said, “Thank you, senior.”

“No need to be polite.” The boy put down his half-read  manhua and shyly smiled. “I got you scolded in the professor’s office last time, so I helped reserve a seat as an apology.”

When the class was close to starting, the boy closed his manhua, revealing the colorfully painted cover. Just as he was about to put it away, Lin Mian took a passing glance, and suddenly felt something wasn’t quite right. She sneakily took another look.

This garish cover…

This pose on the side of the wall…

This eerily familiar drawing style…

Isn’t this her manhua? ?

She had still remembered that this was one of her popular shoujo pure love manhua works. Two months ago, the sixth book of this manhua series was released. In order to promote the release, Lin Mian and the dragged along Fang Xuxu toiled for a whole week, drawing and coloring the two main love interests as a publication Easter egg. Afterwards, Lin Mian still had to sign 5,000 hardcover copies.

The original volume of the book was reprinted 3 times in the first month, breaking half a million copies sold. In addition, the reprinted manhua had an additional bold red font on the cover: “Popular shoujo author Mu Mian is dedicated to providing for the countless restless hearts of young girls.”

…the countless restless hearts of young girls. Lin Mian, after receiving a sample copy from her editor, silently reflected on her life choices for three seconds, turned around, and then stuffed it into the deepest crevices of her bookshelf.

Now even the college boys…

Lin Mian’s heart furiously rocked back and forth, her eyes shifting from the manhua to the boy who wanted to talk but abruptly stopped himself.

Conscious of Lin Mian’s gaze that was difficult to describe in words, the boy reacted and hastily explained, “No, no, no, you’re mistaken. I don’t like reading girly manhua.”

Lin Mian gave off a “don’t worry, I completely understand” expression and said, “No worries, senior.”

The boy knew that she didn’t believe him. Quickly turning the manhua to its cover to show her, the boy said, “I like this manhua’s author a lot, so I just wanted to peek at her latest work.”

Lin Mian was stunned for an instant. “Ah?”

“Mumian, this manhua’s author.” The boy saw her dazed expression and with great enthusiasm, educated her on the matter. “She used to draw thrilling horror manhua on the Internet. She had great talent and drew extremely well. Unfortunately, she stopped creating them half way through, and two years ago, she started creating shoujo manga. She hasn’t updated her horror manhua since.”

“I just wanted to see how she draws now.” The boy wore an expression of pity. “Still don’t know why she hasn’t continued the thriller manhua. It was clearly drawn well.”

Silently listening the entire time, Lin Mian answered him right when he finished. “I think, I think shoujo manhua is more popular, more profitable…”

The boy gave a look of contempt and dismissed it. “She couldn’t possibly have been so shallow.”

“…” the shallow person: “Eh.” 

When she was still in university, Lin Mian did indeed publish horror manhua on an online website. In her spare time, she would consume horror and suspense movies and books, so she would create manhua that had similar themes for fun. Although the reader’s response wasn’t bad, the audience was just way too small. If you relied solely on horror manhua, you simply could not bring in much money.

That was a long time ago. I didn’t expect someone would still remember it.

Being young sure was nice.

Contrasting with her pure, pretty little face, Lin Mian sighed over the vicissitudes of life and with her inner thoughts muddled, reflected on herself for three seconds, starting a deep train of miscellaneous thoughts. At this moment, her inner mind had already taken a hit from a cigarette, imaginary smoke trailing in the distance.

Still in her introspection, Lin Mian raised her eyes due to the sudden halt in the clamoring around her. It was quiet. She saw Que Qingyan, turned to face the teaching assistant, conversing with the teaching assistant. They were walking and talking side by side as they entered the lecture hall.

Lin Mian’s heart moved slightly. She was not willing to look away from Que Qingyan.

It sticks out like a sore thumb. 

Walking with the teaching assistant, although Que Qingyan was obviously around the same age as the teaching assistant, his temperament contrasted greatly with the teaching assistant.

She knew Que Qingyan’s entire life’s history like the back of her hand.

Back then, he was the best. At the top of City B, there were many ignorant, illiterate 2nd generation people, belonging to powerful official families. When their wives talked in private, they were used as a joke during afternoon tea. It was only the Que’s family’s young master that was famously regarded highly.

Still in junior high, Lin Mian, occasionally following her mother to listen to those afternoon tea chats, heard that young master Que already became an undergraduate at a prestigious university at the age of a middle schooler, and he was still studying his Masters degree at an overseas university. Maybe he would even stay there for his Ph.D.

She had seen and known him for a long time and performed quiet few stupid things in front of him. She actually ended up having to write a reflection paper at the end of it all.

But now he didn’t even recognize her.

Que Qingyan stepped towards the lectern, nodded, and turned over the lesson plans in his hands. He only gave a perfunctory glance before closing it. 

Although Lin Mian did not really listen to his class, she had heard other people’s evaluations of Professor Que’s teachings. Without a single exception, they had all eulogized and admired him. He had clear reasoning, skillfully picked law cases, and staggeringly good memory.

Her thoughts returning to her own life, she silently thought that being a best-selling shoujo manhua author was actually quite good. If she could accumulate and save money by creating shoujo manhua, then her not creating horror manhua was completely fine.

She possessed an ambitious, grand life goal. 

She wanted to save money and then take care of a single person.

It is already class time. According to Lin Mian’s original vision, she should be nestled in a small corner and prepared for the soothing voice of Que Qingyan at this time, but reality was cruel and gnawing. Instead, she had returned to sitting in the 3rd row, right in the middle of the room.

Que Qingyan would notice her even if he paid the slightest attention and she wouldn’t dare to sleep under his nose again.

Lin Mian sat down obediently, spreading out her untouched notebook.

Such a serious studying attitude, I give myself 5 stars.

As Lin Mian boasted about herself, she quietly rummaged through her bag. After touching her bag for a considerable amount of time, she, instead of a pen, found a pink marker.

I usually carry this so that I can draw when I’m inspired. 

“…”

Lin Mian, pinching the marker in her hand for a few seconds, carefully pondered for a few seconds, and then coolly put it to the side of her notebook.

Wait. If I use the marker to pretend to take notes, he shouldn’t be able to realize it…

With everything in place, Lin Mian held her face up with her palm and listened attentively for a while.

My attitude is respectable, but how come when I’m listening… I’m beginning to lose focus.

Only two rows away, Lin Mian could see Que Qingyan’s every word and action.

His shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing the smooth and distinct muscle lines on his forearms. His slender, clean fingers tapped on the table, and his deep black eyes swept over people between gaps in the lecture, giving off a frosty, yet seductive vibe. Every angle of his could be put into a shoujo manhua’s storyboard. His entire body carried deadly bewitching force.

His only shortcoming was…

Lin Mian pinched her leg, which made her regain clarity.

His only shortcoming was that his voice was just too hypnotic.

He is basically a walking bottle of sleeping pills.

Question: How was Professor Que’s class?

Answer: Very good…

Sleepy.

Lin Mian’s sleepiness was uncontrollable. Her heart filled with extreme regret over her past decision to sit here. I would much rather sleep and stand in the back than sleep in front of him. Like much much rather.

She wasn’t sleepy when she rushed to finish her manhua drafts, enduring all-nighters. Due to her chronic insomnia, she was able to keep a clear head and jump around all night. However, once she listened to his soothing voice, all the sleepiness swept through her. It simply couldn’t be resisted. 

Que Qingyan seemed to have given her a look.

Sitting in the third row, like a hamster nestled in its nest, her head bobbing a little and her half-closed, watery apricot eyes slowly fluttering, she struggled to rub her eyes. Her face was full of sleepiness.

Noticing her rubbing her eyes again, Que Qingyan, blinking, turned his gaze to her. Their eyes met.

He saw me. Her heart trembled. About to burst into tears, Lin Mian pitifully weighed the pros and cons and decided that she should at least greet him and acknowledge the situation.

So, in the next instant, Que Qingyan observed her lowering her head and writing something in her notebook. After a few minutes, she finally finished writing. She put her notebook straight up in front of her face. The side with writing faced Que Qingyan.

The first page of her once untouched notebook contained 3 words written with a pink marker.

‘Professor Que, hello.’

In the middle of giving a lecture, Professor Que’s voice slightly stuttered. 

She turned another page.

The second page: ‘Sorry, I’m really sleepy.’

Another page turned.

The third page: ‘This is my mistake. I will make this up with a 40,000 word reflection paper.’

She turned to the final page.

The fourth page: “I’m really sorry!!!”

She used 3 big pink exclamation marks. Her words expressed her overflowing sense of remorse.

Que Qingyan saw Lin Mian’s eyes peeking out from the back of her notebook. Her eyes were wet, sweet, and soft. The tips of her ears were tinted red in embarrassment.

Successfully completing her daunting task, Lin Mian closed the notebook and earnestly placed the market upright on her desk.

Then, Lin Mian gave a guilty look at Que Qingyan, put her two arms on the table, and slowly lowered her body on the table, shrinking into a hamster ball.

  …she began to sleep