Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 597: Chapter 577: The Luo Family Brothers’ Challenge (Luo Yanwu’s Story)

”Are you trying to audition for a head chef position at a five-star hotel?” Luo Yanran’s mouth twitched, unable to replicate such apple carvings himself, but he found them edible nonetheless.

Luo Qianqian nodded repeatedly in strong agreement, saying it couldn’t be more accurate.

”You are amazing,” Luo Yanhai exclaimed in admiration after the initial surprise.

Jimo Cheng waved his hand, ”Not really, it just happens to be within my Domain.”

Luo Yanhai looked puzzled. Shouldn’t your Domain be calligraphy and painting?

As if to clear the confusion for everyone, ”After all, Grandpa is an expert in this area; even without deliberate learning, one would acquire some skills,” he said with a light smile, ”Compared to my lifelong exposure to it, naturally, you are better.”

The implication was even if he didn’t want to learn, he had gone through systematic training, so Luo Yanhai, who hadn’t studied it, was indeed more impressive.

Luo Yanwu felt utterly disheartened. Although he had studied it thoroughly, this was something he could present confidently, but if those who hadn’t studied deliberately were so impressive, then wouldn’t his lifelong learning become his own undoing?

Seeing Luo Qianqian’s gaze on him, Luo Yanwu was struck with inspiration and flashed a determined smile.

Luo Yanran, seeing that no one was paying attention, casually grabbed two apples and munched away. By the time Luo Qianqian noticed, the apples were but a shadow of their former selves.

Luo Yanran still grumbled, ”Why leave them to rot? Aren’t apples meant to be eaten?”

Luo Qianqian pouted, feeling wronged. She had wanted to take a picture, but Fourth Brother was just a big meanie.

Luo Yanwu, seeing the desire to hit him in his brother’s eyes, swiftly stood out, ”Both older brothers have made their move, so I, the third brother, can’t lag behind. Although this is your Domain, I still want to experience it. I challenge you to painting.”

Luo Qianqian’s eyes went wide. Third Brother, are you asking for a beating?

”Qianqian, go upstairs,” Luo Yanwu glanced at his sister with her eyes wide open, waved his hand in resignation, ”Come back down after I’m done painting.”

Luo Qianqian, although confused, still nodded obediently and went upstairs.

Jimo Cheng watched Luo Qianqian ascend the stairs and smiled, ”Are you going to paint Qianqian?”

Luo Yanwu nodded, ”Let me see what your Qianqian looks like in your heart.” He then opened his backpack, ”What I’m good at is oil painting.”

Luo Yanran rolled his eyes dramatically, muttering under his breath, ”Or abstract art for that matter, why don’t you announce that?”

Jimo Cheng paused for a moment, nodded, ”I can do sketches too, but since you mentioned it, I naturally have to use the ink painting I’m most proficient in.” As he said this, he took out his phone to call someone to deliver items, but then he heard Luo Yanhao speaking:

”We have rice paper and ink brushes at Grandpa’s, they were one of the gifts from Old Master Jimo.”

It wasn’t just the Four Treasures of the Study that Old Master Jimo had gifted. He had also carved jade paperweights shaped like cranes and turtles. Although they didn’t look very expensive, being carved by Old Master Jimo himself, they were priceless treasures.

”I’ll get them,” Luo Yanran promptly raised his hand, but the next second saw Luo Xiying coming down with items, eyeing her nephews suspiciously and coughing twice to mask her embarrassment, ”Just on my way, carry on.” She casually placed the items on the coffee table, then went back upstairs.

”Should we bring a table here?” Luo Yanran quickly suggested, surely they couldn’t expect Jimo Cheng to kneel on the floor to paint?

It was easy for Luo Yanwu; setting up an easel and laying down paper, he was ready.

Jimo Cheng, completely unconcerned, spread out a felt cloth. He wasn’t a conventional painter who needed specific settings to paint.

The action of kneeling on the ground and grinding ink was smooth and fluid.

Luo Yanwu also squeezed some paint ready and, holding the brush, closed his eyes. Compared to Jimo Cheng, he had known Luo Qianqian for a longer time and understood his sister better. Closing his eyes, the image of Luo Qianqian appeared before him. Once he had chosen the colors, he began to paint.

However, Jimo Cheng did not close his eyes to think like sculpting an apple; after mixing the ink, he put brush to paper directly. The strokes linked smoothly, with no pause to think.

The seriousness on his face startled Luo Yanran. His face, usually playful and smiling, was now stern. Had this guy really taken to heart the two-faced Luo Qianqian?

Jimo Cheng’s painting was already taking shape, while Luo Yanwu had just begun to paint.

In the top right corner of Jimo Cheng’s painting, a large area was left blank. After pondering for a moment, he wrote: ”There is a beauty, unforgettable upon seeing; a day without sight of her, thoughts of her drive one mad.”

The handwriting was elegant but carried a hint of aloofness. The sentiment between the lines made Luo Yanran furrow his brow: Could this guy be a creep? His sister was just a teenager; how could she already be a ’beauty’? ’Thoughts of her drive one mad,’ shameless! Do you believe I’d tell your teacher about your puppy love and harassment of a minor?

Putting down his brush, Jimo Cheng looked at his painting and chuckled lightly before getting up.

It was then that Luo Yanran looked at the painting, recognizing at first glance that it was Luo Qianqian, nobody else. It was an ink painting, just in black, yet it captured the essence of Luo Qianqian in a side profile. It was the dress from yesterday, showing light and shadow, also depicting the overwhelmed expression on Luo Qianqian’s youthful face, her slightly parted lips, and her playful bun hairstyle. The background was switched to cherry blossom trees and fluttering petals, and Luo Yanran didn’t even know why he recognized at first glance that they were cherry blossoms—it was just an instinct.

When Luo Yanwu finished his painting and saw the one on the coffee table, he knew he had lost.

It was Luo Qianqian; he recognized her at a glance. Then looking at his own painting, even though the contrasts in color he used were intensely strong, he always felt that it got the true essence of ’Scream’, with the faces all distorted.

Luo Yanhao saw Luo Yanwu put down his brush, walked behind him, and patted his shoulder, whispering, ”Perhaps she will find a good place with him.”

Luo Yanran looked at Luo Yanwu’s painting, his mouth twitching. The rose he saw last time felt so right— what kind of madness was this?

Luo Yanwu felt utterly innocent. This was his first time painting a person, and being able to distinguish the eyes, nose, and mouth was already quite an accomplishment.

Luo Qianqian was called downstairs by Luo Yanhai, and she looked at the paintings in front of her, face brimming with surprise. First looking at Jimo Cheng’s painting, she covered her mouth in astonishment. Was that her? Was she really that beautiful? And that poem... But she did not skimp on praise, repeatedly admiring, ”Senior brother, you are so talented, please teach me in the future.”

Jimo Cheng nodded in agreement.

Then Luo Qianqian walked over to Luo Yanwu’s easel, and looking at the painting there, Luo Yanwu’s face was full of frustration. He really wanted to tear it up; it was simply no comparison.

”Qianqian, I...”

”Third Brother, you must be mistaken. I would never eat like that!” Luo Qianqian pouted, her face full of dissatisfaction: ”Even if it looks very tasty, I wouldn’t eat like that.”

Luo Yanran looked skeptically at the painting. Where was any scene of eating? Had Qianqian’s eyes gone bad?

Luo Yanwu was quite surprised, ”You figured it out?”

”Isn’t this just the scene from the first time you met Third Sister-in-Law when we went out to eat, even though you only painted me?” But she never showed such an unseemly way of eating in front of others.

Luo Yanwu’s face was moved; he hadn’t recognized it himself, but Qianqian had, and his eyes welled up, ”Yes, I was mistaken. You wouldn’t.”

Luo Yanhai frowned, looking at the painting. Was this supposed to be Qianqian? Where was the food? Was the flesh-colored patch supposed to be the face? The dark blur was the hair?

Jimo Cheng, looking at Luo Yanwu’s painting, had a look of longing. It was truly a free painting, only understandable to those who had shared that experience, right?