Chapter 101

Thump-thump—

It was as if the world had fallen silent. All Ji Wei could hear was his own heart, which had begun to pound violently without any warning, beat after beat.

He spoke haltingly, “Ji Wei likes Lu Shenxing very much, too.”

The moment he finished speaking, the man’s hands wrapped around his waist from behind tightened. Warm breath ghosted across the sensitive skin of his neck as Lu Shenxing said in a husky voice, “You have to like Lu Shenxing forever.”

“Not even for a single day less,” he added, his voice as gentle as a bewitching spell.

Almost subconsciously, he responded, “Ji Wei will like Lu Shenxing forever.”

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the usually aloof man seemed to have smiled.

When he woke up the next day and recalled what he had said, his face instantly turned red, and he wanted to bury himself under the covers.

He didn’t want to get out of bed.

But he really did have to get up early today.

All of Ye Lang’s paintings had been transported to Yancheng, and he wanted to contact the Yan City Art Museum to hold an exhibition.

He mentioned his plan to Lu Shenxing and Huang Bo during breakfast.

Huang Bo didn’t understand these things and just said cheerfully, “If Weiwei is holding an art exhibition, I’ll definitely go see it.”

Lu Shenxing had to go to the film set for a costume fitting today. Before leaving, he gave a light reminder, “The Yan City Art Museum has high standards.”

“I know.”

Ji Wei pursed his lips.

In recent years, all the artists who held exhibitions at the Yan City Art Museum were well-known contemporary painters. Many people had no idea who Ye Lang was, and those who did only knew him as a madman.

But he still wanted to try.

“I’ll call Ying Guanxiao and ask him to go with you.”

Lu Shenxing ruffled his lowered head.

“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for him?”

Ji Wei couldn’t help but say it.

“You just helped him yesterday. He definitely won’t think it’s trouble.”

Lu Shenxing let out a soft chuckle.

Ji Wei was a bit puzzled, wondering when he had helped Ying Guanxiao yesterday.

Lu Shenxing had his phone on speaker, and Ying Guanxiao’s enthusiastic voice came through, “I thought it was something serious! I’ll go with Weiwei. You can go to your film set without worry.”

After hanging up, Lu Shenxing left.

Ji Wei waited at home for Ying Guanxiao, and it wasn’t long before Ying Guanxiao’s car pulled up downstairs.

Ying Guanxiao’s company was originally in Beijing, but because Lu Shenxing was based in Yancheng for the long term, he had simply moved the company over. Their relationship was truly excellent. However, based on his recent social media updates, it seemed he was thinking of moving the company to Shanghai.

Ji Wei went downstairs, got in the car, and fastened his seatbelt. He couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Ying, why are you thinking of moving the company again?”

He recalled the conversation between Lu Shenxing and Ying Guanxiao and added, “Is it because Yu Shuang went to Shanghai?”

“Weiwei, don’t listen to Old Lu’s nonsense. I don’t like Senior Yu.”

Ying Guanxiao’s face turned suspiciously red.

Ji Wei was speechless. When did I say you liked her?

However, he pretty much understood now. Ying Guanxiao had probably had a crush on that senior for years.

“It couldn’t be your first love, could it?”

Ji Wei asked tentatively.

Ying Guanxiao’s face grew even redder.

Ji Wei thought, …Okay, confirmed.

***

Before they arrived at the art museum, Ying Guanxiao called the person in charge to make an appointment.

As a result, as soon as they arrived, a staff member led them to an office.

Ying Guanxiao heard the faint sound of a guzheng and struck up a conversation with the staff member. “You hold concerts here too, huh?”

The staff member was a young, cheerful woman who explained, “Our art museum holds events every weekend. This week’s event is promoting the National Style. We have not only a guzheng player but also someone playing the pipa.”

“Then we’ll have to take a good look later,”

Ying Guanxiao said supportively.

The staff member smiled. Before entering the office, she whispered, “Zheng Zhuren has a bit of a temper.”

“Thank you.”

Ying Guanxiao smiled at her.

Ji Wei also said, “Thank you.”

Inside the office, a thin, middle-aged man sat at his desk without even looking up.

“I’ve looked up this Ye Lang online, and there’s no painter by that name. The city art museum is a public resource for the citizens, not a place for amateurs to entertain themselves.”

“Please leave.”

Zheng Zhuren organized his documents and stood up from his chair. “I have other matters to attend to.”

“I brought scanned copies of my grandfather’s paintings. I hope you can take a look.”

Ji Wei took out his laptop from his backpack.

Ye Lang’s paintings weren’t just good; they were astonishingly good.

He believed that if Zheng Zhuren saw the paintings, he would definitely change his mind.

Upon hearing the word “grandfather,” Zheng Zhuren’s expression soured even more, and he walked straight out of the office.

Ji Wei and Ying Guanxiao tried to follow, but the staff member who had led them there stopped them, apologizing, “The director is quite busy today. You can wait for him to come back and talk then.”

Not knowing when Zheng Zhuren would return, Ji Wei and Ying Guanxiao could only wait outside the office.

***

As a special guest at the Yan City Art Museum’s weekend event, Gu Huaiyi was being escorted to the exit by Zheng Zhuren and his assistant. “Zheng Zhuren, you don’t have to see me out. Go on with your work.”

“I was just passing by anyway.”

Zheng Zhuren waved his hand. He glanced at the two people standing outside the office and muttered, “Why haven’t they left yet?”

Gu Huaiyi followed his gaze, and his pupils contracted. “Why is he here?”

“You know him?” Zheng Zhuren asked.

“No, we don’t,” the assistant quickly clarified. “But he’s been on a variety show. He has some psychological issues and is seeing a therapist. I don’t know why he’s at the art museum.”

“Is that so?” A hint of softness appeared in Zheng Zhuren’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but sigh. “The pace of city life is getting faster and faster, and more and more people are having psychological problems. A nephew of mine has depression.”

“It’s not just psychological problems,” the assistant continued. “I heard his grandfather is a madman.”

Gu Huaiyi coughed. “That’s enough.”

Zheng Zhuren’s expression turned stern. “No, no, let him speak. That young man wants to exhibit his grandfather’s paintings. I already refused him once, but he’s still waiting outside. If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known.”

The assistant glanced at Gu Huaiyi and said hesitantly, “I only heard this through the grapevine, but his grandfather was apparently a student at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He wasn’t famous, just mediocre, and then one day he just went crazy.”

“Then I have even more reason to refuse him,” Zheng Zhuren said seriously.

They parted ways at the elevator. Gu Huaiyi was about to get in when his assistant took out his phone to record, pleading, “Let’s wait a bit.”

Gu Huaiyi said nothing.

Zheng Zhuren walked up to Ji Wei, about to bring up his grandfather, when Ying Guanxiao suddenly asked Ji Wei, “I remember your family has a collection room, right? There must be quite a few famous paintings in there.”

Ji Wei nodded, not understanding. “For oil paintings, there’s Cézanne, Renoir, Monet…”

He hadn’t even mentioned the traditional Chinese paintings before Zheng Zhuren was too shocked to speak.

All the paintings in their art museum combined weren’t worth as much as a single one of those.

It wasn’t that they had never exhibited world-famous paintings.

But an art museum wasn’t a history museum. Its main purpose was to hold exhibitions, so its collections were fluid.

His expression was naturally a bit stern, but he did his best to squeeze out a friendly smile. “I was wondering if you would be willing to exhibit your family’s collection? You don’t need to worry about security; we’ve held many famous painting exhibitions.”

“I suppose I could…” Ji Wei hesitated for a moment.

“Please, feel free to state any conditions,” Zheng Zhuren said quickly.

“I want to exhibit my grandfather’s paintings.”

Hearing his request, Zheng Zhuren’s heart settled. “No problem. If it’s convenient for you, we can arrange the exhibition for you tomorrow. As for the exhibition of famous paintings, we’ll need to set aside some time to plan it properly.”

He didn’t give Ye Lang’s paintings much thought.

Ying Guanxiao, understanding the value of those paintings, added, “The security level for tomorrow’s exhibition needs to be raised to the highest. We’ll also arrange for our own personnel to provide protection and minimize the risks as much as possible.”

Zheng Zhuren couldn’t understand their caution. How good could the paintings of an unknown art student be?

Nevertheless, he agreed. “Rest assured.”

“If you don’t mind, would you like to come to my place to see the paintings, Zheng Zhuren?” Ying Guanxiao invited.

“Not at all, not at all,” Zheng Zhuren agreed cheerfully.

Ji Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked down from the railing, surveying the first floor of the Yan City Art Museum.

It was a vast space where visitors walked in twos and threes. Sunlight poured wantonly through the full-length glass wall, casting silent, empty spaces on the red-bricked floor.

The Yan City Art Museum was one of the most famous art museums in the south. Holding an exhibition here shouldn’t disgrace Ye Lang’s paintings, right?

They were truly great paintings.

—Filled with a heart-stopping beauty.

The assistant watched the three of them talking and laughing, stopped recording, and asked suspiciously, “Does that look like a rejection?” It felt more like they had reached an agreement.

“What else?”

Gu Huaiyi stepped onto the escalator.

Holding an exhibition at the Yan City Art Museum wasn’t something you could achieve with money alone.

“True.”

The assistant followed him down the escalator.

But at noon, the Yan City Art Museum’s official account pushed out a notification.

[Yan City Art Museum] Starting this Sunday, we will be holding a week-long contemporary artist exhibition. The featured artist is Ye Lang, a top student who graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts. His paintings are characterized by bold use of color and a strong style… We hope everyone will come and enjoy.

Gu Huaiyi frowned.

The Yan City Art Museum had changed.

Since few people attended art exhibitions, not many paid attention to the Yan City Art Museum’s Sunday exhibition.

But the internet has a memory, and a new post appeared on a gossip forum.

He wasn’t the only one who thought this way.

[A Fang Gong Fu] Ye Lang… is that Ji Wei’s grandfather? Why do I remember him being a madman? Can madmen hold art exhibitions these days?

Because Ji Wei’s name was mentioned, many replies followed.

[It’s the Wind Moving] And at the Yan City Art Museum, no less. Did he just throw money at them to make this happen?

[No Regrets] It’s good to be rich. But probably no one will go.

[An Old Friend is Gone Forever] Didn’t they say Ye Lang slashed his teacher’s hand? His teacher was that Lin Yiqiu from the Lin family, right? Why isn’t he stepping in to stop this?

The replies were all skeptical. He watched for a while and then stopped looking.

After finishing his guqin practice that night, he suddenly felt like checking if the post had been deleted. To his surprise, the entire tone of the post had changed. The top-voted comment was a video link.

He clicked on it—

There were only three people in the video, and the uploader had thoughtfully labeled their names.

They were all from the Lin family…

He only knew of Lin Yiqiu, a very famous art connoisseur and collector.

He looked up Lin Yishen and was shocked; he was a figure who had been on the rich list.

The discussion in the post was already in full swing.

[Creamy Custard Bun] Rich families… are so dirty. If I were Ye Lang, I would have been driven mad too. Although the main culprit was Lin Yishan and Lin Yiqiu was just a bystander, I don’t think he was wronged by having his hand slashed.

[Chestnut Cake] +1, Weiwei’s grandpa had it so rough. If Lin Yishan hadn’t confessed, he’d still be carrying that stigma. He wasn’t born a madman at all.

[Chestnut Kernel] I understand why Ji Wei wanted to hold an exhibition for his grandfather. A top student from the Academy of Fine Arts back then, ruined just like that. What a tragedy.

[Chocolate Milk Tea] Hugs for Weiwei’s grandpa and Weiwei. I want to go see the exhibition.

Gu Huaiyi turned off his phone.

Although many locals in the thread said they would go to the exhibition, he didn’t think they actually would. It was just talk born of sympathy.

He hadn’t understood why Ji Wei would hold an exhibition for his obscure grandfather, but seeing the replies, he figured it out. No one was talking about Ye Lang going mad anymore, so naturally, no one would fear Ji Wei going mad either. Instead, more people sympathized with him.

He suddenly worried that Ji Wei would return to the show.

Could Great Nation’s Artifacts still maintain its ratings…?

He stared silently at the dark screen.

***

The exhibition tomorrow required a photo of Ye Lang for the introduction, but the only ones they could find were extremely low-resolution and difficult to restore even with current technology.

Therefore, Ji Wei decided to paint a portrait of Ye Lang.

He divided the canvas in two.

The left side depicted Ye Lang in the sunlight, while the right side showed Ye Lang in the darkness.

No matter which Ye Lang it was.

It was still Ye Lang.

He painted until five in the morning before finally setting down his brush.

He went to the bathroom and splashed his face with water. Despite pulling an all-nighter, he didn’t feel tired.

This painting was his best work to date.

Lu Shenxing was still at the film set and wouldn’t be back until the afternoon. At eight in the morning, Ji Wei set off with Huang Bo and arrived at the Yan City Art Museum.

There was still an event on the first floor, so Ye Lang’s paintings were arranged for exhibition on the second floor.

But no one went to the second floor.

—Because no one knew who Ye Lang was.

He placed the portrait of Ye Lang at the entrance to the second floor.

It was a portrait nearly two meters tall. Content aside, its sheer size was attention-grabbing.

Xiao Si was a member of the Yan City Art Association and would often accompany his daughter to the museum’s weekend activities.

He glanced curiously toward the second floor. He knew nothing about this person, Ye Lang, and didn’t believe there could be an undiscovered genius, so he hadn’t planned on going up.

But with such a grand display, he felt he had to go see it.

“Should we go up to the second floor?”

He looked down and asked his daughter.

“Okay.”

His daughter nodded obediently.

He took the escalator to the second floor, ignoring the introduction next to the portrait, and walked up to the massive painting.

He stopped abruptly.

“Dad, why did you stop walking?”

His daughter looked up at him.

“Shh—”

He stared intently at the painting, ignoring his daughter.

Compared to common realistic portraits, this was closer to an impressionistic style.

The portrait was split in two: half the face was bathed in light, the other half hidden in darkness.

The two completely different styles merged together in a bizarre harmony, creating an incredibly strong visual impact.

He suddenly wanted to read Ye Lang’s introduction.

Xiao Si’s gaze fell on the description beside it. To be admitted to the Central Academy of Fine Arts at sixteen in that era made one a true prodigy. At twenty-five, he had traveled from Beijing to a border town and then to a distant foreign land, ultimately dying alone.

This painting was a portrayal of half of Ye Lang’s life.

The signature on the painting read: Ye Lang’s Grandson.

—Ji Wei.

They truly are family, connected by blood, he thought to himself.

On the other side of the portrait was an old guqin. Its body was mottled, and two of its rusted silk strings were broken, as if quietly strumming the tales of bygone years.

It wasn’t a fine instrument.

Just a very ordinary Fuxi-style Guqin.

He didn’t know why it was here.

Xiao Si didn’t linger. He took his daughter’s hand and walked forward.

He stopped in front of the first painting. The information in the bottom right corner only had Ye Lang’s name.

This painting had no title.

It depicted a black lake.

Though it was an oil painting, it had the feeling of flowing ink.

The moment he saw the painting, he was completely stunned. If Ji Wei’s painting had impressed him, this one was utterly breathtaking, even though he himself was a painter.

There had never been a painting in this style in the world. Anyone standing before it would be unconsciously drawn in, as if touching Ye Lang’s very soul—a soul that was half flame, half ocean.

All his pain, all his desires, were laid bare before the viewer without reservation.

—A pure, childlike heart.

“Dad, why are you crying?” his daughter asked innocently.

“Am I crying?”

Only then did Xiao Si realize that he had shed tears without knowing it.

—For this painter he had never met.

He looked at the painting in silence. Such an avant-garde style was destined to be unaccepted by many in that era. All of Ye Lang’s talent was buried on the peaks of Kolis.

It was hard to say which was lonelier, the mountain peak or Ye Lang.

But it was alright.

The astonishingly talented Ye Lang, the Ye Lang who had been obscure his entire life, or perhaps the Ye Lang who had died of illness in a foreign land—he was finally shining brightly because of Ji Wei.

As it should have been.