Shen Zhiwei was a picky person and someone who believed in intuition. The moment she saw Jiang Yu’s paintings, she knew this person could paint the Liangshan heroes she had envisioned.
And time proved her right, Jiang Yu indeed created the painting she wanted.
Before starting, Jiang Yu had consulted her on each character, making the painting a highly subjective expression of Shen Zhiwei’s vision. In other words, it was exactly the heroes of Liangshan she had imagined.
Once she received the painting, she immediately sent it to a calligraphy and painting shop for mounting. She chose a traditional scroll mounting, but it wasn’t ready yet, so she hadn’t received it.
The exhibition ended at 4:30 pm and, after having dinner with Jiang Yu, the two parted ways.
Overall, the day had been fulfilling and enjoyable. Being around Jiang Yu made her feel relaxed. Ever since entering the entertainment industry, it had been a long time since Shen Zhiwei had gone out just for fun.
When she returned home and opened the door, she immediately sensed something was off. The reason was simple; the lights in her house were on.
She glanced at the shoe cabinet and saw a pair of men’s shoes inside. The size looked familiar.
“Shen Zhitang!” she called out and a response immediately came from inside.
Changing her shoes, she walked in and saw a young man sprawled on the sofa in a lazy, careless manner, completely lacking proper posture.
Shen Zhiwei asked, “Why are you here? You didn’t even let me know beforehand.”
Shen Zhitang, her cousin. A fresh college graduate, only two months younger than her. Because she was born first, she had the honour of being called jiejie.
“I came to see you, jiejie!” Shen Zhitang grinned flatteringly.
Shen Zhiwei shot him a glance and sneered, “Oh, please. I bet your business venture failed and now you’re bankrupt with nowhere to stay.”
Shen Zhitang fell silent.
Shen Zhiwei was surprised. “Wait, your business really failed?”
As a college graduate full of ambition, Shen Zhitang had set his mind on building his own career after graduation, showing no interest in the family business.
His father, Shen Zhiwei’s uncle, had fully supported his decision. So much so that he froze his son’s bank account and kicked him out of the house.
Shen Zhitang: “……”
For the past few months, he had been busy with his business and Shen Zhiwei had only vaguely heard about it. She had no idea what he was actually working on.
“Isn’t the family business good enough? Why bother starting your own company?” Shen Zhiwei said.
Shen Zhitang replied, “You don’t understand. My dad’s vision and mine are completely different!”
Shen Zhiwei raised an eyebrow. “I don’t get it and I don’t need to. I’m happy just coasting through life.”
As the only daughter in the family, cherished by everyone, she was never expected to inherit the business. She was free to do whatever she wanted, living a carefree life.
“So, what exactly do you plan to do?” she asked.
At the mention of his work, Shen Zhitang perked up. He sat up excitedly and said, “I’m planning to start a live streaming platform. But it won’t just be for live streaming. I want to introduce other content too, like edited videos and more.”
“Live streaming? That industry doesn’t have the best reputation right now,” Shen Zhiwei said, shaking her head sceptically.
Shen Zhitang explained, “It’s still an immature industry, but that’s exactly why I have a chance to carve out a share. Of course, I’m a law-abiding citizen and my platform’s content will be positive and wholesome. I’m thinking of creating an education channel, an arts channel, a gaming channel and a music performance channel…”
He spoke enthusiastically, clearly having put a lot of thought into it. He could discuss every aspect in detail, showing he had thoroughly planned everything.
The once careless young man suddenly appeared serious, making Shen Zhiwei a little unaccustomed to this side of him.
“…Sigh, everything is ready now. The only thing missing is people and traffic. I’ve managed to recruit two popular singers from another platform, which should help bring in some viewers, but the other channels still lack people, especially the arts channel,” he said, frowning. “I want to have a section for traditional arts like calligraphy and painting, but it’s hard to find suitable creators. I don’t even have anyone to represent the channel yet.”
Shen Zhiwei wasn’t familiar with the live streaming world, nor did she usually watch streams, so she just responded vaguely before heading to her room to change. When she came out, she saw that Shen Zhitang was still deep in thought, looking troubled. Seeing her, he suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, right! Someone delivered something for you this afternoon. I left it on the table.”
It was a rectangular box. Seeing it, Shen Zhiwei’s eyes lit up. She checked her phone and, sure enough, the shop owner had messaged her earlier saying the painting had been delivered. However, she had been at the gallery with her phone on silent and missed the notification.
“What’s this?” Shen Zhitang squatted beside her, curious.
Shen Zhiwei opened the box. The painting had already been mounted. She handed it to him and said, “Just a painting. Hmm, I need to decide where to hang it…”
Water Margin, as one of the Four Great Classical Novels, few people hadn’t read it. Seeing the painting, Shen Zhitang raised an eyebrow. “You actually commissioned someone to paint this?”
Shen Zhiwei asked, “What do you think? Looks great, right? The first time I saw her artwork, I knew I liked her style. This piece features all 108 heroes, it was a massive project. She spent nearly six months completing it.”
Shen Zhitang scratched his head. “I don’t really understand art, so I can’t say if it’s good or not, but it does look nice and pleasing to the eye.”
His eyes flickered slightly and he asked, “Do you know this artist?”
“Of course! We get along really well… And you should call her a painter. She’s incredible, not any less skilled than today’s so-called famous artists!” Shen Zhiwei was full of admiration for Jiang Yu. Thinking about how Jiang Yu was a student of Master Cui and had solid skills, she was sure that fame was only a matter of time for her.
Sigh, once Jiang Yu became famous, getting a commission from her wouldn’t be so easy!
Shen Zhiwei was both happy for Jiang Yu and a little worried.
“Alright, alright, a painter it is!” Shen Zhitang didn’t argue further and looked at Shen Zhiwei excitedly. “Jiejie, can you ask your painter friend if she’d be willing to livestream her painting on my platform?”
Shen Zhiwei was speechless. “She’s not trying to get internet famous, so why would she go on your platform? That’s completely unnecessary! The livestreaming industry is such a mess, if she gets involved and stirs up trouble, it’d be more trouble than it’s worth.”
Shen Zhitang hurriedly defended himself, “You can’t say that. I may not know much about painting and calligraphy, but I do know that art isn’t valued while the artist is alive, but after they pass away, their works become priceless. Also, think about it, of the paintings that sell for high prices today, which artists aren’t well-known? If no one knows you and no one likes you, no matter how good your art is, how could it possibly sell for high prices in a short time?”
Hearing this, Shen Zhiwei paused for a moment. He did have a point. In the painting and calligraphy world, only a handful of artists gained recognition and most of them were older. Young artists who managed to break through were extremely rare.
“So, what’s your plan?” she asked.
Shen Zhitang adjusted his posture and seriously replied, “It’s true that livestreaming is full of all kinds of chaos, but I won’t allow nonsense on my platform. I’m even planning to create an educational channel where people can livestream study sessions. The content will be strictly positive.”
“As for the art section, I plan to recruit some art students from major academies, there are bound to be people interested. The only problem is finding a figurehead. Jiejie, just ask your painter friend if she’d be willing to try out this new experience. If her livestream becomes popular, her artwork’s value will definitely skyrocket. Fans are willing to spend big money, her paintings could end up selling for tens of thousands! This is a mutually beneficial opportunity!”
Shen Zhiwei felt that Jiang Yu would never agree. “You’re dreaming. She doesn’t need gimmicks to build her reputation, people who appreciate her work will naturally pay high prices for it.”
“She wouldn’t even have to show her face, just her painting. That doesn’t count as chasing fame, does it?” Shen Zhitang pleaded, “Jiejie, just ask that jiejie for me. Or better yet, introduce me to that jiejie! Maybe she’ll agree once she meets me!”
“Stop calling her ‘jiejie‘, she’s younger than you.”
Shen Zhitang immediately changed his tone. “Wow, so she’s even younger than me? This meimei is truly amazing!”
“…”
Shen Zhiwei felt exhausted. She didn’t even want to admit this fool was her brother.
But knowing that Jiang Yu was younger than him actually made Shen Zhitang more confident. Age meant that many people longed for admiration and recognition, surely this ‘meimei’ of his wouldn’t be an exception.
The art exhibition lasted three days and Jiang Yu had taken four days off. By the final day, if anyone was interested in purchasing her painting, they would submit an offer to the gallery and the highest bidder would win.
Not only was Teacher Shen curious about the final price of Jiang Yu’s painting, but even Pang Yu was eager to find out. Many people had inquired about the artwork over the past two days, if not hundreds, at least dozens. Even Mr. Liu himself was interested in acquiring it.
“If your shimei continues to maintain this level of artistry, she’ll eventually make a name for herself in this industry. Her work holds true collectable value,” Mr. Liu remarked. As a collector, he saw the potential in this artist and genuinely admired her painting.
That afternoon, the gallery was bustling with noise.
Shen Zhiwei arrived with Shen Zhitang. She was also interested in the Starry Sky painting, if she could buy it, that would be ideal. However, she wasn’t sure how much it would go for. After some thought, she placed a bid of 500,000 yuan, a rather high price.
To be honest, for a new artist, selling a painting for 300,000 was already remarkable. Bidding 500,000 was a sign of Shen Zhiwei’s confidence in Jiang Yu; she believed the painting was worth at least that much.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhitang anxiously asked, “Jiejie, where is that meimei you mentioned? Introduce me to her already!”
Shen Zhiwei rolled her eyes and couldn’t help but smack him on the head. “Stop calling her meimei. Address her properly as Miss Jiang. Where did you even learn to be this slick?”
Shen Zhitang rubbed his head and mimed zipping his lips, indicating he wouldn’t say anything more.
At that moment, Jiang Yu was chatting with Pang shijie. Shen Zhiwei spotted her from a distance, waved and called out to her.
“Your friend is here,” Teacher Shen noted. She had met Shen Zhiwei the previous day and had a good impression of her.
Seeing Teacher Shen, Shen Zhiwei immediately smiled and greeted, “Shijie!”
Shen Zhitang followed suit, obediently calling out, ‘shijie’.
Being addressed as ‘shijie’ by so many people at once caught Teacher Shen off guard. When she found out Shen Zhitang’s surname was also Shen, he grinned. “Oh, so shijie’s surname is Shen too? Looks like we might have been family two hundred years ago!”
Shen Zhiwei was beautiful and her cousin was no exception. Shen Zhitang had a handsome, refined face, full of youthful energy, making him naturally likable.
Teacher Shen exchanged a few words with them before stepping away to give them space to chat.
“Miss Jiang, I’m Shen Zhiwei’s younger brother. I saw the painting you made for my sister yesterday. It was incredible! I really like it.” Shen Zhitang smiled at Jiang Yu.
Shen Zhiwei, standing beside him, rolled her eyes. Like it? Wasn’t he the one who claimed he couldn’t even tell if a painting was good or not? How did he suddenly become so smooth with his words?
Jiang Yu smiled and thanked him. “Thank you for your compliment.”
“Miss Jiang, you’re really beautiful too…” Shen Zhitang’s eyes practically sparkled as he looked at her. He had never expected his sister’s painter friend to be this stunning. With a face like hers, she would stand out even in the entertainment industry. If she agreed to livestream on his platform, just showing her face a little would definitely attract a flood of devoted fans.
Shen Zhitang’s gaze was completely undisguised, but it only held appreciation, without any other intentions, so Jiang Yu did not feel offended.
Shen Zhitang showed an embarrassed expression, but his tone was very serious as he said, “Miss Jiang, I have a collaboration I’d like to discuss with you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yu was momentarily stunned and instinctively glanced at Shen Zhiwei. Shen Zhiwei waved her hand and said, “He saw the painting you did for me and now wants to invite you to collaborate with him. But you don’t have to entertain him on my account, if you’re not interested, just reject him.”
Shen Zhitang also said, “I’m just bringing it up as an idea, Miss Jiang. You don’t have to feel pressured.”
Jiang Yu asked, “What kind of collaboration?”
Shen Zhitang pointed to the side and said, “Let’s talk over there.”
The two went to a lounge to discuss. Shen Zhitang laid out his plan, explaining all the pros and cons clearly. He said, “If Miss Jiang is willing to livestream her painting sessions on my platform, I can guarantee you a base salary of 10,000 yuan per month. As for any tips you receive, we can do a 50-40 split, you get 50, the company takes 40.”
This was an extremely generous offer.
Jiang Yu was a bit surprised, she hadn’t expected that this was the collaboration he was talking about.
Shen Zhitang continued, “I don’t understand much about fine arts, but I do know one thing: No matter how good your paintings are, if you don’t have fame, only a handful of people will know about them. This industry is small and the audience is limited. Miss Jiang, don’t you want more people to see your work and recognise your name? One day, people all over the world could know that there is an artist named Jiang Yu!”
Hearing this, Jiang Yu couldn’t deny that she was somewhat tempted.
Shen Zhitang had a point, the fine arts world was a niche field with a limited audience. In her past life, even when she became well-known in the art community, the number of people who truly appreciated and followed her work was still small. Most people simply didn’t pay attention to this world at all.
“But everything you’re saying is based on the assumption that I actually become famous.”
If she didn’t, then none of this would come to pass.
Jiang Yu remained level-headed.
Shen Zhitang raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you saying you don’t have confidence in yourself, Miss Jiang?”
Jiang Yu smiled slightly and said, “No need to try to provoke me with that. I’ll give it some serious thought.”
She would consider it!
Being willing to consider it meant she was already somewhat open to the idea.
Shen Zhitang grinned like a cunning fox and said, “I’ll be waiting for your good news, Miss Jiang.”
After their discussion, they returned. Shen Zhiwei looked at them and asked, “So, did you two reach an agreement?”
Jiang Yu gave a slight nod and said, “I still need to think about it. But even if I agree, I’m only seventeen years old right now. I’m still a minor, are you sure I’m even allowed to livestream?”
“Not an adult yet?” Shen Zhitang widened his eyes and muttered, “A minor… that means she doesn’t even meet the age requirement for livestreaming…”
That was a bit of a blow, Shen Zhitang definitely felt it.
“My birthday is at the end of the year, which means I’ll be an adult in just one more month!” Jiang Yu corrected him, feeling a little amused.
Hearing that, Shen Zhitang immediately perked up again. He said, “Miss Jiang, don’t worry, if you agree, I’ll do my best to make you famous. Once you make it big, the whole world will know the name Jiang Yu. Your paintings will skyrocket in value, selling them for millions won’t just be a dream!”
Jiang Yu remained indifferent. The idea of selling paintings for a million yuan didn’t move her at all, she had already achieved that in her past life.
But the thought of having the whole world recognise the name ‘Jiang Yu’… now that was something that stirred her heart a little.
If that could really happen, just imagining it made her emotions ripple.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, the art exhibition officially came to an end. At this time, the staff would tally up the received bids and the painting with the highest bid would be successfully sold.
“How is it? What’s the highest bid for Starry Sky?” Pang Yu asked the staff beside him, a little nervous.
The staff member scanned the data displayed on the computer and finally, their gaze stopped on a particular number. Their eyes widened slightly.
“Boss, for this painting, the highest bid is…”
The staff reported an astonishing price. Hearing it, even Pang Yu couldn’t help but widen his eyes, this price was absolutely outrageous!
Stepping out of the office, Mr. Liu and the others approached. Mr. Liu was the first to ask, “Mr. Shi, do you know who won the bid for Starry Sky?”
Mr. Shi stroked his chin and said, “I placed a bid of 700,000. That should be the highest, right?”
Hearing this, several people showed disappointed expressions. For art enthusiasts like them, finding a painting they truly liked was rare and naturally, they wanted to take it home to admire. However, considering this painting was from a newcomer, many felt that 700,000 was an unjustifiable price.
At that price, they could buy paintings from well-established artists.
“Mr. Shi, you’re really generous!” Sister Zhao couldn’t help but comment. She had thought her bid of 300,000 was already reasonable.
Mr. Liu said, “Mr. Shi, this is just a painting from a newcomer!”
After all, this was Jiang Yu’s first officially released painting. Right now, she had no reputation in the industry. Generally speaking, for a newcomer, selling a painting for tens of thousands would already be impressive. But 700,000? That was unbelievable.
Mr. Shi raised an eyebrow. “Money can’t buy what the heart desires. I just think this painting is worth it… Mr. Liu, how much did you bid?”
Mr. Liu: “…550,000.”
Hearing this, Mr. Shi chuckled. “Seems like Mr. Liu is quite generous too.”
“Not as much as Mr. Shi.” Mr. Liu felt a bit frustrated. He had thought his bid was already sky-high, but to his surprise, Mr. Shi had outbid him. This guy was just throwing money around!
Fine, he admitted that he was just bitter about not winning the painting.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhitang’s eyes had been widened in shock the whole time. To him, this amount of money wasn’t much, but seeing a painting sell for such a high price was still unbelievable.
“Seven hundred thousand…” he muttered.
Shen Zhiwei was a little disappointed. “I didn’t expect even 500,000 wouldn’t be enough.”
Despite her disappointment, she also felt it was only natural. Jiang Yu’s painting was indeed outstanding, by any standard, it was top-tier. If only she were famous, this painting would have been worth even more.
She also had a feeling that for Jiang Yu, this was just the beginning. Considering her age, only seventeen, if she kept progressing at this rate, one day, her name would undoubtedly become a benchmark in the art world.
Teacher Shen was even more excited, unable to resist tugging at Jiang Yu’s hand while murmuring ‘700,000’ under his breath. For a newcomer artist, this price was truly unbelievable.
As for Jiang Yu herself, she couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise. Based on her current reputation, she had thought that 200,000 would already be the highest she could expect, after all, she was just an unknown newcomer.
She had to admit, even she was a bit dumbfounded.
Mr. Shi looked around proudly, his expression full of confidence. In his mind, his bid was definitely the highest, there was no way anyone had outbid him.
“Boss Pang, I have some matters to attend to tonight. Just hand me the painting now,” he said.
Pang Yu gave him an apologetic smile and said, “Mr. Shi, I’m really sorry, but there’s actually a higher bid for this painting.”
Everyone was stunned.
“My 700,000 isn’t the highest?” Mr. Shi asked in disbelief.
Pang Yu nodded. “It really isn’t.”
Mr. Shi was dumbfounded. Shen Zhitang was also dumbfounded.
Even at 700,000, it wasn’t enough? Just how much was Miss Jiang’s painting worth?
At this rate, if she could sell a single painting for this much, would she even be interested in joining his livestreaming platform, which hadn’t even fully taken off yet?
Initially, Shen Zhitang had been full of confidence, but at this moment, he was no longer sure whether Jiang Yu would agree to his offer.
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