The next day, Bai Chen got up very early, because Lin Xiaoqian had told him the night before to bring the form to her at the faculty office early in the morning.
She would be waiting for him there.
Knock, knock- A soft knock sounded at the office door.
"Come in." A gentle, warm voice invited him inside.
Bai Chen walked in at an unhurried pace, holding a document.
He had no classes that day, so he had not brought his backpack and had to carry it by hand.
There were only two or three teachers in the office.
G University was a school for the elite, so naturally, even its offices were luxurious.
The large room contained only ten workstations.
A series of exquisite paintings hung along the walls.
Suddenly, Bai Chen froze as he looked at the painting in the center.
The painting in the middle was titled Years of Youth.
It depicted several young women washing clothes and cooking beside a river, while farther away, two others splashed water at each other, playing happily.
Bai Chen had studied traditional Chinese painting in his previous world, so he understood just how masterful the techniques in this painting were.
The boats beside the river, in particular, were the perfect finishing touch. They made him feel as though he were right there, their fluid brushwork bringing every detail vividly to life.
The moment he saw the painting, he thought of an old verse: "Distant mountains and faraway waters linger in ink; flowers bloom on the far shore, their meaning entwined; the brush flows with ink, recording the passing years."
And if he was not mistaken, this was the work of a famous master of traditional Chinese painting. The original owner of his body had memories of this painting, having stumbled across it on his phone.
Its price, on the other hand, was certainly very "friendly."
It had reached a staggering twenty million. Countless people had wanted to bid on it, but the artist himself had refused, so they could only abandon the idea.
People often said that a painting only became valuable after the painter died.
Bai Chen could never understand that. While painters were alive, they lived in misery, barely getting enough to eat, yet their paintings only showed their worth after they died.
Wasn't that just making a living off the dead?
The painter must have been watching from heaven, wanting to say one thing to the people auctioning off his work: Nice.
If he could come back to life, he would surely want to come down and give those auctioneers a few good slaps.
But the artist behind Years of Youth was not dead. He was a living, breathing young man.
The key words were "young man."
Bai Chen suddenly understood why his paintings were so expensive. He was one of the few young painters out there!
Who would have thought he would see this painting in the faculty office today?
G University was fucking incredible!
Bai Chen did not linger any longer. Coming back to his senses, he headed straight for Lin Xiaoqian's private office.
Lin Xiaoqian was wearing a tracksuit, her hair tied in a high ponytail and a headband across her forehead, making her look even more youthful and energetic.
Looks like she just finished exercising, Bai Chen thought.
She leaned languidly against the sofa like a cat at rest.
Utterly regal.
Somehow, she made an ordinary sofa look almost like a throne in a palace.
Bai Chen stopped two meters away from her and greeted her. "Professor Lin, I've brought you the report." His tone was humble and polite.
Hearing him, Lin Xiaoqian opened her eyes and smiled apologetically. "Oh, Bai Chen, it's you. You really didn't have to bring it this early. I must have interrupted your rest. I'm so sorry-"
Bai Chen had not expected Lin Xiaoqian to apologize to him. He shook his head lightly and said, "It's all right, Professor. I don't have any classes today anyway, so I can go back to the dorm and catch up on sleep later."
"That's good." Lin Xiaoqian finally felt less guilty.
Kids these days stayed up late on their phones and did not get enough sleep, but seeing how energetic he looked put her at ease.
She found Bai Chen more endearing by the moment: a clean-cut, quiet young man with a strong sense of responsibility.
She even thought that if Bai Chen were a girl, she would definitely introduce him to her younger brother.
What a shame-
Come to think of it, it really was strange. Lately, her younger brother kept visiting a secluded teahouse, going there for business discussions and even when he had nothing to do.
She did not remember her brother being so fond of tea. Hadn't he always gone to cafés for business discussions before?
When had he developed a taste for tea? He was so young, yet he was already living like an old man, taking things easy and enjoying every moment.
He had even set up a pottery wheel at home. Whenever she went to see him, he was either handling work in his room or shaping vases.
The main problem was that they were hideous. Compared with the piece of pottery beside him, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Forget it! Why should I worry so much about him?
Suddenly remembering something, Lin Xiaoqian said to Bai Chen, "Bai Chen, I'll introduce you to someone another day."
Bai Chen: ?
"Who?" Bai Chen asked.
A little embarrassed, Lin Xiaoqian gave a couple of awkward laughs before answering, "I have a younger brother who's really taken to pottery lately, but everything he makes looks terrible. I remember you mentioning that you liked pottery."
She paused, then continued, "So I think you two should have plenty to talk about. My stuffy brother might not be much help to you, but could I invite you over to teach him a little? I can pay you."
Bai Chen hurriedly declined the payment. "There's no need, Professor. I'm happy to find someone who likes pottery as much as I do. When I have time another day, I can exchange ideas with your brother."
Bai Chen really was delighted. He had not expected to find someone around his age in this world who also liked pottery, and he looked forward to meeting him.
Lin Xiaoqian was delighted when he agreed, too.
"Great. Once you're both free, I'll arrange for you to meet. My brother has a lovely temperament, too. He's a bit like you in that respect. You'll get along well."
A lovely temperament?! Perfect. As long as he wasn't like Gu Cheng.
Bai Chen could already vaguely guess that the other man probably had a good temperament. After all, hotheaded guys would not enjoy pottery.
He was probably a calm, meticulous, quiet young man.
After lunch, Bai Chen decided to make the most of his day without classes by going to the teahouse to learn more pottery techniques.
Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if he had nothing to teach Professor Lin's brother when they met.
He followed the same route to the teahouse as before, but this time, he did not get lost.
Before you continue