Jiang Yu originally thought that the person commissioning her to paint the 108 heroes of Water Margin would be a man. But to her surprise, when they met, the client turned out to be a young woman – a very beautiful young woman.
Although autumn had arrived, the lingering effects of global warming kept the sun blazing outside. The café, however, was air-conditioned and the cool air was refreshingly pleasant.
The young woman in a white dress had an elegant, delicate figure, appearing as fragile as Lin Daiyu*. Then, this ‘Lin Daiyu’ stood before Jiang Yu.
“Table number eight…”
The woman spoke in a soft, gentle voice. When she saw Jiang Yu, she hesitated and asked, “Are you [A Fleeting Dream]?”
Jiang Yu was equally surprised. “You’re [Liang Shan]?”
They stared at each other in mutual confusion, both thinking the same thing – this person is nothing like I imagined!
After taking a moment to process the unexpected reality, they sat down across from each other. Jiang Yu was the first to recover and introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Jiang Yu – Yu as in ‘Jade of Pure Virtue.’ I also go by [A Fleeting Dream].”
The woman blinked. “I’m Shen Zhiwei, also known as [Liangshan].”
They exchanged glances before suddenly bursting into laughter.
Jiang Yu said, “You’re nothing like I imagined. I thought [Liangshan] would be a man.”
“Just because someone likes [Liangshan] doesn’t mean they have to be a man!” Shen Zhiwei raised an eyebrow and said, “You’re not what I imagined either. With painting skills like yours, I thought you’d be an old master or a seasoned artist…”
She scrutinised Jiang Yu again, still finding it hard to believe. “I never expected you to be so young. Are you in college yet?”
“I’m in my second year of high school.”
“…You’re younger than me? If I’d known you were this young, I probably wouldn’t have dared to commission you.” Shen Zhiwei sighed.
Jiang Yu understood that her age made it difficult for people to trust her skills. She took out two paintings. “These are two sample pieces I worked on over the past few days. I can guarantee that my craftsmanship is solid.”
She had anticipated concerns about her age, which was why she prepared additional artwork before meeting Shen Zhiwei – to prove her skills.
“Even though I’m young, I believe I can handle your commission. If you’re still worried, we can draft a contract. If you’re not satisfied, I won’t take your money.”
Shen Zhiwei nodded slightly. “That painting posted by Lu shaoye was truly captivating. If it were done in another medium, I think the beauty would be even more mesmerising. That painting was what inspired me to commission you… But I never expected that when we met, you’d be a young girl – even younger than me.”
She sighed again. “As they say, ‘The waves of the Yangtze River push forward and the old ones crash onto the shore.’ Compared to you, I feel like I’ve wasted my last twenty years. You’re truly impressive.”
It was rare to come across an artist whose work genuinely moved her. Even though she had only seen one sample, Shen Zhiwei was already convinced.
Jiang Yu chuckled. “And I’m just as surprised. I never imagined my client would be such a delicate and stunning young lady.”
She couldn’t help but think that Shen Zhiwei might have some health issues. The girl looked so frail – like a willow swaying in the wind, as if a strong breeze could knock her over.
Such a fragile-looking girl seemed completely unrelated to the world of Water Margin.
“I’ve loved Water Margin since I was a child,” Shen Zhiwei said with a smile. “I’ve always admired its heroic characters.”
As she spoke, she looked at Jiang Yu and added, “I flew in from B City today, but I’ll be flying back soon. Let me tell you about my vision for the project…”
The two of them discussed the details of the commission, finalising the specifics. By the time they finished, more than half an hour had passed.
Shen Zhiwei checked the time and Jiang Yu asked, “What time is your flight? Are you in a hurry? I’ve reserved a private dining room at a restaurant nearby. The food will be served as soon as we arrive. If you have time, you can stay for a meal before you go.”
“My flight is at seven in the evening, so I still have about four hours. I should have time for a meal,” Shen Zhiwei said. She and Jiang Yu exchanged a look, a silent understanding forming between them.
The restaurant Jiang Yu booked was nearby, just a five-minute walk away.
Shen Zhiwei smiled. “I don’t know why, but the moment I saw you, I felt a strong connection. And now that we’ve talked, I know for sure – I really like your personality.”
Jiang Yu grinned. “I like your personality too. I think we’ll get along well.”
“What a shame…” Shen Zhiwei shook her head with a hint of regret. “We don’t live in the same city. If we did, that would be wonderful.”
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, “I think… in a year, I’ll be in B City.”
Shen Zhiwei blinked, then suddenly realised – Jiang Yu was in her second year of high school. In one year, she’d be taking her college entrance exams and could very well end up studying in B City.
“You want to apply to which university?” she asked.
Jiang Yu had already made up her mind long ago, so without any hesitation, she replied, “Changqing Academy of Fine Arts!”
Shen Zhiwei was a little surprised, but after a moment’s thought, she found it completely reasonable. With Jiang Yu’s talent, she should naturally aim for Changqing Academy of Fine Arts; otherwise, wouldn’t that be a waste of her gifts?
Changqing Academy of Fine Arts was the most prestigious art school in the country, ranking among the top even globally. It was the dream school of countless aspiring artists.
In her previous life, Jiang Yu had also been admitted to this university. Now that she had a second chance, she had no intention of changing her choice.
Shen Zhiwei clenched her fists and said, “Changqing has high academic requirements too. Looks like you’ll have to work hard.”
Jiang Yu smiled and nodded at her.
After their meal, they headed to the airport. Jiang Yu subconsciously took extra care of Shen Zhiwei. To her, Shen Zhiwei was just a young girl who didn’t seem to be in the best health, so naturally, she wanted to look after her.
Shen Zhiwei, amused, observed Jiang Yu with interest. This girl was still young and yet, instead of being taken care of by others, she carried herself like an old soul, placing herself in the role of a caretaker.
Meimei, your jiejie here is three years older than you!
After seeing Shen Zhiwei off, Jiang Yu passed by a bookstore on her way home and bought a copy of Water Margin, planning to read it thoroughly.
As one of the Four Great Classical Novels, she was, of course, familiar with it and had even read it before. She had a general understanding of the characters, but since she was going to illustrate the 108 heroes, she needed to study their personalities, temperaments and backgrounds in detail. If her drawings didn’t align with the book, that would be unacceptable.
People say that a thousand readers have a thousand Hamlets, but this principle didn’t quite apply to Water Margin. The characters in the book were vividly written with concrete descriptions. Their appearances and traits were clearly outlined, leaving little room for subjective reinterpretation.
Take Song Jiang, for example – he was described as short and dark-skinned in the book. So, if Jiang Yu were to draw him, she had to stick to that image and not arbitrarily change it.
Thus, before she even started drawing, Jiang Yu had to thoroughly familiarise herself with the 108 heroes.
For the next week, aside from attending classes and sleeping, she was practically glued to Water Margin. Even her literature teacher noticed her dedication and praised her during class. After all, the Four Great Classical Novels were essential for the college entrance exam, though no one knew which one would be tested.
After a week of studying, she had a solid grasp of the characters’ appearances and personalities. Only then did she start sketching. Of course, she had to prepare her materials first.
With the deposit Shen Zhiwei had given her, Jiang Yu now had a decent amount of money. So, she bought only the best quality art supplies.
In the spacious living room, a large desk was set up, with the drawing paper laid flat and weighted down. She started from the top, meticulously sketching each detail.
Creating a composition featuring so many characters required careful planning. Every element had to be thoroughly considered. A single poorly drawn figure could ruin the entire piece, forcing her to start over from scratch. Because of this, Jiang Yu worked with great focus.
This wasn’t a project she could rush. She estimated it would take at least three months to complete. In the meantime, she could also finish the other two commissions.
Compared to the Water Margin piece, the other two were much simpler. One was a commission for a game character. Jiang Yu studied the game’s design, did some online research and even played the game herself to get a better feel for it before putting pen to paper.
The final drawing depicted a refined character holding a brush, exuding an air of elegance. His attire was intricately detailed and the background was a lush, vibrant setting from the game.
When she submitted the artwork, the client was clearly thrilled, even sending Jiang Yu two extra red envelopes as a tip. The chat was flooded with excited messages, filled with variations of [Awoo awoo!]
Jiang Yu put down her phone, feeling as though she could still hear the excited “awoo” sounds ringing in her ears. She couldn’t help but marvel at how expressive people were nowadays.
With the other commissions completed, she could now focus entirely on Shen Zhiwei’s piece.
With some extra money on hand, she assembled a new computer and bought a drawing tablet. Now she could work digitally as well. To test it out, she casually drew a cup of bubble tea.
The bubble tea she sketched was the very one she held in her hand. The digital drawing was so realistic that it looked indistinguishable from the actual drink. The white whipped cream was topped with dark pecans, making it look irresistibly delicious.
[Ugh, I’m craving it now. It looks way too real. I can see it but can’t drink it… sob sob.]
[I want bubble tea too, but I’m on a diet… T_T]
Jiang Yu’s Weibo account had grown to 2,000 followers – none of whom were bots. The comment section was always lively. Scrolling through the reactions, she chuckled and casually uploaded a drawing of a cake.
At this late hour, the hyper-realistic cake looked just like a photo, as if she had taken it with a camera. Even through the screen, one could almost smell the sweetness.
Immediately, her comment section exploded with wails of despair.
[Posting this at night? This is pure evil! Unfollowed! Unfollowed! You’re torturing us!]
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