Jiang Yu never saw Lu Mingshen’s private message. After the commotion caused by The Ladle Chronicles, her follower count surged, leading to an increase in people messaging her for commissions. As a result, her inbox was flooded daily with unread messages and she had little time to go through them. Lu Mingshen’s message, therefore, was left unread and ultimately sank like a stone in the ocean.
Lu Mingshen, on the other hand, occasionally fiddled with Weibo, noticing that his message remained unread. This troubled him slightly, making him suspect that she hadn’t seen it at all.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yu’s giveaway on Weibo had concluded. If it weren’t for the system notification, she might have completely forgotten about it. She had chosen three winners, each of whom could pick one of her paintings. She promptly informed them and, to avoid conflicts, decided on a first-come, first-served basis in case multiple people wanted the same piece.
Among the winners was Lu Mingshen. The moment he learned of his win, he immediately requested the Narcissus painting. Upon receiving Jiang Yu’s confirmation, he let out a sigh of relief and sat on the couch with a serious expression – almost as if he were watching a major news broadcast.
“Damn, I didn’t win!” Lu Mingyu complained, his face full of frustration. He muttered, “I should’ve asked Big Brother to enter for me. You always win these things.”
He had wanted to win and choose a painting himself. However, luck had never been on his side – even back in school, when he bought scratch-off lottery tickets for a dime, he never won a single time. His brother, however, was the complete opposite. It was as if he was favoured by fate – every time he participated in a lottery, he would win. This had been proven time and time again without fail.
Lu Mingshen slowly put away his phone, glanced at his brother and righteously declared, “Lotteries should be fair. How can you have someone else enter on your behalf? That wouldn’t be fair to others.”
Lu Mingyu: “…”
You, with your 100% winning rate, have no idea how it feels to always be the unlucky one in these draws! Of course, he only dared to complain internally and wouldn’t say it out loud.
After confirming the winners, Jiang Yu verified their chosen paintings and shipping addresses before mailing out the packages. However, when she saw one particular address, she hesitated slightly. The location, in City B, seemed familiar. She felt like she had seen it somewhere before, but no matter how much she tried to recall, nothing came to mind, so she let it go.
With modern logistics, deliveries were quick. Within two days, the winners started receiving their paintings. Xiang Weiwei, who was also in City S like Jiang Yu, was the first to get hers. Naturally, she had chosen a food painting.
She didn’t have any major issues, but her appetite was always poor – not to the extent of anorexia, but she simply didn’t eat much. When she first saw Jiang Yu’s food paintings online, she was amazed. The way the food was depicted was so enticing that just looking at the painting made her feel hungry.
From then on, Xiang Weiwei became a devoted fan of Jiang Yu. Her dream was to earn enough money to buy one of Jiang Yu’s paintings. And now, that dream had come true far sooner than she had imagined – it was unbelievable.
“Thank you, Jade Emperor! Thank you, Buddha! I never thought I’d have a lucky day like this!”
Xiang Weiwei cheered inwardly as she carefully unwrapped the painting. She held it in her hands and admired it for a while. Seeing it in person was even more breathtaking – without a screen in between, the painting’s delicate details and vibrant colours were even more mesmerising. The depicted food seemed even more mouthwatering.
Just looking at the painting made her appetite soar!
Excited, she immediately took a picture and posted it on Weibo, tagging Jiang Yu.
[I got my painting! It’s a hundred times more stunning in real life! Blown away by Yimeng idol’s art… But idol, I think you need to work on your photography skills. Your pictures only capture about 80% of how amazing this painting really is.]
As soon as the post went up, it was flooded with envious comments from countless fans. As perennial ‘losers’ in giveaways, they all wished they could finally be the lucky winners for once. Among them was none other than Lu Mingyu.
“San shaoye, da shaoye’s package has arrived,” Aunt Li announced as she entered, carrying a long-shaped parcel.
Lu Mingyu turned his head in surprise. “Big Brother’s package? Are you sure? I didn’t think Big Brother ever bought things online! Let me see!”
Aunt Li handed it over. Lu Mingyu initially just wanted to take a casual look, but then his eyes landed on the sender’s address.
– Why does this address look so familiar?
Wait… isn’t this [A Fleeting Dream]’s address?
Although Lu Mingyu was carefree, he was quite sharp and had a photographic memory. The moment he saw the address, he recalled where he had seen it before.
Why would [A Fleeting Dream] be sending a package to his brother?
A realisation struck him and his expression shifted. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the parcel.
That afternoon, when Lu Mingshen returned from work, he asked Aunt Li, “Aunt Li, did my package arrive?”
“It’s here,” Lu Mingyu responded instead, pointing to the parcel on the coffee table. Then, unable to hold back, he questioned, “Big Brother, why did [A Fleeting Dream] send you a package? Don’t tell me…”
He gave his brother a complicated look and asked, “That winner ‘Mingshen’ – that was you, wasn’t it?”
Lu Mingshen picked up the package, avoiding the question. Instead, he said, “Aunt called – there’s an art exhibition next month. She wants you to go with her.”
Lu Mingyu: “…”
“Bro, hardly anyone uses their real name as their Weibo handle,” he stated seriously.
Lu Mingshen cleared his throat but said nothing, focusing on opening the package instead.
Lu Mingyu perked up. “Which painting did you get? Open it! I’m so jealous, I really wanted to win! I’ve had my eye on that Begonia Beauty painting for ages… You know, [A Fleeting Dream] almost never paints portraits – there are only two in total.”
And one of them was in his own bedroom, which was why he was so eager to get his hands on the other.
The painting was rolled up inside a rectangular box. When unrolled, the Narcissus painting was revealed. Soft pink narcissus flowers stretched gracefully across the paper, their petals and leaves pure and elegant. The colours were bright yet gentle, bringing a sense of comfort. In the bottom right corner of the painting, a name was delicately written in brush calligraphy:
“[A Fleeting Dream]”
Lu Mingyu stroked his chin. “This painting is really nice. And [A Fleeting Dream]’s calligraphy is excellent, but the handwriting looks quite delicate… Could it be that [A Fleeting Dream] is a girl? Sigh, I still think that Begonia Beauty painting is prettier, qaq!”
Lu Mingshen was staring at the painting in a daze. Lu Mingyu asked, “Big Brother, do you really like this painting?”
Lu Mingshen nodded honestly. “Yes. It feels… soothing.”
Just looking at it made him feel relaxed.
Lu Mingyu mused, “Aunt once told me that a painting can reflect the artist’s emotions. A truly good painting moves people… Artists say a painting must have a soul to touch the heart. I never believed that before, but now I think it makes sense. [A Fleeting Dream] must have been in a great mood while painting this.”
Lu Mingshen nodded in agreement. They could sense the artist’s joy through the painting – undeniably bright and happy.
The day after learning that Master Cui was willing to take her as a student, Teacher Shen told her another piece of news.
“Master said that a close friend of his really likes your paintings and wants to borrow one to take a look. He asked me to check with you first,” Teacher Shen said. She had only learned about this from a phone call last night and had been somewhat surprised herself.
Jiang Yu was stunned for a moment before replying, “Since he’s the master’s friend, he must also love paintings. I don’t mind lending it to him.”
Since it was Master Cui’s friend, Jiang Yu felt reassured. What she feared most were those who didn’t cherish paintings and ended up ruining them – by then, even getting angry would be useless.
After getting her approval, Teacher Shen immediately called Old Master Cui, who then arranged for someone to deliver the painting to Lu Mingshen. He specifically instructed Lu Mingshen to take good care of it and not to damage it in any way, or else he would personally come after him.
Hearing this, Lu Mingshen couldn’t help but laugh. Even without the old master’s warning, he would have treasured the painting dearly.
He had both paintings framed and placed them in his bedroom. His bedroom had a strong personal style – monochromatic black and white, giving off a cold and mechanical atmosphere. However, once these two paintings were added, that feeling was significantly softened, bringing a touch of warmth.
The painting Sunshine exuded a bright and unrestrained energy, almost as if one could feel the warmth of the sun just by looking at it. It had a bold, radiant quality. It was different from the daffodil painting, which, though also bright in colour, had a softer and more delicate tone – more reserved and gentle rather than bold.
Despite their differences, the one thing both paintings had in common was the sense of warmth and tranquility they evoked. They greatly alleviated his restlessness and even eased his headaches.
One painting was by an online artist known as [A Fleeting Dream], while the other was by Old Master Cui’s new student. On the surface, the two seemed completely unrelated.
However, as Lu Mingshen gazed at both paintings, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling that they were remarkably similar – not just in the emotions they conveyed, but even in their artistic style, as if they had been painted by the same person.
An artist’s style is difficult to imitate. Once developed, it carries a strong personal imprint, making it possible for experts to identify an artist just by studying their work.
Now, seeing such a striking resemblance between these two paintings, a thought crept into Lu Mingshen’s mind –
Could [A Fleeting Dream] be Old Master Cui’s new student?
He wasn’t sure.
*
Teacher Shen handed Jiang Yu Old Master Cui’s phone number and said, “This is Master’s private number. If you have any questions, you can call him for guidance… Oh, I think he also uses WeChat, so you two can even video chat.”
Jiang Yu nodded, feeling a little restless.
That night, she dialed Old Master Cui’s number. The moment the call connected, she unconsciously straightened her back.
“Hello, Master Cui, I’m Jiang Yu…”
Naturally, she was nervous. She held deep respect and admiration for this esteemed master. In her past life, she had never had the chance to receive his guidance, which had been one of her greatest regrets.
Now, given a second chance at life, she could finally make up for that regret. That’s why she was a little anxious.
“You’re still calling me Master Cui? Isn’t that a bit too formal?” A hoarse yet gentle voice came through the phone, carrying a hint of cheerfulness. It was clear that the old master was an open-minded person.
Jiang Yu pursed her lips and called out, “Master!”
The old master acknowledged her warmly. After a brief pause, he said, “I’ve seen your paintings. You’re a very talented child…”
Since this was their first conversation, there was a bit of unfamiliarity between them. However, while the old master could be stubborn at times, he was overall easy to get along with. Once they started discussing art, that unfamiliarity quickly faded.
The more they talked, the more amazed the old master became. He realised that Jiang Yu did not think like a typical young girl – she was incredibly gifted. No wonder Xiao Shen had been so adamant about not letting anyone else teach her, fearing that improper guidance would ruin her talent. A genius like this, if nurtured well, could achieve greatness. But if not taught properly, it would be a terrible waste.
“…I recently accepted a commission to paint the 108 Heroes of Liangshan. I rarely draw portraits, so I’m struggling a bit. Master, could you give me some pointers?” Jiang Yu asked earnestly.
“Portraits, huh? You’ve come to the right person. How far along are you with the painting? Hmm, take a picture and send it to me,” the old master instructed.
Jiang Yu thought for a moment before suggesting, “Why don’t we do a video call? That would be more convenient. What do you think?”
The old master readily agreed. Despite his age, he kept up with modern trends. Within two minutes, they were connected via video call.
On the screen, he saw a young girl – far younger than he had expected. She had bright, lively eyes and was quite good-looking.
The old master was very pleased. He was, after all, a bit of a sucker for good looks.
“Show me the painting,” he said directly.
Jiang Yu positioned her phone over the artwork, angling the camera properly. “I’m more skilled at landscape painting. This is my first time drawing 108 individual figures, each with distinct characteristics. I’m a little unsure about some parts…”
The camera faithfully captured the details of the painting. As the old master examined it, his eyes widened in astonishment and he instinctively took a sharp breath.
Jiang Yu claimed she wasn’t good at portraits, yet to his trained eye, this piece was already far superior to what many professional portrait artists could achieve. This was undoubtedly the work of a highly skilled painter.
“How much did you charge for this piece?” the old master suddenly asked.
Jiang Yu touched her nose and replied, “Three hundred thousand…”
Three hundred thousand?!
The old master almost lost his composure and exclaimed, “You only sold this for three hundred thousand? That’s practically insulting your own work! Do you really think your paintings are worth so little?”
Jiang Yu gave a helpless smile. “I was short on money at the time – I had no choice. I’m just a newcomer with no reputation. This price was already a great deal for me. The payment was like a lifeline, solving a huge problem I was facing.”
She didn’t go into details about her situation, but the old master still felt a pang of sympathy. She was only seventeen years old – why was she already in such financial distress? What about her parents?
“Tell me, what problems are you dealing with right now?” he changed the subject.
The old master had spent decades immersed in the art world, dedicating most of his life to painting. When he spoke, Jiang Yu often had moments of sudden enlightenment. Likewise, the old master was continually amazed – his new student was undeniably a genius. He had only explained thirty percent of a concept, yet she had already grasped eighty percent of it. She was born to paint.
At the end of their conversation, the old master advised, “Your issue is that you haven’t drawn enough portraits. If you have time, go out and sketch people in the streets. Observe the diversity of human expressions and mannerisms – when you draw enough, you’ll gain deeper insights.”
Jiang Yu nodded to herself. She did have a unique advantage when it came to portrait painting – her characters carried an unusual sense of vitality, as if they could come to life. However, in her past life, she had focused primarily on landscapes rather than portraits. Now, with the old master’s guidance, she could finally make up for that shortcoming.
After they ended the call, the old master immediately phoned Teacher Shen to inquire about Jiang Yu’s background. Upon learning of her circumstances, he let out a heavy sigh.
“This shimei of yours has had a difficult life. As her senior, you must take good care of her – don’t let her suffer any more hardships…”
Teacher Shen replied in a deadpan voice, “Master, please don’t cry.”
The old master, who was wiping his eyes: “…”
I’m not crying!
“She showed me her painting today. Listen, you need to keep an eye on your shimei. She sold a portrait of 108 figures for only three hundred thousand – can you believe that? Someone’s bound to take advantage of her! If she ever needs money, let me see if I can find her some work. Her skills are already beyond many professional artists. She’s capable of handling major commissions…”
The old master rambled on like a worried parent.
Teacher Shen could only sigh. Her Master had always been softhearted and sentimental – he was probably going to be distressed over this for a long time.
But three hundred thousand for a portrait of 108 characters?
When did Jiang Yu even find the time to paint that?
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