As they critiqued each other’s paintings, Hua Jie still had her own perspectives. It was Zhao Xiaolei’s first time hearing Hua Jie speak, and he was quite surprised.
When Shen Jiaru made his evaluations, he once again praised Lu Yunfei, noting that the clear prioritization in his painting style was not only applied in sketching but also evident in his gouache portrait sketches. This indicated that he didn’t just mimic others’ good techniques but had thought about them, digested, and integrated them into his own work.
“Very good,” Shen Jiaru said these three words twice.
For Shen, who was usually strict and sparing with praise, this was indeed a precious commendation.
Lu Yunfei blushed; he had already received compliments twice today. Though he was looking down and not smiling, the color of his cheeks showed that he was in a good mood.
Fang Shaojun unconsciously scratched the palm of her right hand, her gaze occasionally sweeping over Lu Yunfei, filled with reluctance.
Qian Chong, openly pouting and sulking, seemed to be showing his mood to no one in particular.
When it came to critiquing Hua Jie’s painting, the teacher finally allowed the other three students to comment:
“Take a look at this watercolor. What do you have to say? Lu Yunfei?”
“The coloring has become softer. The sense of volume could be enhanced by using stronger contrasts in colors?” Lu Yunfei was unsure if watercolors were generally softer.
“Yes, that’s right, Hua Jie, take note,” Shen Jiaru instructed.
“Okay, teacher. Thank you, Lu Yunfei,” Hua Jie sincerely thanked him.
Indeed, transitioning from gouache to watercolor, her use of color intensity was still somewhat timid.
“Fang Shaojun,” the teacher continued calling names.
“…” Fang Shaojun stared at the painting for a while before she finally spoke:
“The boldness in handling watercolors is very good; I’ve seen those types of watercolor paintings where the brush is scrubbed back and forth.”
“The background with water splashes looks beautiful, showcasing the beauty of watercolors.”
“But perhaps there’s too little negative space; the painting seems a bit stifled.”
“Could this area benefit from a more liberated brushstroke? The dry brush technique of leaving white would be more beautiful.”
Shen Jiaru listened with his head down, then suddenly turned to stare at Fang Shaojun, asking after she had finished:
“Have you gone back and studied watercolor painting?”
“…Yes,” Fang Shaojun nodded.
“…” Shen Jiaru pursed his lips, marking another chemical reaction since Hua Jie joined the studio.
Fang Shaojun had actually gone back to study watercolor techniques in detail to critique Hua Jie’s painting and understand her level.
“Yes, negative space and flying white—these two points Hua Jie should practice and study specifically,” Shen Jiaru nodded.
“Okay, teacher. Thank you, Fang Shaojun.” Hua Jie remained humble.
Fang Shaojun didn’t speak, and his gaze didn’t even shift in Hua Jie’s direction.
“Qian Chong,” Shen Jiaru finally called this child’s name.
Qian Chong was eager to try, even fearing that the teacher might skip him when it was his turn.
As soon as Shen Jiaru finished speaking, he immediately began:
“The hairline here should have increased contrast, it shouldn’t allow the water to blur over, which reduces the sense of volume.
“This line is unnecessary.”
“This doesn’t look right.”
“Jumping colors here; using the color that was used above here would be better.”
“This shouldn’t have an outlined edge; it should directly use the contrast between color blocks to show the edges.”
“What is all this mess here? It’s ugly.”
“And another thing! Haven’t you heard Qi Baishi say, ‘Those who learn from me perish, those who resemble me die’? Following others’ techniques is rubbish!”
He grew more agitated as he spoke, as if he wanted to criticize every line of Hua Jie’s painting.
Finally, Shen Jiaru could no longer restrain his agitation and lifted his pointer, striking Qian Chong on the arm with a snap.
“Snap!”
“Teacher!” Qian Chong raised his arm, a look of aggrievement on his face.
“Speak properly,” Shen Jiaru frowned.
“…” Qian Chong stubbornly looked away.
“What Qi Baishi really said was: ‘Those who learn from me live, those who imitate me die!'” Hua Jie added after the teacher’s reprimand, “Ignorant.”
“Hey!” Qian Chong abruptly turned his head.
“Alright.” Shen Jiaru intervened, then steered the conversation back to the painting:
“Qian Chong’s first few points are still worth considering.”
“Okay, teacher, and thank you, classmate Qian Chong.” Hua Jie turned her head and sincerely thanked him.
“…” Qian Chong felt she was mocking him, but he had no proof.
“Hua Jie, look here, between the neck and the collar, at the area catching the light, you can leave it blank—be bold with the negative space.”
“Over here in the shadow, farther away, you can just let it blur with high moisture, even blurring all the details is fine because as long as the structure is shown, you can be bold.”
Shen Jiaru pointed out a few more details, and Hua Jie noted each one in her notebook, including comments from several classmates.
“Take a break, everyone.” Shen Jiaru clapped his hands, signaling that everyone could take a stroll, use the restroom, have a drink, and relax.
Qian Chong immediately stood up, but just as he was about to step out, he saw that Fang Shaojun, Lu Yunfei, and Hua Jie hadn’t moved, still focusing on the painting, either pondering the teacher’s comments or thinking about future improvements.
“…” Grinding his teeth, Qian Chong’s stepping foot retreated, and he sat back down to avoid being left behind.
“…” Shen Jiaru scanned the four kids, shook his head with a smile, and then left the studio.
…
After sitting for a while longer, Qian Chong couldn’t sit still any longer.
Glancing at the others, he scoffed:
“Acting all high and mighty, if you were really that diligent, you wouldn’t just sit here for a moment. Such hypocrisy, all for show, tsk.”
“Shut your mouth.” Fang Shaojun glared at him sideways, then stood up to tidy her papers and walked over to study and appreciate the painting the teacher had done before they arrived.
Qian Chong waved his fist, annoyed that the other ignored him.
How did Teacher Shen end up with such a bunch of students? Qian Chong scornfully scanned everyone.
Noticing that Lu Yunfei was still sitting there engrossed in the painting, completely unresponsive.
Hua Jie was earnestly correcting her painting, her brows furrowed in concentration.
He remembered last week when this newcomer had used Shen’s ink to outdo him; now with Shen not around, he wondered how she’d manage.
So he walked over to her, kicking her backpack as he passed.
The girl still carried the same gray backpack from before, stained with the paint he’d kicked onto it last time—his badge of victory.
“I thought your painting would be much better, but your level is pretty average, isn’t it? Are you keeping your paintings hidden because you’re afraid we’ll get jealous, or is that really all you’re capable of? I was painting like this in elementary school!” Standing behind Hua Jie, he stared at her painting and couldn’t help but sneer.
Hua Jie was quite forbearing; her painting wasn’t anything special, hmph.
“You were painting like this in elementary school?” Hua Jie stopped painting, turned her head to look at him, and coldly said, “Then you’ve really progressed slowly.”
It’s high school now, and after all these years, that’s all you’ve managed?
“What’s the point of all this trash talk?”
“How about we have a painting competition later, and then ask the teacher who scores higher in the test?”
Qian Chong smirked faintly:
“If I win, you’re no longer allowed to criticize my paintings. In class, you can only praise my paintings and criticize Fang Shaojun and Lu Yunfei’s, what do you think?”
Qian Chong lowered his voice, asking her softly.
Hua Jie raised her eyebrows and glanced at him. Being pointed out during the learning process was a rare opportunity to help him. She wished everyone would say more about her paintings, for any useful feedback was a steal.
How can Qian Chong be so childish? He knows nothing.
She stood up, looked him up and down, then glanced at his painting and asked with a curled lip:
“Piece together a painting?”
“Do you dare?” He glanced sideways at her watercolor with a disdainful look.
“…” One is most vulnerable when pursuing something with all their heart.
She looked back at her own watercolor, admittedly not quite satisfactory, but considering she had just started learning, she felt she had made rapid progress. However, facing genius classmates like Qian Chong, the pressure was not small.
But thinking about her efforts to paint and learn, she was confident that her watercolor skills would improve quickly. She didn’t think her current knowledge and learning ability were inferior to theirs.
However, if this process of slow and painful catching up was constantly accompanied by Qian Chong’s sarcasm and provocation, it would be too painful.
“Fine, let’s compete, but what are we competing in?” Hua Jie asked, tilting her chin.
“Hahaha!” Qian Chong suddenly laughed. He turned to look at Fang Shaojun and then at Lu Yunfei, before shifting his gaze with an exaggerated pose as if he couldn’t believe she was being so overconfident.
Then, he scanned Hua Jie’s backpack, looked at the shoes she was wearing, and stared at the brand of paint she used, silently scoffing ‘poor bumpkin’, before asking:
“What do you have to wager?”
Saying that, he waved his hand up and down, indicating she had nothing of value to bet.
“Anything you say, I’ll wager.” Hua Jie spoke casually, but with a bit of Shen Mo’s imposing manner.
“Okay.” Qian Chong thought for a moment, then walked to the big bags he had brought with him, picked the most expensive one, and tossed it in front of Hua Jie, saying:
“This mink vest I bought this morning cost over five thousand. Sincere enough? If I lose to you, it’s yours.”
“Who wants your smelly clothes.” Fang Shaojun finally shifted her gaze from the teacher’s painting to Qian Chong, finding him really noisy.
She didn’t really want it, but since it was something he cherished, taking it from him wasn’t a bad idea.
“Okay.” Hua Jie agreed.
“If I win, in front of everyone, you must shout three times ‘My painting is not as good as Qian Chong, Qian Chong paints very well!’ Then tomorrow at Teacher Shen’s house, in front of Shen Mo, shout that Qian Chong is the greatest.” Qian Chong teased her, his face full of mischief, and provocatively asked:
“Do you dare?”
“Okay.” Hua Jie agreed without hesitation, and then added with a laugh:
“However, if I win, you have to shout three times, ‘I’m not as good as Hua Jie at painting; Hua Jie paints really well!’ Do you dare?”
“…” Qian Chong looked up at Hua Jie, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he snorted coldly, “What’s there to be afraid of? If you’re offering, of course, I agree.”
“Are you really that reckless? To make such a bet with him?” Fang Shaojun couldn’t believe her eyes and was incredulous.
Has she gone mad?
Even if flattering Qian Chong costs nothing, is she really ready to throw away her dignity and pride just like that?
Teacher Shen is very strict about taking apprentices. The reason he started classes back then was because her parents had pleaded for years, and only after seeing she was indeed capable, did he agree. In the end, both Qian Chong and Lu Yunfei were accepted because of their strong individual painting skills.
But the teacher also said, he values quality over quantity, teaching only a few of the strongest… How did he end up accepting such a person?
Hua Jie met Fang Shaojun’s scornful gaze and didn’t bother to cozy up to someone so aloof, simply stating with confidence:
“I will not lose.”
“…” Fang Shaojun scoffed, then turned to see Qian Chong’s smug, triumphant expression, rolled her eyes, muttered “truly shameless,” and left the studio to use the restroom.
“Don’t try to weasel out if you lose.” Qian Chong tilted his head, smiling happily, as if he had already won.
“The same goes for you,” said Hua Jie, then she twisted her neck and stretched her arms, thinking about how to ask the teacher for a favor.
…
Hua Jie promised to paint five watercolor portraits this week, in order to request from Teacher Shen that the second portrait she paints in today’s class be done in gouache.
Shen Jiaru agreed without hesitation.
Leaning against the windowsill, perched above the radiator, wearing a grey-brown outfit against the half-green, half-white old wall, he looked at Hua Jie with a half-smile, then at Qian Chong, “A bet, you say?”
“Yes,” Hua Jie responded openly.
Shen Jiaru pursed his lips and nodded.
Hua Jie, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirred up a thousand ripples, making this art studio an exceptionally interesting place.
He didn’t know what changes might still occur, but he glanced again at Qian Chong, his foolish apprentice wandering around the studio, probably thinking he had the win in the bag, looking so carefree and happy.
After resting for a bit more, Shen Jiaru clapped his hands, calling everyone back to painting.
This time, he positioned the model facing the window, with the pale golden sunset illuminating the woman’s face.
“You still have to finish within an hour.”
“Give me one of your gouache papers, and let’s use the gouache paints together,” Hua Jie said to Qian Chong.
“?” Qian Chong froze, “You’re going to paint with gouache? Aren’t you a watercolor artist?”
“I can do both, too bad you haven’t learned oil painting yet, otherwise I could compete with you in that as well,” Hua Jie said, lifting her brows at him, her tone far from polite.
“???” Qian Chong stared, “Want paper? Not lending it.”
“I’ll lend you mine.” Lu Yunfei pulled out a sheet of gouache paper and handed it to Hua Jie, then turned to Fang Shaojun, “Shall we switch places?”
“…” Fang Shaojun looked bewilderedly at Lu Yunfei and then at Hua Jie.
This was the first time she heard Lu Yunfei speak such a long sentence to her, and it was to sit next to Hua Jie and lend her his brushes and paints?
This was the usually unshakeable Lu Yunfei, who always kept to himself and cared little about anything outside his window!
Helping Hua Jie voluntarily???
Fang Shaojun silently stood up, took her things, and switched places with Lu Yunfei, still somewhat in disbelief.
“…” Qian Chong glared at Lu Yunfei, “You’re really painting with gouache?”
“Let’s start, are you painting or not?” Hua Jie chided him.
“…” Qian Chong gritted his teeth.
How could this person also paint with gouache?
Thinking back on her comments about their gouache paintings…
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
Feeling anxious, he took off his cardigan.
Qian Fugui is stripping off his clothes, he’s getting serious now!
10 minutes into painting, Hua Jie’s brush moved swiftly, as if bringing out a heroic air.
Qian Chong couldn’t see her painting from where he was, only her serious expression and the determined and efficient way she wielded her brush.
Was she really that skilled? Could she actually do it?
Half an hour into the painting, Hua Jie was already using bright colors to highlight and dark colors to cast shadows.
Lu Yunfei noticed that she was always one step ahead in mixing colors, indicating she was painting faster than him.
Qian Chong glanced back at Lu Yunfei and Hua Jie’s paint palettes, noticing that Hua Jie was already mixing the highlights, his brow furrowing involuntarily.
Is this meant to scare him, or is it for real?
Painting so fast?
Is she sick? What good is it just to paint quickly!
Wiping his sweat, Qian Chong couldn’t help but speed up his pace.
He was already the fastest in the studio. Lu Yunfei and Fang Shaojun always lost to him in speed, so how could Hua Jie be faster than him?
He couldn’t believe it! He wouldn’t accept it!
This time, Shen Jiaru only gave pointers to Fang Shaojun and Lu Yunfei, staying silent about the paintings of Hua Jie and Qian Chong—he was also providing a fair environment for the two kids.
Watching Hua Jie paint with gouache, this was his second time.
The first time, during the ‘Exquisite Chess Game’ at the Youth Center studio, she was retouching his bottleneck paintings, showing him adventurous color choices for his reference.
This time, she was truly serious about starting a portrait from scratch, her brushstrokes as proficient as the ones she used for Shen Mo’s painting, and incredibly complex.
Moreover, her brushwork style was extremely intricate, as if it was a culmination of everything.
He suspected that she had copied many famous painters before, such as Van Gogh and Monet’s styles, which subtly appeared in her painting.
How did she manage to integrate them? How much time and effort had she spent on painting?
It was indeed strange and fascinating.
Forty minutes in, Hua Jie changed her brush.
The small brushstrokes on the paper slowed down.
Qian Chong stole glances at her; was she outlining the details now?
This… was she about to finish???
Impossible…
Qian Chong started to feel panicky.
It must be because he didn’t eat enough at noon and was hungry now.
He took a deep breath, trying not to let her affect him, and buried himself in his own progress.
Shen Jiaru stood behind Hua Jie, and suddenly laughed again.
Looking at the sweat on the silly apprentice Qian Chong’s forehead, well, knowing to sweat, he wasn’t completely foolish.
Checking his watch, there were ten minutes left until the end.
Hua Jie had already finished.
She turned back to exchange a smile with Shen Jiaru, her face full of confidence and exhilaration.
Painting something she excels in, even if it isn’t her favorite watercolor, at least comes easily to her.
“There’s a bit of a jump here in the painting.” Shen Jiaru pointed to a spot; Hua Jie’s use of color was bold, but it often led to recklessness.
“Teacher, how can you give her pointers? That’s not fair!” Qian Chong immediately protested unhappily.
“She has already finished,” Shen Jiaru said.
“?” Qian Chong was taken aback.
“It’s okay, take your time, you still have a while,” Hua Jie stood up, pointed at the watch, indicating he still had time.
“…” Qian Chong’s face turned sour instantly, what does she mean? She’s so arrogant??
Not just Qian Chong was agitated, even though he wasn’t involved in the bet or competing in painting, Fang Shaojun also frowned.
Lu Yunfei peeked at Hua Jie’s painting and his lips suddenly pursed into a straight line, a rare hint of bitterness appeared on his usually expressionless face.
“Don’t let Hua Jie influence you, keep your patience, and sit tight on your stools,” Shen Jiaru said with a frown.
Hua Jie stuck out her tongue.
“Wow, this mink vest feels so nice! The color is really beautiful, it really complements my skin tone,” Hua Jie stood behind Qian Chong, and while Shen Jiaru was not around, she chuckled mischievously.
Qian Chong’s scalp tingled with irritation, wishing he could turn around and confront her.
If only she wasn’t a woman! He’d jump up and scold her right now, believe it or not!
It’s infuriating!
“Don’t disturb me while I’m painting,” Qian Chong retorted angrily.
“Painting so slowly… Competing with you in painting is so boring, there’s no challenge at all,” Hua Jie taunted deliberately.
“…” Qian Chong took a deep breath and clenched his teeth, thinking: She must be painting terribly, using these tricks to lower the quality of my painting, trying to make me lose with such underhanded tactics, hmph, dream on.
He sat steadily, his brush not trembling at all.
Hua Jie found his visibly frustrated expression amusing and mocked him a couple of times before she stopped talking further, walked over to her painting, and continued observing the model and reflecting on her own work.
Shen Jiaru rolled up the demonstration painting he had done earlier and looked at his watch before clapping his hands, “Okay, time’s up, thank you to our model for today’s hard work.”
“It’s fine.” The model stood up, stretched his waist and limbs, and then headed towards the door, led by Zhao Xiaolei to settle the payment.
Qian Chong made a final touch to the model’s lips, then put down his brush, satisfied with the completion.
He pushed his drawing board away and scrutinized it, feeling very pleased with himself.
In this competitive environment, his potential had been ignited, and this painting was clearly better than the first one he did today.
He smiled proudly, thinking although Hua Jie painted faster than him, she definitely couldn’t paint better than him.
He felt reassured.
The hot sweat and irritation vanished, and a smile reappeared on his face.
“Alright, place your paintings on the platform,” Shen Jiaru said.
The four students stood up and carried their paintings to the platform that had been used by the model.
After placing his painting, Qian Chong clapped his hands and stepped down from the platform, then leisurely turned around, his eyes first admiring his own portrait painting, compelled to acknowledge once more that not only was it the best he performed today, but also the best he had painted in the past two months.
His smile of confidence widened, his gaze firm and skewed, filled with disdain as he looked towards Hua Jie’s painting.
The next instant, he was stunned.
His first reaction was, how did the teacher’s painting end up on the platform?
A closer look revealed that the brushstrokes and many aspects were definitely not as good as the teacher’s, lacking considerably in artistic quality and aesthetics.
But…
But why does it feel so textured?
At first glance, it resembles the subject; at the second glance, one can’t help but admire it, the painting is so meticulously done!
Even Qian Chong couldn’t help but feel a longing admiration, wanting to praise it aloud.
But… how could this possibly be painted by Hua Jie?
How—could—it—be???!!!