Chapter 193 Commission

Xiao Jiang took a picture of the advertisement flyer that Xiao Tao posted on her WeChat Moments with his phone, and went to the art studio according to the address on the flyer.

"Dreamcatcher Studio" is located in the old town, on an old street full of art. The buildings along the street are antique and the walls are covered with graffiti created by street artists.

But a closer look reveals the unique feature of this art studio—it's shabby.

The signboard hanging at the entrance, "Dreamcatcher," had several patches of paint peeling off, as if time had gnawed at it, revealing the mottled wooden planks beneath. Two potted plants by the entrance drooped listlessly, seemingly lamenting their miserable fate of lacking water and fertilizer.

Xiao Jiang took a deep breath, calmed his nervousness, and gently pushed open the door.

"Creak—" The old wooden door let out a painful groan.

The studio was filled with a faint smell of paint mixed with the scent of paper—the unique aroma of art. The walls were covered with all sorts of paintings, but some had yellowed and curled edges, as if they might fall at any moment. The frames were also uneven; some were simply nailed together from old wooden strips, while others were even just taped to the wall.

Well, to put it simply, they were extremely poor.

Looking inside, you can see a slender, tall woman with her back to the door, standing in front of an easel, intently painting.

She had long, jet-black hair with slightly curled ends, and a few strands of purple highlights shimmered with a mysterious luster in the sunlight.

She wore a black cropped top, black ripped jeans, and black combat boots with sharp metal plates on the uppers that made a slight clinking sound with her movements.

The woman wore a row of exquisite earrings, from her earlobe to her ear cartilage, of various sizes and shapes, including star-shaped and skull-shaped, which shimmered with a cold light when they moved.

Of course, that's not the most impressive part; the most impressive part is the painting she's currently working on.

The painting depicts a majestic God of Wealth standing on a cloud, surrounded by swirling mist, with coins continuously pouring down from his money bag...

The woman's painting skills are superb; her use of lines is delicate and precise. Whether it's the outline of the clouds or the hair and clothing of the immortals, everything is depicted perfectly, flowing naturally. The transitions of colors are even more natural and seamless, as if real light and shadow are flowing on the canvas.

100 points in drawing skills.

As for the theme...

At least, they were very devout!

Hearing the door open, the woman didn't even turn her head, only saying indifferently, "No card." Her tone was as cold as an ice cellar, as if it could freeze the surrounding air.

Xiao Jiang was a little embarrassed: "No, no, I'm not selling anything. I want to learn to paint. Are you the owner?"

The woman then turned around.

Her skin was so fair it was almost translucent, and her eyes were like deep, dark pools with mysterious dark green pupils. The corners of her eyes were slightly upturned, and her gaze conveyed a sense of untamed freedom and aloofness, as if nothing in the world could catch her eye.

She looked Xiao Jiang up and down, her expression amused: "Even in this state, you still want to learn to paint?"

"..." Xiao Jiang understood that the mysterious studio owner had already noticed the mismatch between her body and soul. She clenched her fist and said firmly, "Yes, I want to learn to paint."

The studio owner nodded slightly, put down his paintbrush, walked to the front desk, and casually opened an old sketchbook, handing it to Xiao Jiang.

"Draw something for me to see, one minute limit."

This is probably to see her drawing skills.

Xiao Jiang nodded cautiously, took a pencil from the pen holder next to him, and, in about forty seconds, drew a cute chibi-style picture of the studio owner. Although it was just a few simple strokes, he captured the essence of the owner perfectly.

The studio owner glanced at it and commented, "Not bad."

She teaches students based on their talent; those without talent are not qualified to waste her time.

Then she took a piece of paper out of the cabinet and placed it in front of Xiao Jiang: "Take a look and decide which class to sign up for. My suggestion is the advanced one."

The paper contained a neatly square table with the prices for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes listed separately.

Beginner level: 2400 yuan for six months, 4500 yuan for one year.

Intermediate: 3600 yuan for six months, 6800 yuan for one year.

Advanced: 5,000 yuan for six months, 9,500 yuan for one year.

Two classes are held each week, with each class lasting two hours.

Based on this calculation, the advanced class costs less than 50 yuan per hour, while the beginner class costs only 20 yuan per hour.

Master Yu is right, this price is indeed very cheap.

However, this kind of class arrangement is generally aimed at primary and secondary school students who regard drawing as a hobby.

Jiang, who looks 17, said, "Two classes a week might not be enough for me. I want to have classes every day."

Upon hearing this, the art studio owner was taken aback for a moment, then his previously cold voice suddenly warmed up: "Very good, you have good taste. My name is Meng Yuan, what's yours?"

Xiao Jiang hesitated and said, "I... my current name on my ID card is Jiang Tianci, but I'll probably change it later. Boss, you can just call me Xiao Jiang."

“Your level is good enough for the advanced class. Normally, there are two classes a week, but if you want to attend classes every day, then…” Meng Yuan thought for a moment, “I’ll give you 20,000.”

She wasn't really sure how much she should charge, since there was no precedent for this.

Xiao Jiang's pupils dilated in shock: So cheap?!

Seeing that she didn't speak, Meng Yuan assumed she thought it was too expensive, so she softened her tone a little: "It's not that we can't discuss it further..."

Xiao Jiang: "It's okay, it's okay, this price is very good."

Meng Yuan nodded, though she didn't smile, she seemed quite happy. She took a blank contract from the drawer and had Xiao Jiang fill in his personal information.

After Xiao Jiang finished filling it out, Meng Yuan took it back and began to fill in the numbers on it, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

When she got to the last line for the referrer, she asked, "Who referred you? Tell me, I need to give them a commission."

Xiao Jiang: "......" This is too honest. When ordinary people do business, how can they openly ask consumers if they have such questions?

But since she had been asked, she honestly answered, "Xiao Tao."

Meng Yuan frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "You... know Xiao Tao?"

Xiao Jiang said, "My former boss knows General Manager Zhang." Knowing she couldn't hide it any longer, she briefly told Meng Yuan about what had happened to her recently. She also mentioned that General Manager Zhang should be at the police station right now, confronting General Manager Yu.

Upon hearing Zhang Mo's name, Meng Yuan paused for a moment, then said calmly, "I understand."

After Xiao Jiang paid, Meng Yuan and she added each other on WeChat.

Then, Meng Yuan deftly put on a pure white motorcycle jacket and said to Xiao Jiang, "You can go home for now. Classes start tomorrow. I need to go out for a bit."

Xiao Jiang was eager to get along with Meng Yuan, and seeing her hurried manner, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is there something urgent? Do you need my help?"

While straightening her clothes, Meng Yuan said, "President Zhang is too rich now, and she probably wouldn't care about my commission. So I can only repay her favor in another way."