Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

"How many things are you still hiding from me?" Yan Xi narrowed her eyes, like a cat scrutinizing its prey.

"There's really not much left." Li Chen held up his mud-covered hands, looking sincere. "This was taught to me by my grandfather. He said that carving and pottery making are related; they're both about manual skills."

This explanation is impeccable.

After all, Yan Xi's mother, Luo Yun, had personally witnessed his superb swordsmanship.

"Hmph." Yan Xi snorted lightly, which was considered an acceptance of this statement.

The female teacher, who was standing to the side, finally came to her senses from the shock. She walked up to Li Chen, looked at the lotus vase, and her eyes were filled with amazement and admiration.

"Young man, your skills... are professional, right?"

"No, it's just a hobby," Li Chen said modestly.

The female teacher clearly didn't believe it, but didn't ask any further questions. She simply exclaimed, "You are truly gifted. I've been teaching here for five years and have never seen such a talented beginner as you."

This praise filled Yan Xi with a sense of pride and a touch of resentment at being outshone.

Looking at her work, she became increasingly dissatisfied, so she simply flattened it, turning it back into a lump of mud.

"I'm not doing it anymore."

"No way," Li Chen laughed. "I think the cup you made is quite cute."

"I don't want cute, I want the most beautiful." Yan Xi's competitive spirit was completely ignited.

Over the next hour, a strange scene unfolded in the workshop.

Yan Xi tried again and again, while Li Chen patiently provided "technical guidance" from the side.

This time, he didn't hold back; instead, he shared all his experience and skills with everyone he knew.

"Keep your hands steady and focus on feeling the centrifugal force of the clay."

"The closing here is too abrupt, and the lines won't be smooth."

"Yes, that's it, take it slow."

His voice was gentle and magnetic, like that of an experienced teacher.

Under his guidance, Yan Xi gradually found her footing, and the clay in her hands became more and more obedient.

Finally, a uniquely shaped pen holder was born in her hands.

Although it is not as stunning as Li Chen's lotus vase, it still has beautiful lines and is full of design sense.

"Not bad," Li Chen exclaimed sincerely.

Yan Xi looked at her work and finally a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

After the wheel throwing is finished, the next step is to apply color.

The two took their artwork to the painting area, where the table was covered with various paints and brushes.

"What do you want to draw?" Yan Xi asked.

"I haven't decided yet." Li Chen looked at the lotus vase and fell into deep thought.

Yan Xi then picked up a paintbrush and sketched a simple yet abstract architectural outline on her pen holder, which was the inspiration for her recent design assignment.

Seeing her focused expression, Li Chen had an idea and picked up a paintbrush as well.

He didn't paint any complicated patterns on the bottle; he simply used the simplest black paint to draw a curled-up sleeping kitten on the neck of the bottle.

The cat's posture was lazy and arrogant, and its expression was seven or eight parts similar to Yan Xi's.

"What is this drawing?" Yan Xi leaned closer to take a look.

"A cat," Li Chen said.

Yan Xi looked at the cat, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Childish," she said, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Just as the two were engrossed in coloring their artwork, a commotion broke out at a nearby table.

"Oh my, darling, you drew so well!" a sweet, coquettish female voice rang out.

"That's right, don't you even know who I am?" a greasy male voice said smugly.

The couple seemed to treat this place as their own home, flirting and joking loudly, oblivious to everyone else, their voices so loud that the entire workshop could hear them.

Yan Xi frowned slightly.

Li Chen glanced up, said nothing, and continued drawing.

After a while, the man seemed to have gone to wash his hands, leaving only the woman with heavy makeup.

The woman's gaze swept around the workshop, and when she saw Li Chen, her eyes lit up instantly.

She walked over, carrying her artwork and swaying her hips.

"Handsome, are you here alone too?" She deliberately lowered her voice.

Li Chen didn't even look up.

"no."

The woman's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

"Wow, this vase you made is so beautiful! Did you buy it?"

I made it myself.

"Wow, you're amazing!" the woman exclaimed dramatically. "Can I add you on WeChat? I'd like to learn from you."

As she spoke, she took out her phone and opened the WeChat QR code.

Yan Xi stopped painting, looked up, and stared coldly at the woman.

The air in the workshop seemed to have dropped several degrees.

Li Chen finally raised his head. He didn't even look at the woman. Instead, he picked up a tissue and gently wiped away a bit of paint that Yan Xi had accidentally gotten on her lips.

His movements were natural and affectionate.

Then, he turned his gaze to the woman, his eyes calm and expressionless, yet carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

"I'm sorry," he said, "my girlfriend doesn't like me adding other women on WeChat."

He paused, picked up his paintbrush, and added a crescent moon next to the kitten on the lotus vase.

He looked at Yan Xi and said softly.

"Moreover, I only taught my skills to her."

The woman's expression was a fascinating mix, turning from pale to flushed, before she could only awkwardly put away her phone and slink back to her seat.

A minor incident was easily resolved by Li Chen.

Yan Xi looked at him, and the inexplicable irritation in her heart instantly vanished.

She liked his way of handling things.

Without loud arguments or violent conflicts, the calmest tone and the clearest actions were all used to draw all the boundaries and assert sovereignty.

It also gave her a strong sense of security.

"Why are you looking at me?" Li Chen noticed her gaze. "Is there paint on your face?"

Yan Xi shook her head, then picked up her paintbrush and drew a small sun next to the outline of her building.

She didn't say anything.

But Li Chen understood.

He painted a cat under the moon.

She painted a city at sunrise.

After finishing the painting, the two handed their work to their teacher and waited for it to be fired in the kiln.

"It will take about a week. We will call you then to pick it up," the female teacher said.

"OK, thanks."

As they stepped out of the workshop, the setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them.

"Where to next, Your Majesty?" Li Chen asked with a smile, holding her hand.

Yan Xi looked at the sunset on the horizon and winked mysteriously.

"I'll take you somewhere."

"Where?"

"One..." Yan Xi paused for a moment, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips.

"A place only I know."