Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Gu Beixian’s voice was mesmerizing-deep, magnetic, and crisp, like the resonant notes of a cello. It brushed against her ear, sliding deep into her mind.

Su Hua’s heart fluttered traitorously.

It felt as if a small deer were inside her, its antlers thumping rhythmically against her chest.

She stood frozen. Sweet words from the person one loved truly could make the brain flood with dopamine.

Su Hua’s eyes curved into crescents as she tilted her face up to look at his handsome, alluring features. “Thank you for humoring me like this,” she said. “Thank you.”

Gu Beixian let out a short laugh and pinched her cheek, his gaze playful. “I’ve realized you’re a bit of a straight shooter, aren’t you, my little straight-laced girl?”

Su Hua’s expression stiffened slightly, and she gave an embarrassed smile. “I suppose I am a bit lacking in romantic sentiment. Xiao Yi used to say the same thing about me.”

Gu Beixian arched an eyebrow. “What did he say?”

“He said I’m a good woman, but being too good can make one a bit dull. He told me I should learn to be a bit more flirtatious, more provocative, and more flexible. He said I should act spoiled when I need to, show weakness when appropriate, be thick-skinned when necessary, and use a few schemes when the situation calls for it.”

Gu Beixian pondered this for a moment. “Being provocative is fine, but only in front of me. Acting spoiled or showing weakness is also fine, but you can forget about the thick skin and the schemes.”

Su Hua replied obediently, “Okay.”

Gu Beixian patted her head. “Wait for me at home. What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll bring something back for you.”

Su Hua hadn’t had much of an appetite the last couple of days, so she said, “I don’t really have a craving for anything.”

“Then I’ll just pick something out for you. Let Aunt Liu handle lunch; don’t do it yourself.”

Su Hua felt as though she had been transformed from a maid into a princess. She complied softly, “Alright.”

“I’m off.” Gu Beixian gave her another hug, picked up his briefcase, changed into his shoes, and reached for the door handle.

Suddenly, Su Hua ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. “I wish I could shrink down and be tucked into your pocket,” she whispered. “That way, I could go wherever you go.”

She really wasn’t good at saying sweet things.

However, she felt that since he had said something romantic, she ought to reciprocate, so she had forced out this somewhat clichéd line.

Gu Beixian was nearly dying of laughter.

Seeing her struggle to say something romantic was like watching someone try to complete a difficult poetic couplet. What came naturally to others took her a long time to process, only for her to produce such a stiff sentence.

She said the words with such earnestness that any sense of flirtatious atmosphere completely vanished.

He slowly turned around, cupped her small face, and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. Unable to suppress his smile, he said, “How is our Huahua so cute?”

Cute?

Su Hua was a bit dazed.

After Gu Beixian left, she went into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror for a long time. Her face was certainly beautiful, but it didn’t seem to have anything to do with being ‘cute.’

Once Gu Beixian was gone, the large apartment felt empty, and Su Hua began to miss her grandmother again. She walked out to the balcony and sat on the lounge chair, staring blankly into space.

Just as she was sinking into her grief, her phone rang.

She picked it up and saw it was Shen Yuan calling.

Once the call connected, Shen Yuan said, “Su Hua, the restoration of Wang Meng’s Seclusion Painting has already begun. Next, they need to select someone for the ‘connecting strokes’ phase. The museum has gathered a group of master copyists from all over the country. Everyone will copy a section, and the best will be chosen. My brother wants you to submit a copy as well.”

‘Connecting strokes’ referred to the process of filling in the missing parts of an ancient painting’s artistic intent. It involved bridging the gaps so that no traces of restoration could be seen in the final work.

This process was a rigorous test of a person’s overall aesthetic sensibility and their mastery of fundamental techniques. While copying was about using one’s own skills to reach a certain standard, connecting strokes required the restorer to clash with that standard and step directly into the original artist’s role. The requirements were even higher than those for mere copying.

This was why the museum was gathering experts to find the best among them.

Su Hua replied, “Okay.”

Shen Yuan said, “I have a photo of the full Seclusion Painting on my phone. I’ll send it to you in a bit.”

Su Hua replied casually, “No need, I’ve already committed it to memory.”

“What? You memorized it?” Shen Yuan was stunned. “That Seclusion Painting is so complex, you can remember the whole thing? Even the missing parts?”

Su Hua gave a faint hum of affirmation. “My grandfather intentionally trained me since I was a child. No matter what kind of ancient painting it is, if I look at it for ten or twenty minutes, I can remember it all. When I get back, it won’t even take me half a month to produce an identical copy.”
Shen Yuan was stunned. “My god, don’t tell me you’re some kind of legendary genius!”

Su Hua thought to herself, I can’t even say a sweet word properly, what kind of genius could I be?

“Let’s not talk about that. I’m going to work on the partial sketch now and send it to you tonight.”

Shen Yuan was shocked again. “That fast?”

“Yes.”

After hanging up, Su Hua walked into her study.

The room was equipped with a full set of tools for restoring ancient calligraphy and paintings.

Grandfather Gu was an avid collector of ancient works. Since such pieces were difficult to preserve, she had been the one helping him maintain and restore them over the past few years.

Gu Beixian had sent people to procure this specific set of tools for her.

Su Hua took a sheet of Xuan paper and skillfully aged it using black tea water, then asked Aunt Liu to help her grind the ink.

Once the paper was completely dry, she picked up a brush and began to paint, relying on the image etched into her memory.

In terms of technique, Wang Meng’s paintings were incredibly layered in brushwork and scenery. His style featured unique Jiesuo texture strokes and Ox-hair texture strokes, characterized by heavy ink, dense compositions, and layouts filled with overlapping mountains and winding waters, creating a lush and profound atmosphere.

Because of his deep inner longing for a reclusive life, his works were tranquil and transcendent, somber yet elegant, thick and lush.

Under her grandfather’s guidance, Su Hua had copied many of his works when she was a child.

Being intimately familiar with his methods and brushwork, drawing a partial sketch now was second nature to her.

By evening, Su Hua had finished the painting and contacted Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan rushed over. After receiving the painting, she opened the photo on her phone to compare them; they were practically identical.

The only difference was that the missing artistic elements from the original painting had been seamlessly filled in by Su Hua.

Shen Yuan marveled repeatedly, unable to resist grabbing Su Hua’s head to look at her from every angle. “Sister Hua, what kind of divine brain do you have? How is it more effective than a camera?”

Su Hua felt a bit embarrassed by her fussing and gently pushed her away. “I was born only a few hours after you. You should just call me Su Hua.”

“No, you are my Sister Hua. ‘Sister’ represents status in the world; it has nothing to do with age.”

Su Hua couldn’t win the argument, so she could only let her use the silly nickname.

Shen Yuan carefully rolled up the painting and put it in her car. “My brother went abroad for a medical exchange conference. He heard from a colleague that your grandmother passed away and called specifically to tell me to spend more time with you. Where do you want to go? I’ll take you.”

Su Hua knew she would miss her grandmother if she stayed idle, and she happened to want to clear her head. “Let’s go ride the Ferris wheel.”

Shen Yuan rolled her eyes. “What’s so fun about that?”

Su Hua felt a bit sheepish. “I’ve never been on one.”

Shen Yuan burst out laughing. “No way! You’re in your twenties and you’ve never ridden a Ferris wheel?”

“No, never.”

“Then let’s go.”

Su Hua got into Shen Yuan’s car.

The two of them grabbed a bite to eat before heading to Jingdu’s largest amusement park.

The giant Ferris wheel stood over a hundred meters tall, with brilliant colorful lights installed on the outside of each cabin. At night, it looked as beautiful as a rainbow.

Su Hua and Shen Yuan stepped inside together.

After about ten minutes, they reached the highest point of the Ferris wheel.

The cabin was equipped with binoculars for tourists to enjoy the night view.

Su Hua and Shen Yuan picked them up and looked out. They could see all of Jingdu-thousands of lights, a sea of colors, and a scattering of stars. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with shimmering neon outlining an incomparable nightscape.

Suddenly, Shen Yuan patted Su Hua’s shoulder and shouted, “Look! That handsome guy, Gu Beixian!”

Su Hua adjusted her binoculars and looked in the direction she was pointing.

Opposite them, in the parking lot in front of the Jingdu Grand Hotel, a man and a woman were stepping out of a stretched luxury car.

The man was tall and handsome, dressed in a dark formal suit, walking with long, elegant strides and a refined air.

The woman was beautiful and fashionably dressed, adorned with sparkling jewelry.

The man was indeed Gu Beixian.

The woman was Chu Suosuo.

The two walked side-by-side toward the hotel’s main entrance, chatting as they went.

The binoculars were so clear that even the smile on Chu Suosuo’s face was perfectly visible.

She looked so happy.

The smile on Su Hua’s face froze.