Chapter 44: Boneless Painting

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“You’re the one who agreed to meet me?!”

Zhong Wei looked at this overly beautiful woman in disbelief.

“Yes, Elder Zhong. Thank you for liking my painting.”

Xia Wanyuan was neither servile nor overbearing as she admitted rather graciously.

Li Nian, who was behind Elder Zhong, was shocked the moment she saw Xia Wanyuan. Wasn’t this the woman on the WeChat profile picture that I contacted every day? Could it be that the Chinese arts master whom my mentor respected so much was actually such a beautiful and young woman?!

“That’s incredible.” Elder Zhong was not a person who doubted others’ abilities because of their age. Otherwise, he would not have had a relationship with the barely adult Jun Shiling.

However, he took a look at the painting that Li Nian had brought back. He felt that he would not be able to draw it without at least thirty to forty years of foundation.

“I wonder if Miss Xia can give me a painting today?”

In the end, Elder Zhong still chose to start. Although he was not a professional, he had collected many collections over the years and had good eyesight. He could not believe that such an experienced brushstroke was drawn by such a young pair of hands.

“Of course.” Xia Wanyuan could understand Elder Zhong’s suspicions.

After all, strictly speaking, she had a few decades of extra time in her previous life.

Uncle Wang quickly got someone to prepare the inkstones and paper. Since it was inconvenient for Xia Wanyuan to move, Uncle Wang got someone to move the table onto the lawn.

Xia Wanyuan picked up a brush and began to apply it on the paper. It was as if she was just casually drawing two strokes, relaxed and at ease.

He had yet to see the contents of the painting, but seeing Xia Wanyuan’s leisurely and relaxed temperament, Elder Zhong nodded. Painting did not have to be serious and proper, as if it was a battlefield.

Painting realm and one’s state of mind were compatible. The more nervous one was, the more unsatisfactory one’s works would be. For Xia Wanyuan to have such a temperament at such a young age had already impressed Elder Zhong.

To Elder Zhong’s surprise, Xia Wanyuan did not draft the script. Instead, she dipped the brush in the paint and began to draw. Elder Zhong approached curiously and was instantly attracted.

Xia Wanyuan drew peach blossoms. She dipped the tip of her brush in ink and fused the ink, color, and water together. She then cleverly combined the strokes on the paper, emphasizing the meaning and following the strokes.

Soon, a peach blossom stained with dew appeared on the paper.

“Is this a long-lost boneless art?!”

Elder Zhong exclaimed in surprise.

The so-called boneless painting method was to directly use colors to draw the branches and dye the petals without any ink threads. It tested the painter’s brush strength and the natural structure of objects, the influence of light colors, and so on. Compared to using ink threads to style the painting, it was closer to an objective reality and had a more realistic feeling. It was more suitable for actual painting.

However, such a painting method had been lost for a long time. Even if there were successive imitators, they would usually not be able to draw that artistic mood. Elder Zhong never expected to see it here.

Now, the way he looked at Xia Wanyuan was no longer suspicious. “Who did you learn from?”

“I didn’t have a teacher. I guessed and thought about it myself.” Xia Wanyuan put down her brush.

“You’re really talented!” Without the guidance of a teacher, yet she was able to have such high artistic attainments. This was what young people often said, “God has rewarded us with food.”

What the art world lacked the most was talent and spiritual essence.

Recalling that the Grand Arts Academy was recruiting guest professors, Elder Zhong looked at Xia Wanyuan and had an idea. However, this matter still had to be approved by the school, so he could only go and introduce her. As a result, he kept it to himself for the time being.

Elder Zhong suddenly became interested and began to discuss various professional questions with Xia Wanyuan. The more he chatted with her, the more impressed he was by the knowledge of the young woman in front of him.

As for Jun Shiling, who was always the center of attention wherever he went, he was completely ignored this time.

Seeing that Elder Zhong and Xia Wanyuan were chatting happily, Jun Shiling sat by the side and picked up the painting that was almost dry.

The stretched petals were overflowing with wantonness, as if it was the painter, exuding a leisurely aura from the inside out.

“Daddy, Mommy.”

Xiao Bao, who had been lazing in bed until now, had not found Xia Wanyuan after washing up. It was only after looking around that he saw the person sitting in the courtyard.

Xiao Bao threw himself into Xia Wanyuan’s arms and stared curiously at the old man in front of him.

“This is?”

Elder Zhong was getting on in years, so he felt a surge of love whenever he saw the young child.

“Our son.”

Before Xia Wanyuan could reply, Jun Shiling, who had been quiet all this while, spoke.

“Why haven’t I heard of him before?” Elder Zhong looked at Xiao Bao’s face that resembled Jun Shiling’s and believed that he was definitely Jun Shiling’s child.

“Hello, Grandpa,” Xiao Bao greeted him in a cute voice, which made Elder Zhong very happy. “Good, good, good. Xiao Jun, you’re so lucky to have such a talented and pretty wife and such an obedient son. You must cherish him.”

Elder Zhong reminded Jun Shiling as he played with Xiao Bao.

“Mm.”

Jun Shiling glanced at Xia Wanyuan and Jun Yin and answered softly.

Elder Zhong was busy with his research. After chatting for a while, he left happily with Xia Wanyuan’s painting.

Xiao Bao looked at the paper and brush on the table curiously and insisted on learning from Xia Wanyuan.

Xia Wanyuan then taught Xiao Bao how to write calligraphy piece by piece.

“Mommy, do you think my handwriting is good?”

Xiao Bao lowered his head and fiddled with the paper for a long time. Finally, he wrote the word ‘Jun’ on the paper.

“Are you a little cat?” Xia Wanyuan took the words and saw that Xiao Bao’s face was covered in ink for some reason, making him look like a little cat.

“Hehe.” Xiao Bao grinned. He wanted to wipe it with his little hand, but he did not expect to find ink on his hand. It made Xia Wanyuan laugh non-stop.

Jun Shiling looked at the flamboyant Jun Yin and the smiling Xia Wanyuan, who was melting the spring sun, and sent Lin Jing a message telling him that he was on leave and was not going to work overtime.

It was rare for him to enjoy a moment of leisure in the manor.

Meanwhile, in Star Creation Entertainment, Chen Yun was leisurely playing games.

Ever since he had taken over Xia Wanyuan, the other celebrities had been afraid that they would get involved with her and be scolded by the netizens, so they had found opportunities to work under other managers.

Xia Wanyuan had pretty much finished filming her scenes in the past few days, and there were no endorsements that came to look for her, so Chen Yun spent his days in the company while worrying about when he would be fired.

“Are you a pig?! I told you to clear the troops at the bottom lane, why did you go jungle?”

Chen Yun was so angry at his useless teammate that he was just about to start MCing and fight 300 rounds with the other party when a call came in.

Chen Yun directly broke the connection and quickly operated his hands to take a kill. However, he did not expect to be ambushed by the opposite jungler buried in the bushes, and he died at the door of his house in a moment of carelessness.

The screen went dark.

“Damn King Lan Ling!”

Chen Yun cursed. At this moment, the number from before called again. Chen Yun glanced at the revival time. There were still 40 seconds before the call connected.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Miss Xia Wanyuan’s manager?” A polite and sweet voice came from the other end of the line.

“Yes, who are you?” Chen Yun was a little confused.

“We’re Qian Xiu Fashion under Glory World Corporation. I would like to invite Miss Xia Wanyuan to be our brand’s spokesperson. Would you have the time to come to the company to discuss the details?”

“Qian Xiu Fashion?!” Chen Yun was stunned. Was it the Qian Xiu I knew?

“Yes, our company’s address is…” After the other party reported the company’s address, Chen Yun confirmed that it was indeed that Qian Xiu.

Even after hanging up the phone, Chen Yun still could not believe it. Before Xia Wanyuan was hated on by the Internet, she could not even find a good sponsor. Now that she had been reduced to a street rat, why would Qian Xiu look for her to endorse?