Yang Yajing was not intimidated, but instead said tactfully that she needed to go home and think about it some more.
Of course, the truth is that she wouldn't even consider it! She only said that to prevent him from directly informing Jiang Xuanxuan and to give Jiang Xuanxuan some preparation.
Leaving the gallery on Fuzhou Road, Zhou Pengfei was somewhat discouraged: "It seems I still can't participate in the competition!"
"You're not trying to sign a contract just for the competition, are you?" Yang Yajing teased him deliberately. "It's just a competition, and you're going to sell yourself to someone?"
"Is it that serious? The higher-ups only said that I would be painting for their gallery for the next six months, and I would still get paid, right?" Zhou Pengfei didn't quite understand why Yang Yajing was saying that.
"Two hundred and fifty-one a month? If you really sign that, you'll be a complete idiot!" Yang Yajing shook her head.
"It's just painting a few commercial paintings, isn't it? Aren't I painting them for you too?"
"Did I force you to use a particular art style? Did I specify what you were required to draw? Besides, you get a commission from me!"
"What's different?"
"He pays you a fixed price, no matter how many paintings you create. Even if he sells them for tens of thousands, you'll only get two hundred and fifty! And you can't refuse no matter how busy you are!"
"I see?" Zhou Pengfei seemed to understand a little.
"And as mentioned above, the style, content, and quantity depend on the gallery's wishes, meaning that no matter what you paint, you cannot have your own creative style."
"You mean, they'll treat me like a drawing copying machine?" Finally understanding, Zhou Pengfei was furious. "That Jiang Xuanxuan, really, how could she recommend someone like that to me?"
"She's just a child, how could she understand?" Yang Yajing said this, but she was only saying it to Zhou Pengfei.
She had known all along that in her previous life, it was Jiang Xuanxuan who used her connections to get Zhou Pengfei to terminate the contract early. This was nothing more than a drama of a beauty saving a hero, orchestrated and acted by Jiang Xuanxuan herself!
"So we're just going to give up like this?" Zhou Pengfei asked, somewhat unwilling.
"Of course not! I, a beautiful girl, have my own tricks!" Yang Yajing made an exaggerated gesture.
"What kind of mischievous idea are you up to now? Do you think you can get him to change his terms?"
"That guy surnamed Jia? He's none of our business!" Yang Yajing waved her hand dismissively, as if waving away a stinky odor. "We're prepared for anything, so why worry about betting everything on one thing?"
"Huh? Don't spout classical Chinese! I know you're a top student, but there's no need to be so arrogant, is there?"
"You'll see soon enough whether I'm a good catch or not!" Yang Yajing pulled Zhou Pengfei onto the bus. "Let's go to Changle Road!"
Changle Road was originally part of the French Concession in Jincheng. The plane trees lining the road provide shade, covering the entire road in lush greenery.
The dappled sunlight cast shadows on the French-style villas, their signs partially obscured, like a pipa half-veiled.
Yang Yajing stopped in front of a small, off-white building. She opened the low garden gate and went inside.
"Where is this place? How dare you just walk into someone's house like this?" Zhou Pengfei grabbed Yang Yajing's arm and whispered, as if raising his voice in such tranquility would anger the resting gods.
“It’s alright, I know the people here, and you know them even better.” Yang Yajing smiled and pointed to the vertical plaque above the door.
"Chen Baiyun Studio?" The six large seal script characters startled Zhou Pengfei, but he was immediately overjoyed. "You know Master Chen Baiyun?"
"To be precise, you know his granddaughter!"
"His granddaughter? Who?"
"Chen Jiaoyun, from your class!"
"Chen Jiaoyun? Chen Jiaoyun is Chen Baiyun's granddaughter?" Zhou Pengfei, who usually doesn't care about such gossip, was quite surprised.
"Genuine, guaranteed!"
"But... wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to disturb you like this?" Upon hearing that it was Chen Baiyun, Zhou Pengfei's respect was tempered with a hint of awe.
"How could I be so presumptuous? I already made the appointment for you the day before yesterday!"
"You made an appointment?" Zhou Pengfei was confused. "You made an appointment with Master Chen, but you still want me to see that guy surnamed Jia?"
"You only gain true understanding through comparison! Otherwise, you'll keep getting fooled in the future!" Yang Yajing sniffed and knocked on the door.
Chen Jiaoyun opened the door and smiled sweetly at the visitors: "Yang Yajing, Zhou Pengfei, you're here? Grandpa is making tea, please come in!"
"Hi! Chen Jiaoyun!" Zhou Pengfei greeted her awkwardly. "I didn't expect you to be Master Chen's granddaughter. I had no idea."
"You? All you know is to bury your head in your drawing, what do you know?" Chen Jiaoyun was quick to speak her mind. "If you hadn't been lucky enough to befriend Yang Yajing, I think you would have been sold out without even knowing who was collecting the money!"
"Uh..." Zhou Pengfei was tongue-tied. He could usually banter freely with Yang Yajing, but when he encountered Chen Jiaoyun, whom he wasn't very familiar with, he was at a loss for words.
"Ugh!" Chen Jiaoyun looked disgusted, turned around and hooked her arm around Yang Yajing's, "How come someone as cheerful as you became good friends with someone as quiet as him, who's so reserved he'd never say a word?"
"Shh! Watch your words! Be careful not to get another lecture from your grandfather using classical Chinese phrases!" Yang Yajing whispered a warning.
"Oh! Hehe! I forgot Grandpa was home!" Chen Jiaoyun shrank back. "Didn't you hear me? Didn't you hear me!"
"When did you two become so close? I didn't know that!" Zhou Pengfei wondered if he had missed something.
"The day before yesterday! The day before yesterday we hit it off immediately! We even got married and stuff..." Chen Jiaoyun used words indiscriminately.
"Pfft!" Yang Yajing was amused and quickly corrected, "It's not 'happy union,' that's for weddings! At most, it's for sworn brotherhood!"
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