After Being Blackened All Over the Internet, I Ruled the Military Variety Shows
Chapter 535 - 526 This is Awkward

Chapter 535: Chapter 526 This is Awkward

As they left the restaurant, Yuan Hui took the initiative to explain, "Old Cao, that was Cao Xinyan’s grandfather you just saw, he’s the president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association. This old guy dotes on Cao Xinyan since she’s his only precious granddaughter, which has made her quite spoiled and willful, thinking everyone will indulge her because she’s young. Don’t take it to heart, young Jiang."

Before, in front of the camera, Qian Yiheng was afraid of saying something wrong, so she kept silent. Now she hurriedly apologized, "Miss Jiang and Mr. Shen, I truly didn’t know that the program team would come to film at the association today. If I had known earlier, I would have invited you another day to avoid causing so much trouble. Will this have a bad impact on you?"

"There will likely be an impact," Jiang Lingxi’s words made Qian Yiheng even more anxious, "but it shouldn’t be a bad one."

She neither said nor did anything wrong, so she wasn’t worried in the least about being filmed.

Qian Yiheng immediately let out a long breath of relief.

Seeing Jiang Lingxi’s carefree demeanor also eased Yuan Hui’s mind, so he voiced the plan that had been lingering in his head since before the meal, "We’ve been chatting for quite some time, if you two aren’t in a hurry to head back, shall we have an exchange of brushwork?"

This exchange was different from the demonstration Cao Xinyan proposed earlier, which had an underlying competitiveness to determine who was stronger, whereas this exchange was casual and simple.

Jiang Lingxi, feeling lazy after the meal, didn’t want to talk too much, so Yuan Hui’s suggestion was just what she wanted.

The four of them promptly moved to a nearby activity room.

In the center of the activity room stood a large table, surrounded by shelves lined with brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and paints—everything one could need.

They picked the desired materials and laid them out on the table.

Yuan Hui mixed some colors and then started painting a few waves on the paper.

Jiang Lingxi recognized it at a glance as the waves from a painting, "Bibo Wanxiang".

"I’ve practiced many times and gained some insight from our earlier conversation. I’m most satisfied with this attempt. But it’s still far from your effortlessly beautiful artwork!"

Yuan Hui looked over with expectant eyes.

Jiang Lingxi watched as Shen Yunqing paid no attention and simply concentrated on mixing colors, knowing he wasn’t planning on painting himself. She simply dipped her brush into the color he prepared and started to paint on the paper.

Yuan Hui came over with his own painting, watching intently from the first stroke to the last. After comparing it, he closed his eyes to review silently, then began mixing colors to paint again.

They didn’t just exchange brushwork on waves; they also discussed and practiced painting mountains, trees, birds, flowers, and fish. During their conversation, Jiang Lingxi felt at ease, as she only needed to work on the paper while someone else helped with mixing colors, washing brushes, and wiping ink.

However, this made Qian Yiheng look so clumsy that her teacher glanced at her unhappily several times, and even became a bit resentful toward Shen Yunqing for being so considerate.

"Why be so attentive, huh!"

Until she noticed her teacher taking off her reading glasses and rubbing her eyes, Qian Yiheng checked her watch and mustered the courage to speak, "Teacher, it’s almost three in the afternoon. Don’t you have a meeting at three thirty? Maybe we should wrap up the painting exchange with Miss Jiang so you can rest a bit before the meeting."

Yuan Hui hesitated for a moment before reluctantly putting down his brush, looking at the pile of rice paper he had painted on, some pieces he was satisfied with, others not, "Alright, help me sort these later."

He instructed his student, then turned to Jiang Lingxi and Shen Yunqing sitting across from him, "Young Jiang, let’s conclude today’s exchange here. Thank you both, as a young couple, for spending so much time with this old man. Though it’s almost winter, the park outside the association is still maintained nicely. There aren’t many people out at this time. If you aren’t busy, you could take a stroll to get some fresh air."

"I’ve learned a lot too," Jiang Lingxi said as she stood up, "then you go attend to your matters, I’ll take Yunqing for a walk."

Yuan Hui went to his office to rest, leaving Qian Yiheng to see Jiang Lingxi and Shen Yunqing out.

She accompanied them to their car parked in front of the data building, watched them leave, and then hurried back to the activity room.

She had only closed the door and hadn’t had a chance to tidy the table before.

As soon as she turned into the hallway leading to the activity room, she saw the door she had shut before was open, and her heart sank. She quickly rushed forward.

As she reached the door, she heard voices coming from inside.

"Is it really possible to paint this with just a few random strokes? It looks so real!"

"These eyes are drawn so exquisitely, even someone like me who doesn’t understand painting feels how vivid and lifelike it is!"

"I love this one. The blank area should be water, right? I really want to know how ink paintings make it so obvious that the blank spaces represent water?"

...

Seeing someone about to touch a painting that hadn’t fully dried yet, Qian Yiheng didn’t care about the several cameras inside, and immediately shouted, "Don’t touch!"

The actions of those in the room expressing their amazement suddenly halted, and they collectively turned to look at the doorway.

Cao Xinyan squinted as she looked at Qian Yiheng coming in, smiled, and explained, "We just wanted to experience the charm of traditional painting and calligraphy firsthand, didn’t expect to find so many freshly completed works in this activity room. We just wanted to admire them, this elder sister shouldn’t mind, right?"

Without waiting for Qian Yiheng to respond, she picked up a painting of two plump little birds and commented to the camera, "I love this one the most, the fluffy birds are adorably clumsy yet lively. Hmm, let me guess, Elder Han is the best at painting birds in the association. If it’s not Elder Han’s work, then it must be one of their students, I wonder if I’m right!"

[Elder Han, must be referring to Han Lifang. Her bird and flower paintings are indeed extraordinary. Let’s put it this way, even foreign royalty have collected her smaller works. Larger pieces can only be exhibited abroad for touring.]

[It seems like Cao Xinyan is quite familiar with the big shots in the painting and calligraphy world, casually calling them Grandma Han and Grandpa Yuan, so envious!]

[Our goal is Rome, but she was born in Rome, can’t compete with that, so jealous!]

[Tears of envy are rolling down my cheeks as I sit in front of the screen.]

Qian Yiheng, seeing Cao Xinyan’s confident demeanor, opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.

She wanted to save Cao Xinyan’s face, but then she saw that Cao Xinyan, not realizing the situation, picked up another painting to appreciate and comment on.

This was giving her second-hand embarrassment.

Unable to bear it any longer, she said, "Let me interrupt, the pieces you just looked at, and the stack beside them, are practice works by Miss Jiang. They have nothing to do with the big names in the painting and calligraphy world you mentioned. Really, she painted these while I was here, I was in a rush to send them off and hadn’t tidied up yet, and then you all came in. So could you please step out for a moment? I’ll tidy the table and you can come back to experience it afterward."

After saying all that in one breath, she felt relieved.

The activity room fell into an awkward silence.

For a moment, even the bullet comments in the live stream stopped.

After a while, a few sparse comments drifted slowly across the screen.

[Ah, this...]

[This is so awkward!]

[Honestly, I’m feeling embarrassed for Cao Xinyan!]

[Cao Xinyan wanted to ask Jiang Lingxi for guidance earlier. Now it seems that there’s no need for that, from her previous remarks, she’s already indirectly admitted she’s far below her level!]

Some viewers didn’t even get a chance to send their comments before the live stream suddenly went black with a wave from Cao Xinyan.

The broadcast was interrupted!