The painting Feitian was undoubtedly the best artwork Jiang Yu had created since her rebirth. The entire piece was rich and vibrant in colour, giving off a luxurious and dazzling visual feast. The sheer brilliance of the colours was enough to leave people in awe, as if they were being mesmerised by an enchanting spectacle.
For the first time, everyone deeply realised how stunningly beautiful and magnificent vibrant colours could be.
Jiang Yu’s live-stream of the painting process had been recorded and later edited into a fast-forwarded version that was uploaded online. Many netizens still remembered her previous work, Zhao Jun Departs for the Frontier, especially the two final strokes that brought Zhao Jun to life, as if by magic. That moment had left a profound impact on viewers.
The beauty of that painting was vivid and graceful. However, Feitian was entirely different. It was even more dazzling and colourful, with a grand and mysterious aura. The complexity of this painting far exceeded that of Zhao Jun Departs for the Frontier, making it an obvious masterpiece in comparison.
Soon, many people attempted to replicate Jiang Yu’s Feitian, following the steps she demonstrated in the video. However, they quickly realised that watching and painting were two completely different experiences. The painting was incredibly complex and difficult to recreate. Even when using the same pigments and carefully matching colours as shown in the video, the final products were nowhere near the original.
The colours in Jiang Yu’s painting were both mysterious and radiant, with extraordinary depth. Even among skilled artists, not a single one managed to replicate it successfully. It was only then that netizens truly understood what a vast difference in skill looked like.
“LOL, are you seriously comparing her to other painters? No offense, but you guys are giving them way too much credit. They are not even on the same level!”
“Our professor actually showed A Fleeting Dream’s live-stream recording in our colour theory class today! I was absolutely shocked. He said this artist is at a master level, her use of colour is simply flawless. He even told us to study her technique carefully.”
“Wait, which university are you from? Do we have the same professor? Because ours showed the video too!”
“Hold on, I’m really curious now… just how old is A Fleeting Dream? With skills like that, could they be an elderly master painter?”
“From the video, her hands look smooth and fair. She seems pretty young and her voice also sounds youthful.”
“…Nope, with today’s skincare products, she might just have taken good care of herself. And voice changers exist too. You can even change a male voice to a female one, so making yourself sound younger is nothing. Besides, do you really think someone this skilled could be young?”
Before long, online speculation about A Fleeting Dream‘s age began. The general consensus was that she had to be at least fifty years old. This wasn’t random guessing, painters of such caliber were usually seasoned veterans, likely elderly figures in the art world. This conclusion quickly gained widespread agreement.
Unbeknownst to Jiang Yu, she had already been labeled as a fifty- or sixty-year-old veteran artist. People even theorised that she must be a renowned figure in the art world, disguising her identity to avoid recognition.
Of course, Jiang Yu wasn’t aware of this. At this moment, Jiang Yu had arrived in B City with her teacher, Old Master Cui. Originally, he had planned for her to stay at his home, but unexpectedly, Lu Mingshen stepped in, announcing that he had already arranged an apartment for her.
Old Master Cui: “??!”
Feeling a little embarrassed, Jiang Yu explained, “Teacher, I was the one who asked Mr. Lu to find me a place. I prefer living alone; staying at your house might make me feel uneasy.”
Not only would she feel uncomfortable, but the Cui family would probably feel the same way.
Hearing this, Old Master Cui sighed helplessly. “As long as you’re happy.”
Jiang Yu immediately flashed him a bright smile. “Thank you, Teacher!”
Lu Mingshen took her to the apartment he had arranged, it was in a central residential area, surrounded by beautiful and tranquil scenery. Each building had security guards stationed 24/7, ensuring a high level of safety. Moreover, it was only two streets away from Old Master Cui’s residence, making it very convenient.
“This apartment belongs to me. Since I currently live at home, it was just sitting empty. When you mentioned needing a place, I had it cleaned up for you,” Lu Mingshen said as he carried her suitcase into the bedroom. “There’s 24-hour security here, so it’s very safe. Otherwise, I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting you stay alone elsewhere.”
Jiang Yu stepped out onto the large balcony and saw a lake outside. It was winter, so there were no lotus flowers on the water, but the green willow trees along the shore stood out against the bleak season.
The landscaping in the neighborhood was excellent, even in winter, there were traces of greenery everywhere. She could imagine how breathtaking it would look in spring.
“So, do you like the apartment?” Lu Mingshen asked.
Jiang Yu nodded. “It’s great. I just didn’t expect it to be your place. I thought you’d find me some rental.”
Lu Mingshen smiled. “It was empty anyway. Rather than letting some stranger benefit from it, I figured I’d let you have it.”
Jiang Yu chuckled. “And what about the rent?”
After thinking for a moment, Lu Mingshen said, “Five thousand a month. That’s already a great deal, so don’t even think about bargaining!”
Jiang Yu couldn’t help but laugh again. “Alright, five thousand it is.”
Considering the location, that price was practically a steal. She didn’t argue over the price, Lu Mingshen was obviously giving her a deal and rejecting his help would only make things awkward.
Instead, she decided, she’d treat him to dinner tonight as a way to thank him!
However, Jiang Yu never got the chance to treat Lu Mingshen to dinner because Old Master Cui invited her to dine at the Cui family’s home instead.
Old Master Cui’s household was lively, with three generations under one roof. His grandchildren were around Jiang Yu’s age, making the atmosphere bustling and warm.
His granddaughter, Cui Mingzhu, was a strikingly beautiful young woman with bright, intelligent eyes. She looked at Jiang Yu curiously. “So, you’re the student Grandpa just took in? You must be incredibly talented. He always said he’d never take another student again. By the way, how old are you? You look pretty young.”
“I’ll be eighteen after the New Year,” Jiang Yu replied.
Cui Mingzhu’s eyes widened. “That means we’re about the same age! Grandpa keeps talking about you, saying you’re a genius!”
Old Master Cui, overhearing this, immediately interrupted. “I never said that. I clearly stated that she still has a long way to go and needs to keep learning.”
Cui Mingzhu: “…”
Jiang Yu couldn’t hold back a small smile.
Cui Mingzhu propped her chin on her hand and sighed. “You’re really beautiful, prettier than me, even. Normally, I hate girls who are prettier than me because I don’t like being someone else’s backdrop. But since you’re Grandpa’s student and younger than me, I’ve decided we should get along.”
She extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Cui Mingzhu. Nice to meet you.”
She had the aura of a little princess, proud yet not obnoxious, the kind of girl who was truly born to be a princess.
When Jiang Yu left the Cui residence that night, she had gained Cui Mingzhu’s phone number. The girl had invited her out for coffee and shopping the next day, saying she wanted to welcome her properly.
When they met the next day, Cui Mingzhu looked even more exquisite than before. She wore a creamy white coat with a delicate bow at the waist, carried a stylish handbag and had on a pair of elegant suede boots.
She was every bit the picture of a refined young lady.
“Aren’t you cold?” Seeing how lightly she was dressed, Jiang Yu couldn’t help but ask.
Cui Mingzhu linked her arm with hers and smiled, “Of course I’m cold. Can’t you feel that I’m shaking from the cold?”
Jiang Yu: “…”
Cui Mingzhu, despite saying this, didn’t look cold at all. She seemed very graceful and, as she leaned against Jiang Yu’s shoulder, she said, “But I don’t like wearing bulky clothes, they don’t look good. A beautiful person like me can’t be wearing ugly clothes, can I?”
She pulled Jiang Yu into a large shopping mall. The heating inside was cranked up and, as soon as they stepped in, a wave of warmth rushed at them, making it impossible not to sigh with relief.
Cui Mingzhu naturally let go of Jiang Yu’s arm and adjusted her hat, saying, “The clothes on the third floor are really beautiful. I’ve wanted to buy them for a while, but my dad controls my allowance. This time, I managed to sneak a small sum from him under the pretext of treating you!”
She gestured with her fingers to show it was only a small amount of pocket money.
She led Jiang Yu to the shop on the third floor. It seemed like she was a regular; the staff recognised her and greeted her with smiles as soon as she walked in.
Jiang Yu sat on the sofa and watched as Cui Mingzhu tried on outfit after outfit. She was as beautiful as a delicate porcelain doll and everything looked good on her.
On the coffee table in front of the sofa, there was a small booklet, no bigger than the size of a palm, almost like a sticky note. Jiang Yu had asked the staff and was told it was available for use, so she picked it up and started doodling. When Cui Mingzhu was satisfied with another dress she had changed into, she looked down and saw Jiang Yu scribbling something on the booklet.
“What are you doing?” Cui Mingzhu sat next to her and asked.
Jiang Yu gestured to the booklet in her hand, “Just doodling.”
Cui Mingzhu, curious, asked, “What are you drawing? Can I see?”
Jiang Yu nodded, so Cui Mingzhu leaned in to see what she had drawn.
Jiang Yu smiled and, with a flick of her hand, the pages of the booklet flipped rapidly.
“Huh?” Cui Mingzhu exclaimed, getting even closer, her eyes shining. She pointed at the completed pages, “Is that… me?”
The pages in the booklet were filled with small figures, one on each page. Cui Mingzhu immediately recognised that the clothes the little figures were wearing were the ones she had just tried on. She was surprised at how quickly Jiang Yu had drawn them all.
Jiang Yu nodded and handed her the booklet, saying, “Just doodling, you can keep it.”
The little figures on the pages were cute, with small hands and feet, dressed just like Cui Mingzhu. Cui Mingzhu couldn’t help but feel fond of it and smiled widely.
“My grandfather also wanted me to learn to draw, said I had talent and that if I kept going, I’d be famous one day,” Cui Mingzhu suddenly said. Seeing Jiang Yu’s gaze, she added, “But I refused. I don’t love drawing. Having to handle all those paints and dust every day, it can really harm the skin, and I don’t want that.”
She loved beauty and fun, so she gave up drawing, just wanting to stay beautiful forever.
After putting the booklet away, Cui Mingzhu called over a staff member, “Pack up all the clothes I tried on just now and send them to my house.”
The staff immediately nodded, “Miss Cui, don’t worry, we will deliver the clothes to your residence right away.”
Cui Mingzhu linked her arm with Jiang Yu’s and said, “Let’s go, let’s go, I’ll take you for some milk tea… Ugh, I know it makes you gain weight, but me, I’m just naturally beautiful, I have a body that doesn’t get fat.”
As they walked, they ran into one of Cui Mingzhu’s acquaintances, though the person didn’t seem like a friend. Jiang Yu noticed that Cui Mingzhu secretly rolled her eyes at her.
“Cui Mingzhu, did you just roll your eyes?” The girl walked over aggressively, with a few other girls trailing behind her, all looking rather intimidating.
Cui Mingzhu had already collected her eye-roll and, smiling sweetly, said, “Rong Xuan, what nonsense are you talking? Someone as beautiful as me would never roll her eyes.”
Rong Xuan snorted, “I know what I saw. You definitely rolled your eyes at me. I’m sure of it. You’re such a sly woman.”
“Please add ‘beautiful’ before ‘woman’ next time. Thank you!” Cui Mingzhu smiled.
At these words, Rong Xuan sneered, standing tall with an imposing air. She glanced at Jiang Yu, who looked unfamiliar, not like someone from their circle and asked, “Who is this? Haven’t seen her before, is she your relative?”
Cui Mingzhu immediately retorted, “What does it matter who she is? As for you, Rong Xuan, is this how your family teaches you? To be rude to people? Didn’t your family teach you manners?”
The two clearly weren’t getting along. Rong Xuan couldn’t hold her own against Cui Mingzhu’s sharp tongue and soon turned around and left.
“Aren’t you going to ask who that person was?” Cui Mingzhu asked Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu obediently asked, “Oh, who was that person just now?”
Cui Mingzhu replied, “She’s the young miss of the Rong family. She’s not likeable at all, dumb and clueless, used as a fool by others without realising it, and still acting all proud. By the way, when I first saw you, I thought you resembled her, but you’re way prettier and have much more grace.”
Cui Mingzhu wrinkled her nose, “Enough about her, let’s go, I’ll take you to eat something good. While you’re in B City, if you hang out with me, I’ll make sure you taste all the best food here!”
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