Jiang Yu quickly responded to Shen Zhitang, agreeing to collaborate with him. However, she had her own conditions.
No showing her face, no other distractions, just painting during the livestream. It was obvious that such a broadcast wouldn’t be particularly exciting, but for Jiang Yu, this was enough. She wanted more people to see her art, not herself.
Shen Zhitang readily agreed to her terms. He said, “I’m aiming for a proper, high-quality livestream. The art section is all about music, chess, calligraphy and painting. I want to go for an elegant and refined style. And you, Miss Jiang, you’re going to be the flagship artist of our art section, our leading figure!”
Jiang Yu replied, “Just call me Jiang Yu. No need for the formalities.”
“Alright, I’ll call you Jiang Yu then,” Shen Zhitang said, scratching the back of his head. “I wasn’t a fan of calling you ‘Miss Jiang’ anyway. Not only does it feel too polite, but you’re younger than me too.”
Once everything was settled, Shen Zhitang quickly sent over the livestream equipment and contract. Jiang Yu had a professional legal team, recommended by Xu Ruyi, review the contract. Only after confirming that everything was in order did she send it back.
The old master didn’t really understand livestreaming, but since Jiang Yu wanted to do it, he supported her. When the equipment arrived, he even helped her figure out how to use it.
“How does this camera work?” The old master asked, turning the tiny device in his hands.
It was a miniature camera, no bigger than a button, which could be clipped onto her collar so the lens would focus on her artwork. This was something Shen Zhitang had specially chosen for her, allowing her to stream her painting process while avoiding showing her face.
The old master fiddled with it for a while, eyes full of curiosity, then laughed. “This thing is pretty interesting.”
After spending the whole afternoon figuring out the equipment, even Teacher Shen became intrigued. She usually watched livestreams but mostly gaming ones, she’d never tried it herself.
“Why don’t you give it a test run tonight?” Teacher Shen suggested eagerly, unable to contain her excitement.
Jiang Yu thought about it and decided she might as well. It would be a good way to familiarise herself with the process.
After setting everything up, she logged onto Weibo for the first time in ages. It seemed like she hadn’t checked it since attending the art exhibition in City B. She hadn’t uploaded any new artwork either.
As expected, her Weibo comment section was full of complaints.
Jiang Yu was a gentle and easygoing person and her fans had naturally picked up on that. They were a chill and affectionate group, often using cute and playful language.
She summarised the progression of her Weibo comments:
At first, within the first week of her disappearance:
[Where did you go, idol? When are you coming back? I miss you! I haven’t seen your paintings in days and my food doesn’t taste good anymore!]
Then, after one week:
[If you don’t come back soon, you’re going to lose your princess!]
[Are you getting arrogant now that you have fans? If you don’t upload a new painting soon, I’m leaving!]
[Unfollowing threat!]
Now, after nearly a month, her fans had moved past anger into despair:
[I miss my idol on these lonely days…]
[As long as you come back, I won’t be mad anymore. But where are you?]
[Did something happen to idol? There’s been no news at all. I’m really worried…]
Seeing these messages, Jiang Yu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.
Among her fans was Xiang Weiwei, one of her most devoted followers. She had been a fan since Jiang Yu posted her very first food illustration. She admired Jiang Yu’s work passionately, not only as an art lover but also as someone with a deep appreciation for food illustrations.
Xiang Weiwei had a slight eating disorder, nothing serious, just a loss of appetite from being too accustomed to good food. Most dishes failed to excite her. But then she saw Jiang Yu’s painting of a custard bun, bitten open, golden custard oozing out enticingly. The colours were so rich, so mouthwatering, that even through a screen, it felt like she could taste its sweetness.
That day, Xiang Weiwei actually ate two bowls of rice. From that moment on, she was completely hooked on the works of [A Fleeting Dream].
When Jiang Yu suddenly disappeared from Weibo, Xiang Weiwei went through the same emotional rollercoaster as other fans, starting with frustration and ending in worry.
Then, one day, as she was scrolling through Weibo as usual, she suddenly saw the name [A Fleeting Dream] pop up. For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating. But when she scrolled back down, no, she wasn’t mistaken. It was real!
Ahhh! The great artist, [A Fleeting Dream], was back!
Fans rushed to spread the news, overwhelmed with joy, some even moved to tears.
Seeing their excitement only made Jiang Yu feel more guilty. After thinking for a moment, she posted a message:
[I’ll be livestreaming tonight at 8 pm on the Pineapple Live platform. If you’re interested, feel free to join!]
As soon as the post went up, reactions varied. Some fans were thrilled, [A Fleeting Dream] had always been a mysterious figure and now they had a chance to interact! Others, however, felt disappointed. In their eyes, livestreaming was beneath a serious artist. Was she selling out?
But livestreaming was becoming a legitimate industry, sometimes drawing more viewers than variety shows. After proper regulation, it had become a great platform for talented individuals.
Jiang Yu didn’t dwell on the comments. She turned off her phone and went to eat. After dinner, it would be time for her first livestream.
Xiang Weiwei was one of the fans who were absolutely thrilled. As fans, they found [A Fleeting Dream] to be incredibly mysterious, which only fueled their curiosity, they had no idea whether their idol was male or female. Of course, they also had their doubts, worrying that the mystery would be ruined once the truth was revealed. But as it turned out, there was no such thing as ‘ruined by exposure’ because Jiang Yu never showed their face in the first place.
Xiang Weiwei was among the excited fans. She and a few others had already gathered in the livestream room well before 8 pm, waiting in anticipation.
When the stream finally started, the screen lit up, not with a face, but with a blank sheet of white paper laid out on a desk.
The chat instantly flooded with confused messages: [???]
A hand appeared in the frame, a beautiful hand with delicate, well-proportioned fingers, fair skin, neatly trimmed nails and a healthy pink hue. It looked just like a jade onion stalk, slender, soft and flawless.
[So pretty! Mom, I think I’m in love!]
[My hand fetish is fully satisfied.]
Jiang Yu didn’t look at the chat. She simply adjusted the paper and said, “Tonight, I’ll be painting Zhaojun Departs for the Frontier. This was a commission from a fan and I finally have time to work on it after nearly two months.”
She had already gotten permission from the commissioner to livestream the process. As one of the Four Great Beauties of ancient China, Wang Zhaojun’s story was widely known. Jiang Yu decided to use traditional Chinese painting techniques to bring out the elegance and grace of an ancient beauty.
But at that moment, no one was paying attention to what she was painting.
All they heard was a clear, melodious voice, like the sound of a spring flowing over stones, crisp and pure. A soft yet steady female voice.
[Voice fetish and hand fetish satisfied! The idol is actually a girl?!]
[I think I just fell in love again!]
[Her voice is so beautiful, I could cry.]
Since the Pineapple platform was still new, it didn’t have much traffic. The viewers in Jiang Yu’s stream were mostly her fans who had followed her from Weibo, making for a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Painting itself was a quiet and slow process and watching it in real-time could be tedious. Since Jiang Yu neither showed her face nor spoke much while working, some viewers eventually left.
But she remained completely focused on her art. As she dipped her fine brush into ink and let it glide across the paper, a graceful beauty gradually emerged, brought to life with just a few elegant strokes.
Fans were noisy at first, but as they continued watching, the livestream chat fell silent. Everyone was completely engrossed in watching her paint, even those unfamiliar with art found themselves captivated.
Jiang Yu painted quickly, her brushstrokes decisive and fluid, without the slightest hesitation, yet every stroke was precise, leaving viewers in awe. It was almost like magic.
Painting is a fascinating process. A blank canvas gradually comes to life under the artist’s hand, as colours blend together to form a beautiful image, whether it be of a person, a landscape, or an object. A stunning painting is both a visual and emotional experience and when an artist pours their passion into their work, it becomes infused with soul, radiating a unique charm.
Jiang Yu genuinely loved painting. Perhaps that was why her art carried such a breathtaking beauty that resonated with people.
Xiang Weiwei couldn’t quite put it into words. As someone unfamiliar with painting, she only knew that [A Fleeting Dream]’s artwork deeply moved her.
Watching Jiang Yu paint was a pleasure. Her hands, already beautiful, became even more mesmerising when holding a brush, just like her paintings, they were a sight to behold.
The piece she was working on, Zhao Jun Departs the Frontier, was a simple character portrait. Alongside the central figure were a pipa and wild geese. Wang Zhaojun, one of the Four Great Beauties of ancient China, was associated with the phrase ‘falling geese’, a reference to how even geese in flight would be so stunned by her beauty that they would forget to flap their wings and plummet from the sky.
Jiang Yu’s painting included these symbolic elements: Zhaojun cradled a pipa in her arms, her figure delicate and elegant. She wore a vibrant red cloak, trimmed with snowy white fur that contrasted beautifully against her face. The bleak northern wind swept through, lifting both her cloak and long hair, making her seem as if she might be carried away by the wind itself.
The background depicted a desolate landscape, making Zhaojun the only vibrant presence amidst the barrenness. She sat gently plucking the strings of her pipa, while in the sky above, a flock of wild geese flew past. One of them, seemingly entranced by the sight below, forgot to flap its wings and tumbled downward. Jiang Yu used careful shading and gradients to depict the bird’s descent, making it feel incredibly lifelike.
It took Jiang Yu a full four hours to complete the piece. She was meticulous about details, the pipa, the clothing and the accessories were all rendered with astonishing precision, earning admiration from her audience. Art truly demanded patience.
At last, Jiang Yu reached the final touch: the eyes. She lifted her brush and delicately added two strokes to the figure’s eyes. In that instant, the painting came to life.
Everyone was reminded of the idiom ‘dotting the dragon’s eyes’, a story in which an artist painted a dragon but left its eyes blank. The moment he finally added them, the dragon sprang to life and soared into the sky.
At that moment, the livestream viewers finally understood what it meant for a painting to come alive. With just two strokes, the figure of Zhaojun seemed to awaken, her gaze filled with sorrow and longing, as if she were truly watching them from within the painting.
For a brief moment, every viewer felt their heart stop.
[Don’t say something so terrifying! It wasn’t the heart stopping, it was the heart fluttering!]
[I wanted to say this last time too, your paintings are so beautiful, they make me want to cry.]
[Mom, the person in the painting is flirting with me!]
The previously silent chat exploded with comments. Even newcomers entering the stream were instantly captivated upon seeing Zhao Jun Departs the Frontier on their screens.
This must be the work of a divine artist!
Despite being separated by a screen, the sorrowful beauty in the painting still managed to reach them, seizing their gaze in an instant. It was breathtaking, almost suffocating.
Shen Zhitang was watching Jiang Yu’s livestream. As the owner of Pineapple Live, he kept a close eye on the platform’s streamers. The two singers he had recruited had brought in some traffic, but they alone weren’t enough. Scrolling through other streams, he found some with only a handful of viewers, so few that it made him feel secondhand embarrassment.
Then he suddenly remembered that Jiang Yu was streaming today. He searched for her channel and was surprised to see that she already had over ten thousand viewers.
“What’s she painting? Zhaojun?”
As a citizen of the country, Shen Zhitang was naturally familiar with the story of Wang Zhaojun. One of the Four Great Beauties, who wouldn’t know of her?
He grabbed a cup of instant noodles and settled into his chair to watch, figuring he might as well take a break.
When Shen Zhiwei returned home, she was immediately hit by the strong smell of instant noodles. She frowned, opened the window to let in the cold night air and dispelled some of the smell.
“…What are you watching?”
She was curious, her brother was watching a video, yet she hadn’t heard any sound.
“I’m watching Jiang Yu’s livestream. She’s painting.”
Hearing this, Shen Zhiwei’s interest was piqued. The siblings squeezed onto the couch, each holding a phone, watching intently as Jiang Yu painted her final strokes.
“This is unreal! How did just two brushstrokes completely transform the whole painting?” Shen Zhitang was in shock, questioning everything.
Shen Zhiwei’s eyes sparkled. “Jiang Yu’s character paintings are getting even better! Even better than when she painted me.”
“It’s so beautiful, I could cry! Look, sis!” Shen Zhitang held out his phone. “I think…I’m falling in love again.”
Shen Zhiwei smacked him on the head. “Have you ever even been in love?” she said, full of disdain.
Meanwhile, the livestream viewers were still in a daze. They had watched the entire painting process unfold before their eyes, yet looking back, it still felt utterly surreal.
[Idol’s hands are pure magic!] someone typed.
With those hands, Jiang Yu had breathed life into the painting. What was once merely ink on paper had gained a soul.
Jiang Yu glanced at the chat and said, “When painting people, I always pay close attention to the eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul. A pair of expressive eyes is crucial, not just for people, but for paintings too.”
Setting down her brush, she flexed her fingers and finally took the time to read through the comments. She smiled. “To be honest, I’m not that great at painting people. My true strength is landscape painting.”
[Not that great?! If this isn’t great, then what are we supposed to do?!]
Jiang Yu chuckled. “It’s all relative. Compared to landscapes, my portraits still need work. I’ve been studying a lot recently, my Master is an incredible portrait artist and has been teaching me a lot.”
Feeling the strain in her wrist, she checked the time. A flicker of regret crossed her face, she hadn’t realised she had been painting for five hours. It was already late into the night, yet thousands of viewers had stayed with her.
“I tend to lose track of time when I’m immersed in painting. I didn’t realise it was almost 1 am.”
She stood up. “That’s it for today’s stream. I need to get some rest. See you all… well, the day after tomorrow.”
[The day after tomorrow?! Why not tomorrow?!]
Fans bombarded the chat with protests, but before they could get an answer, the stream had already ended.
“…”
She ended the stream way too fast!
That night, a two-minute video suddenly went viral. It was a time-lapse of Jiang Yu’s painting process.
In just moments, a stunning woman appeared on the canvas, cradling a pipa, wrapped in a billowing red cloak.
As the painting progressed, viewers finally recognised it.
It was Zhao Jun Departs the Frontier!
And then, in the last few seconds, the speed slowed.
A hand holding a brush gently added two final strokes to the eyes.
Oh, wow!
With just those two simple strokes, the entire painting took on a completely different feeling. In that instant, everyone simultaneously thought of the phrase: ‘dotting the eyes on the dragon’.
It was merely the addition of eyes, yet the beauty in the painting suddenly came to life. The sorrow and melancholy in her gaze seemed to pierce straight through the screen and into the viewer’s heart, making them want to rush into the painting and hold her in their arms to comfort her. Of course, this sense of pity was entirely devoid of any inappropriate thoughts.
After watching the video, everyone was completely stunned, this was divine-level painting.
[This is truly god-tier painting. At first, I thought it was just alright, but then those last two seconds, oh my god! I got chills all over.]
[As an art student, I can confidently say this artist is an absolute master. Their technique is insanely solid. I wish I could learn from them.]
[This painting is incredible. This is exactly how I imagined Zhaojun to look – graceful, gentle and noble. Someone with a heart big enough for the world. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have willingly left for the frontier. This is the Zhaojun I envisioned!]
…
The impact of those final two seconds in the video only multiplied. Late at night, night owls couldn’t help but share it, staying up with dark circles under their eyes, yet their spirits were high.
Otaku guys were declaring that this beauty was their dream girl!
Before long, the video went viral, without any artificial boosting, it naturally shot up the trending searches.
At around 2–3 am, Shen Zhitang was fast asleep, dreaming about his Pineapple Live platform becoming the largest in the country. He was revelling in that sweet dream when suddenly, his phone rang.
“Hey, Shen Zhitang! Check Weibo! That [A Fleeting Dream] account, isn’t that our platform?”
“[A Fleeting Dream]?”
Still half-asleep, Shen Zhitang groggily opened Weibo and clicked on the #20 trending topic his friend mentioned, ’God-Tier Painting’.
In an instant, his drowsiness disappeared entirely.
Wasn’t this Jiang Yu?!
A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind, this was an opportunity! A perfect chance to promote Pineapple Live. And of course, if he could see it, his friend could too.
“I called you at this hour because of this! Since we’ve already made it to the trending list, we should push it further and subtly insert Pineapple Live into the conversation.”
Shen Zhitang nodded. Any trace of sleepiness was gone, replaced by adrenaline. He and his friend quickly strategized, but at the end of their talk, his friend hesitated and said:
“Honestly, I could’ve handled this myself, but I still called you because… well… I’m broke. I don’t have money to boost the trend. Zhitang, do you have any cash?”
Shen Zhitang: “…”
He was speechless for a long time. His friend cautiously asked:
“Wait… you’re out of money too? Oh yeah, right. We both poured all our savings into this. So what do we do now? We don’t even have money to buy a trending boost!”
Shen Zhitang was at a loss too. His friend suddenly suggested:
“Wait! Aren’t you staying at your sister’s place? Why don’t you borrow some money from her?”
Hmm… that might work!
That’s how, in the middle of the night, Shen Zhiwei was rudely awakened by her younger brother.
Being woken up from deep sleep is not fun, especially for someone with a bad case of morning grumpiness.
“Jiejie, can you lend me some money? Once I make money, I’ll pay you back double!” Sensing danger, Shen Zhitang quickly spoke up.
Shen Zhiwei shot him an annoyed look. “What do you need money for?”
Shen Zhitang hesitated, then confessed honestly, “I want to buy a trending boost.”
Shen Zhiwei: “…”
With finals approaching, Jiang Yu’s school schedule had gotten more intense. Despite the cold winter, the classroom was warm and cosy with the heater on. During breaks, students made full use of the ten-minute gap, some even napped to recharge before the next class.
Jiang Yu had noticeable dark circles under her eyes. Her pale skin made them stand out even more, catching Xu Ruyi’s attention.
“What were you up to last night? Your dark circles are so bad,” Xu Ruyi asked.
Jiang Yu rubbed her temples, looking exhausted. “I lost track of time while painting. I slept late.”
Xu Ruyi wasn’t surprised. Jiang Yu did this all the time. She was already used to it.
“What are you doing over winter break?”
Jiang Yu yawned and lazily replied, “Studying painting with my Master.”
“Still painting? Don’t you ever get tired of it?”
Jiang Yu blinked. “Sometimes, but once I finish a painting, I feel fine again. Think of it this way, do you ever get tired of eating or drinking water?”
Xu Ruyi shook her head. Food was her greatest pleasure in life.
Jiang Yu chuckled. “Exactly. For me, painting is like eating and drinking. Sometimes I’m lazy and don’t feel like doing it, but I can’t live without it.”
It had become an inseparable part of her life. Even if she got tired, she would never abandon it.
Xu Ruyi sighed in admiration. “With your talent and work ethic, if you don’t become a famous artist, then the world is just unfair.”
Jiang Yu just smiled and said nothing.
During lunch break, her phone rang, it was Shen Zhitang.
“Hello…”
“Jiang Yu! You’ve gone viral!”
As soon as the call connected, Shen Zhitang’s excited voice burst through the speaker.
Jiang Yu was confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Last night, someone uploaded a video of you painting. Now it’s trending! Check your Weibo, you already have 300,000 followers! If this isn’t going viral, then what is?!”
And the best part? These were all real followers, no bot accounts.
“Anyway, go check it yourself! I’ll call you back later!”
With that, he hung up.
Jiang Yu opened Weibo, but her phone was so laggy that it froze. After struggling for a few minutes, the app crashed.
She sighed. Looks like it’s time to buy a new phone.
After restarting, she finally managed to log in. Sure enough, her follower count had skyrocketed past 300,000 and was approaching 400,000. Her inbox was flooded with unread messages.
And her latest Weibo post was flooded with comments from people who had seen the video:
[God-tier artist! I’m a fan now!]
[I finally understand what ‘dotting the eyes on the dragon’ means. This is divine-level painting.]
[Checked out your previous work, your art is incredible! Can I commission a piece?]
[Newcomers, FYI, Jiang Yu’s paintings are not cheap. And she hasn’t taken commissions in a long time. Good luck booking one!]
Jiang Yu’s long-time fans, like Xiang Weiwei, were initially overwhelmed by the flood of new followers. But soon, they took it upon themselves to maintain order in the comments.
Seeing so many people asking for commissions, they couldn’t help but laugh.
[If it were that easy, we would’ve booked one ages ago!]
When people found out how much her paintings cost, many quickly backed off.
Of course, some trolls had snuck in, but Jiang Yu simply ignored them.
Jiang Yu was actually a bit confused. To her, she was just painting as usual, how did it suddenly turn into some divine-level painting? And why did her fan count suddenly skyrocket? It left her feeling a little lost.
“Did you finish watching? Any thoughts?” Shen Zhitang quickly called her again to ask.
Jiang Yu thought for a moment and said, “…They think my painting is really good, so they started liking my work?”
Shen Zhitang nodded vigorously on the other end. “Of course! They’ve been completely blown away by your skills… To be honest, even I was shocked. You really are like a painting god, boss!”
After watching that video, he had officially become one of Jiang Yu’s fans.
Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment and said, “Uh… thanks?”
Shen Zhitang, still excited, continued, “Thanks to you, so many people now know about our Pineapple Live! This is a great promotional opportunity.”
Of course, their team had done some behind-the-scenes work to push the trend, otherwise, the topic wouldn’t have stayed hot for so long. But all of it was based on one thing: Jiang Yu’s paintings were genuinely outstanding. Without that, no amount of promotion would have worked.
“Are you streaming again tonight?” Shen Zhitang asked.
Jiang Yu shook her head. “No, I stayed up too late last night. I plan to sleep early tonight.”
Shen Zhitang was a little disappointed, but since their contract didn’t specify a required streaming duration, it wasn’t a violation even if she didn’t stream for an entire month.
After hanging up, Jiang Yu went back to class and took another nap before continuing her afternoon lessons. The sudden surge in followers didn’t really affect her daily life, but she was, of course, happy about it, it meant she was becoming more well-known.
“Are you really happy?” Teacher Shen asked skeptically.
Jiang Yu nodded. “This is a good thing. Of course, I’m happy.”
The old master worried that all the praise would go to her head, so he decided to play the villain. “Your paintings still lack a bit of refinement. Those people online don’t actually understand art. From my perspective, you’re still far from mastery.”
Jiang Yu smiled, unbothered. “I know. I still have a lot to learn.”
Seeing how steady and humble she remained, the old master couldn’t help but nod in approval. Then, he started critiquing her painting from the previous night. “I saw your work from last night, it’s indeed very well done…”
Especially those final strokes on the eyes, they truly had the effect of bringing the painting to life. Even he had to admit, this girl was surpassing her masters.
Once Jiang Yu had left, Teacher Shen asked, “Jiang Yu is still so young, why do you have to be so strict? Why not praise her more?”
The old master replied, “You all keep praising her. If I praise her too, won’t she become arrogant? If someone loses their humility, that’s when they start going downhill. Since you’re all lifting her up, it’s my job to keep her grounded.”
In reality, he was holding back too. He wanted to praise her, but if he did, what if she lost her balance? A person who stops improving will only regress. He was thinking about her future.
Teacher Shen chuckled. “You’re thoughtful, but Jiang Yu has always been steady. She’s not the type to get carried away by praise.”
The old master nodded. “Among all my students, she has the best mindset. None of you can compare to her in that regard.”
Teacher Shen had no argument against that.
Later, Jiang Yu returned with a package. Teacher Shen asked, “What did you buy?”
“I didn’t buy anything…” Jiang Yu checked the sender’s address and suddenly remembered something. “Ah, a few months ago, I submitted a painting to a magazine. They told me recently that it was accepted.”
“Which magazine?” the old master asked.
“Dian Mo,” Jiang Yu replied. “They mostly publish traditional Chinese paintings. I sent them a peony painting.”
She opened the package and, sure enough, found a copy of the magazine inside. The title Dian Mo carried an air of sophistication and all the artworks featured were of remarkable quality. That’s why Dian Mo was considered an authoritative magazine in the art world, most art students would buy a copy.
The old master commented, “Dian Mo, not bad.”
Coming from him, that was high praise. Having a painting published in Dian Mo was considered an honor.
Jiang Yu added, “They paid me 10,000 yuan for the artwork.”
The old master: “…”
What a humble goal.
Teacher Shen laughed. “Dian Mo? Ning shixiong, submitted a painting there too. That issue sold really well. Let me tell you, Ning shixiong’s paintings always have a cool, ethereal vibe, no trace of worldly distractions. Meanwhile, Han shixiong’s paintings are completely different, his style is grand and extravagant.”
As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and showed Jiang Yu two paintings, one by Ning shixiong and one by Han shixiong. Their styles were entirely distinct. Ning shixiong’s work was minimalistic yet atmospheric, while Han shixiong’s art was lavish, almost glowing.
Their artistic approaches couldn’t be more different.
Then, Teacher Shen turned to Jiang Yu’s painting in the magazine, a peony artwork. The large, vibrant peonies bloomed boldly, radiating confidence and grandeur.
Beside the painting, there was a line of text: Only the peony is truly regal; when it blooms, the entire capital is shaken.
The entire painting exuded an air of noble elegance. The use of gold and red perfectly captured the peony’s majestic beauty. Compared to Jiang Yu’s work, the other paintings in the magazine seemed lackluster, overshadowed completely.
Even the editor of Dian Mo had hesitated before publishing it. Not because the painting wasn’t good, but because it was too good. It made all the other artworks look mediocre in comparison.
Dian Mo was meant to showcase emerging artists, a platform for beginners. It was like a training ground for novice cultivators in a fantasy novel. But now, Jiang Yu, who was clearly at a master’s level, had entered a space meant for trainees. It was pure domination.
Putting her painting in the magazine felt almost unfair to the others.
The magazine team even wondered if she was a famous artist using a pseudonym. But then they thought, why would an established master compete with newcomers?
In the end, they figured she must be the disciple of some great master. Since she was technically a newcomer, they decided to publish it anyway, even if it meant overshadowing other contributors.
Teacher Shen flipped through the pages and winced. The difference in skill level was brutal, Jiang Yu’s excellence made the other paintings look downright amateurish.
Comparing a perfect score to barely passing, it was a stark contrast.
Jiang Yu felt a little embarrassed. “I just needed some extra money at the time…”
“Well, you did bully the newcomers, but you did it with your own talent, so it’s fine,” Teacher Shen reassured her.
Jiang Yu nodded. That was the only way to justify it to herself.
Meanwhile, Dian Mo was widely recognised as the textbook of the art world. Art enthusiasts naturally picked up a copy. And this time, readers couldn’t help but take notice of Jiang Yu’s peony painting.
Leave a Reply