Jiang Yu obediently called out “Master,” immediately bringing a smile to the old master’s face, his expression full of joy.
A tall middle-aged woman behind the old master laughed and said, “Ever since he accepted shimei, he’s been so happy. Every time we visit, he can’t help but mention it. I never expected our shimei to be such a beautiful young lady. She looks even more well-behaved than my Yinyin.”
There was no denying it, Jiang Yu was truly a stunning young woman. Her fair skin, bright eyes and delicate features made her beauty shine from the inside out. Her bone structure was exquisite and just by standing there, she resembled a fresh, dewy flower bud, effortlessly charming those around her.
Pang Yu had known that their Master had taken in a new disciple, but she hadn’t expected this disciple to be so striking, more eye-catching than even some celebrities. She was rather surprised.
The old master had not come alone this time; he was accompanied by several people. The woman who had just spoken was one of them, though Jiang Yu had never met her before. Seeing her speak up, Jiang Yu looked toward the old master in confusion.
The old master quickly explained, “This is your Pang shijie. She owns several art galleries. If you ever need to sell your paintings, you can put them in her galleries. That would be much better than selling them at a low price elsewhere.”
The old master was still upset that Jiang Yu had sold a painting to Shen Zhiwei for only 300,000 yuan. He often brought it up, worried that she might make the same mistake again. Deep down, he understood that, as an unknown newcomer, Jiang Yu had actually gotten a decent price. But being protective of her, and knowing just how good her paintings were, he felt she had sold herself short.
Hearing this, Pang Yu smiled and said, “Master is right. If you ever want to sell your paintings, just give them to me. I happen to have some customers at my galleries.”
She agreed readily, but Jiang Yu caught the hint of indifference in her tone. It was subtle, well-concealed, but Jiang Yu was highly perceptive when it came to emotions. That fleeting trace of dismissiveness didn’t escape her notice.
This shijie of hers didn’t truly believe that Jiang Yu could paint anything remarkable. She only agreed so easily to curry favour with their Master.
In truth, Pang Yu had only heard about Jiang Yu’s painting skills from their Master. She had never actually seen Jiang Yu’s work and felt that their Master was exaggerating. After all, Jiang Yu had only been learning to paint for a short time. Given her age, no matter how talented she was, how exceptional could her paintings be? The old master was probably just being biased because he liked his new disciple.
Jiang Yu simply smiled at Pang Yu. Regardless of what Pang Yu really thought, since she was being outwardly polite and friendly, Jiang Yu would play along and maintain the illusion of a harmonious relationship between fellow apprentices.
Aside from Pang Yu, there were four other people in the group. Three of them were the old master’s assistants, while the fourth was a bespectacled man, another senior disciple of the old master. His name was Shang Yi, a middle-aged man known for being quiet and reserved. He was also the old master’s very first student.
Upon seeing Jiang Yu, Shang Yi shixiong merely gave her a gentle smile and greeted her with a simple ‘shimei’ before saying no more.
At that moment, Teacher Shen interjected, “Let’s save the conversation for later. An airport isn’t the best place to talk… Fortunately, I already had the house cleaned and aired out, so you can move in right away. Otherwise, you’d all have to stay in a hotel.”
As the group walked toward the airport exit, a woman nearby suddenly stopped in her tracks, looking at them in surprise and uncertainty. Her gaze lingered on the old master, filled with a mix of shock and doubt. Then, as she spotted Teacher Shen standing beside him, her eyes widened slightly as realisation dawned.
“…Are you Master Cui Guosheng?”
Just as they were about to exit, a well-dressed middle-aged woman stepped forward, blocking their path. One glance was enough to tell that she came from a wealthy family and now, she was staring at the old master with an intense gaze.
The old master looked at her in confusion and asked, “And you are…?”
The woman’s face lit up with excitement. “So it really is you, Master Cui! My surname is Shi… I’ve admired your paintings since I was young and have always wanted to meet you. When I saw you from a distance, I wasn’t sure at first, but I just couldn’t resist coming over to say hello.”
Her demeanour was composed and though stopping someone like this might have been considered rude, her attitude made it seem more acceptable.
“…Madam Yu?”
At that moment, Teacher Shen looked at her in surprise.
Madam Yu turned to her and greeted her with a smile. “Teacher Shen.”
The old master frowned slightly and asked, “You two know each other?”
Teacher Shen nodded and explained, “Oh, Madam Yu is the parent of one of my art students.”
Madam Yu smiled and said, “I didn’t expect you to know Master Cui as well, Teacher Shen.”
Upon hearing this, Teacher Shen’s face immediately took on a subtly insincere smile, but she said nothing further.
Madam Yu, however, didn’t seem to notice their lukewarm response. She chuckled and said, “Oh, look at me, I got too excited seeing Master Cui… You all must have things to do, so I won’t keep you any longer.”
Unexpectedly, she didn’t try to prolong the conversation and quickly stepped aside.
Teacher Shen furrowed her brows slightly but said nothing.
This brief encounter didn’t leave much of an impression on the group and they soon exited the airport and headed to the house that Teacher Shen had arranged for them.
Meanwhile, Madam Yu remained in the airport, watching Jiang Yu and her companions as they left. A peculiar glint flickered in her eyes.
Teacher Shen found a house that was a standalone courtyard home, with its own entrance, ensuring privacy and avoiding disturbances from others.
It was autumn and the courtyard inevitably looked a bit desolate. Upon entering, there was a grape trellis on the right-hand side, but the vines were withered and yellow, with no fruit left. Only a few clusters of chrysanthemums remained in full bloom in the garden, adding a touch of elegance.
The old man took a walk around the courtyard and said, “This place is good.”
Moreover, the surrounding area was a residential district, making it very quiet, there was no noise from traffic, ensuring that the old man wouldn’t be disturbed.
Pang Yu smiled and said, “Shen shimei has always been very considerate. Finding a house like this must have taken a lot of effort.”
Hearing this, Teacher Shen grinned with some pride and said, “You have no idea how long it took me to find this. A house like this isn’t easy to come by. A quiet and secluded environment like this is always in high demand.”
The old man glanced at her and said, “Alright, I get it, you deserve credit for this!”
Teacher Shen immediately beamed with satisfaction.
Inside the house, there was already someone present, a housekeeper hired by Teacher Shen to prepare meals. Seeing the group enter, she wiped her hands nervously on her apron.
Teacher Shen introduced her, “This is Aunt Wu. She’ll be taking care of you from now on… Aunt Wu, you can head to the kitchen. Let us know when dinner is ready.”
Teacher Shen turned to look at the old man, who was pacing under the grape trellis. He pointed and said, “Later, we can put a rocking chair here and a small tea table next to it for my tea.”
That way, he could sit in the rocking chair, enjoying fruit and tea in his leisure time.
It was a bit chilly outside. The mornings and evenings had become quite cold and with the sun setting, the night wind was picking up, sending shivers down their spines. The group headed inside and sat in the living room to chat.
The house had underfloor heating, making it quite warm.
Jiang Yu stood quietly to the side. She wasn’t someone who talked much; throughout the journey, she had only spoken when the old man addressed her. But that didn’t mean she was nervous or uneasy, on the contrary, her composed demeanor left a good impression on Pang Yu, who thought, She’s quite steady.
“Miss Jiang…” Lu Mingshen, who was standing nearby, spoke up. He wasn’t much of a talker either and had barely said anything along the way.
Jiang Yu looked up at him. She had heard Teacher Shen mention him before and knew that although he was young, he held a high military rank. She smiled and greeted him, “Mr. Lu.”
Lu Mingshen tugged at the corners of his lips, attempting to smile, but since he wasn’t used to it, the expression turned out a bit stiff. Feeling awkward, he quickly returned to his usual stern look.
“I’ve seen your paintings, Miss Jiang…” he said, looking down at Jiang Yu with a calm and gentle gaze. Despite his imposing presence, his demeanour didn’t make her feel intimidated.
“I really like your paintings. I even borrowed one from the old man for a few days… Your artwork is incredible. When I saw it, I thought that the artist must be someone with a delicate and warm heart, someone whose soul is filled with light and beauty.”
Just as he had felt when looking at her paintings, his restless and tense emotions had gradually settled.
“Miss Jiang, thank you,” he added sincerely.
His words left Jiang Yu a little puzzled. She assumed he was referring to Sunshine, the painting she had lent out.
So Mr. Lu was the one who borrowed it…
With this realisation, Jiang Yu smiled politely and said, “You’re too kind, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Mingshen continued, “I truly love your paintings. If possible, I’d like to buy one to keep in my room… When I look at your artwork, I feel a sense of peace.”
It soothed his restless mind. That was also why he felt a certain gratitude toward Jiang Yu and his attitude toward her was notably warm. If Lu Mingyu saw this, he would surely be jealous, after all, his elder brother had never been this gentle with him.
The old man, sitting on a wooden stool, gestured for Jiang Yu to come over and asked, “Didn’t you just have your midterm exams? How did you do?”
In the kitchen, Aunt Wu had already finished preparing the meal. Teacher Shen called everyone to dinner and happened to overhear this. “Oh, that’s right! I nearly forgot. Your midterm results should be out by now.”
Pang Yu came back from the kitchen with some washed fruit. The old man grabbed a handful of cherries and handed them to Jiang Yu in a way that felt almost like he was coaxing a child.
Jiang Yu found it amusing but accepted them nonetheless. “My results were alright. Pretty balanced across all subjects.”
The old man nodded approvingly and said, “You can’t neglect your studies, just as you can’t neglect your painting. It’s tough, but once you get through high school, university will be much easier.”
Pang Yu chuckled. “These days, the college entrance exam is like a battlefield with thousands charging across a single-plank bridge. Only a few make it to the other side. It’s exhausting, but shimei, you must keep working hard.”
Jiang Yu nodded without saying much.
Meanwhile, Teacher Shen had gone to check the school’s records. She hadn’t asked Jiang Yu directly, just in case her grades weren’t good, she didn’t want to embarrass her.
But when she saw Jiang Yu’s scores, her expression froze.
Pang Yu noticed something was off and asked, “Shen shimei, what’s wrong?”
Teacher Shen lifted her head, her gaze filled with disbelief as she looked at Jiang Yu.
“Jiang Yu… You actually ranked second in the entire school?!”
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