Chapter 128 The Painting Was Replaced
For the next two months, Jiang Mingyue began her formal seclusion, devoting herself entirely to painting and creating double-sided embroidery exhibits.
She had given advance notice, so on her birthday at the end of June, Wei Lai and a group of guests from the reality show sent her birthday wishes and red envelopes, inviting her to a dinner after her seclusion ended.
Fans were also curious as to why Wei Lai and others didn't post photos of their dinner party, so they went to ask Wei Lai.
Wei Lai replied to fans in the comments section, informing them that Sister Jiang was in seclusion and that the birthday dinner would be held in September.
[Hehe, is Sister Jiang about to make a big move again?]
[Take a look at the Haicheng Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition. Every September, Haicheng holds a charity intangible cultural heritage exhibition, and all funds raised from the auction will be donated to the Foundation for the Treatment of Major Neonatal Illnesses.]
Wow! Ladies, hurry up and work hard to earn money so you can be quick to snag Sister Jiang's creations!
[Damn, that still has to be able to compete with Sister Jiang's rich female fans!]
[Don't worry, the starting bid is 1,000 RMB, and to prevent malicious competition, the maximum bid is 5 million RMB. Everyone has a chance to participate.]
[A five million cap? You think too highly of us working beasts of burden.]
Haha, it's okay, it's all about participation.
On her birthday, Jiang Mingyue set aside two hours in the evening to have dinner with Yan Qian. For the past two weeks, both of them had been busy and had not been able to meet up.
After dinner, Yan Qian held Jiang Mingyue tightly, pressing her into his arms and kissing her. When she wasn't paying attention, he slipped a five-carat diamond ring onto her left middle finger.
When Jiang Mingyue opened her eyes, she saw a dazzling pigeon egg-sized ring with a clever design—a full moon shape that subtly incorporated her name.
This ring is probably worth a lot of money.
She looked at him. "A birthday present?"
Yan Qian leaned closer to her lips and kissed them a few times. "Tianxi Bay is your lunar birthday present, and this ring is your solar birthday present."
He wanted her to stay tonight. What couple doesn't see each other for half a month? Feelings need to be nurtured every day.
Under the warm yellow light, the man's features appeared even more handsome and charming.
Yan Qian would shower Jiang Mingyue with money at the drop of a hat, leaving her helpless.
She considered for a moment and decided to make an exception for him. "Alright, considering how hard Mr. Yan is working, I'll stay and keep you company tonight."
Yan Qian raised an eyebrow and smiled, then picked her up and took her upstairs to the bedroom, letting her experience what it truly meant to put in real effort.
Of course, Yan Qian respected her and didn't go through the formalities in front of both sets of parents; he wouldn't easily bully her.
But he couldn't resist the girl's advances.
Yan Qian covered her small mouth and buried his face in her collarbone, not letting her see his flushed face.
The next morning, Jiang Mingyue didn't let Yan Qian take her; she drove herself to the Shao family compound.
When Shao Quan saw the huge diamond ring on her left middle finger, he jokingly asked her if she was in a relationship and if her boyfriend was that President Yan.
Jiang Mingyue readily admitted, "This is a birthday gift from Yan Qian. I'll wear it for a month to appease him."
Shao Quan chuckled, "What's the point of wearing it for a month? You'll just keep wearing it. It's you who gives the ring meaning, not the ring that gives you meaning."
Jiang Mingyue's eyes lit up. As the saying goes, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Her master is truly insightful.
"Okay, then I'll keep wearing it."
"That's right, what's the point of collecting a ring if you don't wear it? Don't worry about it getting bumped or scratched. Since Yanqian bought this one for you, there will definitely be more in the future."
Cao Hualan and the others didn't say anything when they saw the ring on Jiang Mingyue's hand, perhaps thinking it was just an ornament and not thinking too much about it.
Qin Xue, a connoisseur, told Jiang Mingyue that the ring was a work by the internationally renowned master Seth, and that it was worth over a million RMB, with a minimum of five carats.
"Hmph, the Yan family brat is certainly generous."
Qin Xue didn't object to Jiang Mingyue dating Yan Qian, after all, Yan Qian's character and family background were impeccable, and he was a well-known eligible bachelor in Beijing.
However, in Qin Xue's eyes, Jiang Mingyue was good enough for her, even if he were a prince of a country.
Jiang Mingyue was a little embarrassed. She had been keeping her relationship with Yan Qian a secret from everyone, but Yan Qian often picked her up and dropped her off and gave her gifts. Naturally, it became impossible to keep it a secret after a while.
"How did Master know that this ring was Seth's work?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Xue shook her head and smiled. The two children were a perfect match; one only received the best gifts, while the other never asked about the price.
Qin Xue pointed to the ring, "Seth usually hides his brand name on the ring. Look closely, isn't there a letter S?"
Jiang Mingyue turned the ring around and examined it carefully. There really was an inconspicuous letter S on it.
"It seems that Master also received Seth's ring."
When asked about her late husband, Qin Xue spoke with ease, "He did give me two rings. He was busy with work and we rarely saw each other, so he just showered me with money."
Jiang Mingyue had seen photos of Academician Meng. He looked stern, but it turned out he was a considerate husband in private.
She quickly praised Academician Meng a few times, which made Qin Xue laugh heartily.
In mid-July, Meng Huaifei arrived in Huai County. He had recovered well and showed no signs of injury on the surface, but he could not hide it from Qin Xue's sharp eyes.
Qin Xue was furious, and Jiang Mingyue was no exception to her barrage of criticism.
"You two are just going to pretend I don't know anything because I didn't ask, right? You're both so reckless, risking your own safety to save the world. Do you think the world can't function without you two?!"
Meng Huai and Jiang Mingyue obediently listened to the reprimand, not daring to argue at all. In any case, Qin Xue's anger would not last overnight; it would come and go quickly.
Qin Xue didn't want to be a spoilsport, so she glared at them and punished them by making them cook dinner that night.
There were vegetables in the kitchen. Meng Huai could cook, but his skills were only so-so. He only knew how to make two dishes: tomato and egg soup and stir-fried pork tenderloin with green peppers.
Jiang Mingyue's cooking skills are slightly better than his. She can cook simple dishes, but she never makes complicated dishes because it would only waste time.
Working together as a team makes the work easier. Meng Huai was in charge of picking, washing, and chopping the vegetables, while Jiang Mingyue was in charge of stir-frying, braising, and stewing. In the end, they produced a table of food that looked, smelled, and tasted quite good.
Steamed sea bass, braised chicken wings, Kung Pao chicken, stir-fried bok choy, and corn and pork rib soup, etc.
Qin Xue was extremely satisfied with the meal, and the matter was considered over. However, she asked Meng Huai to take all his accumulated annual leave at once and stay in Huai County for a month to recuperate.
Meng Huai had the same idea. Qin Xue's courtyard house only had two sections, but it occupied a larger area than Mao'er Hutong, and it was quite comfortable to live in.
His work in Nanyuan is finished, and things aren't busy in Lingcheng lately, so he can take a vacation and spend some time with his grandmother.
Ever since Meng Huai decided to take a month-long vacation in Huai County, Jiang Mingyue has stopped staying at Qin Xue's place.
It wasn't to avoid suspicion, but rather because Qin Xue had someone to look after her, so she made time to stay at the Shao family compound.
Wu Lizhen has been working many night shifts lately, and sometimes she's so busy that she simply sleeps in the hospital dormitory until midnight. She was worried about Shao Quan being home alone, so she asked Jiang Mingyue to take care of him.
Jiang Mingyue can sleep anywhere, since it's all her master's house anyway.
At the end of August, the results of Jiang Mingyue's traditional Chinese painting competition were released, and online searches showed that she had not been shortlisted.
That is, they did not make it into the top twenty.
Ten thousand people registered for the competition this year, and the top twenty will receive different awards.
Qin Xue and Shao Quan made a point of playing mahjong together today, and invited Meng Huai to join them.
The three were all surprised when they learned of Jiang Mingyue's competition results.
If Jiang Mingyue were just a beginner in traditional Chinese painting, Qin Xue would never have let her humiliate herself. Even if Jiang Mingyue couldn't make it into the top three, she would at least be guaranteed a spot in the top twenty.
Qin Xue disagreed with the competition results, saying, "Don't worry, I'll call someone to ask."
Jiang Mingyue herself didn't care. After all, there are always people better than you, and besides, many art students participate in the competition every year. It's not a big deal if she doesn't make it into the top twenty.
That afternoon, Qin Xue's friend called back, "Teacher Qin, your student's ranking is exactly twenty-one. This year's contestants are very strong, most of them are art students."
Qin Xue kept her composure and couldn't help but ask who was on this year's judging panel. Her friend rattled off a list of names.
"Ten professors selected from Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts and Southwest Academy of Fine Arts will conduct the first round of screening, and Dean Fan will conduct the second round of screening."
Fan Tianfeng, the president of Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts, was Qin Xue's arch-enemy when she was young.
Qin Xue thanked the other party and kept the matter in mind.
Jiang Mingyue and Shao Quan were not there. When Meng Huai returned from grocery shopping, he saw that Qin Xue was not in a good mood and asked her if she was dissatisfied with Jiang Mingyue's competition results.
"Grandma, you can't get angry with Mingyue. She painted very well. It's not her fault that she wasn't selected. It just means the organizers have poor taste."
Qin Xue took the fish from Meng Huai's hand. Meng Huai loved steamed fish with fermented black beans, but he didn't know how to make it. This was Qin Xue's specialty.
“I’m not angry, I’m just worried that Mingyue is being deliberately targeted because of me.”
"I don't understand, please explain more clearly." Meng Huai was completely confused and followed him into the kitchen.
Qin Xue then recounted her entanglement with Fan Tianfeng, the president of the Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts.
Meng Huai understood. In fact, Fan Tianfeng also liked the old man, but the old man didn't like her, which made Fan Tianfeng dislike Qin Xue and target Qin Xue from time to time.
"You're too close to the situation to see things clearly. Fan Tianfeng doesn't know that Mingyue is your disciple, so why would he deliberately target her?"
Qin Xue quickly turned off the tap and exclaimed, "Oh right, look at me! I got prejudiced."
Meng Huai stepped forward to comfort her, reminding her not to mention this in front of Mingyue, and to participate in the next competition later.
"Hmm, no rush. I've changed my mind. It's fine to compete a few years later."
Qin Xue continued washing the fish. The fishmonger hadn't scaled the fish properly, so she wasn't comfortable with not scaling it again.
Tonight, Jiang Mingyue is having a date with Yan Qian. Yan Qian learns that she won 21st place in the traditional Chinese painting competition, which is the same idea as Meng Huai.
Everyone has different aesthetic tastes, and the competition rankings cannot negate the fact that Jiang Mingyue's painting skills are lacking.
Moreover, in his opinion, his daughter Yueyue's skill in traditional Chinese painting is no less than that of any art school student.
Around 8 p.m., Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts announced the top three winners online. Surprisingly, the first place winner was a senior female student from the oil painting department of Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts.
The female student's name is Miao Qing, and she is said to be an internet celebrity with more than five million followers on Weibo and Langyin.
I heard that the family is very well-off; both parents are businesspeople, and they usually wear the most luxurious clothes.
Miao Qing didn't post on Weibo to celebrate winning first place; instead, her fans spread the news online, praising her in all sorts of creative ways.
Qingqing is amazing!
[Qingqing is already a rich and beautiful woman, yet she still works so hard. Didn't the goddess Nuwa consider the feelings of us NPCs when she created humans?]
[I really envy people who can paint. This traditional Chinese painting called "Hometown" is so magnificent and grand. It captures the entire ancient city. Awesome!]
[Hopefully, an animation company will bid for this artwork.]
Of course, there were also people who were jealous of Miao Qing's award and came to find fault, claiming that how could an oil painting student go to participate in a traditional Chinese painting competition, and that she might have impersonated someone else's work.
Miao Qing's fans were fierce and immediately retorted.
[Qingqing frequently shares her traditional Chinese paintings on her account; here's a link, you can check it out yourself.]
[I'm guessing the person who's jealous of Qingqing is a student in the same department, and most likely a girl.]
[Sigh, what can you do when Qingqing is the school beauty? School beauties usually get targeted.]
Some netizens also felt that the ancient city in the work looked familiar, as if they had seen it somewhere before.
Does anyone else find this ancient city familiar?
[I can see it now, it looks a lot like the ancient city of Huai County]
The comment above is a bit far-fetched; the layouts of ancient cities are largely the same, and they've become quite homogenized lately.
These two comments were quickly suppressed. Miao Qing's fans didn't want to provoke Jiang's fans. The other two female members of the Clover Girls Group met a tragic end.
Liu Mo'er has disappeared from the public eye, and Tan Li's new film, in which she played a leading role, flopped. It's said that no one is offering her acting roles anymore, so she's switched to live streaming.
Jiang Mingyue had just finished showering when she received a private message from Wei Lai.
"Mingyue, do you think this portrait doesn't resemble the ancient city of Huai County?"
Jiang Mingyue clicked on the picture to enlarge it, glanced at it, and immediately laughed, "Brother Wei, where did you see this? This is the ancient city of Huai County, which I drew."
She remembered that only the top twenty entries would be published.
Wei Lai replied with three exclamation marks in a second, and then sent a Weibo link, saying that someone had stolen her work and won first place.
Jiang Mingyue frowned, ignoring her still-damp hair, and clicked on the link to watch.
A minute later, she sneered, "Very well, you dare to win an award for your work."
If you have the ability to take it, you must also have the ability to withstand her wrath.
Jiang Mingyue glanced at the time; it was nine o'clock at night. Qin Xue was still awake, so she called her first to let her know.
When Qin Xue learned of this, she was furious and told her not to worry about saving face and to do what she had to do.
"I knew my apprentice wouldn't let me down. The China Academy of Art is going too far!"
Meng Huai was right next to it and overheard the whole story. He immediately went online to search for it, and when he saw the painting, he was immediately overwhelmed by its magnificent ancient charm.
"The painting is so good, no wonder it has been envied and exploited. Most of them probably didn't realize that Mingyue is a celebrity, they probably thought it was just a coincidence of names."
"Hmm, let Mingyue handle it first."
Jiang Mingyue went downstairs to the study to find Yan Qian, who was in a meeting.
The study door wasn't closed properly, so she pushed it open and went in. Yan Qian was sitting behind his desk, speaking fluent French.
When he saw Jiang Mingyue come in, he raised his hand to gesture for her to come over.
Jiang Mingyue walked towards him and naturally sat down on his lap.
The camera on Yan Qian's side was focused on the bookshelf to his left, while most of the attendees on the other side were foreigners.
Yan Qian pulled her into his arms, took the opportunity to kiss her neck, and wrote a few words on a piece of paper.
"Five minutes left until the end."
Jiang Mingyue wasn't in a hurry. She nestled in his arms, stopped playing on her phone, and closed her eyes to rest.
Yan Qian was afraid she would get bored while waiting, so he kissed her from time to time. With her warm and soft body in his arms, he couldn't help but feel restless.
As soon as the meeting ended, Yan Qian lifted Jiang Mingyue's back and lowered his head to kiss her.
Jiang Mingyue never disturbed him when he was in a meeting.
After the kiss ended, he asked her, "What's making you so happy?"
Jiang Mingyue hooked her left arm around his neck and opened Weibo with her right hand to show him.
"Yanqian, my work won first place."
Yan Qian, with his sharp eyes, immediately recognized that the ancient city in Miao Qing's work was the ancient city of Huai County.
He quickly figured out her purpose: "Jinghua Group has no cooperative relationship with Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts. I don't know Miao Qing. If you can't handle it, I'll step in and solve it for you."
The implication is that Miao Qing doesn't exist in Beijing's elite circles, so her "rich, beautiful, and successful" persona might be fake.
Jiang Mingyue hummed in agreement, "I'd like to see just how powerful Miao Qing's background is."
Five minutes later, a Weibo post by Jiang Mingyue went viral and became a trending topic.
[Jiang Mingyue]: You used my entry to win first place, have you even carefully observed this painting? It's obvious that the art academy is nothing special. @Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts @Miao Qing
The fans immediately started bubbling up. At first, they were confused, but after carefully studying the link thrown to them by passersby, they began to tear apart the relationship between Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts and Miao Qing.
This is the ancient city of Huai County! Miao Qing must be a local from Beijing!
[I'm on Jiang Jie's side! @Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts @Miao Qing, come out and explain!]
Wow! Sister Jiang's versatility is only increasing; she can even paint traditional Chinese paintings!
Sisters, once you've mastered painting, you'll be good at everything! Sister Jiang's murals are absolutely amazing!
I feel embarrassed for the China Academy of Art and Miao Qing.
[Who gave you the audacity to stage an accident for Sister Jiang @Miao Qing?]
Miao Qing's fans weren't going to take this lying down, and they started arguing with Jiang's fans.
How can you prove that this painting was done by Jiang Mingyue?!
[All ancient towns look pretty much the same; which eye could tell this was Huai County Ancient Town?!]
【Our Qingqing is a top student at the Academy of Fine Arts, why would she use your idol's photo?】
[Jiang Mingyue, relying on her 80 million followers, actually bullied our Qingqing]
This time, even passersby couldn't stand it anymore and unanimously sided with Jiang Mingyue.
Please remember that Sister Jiang never talks nonsense.
This is the only time Sister Jiang has personally debunked a fake!
You completely ignore the lessons learned from the past by those who criticize you.
[Without solid evidence, Sister Jiang definitely wouldn't have directly launched this attack. The judging mechanism at the China Academy of Art is utterly corrupt; I suggest investigating it—there's definitely a big fish out there.]
Wei Lai is always at the forefront of gossip. He released his chat history with Jiang Mingyue to prove that it was he who reminded Jiang Mingyue. She was unaware at first and only thought that she had really lost the election.
They also posted several photos of Jiang Mingyue and the other person taking the art academy exam together as proof.
Wow! That is, on the morning of the celebration banquet for Mao Zong, Sister Jiang was taking an exam at the China Academy of Art! So the person we saw that day really was Sister Jiang!
[Sister Jiang was spotted by someone when she went to check out the exam venue a day in advance. She also went to the cafeteria for a meal and happened to help a girl.]
[The person involved has arrived and is extremely grateful to Sister Jiang for saving their life! I apologize for not recognizing you at first; it was a classmate who witnessed the incident who identified you.]
Wow, is the person upstairs the one whose throat was almost pierced by her boyfriend?
[Waaaaah, it was me!]
Author's Note: [Winking emoji][Winking emoji] I'm out having fun, so I'll be writing less.
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