The next day, when Jiang Yu arrived at the studio, Teacher Shen asked her about this matter.
“I heard from Master that you painted a portrait of the 108 Heroes of Liangshan for someone?” she inquired.
Jiang Yu touched her nose and nodded. “Yes.”
Teacher Shen nodded but immediately followed up with another question. “I also heard that you only charged 300,000 for painting all 108 characters?”
Jiang Yu: “…Yes.”
Teacher Shen couldn’t help but sigh. “No wonder Master came to me crying last night. That price is way too low… You have to understand, even I, considered the least accomplished among Master’s students, can sell a single painting for 500,000. Not to mention, your painting includes 108 figures, how could that be easy to paint?”
“You know how it is, teacher. For a painting to fetch a high price, it needs reputation. My skills may be good, but without fame, there’s no value…” Jiang Yu smiled bitterly.
Teacher Shen nodded and said, “Master and I discussed this. From now on, you shouldn’t take commissions like this anymore. If you need money, we often have work available here. Plus, your shixiong and shijie have made a name for themselves, they can help you find commissions.”
Master Cui had once been a professor at Changqing Academy of Fine Arts and had taught many students. However, only a few officially became his apprentices and called him ‘Master’. Among those few, quite a number had achieved great success. With their connections and the reputation of being Master Cui’s student, Jiang Yu’s entry into the world of fine arts would be much smoother than the average person’s.
No wonder everyone hoped for a good mentor!
Jiang Yu couldn’t help but sigh. In her past life, she had never become Master Cui’s student, so she only gained recognition at the age of twenty-five, making her journey much harder than it was now.
“Wouldn’t it be too much trouble for my shixiong and shijie?” Jiang Yu hesitated. Though they shared the same master, they had never met before. Asking for their help outright felt a bit thick-skinned.
Hearing this, Teacher Shen scoffed and righteously said, “What trouble? As shixiong and shijie, they haven’t even given you a welcome gift yet. Helping you out is the least they can do!”
Jiang Yu had no response to that, so she simply remained silent.
Teacher Shen then asked, “How’s the progress on your painting? Will you have enough time? You’re still a student, you need to focus on your studies too.”
“I’ve completed 33 figures. I should be able to finish it next year,” Jiang Yu replied.
Teacher Shen showed a thoughtful expression. “Master was full of praise for your painting last night. He rarely compliments anyone like that, so your work must be outstanding. Now I’m curious, can I take a look at it?”
Jiang Yu smiled. “Of course, but the painting is at my home. If you want to see it, we’d have to go there.”
Hearing this, Teacher Shen immediately perked up. “Then let’s go now!”
Jiang Yu hesitated. “What about the art studio?”
“I’ll have Teacher Hu keep an eye on it. There’s nothing urgent at the moment,” Teacher Shen said decisively.
Since she was the teacher, what she said went. Jiang Yu nodded in agreement.
After making a quick call to inform the other teacher, Teacher Shen followed Jiang Yu back to her home. Jiang Yu rented a place in a rather remote area and the building itself wasn’t in great condition, hence the low rent. However, while the exterior looked unimpressive, the interior was well-decorated.
“Come in, teacher!”
The living room was a bit messy, with various painting tools scattered on the floor. Jiang Yu had turned the entire space into a personal studio. She had chosen this rental specifically because the living room was spacious enough to accommodate her painting needs. Now, the living room was cluttered with an easel on the one side and a large painting table on the other, filling up the space.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Jiang Yu said, “Sorry for the mess…”
Teacher Shen glanced around and chuckled. “You’ve really turned your living room into a studio, huh?”
Jiang Yu put down her bag. “Please have a seat, teacher. I’ll get you some water.”
She went into the kitchen, while Teacher Shen continued looking around. As they chatted, she suddenly said, “You should stop calling me ‘teacher’, just call me shijie. Otherwise, it makes me sound like I’m on the same level as Master.”
As she spoke, she noticed a painting covered with a white cloth on an easel. A faint scent of oil paint lingered in the air. Though curious, she refrained from touching anything without permission.
Jiang Yu came back with a glass of water and Teacher Shen walked over, asking, “What’s under that cloth? Is it an oil painting?”
“Yes, it’s an oil painting,” Jiang Yu confirmed. She stepped forward and lifted the cloth.
The painting had been placed in a corner where the lighting was dim. The moment the cloth was removed, Teacher Shen felt as though she were gazing at a starry sky.
The night was a deep blue-black, mysterious yet pure, stretching infinitely. A silver river of stars cut across the darkness, twinkling brilliantly. Although the painting was composed mostly of dark shades, it radiated a sense of freshness and clarity.
Teacher Shen’s eyes widened in astonishment. “This painting… When did you make this?”
She stepped closer, her fingers hovering over the canvas. The more she examined it, the more deeply moved she felt. It was as if she were truly standing beneath that night sky, its clarity and tranquility seeping into her very soul. The night was silent, the stars shone and for a moment, she felt at peace.
Jiang Yu said, “This piece is called Starry Sky. I’ve been working on it for over a month, but it’s not finished yet. I need about two more days.”
Teacher Shen murmured, “This painting is beautiful… How did you mix these colours?”
Dark blue and black were heavy tones, yet in this painting, they felt pure and light, just like a summer night when the sky is cloudless and the stars shine clearly.
Jiang Yu looked at her work and said, “I stumbled upon the mix by accident. I enjoy playing around with colours when I’m bored… Anyway, the painting you wanted to see is over here.”
She led Teacher Shen to her desk, though her shijie’s gaze lingered on Starry Sky with great reluctance. She felt completely captivated by the painting, it was breathtaking.
“Painting 108 characters is a bit challenging for me. I asked Master a lot of questions last night and his advice was really enlightening.”
“Well, Master is famous for his portrait work. Everyone says his figures are incredibly lifelike, you asked the right person,” Teacher Shen replied.
She leaned in for a closer look at the portrait of the 108 Heroes of Liangshan. Even though she had braced herself, she was still stunned when she saw it. After a long pause, she finally sighed. “No wonder Master couldn’t stop praising you last night. This painting is truly remarkable… And yet, you only sold it for 300,000.”
It was truly heartbreaking!
Since Teacher Shen was aware of the situation, Jiang Yu took the opportunity to make a request. “Shijie, you know I don’t learn much at the studio. Could I stop going and just work from home instead?”
As one of the studio’s teachers, Teacher Shen naturally had the authority to approve this. After thinking for a moment, she nodded. “You’re right, you won’t gain much from staying at the studio anymore. You don’t need to come in the afternoons. Spend that time finishing this painting. And after this, no more low-priced commissions.”
She was still indignant about the ridiculously low price.
Jiang Yu chuckled. “I know. From now on, I won’t undersell my paintings.”
…
In late November, the school held a midterm exam. Jiang Yu was busy with both painting and studying, leaving her with no time for social media. Usually, she would post a painting every few days, but her Weibo had been quiet for several days, making her fans feel a bit uneasy, something felt missing.
When Shen Zhiwei called her and learned about her midterms, she mentioned the activity on Weibo: “Everyone really loves your paintings! Of course, I love them too!”
She was eagerly anticipating the finished version of the Liangshan heroes painting. Once it was done, she planned to buy a frame for it and display it in her living room. Just thinking about it made her feel incredibly happy.
“I haven’t had time recently…”
Jiang Yu was working on a sketch. She had gotten used to drawing a few sketches daily and if she didn’t, it felt like something was missing. Even while busy studying, she would steal moments to sketch. Her speed was impressive, each sketch took only a few minutes.
Spinning the pen in her hand, she smiled and said, “The midterms are coming up soon. I really don’t want to do poorly again, so I’m focusing more on studying. But your painting should be finished by next year. Plus, I’ve recently gained new insights into portrait art and made some progress.”
Hearing this, Shen Zhiwei got excited. She had been eagerly looking forward to this painting. If S City and B City weren’t so far apart, she would have rushed over to see it by now. Especially since Jiang Yu occasionally sent her photos of the progress, making her even more impatient.
“You don’t have to rush. Take your time,” Shen Zhiwei said, trying to suppress her anticipation and sound casual.
Knowing that Jiang Yu was still a high school student, a minor, she felt conflicted. She wanted the painting as soon as possible but didn’t want it to affect Jiang Yu’s studies or schedule.
Jiang Yu chuckled. “High school coursework isn’t too difficult for me, so it won’t take up too much of my time. Besides, as an art student, painting is something I should do every day. Don’t worry about me.”
On the other end of the call, Shen Zhiwei nodded and suddenly remembered something: “Oh, by the way, Wanwu Publishing has finalised the illustrator for The Ladle Chronicles. It’s an artist named ‘Lemon Passionfruit’. Now, the book’s fans are in shock. They were convinced that you were going to be the illustrator, but it turned out to be someone else. Back then, they even flooded your Weibo and some even hired bots to smear you. In the end, it had nothing to do with you at all.”
The fans of The Ladle Chronicles were truly stunned. They had already accepted the idea that [A Fleeting Dream] would be the illustrator, but now the publisher told them otherwise? They couldn’t believe it.
The funny thing was that during this time, many The Ladle Chronicles fans had secretly followed [A Fleeting Dream]’s Weibo and the more they followed, the more they fell in love with her art.
[Wow, her paintings are stunning!]
[This food illustration is so realistic! It even looks like it’s steaming, makes me hungry~]
[I really want to see her draw character portraits. Those two beauty paintings were absolutely gorgeous. Waaah!]
After being captivated by her art, they felt that [A Fleeting Dream] was the perfect choice for The Ladle Chronicles. Her style was so elegant, her skills so refined, her illustrations would undoubtedly be amazing.
But now, reality hit them hard. [A Fleeting Dream] had nothing to do with The Ladle Chronicles. Fans were left dumbfounded, lost and then… furious.
After being spoiled by [A Fleeting Dream]’s art, they found that every other artist now seemed lacking in comparison. The difference was like heaven and earth, how could they accept that?
“Now the fans are making a fuss on Wanwu Publishing’s Weibo, saying things like, ‘Wasn’t it supposed to be [A Fleeting Dream]? Why did you change it?’” Shen Zhiwei imitated their frustrated tone, making it hard not to laugh. After that, she couldn’t help but tease, “Honestly, I don’t blame them. Your painting skills are so refined that if I didn’t know your age, I’d think you were a veteran artist in your fifties.”
Many others thought the same. Her paintings were too polished, too masterful, it required both talent and years of experience. Even many professional artists followed her Weibo, assuming she was some legendary figure’s alternate account.
Jiang Yu joked, “Maybe I maxed out my painting talent stat.”
Shen Zhiwei nodded seriously, truly believing it. “You’re just too freakishly talented. How are us ordinary people supposed to compete? Comparing ourselves to you is just self-torture.”
Hearing that, Jiang Yu couldn’t help but smile. Since she had another class coming up, the two ended the call after chatting a bit longer.
The weather had been gloomy for the past few days and it even rained on the day of the exams. The misty rain and the cold air creeping into one’s bones made it feel like winter had arrived.
Each exam day consisted of two subjects and evening self-study sessions continued as usual. However, students were mentally checked out and the atmosphere in the classroom was far from serious. Even the teachers loosened up, letting them relax a little.
After the midterms, they had a two-day break. Jiang Yu planned to use this time to finish her Starry Sky painting, which was just shy of completion.
Once the final exam was over, the school officially went on break. Jiang Yu walked home under her umbrella, rubbing her hands together as she entered the house. Rain made the cold even worse and her hands were freezing.
The kitchen was stocked with food, so she casually prepared something to eat before getting to work on her painting.
Over the next two days, she finally completed the Starry Sky painting. Looking at the finished piece, she let out a deep breath and smiled in satisfaction. She set down her brush and stretched her sore shoulders.
This was actually her second time painting Starry Sky. Her first attempt was in her past life when she was twenty-three. That version had some flaws, but upon closely examining the new one, she realised that despite her improved technique, it lacked the emotional impact of the original.
Back then, she had created Starry Sky on a whim while struggling to find inspiration for a competition piece. To clear her mind, she traveled to another province and that was when inspiration struck. She had poured all her passion and effort into the painting, which made it incredibly powerful.
Now, even though her technique was more refined and the painting was flawless, it didn’t move people the way her past work had.
After finishing, she felt lighter and more relaxed. She grabbed a bowl of cherries from the kitchen, curled up on her cosy couch and scrolled through Weibo while snacking.
These cherries were a gift from Teacher Shen. Someone had sent her several boxes and since she couldn’t finish them all, she gave Jiang Yu two.
The cherries tasted perfect, with just the right balance of sweetness and tartness, Jiang Yu loved them.
While browsing Weibo, she saw that Wanwu Publishing had responded to the fans’ uproar. Their official statement was brief but direct:
[It’s not that we don’t want to hire [A Fleeting Dream]. We simply can’t afford her!]
One of her paintings alone cost hundreds of thousands. To commission an entire book’s worth of illustrations? That would be an astronomical sum.
Fans of The Ladle Chronicles were dumbfounded. They hadn’t expected this reason at all.
If it were any other excuse, they might have argued. But hearing that she was too expensive? They were at a loss for words.
At the same time, curiosity spread like wildfire, just how much did a [A Fleeting Dream] painting cost?
Leave a Reply