Chapter 141 Becoming an Apprentice

Some time ago, the two visited Mr. Xu again.

When the two arrived, they saw the old man pruning the flowers and plants in the front yard.

The old man was hunched over, and his temples had turned quite white. This year, the weather in Jinghai was cold early, and some of the flowers and plants in the front yard that hadn't been tended to had died on their own.

The old man originally liked to take care of the plants himself. He always felt that only when the owner put their heart and soul into it could they develop a relationship with these flowers and plants.

However, in recent years, Xu Binzhou's health has deteriorated, so he has gradually started hiring outsiders to take care of his home.

When Cong Chun came here again, he was not as reserved as last time. Perhaps he realized that his idol, who was once "out of reach," was actually so approachable in private.

Moreover, this time I also met with Mr. Xu.

Cong Chun also met Mengmeng.

Mengmeng has been staying at Xu Binzhou's home for the time being.

The young master had meant well, thinking that the old man must be very lonely at home all by himself.

Duan Mingxiao couldn't possibly come over to keep him company. The old man would just make him practice calligraphy all day long, and the young master was tired of hearing it.

Duan Mingxiao decided to play the good Samaritan and let Mengmeng, that silly dog, keep him company. Isn't that what the books say? Don't old people like to keep a small animal for companionship?

It's impossible to arrange for Old Man Xu to spend Fridays with him.

Duan Mingxiao was still gloating over there.

[This young master is truly kind.]

Little did he know that sending "Mengmeng" over was practically sending Mr. Xu an "ancestor."

"Mengmeng" looks big and chubby, and its legs are strong and powerful, which has been "torturing" Mr. Xu quite a bit lately.

Duan Mingxiao, that brat, and his dog are all here to bring him down.

The young master is here today to take "Mengmeng" away and raise her by his side.

A few days ago at noon, Mengmeng jumped into the koi pond to "play in the water" and swam around in the pond. She then ran to the garden in the front hall to catch butterflies, her paws covered in mud. Then she ran into the living room and stomped around in the mud.

When Xu Binzhou returned from the restroom, he was angered by the terrible state of the hall.

However, this dog, Mengmeng, is quite adept at reading people's expressions. With its head and ears drooping, it puts on a pitiful act, looking utterly pathetic, but in reality, it's secretly watching Xu Binzhou's reaction with a sly grin.

The old man sighed, "What a tragedy."

However, the more Mr. Xu thought about it that night, the angrier he became. What was that brat Duan Mingxiao doing sending his "son" over here?

She made him miserable, yet she still kept him company! Now it seems she wished he would die sooner.

Xu Binzhou grew angrier the more he thought about it, and sent many voice messages to the young master late at night, the cultured man subtly cursing him.

Rottweilers are such a protective breed, and this brat has raised them to be like this; he's really something.

However, thinking about this reminded Xu Binzhou of something else, which made him even angrier.

Previously, that brat Duan Mingxiao took advantage of his inattention to feed those imported German koi with chili peppers, and the koi actually swallowed them. They went crazy and would turn belly up if they didn't eat the chili peppers.

The usually gentle and refined Mr. Xu was so angry that he couldn't sleep all night.

On the other side, the young master, with his wife in his arms all night, slept soundly.

The next morning, Duan Mingxiao saw fifty voice messages from Xu Binzhou and frowned slightly.

Why would you send a message to this old man in the middle of the night when he's not sleeping?

The old man has gone mad.

Tsk tsk, that's pretty scary.

When the young master clicked on one of the voice messages, it was a curse in the Jinghai dialect.

The gist of it is, "That brat is just a nuisance all day long. Get the dog away from us; it's so annoying to look at."

Cong Chun, on the contrary, was startled. She opened her eyes groggily and glanced at Duan Mingxiao.

Then, the boy turned over and went back to sleep.

Duan Mingxiao rubbed the strands of hair on his head, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.

The elderly don't sleep well, but the young people still need to sleep. It's terrifying to see this so early in the morning.

Duan Mingxiao replied with a message after seeing the barrage of over fifty voice messages from Mr. Xu.

(Oh, I'm busy.)

However, the main reason for the two of them coming here this time was that Cong Chun was traveling alone to F country, because Xu Binzhou had also been hired as a consultant by a construction company in F country, and Xu Binzhou would also be attending this exchange meeting.

Bringing Mengmeng back was just a side effect.

The Rottweiler seemed to have smelled its owner's scent from afar. It happily pawed at Duan Mingxiao and darted out from the side, wagging its tail and barking at him.

Xu Binzhou breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to Duan Mingxiao in a nonchalant tone, clearly indicating that the old man was still holding a grudge.

"Oh, Mengmeng has seen her own kind."

The young master frowned, glanced at Xu Binzhou, and noticed the dark circles under the old man's eyes. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little sorry for the old man.

[Fine, I need Old Man Xu's help with something today, so I won't hold it against him.]

Immediately afterwards, Cong Chun lowered his head, revealing a long, slender neck to the boy, whose obedient black hair clung to his ears. He couldn't see the undercurrents of passion between the teacher and student.

Mengmeng spun around, came to Cong Chun's trouser leg, and sniffed it.

Then, sticking out her tongue, she rolled on the ground, seemingly recognizing Cong Chun, and even tried to act cute and obedient in front of the boy.

Duan Mingxiao spoke to "Mengmeng," who was rolling on the ground.

"Go play by yourself."

"Or I'll send you to school."

There are specialized dog schools in Jinghai that strictly control the dogs' diets, which is probably equivalent to a weight loss training camp for humans. It's a nightmare for Mengmeng, who has a domineering personality.

As soon as these words were spoken, Mengmeng immediately ran to hide behind the artificial hill not far away.

Sure enough, not only children are afraid of "school," but even dogs are afraid of it.

[You stupid dog, how dare you seduce my people in front of me!]

I think we should control its diet. This stupid dog only learns bad habits and doesn't learn anything good. Can't it learn some of my good manners and independence?

[It must be because Butler Chen spoils it too much.]

When Cong Chun heard the young master's thoughts, a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, and he sighed silently in his heart.

But clearly, Mengmeng and the young master look very alike.

Like owner, dog. Cong Chun's own dog, Gegeda, is very well-behaved. Although the two of them can be quite noisy at times, Cong Chun thinks they are still kind of cute.

A moment later, Mr. Xu led the two into the tea room.

Xu Binzhou is considered a "top influencer" in the art world. He has only two students. The first student is Bai Xun, who is currently pursuing a doctorate at one of the top design schools abroad. The other student is Duan Mingxiao.

Over the years, many people have used personal connections to send their children to Xu Binzhou to study painting. There are many second-generation artists in the circle who study art and then go abroad to further their education.

Although Xu Binzhou's family background is quite prestigious in Jinghai City, the old gentleman made his name through genuine talent and learning in his early years.

Xu Binzhou was quite tolerant of these young people who came to him for instruction. He didn't just look at their paintings superficially, and he would also give them serious pointers on a regular basis.

He also created a charity project called "Learning Boat," which uses his own money to provide art classes in primary schools in some underdeveloped areas.

However, as Mr. Xu has gotten older, some people want to send their children to him to learn painting, actually hoping he will take them on as students, but he always politely declines.

Xu Binzhou declined, saying that he was getting old and no longer had the energy to take on students.

Now, whenever he has free time, the elderly man will go to Yenching University to give lectures and give presentations.

I was furious when I found out that Cong Chun's design draft had been replaced. I never thought that there were teachers with such an unhealthy atmosphere at Yenching University.

Upon asking, the old gentleman learned that it was the child from the Lu family, and he couldn't help but sigh.

However, seeing Cong Chun again this time made him consider taking him on as a student. Xu Binzhou asked Cong Chun a few questions during their conversation, and the boy was able to answer them fluently.

In short, he looks much better than that brat.

Xu Binzhou smiled gently at Cong Chun in front of him.

"Xiao Cong, are you free on Saturday and Sunday? My studio is quite big."

"It's a waste to leave it there; you can come and paint here."

“I come here sometimes.”

"You can come and ask me anything. I'm usually in my study in the front hall."

As he spoke, Xu Binzhou placed the studio key on the table in front of Cong Chun.

Cong Chun looked up at the old man, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes. He accepted the key and obediently called Xu Binzhou "teacher".

Cong Chun was radiating happiness.

In contrast, the eldest son reeked of jealousy.

Duan Mingxiao mentioned it to Xu Binzhou, but the old man did indeed have the idea of ​​taking on students.