Chapter 29. Marriage can end in divorce! 9/21/22.……
“Let’s go to my studio? The moment I saw you, my mind was filled with inspiration! Let me paint a picture of you!” Alexander said, looking at Anru Feng with expectant blue eyes.
He completely ignored Watanabe standing to the side and instructed the staff to entertain Watanabe and set up his painting.
Watanabe wasn't angry. He smiled gently and joked, "She hasn't known you for very long, and she's already going to your studio. I've known you for so long, and I've never been there even once or twice."
After saying that, Xiang Anru smiled gently and then tactfully turned and left with the staff.
Alexander led Anjoufeng toward his studio on the second floor of the gallery.
Alexander's studio was filled with various painting tools and materials, and his works hung on the walls, each recording his mood and thoughts at different times.
It's clear that this art studio is where he often spends his time.
Alexander stood before the easel, as if he had instantly transformed into a different person. His demeanor was no longer impetuous, but rather profound, deep, and serene.
Perhaps because he had been immersed in his own artistic world for a long time and rarely had any contact with the sunlight, Alexander's face looked a little pale.
His eyes were deep and serious as he focused intently on the canvas before him. He was dressed simply and plainly, wearing a worn-out black turtleneck sweater that clung to his thin frame, and equally worn jeans with faded white knees.
This kind of attire reveals a deep and melancholic artist's temperament.
Alexander's paintings, with their slow yet powerful movements and confident yet firm brushstrokes, gradually reveal themselves.
Anru watched quietly.
On the canvas, time is frozen in the early morning. The tranquil lake, like a giant sapphire, shimmers gently in the soft morning light.
A flock of swans glided leisurely across the lake, their white feathers like clouds drifting down to earth, pure and light.
Sunlight spilled onto the lake, bathing each swan in a golden glow. Among the flock of swans, one stood out, its presence immediately noticeable. Its posture was noble and elegant, appearing unapproachable.
The distant clock tower appears solemn and mysterious in the morning light, and pigeons fly to the sound of the bells, adding a touch of holiness to the painting. The swan in this scene also takes on a sacred quality.
Alexander put down his paintbrush, looked at Anjoufeng, and asked, "How is it?"
Anru Feng praised without reservation: "The color matching is harmonious and charming, and the light and shadow effects and sense of layering are handled extremely well. In particular, these swans seem to have been given life."
Anru Feng pointed to the particularly outstanding swan, "Especially this one, so graceful and charming."
Alexander's eyes lit up, filled with genuine praise: "This is my best work recently! This swan is you, unique and noble, even among a group of beautiful swans, you stand out at first glance. It is because of you that I was inspired to paint them."
An Rufeng smiled when she heard the praise.
She readily accepted, saying, "Yes, you have a good eye and keen insight."
Alexander readily accepted Anjou's praise and offered to give her the painting.
"This is your best work recently, are you willing to part with it?" An Rufeng asked with a smile.
Alexander blinked: "How could I not want to? With the Muse, I think I can create many more paintings like this!"
Anru smiled upon hearing this and accepted his painting.
Sunlight streamed through the window into the room, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
Anru Feng gently pushed open the door to her home. What came into view was her mother intently painting on the canvas, while her father elegantly brewed tea beside her.
Upon seeing An Rufeng return, the two men smiled gently. An's father put down his tea set, and An's mother stopped painting.
Seeing that An Rufeng had been going out more often and seemed to be in a good mood lately, An's mother couldn't help but ask curiously, "How's your new date going?"
An Rufeng said, "It's alright. I think we can continue to see each other. He was very patient when he taught me oil painting."
Anru Feng never expected that Alexander, who seemed so carefree, would be so patient when teaching people to draw.
He would teach her many things she didn't understand, patiently and repeatedly.
Mrs. An paused for a moment, then said, "Why is it painters again? Don't you think being a painter isn't right for you? Try associating with other people who aren't painters."
An Rufeng didn't understand why she said that: "I think it's quite suitable, we can talk about anything. How is it not suitable?"
An's mother gave the reason why it wasn't suitable: "If it were suitable, why hasn't it been decided yet?"
Anru Feng answered firmly, "That's because we don't love each other enough, not because we're incompatible."
Mrs. An sighed softly and said, "If it's still not settled by now, I know many talented young painters, and I can introduce you to a few."
An's mother felt that her daughter was not suited to be a painter.
If people share the same artistic pursuits, they will adhere to the same principles. This is fine in normal times, as they will have common topics. However, when they become stubborn, they will stick to the same principles and neither of them will compromise.
Given her daughter's personality, she needs her partner's understanding and tolerance. This kind of arguing will definitely lead to a breakup.
Although An Rufeng's mother felt that An Rufeng was not suitable to be a painter, because An Rufeng was more accepting of being a painter, she found a few younger people she knew who were not so stubborn, or who were painters but not purely painters, and wanted to introduce them to An Rufeng.
An Rufeng refused: "Mom, no need. I don't want to associate with people I can't forget."
She doesn't want to be friends with or date people she can't forget, so that even if she gets hurt, she can forget the pain in a different time and place.
If Anru Feng interacts with the same person in all three timelines, and they have a certain degree of mutual affection or dislike for each other, Anru Feng will remember that person.
She didn't want to accept introductions from friends, partly because she didn't want to deal with them, but most importantly, she didn't want to have new friends she could remember, that is, friends who would last forever without any unexpected circumstances.
Because the people introduced by friends are usually from their social circle, and the friends know her, so the people they introduce are also compatible with Anru Feng.
If Anru Feng accepts a friend's introduction, there is a high probability that she will easily meet the same person three times and develop a friendship, thus gaining another unforgettable friend.
Yes, that's true, it means one more person who can hurt her.
An Rufeng is someone who cherishes the affection of those around her. Right now, she just wants to keep the friends she has and doesn't want to endure anything more.
Her mother introduced her to people close to her, so there was a high probability that she would run into them many times, and An Rufeng decisively refused.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. An remained silent for a moment, then said nothing more, but earnestly, "Ruru, although we don't know what will happen in the future, there are some things that, regardless of whether they happen or not, your father and I will have to leave sooner or later and cannot stay with you for a lifetime."
You can't rely on us forever. We hope you find someone to spend the rest of your life with soon, don't dwell on the past, look forward.
Anru Feng retorted, "Of course we can be together for a lifetime. If the past was happier, what's wrong with dwelling on it? Besides, I think anyone who could go back to their happiest time wouldn't want to face an unknown future, right?"
An's mother and father exchanged a glance, knowing they couldn't persuade him otherwise, so they could only put it aside for the time being.
·
April 26, 2010, was Da Cheng's birthday.
Da Cheng is a low-key person and doesn't like crowds on his birthday.
I treated my teammates and some close friends to a meal in the dormitory.
Anru Feng naturally went as well.
Da Cheng likes Doraemon, so An Ru Feng gave him a set of rare Doraemon merchandise.
He was pleasantly surprised and bought the set, as it was not available in the city.
After dinner, we ate cake together, and the atmosphere was lively. Everyone suggested playing games, and they all chose Truth or Dare.
Everyone left the dining table and sat around the sofa.
An Rufeng sat down on the sofa, and Quan Zhilong sat down next to An Rufeng.
As the game of Truth or Dare began, an atmosphere of tension and anticipation filled the air.
The bottle stopped, and An Rufeng was unlucky; it was the first one pointed at her.
Kwon Ji-yong spun the bottle, a smile in his eyes, and asked An Ru-feng, "Truth or Dare?"
An Rufeng had nothing to hide and chose to tell the truth. Looking at Quan Zhilong's seemingly malicious smile, she couldn't help but laugh and say, "Are you trying to make things difficult for me?"
Kwon Ji-yong curled the corners of his lips and denied it: "Why would I make things difficult for you? If you are punished, I'll drink for you."
Upon hearing this, everyone smiled knowingly.
"Really? You'll drink for me?" An Rufeng didn't think of anything ambiguous, she just asked with a smile.
Kwon Ji-yong smiled and nodded, looking at the look in her eyes, and added, "But you can't refuse to answer simple questions just because I helped you drink."
An Rufeng's plan had been exposed, so she smiled and said, "Go ahead and ask?"
Kwon Ji-yong asked the question he had wanted to ask for a long time: "What is your ideal type?"
“I didn’t expect you to be so gossipy,” An Rufeng teased him, then answered generously, “Long hair, painter, older, gentle and mature personality.”
Upon hearing this, Kwon Ji-yong's brow twitched, his heart sank, and he had a bad feeling.
All eyes were drawn to Kwon Ji-yong. In the entertainment industry, celebrities are often asked about their ideal type, and if they have specific criteria, it usually means that they already have someone in mind.
Everyone secretly speculated that An Rufeng had someone she liked.
But these conditions don't seem to fit GD at all.
Da Cheng glanced at Kwon Ji-yong and quickly asked An Ru-feng with a smile, "Your ideal type has such specific criteria, do you have someone you like?"
An Rufeng smiled slightly and refused to answer: "One question at a time."
In the following games, everyone was eager to roll for Anjou Wind and wanted to find out the details.
After everyone's efforts, Da Cheng's girlfriend finally got An Ru Feng through the lottery. She couldn't wait to ask, "With such specific conditions, does Ru Feng already have someone she likes?"
Anru Feng frankly admitted: "I do have someone I'm dating."
There's a date object?!
An Rufeng's words were like a bolt from the blue, instantly silencing the entire space, and the disbelief in everyone's eyes was palpable.
They couldn't help but turn their gazes to Kwon Ji-yong.
Kwon Ji-yong's heart sank suddenly, as if struck by an invisible hammer.
He quickly turned to look at An Rufeng, his eyes filled with complex emotions, as if he were confirming the truth of the matter by observing her expression.
After An Rufeng finished speaking, everyone looked at her with strange and complicated expressions and remained silent, as if the air around them had frozen.
Kwon Ji-yong sat next to An Ru-feng, and everyone was looking at him. An Ru-feng thought they were looking at her, and asked curiously, "Is it strange that I'm in a relationship?"
It shouldn't be too shocking, right? Most of the people present were Korean, and she remembered that Koreans started dating very early on.
He has someone to date?! Kwon Ji-yong pursed his lips, unable to accept this fact.
Kwon Ji-yong couldn't help but ask softly, "When did you meet your date?"
So flustered by their attitude that she forgot the rule of answering one question at a time, An Rufeng subconsciously answered Quan Zhilong, "About a month."
Only a month?! Much later than him!
He knew her first, didn't he? Why is he suddenly accepting someone else's advances? Why someone else? Why not him?
His heart felt as if it had been slashed by a sharp blade; resentment wove into an invisible net, tightly binding his reason, while jealousy in his heart overwhelmed him like a surging tide.
Seeing that Kwon Ji-yong's expression was off, everyone tried to lighten the mood and started playing the game again.
It took Kwon Ji-yong a while for his expression to return to calm.
After they finished playing the game and went home, Kwon Ji-yong even escorted An Yeo-feng downstairs, looking perfectly normal.
When they parted, he gave An Rufeng a deep look, his eyes containing a lot of things. But when An Rufeng tried to see clearly, it seemed like there was nothing there at all.
Kwon Ji-yong returned to his dorm, sat on the sofa, his calm demeanor vanished, replaced by an unhappy expression. He slowly raised his hand to cover his face.
His teammates didn't know what to say when they saw this.
As night fell, the training room was brightly lit, but it was enveloped by a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Kwon Ji-yong sat alone in the corner, his brows furrowed, his eyes revealing an undisguised frustration and disappointment.
Seeing that Kwon Ji-yong was in such a bad mood during his break, his teammates and staff couldn't help but exchange glances.
After hesitating for a long time, Taeyang finally mustered up the courage to walk up to Kwon Ji-yong.
Ji-yong has been in a bad mood all this time, and this can't go on.
Taiyang said softly, "Zhilong, is it because of Rufeng's matter that you are troubled?"
Kwon Ji-yong pursed his lips and remained silent.
After careful consideration, Taiyang looked worried and said, "Give up, Zhilong. Rufeng already has someone she likes, and her ideal type is definitely not someone like you. You should give up as soon as possible to avoid getting yourself into a deeper mess."
When Zhilong pursued Jin Zhen'er, she got a boyfriend along the way, but Zhilong remained persistent. In the end, he was heartbroken and gave up. Taiyang didn't want him to repeat the same mistake.
Kwon Ji-yong's face darkened when he heard Tae-yang mention that An Yeo-pung liked someone else.
"Brother Zhilong, I think Xizi Sang is pretty good. She seems to like you too. Since Rufeng doesn't like your type, why don't you find someone who likes you? You could try getting to know her." The maknae chimed in, offering his advice.
The best way to forget an old relationship is to find someone new.
“Indeed, Ru Feng has a date now, and her ideal type is completely different from yours. It’s time to let go.” Tapu stopped clinging to his painting, patted Kwon Ji Yong, and agreed that it was time to extricate himself while he was still relatively uninvolved.
He understands the pain of loving someone deeply but not being able to be with them.
Da Cheng remained silent, but he also agreed with Quan Zhilong's decision to give up. Now that An Rufeng had someone she liked, it was indeed not appropriate for her to pursue him anymore, otherwise the relationship would be awkward. He was friends with both sides, so naturally he hoped that things wouldn't end badly.
Kwon Ji-yong still did not respond, but took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
He knew his teammates meant well, but his heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by something, and he couldn't let it go.
Kwon Ji-yong composed himself, smiled, and reassured Tae-yang and the others, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Taiyang and the others looked at each other, but they didn't know what to say.
After training, back in the dorm, Kwon Ji-yong locked himself in his room to write songs.
I need someone to love me.
I won't stop until she agrees.
...
Tell me where the problem is.
I will obey all commands.①
Why? Why doesn't Ru Feng like him? Why someone else? Why not him? Why? What makes him inferior to others?
He held his pen, staring silently ahead. His face was as calm as a still lake, devoid of any expression, and under the lamplight, his features appeared even more stern.
Kwon Ji-yong slowly raised his right hand, his index finger gently stroking the lyric book. Looking at the fragmented lyrics on the book, a look of annoyance flashed in his eyes.
He's been feeling down lately because, out of the blue, An Rufeng has gone off to someone else.
He couldn't understand why Anru Feng suddenly started dating someone else.
As for giving up, how could he possibly give up? Kwon Ji-yong has always been a persistent person.
They just have someone to date, not a boyfriend or girlfriend. Even married couples get divorced.
As for his ideal type not being like him? He felt they were quite compatible.
Anyway, no matter what, even if their personalities don't match, he's going to give it a try.
-----------------------
Author's Note: ① From "Somebody to Love"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
