The Versatile Master Artist

There are times when Gu Weijing would call his elders in France during the holidays.

They would politely exchange greetings, his father wishing him academic success, and Gu Weijing wishing his father good health.

Then, Gu Weijing would wait for his father to politely ask if he wanted to visit Paris for the holiday.

He would politely decline, saying they could talk about it next time.

Then they would wish each other good night and hang up.

The whole process was handled very smoothly by both sides.

It didn’t feel like a conversation between father and son but rather like two strangers politely following a scripted customer service form.

Only Gu Tongxiang would always be rubbing his hands nervously beside the phone.

He looked tense and ready to speak but constantly held back.

When the old man learned that Gu Weijing originally planned to attend the French Academy of Fine Arts for college.

Gu Tongxiang, on one hand, patted his chest, assuring that his grandson could go to study without worry, and that he could certainly provide for tuition and living expenses.

On the other hand, the old man became noticeably more anxious.

Even in daily life, the old man was careful not to mention Gu Weijing’s parents and would occasionally mutter at the news during dinner about things like “Bank work is so dull and boring,” “Investment bankers are all vampires; they earn money without a conscience.” in strange probing remarks.

Every time he saw Gu Tongxiang showing such conflicted expressions, Gu Weijing found it somewhat amusing.

He knew what grandpa was afraid of.

His grandfather feared he would hate the other side or that he would be giving up on the art path, just like his second son.

For a long time, he wanted to tell his grandfather to rest assured he would not accept his father’s invitation.

Even if Gu Weijing studied in France, he would continue on the path of painting rather than becoming a bank clerk.

It’s not because it would be strange to switch to finance after studying art for more than a decade.

Well.

It indeed would be quite strange.

But applying for business studies in France is not difficult, and indeed, every year there are art students at Fitz who apply for similar majors at their parents’ request.

Of course, it’s not because he was persuaded by Gu Tongxiang’s “bank work is boring, investment bankers are vampires” rant.

It’s because he is a sensitive child.

He realized many, many years ago that he was the one who was abandoned.

Fifteen years ago, in that summer, when his father boarded the Boeing 747 intercontinental flight to Charles de Gaulle International Airport.

He left his three-year-old son, along with the hot and rainy weather of Myanmar, forever in a turned-over chapter of life.

Abandoned wild children would never be picked up and embraced back by their parents.

Gu Weijing could get along so well with the kids at Good Fortune Orphanage, could dance with Jasmine, and could patiently hold Bu Dao while talking to him for an afternoon.

It’s not just because he has money, nor just because he has a kind heart.

Maybe even Gu Weijing might not fully realize that in these children, he saw some reflections of himself.

Elder Gu Tongxiang did not understand.

In fact, whenever they talked on the phone, it was quite awkward on both sides.

The greeting “Weijing, my son, are you well?” coming through the receiver was essentially no different in emotional content from an online shopping customer service saying, “Dear, take care of yourself and remember to give a five-star rating!”

Gu Weijing understood this fact, and he knew… his father also knew he understood.

If one day Gu Weijing nodded and agreed to his invitation, the middle-aged man on the other end of the line would instead feel at a loss.

Neither father nor son hoped the other would intrude into their daily lives now.

Gu Weijing’s father already had a new life, a new environment, a new order.

Gu Weijing… He was raised by his grandfather since he was a child, living with him for more than ten years; his grandfather was the closest relative, the elder who treated him the best in the world.

How could he bear to let the elder who treated him best in life feel disappointed?

Just.

This life of being left-behind by parents added pressure from the side.

It added to the burden on his shoulders.

It also added a sense of inferiority in his heart.

When Gu Weijing was knocked down by inner demons, countless illusions plagued him, and he thought he was once again being thrown down from a great height, falling into endless nothingness.

Fifteen years ago, he was abandoned by his parents.

He could still pick up a paintbrush as his grandfather wished, using the burning light of art from his pen to warm himself.

Fifteen years later, if even the light of art were taken away.

He would have nothing.

This fear entwined with many negative emotions was theoretically incurable, until Koizumi Katsuko’s kiss directly melted him.

Koizumi Katsuko did not know where Gu Weijing’s terrible mood came from.

It didn’t matter.

In the long eye contact with Gu Weijing, the girl saw the fear hovering in his heart.

Miss Sakai saw in his confused eyes the immense pressure and lack of love in his heart, the unfounded lack of confidence that emerged after his technique soared.

She saw under those dark eyes, that — “poor and weak and helpless” Gu Weijing.

So she kissed him.

So she kissed with such gentleness, yet kissed with such earnestness and deep emotion.

She kissed his forehead, also kissing that fearful and inferior little child beneath the armor of outstanding painting skills.

In Socrates’s poetry, there was a god named Chronos.

Chronos was the ultimate deity surpassing all, controlling time, holding a scythe, time being a beginningless and endless iron ring swirling around him.

His divine name is also the source of the Latin word root “chron-” for “eternal time.”

In this world, the only way to eternity is through love.

Sometimes, other than the scythe staff in Chronos’s hand that could cut through time, a girl’s kiss could pass through Gu Weijing’s exterior, imprinting on the heart of that little child fifteen years ago.

This was a maternal kiss delayed by fifteen years.

It was also the kiss of a lover welcoming a new life.

The entire being of Gu Weijing felt a serene power spreading from his forehead.

It carried a moist touch, with a tender warmth, extending from the top of his head toward his cheeks, neck, trunk, and limbs.

Gu Weijing was stunned, his expression dazed.

He could feel the surrounding filled with the scent of flowers, the back of his head resting on something soft, his forehead seeming to ripple with warm waves.

This fragrance, this softness, this warmth.

Bit by bit was transmitted from Miss Sakai’s body, using the bridge of their physical contact, bit by bit insistently infused into his body by the girl.

Gu Weijing felt a solid sense of support.

Thoughts like water, warmth like water.

The heat like water echoed in his chest, slowly occupying the space belonging to negative pressure.

Is this the power of dopamine and hormone secretion?

Gu Weijing curiously asked himself inwardly, feeling the instant change in his body; Gu Weijing did not find lust aroused from this kiss.

He just felt solid.

He just felt that holding him was Miss Sakai, who was warm like a ray of sunshine.

Originally his emotions were like a massive avalanche, plummeting and collapsing, Gu Weijing standing in the mountains watching pressure and fear sweeping over, he didn’t know what force could contend with it.

Suddenly, the sun just rose like that.

Sunrise in the east, sunlight shining, countless snowflakes at that moment dissolved into trickling streams, noise dissipating, troubles retreating.

In an instant, only a cool breeze brushed his face.

I have a precious pearl, long locked away by toil and stress, and now the dust has gone, light has emerged, it illuminates countless green mountain flowers.

Suddenly Gu Weijing found his hand was not trembling anymore.

He calmed down.

He opened the system, looking again at that section of “Chinese Painting Techniques: Lv.4 Tier One Professional (4903/5000).”

In times of extreme emotional turmoil, not to mention Tier One Professional Chinese Painting Techniques,

even with Legendary Level Painting Knife Painting, what he could execute wouldn’t even surpass Lady Anya’s effect.

But now.

With a new calmness, Gu Weijing felt that he would no longer produce semi-professional wisteria again.

He now had the courage to try again.

“Mr. Gu, look at me, now don’t think about anything else, you will paint well, but at least not now.”