“That’s right. I saw you shine at the art exhibition and I was jealous of your outstanding performance at such a young age. I lost my balance and neglected you. I shouldn’t have had such thoughts. We are friends and should treat each other sincerely. I have figured it out now. Your achievements are exactly what I want to see. I am happy for you. Zhizhi, I’m sorry. I will never do that again. From now on, you will be the main flower and I will be the supporting leaf. I am willing to be your foil for life.”
"Is that all?" Qiao Zhizhi said lightly, but with a chilling force.
She didn't feel that Wu Qingjin kneeling before her shortened her lifespan; Wu Qingjin had plotted against her, and was already burdened with sin.
Wu Qingjin was convinced that her attitude in admitting her guilt was impeccable, so what else did Qiao Zhizhi want to hear?
"Zhizhi, I've said everything I needed to say. I sincerely apologize to you and hope you can forgive me and let's be friends again. I will show you my sincerity."
Qiao Zhizhi looked at her calmly: "You asked me to be realistic in ink painting, saying that it's popular now. But after I learned about it, I found out that Dazeguo has always been mainly freehand. With the limited skills and types of paint, trying to be realistic will only backfire and make the painting look stiff and clumsy. I tried it as you suggested, and the painting was unwatchable."
“If I exhibit paintings like these, I’ll only be met with criticism and ridicule. Isn’t that the situation you want to see?”
"You invited so many noble ladies and gentlemen who have connections with you, and many of those celebrities are also family friends of your Wu family. You're just waiting for them to unanimously trample me into the mud and destroy all my confidence."
"You come to apologize to me, but you're avoiding the main issue. Do you think that will prevent me from seeing your true colors? You're approaching me now because you must have other plans. Anyway, I've already seen what kind of person you are. Why don't you tell me what else you want to do?"
Qiao Zhizhi's words, which revealed the truth, were like heavy hammer blows to Wu Qingjin's heart, leaving her speechless and unable to find a rebuttal.
Her utterly hypocritical pretense was thus peeled away layer by layer, and now she knelt on the ground, like a clown with nowhere to hide.
"That's not how it is, Zhizhi, listen to me. Someone told me that realism might become popular. Look at your realistic oil paintings now, aren't they very popular? That proves I was right. I've made things right for you, Zhizhi." Wu Qingjin racked her brains a few times and came up with this explanation, which should be enough to cover it up.
But now, Qiao Zhizhi has matured by two years and is not so easily fooled.
"The oil painting caused a great sensation because its highly realistic effect was amazing. It was something that you and everyone else did not expect. It is difficult to achieve in ink painting. You asked me to add strokes to ink painting, which is superfluous, and you said it was to fulfill my wishes."
“If it were really as you said, I should be hiding at home right now, enduring the storms outside, not even daring to leave the house, while you were hypocritically comforting me and continuing to pretend to be my friend, all the while stepping on me to gain a bigger reputation.”
Wu Qingjin's knees ached from kneeling, and Qiao Zhizhi didn't believe anything she said, instead mercilessly exposing her lies.
Seeing Qiao Zhizhi's indifferent face and attitude of completely disregarding their past friendship, Wu Qingjin knew that she had come and knelt in vain today, and could not even sway Qiao Zhizhi's heart.
"Qiao Zhizhi, you've said such harsh words. You really don't consider me a friend at all."
Wu Qingjin pressed her knees and slowly stood up, her tone filled with hatred.
"You're the one who went too far. I was just stating the facts." Qiao Zhizhi's lips curled into a cold smile. "From the day you plotted against me, we were no longer friends."
"You are not welcome at the Qiao family's door. If you have any shame, then never show your face again."
Wu Qingjin also laughed, adopting a hostile stance.
"Do you really think that just because you've become famous in the Prince of Guangping's mansion, you can rest easy forever?"
"You owe everything you have today to me, and I will make you pay it all back."
Qiao Zhizhi nodded slightly: "You've torn off the mask, that's good. Otherwise, watching you act would have been exhausting."
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