The Male Courtesan Has a Problem (Part 1)

Shen Tang was immediately displeased upon hearing that.

She could tolerate being told her singing was bad, but she couldn't stand being told her painting skills were lacking. That was a skill she used to make a living with!

Her professionalism couldn't be questioned!

She shot back, "How is my 'painting' not good?"

Qi Shan wanted to retort even more, --

Where was her painting any good?

It was practically on par with a three-year-old child scribbling randomly.

He stated bluntly, "It's bad everywhere, there's nothing commendable."

The painter who taught Young Master Shen was truly a terrible influence.

Shen Tang slammed the drawing table, her fury written all over her face, and directly challenged him, "Yuan Liang, if you're so good, you do it!"

Seeing Shen Tang still stubbornly refusing to admit defeat, Qi Shan's long-suppressed competitive spirit was ignited. He immediately reached out to take a brush and spread out a new sheet of paper with his other hand. Dipping the tip of the brush in ink, he began to paint without hesitation, "Young Master Shen has enthusiastically invited me, so Shan can only offer this humble attempt."

With just a few strokes, he outlined mountains, rivers, flowers, and birds.

Don't be fooled by its simplicity; a stroke here, a dab there, giving the illusion that "I could paint this if I held a brush," but compared to Shen Tang's drawing of stick figures, it was like comparing the heavens to the earth. Qi Shan finished with satisfaction. Fortunately, his painting skills hadn't deteriorated too much.

Shen Tang snorted, provocatively, "That's it?"

Qi Shan: "..."

Such a huge difference, and she was still stubbornly refusing to admit it?

"Although I have no talent, and my painting skills have been neglected over the years due to my travels, compared to you, Young Master Shen..." Qi Shan trailed off, leaving the unspoken meaning for the listener to ponder. Anyone with eyes could see which painting was better.

Few knew that he was even better at painting in his youth.

A renowned calligrapher and painter once said his work captured the essence of the Word Spirit from the verse by Monk Jushi: "Distant mountains have color, nearby water is silent, spring departs but flowers remain, birds are unafraid when people approach." It was a shame there was no "Painting Spirit" or "Heart of Painting" in the world; if there were, its rank would undoubtedly be extraordinary.

Unexpectedly, Shen Tang remained stubbornly defiant, not admitting defeat. She added, "Hmph, it's time to show you my true painting skills."

Qi Shan became interested, "I await with anticipation."

Shen Tang picked up the stick figure drawing again and began to add to it, her posture exuding confidence that she would impress Qi Shan. Qi Shan moved aside, giving Shen Tang space to work. He sat to the side and watched, his expression growing increasingly strange.

He had thought that Young Master Shen was preparing for a "hide the gem" tactic, using the contrast between before and after to showcase a skill that could turn rotten into miraculous.

As it turned out—

It was still the same stick figure drawing, but the stick figures now had more details. However, the figures still had those big black round heads, and their bodies and limbs were still simple strokes. If there was any difference, it was probably the overwhelming sense of "anxiety" that emanated from it.

And it was quite lewd.

Qi Shan watched for a good fifteen minutes as Shen Tang drew a series of actions for the stick figures—entering the door, undressing, climbing onto the bed to strike a pose, a second stick figure entering the room, also undressing, also climbing onto the bed to strike a pose, also...

Qi Shan suddenly grabbed Shen Tang's wrist, stopping her from continuing.

He stared and asked, "What are you drawing?"

Shen Tang replied matter-of-factly, "An erotic illustration."

Qi Shan was almost speechless: "..."

He stared in disbelief, looking from Shen Tang's face to the stick figures on the drawing that seemed to be moving, and for a long time, he couldn't utter a word. Qi Shan never dreamed that Young Master Shen would be drawing an erotic illustration with action.

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Qi Shan suppressed the urge for the veins on his forehead to bulge.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to comment on Young Master Shen's lack of ambition in drawing erotic illustrations or his courage in displaying his abysmal painting skills.

He took a deep breath and said with a forced smile, "If erotic illustrations were all of this quality, then men and women in this world would have no interest in them."

There was no artistic conception, no subtlety.

If a newlywed couple were to use this erotic illustration as their guide, they would probably grow old without ever understanding the art of yin and yang harmony.

Shen Tang: "..."

How was this guy not beaten to death for speaking so harshly!

She said seriously, "Yuan Liang, you just don't appreciate it."

Look at her bold strokes, her flowing brushwork.

Look at these lines, this composition, this artistic conception!

If her paintings were poor, how could she have made a living by painting?

Now it was Qi Shan's turn to be speechless.

He suddenly realized that Young Master Shen wasn't just stubbornly refusing to admit defeat. Her expression was open and honest, her stance righteous, and her gaze towards him held a hint of pain and disappointment at his "distorted aesthetic." It wasn't like someone who knew the gap but refused to concede; rather, it was as if—

A ridiculous guess surfaced in Qi Shan's mind—Young Master Shen was bad but unaware of it, genuinely believing her paintings were good?

His probing confirmed it.

Another long period of silence followed, unsure of where to begin.

He looked at Young Master Shen's head, his face filled with sympathy, and promised her, "When I have the financial means in the future, I will find a good doctor to examine you more thoroughly. The earlier it's treated, the better. Delaying it will only worsen the condition!"

Shen Tang: "..."

Her intuition told her that what Qi Shan said was not proper human speech.

Was he indirectly calling her brain-damaged?

Qi Shan was also perceptive, and before Shen Tang could explode, he changed the subject: "Young Master Shen, why are you suddenly interested in erotic illustrations?"

To call Young Master Shen a lecher would be wrong; he found such paintings beautiful. What kind of dandy had such taste?

But to call him proper... which proper gentleman would be unfazed and shameless when being watched while painting erotic illustrations?

Shen Tang replied: "I took a job from the bookshop. I'm painting a portrait for a male courtesan at the Moonlit Pavilion. The payment isn't low."

Life is hard, Tang Tang sighed.

Qi Shan's expression grew even stranger. He asked a crucial question: "The bookshop owner, didn't he test your painting skills?"

When had those shopkeepers become so accommodating?

When he was in financial hardship, he also took on jobs from bookshops. Usually, it was copying Word Spirit books or writing letters for others. The pay for portraits was higher, especially from brothels and entertainment houses, which were highly sought after.

But that money wasn't easy to earn.

Since they paid more, their demands were naturally as numerous as cow hair. How did Young Master Shen get the job with his terrible painting skills?

Shen Tang answered: "No."

Qi Shan was surprised. He worried that Shen Tang might have encountered a scammer and said: "...Recreate the scene for me."

Shen Tang did as he asked, recounting everything.

After listening, he understood what had happened.

It was all thanks to luck and the shopkeeper being blind.

If he could luckily pass the shopkeeper, the male courtesan wouldn't be so easily fooled. One must know that such paintings relate to their future business, reputation, and face. Naturally, they would strive for perfection and have extremely strict requirements for the painter's skills. Shen Tang was so poor his money pouch jingled. Where did the paper and ink on the table come from?

Shen Tang was displeased: "This is clearly a job I secured through my own skills. Yuan Liang, you're too discouraging and disloyal..."

"I am also thinking of Young Master Shen's life. If you really handed over those paintings, believe it or not, the male courtesan would be enraged and summon the thugs from the Moonlit Pavilion to tear you apart?"