Held snugly in Lu Shiyi's arms, Yu Qingchuan was basking in the warmth when he heard what Lu Shiyi said.
A forehead kiss!
Yu Qingchuan's heart trembled. Was that something he could have, too?
When he was little, the other children at school would get kisses on their foreheads when they said goodbye to their parents, and he had envied them terribly.
But getting a forehead kiss from Brother Yi felt a little strange. After all, he had been an adult for years. He wasn't a child anymore.
When Yu Qingchuan didn't answer right away, Lu Shiyi chuckled and asked again, "Would little Chuanchuan like a forehead kiss?"
Yu Qingchuan clutched Lu Shiyi's shirt and buried his face in his chest. "Yes," he mumbled.
Inspiration suddenly struck Yu Qingchuan. Summoning tremendous willpower, he pulled himself out of Lu Shiyi's embrace. "Brother Yi, I'm entering this competition. I already know what I want to paint, but I don't have a suitable canvas. I need to go buy one."
"I'll have someone bring one over," Lu Shiyi said.
He had assistants, more than one of them. There was an assistant specifically responsible for his everyday needs, hired by Liang Xingyao so Lu Shiyi wouldn't have to waste his attention on daily chores and could devote himself entirely to making money for him. The pay was quite good, too: fifteen thousand a month after deductions for social insurance and the housing fund.
But Lu Shiyi had been single before, with little to take care of, so he rarely needed the assistant beyond the occasional errand.
Yu Qingchuan was just about to decline when Lu Shiyi pulled up the number and called. The other man picked up within three rings, his voice trembling slightly. "Mr. Lu? Is that you?"
Suddenly summoned by his boss, Xiao Qin reacted much as Lu Shiming had back then, all sorts of possibilities instantly racing through his mind.
"It's me. I've woken up," Lu Shiyi said. "I need you to buy a few things and bring them over."
He then asked Yu Qingchuan what size and material he wanted for the canvas. Unable to refuse now, Yu Qingchuan explained in detail. Lu Shiyi relayed everything precisely, and Xiao Qin promptly promised to deliver it within an hour.
Lu Shiyi asked whether Yu Qingchuan needed anything else. Yu Qingchuan shook his head repeatedly. That was all.
Only then did Lu Shiyi hang up.
"It wouldn't have taken me long to buy it myself," Yu Qingchuan said quietly. "Now we're troubling someone else."
Lu Shiyi held the black phone in his slender fingers, looking casual, his voice equally gentle. "Mm. I just don't want you to leave." Even fifteen minutes would have been hard to bear.
Ahhh, he was flirting with me again!
Yu Qingchuan cried out inwardly once more. What did Brother Yi mean by this? Why did he keep saying such suggestive things?
He was increasingly beginning to wonder whether Lu Shiyi liked him, too.
At the very least, Lu Shiyi must have some feelings for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't keep saying things like that.
But Yu Qingchuan was too embarrassed to ask. What if Lu Shiyi said yes? Would that mean they would start dating?
The mere thought of that word made Yu Qingchuan's heart skip again, and his face began to burn.
He hurriedly changed the subject. "Brother Yi, I'm going to work on my commissions for a while."
His Qinglindu account now had over fifty thousand followers. Since he had plenty of time, he often posted free character or scenery backgrounds for people to use, and his following had gradually grown.
He was more cautious about taking commissions now, generally accepting three at a time and finishing them before taking the next batch. Yet whenever he logged into Big-Eyed Boy, there was always a pile of commission requests waiting in his inbox.
Yu Qingchuan was also considering starting a content-creator account like Qi Bai's.
But that was still some way off. He would take things slowly, one step at a time.
He only had one commission left, which he could finish that afternoon. He composed a Weibo post explaining that he would be going into seclusion to hone his skills for a week and wouldn't be taking commissions for the time being.
Yu Qingchuan needed time to finish his competition entry.
After all, this painting would determine whether he could catch Mr. Chen Shujun's eye.
Forty minutes later, someone knocked at the door. Yu Qingchuan went to answer it and found a young man with rather ordinary features but a lively, energetic air, holding a bundle of canvases. The young man paused at the sight of him. "Hello. I'm here to see Mr. Lu."
"Please follow me."
Yu Qingchuan led him to the bedroom. The moment Xiao Qin saw Lu Shiyi awake, his eyes reddened.
Mr. Lu had finally woken up! All those daily prayers to the Bodhisattva to bless him with a speedy awakening hadn't been in vain. He could keep this easy, relaxed, well-paid job!
"I haven't fully recovered yet, so I'll need you more often for a while." Lu Shiyi methodically laid out Xiao Qin's duties, including buying everyday supplies, fruit, and various painting tools. He also needed him to deliver three meals a day, for a week to start with.
Though young, Xiao Qin was dependable. He immediately pulled out the little notebook he carried and wrote everything down. "Don't worry, Mr. Lu. I'll take care of it."
"Good."
Watching Lu Shiyi give Xiao Qin his instructions, Yu Qingchuan felt the gap between them once again. Lu Shiyi even had a personal assistant, while he was just an utterly ordinary male college student.
After Xiao Qin left, Yu Qingchuan asked, "Brother Yi, why have three meals delivered every day? Cooking doesn't take me that much time."
"This competition is important to you. I want you to have a comfortable, relaxing environment. You don't need to handle the little everyday chores. Just focus on painting."
Of course, this would also effectively stop Lu Shiming from coming over to mooch meals. Lu Shiyi had been putting up with him for far too long.
Yu Qingchuan accepted Lu Shiyi's arrangements, thinking, Brother Yi might seem gentle, but he had an assertive side, too.
And every side of him was so damn charming.
With the canvases delivered, Yu Qingchuan could start painting. He wanted to work downstairs, though.
When Lu Shiyi asked why, Yu Qingchuan hemmed and hawed, reluctant to say. But with just a few questions, Lu Shiyi coaxed his plan out of him and learned that Yu Qingchuan intended to base the painting on him.
"A world in dreams" was a broad theme, open to any interpretation. He could paint a landscape or a person.
And to Yu Qingchuan, Lu Shiyi embodied every beautiful fantasy he had.
He even wanted to paint Lu Shiyi as an Eight-Winged Holy Angel.
"If you're painting me, wouldn't it make more sense to stay here? I can model for you," Lu Shiyi said with a smile. "What pose do you need? Anything is fine."
"Brother Yi, just lie down and close your eyes."
"Mm. Come help me, then."
Yu Qingchuan helped Lu Shiyi lie down, then stepped back to check the angle. After two adjustments, he had exactly the effect he wanted.
"Hold that pose for a little while, Brother Yi. I'll have the sketch done very soon."
With that, Yu Qingchuan took a charcoal pencil and swiftly drew lines across the canvas.
Lu Shiyi's image was already imprinted on his heart, but drawing while looking at him was still more direct and allowed him to observe the finer details.
For instance, Brother Yi's nose had such a handsome bridge. And his jawline was more clearly defined than the cleavage line on his chest.
In less than half an hour, Yu Qingchuan finished the sketch and began laying down color. This stage was slower, painstaking work. He approached the painting with almost exacting severity, determined to bring his vision to life perfectly.
He was so absorbed that he never noticed Lu Shiyi watching him, those long, narrow eyes brimming with affection and admiration.
But he had only been painting for a little while when his phone rang. Startled, Yu Qingchuan hurriedly set down his palette, wiped his hands, and picked up his phone. Liang Xingyao's name appeared on the screen.
Why was he calling him?
Puzzled, Yu Qingchuan answered. "Hello, Mr. Liang. What can I do for you?"
These past few days, Liang Xingyao had shown off Yu Qingchuan's painting to everyone he met. Once it was completely dry, he had eagerly had it framed and hung it in his bedroom to admire at leisure.
But even the most beautiful painting could grow tiresome if you looked at it every day.
Liang Xingyao had practically worn a patina onto the painting with his gaze, so he called Yu Qingchuan, hoping to commission another.
"Young Mr. Yu, I've given it some thought. How about Greek mythology this time? Paint me as a beautiful youth. Could you recreate that scene where Narcissus, the one who became a narcissus flower, gazes at his own reflection in the water, enamored of himself? We can work out the price!"
Since Yu Qingchuan was painting right beside the bed, and excitement had made Liang Xingyao's voice rather loud, Lu Shiyi heard every word clearly.
Yu Qingchuan was just about to ask whether it could wait a few days when a warm hand slipped the phone out of his grasp. Lu Shiyi took it, his voice cool. "He's not painting it. Go occupy yourself."
"Lu Shiyi?!" Liang Xingyao had never expected Yu Qingchuan to be with Lu Shiyi. More importantly, "You're awake? When did you wake up? Are you at the hospital? I'm coming right over!"
"I'm not at the hospital. I'm at home." Lu Shiyi needed to find out how Liang Xingyao had gotten in touch with Yu Qingchuan. Why did every last one of them have designs on his wife?
Completely unaware of the approaching danger, Liang Xingyao continued excitedly, "Which place?"
Lu Shiyi gave him the address. Liang Xingyao said he would be there in half an hour, then hung up.
Afterward, Lu Shiyi called Lu Shiming, right in front of Yu Qingchuan.
"Brother, what's up? I'll come over tonight. What's Sister-in-Law making for dinner?" Lu Shiming sneakily hinted at his intention to mooch a meal.
Lu Shiyi ignored the question and asked directly, "Tell me, has Liang Xingyao been bothering Qingchuan?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Lu Shiming instantly sold Liang Xingyao out. "Brother, if I hadn't been quick on my feet, Brother Yao would've stolen Sister-in-Law away! You have no idea. He even said I wasn't mature or dependable and told Sister-in-Law to go with him instead."
Lu Shiyi laughed in anger. "Very good."
It looked like he could submit his resignation now.
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