Chapter 114 Her in the Painting
When Lin Xili opened her eyes, the first thing she felt was the soreness in her limbs, and then she felt the arm across her waist and the warm chest pressed against her back.
Huo Nanchen, unusually, didn't get up so early today. She remembered how Huo Nanchen had been unrestrained last night, taking her again and again until she begged for mercy in a hoarse voice before he would let her go.
Is this chive and pig tail soup really that amazing?
"woke up?"
Lin Xili turned around and met Huo Nanchen's clear eyes. It turned out that he had been awake for a long time and had just been waiting for her.
"Mmm," she responded, her voice still a little hoarse.
Huo Nanchen reached out and touched her cheek, his thumb gently stroking the faint dark circles under her eyes: "Are you still tired?"
She nodded.
"I'll get you some water," Huo Nanchen said, getting out of bed.
Lin Xili grabbed his wrist: "No need, lie down for a while longer."
Huo Nanchen obediently lay back down and pulled her into his arms again.
The two embraced quietly in the morning light, listening to the sounds of the town gradually waking up outside the window.
"The children should be awake by now," Lin Xili said softly.
"I've already cooked breakfast. They'll take good care of themselves. This morning, we'll take them out for a fun day."
After washing up and going downstairs, Huo Nanchen placed the things Lin Xili had prepared for the trip the day before on the living room floor.
Two backpacks were neatly placed on the living room floor. One contained water and snacks, while the other contained an easel, canvas, and paints.
Lin Xili looked at the art supplies with some surprise: "This is..."
“Xiyu said she wanted to draw last night, so I went out to buy some.”
Huo Nanchen explained calmly, but Lin Xili noticed that his gaze lingered on the easel for a little longer.
Grandma Huo came out of the kitchen with breakfast in her hands. When she saw them, her eyes crinkled with a smile: "You're up? Come and have breakfast. The weather is nice today, perfect for an outing."
At the dining table, Huo Xining and Huo Xiyu were already sitting upright. The two children were wearing sportswear that allowed them to move around easily, and their little faces were full of anticipation.
"Uncle, Aunt, can we really go boating today?" Huo Xining asked, his eyes sparkling.
"Okay." Huo Nanchen put a steamed bun on her plate. "We'll go boating on the lake in the morning and go hiking in the afternoon."
"Great!" Huo Xining swung his legs excitedly, then immediately realized it was against the rules and quickly sat up straight, but he couldn't hide the smile on his lips.
Huo Xiyu then looked at the easel: "Uncle, is that for me?"
"Yes." Huo Nanchen nodded. "Didn't you want to paint landscapes?"
"Thank you, Uncle."
Grandma Huo would occasionally serve food to Lin Xili, but her loving eyes held a hint of mischief.
Lin Xili thought of the soup and then of last night, and her face flushed slightly. She quickly buried her head and began to eat the porridge seriously.
After breakfast, as Huo Nanchen was packing his backpack, Lin Xili suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, shall we go to the kiln tonight? Let's bring Grandma, just like the farm you took me to two years ago during the Spring Festival, so the children can experience it too."
"Perfect timing. A new oven-baked food shop just opened behind the house. It's run by the son of the previous owner. The taste should be about the same."
"Then it's settled." Lin Xili smiled.
"Great!" Huo Xining was even happier to hear that.
The lake water was crystal clear in the morning.
Two small wooden boats were rented. Huo Nanchen took Huo Xiyu in one boat, and Lin Xili took Huo Xining in the other. The two boats were rowed side by side and slowly moved towards the center of the lake.
Huo Xining was a little nervous at first, his little hands gripping the edge of the boat tightly.
But after Lin Xili taught her how to row, she quickly grasped the essentials, her little face full of excitement.
"Auntie, do you think I'm paddling well?" The little girl paddled hard, her face flushed and covered in fine beads of sweat.
"Very good." Lin Xili smiled and adjusted the direction. "Take a little more to the left, and we'll catch up with Uncle and the others."
On the other boat, Huo Xiyu behaved quite differently. He sat quietly, his gaze sweeping across the lake, mountains, and sky, as if sketching a picture in his mind.
Huo Nanchen rowed the boat, occasionally explaining some natural knowledge to him, such as which water birds are migratory birds, which mountains have legends, and which plants can be used as medicine.
"Uncle knows so much," the little boy said earnestly.
Huo Nanchen's voice was calm: "Books are knowledge."
When they reached the center of the lake, the two boats stopped.
Huo Nanchen took out water and snacks from his backpack, and the four of them had lunch on the boat.
“I wanted to draw while hiking this afternoon,” Huo Xijue suddenly said.
"Okay." Huo Nanchen nodded. "Bring your easel and paints."
The afternoon hike took place on a small but scenic hill near the town.
The mountain path was gentle and suitable for children to walk on. Huo Xining was like a cheerful little bird along the way, asking about everything he saw.
Huo Xiyu was much more composed, but her eyes also shone with curiosity.
When they reached a wide, flat area halfway up the mountain, Huo Nanchen stopped and said, "Let's rest here for a bit."
The view is excellent, overlooking the entire town. The houses with their blue bricks and gray tiles are arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, the streets are like a chessboard, and the fields in the distance are golden.
Further away, the mountains stretched out in a continuous range, perfectly clear under the summer sun.
Huo Xiyu put down his backpack, took out his easel and canvas, carefully adjusted the angles, and then began to mix colors.
Lin Xili and Huo Nanchen sat on a rock to the side, while Huo Xining watched his brother draw, occasionally asking his brother to add his own ideas.
“He’s very serious,” Lin Xili said softly.
"Hmm." Huo Nanchen's gaze fell on the little boy's focused profile. "He looks like his mother."
These words were spoken softly, but Lin Xili understood their meaning. Lu Qingshu was the kind of person who gave her all to everything she did.
Whether it's her work in the judiciary, her responsibilities as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Huo family, or her role as a mother.
But looking at Huo Xijue, who was so composed at such a young age, she thought he must be quite like Huo Nanchen when he was young.
Huo Xining seemed to unleash his true self upon arriving in the town; he was lively and energetic, just like the childhood Lin Xili had always dreamed of.
Huo Xiyu was very engrossed in her painting, occasionally pausing to observe before continuing.
About an hour later, a watercolor landscape painting was completed, capturing the panoramic view of the town, the layers of the mountains, and the colors of the fields with remarkable accuracy.
"Brother, you draw so well!"
Huo Xiyu smiled shyly and began to pack up her art supplies. At that moment, Huo Nanchen walked over.
“Xiyu,” he squatted down to be at eye level with the child, “can you borrow my drawing after you finish drawing?”
"Sure, Uncle, do you want to draw too?"
Huo Nanchen took the easel and adjusted it somewhat awkwardly: "Hmm, paint one."
Lin Xili's heart skipped a beat.
She looked at Huo Nanchen, the man who had kept his paintbrush away for over twenty years because of his mother's situation, and who was now picking it up again.
Huo Xiyu stepped aside and watched curiously with her sister.
Huo Nanchen laid out a new sheet of paper, mixed colors, and then looked up, his gaze falling on Lin Xili.
In that instant, Lin Xili understood.
Huo Xiyu understood, "Uncle, are you going to draw Auntie?"
"Um!"
Huo Nanchen watched her as she dipped her paintbrush into the palette and made her first stroke on the paper.
Lin Xili sat on the rock, suddenly feeling a little nervous.
She wanted to fix her hair and adjust her posture, but Huo Nanchen said, "Don't move, just stay like this."
His voice was calm, but Lin Xili could hear the tremor in it—not the tremor of fear, but the tremor of emotion.
She quieted down, maintaining a natural sitting posture, and met his gaze.
The wind ruffled her hair, and she gently tucked it behind her ear. Huo Nanchen caught this gesture and quickly moved his paintbrush across the paper.
Huo Xining whispered to his brother, "Uncle is drawing so carefully."
Huo Xiyu nodded: "Uncle drew Aunt's likeness, as if he were looking at something very precious."
Children speak without thinking, yet they reveal the truth.
Lin Xili's heart was gently touched by these words.
She looked at Huo Nanchen, and at that moment, she truly felt his change.
The man who had buried his paintbrush in the dust because of childhood trauma, the man who was burdened with guilt because of his mother's death, has now picked up his paintbrush again.
This is not simply painting; it is a ritual of reconciliation with the past. In this way, he is letting go of his guilt and wholeheartedly accepting her, their present, and their future.
Tears welled up without her realizing it, and Lin Xili blinked hard, not wanting to ruin the moment.
About forty minutes later, Huo Nanchen put down his paintbrush.
He stared at the drawing for a long time, then looked up at Lin Xili and said, "It's finished."
Lin Xili stood up and walked over. When she saw the drawing of herself sitting on a rock, her breath hitched slightly.
The painting captures the spirit of the subject perfectly: her slightly tilted head, the gentle light in her eyes, the strands of hair blowing in the wind, and the soft smile on her lips.
"It's...very well drawn." Lin Xili's voice was a little choked up.
Huo Nanchen looked at the painting, then at her, and said, "You've become rusty."
"No, it's very good." Lin Xili repeated, reaching out to gently touch her own face on the drawing paper. "It's really good."
Huo Xiyu and Huo Xining also came over to look, and the little girl exclaimed, "Uncle drew Auntie so beautifully!"
Huo Xijue added, "Uncle captured Aunt's essence."
Huo Nanchen carefully took the painting down, rolled it up, and put it into the painting tube. "Let's go back. We need to prepare for the kiln firing tonight."
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