Chapter 54 Online Dating 21
In the following games, no unexpected situations occurred. It seems that Changjian really just wanted to return to the game. During the game, he happened to run into his former mentor, so they stopped and chatted for a while.
After the game ended, the two of them stayed online on YY doing their own things when Yuan Ying suddenly forwarded a post from a public WeChat account.
Fallen Petals: Forwarded - Art Appreciation Column | Lin Zhao, Wild Forest Dance
“This column is pretty good, the editor is very skilled.” Yuan Ying stared at the document on the right side of the screen and slowly recounted its contents. “This person is very popular recently. He is good at depicting natural landscapes, and his style is rather fantastical and bizarre. He is a painter full of passion and imagination.”
The lengthy document contained his hastily cobbled-together introduction and reflections. Yuan Ying read it aloud at varying speeds, sometimes skipping words, sometimes swallowing them, striving to make it sound like an immediate reflection after browsing a public account, rather than a pre-prepared cheat sheet.
Despite knowing nothing about the content, he read it as if it were a heartfelt sentiment.
"Lin Zhao's experience was quite bumpy. The editor said that he was penniless when he was young and made a living by selling scrap. But this did not stop him from yearning for art. While struggling to make ends meet, he painted on the ground with his fingers. When he was a little better off, he came into contact with paper for the first time and then with oil painting."
Noticing that Lu Xuejin wasn't typing or clicking, as if she was captivated by the content, Yuan Ying read on with even more enthusiasm.
"For the first thirty years, his works were unremarkable and he was just another face in the crowd. But in middle age, he suddenly had a burst of inspiration and abandoned portraits to focus on landscapes. His painting 'Whispers and Songs' made him famous overnight."
Lu Xuejin clicked on the column he had forwarded, casually scrolling through it, skipping the text and only looking at the pictures. When the interface stopped on a picture of a swirling forest, Yuan Ying just mentioned: "But my favorite is still 'The Years Reversed'. Compared to other works, 'The Years' has a bold and unrestrained composition that is also restrained and calm. In addition to the immediate impact on the soul when I first saw it, the more I look at it, the more I find that every detail is like a devil, with a magical power. The swirling lines seem to want to devour people alive."
He said, "Baby, this painting looks so much like the photo you posted on your WeChat Moments three days ago. It has the same strange and fiery natural beauty, and the more you look at it, the more you can't stop."
“However…” Yuan Ying smiled, “I’ll just say this secretly, but the baby’s photos are still more beautiful. The real thing always touches people’s hearts more than a copy-and-painted depiction. In your lens, the world seems to look different, beautiful yet dangerous.”
While there was a hint of flattery in his words, eight-tenths of Yuan Ying's praise was genuine.
He was born without any appreciation or artistic talent. No matter how famous the artist's painting was, to him it was just a colorful piece of paper with dull and lifeless lines and patterns. Only one or a few seemingly casually taken photos in Lu Xuejin's WeChat Moments captivated him, evoking a sense of familiarity like seeing a long-lost friend.
It was because he guessed that Lu Xuejin was deeply involved in the field of painting that he searched everywhere for materials, hoping to find common ground.
“Hmm…” After reading the column from beginning to end, skipping all the text descriptions and analyses, Lu Xuejin pondered for a moment.
Yuan Ying then began reciting the analytical terms she had copied from various places. Beneath the flowery language lay a hollow exterior, and if any knowledgeable person were to ask her a couple of questions, her thin and fragile shell of erudition would shatter at the slightest touch.
But Lu Xuejin didn't understand.
He was impatient with reading and lacked the self-awareness expected of an art student or even an artist.
In reality, he had no particular fondness for painting. It was simply that he found many other subjects unappealing in his youth, and struggling with them, he turned his attention to the art world, a field usually only accessible to a select few wealthy children. Painting was an easy task for him—simply reproduce what he saw, and teachers and countless connoisseurs would praise and admire it, buying his work at exorbitant prices. Effortless and lucrative, he naturally pursued advanced studies in painting, and if nothing unexpected had happened, he should have followed the expected path to enter a national art school.
Drawing and searching for compositions in my little world is just a habitual act to pass the time and vent my mischievous desires.
Therefore, when he finished listening to Yuan Ying's earnest and well-organized analysis, he did not see through the other illiterate man's trick, but simply uttered two words.
"So ugly."
"It is said that it can take years just to mix the colors for a single painting..."
Yuan Ying paused for a second, then smoothly and naturally changed her words, saying, "However, Lin Zhao's work is still too clumsy and too craftsman-like. I can only say that his paintings have some of Bao Bao's charm."
“Flattery,” Lu Xuejin said to Dong Yao, and also to Yuan Ying.
Then, he laughed with obvious pleasure.
[Dedication Points +5]
Dong Yao saw it all and could almost smell the sweet, syrupy aroma emanating from the invisible air.
Its thoughts had long since become as mechanical as a machine, completely governed by reason. Emotions such as joy, sadness, and anger were merely objects of its observation; they did not arise within it, and naturally, they were not expressed in its limbs. However, at this moment, an emotion... like that born from taking a deep breath of the stench of rotten salted fish and stinky rags stewed together, surged through its core like an electric current, making it feel extremely uncomfortable.
Dongyao thought about this emotion.
Yeah, it's probably disgusting.
After lingering for a while, she finally perked up and said in Xiaoyao's tone, "Baby, you have a lot of talent."
"What talent?"
[On the drawing.] Dongyao retrieved records from the data stream, from Lu Xuejin's paintings from her student days to photographs born in the small world. The machine has no aesthetic sense; it only switches between different modes to provide appreciation opinions based on the combination of big data. However, Lu Xuejin's paintings brought it peace and comfort.
It raised doubts: "When you create, you appear relaxed and carefree. Your works possess a strange and powerful appeal, leading many to see you as a hidden gem, believing that one day your name will be listed alongside many masters."
"That's an exaggeration. Are you being obsequious too?" Lu Xuejin blinked, lazily dismissing the question. "It's quite common. Everyone has talents, from being good at bargaining to being a master of music. I just have a special perspective. It's like how some people wake up after a brain injury and suddenly become fluent in a foreign language. The human body is far more mysterious than you imagine."
Dongyao recorded every word he said, like a cold and meticulous instrument.
Before they knew it, the sunlight poured down in shades of orange and purple, and Yuan Ying reminded Lu Xue that it was time for lunch and exercise.
"Okay... Bye-bye, see you tonight."
The microphone was off, and the breathing and whispers from the other screen could no longer be heard.
Yuan Ying exited the game and pondered everything that had just happened.
He realized he had chosen the wrong path—Lu Xuejin seemed completely uninterested in art, literature, and philosophy, which made him feel relieved, and he crossed out his plan to find common ground with her.
Not feeling hungry, Yuan Ying searched on the app for a while and found a screenshot of a dry pot meal, sending it over while pretending to eat in the cafeteria. The dinner Lu Xuejin sent was much more lavish and obviously expensive.
Yuan Ying needed to find a way to save more money. Even if she earned a lot, it would only be enough for a few meals in front of Lu Xuejin. She still felt it was necessary to acquire the ability to provide a comfortable life. It might not be useful, but it was indispensable.
With Lu Xuejin absent, he had no interest in the game and clicked into the guild channel—a place where many members were pampered young masters and ladies who didn't have to work or suffer hardship, often spending all day on YY (voice chat) chatting, gossiping, and chatting. During this time, Yuan Ying often went to listen in, mainly hoping to hear if there was anything related to Lu Xuejin.
After listening a few times, he was quite familiar with the people who usually hogged the microphone. However, this time, a strange male voice came from the microphone.
There's one more person.
The other person replied in a clear, pleasant voice with a youthful quality: "Thanks for the invitation. I'm already a corporate slave, and I only have a few days off these days, so I can go online during the day."
"The salary is alright, it's better than not being able to find a job at all. You all saw what I did when I was unemployed and lost control of my emotions..."
Yuan Ying rolled her eyes, her gaze slowly settling on the ID next to the vest: Slowly From Before.
Of course, he didn't have any major grudge against Lai Si and Tian Zhi Shang. He had contributed a lot as a member of the gang, so he wouldn't leave the gang hastily just because he severed his master-disciple relationship with Lai Si. Therefore, it was perfectly normal for him to be here, chatting and laughing with several elders.
Yuan Ying watched coldly from the sidelines.
This guy wasn't very talkative, and his interaction frequency with others was within the normal range, yet he easily became the center of attention. At first, there was a bit of awkwardness, but as laughter filled the air, the group quickly made plans to play games together that evening.
Compared to his former slowness, he now appears tongue-tied and finds it difficult to please others.
A former man sighed, "After being gone for several months, I didn't expect everyone to still like hanging out on YY."
"That's how computer spirits are; they don't have anything else to do."
"Yeah, it's quite comfortable to listen to you guys chat and type on YY."
He slowly said "Oh," and then asked, "What about the team building activities tonight?"
"Hey bro, all right. Fox even upgraded the prizes a while ago, and tonight it's my turn to host. Come join the fun, Slow Bro."
Once upon a time, I smiled and said, "I remember playing Pictionary before. I'm terrible at drawing, and my drawing was a mess, which left Master speechless. But he knows me quite well and very stubbornly guessed the answer... So, Master, are you coming tonight?"
He paused, then belatedly realized his mistake and said awkwardly, "Excuse me, I should call you Lai Si now."
That being said, the master-disciple title remained grayed out in the game.
Apart from a few simpletons, everyone present was quite shrewd. Gou Si Ce Hua sniffed as he discovered Luo Ying's disguise, and even caught a faint hint of provocation.
Yuan Ying turned on his microphone directly, and with the voice changer, his voice was slow and strained: "Good evening, everyone. Um—you are that… let me think, are you Bao Bao's second or third apprentice? I can't quite remember."
He said softly, expressionless, "If I remember correctly, you two had a fight and broke off your master-disciple relationship? You've made up? That's great."
"But the baby has something to do tonight and can't participate in the team building activity. He probably won't have time in the future either. If you need to contact him, I'll pass on your message."
Hold your breath, and the keyboard noise disappears.
YY was completely silent.
After a few seconds of silence, she spoke up lightly: "Hello, hello. I haven't even returned to the game yet, but I've already seen your wedding with your master. Happy wedding!"
"No need to trouble you. I used to be very talkative and often chatted with my master about all sorts of things. Hmm... he should have time to talk to me for a bit, right? If he doesn't have time, I'll bother him a few more times."
"..."
This time it was Yuan Ying's turn to remain silent.
In the quiet, Gou Si Ce Hua suddenly let out a melodious and cheerful whistle.
"?" Listener #1 asked, "What's wrong, Xiao Hua?"
Despite the danger, Gou Si remained calm and said leisurely, "I'm helping my roommate pee, don't mind me."
Go on, keep talking!
She listened.
But her shout completely broke the tense atmosphere, and everyone else was stunned. They took the opportunity to burst into wild laughter and jeering around Gou Si Ce Hua.
"Little Slipper, how are you so smooth? Teach me!"
"Coach, I want to learn how to whistle too!"
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