Chapter 26: Mealtime
“???” Yang Xiaofan was utterly bewildered.
“Why? Is the quality of the painting not good enough?”
Mu Shuyu explained, “That’s not what I mean; the quality of this painting is exceptional—far superior to anything you’ve done before. To be honest, there are few paintings in all of China that could even compare to yours.”
“Then why are you unwilling to accept it?”
Mu Shuyu smiled bitterly. “Precisely because it’s so good. If I were to buy this painting for a million, it would be taking advantage of you. Such a despicable act—I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
“So that’s it. Don’t worry, I don’t mind.” On one hand, he and Mu Shuyu were old acquaintances. On the other, he owed everyone four hundred paintings already. He couldn’t raise his prices just because his skills had improved. That wouldn’t be honorable.
Mu Shuyu still shook her head. “No, it’s impossible. This painting is too good. If you let me buy it for a million, it would be an insult to such art!”
“This...?” Yang Xiaofan frowned, pondering for a moment before speaking again. “How about this: You take the paintings, and pay me a bit more. The amount, you can discuss among yourselves. It doesn’t have to be much, just whatever you think is fair.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m right here—do you think I’d trick you?”
“Alright, I’ll speak to the others and transfer the money to you when we’ve decided.”
Yang Xiaofan nodded.
“There’s one more thing I’d like to trouble you with,” he said.
“Go ahead.”
“I want to set up an auction house, dedicated to selling my paintings every day, managed by my close friends. But I have no experience with venues or operations. Could you help me?”
He paused, then continued, “I won’t let you help for nothing. If you’re willing, I can transfer you some shares, or let you have priority in selecting my paintings in the future.”
Mu Shuyu nodded. “Certainly. Leave it to me. I’ll give you an answer by noon tomorrow.”
“Thank you, President Mu.”
“Still calling me President Mu?” Mu Shuyu teased with a smile. Yang Xiaofan rubbed his nose, laughing awkwardly.
“Thank you, Shuyu.”
“Mm~!” Mu Shuyu replied with languid grace, making Yang Xiaofan’s blood stir. She really was a sly fox. He couldn’t linger around her too long, or he might lose control.
After leaving Mu Corporation, Yang Xiaofan hurried back to school. As soon as he entered the classroom, he saw Qin Nuanyu had arrived early. Without hesitation, Yang Xiaofan went over to her.
“Class monitor, you’re here so early?”
Qin Nuanyu nodded. Ever since their relationship was confirmed, whenever she saw Yang Xiaofan, her beautiful eyes would sparkle, bright as the stars in the night, dazzling enough to intoxicate.
Looking at her lovely face, Yang Xiaofan couldn’t hold back. He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.
“There are people around,” Qin Nuanyu blushed, lowering her head, her small hand stealthily pinching the soft flesh at Yang Xiaofan’s waist—but not too hard.
Yang Xiaofan grinned. “What’s there to be afraid of? We’re openly dating; a kiss is perfectly legitimate.”
“You rascal.” Qin Nuanyu spat, then pulled out a scarf from her desk, inside which was wrapped a cup of soy milk and a sandwich, handing them to Yang Xiaofan.
“You haven’t had breakfast, right? Hurry up and eat.”
“My precious Nuanyu, you always take care of me so I never have to worry about going hungry in the morning.”
Yang Xiaofan pulled out the soy milk and sandwich, both still warm. A girlfriend’s loving breakfast deserved to be devoured enthusiastically.
Qin Nuanyu watched him with concern. “Slow down, no one’s going to take it away. Don’t choke.”
“Mm.” Yang Xiaofan nodded, taking a gulp of soy milk. He noticed Qin Nuanyu seemed to want to say something, but hesitated. His curiosity piqued.
“Is there something you want to tell me?”
“It’s... it’s nothing, really.”
“It’s fine, say it. I’m your boyfriend, what could you possibly not share with me?”
“It’s nothing major. My roommates want to meet you.”
“I thought it was something serious. That’s easy. I’ll treat everyone to dinner tonight.”
Yang Xiaofan understood. These girls probably wanted a free meal at his expense. It was perfectly normal. Qin Nuanyu, such a beautiful flower, was now his. If her roommates didn’t try to size him up, that would be abnormal.
Hearing his agreement, Qin Nuanyu breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’ll message them later to confirm.”
“Alright, no problem.”
“And one more thing: rehearsal starts tomorrow. Everyone will be at the gymnasium. Do you want to come?”
“I’ll drop by and have a look. Anything else?”
“No, that’s all.”
“Good.”
Soon, the teacher arrived—a young instructor. However, before starting the lesson, he made an announcement.
“Everyone, as you all know, a couple of days ago someone painted a magnificent traditional painting on the school wall. The standard was exceptionally high.
“But the school has been unable to find the artist. Now, the school is eager to track down this painter. If anyone has any information, report it. If the clue is genuine, the school will reward you with one hundred thousand yuan.”
“My God, a hundred thousand yuan!”
“So generous?”
Qin Nuanyu glanced at Yang Xiaofan, who frowned involuntarily. He hadn’t expected the school to still be thinking about him.
Yet, he had no intention of letting the school identify him. Who knew what their motives were? At most, painting on the wall might earn him a fine, but the school wouldn’t offer such a huge reward for just that. More likely, they would use him for publicity, to boost the school’s visibility and appeal, or even leverage his status to force him to paint for certain people.
It was a distasteful prospect.
Seeing that he had no intention of admitting anything, Qin Nuanyu didn’t press further. She was his girlfriend now; whatever she did would naturally be with his interests in mind.
After the announcement, the teacher began the lesson. Yang Xiaofan, as always, listened with one ear while reading on his phone, expanding his knowledge to refine his mind.
The morning slipped away swiftly. Just as school was about to end, Yang Xiaofan received a notification from his bank.