When Huo Junyang arrived at the He family home, the butler personally came out to greet him and respectfully led him to He Nianhui's studio.
He Nianhui had been sitting here all morning, painting non-stop. Huo Junyang slowly approached and, seeing his focused expression, couldn't help but smile slightly.
He Nianhui keenly sensed someone behind him and suddenly looked up.
"Don't misunderstand, I didn't hide behind you on purpose!" Huo Junyang waved his hands hurriedly as if he had done something wrong. "I... I brought the last part of the illustrated novel. Can you take a look and see if there's anything that needs to be changed?"
He Nianhui glanced at it, and after a long while said in a low voice, "Your drawing is already very good, it doesn't need to be changed."
"Really?" Huo Junyang scratched his head. "But last time my aunt saw these, she knew that one of them was painted by you... Actually, when it comes to artistic talent, I'm really not as good as you."
"Young Master Huo is too modest!" He Nianhui scoffed lightly, turning back to continue focusing on his painting. His face was still pale, and he was thin, but his handsome and angular face revealed an innate untamed spirit.
He seemed indifferent to everything, as if he had taken life and death lightly, and there was always a nameless sadness in his dark brown eyes.
“Hey,” Huo Junyang sat on the windowsill, facing him, “once this part of the drawings is handed in, my work will be finished. We’ve had a pleasant working relationship during this time!”
He Nianhui ignored him.
"Um... I was wondering if you'd be interested in continuing our collaboration?"
"Um?"
"Hey, you should know I have a studio, right? My wife and I run it together!" Huo Junyang grinned. "My studio is pretty well-known, and my wife is even more impressive; she's sold quite a few IPs! If you'd like, come to our studio, and let's paint together, how about it?"
"Um."
"We've known each other for a while now. We met at a comic convention and hit it off really well, right? Hehe, I think we have a lot of similar ideas, so drawing together in the future is definitely no problem!"
"Um……"
"Hey, stop making those 'uh-huh' noises! Say something!"
He Nianhui frowned, raised his eyes, and looked somewhat impatient and helpless.
Huo Junyang didn't mind his indifference at all and still spoke to him with a smile.
“Young Master Huo,” He Nianhui’s face scrunched up, “Are you bored out of your mind?”
"..."
"If you're really that free, how about we have a drawing contest?"
Huo Junyang's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.
The two were drawing each other's faces. Huo Junyang sat on the windowsill, and He Nianhui sat on a stool, both of them intently drawing each other's likenesses.
The studio was so quiet that the only sound was the soft scratching of the brush.
It was obvious that He Nianhui was faster. While Huo Junyang had just finished sketching the outline, He Nianhui had already begun to depict the details. At this moment, a beam of light shone in, and Huo Junyang, with his back to the windowsill, seemed to be plated with a layer of gold. His handsome face, illuminated by the sunlight, appeared even more dashing.
He truly is like a little sun, bringing warmth to others wherever he goes; the warmth in his eyes seems to dispel all unhappiness.
He Nianhui suddenly stopped writing and stared at him blankly. For some reason, the moment he saw his smile, his heart seemed to skip a beat.
"Hey, why did you stop drawing?" Huo Junyang laughed heartily. "If you don't work hard, I'm going to surpass you!"
He Nianhui snapped out of her daze, her face flushed slightly, and she abruptly dropped her paintbrush.
"Huh?" Huo Junyang was taken aback. "This..."
"This is boring!" He Nianhui spat out these three words heavily, then got up and walked away.
Huo Junyang didn't know what was wrong. This guy was too unpredictable. He had only said that as a joke!
He reached over to peek into He Nianhui's sketchbook, only to discover a thick stack of drawings beneath the easel. Curiosity compelled him to pick them up and look, and once he started, he couldn't stop.
Although each one is a draft, He Nianhui's drafts are so exquisite that they are comparable to the finished works of some comic studios.
The paintings are exquisitely drawn, captivating even before they've been colored. With his honed market sense honed over the years, Huo Junyang was certain this work would be a huge hit.
"Is this a comic you drew?" he couldn't help but ask. "It's really good! Not only are the illustrations beautiful, but the storyline is also great!"
"He Nianhui, you create your own comics, why don't you ever mention it?"
"You..." He Nianhui tilted his head slightly, his expression complicated, "Why are you looking at this!"
"I saw it by accident, it was placed under this easel... What, you won't let me see it?"
He Nianhui waved his hand, turned his face away, and after a long while said in a gentle voice, "You, you like to watch?"
"It looks amazing! If it can sell, it'll be a huge hit!"
“But the main characters are two boys…” he lowered his voice, “Won’t people dislike that?”
Huo Junyang smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Brother, who says the main characters have to be a man and a woman?"
He Nianhui was somewhat surprised and stared at him blankly.
“This special feeling deserves respect,” Huo Junyang said earnestly. “As long as you dare to face it, have the courage to admit it, and abide by morality, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.”
"you……"
"Hey, you didn't know, did you?" Huo Junyang said in a low voice, "My dad, when he was young..."
"Just what?"
Huo Junyang paused, unsure whether he should tell him about the King of Hejin. After all, it was his father's private matter, and it seemed inappropriate to publicize it.
"Hehe, it's nothing!" He scratched his head. "Anyway, I don't think it's wrong! This world should be about finding common ground while respecting differences. You may disagree, but you can't disrespect others!"
He Nianhui stared at him blankly for a long time, the icy glint in his eyes seeming to melt away quietly. He smiled too, walked to the window, and felt the warm sunlight on his face. This feeling of being treated so gently was wonderful…
After a long pause, he mumbled three words: "Thank you."
"What?"
He Nianhui did not repeat himself, but simply smiled faintly.
In fact, from the moment he met Huo Junyang at a comic convention many years ago, he knew that he was different from ordinary people.
Unexpectedly, this difference earned Huo Junyang's respect.
"Huo Junyang".
"Um?"
"Sister Song Wan...is very important to you, right?"
Huo Junyang smiled. "She's my aunt! Do you think she's important or not?"
He Nianhui nodded, the icy coldness in his eyes fading, replaced by a firmer resolve. "Then... I will protect her well!"
He would protect anyone who was important to him. Besides, Song Wancai should be his sister!
"Hey, you should take care of yourself first!" Huo Junyang patted his shoulder. "By the way, why don't you tell your parents about He Yining treating you like this?"
He Nianhui stiffened, and after a long while, he said softly, "I already said that..."
"What?"
“I told them,” he said with a wry smile, “but believe it or not, not a single one of them listened to me!”
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