136 Sketch

As soon as the class ended, Zhao Qian and her companion turned around impatiently.

"Say, what is Qin Yingxue’s background?" Sun Xiaoxiao whispered.

"Exactly. She’s actually on par with Sister Xin. It looks like there’s going to be a good show at Rongcheng No. 1 High School. First Liu Ziqing and Zhao Xin in the second year, and now a Qin Yingxue. I truly wonder what kind of mess this will turn into in the future. I don’t think she’s a pushover, either," Sun Xiaoxiao muttered, leaning in close.

Zhao Qian rolled her eyes at her. "What are you spouting nonsense for? Why would my cousin get involved with people like them?"

"That’s not necessarily true. Your cousin is with Brother Chen—how could Liu Ziqing not have any thoughts about that? You know, before Sister Xin appeared, Liu Ziqing was the only girl who could get close to Brother Chen," Sun Xiaoxiao said, winking. "You’d better start preparing yourself."

Zhao Qian thought about it and realized she might have a point. Ever since her cousin appeared, Liu Ziqing had barely been seen around Brother Chen.

Lin Xia and Xie Xitong were not the type to gossip behind people's backs. Besides, they hadn't figured out Qin Yingxue’s background yet, and it wouldn't do to engage in idle chatter, so they changed the subject and began talking about other things. Zhao Qian chimed in half-heartedly, her mind already set on telling her cousin about this once school was out to see what she had to say.

The afternoon sun was lovely. After bidding farewell to Zhao and Sun, Lin Xia linked arms with Xie Xitong, and the two walked slowly beneath the trees. Shadows and sunlight danced across them, and for the first time, the bright and the dim seemed to find a harmony of color.

"It feels like it’s been a long time since we’ve been like this," Xie Xitong said suddenly.

The sound of people gradually faded, turning into dappled light and shadow, blown away into memories.

"It feels like a lifetime has passed, making one inexplicably feel that life is far too long."

"Xiaxia, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?" Xie Xitong’s voice was filled with confusion. Everyone had things they needed to do, but for her, aside from surviving, what other goals or meaning could there be?

"I have. Maybe become a writer, or perhaps travel the world like Sanmao, wandering to the ends of the earth. The world is vast, after all; there will always be a place for me," Lin Xia stretched, looking a bit languid.

"The world is vast... there will always be a place for me, and there will always be something for me to do," Xie Xitong murmured.

Lin Xia draped an arm over her shoulder and pleaded, "My dear Miss Xie, stop worrying about things that don't matter. Just look at our school—how many students study day and night just to get into a good university? And why get into a good university? To have a bright future and a good job. And why a good job? Just to live a life like yours. Since you’re already in such a fortunate position, why seek out trouble for yourself?"

"Think of how many students are worrying about exams and striving for promotion right now. You already have talent beyond the ordinary; if you keep this up, I don’t know how much jealousy you’ll attract. For one, I’d be the first—I work so hard to study, yet I can't even compare to you just glancing at a book for a moment," Lin Xia shot her a look. "What you just said really stings."

"You rascal, you just love to tease me. Let’s see how I handle you." Though she said this, she knew Lin Xia was doing it for her own good, trying to cheer her up in her own way.

If she hadn't been a soul in a new body, the original Xie Xitong would never have had such groundless worries.

"Clearly, you're the one being difficult, yet you turn the tables on me. I’ve finally seen what it means to turn black into white today." She pinched her arm.

"By the way, how has your guzheng been coming along? You only went a few times during your third year of junior high; I expect you're rusty on what you learned." Xie Xitong said. In her past life, she had been excellent at the guzheng, but this body had never touched one, having only learned guitar. After practicing for a few days, she had picked it up well enough. Besides the guzheng, she was also a master of the guqin, and she felt she needed to find an opportunity to learn it in this life as well. After all, in her past life, she used to play when she was troubled. It was hard to break the habit just because she had switched instruments.

Though the guitar was fine, she still loved the spiritual charm exuded by classical music.

"I’m planning on going to Teacher Liu’s place soon to pick up the guzheng again. What about you? Are you going to continue with the guitar?" Lin Xia asked.

Xie Xitong shook her head. "No, I’m planning to learn the guqin. The doctor said I should listen to more soothing light music, so my brother found a lot of CDs and plays them in my bedroom every day. You don’t notice much at first, but after listening to guqin music for a while, there’s a unique charm to it that makes one’s soul feel much more ethereal."

The two circled a tree blocking their path and turned into a small alley. "Besides, didn't Yan Da write about the protagonist playing the guqin on the battlefield to bolster the troops' morale in *Plotting the World*? I thought it was spectacular and beautiful, so that solidified my resolve to learn it."

Lin Xia pondered: Xie Xitong was naturally lively, easily swayed, and acted on impulse. If she learned something to cultivate her character, it might help keep her temperament in check and prevent future disasters. From these words, it was clear that Xie Xitong had been doing a great job in her daily life—even Lin Xia hadn't noticed. Of course, they had only known each other for a little over a year, and since Lin Xia had Xie Xitong’s memories, her daily behavior didn't show much of a discrepancy, making it reasonable for Lin Xia to remain unaware.

Although Xie Fanghua and Chen Zimo felt their daughter and sister had changed, they attributed it to her getting to know Lin Xia, the onset of puberty, and the major car accident she had suffered. Even if they had doubts, these clever people found reasonable excuses for themselves, only showing their love for her even more in their actions.

Therefore, Lin Xia nodded in approval: "If you want to learn that, I naturally support you with both hands. Just one thing: you must not give up halfway."

Seeing that she didn't pry and was very supportive, how could Xie Xitong be anything but happy? It was always easy to talk to clever people. If it had been Sun Xiaoxiao, she would have certainly asked a barrage of questions like, "Why do you suddenly want to learn that?" or "Did something trigger you?" and so on.

Perhaps this was what a true friendship was meant to be—you don’t need to explain much, yet they unconditionally support you, considering things from your perspective and looking out for your best interests.

Xie Xitong linked her arm with Lin Xia’s again. "By the way, I heard from my brother that the school has opened new classes for Chinese painting and sketching. Do you want to go?"

Class 3 was the liberal arts experimental class, and Class 7 was the science experimental class, while the art class was a special existence—a mixture of music, art, and dance students.

"I can't even finish learning the guzheng; where would I find the time to learn painting? Besides, I have no foundation," Lin Xia said. She was telling the truth; Xishui Town simply lacked those resources. Even if you had the money, there was nowhere to learn! In her past life, she couldn't even draw a frog, let alone learn sketching.

Wait—sketching. Thinking of those antique-style paintings of the future, Lin Xia almost drooled. She loved them!

Xie Xitong, not one to miss a beat, immediately read her intention and shook Lin Xia’s arm. "Go, go! It doesn't cost anything, and you can learn things. The school doesn't restrict anyone; anyone can join. If you don't learn something in your first year of high school, what will you do in your third year? The whole high school experience will truly be as dull as Sun Xiaoxiao says."

"Alright, alright, stop shaking me! I’ll go, I’ll go, will that satisfy you?" Lin Xia pleaded.

"It’s a deal, then. We’ll go buy easels, drawing boards, and watercolors tonight. Oh, and I forgot to tell you—I already signed us both up. Hehe, although they don't restrict the number of people, you still have to register!"

"You rogue, you acted first and told me later. What choice do I have?"

Xie Xitong chuckled sheepishly. "What’s the harm in that? We’re so close. Look at me, I signed up for both classes—Chinese painting and sketching!"

Lin Xia asked with concern, "Ah, will your body be able to handle that?"

"It’s fine, I’m doing great. I eat well and my health is excellent. Alright, you’re home. I’m heading back now."

"Mhm, be careful. Come get me this afternoon."

"Got it, bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye."

As the premier high school in Rongcheng County, Rongcheng No. 1 High School naturally had its unique strengths. An 80% undergraduate admission rate and a 90% overall college entrance rate made it a place students flocked to. To get into top-tier universities, the school had its own educational program. There were short quizzes every day, medium-sized exams every week, and school-wide mock exams every month. It was no wonder people said that tests were the teacher's magic weapon, and grades were the student's lifeline.

Trying to keep up with her studies, finding time to write, and learning the guzheng and sketching—Lin Xia felt she was about to be split into pieces. In a school filled with elites, maintaining a spot in the top ten was truly no easy feat. Fortunately, she had her space. As soon as the bell rang, Lin Xia slumped onto her desk, feeling grateful. Because the space was frozen in time, she did all her writing and drafting inside, so she didn't waste any time in reality. Otherwise, she wouldn't just be split into pieces; she would truly be insane.

Xie Xitong had already packed her things and nudged Lin Xia. "Hurry up, or we’ll be late."

The school's schedule was quite considerate: sketching on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and watercolors and Chinese painting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, Lin Xia only had to stay late three days a week, whereas Xie Xitong had to stay for five, and still had to study the guqin on the weekends.

Thinking of this, looking at the energetic Xie Xitong, Lin Xia couldn't help but ask, "Are you Ultraman? How are you so full of energy all day long?"

She herself often drank the water from her space, yet she didn't look as vibrant as Xie Xitong. In truth, Lin Xia was overthinking it. Although she wore the skin of a sixteen-year-old, she had the soul of a thirty-year-old, and her view of life was already set. Having experienced so much, she often felt a bit lazy about repetitive tasks—what one might call a burnout phase.

Xie Xitong, although living a second life, had only been a fifteen-year-old girl in her past life. Her innocence hadn't yet been eroded, and coming to this place, she found everything fresh and felt that every day was a new beginning. Naturally, she was full of energy.