Chapter 37
This was the first time Chi Xia had seen such a painting. It used fine, delicate brushstrokes to depict fantasy in a realistic way. She squatted down, staring at the cross-section. The texture of flesh and blood, the structure of organs, and even the vacuoles and the angle of light refraction inside were as real as a photograph.
Chi Xia looked at each of the works one by one. The main subject of each work was a living creature: rabbits, mice, fish, insects, birds, and even mutated arthropods. There was a variety of animals. Each animal had a neatly cut opening on its body, with the skin torn open from both sides to reveal the tissues and organs inside. Some were cut from the chest cavity, some from the abdomen, and some from the head...
Feng Xu arranged the paintings from left to right according to time, saying, "Take a close look."
Following the timeline arranged by Feng Xu, Chi Xia saw that the cross-sections of the animals had become infected, necrotic, and oozing pus, and later even grew into deformed shapes with terrifying tentacles.
Feng Xu pointed to one of the very abstract worms. The cross-section disappeared, and the skin was transparent, revealing mutated granular fungi inside. The disgusting nature of those fungi was comparable to maggots in feces. "This is real. I have seen it in Professor Yu's laboratory. I have had professionals compare what you see here, and it is a perfect one-to-one reproduction."
Aside from the initial discomfort, Chi Xia calmly picked up a card and said, "He is very talented."
The Feng family used to receive these blood-soaked packages every day. Madam Feng would go crazy whenever she saw them. Feng Xu said, "You call this talent?"
Seeing that Chi Xia didn't seem to care, Feng Xu led her further inside to a display stand surrounded by green plants. "I hope you won't be too surprised later."
Two large display stands, each nearly two meters tall. Feng Xu unveiled one of them with a white cloth covering it. Chi Xia was slightly shocked. This was actually a cross-section of Feng Xu, with his height in proportion. It was so realistic that it looked like a real person standing in front of you. He had an authoritative and handsome face, and even the mole above his eyebrow was exactly the same.
Unfortunately, the image cuts the skin in half from the Adam's apple, revealing the Adam's apple bone, neck muscles, arteries, collarbone, ribs, and internal organs beneath the bone...
It is displayed in its entirety before people's eyes.
Chi Xia looked at the layer of skin that had turned outwards, down to the fine hairs on the skin, which shimmered in the sunlight. "It's obvious that he likes you a lot."
Feng Xu frowned. "You like the kind of thing that involves peeling away layers and deconstructing details? Would you want it?"
Chi Xia: "..."
How could one observe with such meticulous detail to replicate such an almost obsessive realism? Feng Xu looked at his cross-section, and even his usually calm face showed a rare crack. He pointed to his heart, "How did he know there was a white spot here?"
Chi Xia leaned closer and indeed saw the white dot Feng Xu had mentioned. Staring at it for a few seconds, she could even feel the heart beating and the blood vessels wrapped around it tightening and loosening.
“There’s a reason I asked you for help,” Feng Xu said, lifting the painting next to him.
Chi Xia was completely dumbfounded. Her short, neat, and unpretentious appearance was vividly portrayed on the paper. Her wet hair dripping water looked like icicles, exuding a chilling aura. Her movements of looking down and looking up were like a barrage of arrows, as if she would jump out and snap someone's neck at any moment.
Feng Xu: "If I'm not mistaken, this is you."
Chi Xia calmed down and smiled faintly, "Amazing talent."
Feng Xu became serious. "I don't think this is any kind of talent. These terrible things are not art."
Chi Xia turned around and looked at Feng Xu coldly, "Then what do you think art is?"
"Don't you think he has serious psychological problems?"
Chi Xia: "Then you should see a doctor. I'm a teacher."
Feng Xu pointed at the painting, "If this is what you really look like, I don't believe you're a teacher."
"If this is my true appearance, aren't you afraid I'll go down and snap your brother's neck?" Chi Xia retorted.
Feng Xu sighed, "Name your price."
As expected of a domineering CEO, he's incredibly wealthy and powerful.
"Brother!" Tong Yue ran to the door, panting heavily, looking at the two people inside in disbelief.
Feng Xu regained his composure. "Didn't I tell you to stay downstairs?"
Tong Yue walked in nervously, and seeing the paintings she had hidden behind her back displayed one by one on the floor, her heart sank further. Hesitantly, she approached, her face pale, and cautiously glanced at Feng Xu, "Brother..."
Chi Xia: "Mr. Feng, please go out first. I have something to say to Tong Yue alone."
Tong Yue watched Feng Xu's departing figure, his eyes reddening, his fingers twisting together. He seemed never to have imagined that his secret would be torn open so ruthlessly one day.
Feng Xu closed the door for the two of them, and Chi Xia squatted down to pick up the paintings one by one and stack them neatly.
Tong Yue looked at Chi Xia, standing there at a loss, "Will you think I'm a monster?"
Chi Xia placed the painting down and sat on the ground. "What's so strange about X-ray vision?"
Tong Yue was taken aback for a moment, then her eyes flickered, "Teacher?"
"sit."
The two sat together on the floor of the adjoining studio, the windows closed, the air inside thickened by the dye.
Chi Xia asked in a very soft tone, "Were you scared when you first saw it?"
Tong Yue turned to look at Chi Xia. Secrets should be kept deep inside, but secrets that are extraordinary can make people uneasy. He looked at Chi Xia's indifferent eyes and nodded.
Chi Xia: "I remember saying in class that there is no good or bad in talent. I saw today that you are using your talent very well and becoming more and more skilled."
Tong Yue asked, somewhat dejectedly, "Brother, are you very disappointed?"
Chi Xia instantly understood Tong Yue's deliberate attempts to please her. She reached out and touched the boy's soft hair. "Although it's cruel, I have to tell you the truth: he was frightened by you."
Tong Yue lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes, but Chi Xia relaxed her brows. "But I'm relieved."
Tong Yue slowly raised her head and looked at Chi Xia. Seeing this teacher who was always cold and aloof, she smiled faintly and said, "Before I saw these things, I thought you liked your brother. You know, that kind of liking."
Tong Yue frowned at first, then smiled, "Even if I'm gay, he's still my brother, my half-brother."
"You're trying to please him and get close to him because you hope that one day when the secret is exposed, he'll give you a buffer out of brotherhood. Don't worry, he cares about you, and even if he's wrong, his intentions are good."
"I know, I'm just worried."
Chi Xia: "Come on, help me check if there's anything wrong with my body inside?"
"Teacher, you are really... Okay, let me take a closer look at you. Your heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs are all healthy, and your uterus is healthy too. Let me take another look..."
The two stayed in the studio for nearly an hour. For the first time, Tong Yue opened up to someone and talked about his talent. Chi Xia listened with great interest. It was really interesting to hear someone have a talent that could "painlessly dissect" a person.
Feng Xu believed it was a talent stemming from a terrible mental illness. In Chi Xia's view, Tong Yue had already seen through the superficial aspects of humanity and understood the true nature of humanity, with her painting being the best proof.
It's utterly absurd that such a genius would be disliked.
When they came downstairs, Ye Feng and President Feng had already finished their conversation. Feng Xu sat with them, and Madam Feng sat beside them, holding her son's hand.
The other two illegitimate children also returned. Chi Xia took a close look at them. One of them sat upright and looked aloof. He should be the one from Class 1 who had good grades. The other sat on the sofa with his legs hanging on the mahogany armrest, playing games by himself and ignoring everyone else.
As Chi Xia and Tong Yue went downstairs, the group of people looked up at the same time. Tong Yue's eyes darted around, while Chi Xia continued down the stairs expressionlessly, stood among the group, and said goodbye.
The whole family stood up, and Feng Xu said, "I'll see them off."
Stepping out of the living room, the night air bathed his shoulders. Ye Feng felt a little annoyed and looked down at Chi Xia, "What were you talking about? You talked for so long."
Chi Xia: "It's none of your business."
Ye Feng glanced at Feng Xu, suppressing his resentment.
Feng Xu thought that Teacher Chi Xia would say something to him alone, but unfortunately the teacher remained silent the whole way. When he saw the car, Feng Xu said, "Feng, I have something I want to say to Teacher Chi alone."
Ye Feng nodded and went to the car first.
Feng Xu: "Are you encouraging him to use what you call talent?"
Chi Xia: "Mr. Feng wants to stop it?"
Feng Xu: "I have never heard of anyone having the talent to dissect a person with bloody eyes."
Chi Xia: "You can guide him to observe other things instead of simply covering his eyes."
Feng Xu sighed softly, pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked down, and when he looked up, his eyes were full of scrutiny. "Just who are you?"
Chi Xia: "You see, you also rely on his talent to make judgments. People shouldn't be so hypocritical. Use what you like and stifle what you hate."
Feng Xu unconsciously clenched his fists, watching Chi Xia prepare to leave, but then suddenly turned around, smiled, and said, "Nice figure."
Long after the car drove away, Feng Xu remained standing there, like a crack in the ground, until a childish yet hesitant voice came from behind, "Brother..."
In the car, Chi Xia closed her eyes to rest. Both of her bracelets vibrated. She should have looked at the one Ye Feng gave her first, but she turned on her own.
Xin Ran: I'm done. Where are you?
Chi Xia replied: On my way home.
Xinran replied instantly: OK.
Ye Feng glanced at Chi Xia in the car rearview mirror. "Who sent you a message?"
Chi Xia tossed out a sentence, "That's none of your business either." Then she continued looking at the bracelet Ye Feng had given her, where the tracking expert had replied.
Address: Old Capital, Affiliation: Still under investigation.
Chi Xia replied: Received, thank you.
The other party replied instantly: You're welcome.
Ye Feng took a deep breath, making himself look like a driver.
Chi Xia was completely oblivious, or perhaps she didn't care about Ye Feng's strange behavior at all. She thought that tomorrow was Saturday, and it seemed that she couldn't take any action this weekend. She could accept Cheng Yang's invitation, so she dialed Cheng Yang's number.
"Teacher Cheng, I'm free this weekend."
"Really? That's great! Xia, I'll bring you the dress later. Where do you live?"
"No."
"How could I possibly accept that? Here's what I'll do: I'll transfer the money to you."
Chi Xia paused for a moment, then said, "...Okay."
Chi Xia hung up the call, and her bracelet vibrated again, notifying her that 500,000 yuan had been deposited into her account.
They really are giving 500,000?
Another true domineering CEO.
"You're free this weekend, and Teacher Cheng even wants to send you a dress. It's another transfer. What kind of strange deal did you two make?" Without Bluetooth headphones, the call was being played out loud, and Ye Feng heard everything clearly. His teasing tone was full of displeasure.
This time, Chi Xia had nothing to hide, since she knew she would definitely see him eventually. "Cheng Yang asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend and go back to celebrate the old lady's birthday."
“Gah…squeak!”
The car braked suddenly.
"What did you say? Play the role of Cheng Yang's girlfriend! Do you know that Cheng Yang is Cheng Mo's uncle? I also call him uncle. If you play the role of his girlfriend, then what am I?"
The car suddenly lurched, and before Chi Xia could say anything, Ye Feng burst out in a flurry, looking rather jealous.
Chi Xia smiled enigmatically, "Your emotions are unstable. I can go downstairs and take a taxi home."
Ye Feng took a few deep breaths and restarted the car. "I won't allow it! Five hundred thousand, right? I'll give you double, ten times!"
"I have a strong sense of professional ethics. If I agree to A, I can't agree to B at the same time."
Ye Feng laughed, "I'm your boss! You're just using me as a backup option?"
Seeing Ye Feng's exasperated yet helpless expression, Chi Xia laughed, "Seriously, you'd better calm down, or I really will go down and hail a taxi."
Ye Feng loosened his collar, played some light music to relieve his irritability, and rolled down the car window. The refreshing wind blew away most of his restlessness.
He regained his composure after playing one song.
"Don't go back tonight."
"If you're sick, go get treatment."
Ye Feng slapped the steering wheel, making a harsh and helpless "bang!" sound. "You, being with you makes us look like rivals."
Chi Xia: "You're not qualified."
It's true, he can't win an argument or a fight. Ye Feng exhaled, then laughed in anger, "Damn it!"
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