Relationship expert B died before he could even begin his mission.
The group pressed on, and someone placed a fruit pizza covered in cheese on the table, calling out to Qin Chu, "Senior, I heard this is your favorite, so Levi specially ordered it for you!"
Qin Chu frowned: "Who would like to eat this?"
Levy corrected, "I ordered it for myself."
The two spoke in unison, and relationship expert C immediately left the scene.
The two tables, when put together, could hold nearly ten people, but Qin Chu and Le Wei managed to create an awkward silence.
The atmosphere was extremely awkward, and for a moment no one dared to speak.
Qin Chu calmly cut his steak, while Levi picked up a piece of pizza and started eating.
In the quiet atmosphere, Qin Chu suddenly looked up at Levi and put down his knife: "Where are you putting your feet?"
This question took the person by surprise.
Only Levy knew what was going on.
He and Qin Chu rarely sat facing each other. The restaurant table was narrow, and their legs were both long enough that they might accidentally fight if they didn't sit side by side.
Levi clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow at him as well: "What's wrong? You put your name on this piece of land under the table? You're allowed to put it there, but I'm not?"
"Then you can put it on my feet?" Qin Chu frowned.
The people around were dumbfounded, clearly not expecting that this would lead to an argument.
They were hesitating whether to speak up and offer advice when they saw the two of them stare at each other for a moment, and then suddenly there was a loud "bang" from under the table.
The two didn't know who started it, but they started kicking each other without saying a word.
At first, the noise was limited to under the table, but later even the tabletop started to shake.
Someone stretched out their leg to try and break up the fight, but accidentally got injured and suddenly felt like their lower leg was going to break.
He exclaimed in shock, staring at Qin Chu and Levi.
This isn't a young couple bickering, it's like enemies fighting!
There was a clattering sound under the table, and a group of people couldn't sit still any longer, so they all grabbed their plates and moved aside.
The commotion was so loud that it attracted a large crowd.
Even the robot that came up to wipe the table couldn't get close; it could only miserably circle around the dining table.
After Levi pinned Qin Chu down in the bathroom and bit the back of his neck last time, the two became famous again at the restaurant.
The reason for this was that A and O got into a fight at a restaurant.
The news spread like wildfire, and everyone knew that the most famous AO couple in the base had broken up, and not amicably at that, but to the point where they would fight whenever they met.
The performance lasted for several days, and mediators even came to investigate the situation in the middle of it.
The overall results for the second stage have been released, and the final stage will follow immediately.
The final exam was a timed test, and the theme of the drawing was still related to the model.
As the only art student who didn't bring a model, Qin Chu entered the final exam room alone.
The examination venue was set up on an open-air rooftop. Because the building was very high, the view was excellent, with a clear blue sky and a beautiful lake view across the way. This also accommodated candidates who had changed their direction in the previous stage of the race.
Qin Chu found his seat and sat down.
The exam room was spacious, but thanks to his excellent hearing, he was still able to hear the whispers between the Omega and Alpha sitting next to him.
"They actually broke up!" Omega exclaimed incredulously. "I was starting to lose faith in love. You don't know, I'm afraid to let them see each other now."
"We are too," the alpha sighed.
Omega continued, "They bumped into each other on their way to the stadium last time, and the look in their eyes..."
Omega made a face that was hard to describe: "It's... as fierce as if it wants to devour the other person!"
Qin Chu: "..."
Hmm... Is it that obvious?
He and Levy have completely "broken up," so private messaging methods like holding hands are no longer an option.
Fighting was a way they came up with to communicate physically.
However... perhaps intimidated by them, both the military academy students around Levi and the art students around Qin Chu tried their best to prevent them from fighting.
So their only form of communication was through eye contact.
But he and Levi seemed to lack a bit of chemistry. Every time they looked at each other, not much information was conveyed. The anger that had been suppressed these past few days... was burning fiercely.
A few minutes before the competition started, Levi finally arrived at the examination room on time and casually sat down in the model's seat in front of Qin Chu.
The two looked at each other for a moment, then looked away again after a few seconds.
Qin Chu was checking his art supplies when he suddenly heard an announcement from the examination hall: "To ensure that this competition fairly and impartially reflects the artists' painting skills, after discussion among the teachers, it has been decided to shuffle the pairings of models and artists. Artists will choose their models by drawing lots..."
Author's Note:
I'm painstakingly typing this in between family chats...
I should be able to update normally tomorrow.
Oh, and Happy New Year everyone!
Although I'm a little late, I'll be giving out red envelopes in the comments section of this chapter before tomorrow's update~
Chapter 110, Fifth Story (29)
Disorganize the combinations?
After the announcement, the entire competition venue fell silent, followed by an uncontrollable commotion.
How could this be?
"I've always used Zhengli as a model. I'm used to her, and this is how we prepared for the finals. Why the sudden change?"
The artist and model have been working together for several months now, and whether or not they've developed a romantic relationship, they've built a strong rapport. So when this notice came out, many art students were either panicked or angry.
The alpha models could only try to appease the art students and, incidentally, criticize the competition organizers' questionable practices.
Amidst the noise, Qin Chu and Levi exchanged a glance without leaving a trace.
What disrupted the team's plans? Was it that the organizers suddenly went crazy and decided to add some excitement to the finals, or... did their plan actually progress?
Qin Chu's gaze swept across the entire room; the candidates, judges, and examiners all appeared normal.
After the initial outburst, the angry art students complained for a while but eventually accepted the decision.
The last-minute model change certainly added difficulty to the competition, but it wasn't to the point of being overwhelming. Each art student sat quietly in their seat, waiting for the electronic examiner to come to them and draw lots.
Qin Chu reached out and tapped the electronic screen, where an unfamiliar military academy student appeared.
Qin Chu hadn't forgotten that he was still arguing with Levi. He looked up at Levi, who was still sitting in front of him, and said in a cold tone, "If it wasn't you, get out."
Levi yawned lazily and stood up: "I couldn't be happier. I'm already tired of sitting in front of you."
Qin Chu: "..."
Even knowing that this was probably just for dramatic effect, Qin Chu still felt an urge to reach out and slap him for a moment.
Levi left his seat and stood in the spacious aisle, walking towards the art student who had drawn his name.
The models were changing shifts, so the venue was a bit chaotic. He took a couple of steps, peeked into another aisle, and narrowed his blue eyes slightly.
The military academy student that Qin Chu had drawn was walking towards Qin Chu's position.
Levy turned and walked down the corridor, coming face to face with the military academy student.
"Hey, bro." Levi put his arm around the man's shoulder with such force that the cadet jumped back a step.
"W-What is it..." the military academy student asked, looking at Levi.
"Tsk, it's nothing, just lamenting how unlucky you are." Levi shook his head. "Don't blame me for not warning you, the art student who drew your name is really..."
Levy's expression was truly indescribable, and the military cadet couldn't help but ask, "Too what?"
"Sigh." Levi sighed. "You know, he beats people up at the drop of a hat, right? And he's really fierce, the kind who can squeeze a transparent pressure ball with his bare hands."
This military academy student was a communications major and not very brave. He had heard of Qin Chu's reputation before, but after hearing Levy's words, he immediately became respectful.
"Besides, he's been in a bad mood these past few days. He might just rip your head off." Levi looked at him with a smile. "So, for your own safety, sit further away, understand?"
The words "sit further away" were almost uttered with murderous intent by Levy.
Seeing the military academy student turn pale with fright, Levy, having perfectly "smeared" her ex-boyfriend, turned and left with satisfaction.
What a load of rubbish about swapping models.
He's been finding it hard to even see Qin Chu lately, let alone hold hands, kiss, or hug. Being able to look but not touch is already infuriating, and now he has to watch Qin Chu draw someone else?
Ugh, this is annoying.
Qin Chu didn't know what Levi had done, he only knew that after the military academy student in front of him came over, he sat in the farthest place as if avoiding a plague god.
The models all found new artists, and the competition venue quieted down again.
The competition was officially started shortly afterward.
Qin Chu looked past the pristine white canvas in front of him, his face expressionless, at the military academy student behind the drawing board.
More than ten minutes passed, and the drawing paper in front of Qin Chu was still blank.
When the notice about exchanging models was first released, Qin Chu kept wondering if it was the work of the mastermind. Only now did he understand why the other art students were angry.
The final match was very short, lasting only a few hours.
Leaving familiar models at this time is indeed a great challenge for the artist.
This challenge is clearly more severe for Qin and Chu.
Because he was a mediocre art student, all his painting skills were honed in the last few months. Moreover, his inspiration and daily practice were entirely dependent on Levy.
Now that he was suddenly in front of a different person, Qin Chu couldn't think of anything to draw for a moment. Instead, he felt an indescribable anxiety.
Qin Chu glanced at the time and frowned.