NOVEL NEXT 35
Chapter 35
The art exhibition was indeed crowded.
Especially when the exhibitor was a male zerg, the crowd was overwhelming.
Lu Xi held onto his hat, stubbornly standing his ground amid the massive flow of people, like a rock splitting a river.
Nothing could shake the resolve of a male zerg in love.
He held Xia Baiyuan’s coat in his hands, waiting for his beloved to return from the restroom.
This area of the exhibition featured paintings with a robust style, accompanied by stirring, passionate music, making Lu Xi feel a heroic sense of duty, like a soldier defending his country’s borders.
By the time Xia Baiyuan emerged, Lu Xi’s eyes were glistening, his mind lost in some dramatic fantasy.
Xia Baiyuan parted the crowd, took his coat, and gently supported Lu Xi’s arm: “Did someone steal your money?”
Lu Xi: “…”
He patted his pocket, his expression falling: “My card was stolen.”
Xia Baiyuan grinned, pulling a silver card from his uniform pocket: “It’s here.”
Lu Xi had been holding onto Xia Baiyuan’s uniform so tightly that no thief could have taken anything from it. In the end, the thief had only managed to steal an empty cardholder from Lu Xi’s own pocket.
Looking at the card in Xia Baiyuan’s hand, Lu Xi asked, “When did you take it?”
Lu Xi’s pale cheeks turned slightly red: this made him look rather…
Xia Baiyuan shrugged, “Just casually.”
Casually, indeed.
Lu Xi quickly stuffed the card back into his pocket, cleared his throat, and said, “Let’s go, let’s check out the exhibition.”
Xia Baiyuan stopped pressing the matter. Although he was curious to see Lu Xi embarrassed, he decided to let it go this time.
They wandered through the crowded hallways, surrounded by constant praise and admiration. In the midst of the crowd, Lu Xi and Xia Baiyuan stood out like two corn stalks mutated by genetics, towering half a head above everyone else.
Thanks to their height, they could breathe slightly fresher air above the crowd.
But as the saying goes, when God closes a door, he opens a window — and promptly bars it shut.
With no obstacles in the way, Lu Xi’s gaze landed squarely on the exhibits on the walls.
The exhibits featured wild lines, whimsical handprints, and daring color choices—
Lu Xi, a mere nobody, didn’t dare to judge the artistic thoughts of this artist, but his eyes were certainly strained.
Instinctively, he turned his head away and used Xia Baiyuan’s beauty as a visual balm.
It was like hearing celestial music that brightened his ears.
Xia Baiyuan frowned deeply, looking as if he had cracked open a seed but couldn’t find the kernel among the broken shells.
Failing to find that kernel, he looked to Lu Xi for help: “How much could these paintings sell for?”
This question drew disdainful looks from several female zergs nearby.
Evaluating art by its monetary value was blasphemy.
Lu Xi, still admiring Xia Baiyuan’s beauty, replied instinctively, “Selling them to scrap collectors might even incur a loss because of the heavy paint.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the glares from all around almost pierced them, metaphorically spilling blood.
Lu Xi blinked slowly, forced a laugh, and said, “Just kidding. I don’t know anything about art. This painting must be worth at least a car!”
His crude comment solidified his image as a philistine, earning a few snickers and leaving no one inclined to offer further disdainful glances.
Xia Baiyuan stared at him, expressionless. Lu Xi started to feel uncomfortable under his gaze. “What’s wrong?”
Xia Baiyuan grabbed Lu Xi’s sleeve, leaned in, and whispered warmly into Lu Xi’s ear.
“Can it really be exchanged for a car?”
Lu Xi was stunned, held back his laughter, but eventually couldn’t contain it and burst out laughing.
It was rare to see Lu Xi lose his composure like this.
Under Xia Baiyuan’s curious gaze, Lu Xi laughed so hard he was out of breath.
Once he managed to stop laughing, Lu Xi reached out and hooked Xia Baiyuan’s left ear with his finger.
Lu Xi: “You could get a few for this.”
That was a clear hint.
With his family background, Lu Xi had a knack for sarcastic remarks.
He was well-versed in the names of famous contemporary painters, but he had never heard of the signatures sprawling across the paintings in this gallery.
Still, it was better than some “great collectors” who left their signatures on other people’s works.
Finding it pointless to stay any longer and suffocating from the crowd, Lu Xi dragged Xia Baiyuan against the flow of people. After eight footprints were stamped on his shoes, they finally escaped the exhibition.
Outside the exhibition, the street was lined with impoverished artists sketching portraits for tourists to make a living.
Most of them were low-ranking female zergs who couldn’t earn big money like military females and had to rely on odd jobs. Hearing about a famous artist’s exhibition, they hoped to benefit from the crowd.
Inside the crowded exhibition, the ventilation fans worked at full capacity to little effect. Stepping outside, the fresh air felt like a relief to Lu Xi.
Xia Baiyuan looked thoughtfully at the street artists and asked, “How are their paintings different from the ones inside?”
Lu Xi shrugged, “At least we can afford these.”
He asked one idle artist, “How much for a double portrait?”
The artist glanced at Lu Xi and Xia Baiyuan, a hint of amazement in his eyes: “A thousand for a half-body, an extra three hundred for the hands.”
Hands added a layer of difficulty, making it more troublesome and thus more expensive.
But even at this rate, it was just covering costs, earning a modest living.
Lu Xi had no objections and spent fifteen minutes positioning Xia Baiyuan perfectly while the artist patiently waited.
Lu Xi stepped back, surveying Xia Baiyuan seriously.
Tears almost streamed from his mouth.
So handsome!!!
It was a dangerously handsome sight!
Xia Baiyuan: “Is this okay?”
Lu Xi nodded calmly, then positioned himself leaning on Xia Baiyuan, “Just like this.”
The artist looked at Lu Xi in surprise.
These two customers had inadvertently struck a golden ratio pose, perfect for a painting right on the canvas.
Lu Xi: “Is there a problem?”
Artist: “No, none at all.”
Everything ready, the artist was about to start when a piercing whistle sounded from afar.
In a flash, the small artist reacted as if electrified, quickly packing his things with practiced efficiency.
“Security’s coming!!”
“Run!! They’re here to catch us!!”
“Weren’t they just here half an hour ago?!”
“Damn, I was only halfway done!”
Within seconds, all the artists scattered, leaving tourists bewildered.
“Sorry, sorry! I have to go!”
The artist apologized repeatedly to Lu Xi, hoisting his heavy equipment that bent him into a question mark as he dashed away.
“Stop! Stop right there!”
A burly security guard rushed past Lu Xi, chasing after the artist.
Lu Xi: “…”
Xia Baiyuan: “…”
They watched as the artist ran ahead at a speed of 7m/s, with the guard chasing at 12m/s. In a heart-pounding five seconds, the guard tackled the artist to the ground.
The crash was accompanied by the sound of art supplies scattering everywhere, causing Lu Xi’s eye to twitch.
Oh, Da Bai… Da Bai fell…
“Finally caught you! How many times have we warned you not to disrupt this art exhibition? If you keep this up, I might lose my job!”
The artist had lost his supplies, but he didn’t have time to mourn. He quickly got up and tugged at his sleeves, smiling apologetically: “Thank you, sir. Please, just let me off this time.”
The guard sighed, his brow twitching: “I should be the one asking you to let me off. Seriously…”
The guard muttered under his breath as he picked up the easel: “I’m confiscating this. Don’t blame me; it’s because you upset His Excellency.”
The artist’s face twitched, making his smile look like a smeared canvas, a complete mess.
“Did they confiscate your things?”
Once the guard had walked away, a voice spoke nearby. The artist looked up, meeting a pair of bright red eyes. He stared blankly for a moment, then lowered his head, mumbling: “I can’t draw for you now. My easel was taken…”
Lu Xi: “Then go buy another one. There are plenty of art supply stores around here, aren’t there?”
The artist rubbed his hands awkwardly: “I can’t afford it. I already owe a lot of money.”
Lu Xi looked at him: “So, you’re free for the rest of the day?”
The artist sniffled, shivering in the cold wind, surrounded by his scattered paints.
Lu Xi reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver card, and handed it to the artist: “My…”
He glanced quickly at Xia Baiyuan, then forced himself to speak calmly: “My partner and I would like to hire you for the day. We want to walk around this area, and we’d like you to sketch our portraits.”
Partner, partner, partner…
Xia Baiyuan: “A thousand for a half-body, plus three hundred for the hands, paid per piece.”
Lu Xi sneaked a look at Xia Baiyuan. The tips of Xia Baiyuan’s ears were slightly red, making Lu Xi almost bite his tongue as he spoke: “This is an advance payment. You can use it to buy what you need.”
The artist stared at Lu Xi, like someone accustomed to misfortune suddenly being favored by fate. It took him a moment to react.
He quickly took the card from Lu Xi, repeatedly thanking him: “Thank you, thank you, sir! You’re so generous and kind. You and your partner will surely be very happy!”
The fact that Lu Xi had no pheromones was irrelevant to the artist.
——
They spent the whole day without stopping. The artist’s stamina couldn’t keep up, his body weakened by long-term malnutrition. Even Lu Xi was in better shape than him.
In the end, Xia Baiyuan took all the supplies from the artist, causing the poor artist to repeatedly thank him in a state of anxiety.
Lu Xi watched Xia Baiyuan, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
The silver-haired, elegant female rolled up his sleeves, revealing a section of his fair, muscular forearm. He casually carried the easel as he walked along the tree-lined path.
No matter what Xia Baiyuan was doing, it never seemed out of place, as if he was born for it.
“Xia Baiyuan.”
Hearing his name, Xia Baiyuan turned to look at Lu Xi.
They were standing in a square when, accompanied by sudden music, the fountain behind Lu Xi shot up into the sky—
Lu Xi’s voice was drowned out by the music.
When the music stopped, Xia Baiyuan asked, “What did you just say?”
“Wait!!!”
The artist’s excited voice interrupted them. He rushed over, his usually dull, dark eyes now shining brightly: “Don’t move, I want to capture this moment in a painting!!”
Lu Xi and Xia Baiyuan exchanged glances, reaching an unspoken agreement.
Setting up the easel and tightening the canvas, the artist laid out a row of brushes.
The slender female looked like a commanding general, his shadow majestic in the sunlight.
With creative passion burning in his eyes, he took a deep breath and pressed his brush to the canvas.
————
“Done!”
The artist stepped back, looking at his work with a satisfied expression.
Lu Xi and Xia Baiyuan eagerly ran over, standing side by side behind the artist, curious to see the final result.
It was a… very strange painting.
It couldn’t be called a portrait; there were no clear lines, and it was impossible to tell who it depicted.
At best, it resembled some blurry patches of color, perhaps a nearsighted person might imagine the figures.
But Xia Baiyuan quite liked it.
Looking at the painting, he thought of the sunlight after the rain, the gentle evening breeze, and the tender, affectionate look in Lu Xi’s eyes.
“Wh-what do you think?”
The artist was now feeling anxious.
No one paints portraits like this; it’s unrecognizable, and the clients would surely be upset…
It shouldn’t have been painted like this, shouldn’t have been painted like this, these kind-hearted clients had helped him, but this painting at best seemed like a sham.
“I-I’ll take it back and touch it up!”
But the black-haired Zerg who had been staring at the canvas placed a hand on the artist’s.
He straightened up, his gaze never leaving the painting, murmuring, “Isn’t this quite good?”
The artist was stunned: “Huh?”
Lu Xi took the painting down, looking at it silently.
There was no record of such a painting in history, no such style.
But he liked it, very, very much.
The moment he saw it, he felt a tingling sensation all over his body.
Xia Baiyuan: “I think it’s quite good.”
Lu Xi lifted his head, smiling. “I agree, this painting is really beautiful.”
“… ”
“Artist, can you add more— Oh, why are you crying!”
“Lu Xi, did we say something wrong?”
“I assure you, we didn’t.”
“But he’s crying so hard, his nose is running…”
…
…
Under the panicked reassurance of the two, the artist stuttered out his words, finally making it clear to them that he wasn’t sad.
He was overwhelmed with emotion.
“I-I’ve never been so certain before. They all said my paintings were crap…”
Lu Xi and Xia Baiyuan were both at a loss.
Neither of them attracted to the weak type. Stray animals would scream and run away at the sight of them from 30 meters away.
Not exactly the nurturing type.
Encountering someone like the artist for the first time, they were quite…
Lu Xi handed a tissue to the artist, who finally stopped crying.
After wiping his nose fiercely, he felt embarrassed. “Sorry for the show.”
“It’s okay.” Lu Xi pointed to the lower right corner of the canvas. “Can you sign your name here for me?”
The artist was once again deeply moved, even wanting to refuse the money.
Xia Baiyuan: “You probably still have debts, right?”
Artist: “…”
Returning to reality is so painful.
He reluctantly accepted the money while leaving his signature on the canvas, whispering, “Next time you want me to paint, I’ll give you a discount.”
“Thank you.”
Lu Xi glanced at the signature. The artist’s name was “Mo Liang”.
This name was indeed unfamiliar; Mo Liang hadn’t left any traces in history.
This made Lu Xi feel a bit regretful. But he didn’t dwell on it too much, after all, who can predict art?
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
They walked back leisurely under the fiery clouds.
Xia Baiyuan seemed to suddenly remember something and asked, “What were you about to say just now?”
“… ”
“Lu Xi?”
“Uh… That thing…”
Lu Xi scratched his cheek, his cheeks tinged with the sunset’s glow. His eyes flickered as he hesitated for several seconds.
Xia Baiyuan patiently waited.
“I want to say, although we are still students, we are adults now…”
Xia Baiyuan’s heart skipped a beat, a premonition gradually rising within him.
His breath seemed to stop.
“This kind of thing really needs to match the mood!”
Lu Xi scratched his head forcefully, finally mustering up the courage to say, “Xia Baiyuan, will you, will you marry me!”
Whoosh—
All sounds faded away like receding tides.
In the world, there was only Lu Xi left, adorned in colorful clouds, reaching out his hand towards himself.
“Be my mate!”
Xia Baiyuan felt as if he had been thrown to the highest point, gently floating down, finally landing on solid ground.
He wasn’t sure if he was smiling, but his lips seemed to be turning upwards.
“Okay.”
He grasped Lu Xi’s hand. “I accept.”
—
Three thousand years ago, the sunset seemed no different from three thousand years later.
But in a certain moment, in the sunlight, the world underwent a small change.
Lu Xi, the male zerg, woke up from his dream, wiping away sweat from his face, only to realize he had fallen asleep at his desk like that.
He sat dumbfounded in his chair for a while before lowering his head and continuing to read the book.
【This is a legendary artist who single-handedly changed the course of the entire art world. But what few people know is that he almost gave up his own talent. In that era, no one could understand his greatness…】
【But at the most difficult time in his career, he encountered an opportunity that changed his life.】
【To this day, we still don’t know who bought the paintings of this master, but the encouragement they left behind permeated the master’s life and became one of his spiritual pillars.】
【This master’s name was Mo Liang.】
On the left side, in the accompanying illustration, two people could faintly be seen facing each other.
But it was unclear who they were.
At the bottom, there was a small line of text: 【Mo Liang’s later impressionistic copies, the original version is lost】
Lu Xi frowned.
Before going to bed, it seemed that this passage had twisted a bit, it wasn’t originally like this…
After thinking for a long time, he finally tapped his forehead and gave up, flipping to the next page.
It was probably just an illusion.
He read attentively and didn’t hear the faint footsteps at the door.
In the hallway, a faint laughter echoed from Lu Mo.