He is another woman in the world
She withdrew her gaze from Han Xue, a smile playing on her lips, and called out to the crowd, "Everyone, please be patient, or you won't be able to hold on any longer."
"Okay, just focus on your drawing!" Wan Xiaoyi's voice came from where she was, tinged with excitement.
Qi Xu smiled faintly, her gaze returning to the drawing paper. The paintbrush in her hand slowly spread across the paper, outlining the initial lines.
Hao Nan naturally put the frog headgear back on and even made a playful "V" sign, his overflowing energy instantly boosting the emotional value of the scene.
When Qi Xu looked up again, her gaze lingered on him for a moment, and she was inexplicably amused, so she couldn't help but chuckle. He always managed to bring her unexpected joy.
Vivid portraits gradually took shape under her brush, each stroke brimming with life, vividly depicting the appearances of the people.
She only glanced at them three or four times before memorizing the positions of each person and quickly sketching out their general outlines.
After that, everyone relaxed a lot and was able to move freely in the garden, playing and frolicking. Only Qi Xu was left sitting quietly in place, focused on depicting their own lively and joyful scene.
After the group disbanded, Hao Nan still ran straight towards the direction of Qi Xu.
"Why don't you go play with them?" she asked softly, holding her paintbrush and keeping her eyes on the paper.
"Why would I go and join in the fun, to be a third wheel?" His tone was a little aggrieved, but also firm. "Besides, if I stay and talk to you, I can help you pass the time."
Qi Xu understood the deeper meaning in his words, but did not respond. He simply held his pencil calmly and continued to immerse himself in his own world of drawing.
This reaction was exactly what Hao Nan had expected. He didn't expect her to respond. He casually picked up a piece of scrap paper, spread it on the ground, sat down, and quietly watched the people playing not far away, but his gaze would occasionally drift towards Qi Xu's direction.
On the other side, Han Xue had been in a low mood ever since she arrived at the park, her brows furrowed and her face full of worries.
Ting Xubai led her by the hand to a seat, gently placed his hand on her forehead, and asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"I probably didn't cover myself properly last night and caught a chill." She shook her head gently and forced a smile.
"If you're feeling unwell, don't force yourself. You're not without someone to take care of you." Ting Xubai looked at her forced smile, his eyes filled with heartache.
Han Xue's smile vanished instantly, and her eyes darkened.
There are some things that no one can help with, and no one can help with. Not all problems can be solved by outsiders. How could she let him go against his conscience? In the end, she could only shake her head with a bitter smile to herself.
Bai Benyin was overjoyed to be reunited with his long-lost friend, but his joy was completely overshadowed by Han Xue's low spirits.
He knew that no amount of comforting words could ease her sorrow, so he could only gently pull her into his arms, giving her strength with a warm embrace, and then placing a soft kiss on her forehead as a silent comfort.
Han Xue felt the soft touch on her forehead, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a warm current quietly flowed into her heart. She turned around, looked at the man in her arms, and gently stroked his cheek with her fingertips, a smile gradually spreading across her face.
He listened as Bai gazed at her quietly, then took her hand in his, his tone tinged with affection: "It tickles a little."
They smiled at each other, their foreheads gently touching, their eyes seeing only each other.
But Han Xue had a different feeling in her heart, which was out of place with the warm and beautiful scenery in front of her. "You are so good to me, how can I bear to make things difficult for you?"
Qi Xu happened to be drawing Han Xue on the sketch, and remembering her dejected expression just now, his brush paused slightly.
She looked up at the two people sitting on the park bench, chatting happily. She sighed softly and, when she finally put pen to paper, changed Han Xue's originally downcast expression to one filled with a bright smile.
As soon as the painting was finished, Hao Nan excitedly rushed over.
Upon seeing that Qi Xu's figure was missing from the drawing, his face instantly fell: "Where are you? How can you be missing from so many portraits of us, the main character?"
"Uh... I'll take a break first." Qi Xu explained somewhat guiltily. It wasn't that she didn't want to draw herself, but she felt that when drawing herself, she would unconsciously over-beautify herself, which made her less realistic.
In addition, she has a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and when she draws, she always feels that "this is not good enough" or "that is too deliberate", which makes it difficult for her to draw something that she is satisfied with.
She picked up a bottle of mineral water and took a sip. After resting for a while, she gently tore the finished drawing paper off the easel, carefully placed it aside, and then took another sheet of paper, ready to continue drawing.
"Didn't you say you'd draw yourself on it after a short rest?" Hao Nan pressed, his tone somewhat relentless.
"I... I'll finish drawing everyone's portraits first, and then I'll draw mine last. After all, it's my own portrait, so of course I have to be more careful." Qi Xu looked at him with an embarrassed smile, trying to hide her inner conflict.
"You mean, we can draw any portrait of us we want?" Hao Nan's tone was clearly reproachful, but his eyes held a hint of amusement.
Qi Xu was speechless. No matter how she explained, Hao Nan could always find a reason to "roast" her, leaving her speechless.
For a moment, she froze on the spot, unsure whether to pick up her pen or not, and the atmosphere became inexplicably awkward.
"Tired?" Hao Nan's voice suddenly softened, breaking the stalemate.
Qi Xu was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding his change. He had just been scolding himself, so why was he suddenly concerned about her? It was too contradictory.
"Huh?" she responded instinctively.
"If you're tired, I'll draw for you. I promise I'll make you look beautiful," Hao Nan said, his eyes shining with anticipation.
After thinking about it, Qi Xu figured he'd have to draw it sooner or later anyway, so he might as well let him give it a try. He nodded and agreed to the suggestion.
Afterwards, she moved aside from the easel. After focusing on painting for so long, she was exhausted and her palms were sweaty. She just wanted to find a shady spot to rest for a while.
Hao Nan fixed the unfinished painting back onto the easel. Before picking up her brush, she glanced at Qi Xu, who was resting beside her, her eyes full of doting affection, and couldn't help but smile.
He held the paintbrush and carefully sketched Qi Xu's appearance in the blank space of the paper, smiling as he drew, the corners of his mouth never leaving his lips.
Time passed by, the sun gradually set, and Hao Nan remained meticulously seated in front of his easel, focused on painting the last picture.
On the table next to him, there were seven completed paintings scattered around. The brushstrokes and techniques of each painting were very similar to Qi Xu's style, as if they were made by the same person.
He also added two small butterflies next to the portraits of Qi Xu and himself, one purple and one green.
Purple butterflies hovered around Qi Xu, their wings trembling slightly, as if they wanted to fly upwards to see a wider world.
A green butterfly gently landed on Hao Nan's head, resting quietly. Hao Nan's gaze followed the direction of the purple butterfly, as if silently protecting it and creating a safe haven for it.
Even if you don't need me, I will always stay by your side so that you can do what you want to do with peace of mind.
Whenever Hao Nan drew Qi Xu's eyebrows and eyes, the corners of his mouth would unconsciously turn up slightly. His seriousness and focus were more than when he did anything else, and he was full of happiness that he couldn't hide.
On the other side, Qi Xu was sleeping soundly, but a mosquito kept buzzing in her ear, disturbing her peace.
She frowned slightly, feeling increasingly irritated. When she felt a mosquito land near her ear, she groggily raised her hand and swatted it hard. The mosquito landed on her face, stuck to her cheek, and didn't fall off, still bearing a tiny trace of blood.
She was sleeping so soundly that she forgot she was lying on a park bench, not in her bed at home.
She wasn't paying attention when she turned over and fell off the chair with a "hiss" of pain. The pain made her barely open her eyes.
Although Hao Nan was focused on the drawing, his peripheral vision kept glancing at Qi Xu. As soon as she made a sound, he immediately put down his paintbrush, rushed over, and carefully helped her up, letting her sit back down in her chair.
Qi Xu was not fully awake yet, her body was so weak that she felt like she had no bones. She subconsciously leaned on Hao Nan, using his support to steady herself. She was really too tired. She had to work overtime at night to fulfill her promise to the writer Yin Er and draw comics for his works. She could only sleep for 3 hours a day.
Occasionally, I finish early so I can get an extra 3 hours of sleep; I also have to get up early in the morning to paint here, greet customers, and build up my reputation.
She felt her body still sliding down, so she wrapped her arms around Hao Nan's waist to stabilize her position and make herself more comfortable.
This sudden action froze Hao Nan instantly, and his cheeks quickly flushed slightly.
He looked at Qi Xu's soft face and couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch it, his voice extremely soft: "So soft."
Suddenly, his cheek was pinched, and he felt a bit of pain. Qi Xu instantly woke up completely.
She immediately released her arms from Hao Nan's waist and glared at him with displeasure: "Why did you pinch me? You pinched me too hard!"
Hao Nan noticed a small black thing on her cheek, and his tone suddenly became serious: "Don't move."
The sudden seriousness made Qi Xu's heart tighten. She subconsciously thought, "Could it be an insect?" She froze on the spot, even her breathing became shallow: "Is...is there something?"
The next second, Hao Nan gently wiped her cheek with his fingertip, removing the small black spot.
He looked closely and realized it was just a squashed mosquito. He breathed a sigh of relief and a smile returned to his face: "It's okay, it's just a mosquito."
Qi Xu looked at him, not knowing what to say for a moment. Such a small matter was being made so serious. It was really making a fuss over nothing.
She could only smile awkwardly, then got up and walked to the easel, wanting to see how Hao Nan's painting was going.
Picking up the sketch and examining it closely, the first thing that catches the eye is my own portrait. The girl in the painting is as gentle and reliable as a big sister next door. Standing in the crowd, she carries a firm determination to protect her territory. She is both elegant and resilient, with a combination of gentleness and strength, making her exceptionally charming.
The design of the two butterflies, in particular, is a stroke of genius, cleverly highlighting her yearning for freedom and the wider world.
Hao Nan quietly walked up behind her, his voice tinged with anticipation: "Are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied." Qi Xu smiled faintly, then flipped through the other paintings he had drawn.
She had originally wanted to find the ones she had drawn before, but she didn't see them, which surprised her. "Your drawing skills are so good now? The imitations are too good!" Her tone was full of disbelief.
"Of course it's because the master taught well. Who else would an apprentice be like if not the master?" Hao Nan replied with a smile, his tone tinged with pride.
"That makes sense." Upon hearing this, Qi Xu felt a strange sense of superiority, and his smile deepened.
By this time, everyone else who had gone to the nearby shopping malls and attractions had also returned.
"How's the drawing going, our little internet celebrity?" Wan Xiaoyi winked at Qi Xu, her tone light and cheerful.
"Don't you trust my drawing skills? I guarantee they'll be perfect!" Qi Xu replied confidently.
"There's only one painting left. Please wait a moment, it'll be done soon!" Hao Nan quickly sat back down at his easel, picked up his brush, and continued working.
"Tsk tsk, she even has a little assistant to help share the burden, how lucky she is! Unlike me, I don't even have anyone to help share the pressure." Tingyue leaned against a tree, her tone tinged with envy and a hint of complaint.
"You chose this path, so of course you have to take responsibility for it. You're studying law, which means you have to memorize a lot, so what's there to complain about?" Jiang Hui's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction, and he mistakenly thought she was complaining that he couldn't help and was thinking of finding someone else, which made him inexplicably annoyed.
Tingyue hadn't expected that her casual remark would be met with such a lecture, and she immediately became angry: "I was just making a casual remark, why are you taking it so seriously?"
"You're always causing trouble at school, and you don't even let people talk about it?" Jiang Hui's tone became even more aggressive.
"What have I done? Explain yourself!" Tingyue retorted, her voice gradually rising.
The crowd noticed the tension between the two and quickly stepped in to break them up.
Qi Xu, Wan Xiaoyi, and Han Xue pulled Tingyue aside and gently comforted her; the boys pulled Jiang Hui to the other side and advised him to calm down.
Everyone wanted to let the two of them calm down first, so that the good gathering wouldn't end badly.
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