Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Inside the Studio’s gallery were all the paintings Xia Wanzhi had made from childhood to the present, arranged one by one by year. Because space was limited, the older works had been stacked together in separate compartments.

“Was it textured cardstock or an oil canvas?” Zhuzi thought back. Ten years ago had been the period when Xia Wanzhi’s inspiration had exploded and she had loved creating the most. It probably wouldn’t be easy to find.

Xia Wanzhi squeezed in after her. “An oil canvas. It should be sixty by eighty centimeters.”

The oil canvases were stacked upright together, each painting separated by glassine paper to keep the oils from sticking. To avoid making a mess and having to reorganize everything, Xia Wanzhi moved with great care. “The background of that painting was a large field of blue baby blue eyes flowers, and the subject was a beautiful woman in ethnic clothing.”

Zhuzi searched carefully according to her description.

As Xia Wanzhi looked, memories of Youqin Town from back then surfaced in her mind.

At the time, she had been obsessed with landscape sketching. Xia Wanzhi had traveled through many cities and met far too many people. Although she remembered that particular incident, the face of that guesthouse owner and the woman he loved had long since blurred in her memory.

But Xia Wanzhi faintly felt as if something was trying to emerge from deep within her.

For example, right now, because Zhuzi wanted to know the story behind that field of flowers, she was eagerly searching for the painting.

Perhaps it was because Zhuzi had suggested it.

Or perhaps it was not only because of Zhuzi.

Xia Wanzhi could not quite describe the feeling.

“Blue, baby blue eyes, blue…” Most of the paintings in the gallery had been organized by Zhuzi, this little assistant of hers. She was quick with her hands, muttering as she rapidly flipped through them.

As Xia Wanzhi searched, she began to ponder what had happened back then.

She vaguely remembered that the guesthouse owner’s beloved seemed a little…

Not quite right in the head.

“A field of baby blue eyes! Found it! See if this is the one…” Zhuzi pulled the painting out and handed it to Xia Wanzhi excitedly.

Xia Wanzhi froze. Her pupils slowly focused as she stared at the person in the painting. Her throat felt faintly itchy, and she murmured, “That’s it…”

“Amazing. For a second, I don’t know whether I should praise your technique or praise this beautiful woman. She’s practically lifelike!” Zhuzi commented. Then she looked up and saw Xia Wanzhi’s brows drawn together. Sensing that something was wrong, she asked in confusion, “What is it?”

Xia Wanzhi shook her head, took the painting from Zhuzi, and hurried out of the gallery.

Zhuzi followed close behind and watched as Xia Wanzhi placed the painting on the table, then took out her phone and found several pictures, comparing them to something.

Xia Wanzhi’s heart leaped into her throat. Her entire body had gone taut, and the fingers holding her phone trembled slightly. After comparing them several times, her breathing grew more and more rapid. “Zhuzi, come look. Doesn’t the woman in this painting look very similar to these photos?”

Zhuzi blinked. What made her find it unbelievable was that the photos Xia Wanzhi had pulled up on her phone to compare with the painting were the portraits of Xie Qiyan’s mother that Xia Wanzhi had spent two painstaking months drawing last year.

Swallowing, Zhuzi did not dare jump to a conclusion. She looked at Xia Wanzhi, then compared them again. “This… this is too similar.”

The moment her voice trailed off, Xia Wanzhi’s eyes stung, and her clear, limpid gaze instantly filled with tears.

Whether it was true or not, to her, and even more so to Xie Qiyan, this was an enormous hope.

She had only ever seen photos of Yao Qin at twenty-seven. In those photos, Yao Qin had been young and gentle. Later, when Xia Wanzhi had drawn Yao Qin at every stage of age through estimation, the portraits from middle age onward might only have had a sixty to seventy percent chance of resembling the real Yao Qin.

But the woman in this painting looked strikingly similar to the forty-year-old Yao Qin Xia Wanzhi had drawn.

Xia Wanzhi’s lips parted and trembled. In her urgency, she picked up the painting, wanting to go find Xie Qiyan, but after taking two steps, she put it down again. She hurriedly grabbed her phone and, with shaking hands, called Xie Qiyan.

Zhuzi, watching from the side, also grew a little excited. “Don’t rush, don’t rush, sis. Take it slow.”

What excited her even more was this extraordinary coincidence of Xia Wanzhi’s.

By chance, Xia Wanzhi had gone to Yuncheng, to Youqin Town. By chance, she had met that guesthouse owner. By chance, the woman that guesthouse owner loved was Xie Qiyan’s mother.

As if by fate, she had actually met Xie Qiyan’s mother. She had even painted a picture of her.

The call connected. The instant Xia Wanzhi heard Xie Qiyan’s voice, tears suddenly fell for some reason. Her voice carried a sob. “Ayan, I… I have a clue here about your mother in Yuncheng ten years ago.”

Xie Qiyan had waited more than twenty years. This was the first time he had truly heard a clue about where his mother had been.

Ten years ago…

That proved Yao Qin had not died.

Yao Qin was still alive. She had even appeared in Yuncheng.

Xia Wanzhi quickly adjusted her emotions. Before hanging up, she deliberately reminded him, “Have Yu Fei drive you here. I’ll wait for you. Don’t panic.”

It was a drive of only a dozen minutes, but Yu Fei drove this trip as if the car were about to take flight.

While Xia Wanzhi waited, she recalled many things from back then. When she heard the hurried footsteps outside the Studio, she quickly stood to greet him.

She reached out with both hands to steady Xie Qiyan by the arms, afraid he might run right past her. Seeing him so shaken, Xia Wanzhi felt only heartache.

Fortunately, the news was good.

Xie Qiyan came to an abrupt stop. He clasped Xia Wanzhi back tightly with both hands. Driven by a tumult of emotions, the corners of Xie Qiyan’s eyes were red, and his chest rose and fell. “Wanzi…”

“Don’t panic, don’t panic. Drink some water first, and listen while I tell you slowly.” Xia Wanzhi held his hand tightly, and Zhuzi brought over a glass of water.

Xie Qiyan took it but did not drink. His gaze followed Xia Wanzhi’s movements and finally landed on the painting placed on the table.

In the painting, the woman in ethnic clothing sat on the ground, her hair loose and moving with the wind. She wore a wreath woven from baby blue eyes flowers and quietly lowered her eyes as she earnestly wove another wreath in her hands.

Behind her stretched a vast field of baby blue eyes flowers. And there she was in the middle of that flower sea, focused on what she was doing, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.

The moment he went still, Xie Qiyan had already recognized who this person was.

Even though he had not seen her for many years, even though this was only a painting.

Still, he knew at a single glance who the person in the painting was.

How could he possibly fail to recognize his own mother?