Mr. Liu was a collector of calligraphy and paintings, but he typically favoured famous works. To be honest, he had no interest in paintings by newcomers. To outsiders, all paintings might look similar, but those with real knowledge understood the depth of the art. A painting had to possess both craftsmanship and artistic conception and in both aspects, newcomers often fell short.
For this reason, Mr. Liu was not particularly fond of paintings by newcomers. To him, they held no collectible value, something that Pang Yu was well aware of. Yet, this was the first time Pang Yu had ever so strongly recommended a painting in front of him, which naturally piqued Mr. Liu’s curiosity.
“Is this newcomer’s painting really that good? This is the first time I’ve seen you praise someone so much in front of me,” Mr. Liu asked curiously as they walked upstairs.
Pang Yu glanced at him and smiled. “To tell you the truth, the artist of this painting is my Master’s newly accepted student, technically, my shimei.”
She spoke candidly, meeting Mr. Liu’s gaze with a calm and open expression.
“You know that my Master is quite old now. He once said that he would never take in another student again, he simply doesn’t have the energy anymore.”
As they conversed, they reached the top of the stairs. Pang Yu turned and smiled. “But when it came to my shimei, my Master said she was born to hold a paintbrush. Her talent in painting was so remarkable that my Master was willing to break his own rule just to accept her as his disciple.”
Standing on the last step of the staircase, they saw a group of people gathered in front of a painting. Over ten people stood there, making the space appear slightly crowded. Yet, no one was speaking; the atmosphere was unusually quiet. Such a scene was rare in an art gallery, after all, with so many paintings displayed, it was uncommon for one to attract such a crowd in silent admiration.
Mr. Liu was surprised and looked toward Pang Yu.
Pang Yu had yet to step onto the second floor and hadn’t expected so many people to have gathered already. A hint of astonishment flickered across her face, she remembered this particular exhibition space. It was where her shimei’s painting, Starry Sky, was displayed.
However, she wasn’t entirely sure if these people were admiring Starry Sky, as it wasn’t exhibited alone; there were two or three other paintings displayed nearby. Even so, a thought surfaced in Pang Yu’s mind: these people must be here for Jiang Yu’s Starry Sky.
The idea might sound amusing, but anyone who had seen the painting would understand, it wasn’t strange at all. Even among all the paintings in the gallery, Starry Sky stood out as truly exceptional.
“Boss Pang!” someone noticed Pang Yu and greeted her with a smile.
Pang Yu returned the smile. “Mr. Shi!”
Mr. Shi rubbed his bald head and said, “Boss Pang, the paintings in your gallery are getting better and better. Especially this Starry Sky, tsk, it’s the best painting I’ve ever seen in your gallery. The artistic conception is so beautiful and tranquil. Tell me, how much are you selling it for?”
His voice lowered significantly at the last sentence, so that only Pang Yu and Mr. Liu could hear. His manner suggested he was afraid someone else might overhear and try to snatch the painting first.
Hearing this, Pang Yu’s eyes flickered slightly and she smiled. “Mr. Shi, you know the rules of my gallery. Exhibition paintings are never priced directly. If you like it, you can place a bid at the front desk in three days, the highest offer wins.”
Mr. Shi laughed heartily. “Of course, I know the rules of your gallery.”
As he spoke, he glanced again at Starry Sky, noting that several familiar faces were also gathered around. They, too, seemed interested in the painting. This wasn’t surprising, everyone here was knowledgeable about art. A good painting stood out immediately and true masterpieces were never overlooked.
“Tsk, this is troublesome!”
Mr. Shi furrowed his brows. Since the gallery followed a bidding system, he couldn’t be certain that his offer would be the highest.
While he was contemplating, another acquaintance approached, a middle-aged woman with a sharp and energetic demeanor. She directly asked Pang Yu, “Boss Pang, I want to ask about Starry Sky. Does its artist, Jiang Yu, have any other paintings?”
Pang Yu shook her head. “She only submitted this one for the exhibition. Is Sister Zhao interested in the artist?”
At first, the woman looked a little disappointed but soon smiled. “I really like this painting. The artistic conception is stunning, I haven’t seen a painting move me like this in a long time. But the style seems unfamiliar. I don’t recall any artist painting in this manner. With such skill, though, this artist shouldn’t be unknown. Could it be that some well-known artist changed their style and is using an alias?”
Pang Yu: “…”
No, Sister Zhao, you’re overthinking it.
Seeing how multiple people were asking about Starry Sky, Mr. Liu’s curiosity grew and he asked, “Who is the artist of Starry Sky? Why is everyone talking about it?”
Upon hearing this, Mr. Shi and Sister Zhao exchanged glances and, almost in unison, replied, “Nothing important!”
Mr. Liu: “…”
The art circle was small. Most people knew each other, even if only by reputation. Mr. Liu was a wealthy man, if he also took an interest in Starry Sky, then where would that leave the others?
Mr. Liu, unaware of their concerns, turned to Pang Yu in surprise. Pang Yu, feeling a sense of pride, smiled. “Starry Sky is the painting I told you about earlier.”
It was her shimei’s work!
Now, Mr. Liu was even more astonished and eager to see it. Without hesitation, he stepped forward to take a closer look at the painting that had captivated so many.
The night sky in the painting was deep and tranquil. The moment he laid eyes on it, he felt as if he were being drawn into the vast expanse of the cosmos. The summer night sky was pure and clear, with no clouds, only twinkling stars. The painting featured a magnificent river of stars, along with countless smaller ones, flickering and scattered across the canvas. Even the artist, Jiang Yu, hadn’t counted them all, but there were at least tens of thousands. Some shone brightly, while others were dim, creating a mesmerising and breathtaking view.
The entire painting exuded a sense of peace and clarity. The use of colour was exquisite, so pure and harmonious that one couldn’t help but become immersed in it. The tranquility conveyed by the artwork had a calming effect, washing away all restlessness.
“This painting…” Mr. Liu’s eyes widened slightly in awe. He stepped closer, utterly captivated. In his daze, he accidentally bumped into the person in front of him.
That person turned around, visibly displeased. “Don’t push! If you want to see, get in line!”
Everyone wanted to get a closer look, but space was limited, they had to take turns!
Mr. Liu: “…”
Pang Yu stepped forward, already knowing what he was thinking based on his reaction. She felt an immense sense of satisfaction and pride, smiling as she said, “Mr. Liu, what do you think? I wasn’t lying, was I? My shimei’s painting definitely won’t disappoint you.”
Mr. Liu praised sincerely, “It’s incredible. The artistic conception is truly beautiful, it gives such a sense of serenity.”
After spending so much time in the city, he had almost forgotten what such tranquility felt like. It had been a long time since he had experienced such peace and comfort.
“Boss Pang, tell me, how much is this painting?” Mr. Liu asked.
Pang Yu maintained her usual expression and replied, “Mr. Liu, you know the rules here, we never set a price.”
Mr. Liu nodded. “I understand.”
As Jiang Yu’s shijie, seeing her painting receive such a warm reception, Pang Yu also felt a sense of shared honour. Moreover, based on today’s reaction, the exhibition was going well, it looked like they would be able to sell quite a few paintings.
At noon, the three of them went out for lunch. Pang Yu had made a reservation and took them to a private restaurant.
“The gallery has been quite busy lately, so I probably won’t have time to show you around. Daidai, you’ve been in B City for a while now. Since you’re here, take our shimei out and show her around!”
Teacher Shen’s given name was a single character, ‘Dai’, so her senior brothers and sisters liked to call her ‘Daidai’.
As Pang Yu spoke, she poured water for the two of them, completely assuming the role of an elder sister.
“Oh, right.” She suddenly thought of something and turned to Teacher Shen. “Now that our shimei is here, give Han shixiong a call and get everyone together. Let’s have them all meet her. Actually, when our master went to S City, everyone wanted to go with him to meet her, but no one had the time. Han shixiong has been tied up with a project lately and couldn’t step away.”
Teacher Shen nodded. “I know. I’ve already spoken to Han shixiong on the phone. Once he has some free time in the next couple of days, we’ll arrange a meal together.”
Saying this, she suddenly remembered something and smacked her forehead. “Look at me, I forgot to add you to our group chat, Jiang Yu. We have a group where all of our master’s students gather. Before you joined, I was the youngest in our sect. Now that you’re here, I’m not the youngest anymore.”
She looked quite pleased about this.
Jiang Yu’s phone chimed. She glanced at it, Teacher Shen had already added her to the group. The group name was “Cui Family Disciples” and including Jiang Yu, there were seven members. That meant Master Cui had taken on seven students in total.
Jiang Yu thought for a moment. From what she knew, there was Teacher Shen, Pang shijie and Shang Yi shixiong. That meant she still had three more senior brothers or sisters she hadn’t met yet.
“Welcome, shimei! I’m no longer the youngest in the group!”
Teacher Shen sent a message and the group immediately became active. The first to respond was Pang Yu:
“Welcome, shimei!”
She also attached a smiling emoji.
Shortly after, a red envelope appeared in the chat. Jiang Yu saw it but hesitated to claim it, she wasn’t familiar with them yet and it felt a bit inappropriate to take their money.
However, before she could think further, Teacher Shen nudged her and said, “Go on, claim it! This is a personal gift from Ning shixiong to you.”
Jiang Yu was stunned. She tapped the red envelope and was immediately met with a dazzling “99999.”
Jiang Yu: “…”
This Ning shixiong… was incredibly generous.
Soon, someone with the username “Ning Zhiyuan” sent a message:
“I have some matters to attend to and won’t be able to welcome you properly, shimei. Daidai, take good care of her for me.”
So this was the Ning shixiong that Teacher Shen had mentioned.
After reading the message, Teacher Shen quickly typed a reply:
“Understood, Ning shixiong! Mission accepted!”
Then, Han shixiong also spoke up in the chat:
“Shimei, I’m quite busy with work right now, but once I wrap up my current tasks in the next couple of days, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
Their enthusiasm left Jiang Yu feeling a little overwhelmed. In her previous life, she had always been quite solitary. Many artists, in fact, were rather solitary people and some even had peculiar habits that made them seem even more isolated. In that world, her behaviour was not unusual.
But Master Cui’s students seemed to share a close bond. Even though she was a stranger to them, they treated her with warmth and friendliness. She had to admit, it was a truly heartwarming feeling.
Aside from the two senior brothers who had spoken up, Jiang Yu asked, “Isn’t Ning shixiong’s red envelope a bit too much?”
Hearing this, Teacher Shen waved a hand dismissively. “Just take it. Ning shixiong isn’t short on money, he’s the richest among all of us and also the most generous.”
“Oh? From the way you’re talking, are you implying that I’m stingy?” Pang shijie suddenly chimed in, her tone teasing.
“No, no, shijie, you’re very generous too!” Teacher Shen quickly shook her head, making it clear she wasn’t implying anything about Pang shijie’s generosity.
Pang shijie chuckled and shook her head. She was older than Jiang Yu and Teacher Shen, her daughter was about Jiang Yu’s age. To her, Jiang Yu and Teacher Shen were just kids, so she naturally treated them with warmth and indulgence.
After ordering two dishes, Pang Yu handed the menu to them and said, “This restaurant’s food is excellent and most importantly, everything is fresh. I heard that all their ingredients come from their own farm.”
Jiang Yu wasn’t particularly picky about food. She reached out and ordered a bowl of sour bamboo shoot soup. “I haven’t had the chance to thank you, Pang shijie. I didn’t expect you to place my painting in such a prime exhibition spot.”
“Yeah! I was surprised too!” Teacher Shen turned to Pang Yu and said, “I thought you’d only give Jiang Yu some little corner spot.”
Hearing this, Pang Yu couldn’t help but reach out and flick Teacher Shen on the forehead. “Is that really how you see me?”
Teacher Shen shrank back slightly and muttered, “Well, you’ve never been one to let personal feelings affect your decisions.”
Pang Yu rolled her eyes at her. “Oh, so you really do know me well!”
After saying this, she looked at Jiang Yu, her expression softening slightly. “Daidai may like to tease me, but she was right about one thing, I’m not someone who acts on emotions. I can help you, but I won’t give you special treatment. To be honest, it’s because your painting is good that I gave you this exhibition spot, purely as a business decision. So, you don’t need to thank me.”
Even though she said that, the fact that Pang shijie was willing to help was already a favour. Jiang Yu still sincerely thanked her. Her attitude made Pang shijie feel comfortable. She had helped out willingly, but if the other party had taken it for granted, there would’ve been no need to do so. After all, no one likes an ingrate.
As they chatted, the food was served. Pang shijie picked up her chopsticks first and said, “Eat quickly. If you stay in B City for a few more days, I could take you around.”
“No, Jiang Yu only took four days off; she has to go back to class. When she asked for leave, Teacher Hu initially refused, but after I explained how important this exhibition was to her, he reluctantly agreed.” At this, Teacher Shen laughed. “Pang shijie, you don’t know this, but Jiang Yu is ranked second in her entire school. As an art student, she’s putting a lot of pressure on her classmates. Quite a few of them secretly complain about her.”
Pang Yu couldn’t help but laugh. “My shimei is more reliable than my own daughter!”
Speaking of her daughter, she shook her head. “I don’t know who she takes after, no interest in painting or calligraphy. Instead, she’s into music, even rock music, which just gives me headaches.”
“Painting and music are both forms of art. Looks like she inherited your artistic genes perfectly,” Jiang Yu smiled.
Pang Yu shook her head. “As long as she’s happy… Anyway, let’s not talk about this. Eat up before the food gets cold.”
Personal interests should always be one’s own choice. Although her daughter’s lack of interest in painting and calligraphy disappointed her, she still respected her daughter’s decision.
Shen Zhiwei had asked for the gallery’s address and in the afternoon, she drove over in a Land Rover. When Jiang Yu saw her in the parking lot, she was startled.
“I just love Land Rovers, they’re powerful!” Shen Zhiwei patted the hood of her car, looking very pleased.
Jiang Yu led her toward the gallery. “There are a lot of great paintings here. I think you’ll like them.”
Shen Zhiwei didn’t particularly care about that, she was only here to see Jiang Yu’s painting, Starry Sky. Since Jiang Yu hadn’t posted it online, she had never seen it before.
Teacher Shen had an appointment that afternoon, since she was back in B City, some old classmates had invited her for afternoon tea. She was originally worried about leaving Jiang Yu alone, but when Jiang Yu mentioned she had plans, Teacher Shen felt relieved and left.
In the afternoon, the gallery was even livelier. The weather was warmer and many couples were there on dates, creating a nice atmosphere.
Compared to the morning, the area around Starry Sky was even more crowded. Since the painting attracted so much attention, Pang Yu had to move it to a more spacious spot. Of course, among the crowd, some truly appreciated it, while others were just there for the excitement. Appreciation of paintings was always a niche interest.
“This is your Starry Sky?” Shen Zhiwei, who was quite tall, tiptoed to catch a glimpse. But with so many people in front, she could only see a hint of black, no, maybe blue. Whatever the colour was, it looked very clean.
Using her delicate appearance to her advantage, Shen Zhiwei easily slipped through the crowd and finally saw the entire painting. She widened her eyes in astonishment.
After about twenty minutes, she emerged from the crowd and seriously told Jiang Yu, “I want this painting!”
Jiang Yu pressed her lips together and said, “I already handed it over to the gallery. I can’t sell it to you privately. If you want it, you have to buy it through them.”
Hearing this and understanding the gallery’s rules, Shen Zhiwei couldn’t help but exclaim, “Your shijie is really smart! By setting things up this way, no one knows the exact price of a painting, so they’ll keep bidding higher.”
Plus, every painting had a minimum price, preventing anyone from trying to snag a bargain.
Jiang Yu said, “There are plenty of other paintings too. I’ll show you, I saw a few really good ones.”
She had already viewed part of the collection in the morning, so now she took Shen Zhiwei to see the rest. The two spent the entire afternoon wandering through the gallery. To be honest, Shen Zhiwei started to feel a bit bored, she didn’t understand much about paintings. One or two were interesting, but seeing too many felt repetitive.
Jiang Yu, on the other hand, remained excited. She was completely immersed, her face full of joy and satisfaction as she admired a painting. It was clear that she genuinely loved art, both creating and appreciating it.
This was something Shen Zhiwei truly admired, people who were dedicated always achieved great things.
“Oh, right! I haven’t paid the final installment for my commissioned painting yet. Why didn’t you remind me?” Shen Zhiwei smacked her forehead. After receiving the painting, she’d been so excited that she nearly forgot. Taking out her phone, she said, “I’ll send the money now!”
Jiang Yu casually replied, “It’s not like you’d skip out on it.”
Shen Zhiwei: “…”
This girl wasn’t even worried she might be a scammer, so naive!
A moment later, Jiang Yu heard the familiar sound of money being transferred. She checked her phone and saw that the payment had arrived. However, the amount seemed off.
“Did you make a mistake? You’ve already paid me 150,000 yuan. You only owed another 150,000, but you just sent me 300,000.”
Jiang Yu waved her phone, the ‘300,000’ on the screen glaringly obvious.
Shen Zhiwei replied, “No mistake. I think the painting is worth that much. Besides, if you weren’t short on money at the time, you probably wouldn’t have taken the commission, right?”
Jiang Yu didn’t respond, because what she said was true.
“This is what you deserve. I’m not the type to take advantage of people,” Shen Zhiwei huffed.
Jiang Yu quietly put her phone away and sincerely sighed, “Having rich friends is amazing!”
It was strange, everyone she had met in this life seemed wealthier than the last. She was definitely the poorest among them.
As they continued browsing, a small incident occurred. A young man approached Shen Zhiwei and asked if she was Lian fei from Deep Palace, a well-known ‘white lotus’ character she had played.
Shen Zhiwei frowned and responded coolly, “Who’s Lian fei?”
The young man hesitated. “…Sorry, my mistake.”
No way this was Lian fei! That character was so delicate and pitiful, nothing like the cold, impatient woman in front of him.
Turning to Jiang Yu, Shen Zhiwei grumbled, “The director told me he cast me as Lian fei because I had the perfect ‘white lotus’ aura… I think he is the real white lotus. Do I look like one?”
Maybe she seemed a bit fragile, she had been sickly as a child and still had a slender frame, but in reality, she was in excellent health and ate heartily.
Jiang Yu smiled, but wisely chose not to comment.
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