UCS Chapter 29

After squeezing through for a long time, the crowd finally started moving after the opening ceremony.

 

To be honest, during the ceremony, Gao Gusheng didn’t even catch a glimpse of Qin Shi’s head—he could only see his frenzied and surging fans.

 

He even spotted a pregnant woman holding what appeared to be very professional equipment to film Qin Shi.

 

With so many people around, Gao Gusheng happened to see the pregnant woman being jostled by someone and stumbling forward. In an instant, he dashed forward and quickly steadied her.

 

“Th-thank you.”

 

The pregnant woman looked up at Gao Gusheng’s half-uncovered face that wasn’t hidden by his mask and froze for a moment in awe.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“A-auntie…” Gao Gusheng almost blurted out “auntie,” as he had gotten used to calling older women “uncle” or “auntie” after spending time with Gao Shi’s friends. But seeing that this pregnant woman didn’t look very old, he thought better of it and said nothing. Instead, he offered, “It’s too crowded here; it’s a bit dangerous. Let me carry your camera over there for you.”

 

He pointed toward a relatively spacious area.

 

The pregnant woman shook her head apologetically and smiled. “Thank you, but the view over there isn’t good.”

 

She gestured toward her camera and pointed in what was presumably Qin Shi’s direction.

 

Gao Gusheng glanced at her belly, which appeared to be six or seven months along. He felt worried but didn’t say anything further.

 

Finally making it into the venue, the blast of cold air hit him like salvation. Gao Gusheng felt instantly revived.

 

While Qin Shi’s fans were still fervently gathered outside the venue, inside it was surprisingly quiet—the venue doors separated two entirely different worlds.

 

This was better anyway; inside was calm and cool. Gao Gusheng stretched his body and slowly walked deeper into the venue.

 

Art has a way of striking directly at the heart. Great works don’t require viewers to have profound artistic knowledge; they can still feel the emotions conveyed by the pieces.

 

As Gao Gusheng walked and admired the paintings, others admired him in turn.

 

The tall, clean-cut young man with bright and clear features walked through the long gallery, looking as if he himself were a painting.

 

Gao Gusheng was immersed in the artworks displayed at the exhibition until an unfamiliar voice disrupted his focus.

 

“Master Wu, please take a look—this is this child’s painting.”

 

“He painted a countryside scene at dawn, where the morning mist hasn’t yet dispersed but the golden sun has already risen.”

 

“He is the most talented and hardworking student in our art department. Would it be possible for him to have the honor of becoming your disciple?”

 

Turning a corner, Gao Gusheng saw Master Li enthusiastically recommending a painting to an elderly man with a stern expression.

 

Oh? Wasn’t this Master Li—the fifty-something-year-old with children—who had ambiguous ties with Jia Qi?

 

Judging by his attitude, that elderly man must be one of the masters drawn to this exhibition.

 

Gao Gusheng’s guess was spot on. The next second, Jia Qi’s inner voice confirmed his thoughts.

 

【Oil painting master Wu Qin—one of the top masters in the field of oil painting. I must become his final disciple this time!】

 

Since Jia Qi was present, Gao Gusheng decided not to reveal himself.

 

Even as someone unfamiliar with the art world, Gao Gusheng had heard of Wu Qin’s reputation.

 

Wu Qin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression stern. He looked at Jia Qi’s painting like a sharp-eyed hawk sizing up its dinner.

 

It was hard to imagine that someone as razor-sharp as Wu Qin could create such warm and tender works like *Clouds of the Countryside*.

 

This time, Jia Qi had also chosen a countryside theme—likely to cater to Wu Qin’s preferences.

 

Wu Qin’s aura was overwhelmingly strong. Even though Master Li was considered accomplished himself, he was completely overshadowed and dared not make a sound.

 

In the end, Wu Qin shook his head and continued walking to another section.

 

Jia Qi panicked. Standing in Wu Qin’s blind spot, he gently shook Master Li’s index finger to signal him.

 

Master Li immediately understood and smiled. “This child has always admired you greatly and hopes to receive your guidance.”

 

Jia Qi, now pushed forward, put on a smile as well. “Master Wu, hello. My name is Jia Qi. I hope you can point out my shortcomings so I can improve in the future.”

 

Being stopped in his tracks, Wu Qin’s displeasure showed in his eyes. He glanced at Master Li, who smiled and nodded at him. With a stiff expression, Wu Qin reluctantly returned to Jia Qi’s painting.

 

Having given them enough courtesy earlier, Wu Qin now opened his mouth with merciless criticism.

 

“This painting shows some spirit from the artist but lacks any solid foundation! Look at these lines—if you let a beginner who has practiced seriously for just one month draw them, they’d be better than this!”

 

“And then there’s the color mixing—obsessed with chasing some so-called ‘high-class feel,’ you’ve randomly added gray tones everywhere. The entire image is muddled! Even when painting misty scenes, there should be light and shadow. Look at this painting—it clearly has sunlight but is still all gray.”

 

“Lastly, if you want realism and are painting a morning village scene, then go observe it properly instead of adding your imagination into it!”

 

The final statement was an outright accusation that Jia Qi wanted to create realistic art but refused to actually visit and observe a real village.

 

By 5 or 6 AM in the countryside, everything would already be lively and awake—not dead silent like Jia Qi depicted in his painting.

 

More serious than this critique of realism was Wu Qin’s criticism of Jia Qi’s fundamental skills—a slap that completely overturned Master Li’s earlier praise.

 

Yes, Jia Qi might be talented, but for someone like Wu Qin—a top oil painting master—he had seen countless talented students. Among those presented before him, Jia Qi’s talent could only be considered mediocre at best.

 

Even in ancient literature, someone like Fang Zhongyong, who possessed top-tier talent, would fade into mediocrity without diligent practice—let alone someone like Jia Qi.

 

Wu Qin let out a heavy “hmph” and strode away. Jia Qi’s face alternated between red and pale, his grip on Master Li’s finger leaving it reddened. Master Li, however, simply stood in place.

 

After Wu Qin left, Master Li gave a bitter smile and consoled him, “Xiao Qi, Master Wu despises being pestered. Now that you’ve acknowledged your mistake, let it be. If you continue to bother him, he may completely reject you, and you’ll find it impossible to make a name for yourself in the art circle.”

 

Jia Qi felt indignant but forced himself to smile with sorrow in his eyes. “I understand. Thank you, teacher, for introducing me to him. I’ll go back and work hard on my fundamentals.”

 

His teary-eyed appearance made Master Li feel a pang of heartache. He wanted to pull his student into an embrace; his fingers trembled slightly but ultimately stopped short of crossing that final line.

 

He couldn’t afford to harm his student.

 

In the corner, Gao Gusheng turned away with satisfaction, his mind still filled with Jia Qi’s furious inner voice.

 

【It’s all your fault, system! If it hadn’t failed inexplicably last time and I had gained Cheng Zeqi’s talent points, this apprenticeship would have been effortless!】

 

【Damn it! Why can’t Wu Qin be conquered or controlled?!】

 

The system’s mechanical voice replied:

 

【Wu Qin is over sixty years old and is not a conquest target.】

 

【Wu Qin has strong willpower, conservative praise tendencies, and extreme immunity to control mechanisms. Operations cannot be implemented.】

 

Jia Qi could only rage internally.

 

【Useless! What good are you then?!】

 

【Disgusting! That creepy old man probably wanted to hug me—ugh! If it weren’t for wanting to crush Sun Jun, I wouldn’t bother trying to conquer him.】

 

…

 

Leaving Jia Qi behind, Gao Gusheng wandered around the exhibition. After politely declining several requests to add him on WeChat, he came across a rather peculiar painting.

 

The painting was highly abstract—at first glance, one might mistake it for a child’s scribbles. But the longer one looked at it, the more it evoked an inexplicable sense of oppression and discomfort.

 

Interesting.

 

The nameplate for the painting was blank.

 

Gao Gusheng stood before the painting for a long time until a voice broke the silence. “You’ve been looking at this painting for quite a while. What do you think of it?”

 

Turning around, Gao Gusheng was surprised to see Wu Qin.

 

The esteemed elder was wearing a mask and standing casually behind him on the right side, looking just like an ordinary old man.

 

Gao Gusheng answered honestly, “I don’t know much about art; I’m just here to see my friend’s painting.”

 

Wu Qin chuckled and said, “This painting is quite childish. I wonder if the exhibition staff hung up a painting by their own child. But you’ve been looking at it for so long, and I’m curious—what were you thinking while you were looking?”

 

The old master’s words were blunt as ever. Someone unfamiliar with his personality might think he was mocking Gao Gusheng for lacking artistic talent.

 

Gao Gusheng replied helplessly, “Master Wu, is this painting by one of your students? Please don’t tease me.”

 

Having his identity revealed, Wu Qin seemed a bit surprised but insisted, “Go ahead, I’m curious.”

 

Seeing that he couldn’t avoid the question, Gao Gusheng decided to speak plainly. “Alright, then I’ll tell you. But don’t be mad at me.”

 

“This painting does look quite immature at first glance, but the longer you look at it, the more oppressive it feels—almost uncomfortable. It gives off a feeling like…”

 

Gao Gusheng thought for a moment and came up with an apt metaphor. “Like a plant forgotten in the corner without water. No one cares about it except itself, yet it still struggles to survive.”

 

Wu Qin stared at him intently for a moment before suddenly laughing.

 

To be honest, Wu Qin wasn’t very suited to laughing. His usual stern demeanor made his rare smiles appear stiff and even a bit intimidating.

 

But he still laughed. “Young friend, would you like to become my student?”

 

Gao Gusheng was stunned. “Huh? Me?”

 

He quickly declined. “Master Wu, I’ve never studied painting before.”

 

Wu Qin persisted. “It’s never too late to learn painting. Your sensitivity to emotions is remarkable—you’re very talented.”

 

Gao Gusheng gave a wry smile. “I’ve lived this long, and the only connection I’ve had to art is learning musical instruments for a few years. My family did ask me before if I wanted to study painting, but after driving away three art teachers in frustration, I gave up on the idea.”

 

Afraid Wu Qin wouldn’t believe him, Gao Gusheng casually pulled out his phone and opened the notes app, switching to sketch mode. On the spot, he drew a Chinese dragon he had practiced for a month.

 

Wu Qin stared at the dragon in silence for a long time before finally speaking: “This worm…”

 

“It’s a dragon,” Gao Gusheng weakly corrected.

 

Wu Qin looked at the poop-yellow squiggly lines and the dragon horns resembling purple forks and fell silent.

 

After a moment, Wu Qin closed his eyes, which had been stung by the sight of the drawing, and quietly turned his head away.

 

The two tacitly changed the subject.

 

“Master Wu, whose painting is this? You haven’t said yet.”

 

“This is my painting.”

 

Gao Gusheng was shocked. “Aren’t you known for realism?”

 

Wu Qin grinned mischievously like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank. “I occasionally like to try new styles. Watching exhibition attendees question their sanity is quite entertaining.”

 

Gao Gusheng rubbed his nose awkwardly. “What’s the theme of this painting?”

 

Wu Qin’s smile faded.

 

“I painted a village forgotten by urbanization.”

 

…

 

The two continued chatting quietly as they strolled through the exhibition. Gao Gusheng realized that this old master’s critiques were razor-sharp—many paintings that seemed decent to him were dismissed as worthless by Wu Qin’s harsh words.

 

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Gao Gusheng discreetly put away his phone with its dragon drawing. Only then did he realize how much Master Wu appreciated him and how gentle he had been toward him in comparison.

 

As they continued walking, Master Wu let out a sigh.

 

Gao Gusheng asked, “Are you tired?”

 

Master Wu gave a helpless smile. “I run five kilometers every morning; how could I be tired from this? It’s just that after seeing this year’s exhibition, I feel like I won’t be taking on any new students again.”

 

He looked at Gao Gusheng with a pained expression. Gao Gusheng awkwardly turned his head and cleared his throat. “Um, how about you come with me to see my friend’s painting?”

 

Noticing that Wu Qin seemed displeased with how Master Li had been pushing recommendations earlier, Gao Gusheng had initially avoided mentioning Sun Jun’s name in front of him, fearing it might provoke Wu Qin’s dislike. But seeing Wu Qin looking so disappointed, as if he were about to leave, he grew anxious.

 

Jia Qi had clearly manipulated the placement of paintings in this exhibition. His painting was displayed closer to the entrance—just a few steps in. It was positioned perfectly where visitors, having just gotten into the mood for viewing, would find themselves in an open yet not overly crowded space, with the air conditioning cooling them down.

 

In contrast, Sun Jun’s painting was placed much deeper inside the exhibition. Even after wandering for two hours, Gao Gusheng and Wu Qin still hadn’t come across it.

 

The further one went into the exhibition, the more physically and mentally fatigued viewers became.

 

Seeing how cautious and worried Gao Gusheng now appeared—so different from his earlier confident demeanor—Wu Qin found it amusing. “I never said I wouldn’t look at it. Since I’m already here, of course I’ll see everything to the end. Let’s go; lead me to your friend’s painting.”

 

Gao Gusheng let out a sigh of relief.

 

Finally, after another half hour of walking and stopping intermittently, they reached Sun Jun’s painting near the far end of the exhibition.

 

The complete painting hanging on the wall was even more stunning than before.

 

What a beautiful sunflower field.

 

Just looking at it made one feel warm all over—a kind of indescribable comfort and ease. It was as if one could imagine the painter sitting amidst the flowers, their brows relaxed and shoulders at ease.

 

The two stood quietly for a while, admiring it. Gao Gusheng turned around and started to say, “Master Wu—”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Wu Qin placed a hand on his shoulder. “You have your friend’s contact information, right? Give it to me!”

 

Seeing the light sparkling in Wu Qin’s eyes, Gao Gusheng grinned widely. “You got it!”

 

…

 

After apologizing briefly, Wu Qin hurriedly left with Sun Jun’s contact information in hand. Gao Gusheng cheerfully hummed a tune as he stood there alone. The location was so remote that there wasn’t another soul around. His singing voice echoed like a nightingale in the forest—ethereal and clear.

 

Suddenly, another voice joined in harmony with his humming.

 

Gao Gusheng turned around and saw a face that countless fans outside would go crazy for.

 

Qin Shi had removed his sunglasses and raised an eyebrow with a playful smile.

 

“My Love[mfn]He said this in english[/mfn].”

 

“You’re singing the song I performed during my debut on that talent show years ago. You remember something from so long ago—are you my fan?”

 

He stepped forward in one smooth motion, leaning close to Gao Gusheng’s ear with a soft laugh. His warm breath brushed against him as his deep and sensual voice sent vibrations straight to his eardrum.

 

“Little fan, do you want my autograph?”

 

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