Female Consort Modern Arc: Chapter 1

Rain drizzled softly.

At the gates of J University.

Director Zhang from the same office closed her umbrella and greeted a young woman in a black trench coat standing under the eaves. The woman had long hair and a calm demeanor.

“Off work, Teacher Qiu?”

“Mm.”

“Where are you headed?”

Qiu Che opened her umbrella and stepped into the curtain of rain, her voice cool and indifferent. “Giving lessons to a kid.”

Director Zhang was momentarily taken aback.

But Qiu Che had already walked away.

Director Zhang shook her head, holding her umbrella as she climbed the stairs. Just then, she ran into the new intern teacher and greeted her as well.

The intern asked curiously, “I think I just saw her. Was that Teacher Qiu? The one all the students like to sit in on classes with?”

Director Zhang chuckled. “That’s right. Xiao Qiu is really popular. She’s a bit reserved, but she’s a good person. You two should get to know each other sometime.”

“She doesn’t look that old. Does she have kids already?” the intern asked, intrigued.

“That part I’m not sure about,” Director Zhang replied, shaking her head. “Teacher Qiu never talks about her personal life at school. Rumor has it there’s a lot of tension with her family… best not to pry too much.”

“But she’s only twenty-six,” she added after a moment’s thought. “If she does have a child… it’s not impossible. Still, you really wouldn’t be able to tell.”

Meanwhile, 

Qiu Che glanced at the slip of paper in her hand and entered a high-end residential building.

Apartment 16…

She stopped at the door, raised her hand, and knocked.

Three knocks. Not more, not less, just right.

A moment later, soft footsteps shuffled behind the door.

It opened to reveal a young girl with a gentle and pretty face.

Both of them paused slightly in surprise.

Qiu Che studied the girl and frowned faintly.

She had that clean, goddess-like look typical of a model student. There was a small beauty mark at the corner of her eye, subtle, but adding a hint of allure.

Her hair was jet-black, long and straight, reaching to her waist.

She wore a simple white T-shirt and athletic shorts, revealing pale, slender legs.

She was a little shorter than Qiu Che. When she leaned against the doorframe, a few strands of hair slipped forward, accentuating her wide, clear eyes and giving her a particularly well-behaved appearance.

The kind of look that screamed “model student.”

For some reason, she was staring blankly at Qiu Che too.

Qiu Che tightened her grip on the teaching materials in her hand.

Then she cleared her throat and broke the silence. “Hello. Is this Ms. Xu’s residence?”

“Hello.”

The “model student” paused. “My mom’s surname is Xu. Are you looking for her? She hasn’t been home lately.”

That confirmed it. Qiu Che relaxed.

“I’m a friend of your mother’s. My surname is Qiu. If you have a phone, you can call her to verify.”

“A week ago, your mother asked me to tutor you. Also,” she paused slightly, “until your mother returns, I’ll be living here with you.”

The girl widened her eyes in disbelief.

“Lessons start today,” Qiu Che glanced at her watch, a flicker of urgency flashing in her tone despite the calm expression. “, I’m a bit short on time. May I come in so we can talk inside?”

The girl hesitated for only a moment, then nodded.

“…Okay. Come in.”

She fetched a pair of brand-new pink slippers from the entryway. Qiu Che raised an eyebrow but didn’t object.

“Thank you.”

She took off her glasses, wiped them briefly, then looked at the girl sitting across the sofa. Her voice was gentle. “Let me introduce myself again. My name is Qiu Che. You can call me Teacher Qiu.”

“…Okay, Teacher Qiu.”

“And you?”

The girl’s lashes fluttered. “…Li Qingwu.”

“Li Qingwu…”

Qiu Che repeated the name to herself. It matched what Ms. Xu had told her a week ago, so she didn’t think much of it.

“Your mother mentioned you’re a senior in high school?”

Li Qingwu stared at her silently.

Qiu Che wasn’t bothered. She had dealt with plenty of teenagers, some rebellious, some shy. This reaction was par for the course. Qingwu’s behavior didn’t surprise her.

She calmly put her glasses back on, picked up her textbooks, and said, “I’ll bring my luggage over tomorrow. Until your mom returns, I’ll be staying here. There’s a guest room, right?”

Li Qingwu nodded.

Obedient enough.

That improved Qiu Che’s impression of her.

“Your foundation is too weak, so I’ll tailor the lessons to your needs. I’ll probably get home later than you each day, around eight. Just wait for me after school.”

“Any questions?”

Li Qingwu shook her head quietly.

“Then let’s begin today’s lesson. Since you’re in the liberal arts track, I brought a history textbook. We’ll start with that. The other subjects can wait.”

“…Alright.”

Qiu Che opened the book and began the lesson. After a few moments, she noticed the girl staring at her. She paused. “Why are you looking at me? Don’t you need your own books to follow along?”

Li Qingwu hesitated. “…I don’t have them.”

“You don’t?”

Under Qiu Che’s questioning gaze, she quickly corrected herself. “I left them at school.”

Qiu Che stared at her.

No wonder her grades were bad, she didn’t even bring her books home.

How was she supposed to improve like this?

Qiu Che felt a headache forming, though not a major one, yet. “Bring them tomorrow.”

Li Qingwu nodded reluctantly. “…Okay.”

Qiu Che continued lecturing for a few pages, then asked, “Where did your class leave off?”

How was Li Qingwu supposed to know where her ‘sister’ left off?

She’d been too busy staring. She hadn’t heard a single word Qiu Che had said.

The woman was sitting at the perfect distance, not too close, not too far. Black trench coat, shoulder-length wavy hair styled in a wolf cut, gold-rimmed glasses framing a face so beautiful it defied gender.

Li Qingwu’s heart pounded wildly. She couldn’t stop it.

But what could she do? She’d been momentarily possessed earlier and hadn’t denied being her younger sister, Li Qingshu.

Strangely, Qiu Che hadn’t reacted at all when she heard the name.

Did she really agree to tutor someone without even knowing who it was?

Li Qingwu made a mental note of that, then bit the bullet and randomly pointed at a section in the textbook. “Here.”

Luckily, Qiu Che didn’t notice her guilt.

Her eyes briefly swept over Li Qingwu’s slender finger. She lowered her gaze, turned a few pages, then said, “You’re moving along quickly, but I doubt you’ve understood any of it, have you?”

Li Qingwu hesitated. “I… I’m doing okay.”

Qiu Che smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying it. She figured the girl was trying to save face.

After another moment, Li Qingwu offered, “Let’s move to the study. There’s a desk in there, it’s not ideal to do lessons out here.”

Qiu Che said, “That’s enough for today. Take some time to adjust, I’ll come by again tomorrow.”

Li Qingwu instinctively stood up with her and quickly said, “You’ve been talking for so long, aren’t you thirsty? Why don’t you stay a bit longer? I’ll make you a cup of tea.”

Qiu Che replied, “No need to be so polite.”

Li Qingwu blurted out, “Then… let’s add each other on WeChat.”

A brief silence fell between them.

Li Qingwu kept a straight face and explained, “It’s just so we can keep in touch.”

Fair enough.

Still, for some reason, Qiu Che couldn’t shake the feeling that something about today’s atmosphere was slightly… off.

After exchanging contact info with Li Qingwu, Qiu Che left shortly after.

Before leaving, she even reminded her, “Don’t forget to lock the door.”

Li Qingwu nodded silently.

Once the door closed, she finally let out a long breath of relief, pulled out her phone, and quickly opened her stepmother’s chat.

Li: Mom, did you hire a private tutor for Shushu?

Mrs. Xu must have just gotten off work, her reply came quickly:

Mrs. Xu: Hm? No, I didn’t.

Li Qingwu’s heart skipped a beat.

A scam?

No way. She knew this person. A well-known professor at J University wouldn’t come all the way here just to tell such an easily debunked lie. What would be the point?

…Could it be that she’s also interested in me?

Li: Really? She has the last name Qiu. A very pretty lady.

Mrs. Xu: …Ah, I remember now.

Mrs. Xu: Right, her surname is Qiu. I met her overseas. She’s a professor at your university. Only two years older than you, a really nice young woman.

Mrs. Xu: I heard she was a teacher, so I thought I’d ask her to tutor Shushu for a while. You know how unfocused Shushu is right now, and I’m worried about her college entrance exam...

Mrs. Xu: Since I’m staying abroad for about another month and you’re busy with work, I thought I’d ask her to help keep an eye on Shushu. I even gave her the address.

Mrs. Xu: She agreed at the time, but said her schedule was tight, so she might not make it. I figured it was too much to ask and didn’t follow up.

Mrs. Xu: Wait, did you meet her? She came to the house?

Li Qingwu pressed her lips together:

Li: Yeah.

Mrs. Xu: Ah, that’s my fault. I totally forgot to tell her that Shushu moved to the school dorms.

Mrs. Xu: Can you explain the situation to her? I’ll message her on WeChat too. I’ll apologize in person when I’m back in the country.

Li Qingwu thought back to how she’d acted today, and was speechless.

This… didn’t seem like something she could explain away so easily.

On a strange impulse, she stopped her stepmother from reaching out.

Li: No need.

Mrs. Xu: ?

Li: I’ll explain. I know her.

Mrs. Xu sensed something was off:

Mrs. Xu: …But what if she asks me about it?

Li Qingwu hesitated for a second:

Li: Then tell her the truth.

Alright then.

Mrs. Xu didn’t press it further. Not long after, she received a message from Qiu Che.

Q: Auntie Xu, I checked out your place.

Q: I told your daughter I’ll be moving in tomorrow. The kid’s very obedient, and she remembered to lock the door. Nothing to worry about.

Mrs. Xu smiled at the message.

How did Qingwu know her? Qiu Che didn’t seem like she recognized her at all.

But if they were strangers, why would Qingwu let someone she didn’t know move in and live with her?

Curious, she tested the waters:

Mrs. Xu: Xiaoqiu, I have two daughters. The one you met is my eldest, Li Qingwu. You know her, right?

Qiu Che wasn’t quite sure what that message was trying to say.

After thinking for a moment, she politely replied:

Q: Mm, I know.

Her eyes paused slightly as they scanned over the name Li Qingwu.

It looked… familiar.

But she didn’t dwell on it. She set her phone aside and went to wash up.

Meanwhile, Li Qingwu sat biting her finger, frowning at her chat with Qiu Che, deeply conflicted.

After some hesitation, she finally gathered her courage, typed out a full explanation and apology, and hit send.

This was a good chance to get closer to Qiu Che, but she didn’t want to start things off by lying and manipulating someone’s feelings.

But after sending the message, she kept staring at the chat window. From that night until the next afternoon, after class, after returning from the art studio, she still hadn’t received a reply.

Was she angry?

Did she feel tricked and now didn’t want to reply?

Honestly, the way she’d acted yesterday did look like she’d lied on purpose.

It was only natural to be upset.

Torn with guilt and anxiety, Li Qingwu debated whether to send a follow-up message.

That’s when the doorbell rang.

Three evenly spaced knocks, just like yesterday.

Li Qingwu immediately stood up and glanced at the wall clock: exactly 8:00 p.m.

She paused, then quickly and lightly walked over to the bathroom mirror to check her appearance.

White long dress, cropped cardigan, light makeup, definitely more put together than the completely unprepared look from the day before.

She composed herself and rushed to open the door.

Standing there was Qiu Che, suitcase in hand. She met her eyes for a beat and said, “Good evening.”

Li Qingwu opened her mouth. “...Good evening.”

Qiu Che paused. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

Li Qingwu let out a startled “Ah” and instinctively stepped aside.

And just like that, she found herself letting her in again.

Qiu Che asked, “Where am I staying?”

Li Qingwu didn’t answer right away.

Qiu Che turned to look at her.

Li Qingwu subtly bit her lip. “Did you… not check your messages?”

Qiu Che looked a little confused. As she replied, she pulled her phone from her jacket pocket. “Been a bit busy today. Didn’t check my apps… why?”

She didn’t have many friends, and rarely got messages, so she was used to not opening WeChat for days at a time.

Li Qingwu lowered her eyes. “Maybe look at it first…”

Still puzzled, Qiu Che tapped into her WeChat and saw the message from the night before.

Silence.

Both of them froze.

Qiu Che felt her breath catch.

So… that’s what Auntie Xu meant yesterday?

The second daughter was the one who needed tutoring for her exams?

Teacher Qiu: Press F to escape Earth.

Student Li: Press F to leave the solar system.