"Oh, all right, all right."
The black cat steadied himself, tail hanging low as he took tiny steps and paced back and forth a few times before the painting.
The canvas depicted a sun submerged in water—of course, that was only his own interpretation. In fact, the image was very simple: beneath an even pale-blue background bloomed a mass of brilliant white, looking very much like the noon sun reflected on the surface of water.
The only question was whether the painter's perspective was above the water or beneath it.
"Very ancient, yes, extremely ancient."
The black cat racked his brains, recalling the techniques the witch had taught him earlier, and tried to use vague yet professional terminology. "The sunlight is fervent, the lines are full of tension, but ancientness implies a lack of imagination, leaving little room for the audience's interpretation... So we should focus more on the painting's actual depiction of the sun, rather than the symbolism derived from the sun."
"Yes, that's exactly the feeling!" The witch held a spellbook, making notes and sketches without lifting her head. She praised him, then reminded him, "Now you can extend your impression into emotion... Remember, you need to emotionally connect with other people."
Emotion?
Zheng Qing stared at the sun in the painting, which seemed about to drown, and guessed, "Um, perhaps suffocation? A yearning for freedom? Hmm, fishing for the sun in water, water, water... This painting is probably trying to express the despairing emotion that freedom is merely an illusion? That's right. If you look closely, the painting's chaotic brushstrokes contain the artist's profound sorrow and desperate struggle..."
"Fishing for the sun in water?"
Su Shijun finally lifted her head from the documents piled before her. She glanced at the artwork Zheng Qing was trying so hard