Not long after the New Year, Jiang Yu had to return to S City. School was starting again, and she couldn’t put it off. Since she’d be coming back again in March for the Colour Exhibition, the old master didn’t accompany her this time. At his age, such frequent back-and-forth travel wasn’t suitable.
The day before she left, Pang shijie came over to help her pack. Since Jiang Yu would be back soon, there was no need to pack everything, just some clothes and shoes she’d need in the meantime.
“These paintings… you won’t be taking them back, right?” Pang shijie glanced at the ones hanging on the wall.
Jiang Yu gave them a look. “No, they’d just take up space.”
Pang shijie nodded, then noticed the wooden chest in her bedroom. She opened it and asked, “What’s inside this? More paintings? … Mm, I knew it must be paintings.”
The chest was about knee-high, originally meant for clothes, but Jiang Yu had filled it with her paintings instead.
Casually, Senior Sister Pang pulled one out and unfolded it. She froze.
“This painting…”
“What’s wrong, shijie? Why are you just standing there?” Jiang Yu walked over, noticing her frozen with the painting in hand.
Pang shijie turned her head, her expression complicated.
Jiang Yu blinked. “??”
She glanced down at her own clothes. Nothing strange there, neat and tidy.
“A-Yu…” Pang shijie called, visibly conflicted. “Don’t you think… Mr. Lu is a bit too old for you?”
Mr. Lu?
Jiang Yu didn’t understand why she was suddenly bringing up Lu Mingshen. His face flashed across her mind as she replied, “Not really. He’s only twenty-four this year.”
“Twenty-four not old? That’s six years older than you!” Pang shijie instinctively shot back.
Jiang Yu blinked again. “Shijie, why are you reacting like this?”
Sighing, Pang shijie walked up and patted her shoulder. “You’re still too young. Talking about these things is far too early. When you’re older, you’ll realise what you’re feeling now is nothing more than a meaningless crush.”
“…Is that so?” Jiang Yu was bewildered, not understanding what she meant at all.
“I just never thought you would like Mr. Lu. He’s so stern. How could you fall for him?” Pang shijie’s tone was heavy with worry. “That man doesn’t seem like someone who knows how to be gentle. If you really like him, you’ll only end up suffering.”
Jiang Yu froze, struck as if by lightning.
She… liked Mr. Lu?
Why didn’t she herself know about this?
“No, shijie, you misunderstood, I don’t like Mr. Lu!” Jiang Yu quickly defended herself.
But Pang shijie didn’t believe her. She held out the painting. “Don’t deny it. If you don’t like him, then how do you explain this painting?”
Painting?
Only then did Jiang Yu realise what painting it was. Her cheeks flamed red. “T-this is just a normal painting. A simple portrait.”
Pang shijie sneered, unfolding it. “A normal portrait? You call this kind of… suggestive painting normal?”
“Su… suggestive?”
“…”
Pang shijie pinched the bridge of her nose. She’d been too agitated. Ah Yu was still so young, she probably didn’t even know what “suggestive” meant.
“I really don’t like Mr. Lu,” Jiang Yu repeated stiffly.
Pang shijie sighed. “Even if you do, at least like someone gentler, someone who’ll cherish you. Mr. Lu is cold, his temper a bit irritable; aren’t you afraid he’d lash out in a fight?”
“Mr. Lu is really nice…” Jiang Yu muttered. In her mind, Lu Mingshen’s figure appeared: the one who bought her milk tea, who taught her how to shoot. How could he be cold?
“He’s actually very gentle!”
“…”
Pang shijie was speechless.
See? See?
And she still claimed not to like him! If she didn’t, why was she defending him?
Jiang Yu felt a little wronged.
The next day, when Jiang Yu went to the airport, quite a group came to see her off. Handsome men and beautiful women stood together, a dazzling sight that drew everyone’s attention.
“When your plane lands, remember to call us. I’ve asked Daidai to drive and pick you up, she should be waiting at arrivals… And don’t go back to your own place, no one’s there to cook for you. Better stay at my place…”
The old master fussed endlessly, unwilling to let her go.
Old Yang, hands clasped behind his back, frowned. “Why are you nagging so much? She’s grown up. If you don’t let her fly on her own, how will she ever learn? At her age, she should be learning to take care of herself.”
But before long, Old Yang slipped a bag to Jiang Yu. “The chef at home made some cookies. Airplane meals are no good. Eat these to fill your stomach first.”
The old master: “…”
Just a moment ago you scolded me, but aren’t you doing the same?
As the youngest of the group, Jiang Yu received plenty of care. Even Lu Mingshen came to see her off.
“Study hard when you’re back. If anything comes up, call me.” He reached out and rubbed her head.
Seeing this, Pang Yu’s eyes nearly popped out of her head, her anger swelling like a puffed-up pufferfish. Ah! So that’s why my Ah Yu fell for this cold-faced man, Lu Mingshen, you seduced her!
“O-okay…” Jiang Yu mumbled, avoiding his eyes, her whole demeanor guilty and evasive.
Lu Mingshen, puzzled, wondered why she was suddenly avoiding him.
But Pang Yu, watching Jiang Yu dodge his gaze, felt her suspicions confirmed. Her heart ached with pity, still denying it? Just look at that shy expression. If she didn’t like him, why couldn’t she even meet his eyes?
The atmosphere turned a little strange.
Han shixiong chuckled helplessly. “Alright, alright. It’s only a week before shimei is back. Do you all really have to make such a fuss?”
“What do you know?” The old master immediately glared at him. “As her senior brother, you don’t even care about your junior sister at all!”
Han shixiong: “…”
Great, the old man was launching indiscriminate attacks now.
Jiang Yu glanced at the time and said, “Alright, Teacher, Auntie Cui, Mingzhu, Mingyi, shixiong, shijie, Mr. Lu, Mingyu, my time’s almost up, I’ll head in first!”
“Go on, go on!”
Jiang Yu gave them all one deep look, then turned and went to queue for ticket inspection.
It was only after she disappeared from view that the old master and the others finally turned to leave. The old man sighed heavily, his whole mood gloomy. Even Old Yang, though his face was still stern, seemed clearly unsettled.
On the way back, Pang Yu stopped Lu Mingshen.
Lu Mingshen looked at her in puzzlement and asked, “Miss Pang, what do you want with me?”
Pang Yu gave a cold snort, glaring at him with hostility. “Let me tell you this, A-Yu only likes you now because she’s still young and doesn’t know any better. Once she grows up, she’ll realise that what she feels for you isn’t real liking at all. So just give it up!”
The amount of information in those words was overwhelming, and for a moment Lu Mingshen’s expression froze in confusion.
But the one who reacted the most was Lu Mingyu. He stared wide-eyed at Lu Mingshen. “Da ge, Jiang Yu likes you?”
Lu Mingshen: “…”
Pang Yu: “…You… you didn’t know?”
Lu Mingshen’s gaze stayed calm as he looked at her.
Pang Yu: “…”
Uh oh. Did she just say something she shouldn’t have?
The very next day after returning to S City, Jiang Yu’s new term began. On the first day, of course, the teachers checked the winter break homework. Many students had spent the entire break playing and hadn’t done theirs, scrambling now to copy from classmates. The classroom was abuzz with noise.
Jiang Yu, however, had done hers. Not only completed it, but beautifully, with neat and clear handwriting. She’d squeezed out the time for it, but even she was beginning to feel her schedule tightening. Once she entered her final year, the workload would only grow heavier, and the time left for painting would shrink even more.
Even from thousands of miles away, her two teachers still assigned her tasks. But considering she had quite a lot on her plate already, they reduced her workload appropriately.
Old Yang was an expert in oil painting, with decades of experience and insight far deeper than Jiang Yu’s. After looking at her work, he immediately and sharply pointed out her current problems.
Jiang Yu knew her paintings still had shortcomings, but as the one immersed in them, she couldn’t see clearly what was wrong. Now, under Old Yang’s guidance, it was like a veil had been lifted. She saw her flaws at once.
“If I’d had a teacher in my previous life, I wouldn’t have taken so many detours,” Jiang Yu murmured to herself.
In her last life, her path had been much like that of most art students: learning in a studio, taking the entrance exams, getting into university. The only difference was that after graduating, instead of finding a job, she just kept painting – until she finally won a major award and rose to fame.
But this time around, her path already seemed clearer, and she was certain it would involve far fewer detours.
“I can’t believe Grandpa Yang actually accepted you as a student, you’re incredible!” When Jiang Yu went to the studio, Teacher Shen grabbed her face and rubbed it enthusiastically, then asked, “Wait a second… did you gain weight?”
Instinctively, Jiang Yu touched her face. Her fair, smooth cheeks did feel a little softer, maybe a touch plumper.
Thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising. During her time in B City, she had eaten and drunk well. Gaining a little weight was natural.
“Good! A little weight suits you. You used to be too thin!” Teacher Shen said, satisfied, patting her on the head.
Jiang Yu glanced around the studio. Since the new term had just begun, no students were there yet. It was quiet, and Teacher Shen was tidying up the space, so Jiang Yu simply joined in to help.
“…The students here are different from you. Many of them only study art so they can get into university. As for truly loving painting, pouring their passion into it, that’s rare,” Teacher Shen sighed as she swept.
She had been teaching for two years now. In her observation, while the kids might like painting, very few would really stick with it and walk the path of becoming professional artists. Out of a hundred, perhaps not even one.
The path was long and hard. Not many were willing, or able, to walk it all the way.
After a moment, Teacher Shen suddenly said, “By the way, Yu Bing’s mother came and said Yu Bing won’t be coming to the studio anymore.”
Jiang Yu froze, jerking her head up in shock. “Yu Bing… isn’t going to study painting anymore?”
Teacher Shen frowned. “Her parents said they want her to switch to music. Looks like she’s giving up painting.”
“But… but Yu Bing is so talented! And she’s been painting for years!” Jiang Yu protested.
Teacher Shen sighed. “Who knows what her parents are thinking. Once class starts, I’ll talk to Yu Bing and see what she feels in her heart. If she still wants to paint, of course I’d want her to continue.”
Jiang Yu said firmly, “I don’t think she’s the type to give up painting so easily. I can tell, she truly loves it. There must be some other reason behind this.”
Teacher Shen nodded, then took a deep breath and turned to Jiang Yu. “Let’s not talk about this for now. Let’s talk about you!”
Jiang Yu blinked. “Me? What about me?”
Teacher Shen leaned in, her tone downright gossipy. “I heard from shijie… that you’ve fallen for Mr. Lu. Is that true?”
“…”
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