"A god of painting..." Professor Li Wen shuddered violently. With immense reluctance, he tore his gaze from the paper, then stared at Chen Zheng with a look of horror and resentment. "You... how did you do that...?"
He was shocked because he had witnessed a realm that existed only in legend!
He was resentful because this young man before him was clearly a peerless master of the art world, a godlike figure, yet he had actually challenged him, scorned him, and looked down on him!
Recalling his own words-"A bodyguard like you will never understand what art is"-Li Wen felt as though a heavy slap had landed on his face!
Art?
His paintings, even his most famous one, could not compare to something this young man had casually painted. They were not even on the same level!
This young man's painting skills had entered the legendary divine realm!
Li Wen could not understand it, no matter how hard he tried. Why did a wealthy heiress's bodyguard, a twenty-year-old young man, someone who should have been a street thug, possess godlike painting skills?
Had this fellow been possessed by those great painting masters of ancient times just now?
"Nothing more than a practiced hand." Chen Zheng smiled faintly. "Professor Li Wen, this painting is yours."
"Huh? You're giving it to me... well... I... I really feel rather embarrassed..."
Hearing that Chen Zheng was actually giving him a priceless painting, Professor Li Wen recalled how he had treated him earlier. His face filled with embarrassment, and he lowered his head.
"There'll be no need to trouble you with An Jing's affairs in the future, Professor Li Wen."
With that, Chen Zheng left the lecture hall with An Jing and Su Cheng.
"Ah... I... An Jing... I'm sorry..."
Professor Li Wen raised his head and watched the man and two women leave. He opened his mouth, wanting to call An Jing back, but in the end, all that escaped was a sigh.
"Chen Zheng!"
"So incredible!"
"He's actually a peerless master of painting!"
"What a stylish exit!"
"He really slapped Professor Li Wen in the face in just a few minutes! Fuck, if only I had skills as amazing as Chen Zheng's!"
Only then did the students remaining in the lecture hall come to their senses. They turned to look at Chen Zheng, An Jing, and Su Cheng, who had already left, their faces either astonished or their eyes shining.
"I told you before that Chen Zheng was an incredible painter. He already showed his skills once in Professor An's class, but none of you believed me..."
One student spoke up.
Earlier, when he had said Chen Zheng was amazing, everyone else's spit had practically drowned him out. Now he straightened his back. Although he was not Chen Zheng, he still felt secretly delighted!
See!
What does it mean for the truth to rest in the hands of the few?
I'm the one who knows the truth. You people are all mediocrities!
"Huh? Tell us about it!"
"What did Chen Zheng do in Professor An's class last time?"
"Come on! Tell us! Stop keeping us in suspense!"
The surrounding students grew interested and urged him on.
"That time in Professor An's class, Professor An got angry and told Chen Zheng to leave. Chen Zheng casually showed off a little and painted a portrait of a beauty, modeled on Professor An herself. All the students in that elective class saw it. The beauty in the portrait seemed to fly out of the painting, as though she'd come alive. It was utterly dreamlike!"
The student spoke with his eyes closed, his face entranced.
"What!"
"The real question is, where's that painting? Where's that portrait modeled on Professor An?"
"Right, right! That's the real question! I want that portrait!"
Amid their astonishment, the surrounding students instantly seized on the key point!
"Well... I think Professor An took it home."
The student opened his eyes and thought for a moment before answering.
"Ah!"
The surrounding students sighed in unison!
"..."
At the podium, Professor Li Wen sighed again as he listened to the student's story.
This time, he truly had been wrong. His dog's eyes had looked down on others, but now it was too late. Whatever he said would be too late. He knew very well that his bond with An Jing as teacher and student had already been severed.
If only...
Sadly, there were no ifs!
On a garden path on Nan University's campus.
"Are your god-tier painting skills really just the result of practice?"
An Jing suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Zheng very seriously as she asked.
"Practice. It really was just practice." Chen Zheng smiled and nodded, then continued in a tone of reminiscence. "I truly have no talent for painting. Back then, I was far too bored, especially after I'd solved the problem of survival and even sleeping became boring, so I started finding all sorts of ways to pass the time. Painting was one of them. At first, I drew on the ground with branches, just scribbling whatever came to mind. Later, I drew on cave walls and cliffs with stones. After that, well, I used blood as ink, golden sand as ink, the torrents of heaven and earth as ink... Anyway, I practiced for a very long time, and one day, I suddenly understood. Whatever I painted looked just like the real thing, as though I could grant life to anything I painted."
"Why does this sound like a story about a caveman? First you were a caveman, then you became an expert immortal cultivator? You didn't just make up some melodramatic story, did you?"
An Jing rolled her eyes at Chen Zheng.
Chen Zheng merely smiled without answering. He did not want to explain, nor did he need to. Everything he had said was true. He had described it lightly, but those past experiences were truly beyond an ordinary person's imagination.
"Oh! My dear mas... my dear Chen! We meet again! Perhaps this is fate bestowed upon us by God!"
Just then, a tall figure emerged from a bend in the garden path ahead. At the sight of Chen Zheng, a gleam flashed in her eyes, and she swayed her curvaceous body as she approached, slipping her arms around Chen Zheng's arm with utter ease!
"Mwah!"
The woman did not stop at using her hands; she used her lips too, planting a kiss on Chen Zheng right in front of An Jing and Su Cheng.
"A sexy, alluring little wildcat? No! A sexy, alluring vampire maid? You're that Catherine!" An Jing frowned, her expression a little cold as she stared at the tall, buxom foreign woman throwing herself into Chen Zheng's arms.
"Catherine... Professor..."
Su Cheng greeted her politely.
"Hi, sweet, charming little Su Cheng."
Catherine gave Su Cheng a friendly smile.
"If you're a maid, don't you know to greet the mistress first?"
An Jing spoke coldly.
"The mistress? But you're clearly still a virgin. How could you be the mistress? The mistress is the master's woman. You haven't even become the master's woman yet, so I certainly don't recognize you as my mistress."
Catherine narrowed her eyes, glanced at An Jing, and replied with a smile.
"An Jing! Ancient Martial Arts Grandmaster of China!"
An Jing's pretty face turned solemn as she fixed her gaze on Catherine.
She was announcing her name and background, challenging Catherine to a fight!
"Catherine! Pureblood Vampire! The future Countess Catherine!"
Catherine thrust out her chest and answered An Jing without yielding an inch.
The challenge was accepted!