After finishing the last afternoon class, Jiang Yu was ready to head home. She figured she could get some food, then work on her painting for another two or three hours. At this pace, it wouldn’t be long before Shen Zhiwei received her painting.
As she walked out of the classroom with Xu Ruyi, Jiang Yu noticed Yu Bing standing at the door. Yu Bing was a beauty, an elegant and cool one at that. She was also quite tall, making her an eye-catching presence. Many passing students couldn’t help but steal glances at her.
Xu Ruyi sighed beside Jiang Yu, “She really has that artist’s aura. Yu Bing’s got such a refined vibe.”
It seemed that Xu Ruyi knew Yu Bing. The Yu and Xu families apparently had some business connections.
“Yu Bing? Are you… here for me?” Jiang Yu looked around, a bit unsure.
Yu Bing nodded, her expression cold as she said, “I have something to ask you. Can we talk somewhere quieter? I heard the milk tea shop outside school is pretty good.”
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow but agreed. Still, she found it strange. Though they were in the same studio, they barely interacted, let alone spoke.
So, what could Yu Bing possibly want from her?
Curious, Jiang Yu told Xu Ruyi she’d be back later and followed Yu Bing to the milk tea shop outside the school.
After ordering two cups of milk tea, they sat down. Jiang Yu asked, “So, what do you want to talk about?”
Yu Bing lowered her gaze, stirring her drink slowly with a spoon. The swirling milk tea formed small rings, looking rather mesmerising.
“Before you joined the studio, I was always Teacher Shen’s favourite student. I started learning to paint when I was five. For so many years, I was always the best among my peers… I thought Teacher Shen favoured me. But after you appeared, everything changed.”
She lifted her eyes to look at Jiang Yu, as if trying to figure out what made her so special. What did Jiang Yu have that made their teacher admire her so much? What was she lacking in comparison?
Although Jiang Yu wasn’t talkative and didn’t interact much with the other students, her presence in the studio was undeniable. Those with talent naturally attracted admiration, especially when the gap between them and others was insurmountable, so much so that even jealousy felt futile.
Jiang Yu’s skills were indisputable; she was the most capable among the studio’s students. Even though she hadn’t been there long, everyone respected and trusted her. Lately, Teacher Shen had even asked her to help guide other students, further proving how exceptional she was.
“I’ve always wanted to become Master Cui’s student…” Yu Bing murmured.
It wasn’t just her parents’ wish; it was her own aspiration, too. Anyone studying art knew of Master Cui, everyone wanted to be his disciple and Yu Bing was no exception.
Her parents had once told her that their studio teacher was a student of Master Cui. If she built a strong connection with Teacher Shen, she might have a chance to meet the old master. With her talent, she could potentially become his student.
Of course, that was just what her parents believed. Yu Bing herself didn’t hold much hope, if Master Cui were that easy to approach, he wouldn’t be such a legendary figure. Even though she knew this, after hearing it from her parents so often, she couldn’t help but hold onto a sliver of hope.
“I never expected… that Master Cui really would take on a new student.”
But that student wasn’t her. The irony stung deeply. Her parents had gone to such lengths, yet in the end, she still didn’t live up to their expectations.
Jiang Yu watched Yu Bing’s gloomy expression, unsure of what to say. After a moment, she replied, “Honestly, I was just lucky.”
If she hadn’t been reborn, she wouldn’t have become Master Cui’s student either. So wasn’t it just luck?
Yu Bing’s emotions were low as she stared at her milk tea, her eyelashes trembling slightly. For a second, Jiang Yu thought she might cry.
“I admit it, I’m not as good as you!” Yu Bing took a deep breath, then lifted her head, her eyes burning with determination. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll always be inferior to you. Maybe I can’t match you now, but I’ll work even harder. One day, I’ll surpass you. When that time comes, Teacher Shen and Master Cui will realise that not choosing me was their loss!”
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but her expression was fiercely stubborn. She refused to accept defeat, looking directly at Jiang Yu.
She was naturally proud and that pride wouldn’t allow her to lose confidence just because someone better appeared. Instead, Jiang Yu’s existence had ignited her fighting spirit.
What a determined girl. But this kind of confidence and pride wasn’t annoying, it was actually quite admirable.
Jiang Yu couldn’t help but smile. Looking at Yu Bing, she felt a sense of appreciation, almost like that of an elder watching a younger student. After thinking for a moment, she said seriously, “I think you’re really talented too. But that doesn’t mean you’ll surpass me… If you want to be better than me, you’ll have to put in even more effort than you do now.”
Jiang Yu left first. Yu Bing remained seated and finally, the tears in her eyes rolled down. Admitting she wasn’t as good as someone else, it was an incredibly bitter feeling. So, she had to work even harder.
“Yu Bing? Are you crying? Did Jiang Yu bully you? I just saw her talking to you, she must have done something! I’m going to go confront her right now!” Ji Lan walked over and saw Yu Bing’s tear-streaked face, instantly getting worked up.
They had been close friends for years, so seeing Yu Bing upset naturally made her furious. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to go pick a fight with Jiang Yu.
Yu Bing grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? Jiang Yu didn’t bully me. I just feel upset, that’s all.”
Ji Lan huffed, “Even if she didn’t bully you, she’s still the reason you’re feeling down. Why are you upset?”
Why was she upset?
Yu Bing looked out the window and asked, “Ji Lan, you know why I joined the school’s art studio, right?”
Ji Lan nodded. “I know. You told me before, it’s because you wanted to become Master Cui Guosheng’s student and Teacher Shen is one of his students.”
As close friends, Yu Bing had never hidden this from her.
Yu Bing let out a bitter smile. “Master Cui Guosheng took Jiang Yu as his student.”
Ji Lan froze. When she finally processed what Yu Bing meant, she almost exploded. “Jiang Yu? Her? On what grounds?!”
“On the grounds that she’s better than both of us,” Yu Bing replied coolly.
Ji Lan scoffed, “Fine, she’s better than me, but how is she better than you?”
Yu Bing looked at her seriously and asked, “Ji Lan, are you sure she’s not better than me? I hate admitting it and it’s frustrating to acknowledge that her talent surpasses mine, but I can’t keep running away from it… From the moment Jiang Yu joined the studio, I knew she was incredibly gifted. Her intuition for colours is so sharp it’s almost instinctive. I… I can’t compete with that.”
That was exactly why she had avoided interacting with Jiang Yu, even subconsciously ignoring her presence. But despite that, Jiang Yu still left an undeniable mark on her life, like a heavy brushstroke on a canvas, impossible to ignore.
“She… she really is impressive,” Ji Lan admitted reluctantly, though the bitterness in her heart remained.
“No wonder she called Teacher Shen ‘shijie‘ last time… Yu Bing, what are you going to do now? How will you explain this to your parents? They’ve always wanted you to be Master Cui Guosheng’s student,” Ji Lan asked worriedly.
Yu Bing’s parents… Well, they were her parents in name, but Ji Lan never felt they truly cared about her. They were rarely home, hardly ever showed up for parent-teacher meetings and seemed more interested in the prestige and benefits Yu Bing could bring them rather than her well-being. This time, their goal in having Yu Bing study under the old master might have been purely for the status it would bring.
Yu Bing’s mother was also a painter, though her gallery was relatively unknown.
The more Ji Lan thought about it, the more concerned she became. “If your parents find out, they’ll be so disappointed.”
Yu Bing smiled carelessly. “What’s there to worry about? I wasn’t good enough, that’s all. It’s not anyone’s fault. They’re my parents; they might be disappointed, but it’s not like they’ll do anything to me.”
Despite her nonchalant words, when Ji Lan wasn’t looking, a faintly mocking smile appeared on Yu Bing’s lips. Even she didn’t believe what she just said.
Meanwhile, far away in B City, Pang Yu was sitting in the guest room of her art gallery, chatting with two people.
“I’ve seen our new shimei. She’s a pretty girl, but as for her temperament, I’m not too sure. She seems quiet and well-behaved,” Pang Yu recalled. Her impression of Jiang Yu was limited to her beauty and silence.
A man beside her asked, “Have you seen her paintings? If Master accepted her as a student, she must have extraordinary talent.”
“So what if she’s talented? Without money to back her, she won’t get famous. No matter how good her art is, she won’t make a living from it,” Du Song said irritably, running a hand through his hair. “Master must be getting senile. He refused to take in the young master of the Wang family, yet he went and accepted some random girl instead. I even heard she’s an orphan. No matter how well an orphan paints, how can she ever make a name for herself? The Wang family’s young master would’ve been a better choice, at least he’s rich. With some investment, he’d gain fame quickly and even Master would benefit from it.”
Hearing this, the man beside him frowned. “Didn’t you say that was your nephew? Were you lying to Master?”
Du Song opened his mouth, looking slightly embarrassed. “I was just trying to get Master to accept him. But come on, that Young Master Wang does have talent.”
At this, Pang Yu also frowned slightly.
After Du Song left, Han Ming turned to Pang Yu and said, “You should keep your distance from that guy. He’s getting more and more restless.”
Pang Yu sighed. “He wasn’t always like this. When did he become this kind of person? He even dared to lie to Master.”
Han Ming thought for a moment and said, “Knowing Master’s personality, he wouldn’t take in a student unless their talent was exceptional. Just a few months ago, he told me he was getting old and didn’t want to take on students anymore, he just wanted to drink tea and relax. If he changed his mind, our new shimei must be truly gifted.”
“I came back the next day, so I didn’t get a chance to see her paintings. If they’re really that good, I could display them in my gallery. As her senior, that’s the least I can do to support her,” Pang Yu said.
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