Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Gu Beixian stiffened slightly.

He hadn’t expected Su Hua to hug him.

He thought that by scrubbing her hand like that, she would be unhappy, feel wronged, or be unable to stop herself from complaining.

He had even prepared to say “I’m sorry.”

But she had hugged him, contrary to his expectations.

He let her hold him in silence for a long while.

Gu Beixian raised his left hand to cradle her head, pressing it gently against his shoulder, and tenderly stroked her cheek.

His fingertips carried a warmth filled with apology.

Leaning against his shoulder, Su Hua asked softly, “What’s been going on with you lately?”

Gu Beixian’s eyelids lowered slightly, masking the emotions in his eyes. His voice was flat as he said, “I’m not sure.”

Su Hua was silent for a moment before asking again, “Were you like this with Chu Suosuo too?”

Gu Beixian’s gaze darkened. “Never.”

After a pause, he added, “I’ll try to restrain myself in the future.”

Su Hua thought about it carefully. “If you deliberately suppress your emotions, will they rebound later? If they do, it might be even worse.”

Gu Beixian said calmly, “Let’s give it a try.”

“They’ll definitely rebound. Why don’t you just stay as you are, and I’ll try to be more careful in the future?”

After saying that, she added jokingly, “Fortunately, I work in the antiques industry, so I mostly deal with old men.”

Just one Shen Huai and one Gu Jinyao had turned him into this.

If she were in any other industry where she dealt with plenty of young men, wouldn’t he go crazy?

And even if he didn’t go crazy, he’d drive her crazy.

Gu Beixian reflected seriously and said, “Perhaps it’s because you used to be by my side all day. I got used to you revolving only around me. Now that you’ve suddenly started interacting with other men, I’m not adjusted yet. There has to be a process.”

Su Hua remained silent.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t adjusted.

It was that he was getting worse.

This level of control and possessiveness was beyond that of a normal person.

She almost wanted to suggest he see a psychologist.

But on second thought, if she were in his position, she probably wouldn’t be able to remain indifferent or unbothered either. So, she didn’t take it to heart.

Ten days later.

Chu Suosuo excitedly brought the completed jigsaw puzzle to Tianshou Pavilion.

Thud!

She slammed the puzzle down on the counter and said, “Grandpa, I finished it. Take a look!”

Hua Tianshou opened the packaging, spread out the puzzle, and glanced at it.

It was indeed fully assembled.

He lifted his gaze and asked, “Did you put this together yourself?”

Chu Suosuo’s eyes darted away slightly as she raised her voice. “Of course I did!”

Fearing he wouldn’t believe her, she counted off on her fingers. “I worked on it day and night, staying up until the early hours every single night. I haven’t even gone to work lately; my dad keeps scolding me for neglecting my duties.”

Hua Tianshou had watched her grow up.

That slight shift in her eyes was enough for him to guess there was something fishy going on.

He pinched a corner of the puzzle, casually broke off a large section, scrambled the pieces, and said, “Put this scrambled section back together in front of me. Is five hours enough for you?”

Chu Suosuo frowned. “Grandpa, why are you making things so difficult for me?”

Hua Tianshou said sternly, “Get to it.”

Looking at the jumbled mess of puzzle pieces, Chu Suosuo’s mouth pouted high in distress.

She hadn’t put this together herself. She had paid a puzzle expert she found online-someone who had won first place in a puzzle competition-to do it for her.

She was skilled at doing her makeup, flirting, acting seductive, and playing petty tricks behind people’s backs. But when it came to puzzles, she had neither talent nor interest.

When she had taken it home that day, she tried for ages but couldn’t get it right. She got so frustrated that she cried.

Hua Tianshou understood the situation perfectly as he watched her look on in total helplessness.

He instructed the shop assistant nearby, “Go upstairs and call Su Hua down.”

The assistant headed upstairs.

Not long after…
Su Hua wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand as she descended the stairs.

Seeing that Chu Suosuo was also present, Su Hua straightened her back and lifted her chin slightly. With a clear, elegant smile, she asked Hua Tianshou, “Master, were you looking for me?”

Hua Tianshou pointed to the jumbled pile of puzzle pieces on the counter. “Assemble this puzzle.”

“Of course, Master.”

Su Hua walked over and gave the pieces a casual shuffle. With a single glance, she recognized it as Wang Ximeng’s A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains.

Naturally, the puzzle was a modern commercial product and a miniature version at that.

Wang Ximeng was a famous painter from the late Northern Song dynasty, a boy genius.

In just six months, he had painted the monumental masterpiece A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, a work that earned eternal fame and remained unsurpassed by later generations.

He was only eighteen at the time.

He had been Su Hua’s idol since she was a child.

She truly admired him. In her youth, she had observed his paintings countless times and made just as many copies.

To put it bluntly, she could paint it with her eyes closed.

What happened next stunned everyone!

Su Hua’s slender, jade-like hands danced over the messy pile of pieces, moving with incredible speed.

The onlookers could hardly keep up; it was a dizzying blur.

They couldn’t even see how she was fitting the pieces together.

In just a few short minutes, she had neatly assembled the chaotic jumble of interlocking pieces.

It was the far-right corner of A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains.

The scenery was beautiful-lush mountains and clear waters, with steep peaks and majestic ranges that felt grand and expansive.

Hua Tianshou pulled out his pocket watch, checked the time, and said with a chuckle, “Exactly five minutes. Not a second more, not a second less.”

He turned his head toward Chu Suosuo. “Suosuo, do you have anything else to say?”

She had clearly lost.

And she had lost miserably.

Yet, Chu Suosuo was utterly unwilling to accept it. How could she admit she was inferior to Su Hua?

As a high-born young lady, there was no way she could lose to that country bumpkin!

Chu Suosuo frowned and said, “This isn’t fair! Su Hua has studied painting since she was a child, and she restores ancient paintings for a living. This is her specialty. Comparing her strength to my weakness is completely unfair!”

Hua Tianshou gave a dry laugh. “You attended painting classes as a child, too. You studied jewelry design abroad in university, which is also part of the art industry. You didn’t work hard yourself, and now you’re blaming others?”

Chu Suosuo was choked up, unable to find words for a long time.

She glared at Su Hua, her face flushing bright red with anger.

After thinking for a while, she said, “I want to compete with Su Hua in makeup and fashion coordination!”

Su Hua knitted her brows.

She really wasn’t skilled in things like makeup. She rarely wore any; occasionally applying foundation and a bit of lipstick was as formal as she got.

As for fashion, she usually stuck to shirts and trousers, or a simple long dress in the summer. Her colors were as plain as could be, favoring a minimalist style.

If Chu Suosuo brought out a bunch of eccentric clothes for a competition, Su Hua really wouldn’t have much of a chance.

While Su Hua remained silent with furrowed brows, Hua Tianshou spoke up.

“You want to apprentice under me to learn the restoration of ancient ceramics. Why on earth would you compete with Su Hua in makeup and fashion? I have no use for those things here.”

Chu Suosuo was out of options. She resorted to her ultimate weapon, raising the pitch of her voice and grabbing his arm to act spoiled. “Grandpa, Grandpa, I just want to learn from you. Please, I’m begging you.”

Hua Tianshou waved his hand repeatedly. “Don’t. You should go next door and learn how to restore Bronze Ware from your own grandfather. My shop is too small to accommodate a ‘Great Buddha’ like you.”

It was a clear snub disguised as a compliment.

The shop assistants struggled to keep from laughing. Afraid Chu Suosuo would see them, they turned their backs one after another, their shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

Catching sight of their trembling backs, Chu Suosuo was nearly dying of rage.

Hardening her heart, she said, “Grandpa, I’m going to learn from you! I must!”

Hua Tianshou’s expression turned cold. “You are truly not suited for this trade. If you study under me, you’ll only make me lose face!”