Third Floor

Oil painting paper was cheaper than canvas and easier to work with, making it suitable for beginners' daily practice.

But oil painting was a rather specialized medium. Art students usually needed a certain level of artistic skill before they could start creating oil paintings, and by then, most of them had lost interest in basic materials like oil painting paper. So when Chen Ge saw the oil painting paper on the easel, he couldn't help wondering what kind of person had created this work.

Chen Ge had majored in toy design and manufacturing at university. He'd taken a few elective courses related to art and appreciation, and could tell from the simple composition that the artist knew what they were doing. Whoever had painted this was definitely no beginner.

"He seems to be constantly experimenting, trying to express something." Chen Ge ran his fingers across the paper. The upper half was rough, while the lower half was smooth; they felt completely different. "Why insist on painting in oils? Could it be that oil paint is the only way to express what he means?"

There were two inverted hospital rooms and two patients who looked exactly alike. Nothing seemed unusual about the composition. Only by touching the paper could one tell that the materials used for its upper and lower halves seemed different.

"This is an oil painting. Do I need to apply paint to it to see what's different?"

With the intention of giving it a try, Chen Ge lifted the white cloth covering the shelf and prepared to choose some paint.

The shelf was large. Unlike the paints sold in stores, all of these were kept in glass cups, with no labels or descriptions.

"Why... is there only red?"

Staring at the rows of glass cups, Chen Ge froze.