Chapter 25
When Xu Ying woke up, she saw several messages from Mayfly in their small group chat.
Mayfly: Friends, I'm back from my trip.
ephemera:!
Mayfly: You've started another new book, that's fast! @FebruarySky
Mayfly: inspired.
Mayfly: I've decided to start writing next week [clenched fist].
Recently, Ephemeral has been quiet, and Xu Ying thought she had gone into seclusion to write a novel, since Ephemeral had messaged her a long time ago saying that she had inspiration.
She says she'll start writing next week, but she hasn't even begun. How incredibly slow!
A gentle breeze blows: ?
February Sky: ...Is this the confidence that comes with financial freedom?
Like Qingfeng Xulai, Fuyou is also a veteran author on Feihong Novel Network. Many of her previous novels have sold their copyrights, and she probably earned enough money to live comfortably for the rest of her life.
Mayfly: Hehe, I have high hopes for you, February. You're the next Flying Goose God!
Mayfly: Um... do you have any drafts saved up? Let me see them, okay? [cute emoji]
The true intentions are revealed when the map is unrolled.
The ultimate purpose of the mayfly contacting Xu Ying was to see the updates.
"The Great Tang Female Painter" is a completely different genre from "Back to High School". The magnificent Chang'an described by Er Yuetian with just a few strokes makes Fuyou's heart itch every time she sees it, wishing she could lock Er Yuetian up and make her write more and more.
The only connection between the two books is that "Back to High School" is set in modern times, a thousand years after the Tang Dynasty.
Mayflies sometimes suspect that February is playing a much bigger game.
February Sky: ......
Mayfly: Please take a look, Qingfeng and I are so worried!
A gentle breeze blows: I'd like to ask the same question.
Qingfeng was still quite reserved; since she had spoken, it seemed they really wanted to see.
Xu Ying looked at her phone screen and chuckled.
She trusted Fuyou and Qingfeng more, so she sent the draft to the group and told them that they could only read it themselves and not share it with others. The two of them repeatedly said that they would never share it with others.
The mayfly even made a solemn oath.
Mayfly: If this gets leaked, I'll make sure Qingfeng's novels never sell their copyrights again.
A gentle breeze blows: ...
A gentle breeze: If this story is leaked, then maye's novels never be able to sell their copyrights again.
The two of them even started arguing.
Xu Ying shook her head and put down her phone.
On the other end of the phone, the two who had just been taking turns making solemn vows in the group chat were now sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, blaming each other.
A gentle breeze blew silently: "Mayfly, I've never seen anyone with such a foul mouth!"
He swore he would drag her down with him.
Mayfly wrinkled its nose at her smugly: "You're no different, talking like you didn't make a solemn oath."
"Wasn't it you who started it first?"
"Okay, okay, I was wrong. Let's hurry up and read the novel, okay? It was so hard to get the manuscript."
Qingfeng and Fuyou had already met offline and become good friends. Since they lived in the same city, they would visit each other from time to time.
Upon returning from her mayfly trip, she immediately went to Qingfeng's house to check on her friend. Her friend lives alone and doesn't like going out, so she was worried that her friend might get bored to death at home by herself.
The breeze remained silent.
She didn't want to argue with the mayfly; the mayfly was sharp-tongued and adaptable, and she couldn't possibly win an argument with her. So she went along with it and picked up her phone to look at the drafts that February Sky had sent her.
When she saw the second daughter of the Imperial Censor Wang appear, she let out a soft exclamation: "This Wang Erniang is definitely not a simple character."
Qingfeng hadn't read the comments about Wang Erniang in the comment section of "The Great Tang Female Painter," but with her keen intuition honed over years of dealing with words, she immediately sensed Wang Erniang's extraordinary nature.
"I think so too. He might be a ruthless character."
When it comes to sensitivity to language, mayflies are just as adept.
The two exchanged a knowing glance, then looked down and continued reading.
Now, let's talk about Yan Liben.
After witnessing his daughter's talent in painting, he developed a love for her and began to intentionally cultivate her talent.
Yan Huaijin had never studied traditional Chinese painting, but fortunately she had a foundation in painting, so she learned much faster than the average person. Later on, she even combined traditional Chinese painting techniques with modern sketching.
The figures she paints have clear facial features and are full of details. At the same time, her color scheme is very bold, making her paintings look bright and eye-catching.
Yan Liben initially criticized her for being incongruous, but after looking at her for a while, he found a certain vitality in her paintings.
"Indeed, this is a child's painting." Even if he wanted to paint now, he couldn't recreate this style.
He smiled and reached out to stroke the new portrait his daughter had drawn for him. This portrait was no longer just a portrait; even the background behind the figure had been drawn.
In the painting, he is holding a book and standing under the eaves enjoying the rain. Behind him is a window, and through the half-open window, one can vaguely see a corner of the study.
The combination of people, books, and scenery vividly reveals the demeanor of a gentleman.
Yan Huaijin was adept at reading people's expressions.
Seeing that her father was in a good mood, she eagerly went up to him and teased, "I painted you so well, shouldn't you give me three strings of cash?"
"You heartless girl," Yan Liben patted his daughter's head.
Ever since Yan Huaijin started painting publicly in the suburbs, many people have come to her to have their paintings done, regardless of whether they are young ladies or young men, and she charges them all the same amount of money.
But one day, she suddenly raised the price, and it went up to two strings of cash in one go.
Such a stark contrast naturally angered those who sought her out afterward. When someone asked her why she had raised her prices without her consent, she shamelessly replied, "Being famous naturally leads to price increases; it's called the celebrity effect!"
The man retorted, "What celebrity effect? This is clearly shameless behavior."
Instead of being annoyed, Yan Huaijin asked, "I wonder how much your calligraphy is worth?"
The man said, "It's not worth much."
"What if it's calligraphy by a sage?"
"Naturally, it's worth a fortune."
It's not just worth a thousand pieces of gold; even the calligraphy of a sage can be passed down as a family heirloom.
Yan Huaijin spread his hands and laughed, "Now you know why I charge so much."
The man had nothing to say and had no choice but to obediently pay two strings of cash.
Who knew this fellow would be so unrestrained?
Two strings of cash were already expensive, but now that she has learned painting and combined painting with sketching, the price has increased again. Now, she charges three strings of cash for a single painting.
Three strings of cash.
Three strings of cash might not seem like much to an official's family, but the monthly allowances for the husband and wife in such households were fixed, so it was not easy for them to casually throw away three strings of cash.
Nowadays, many people secretly say that Yan Huaijin is a miser.
Yan Huaijin chuckled: "Father, tell me, haven't I made money for the family?"
Yan Liben said helplessly, "Does the family need your meager wages?"
The Yan family is a prominent clan in the Central Plains. He has never lacked food or clothing since childhood. Now that he has entered officialdom and receives a monthly salary, why would he need his daughter to sell paintings to earn money, and instead gain a reputation for being greedy for money?
With such a reputation, her future marriage prospects will likely be even more uncertain.
"Hahahaha, the female lead is so interesting!"
As the mayfly watched, she lay back on the sofa. But she didn't lie down properly; instead, she put her legs on the back of the sofa, her head hanging down over the edge, watching and laughing.
"February really knows how to write." Clearly, words like "money-grubbing" and "miser" are not good in reality, but how come they are written into the novel and integrated into the characters so vividly and realistically?
It was rare for Qingfeng not to disagree with her.
She nodded and said, "That's what makes her so remarkable."
In terms of writing style alone, Eryuetian might not be as good as her. She has always been good at describing the bittersweetness of romance, and her long passages of inner analysis and agonizing struggles often make readers' hearts ache.
However, novels are never just about writing style. Er Yuetian's writing of characters and plots has reached the pinnacle, and her writing style is also quite good, so Qingfeng had long predicted that she would become popular.
"Tsk, how carefree," the mayfly glanced at the breeze.
She knew that Er Yue Tian was amazing, but it was still a bit difficult for her to admit that Er Yue Tian was better than her.
"How can we be friends if I'm not carefree?"
I'm so angry I could die.
"whispering sound!"
Mayfly didn't want to talk to her anymore. Who said that she was always the one bullying Qingfeng? Qingfeng was clearly a wolf in sheep's clothing. He seemed gentle, but he could actually be very sharp.
I was fooled by her appearance in February!
The mayfly hummed and changed its position to continue reading.
Two years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Just as Yan Liben had predicted, Yan Huaijin's marriage is still undecided.
His wife had tried to subtly inquire with other ladies at the banquet, but everyone politely declined, so she didn't say anything more, lest she tarnish her daughter's reputation.
Yan Huaijin didn't care about these things.
After two years of diligent training, her painting skills have improved day by day, and her title of "Jade Immortal" has become well-known in the capital.
People may criticize her behind her back, but they still buy her paintings privately.
A typical example of someone who says one thing but does another.
However, recently, Yan Huaijin has clearly felt that his business is not as good as before.
well!
There are only so many wealthy young men and women in the capital. In the past two years, most of the young men and women who were going to come to her have already done so, and those who were unwilling to come probably won't come again.
And then there are the older generation, who are actually the wealthiest group. It's just a pity that they are also the group that values face the most. Few people are not prejudiced against Yan Huaijin, this rebellious little girl.
Yan Huaijin lay on his desk, frowning in deep thought.
She felt it was time for her to come up with some new ideas and expand her business network.
The fifteen-year-old boy had a delicate and pretty face, and his eyes were as lively as a deer's. In just a few quick glances, he formed an idea.
Within a few days, rumors spread throughout the capital that the Jade Immortal had launched some kind of family portrait package, and that she would even come to people's homes to paint portraits. Anyone interested was asked to contact her as soon as possible.
In a tavern in Chang'an, a group of people were drinking and discussing things.
What is a "family portrait"?
"I heard that if a family is depicted in a painting, and then the whole family is hung in their living room, it is called a family portrait."
"The name does have a good meaning."
"Yes, I heard she also draws newlywed couples, like the bride and groom in their wedding attire. She said it's called... what's it called again?"
"Wedding photos, please."
"Yes, yes, that's the name, but it's so hard to pronounce."
"Many families in the capital who are preparing for marriage are very excited. Just think about it, you only wear the wedding dress once in your life. It would be so meaningful to have the Jade Immortal paint it so that you can admire it from time to time."
"Why does he keep calling himself the Jade-Embracing Immortal? Isn't he just that miserly Yan?"
"Hehehe, I wonder if this miserly Yan will ever be able to get married..."
Family portraits and wedding photos—aren't these just drawings of photographs?
Upon seeing this, Ephemeral couldn't help but speak again: "February is really creative. How did she come up with the idea of incorporating these things into ancient times? You know what, writing it like this makes even ordinary photos seem interesting."
"really."
February Sky's writing is always so unexpected, making it impossible to guess how the plot will develop. This is also why I like reading her novels—because of the unknown, because of the surprises.
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