Mrs. Li, dressed in a beautifully maintained cheongsam, came out to greet them personally. Seeing them, her smile became even more enthusiastic: "Mr. Fu, Ms. Xu, Ms. Su, you're all here. Come in and sit down."
Fu Chen nodded: "Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Li."
Xu Zhiru stepped forward and held Mrs. Li's hand: "Mrs. Li, your cheongsam looks really good tonight. It suits you very well."
Mrs. Li smiled and patted her hand. "Ms. Xu is so sweet. Please come in. Mr. Li is in the exhibition hall with guests."
Su Yao also said hello. Mrs. Li responded with a smile, and there seemed to be something more in her eyes.
Across the corridor is the exhibition hall.
There were quite a few people inside, all talking in low voices.
Mr. Li was talking to an elder. When he saw Fu Chen and the others, he walked over with a smile and said, "Mr. Fu, you are really giving me face by coming here."
Fu Chen shook hands with him and said, "Mr. Li's collection is well-known in the circle. It is my luck that I can see it with my own eyes today."
After a few pleasantries, Mrs. Li led them to a painting of sunflowers. "I just got this one, 'Golden Fields,' and I love it." She turned to look at Xu Zhiru and said with a smile, "Miss Xu, do you know anything about Impressionism? Tell us about it."
Several people nearby also looked over, and words of praise immediately poured in.
Xu Zhiru gathered herself, cleared her throat, looked at the painting, and began to speak: "Mrs. Li has a very good eye. The brushwork is very bold, the colors are very warm, especially the yellow, which is spread out layer by layer, very dynamic and full of vitality, as if the sun is shining on your body. The technique..."
Her voice was soft and she spoke fluently. Fu Chen listened without any expression.
Su Yao stood a little behind and felt a little uncomfortable when she saw Xu Zhiru being surrounded.
Xu Zhiru spoke of the manipulation of light and shadow with admiration: "...this method of capturing light captures a fleeting moment of beauty, making it feel as if vitality is about to burst out of the frame..."
"Is that so?" A cold female voice interrupted. It wasn't loud, but it stopped Xu Zhiru in her tracks, and it carried a hint of mockery. "If you ask me, this painting is too obviously a Van Gogh imitation. The colors are piled on, but it lacks that soul-searing impact. That's not vitality."
The flattering and echoing voices surrounding Xu Zhiru suddenly died down.
Xu Zhiru was speaking excitedly when her words got stuck in her throat and the smile on her face froze.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Jiang Tingchen walking into the exhibition hall entrance, with Ning Nanxue holding his arm.
She was wearing a neatly cut dark blue long dress. There was no extra expression on her face, and her eyes swept coldly over Xu Zhiru.
There was some murmur among the crowd.
Xu Zhiru's face turned pale. The stage she had built with great difficulty was torn down by Ning Nanxue's words.
Su Yao was standing at the back. When she saw Jiang Tingchen, her heart beat faster. But when she thought of Ning Nanxue beside him and the ruthless words he had just said, she felt both happy to see her ideal man and annoyed that Ning Nanxue had come out to disrupt the situation.
Mrs. Li was the host after all. After a moment of hesitation, she regained her composure and greeted them with a smile: "Tingchen, Miss Ning, why are you here? You didn't even say hello in advance."
Jiang Tingchen nodded. "I came here on short notice. I heard Uncle Li had some great paintings, so I came with Xue'er to take a look. I hope I didn't disturb you."
"No, please come in. You're most welcome." Mrs. Li said politely, her eyes moving over Ning Nanxue, examining her.
Ning Nanxue ignored everyone's comments and just looked at Xu Zhiru. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she continued with a forced smile, "Miss Xu was quite lively in her analysis just now. It's a pity that you're talking about vitality in a workmanlike imitation. Isn't that just showing off your skills before an expert?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the discussion around them became even louder.
Some people think that Ning Nanxue speaks too harshly and does not give face.
"Miss Ning, isn't that too much?" A guest who wanted to get close to Mrs. Fu couldn't help but interject, "Miss Xu is quite insightful about art."
"Yes, how could Mrs. Li's collection be imitations?"
Xu Zhiru seemed to have found a straw and quickly looked at Mrs. Li, with a hint of grievance in her voice: "Mrs. Li..."
Ning Nanxue didn't respond. Her gaze fell back on the painting "Golden Fields," her tone remaining flat. "Van Gogh's Sunflowers have vibrant colors, but they're not superficial. This painting is well-done, but it's a shame the artist's heart is cold; it's just an empty shell without a soul. You can't even tell the difference between real and fake, yet you're still talking nonsense here. Miss Xu, you're so brave! I really admire you."
Xu Zhiru's face turned completely pale, her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a word.
She subconsciously looked at Fu Chen, but Fu Chen just looked ahead with no expression on his face, as if he had no intention of supporting her.
The eyes of the people around her became strange. Those who had just been holding Xu Zhiru in their arms now shut up, looking at her, then at the painting. The scene suddenly froze.
The smile on Mrs. Li's face also faded a lot. When she looked at Xu Zhiru again, there was disgust in her eyes. Those flattering words just now made her feel even more uncomfortable.
In response to Ning Nanxue's expertise, Mrs. Li's attitude was noticeably more polite: "Nanxue, since you see it so clearly, why don't you...explain the ins and outs of this to us all?"
Mrs. Li's words were equivalent to believing Ning Nanxue's words.
The guests around looked at each other, and then their gazes towards Xu Zhiru became much more complicated.
Mr. Li came to the rescue and smiled, inviting everyone to look at something else: "This way, please, we have some interesting Song Dynasty porcelain here."
The atmosphere in the exhibition hall finally relaxed a little, and the crowd dispersed, but the area in front of the painting "Golden Wilderness" was deserted.
The banquet began, with bright lights, clinking glasses, and a lively scene.
Mrs. Li was holding a glass of wine and moving among the crowd, handling the situation with ease, but her eyes kept glancing towards Ning Nanxue and Jiang Tingchen.
She noticed that Jiang Tingchen took very good care of Ning Nanxue. Ning Nanxue didn't talk much, but her every move was very decent. She was calm and composed when facing other people's gazes, which was completely different from the rumors.
Seeing an opportunity, Mrs. Li walked over with a cup in hand, a perfect smile on her face: "Tingchen, Nanxue, would you like to chat for a few minutes?"
Jiang Tingchen looked at Ning Nanxue and she nodded.
"Aunt Li, please go ahead." Jiang Tingchen responded.
The two followed Mrs. Li out of the noisy hall and into a quiet little reception room. After the door closed, they were completely cut off from the outside noise.
Mrs. Li poured tea for the two of them, put aside the politeness, and spoke with a hint of sincerity.
"Nanxue, thank you so much for what happened in the exhibition hall just now. If it weren't for your sharp eyes, I would have been so embarrassed." She sighed softly, "That painting was given to me by a friend. He said he found it at a bargain. I thought the color was quite bright, so I hung it up. Who knew it would turn out like this?"
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