Chapter 365

The gigantic egg-shaped exhibition hall was even larger than a regular sports arena.

Its exterior design was extremely sleek, resembling facets of a cut diamond, shimmering everywhere in silver.

I wonder if you could spot this silver egg from afar, looking down from the sky.

This exhibition hall was specially designed by Li Qianmen for his wife, Gao Cuihua, to display all the numerous useless things she bought.

The first thing that caught the eye upon entering the exhibition hall was the most useless bronze tripod.

With a price tag of five billion, it was still quite enticing.

The exhibition hall didn't charge admission fees; anyone with an ID card could enter, and parents or teachers without ID cards could also bring children or students in.

Due to its immense size, even with all the extravagant purchases made by Gao Cuihua on display—half-meter-high Hetian jade carvings, half-filled tanks of southern red agate, a box full of jade bracelets and pendants, various branded furniture, and bizarre collections, there was still plenty of space left.

Although the land price had doubled, Li Tangsong still felt that his parents' behavior was extravagant, constantly losing money just to showcase his mother's extravagant products, requiring such a large exhibition hall, staff, security, expensive security systems, lighting, air purification systems, and more, all resulting in huge daily expenses, yet no admission fees were charged.

What a mess...

As a result, this enormous exhibition hall attracted a lot of people as soon as it opened, all wanting to rent it to showcase their own items.

This exhibition hall could be said to be the most advanced, luxurious, and beautiful exhibition hall in Meng City, and major brands and well-known individuals took pride in being able to display their items here.

As a result, the remaining large space was eagerly lined up for high-priced auctions to rent it.

Li Tangsong:...

And today, one of the exhibition halls was about to be taken by his younger brother.

He always thought that his brother's personality would take several more years to mature enough to like girls.

Yet this kid, in pursuit of a girl, shaved his head and actually caught her.

He had originally wanted to nag a bit, saying that falling in love too early wasn't good, but after his brother started dating, his academic performance suddenly skyrocketed. He hadn't passed the English IELTS in years, but now he breezed through the English CET-4, and even passed the computer level 2 exam and Japanese CET-4... He wanted to ask his brother, are you going to date or study?

He felt that his brother had encountered some extraordinary luck in finding a good girl.

But today's events truly blinded him.

Looking at his stylishly dressed brother, he finally understood why he didn't have a girlfriend.

For his little girlfriend's birthday, his brother actually organized an art exhibition specifically for her, not only that, he also invited celebrities from all walks of life, as well as teachers and classmates from school, inviting everyone he could.

Tsk tsk, if he received this birthday gift, Li Tangsong felt that even if he were a girl, he would yield to him.

Xiao Qi at this moment, really felt this way.

This gift was too surprising.

Really.

Especially seeing Zaizai under the poster, standing there smiling at her.

A faint smile is truly enchanting, and it can really be used on boys.

Xiao Qi's roommate burst into laughter.

They had known for a while that Zaizai had asked for their help to collect Xiao Qi's paintings, to give her a surprise. Mia's straightforward personality had been holding back for days, finally relieved today.

Zaizai was really impressive. With such a large exhibition hall, big screens playing, and such huge promotional posters.

Xiao Qi walked slowly over, feeling like she was walking through a tunnel of time.

In reality, there were many people in the exhibition hall, but at this moment, Xiao Qi only had eyes for one person.

She walked up to Li Weijin, his face slightly red. One reason was that he had been standing for a long time, and another was that he wanted to hug Xiao Qi.

At school, although they were almost in a confirmed relationship, dating was forbidden by Enhua. They really only studied together, not even holding hands, let alone anything else.

If holding hands at Enhua was caught, they had to write a self-criticism...

But now they were outside of school.

Today was Xiao Qi's birthday.

Preparing an art exhibition for Xiao Qi was not the only birthday gift.

He had prepared three gifts.

Well, a hug counted as one.

Xiao Qi walked up, and then was hugged by the young man... for a while... then let go.

Xiao Qi's face instantly turned red.

She, she had liked someone before, but she had never had such intimate contact with a boy.

Her hands and feet felt numb, her blood seemed to be rushing around.

Li Weijin wasn't much better than her, his face even redder, standing there, his collarbone burning as if he had a fever, his hands and feet numb and stiff.

"Happy birthday, Qi Qi."

"Thank you." Xiao Qi spoke, feeling her throat sticky.

Xiao Qi's roommates were standing on the side, giggling.

Even Yunsu was like this, the scene was too beautiful.

Under Li Weijin's lead, the group entered the exhibition hall together.

Swiping their IDs could get them in directly, and upon entering, they could see the treasure of the town inside, the five hundred million bronze cauldron, which was also a legend in Meng City. At this price, it was quite legendary for the entire country.

That's why an exhibition hall in the Xiao'an District would attract countless people to come and watch the fun. Chinese people like to join in the fun, although they can't own it, they can still see the five hundred million jar with their own eyes. Anyway, this exhibition hall was suddenly elevated to a very high level, and everything that could be exhibited here was very expensive.

Xiao Qi's art exhibition was in the third room behind the bronze cauldron.

It was also very conspicuous.

Seeing the promotional posters outside, Xiao Qi felt it was exaggerated, but when she walked in, she realized it was even more exaggerated.

The exhibition hall was very spacious and futuristic.

The things inside were placed very widely, just like Li Qianmen and Gao Cuihua discussed, the larger the space, the fewer things there were, and the more spacious it looked.

In a huge, luxurious hall, just placing a 15-dollar pot of flowers could give a feeling of ten thousand dollars worth of art.

Xiao Qi's art exhibition was in such an exhibition hall.

Very large hall, black and white.

But there weren't many paintings.

The placement was also very particular.

Arranged according to the time of painting.

One by one, with a huge staircase in the middle leading up.

From bottom to top, starting with the simple sketches Xiao Qi drew at first, some life sketches, detailed scenes, then various photos of horses, and finally various figures.

Painting, in general, is difficult to judge good or bad.

In the past, there used to be standards, but now abstract paintings command exorbitant prices, and even a mop randomly splashed on paper seems to qualify as a masterpiece.

However, this art exhibition, with its clever design of staircases arranged by time, stands out.

Almost everyone ascending the stairs can feel the progression of these artworks, a constant improvement.

From crude brushstrokes to skilled painting styles.

From simple emotions to complex and varied feelings.

From animal landscapes to diverse character portrayals.

The progress is evident, remarkably so.

Yet, these paintings still bear the unmistakable mark of their creator; they all share a common style that exudes positivity and upward momentum.

Regardless of whether the scenes depicted convey worry or smiles, they all seem to radiate a sense of optimism and positivity.

Looking at these paintings, one can't help but feel uplifted.

Mrs. Su received an invitation and decided to attend the exhibition.

To her surprise, she bumped into an old friend, a renowned artist from Meng City who had settled here for retirement due to the pleasant climate.

"Xiao Su, you're here to see the paintings too? I thought you weren't interested in these things," teased Cui Guohua.

Being called Xiao Su at her age brought back fond memories.

"Cui Lao, back then I didn't understand art, and now I still don't. I lack that artistic sensibility. These were painted by my students, so I came to show my support," Mrs. Su replied with a broad smile.

Back in the day, Cui Guohua had wanted to paint her, but she had declined. Seeing Mrs. Su now, he could tell she had been a rare beauty in her youth.

As they chatted, they approached a painting.

It was of Mrs. Su.

Not the young Mrs. Su, but the present one.

Yet, she still looked beautiful.

The figure in the painting stood before the canvas.

It was a miraculous sight.

Mrs. Su was also taken aback. She had received the invitation and, as it was the weekend, had been teaching French to a girl for quite some time now. Considering the effort the girl put in, Mrs. Su, who was a reputable teacher, had no idea she could also paint.

Knowing it was Xiao Qi who organized the exhibition, she couldn't help but feel impressed.

Young people nowadays were truly remarkable.

However, what amused her the most was her own granddaughter, who was indifferent and not ambitious. She was hopping around in front of her, visibly annoyed, complaining incessantly about Xiao Qi's cunning nature. She wished she had organized the exhibition herself. But Mrs. Su understood her granddaughter well; she lacked initiative despite her competitive spirit. Despite this, the fact that she persevered in learning French and succeeded surprised Mrs. Su.

Her granddaughter had mentioned that Xiao Qi painted her, and she had agreed, assuming it was just the girl practicing her artwork.

But she hadn't expected to suddenly see herself.

It was like looking in a mirror, yet different.

A mirror reflects an image, but the painting before her was more intricate.

Mrs. Su wasn't in the habit of cosmetic procedures; the crow's feet around her eyes were evident, and her hair had turned somewhat gray. In reality, as women age, they tend to avoid mirrors. Even Mrs. Su, who was strong-willed, fell into this category.

But at this moment, looking at this painting, it's very realistic, depicting the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, the lines on her forehead, neck, the mole on her cheek, freckles, and the gray hairs on her head, all drawn very clearly.

Despite having so many flaws, so many undeniable traces of time, Su Shuyu still finds this painting beautiful.

Very beautiful.

She hadn't thought she looked like this in other people's eyes.

Very confident, commanding, like an iron lady.

But her eyes are also very gentle.

The person in the painting is very elegant, probably resembling the person Su Shuyu admired when she was young. Unconsciously, she has become that kind of person.

She stood in front of her own portrait in a daze.

Beside her, her old friend Cui Guohua also froze. When they were young, he even had the desire to pursue her. Artists love beauty, whether it's in objects or people, as long as it's beautiful, it can inspire creation.

Back then, he really wanted to paint Su Shuyu, but Su Shuyu refused.

Never did they expect to grow old, yet see a portrait of Su Shuyu. Her in her old age.

Initially, one might feel regretful for not leaving behind paintings of her youth.

But seeing this painting, that sense of regret just couldn't be expressed.

This was actually painted by a female student, and it's too beautiful, capturing all of Su Shuyu's shining points. One can feel that the person who painted this must really like Su Shuyu, even admire her, with reverence.

An amateur might not be able to see it, but as an artist who has been painting for decades, Cui Guohua understands this feeling too well, intense and fervent, requiring strong and full emotions to paint such a picture.

He can't paint like that anymore.

Although his brushstrokes have become more skillful than before, the act of painting has truly diminished, not only to maintain the price of his paintings but also because he really lacks the inspiration and emotions for creation.

Those intense emotions, saturated emotions, are the soul of painting.

Only with such emotions can one paint a picture with a soul.

Su Shuyu lingered in front of her own artwork, the person in the painting and the person outside the painting, this feeling is very magical.

In fact, there are many such scenes at art exhibitions.

Mimi and the others have Xiao Qi paint for them. When they usually look at it in the dormitory, they think it's amazing.

But when it's framed, hung on the wall, illuminated, and then admired from the opposite side, it feels completely different.

Mimi feels like she sees another Mimi, lively wanting to step out, looking at it just makes her want to smile, feeling like her eyebrows, eyes, mouth, and even fingers and toes are all smiling.

So joyful.

Wei Cheng sees her own portrait, feeling very shy, she stands in front of the portrait, exactly like the temperament in the painting, truly like looking in a mirror.

Shy yet with a strong feeling, very positive, she herself is like this too, what's even more coincidental is that she's wearing the same trench coat as in the painting, she treasures the new one she bought very much, she doesn't have many clothes, so it's normal to repeat, really at first glance, it's like the person in the painting has come out.

As Yunshu looked at herself in the painting, she found it somewhat unbelievable. Am I really that lazy? The lazy vibe, the reluctance to move, it all seemed to emanate from the painting. Her fingers appeared slightly chubby, and yet, lazy. She had always thought her wide eyebrow gap was unattractive, but in the painting, she looked adorable. She decided she must take this painting home after the exhibition. It was painted by Xiao Qi, and her parents would surely love it.

Her mother was a bit snobbish; having attended such exhibitions before, she would undoubtedly boast to her socialite friends when she returned home.

Aizhen was also present. Xiao Qi's depiction of Aizhen was so gentle and beautiful.

Aizhen suffered from anorexia and had been depressed for a while. She felt like a skeleton herself, but she never imagined she could look so pretty in Xiao Qi's eyes—so serene and beautiful.

She hugged the book and read aloud on the platform, radiating warmth mixed with the scent of books.

This painting was truly special, drawing a crowd around it. Aizhen, usually emotionally subdued, was now somewhat excited.

There were also paintings by Xiao Qi's parents and his plump aunt.

Though their attire seemed ordinary, they exuded genuine warmth, evoking memories of one's own parents, the feeling of being cherished, nostalgic.

The plump aunt was particularly lively, exuding the vitality of the working class, simple joy, and a cheerful disposition, easy to get along with, yet with a hint of inner shyness.

There were various graceful horses galloping, incredibly handsome.

Of course, the most beautiful piece on display was by Li Weijin.

Xiao Shengzhou was also invited because he provided some horse paintings, which Xiao Qi had collected from him at the equestrian center.

He hadn't expected the exhibition to be so grand. Frankly speaking, he could organize such an exhibition himself, but he probably wouldn't, or he might discuss it with Xiao Qi, not use it as a surprise birthday gift.

He thought this was the difference between him and Li Weijin.

He was more mature, while Li Weijin was still a youth.

But when he saw the painting of the bald youth, he instantly understood Xiao Qi's emotions.

The youths in her paintings had eyes full of light, radiant and unable to be concealed.

Like that love and affection overflowing from the paintings, sweet and beautiful.

There were also paintings by Xiao Shengzhou at the exhibition, well done with a lot of depth in the eyes, mature and steady, a sense of responsibility, handsome indeed, everything, except for that light.

Xiao Qi was somewhat bewildered seeing these paintings. Her usual sketches, now displayed so grandly, there was indeed a huge gap; she could hardly believe she had painted them herself.

And someone even inquired about the price.

Cui Guohua really wanted to buy Su Shuyu's portrait, so he sent his assistant to inquire about the price.

Learning that the paintings were not for sale, the assistant understood. He thought it was just a gimmick because Cui Guohua was originally a painter, selling paintings needed to enhance one's value; selling casually would only cheapen them.

So, he understandingly asked for a starting price, suggesting negotiations.

The staff were really helpless. This was the boss organizing an exhibition for his future daughter-in-law, a birthday gift from the boss's son to his girlfriend, they really weren't for sale.

The wealthy really knew how to play.

Initially, they thought they were just ordinary paintings. It was said they were painted by a freshman girl, but they never expected there would actually be inquiries, and quite a few people at that.

Mrs. Su's painting had someone asking for the price.

The one called "Mier" had two people asking for the price.

The one named "Coral" and the drumming horse both had two people asking for the price separately.

The painting with the most inquiries was their young master's.

Especially the one called "Guang," surprisingly had around ten inquiries.

The staff was getting impatient with all the questions and couldn't quote prices anymore.

They tried to find the boss, but he wouldn't answer the phone. They tried his son, but he was busy with his girlfriend looking at paintings.

They had to settle for Li Tangsong, the boss's eldest son, who was in charge of negotiations.

Li Tangsong: ??? Someone asking for prices??? Why come to me? Go find my brother. Can I really sell his girlfriend's painting?

But after seeing the surveillance footage the staff showed him, where his brother was walking hand in hand with his girlfriend, stumbling along, he decided not to bother them.

He randomly quoted a high price, thinking no sane person would buy it.

"Guang," the most inquired about, was priced at 2 million, while the others were all priced at 500,000.

They thought they had brushed off the inquiries, but to their surprise, the staff came back looking troubled.

"That painting 'Guang' for 2 million? Someone wants to buy it. Also, the one called 'Coral' and Mrs. Su's painting have interested buyers."

Li Tangsong: ... What the heck?