Chapter 95

"What's the time now?"

Murong Qing thought that even her younger brother, who was in elementary school, wouldn't go to bed this early.

Si Ming said helplessly, "Her sleep schedule is very irregular. Sometimes she won't sleep for two days in a row, and sometimes she'll sleep all day. Recently, I've forced her to adjust her schedule, and now at least she can draw during the day and sleep at night, but she still has to deal with jet lag."

"It's okay if I can't see her in person. I'd like to see her work. Could I go into her studio?"

Murong Qing suppressed the urge to complain; she had a slight case of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"It's nothing, but please be quiet and try not to disturb her."

Si Ming led Murong Qing to the underground art studio. As always, the door was unlocked and opened with a gentle push.

The moment Murong Qing stepped into the art studio, she suddenly had a disorienting feeling, as if she had left the real world and entered a bizarre and fantastical otherworld.

Just like Si Ming when she first entered, she was deeply attracted by the works displayed here. Moreover, compared to Si Ming, who was a layman, she was more knowledgeable about art, so the impact was even stronger.

The feeling was as if the artwork here had transformed into towering waves, crashing towards her, and she had no time to resist before being swept into the deep sea, unable to control herself.

The spiritual intent contained within the drawing paper, like an uninvited giant, completely occupied Murong Qing's consciousness. She even felt as if her own soul had been squeezed out of her body.

"Ha ha..."

After a long time, Murong Qing's consciousness returned to her body, returning from the "other self" state to the "self" state. She then realized that she had even forgotten how to breathe, and couldn't help but gasp for air to inhale fresh oxygen.

How is that possible!

Murong Qing realized she had made a huge mistake. She thought the painting Teacher Xu showed her was Hongdou's latest work. Although the creative breakthrough made her feel inferior, the painting was only slightly better in terms of technique, and she could still look up to it.

However, this is not the case.

In this studio, she also saw works that integrated the old and new styles of painting, but they were not the immature attempts of the past, but masterpieces that were infinitely close to perfection. If the previous painting was just a beautiful woman in the making, the works here were a femme fatale who could bring Beauty a country.

Any one of these paintings would be enough to cause a sensation in the art world!

Moreover, even setting aside the innovative breakthroughs, the level of painting skills alone reached an incredible height.

Murong Qing is praised by many as a painting prodigy with outstanding talent. Just like her Teacher Xu, Mr. Xu, who believes that as long as she maintains her current diligent attitude, she will surely become a master in the future. Therefore, she often fantasizes about what kind of works she will create when she has mastered her painting skills.

Now, it's right in front of her.

"It's really amazing, isn't it? I was also shocked when I first saw it. A painting can actually reach the soul, just like the Martial Dao Will."

Si Ming didn't understand Murong Qing's inner changes and assumed that she was just as amazed as he was.

"It's not a matter of whether I'm good or not..." Murong Qing said in a very bitter tone, "So that's how it is. No wonder the teacher hesitated."

She had initially thought that Teacher Xu's parting promise was unnecessary; how could she possibly give up her favorite hobby for someone else?

But now she finally understands that no matter how talented or hard-working she is, it is pale and powerless in the face of such works.

She had seen some of Hongdou's early works before, and originally thought she was just a little genius who was slightly ahead of her, a worthy opponent to chase. The so-called international awards did not have any real impact on her. But at this moment, she suddenly realized that not only did the other party have a better starting point than her, but the speed at which she ran was also far greater than hers.

If you've climbed to the summit of this mountain, but only reached the other person's mid-mountain, or even just the foot, no matter how hard you try in the future, you'll never surpass them. Is there any point in continuing to climb like that?

Just as Murong Qing was caught in an internal struggle, the door to the inner room was pushed open, and Hongdou, wearing white pajamas, rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked out in a daze.

"Xiao Ming, did you bring your friends?"

Si Ming said helplessly, "She didn't come to see me, she came to see you."

Who is looking for me?

Hongdou is quite aware of the fact that she has no friends.

Murong Qing suppressed her irritation and, following proper etiquette, greeted Hongdou: "Hello, I'm Murong Qing from Class Two."

"Murong Qing..." Hongdou stared at the other person for a while, then clapped her hands, "Ah! I remember now, you're the leader of the art group, and you even asked me if I wanted to join the art group?"

Actually, it was the art teacher who Murong Qing to inquire. Of course, she herself was also very interested in this young, talented Painting School.

"Well, it's a pity you rejected me."

"I'm sorry, because I rarely go to school, even if I do participate, I basically can't join your activities, and I don't want to bother others... Did you come to see me today just for this?"

"No, I came to see your work."

Upon hearing this, Hongdou blinked, then raised her hand and happily twirled around. "Great! A classmate actually came to visit me! I thought this day would never come!"

Si Ming reminded him, "Come to think of it, I'm also your alumnus."

"This is different!" Hongdou happily approached Murong Qing and grabbed her hand. "I thought you would be angry when I declined your invitation. Murong is such a kind person."

However, her behavior made Murong Qing even more agitated, and he gradually lost control of his emotions.

"That's all?"

Although Murong Qing acknowledged that the other person's work was superior to hers and that being replaced was only natural, this nonchalant attitude still made her pride feel as if it were being stabbed with a knife.

"Hmm?"

Hongdou still looked completely unaware.

Murong Qing finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked bluntly, "Don't you have anything to say to me about the school's entry in the competition?"

Because her voice suddenly became louder and subtly revealed anger, Hongdou was startled and let go of her hand, taking a step back.

"The school... is participating?"