The Versatile Master Artist

She understands her daughter.

For someone like Shengzi who has always been very obedient and gentle, once she makes up her mind and decides, it’s harder to bring her back.

Running away to play, the more you try to control, the more rebellious it becomes.

If she dared to lock Shengzi in the room, Shengzi would dare to escape from the balcony window outside.

What if she really managed to watch over her?

Shengzi was almost an adult,

she could prevent it once or twice but not three or four times.

Even if Mrs. Sakai truly followed Shengzi around 24 hours a day, controlling her daughter’s feet, the other party would still not be happy.

In time, arguing back and forth, the mother-daughter relationship would easily run into problems.

Why bother?

Mrs. Sakai had also been young once, having gone through the era of being a little girl.

In childhood,

your parents are your entire world, but someday, your obedient daughter will like other boys, and this mother will no longer be her closest person.

She won’t listen to you anymore, and will be preoccupied because of that brat, care for him, be happy for him, and also shed tears for him.

He will easily replace your position in your beloved daughter’s heart.

Especially when a young girl first falls in love with someone during her youth, that person is simply her everything.

Although Mrs. Sakai was mentally prepared for this, she still felt extremely displeased.

”Cabrón (brat).”

She gritted her teeth, saying a less-than-decent curse in Spanish.

”Hello?”

Mrs. Sakai pulled out her phone and dialed Koshiba Tarou’s mobile.

”Aunt?”

After a long time had passed, Koshiba Tarou’s voice sounded on the other end of the phone, sounding stuffy and weary.

”Is Shengzi with you?” Mrs. Sakai asked patiently.

”Isn’t Shengzi at the hotel?” Xiaosong’s tone was even more surprised than Mrs. Sakai’s.

”Oh, it’s nothing. I just saw a message from Shengzi saying she went to the hotel gym for a run...” Mrs. Sakai inventively made up an excuse, said a few perfunctory words, then hung up the phone.

Useless fellow, still claiming to be some kind of lovers’ saint?

Even when given the chance, he couldn’t win over a girl’s heart, Mrs. Sakai internally lamented.

She hadn’t pinned much hope anyway,

If Koshiba Tarou had the ability to secretly invite Shengzi out for a date at night, Mrs. Sakai wouldn’t be so worried.

Very well,

it’s confirmed.

Daughter truly has been led away by that brat Gu Weijing; no wonder she even bothered to apply makeup before heading out.

Mrs. Sakai internally cursed Koshiba Tarou as a waste.

She paced around the suite a few times, then walked into her daughter’s bedroom, and finally found a note on the refrigerator where hotel room service staff place Perrier Water every day.

[Mom, don’t worry, I went to Good Fortune Orphanage to paint with Gu Weijing, sorry, don’t be angry with me!!!]

Mrs. Sakai looked at the note on the fridge, gazed at the pitiful smiley face Shengzi drew on it, her expression changed several times but she still couldn’t muster anger towards her daughter.

She ultimately only gritted her teeth, crumpling the note in her hand, sighing resentfully: ”Little brat, you better treat my daughter well.”

...

Koizumi Katsuko and Gu Weijing sat on the bench under the eaves of the orphanage, just watching the rain.

The thunderstorm finally seemed to be easing,

turning from connecting earth to sky silver threads into a pattering drizzle, water droplets dripping down the eaves.

”Sister, are you studying art like Brother?”

Little Moli, as usual, stuck closely to Gu Weijing, seeing he was finally not busy, scurried over like a little tail.

This time, however,

Little Girl Mo Li’s curiosity focused more on the relation this pretty sister in the red dress appeared to have with Gu Weijing, scooting close to Miss Shengzi to ask endless questions.

”Yes, we’re both studying art,” Koizumi Katsuko quietly replied.

”I want to study art too. The dean auntie says painting is only for rich people, it’s a hype, the less understandable it is, the more expensive. We children can never rely on brushes to support ourselves in the future.”

Little Jasmine’s tone was ambiguous—whether it was longing or regretful.

”That’s not true, classical painting emphasizes technique, modern art emphasizes form, avant-garde art emphasizes concept...as long as you grasp the right approach, each painting has its own way of appreciation, a painting that no one understands must be a failure,”

Koizumi Katsuko was using a small nail clipper to carefully trim Jasmine’s nails.

While holding the little friend’s slender hand, she earnestly explained: ”Art is about training everyone’s ability to appreciate beauty, which becomes a kind of cultivation. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a career, but if you have a keen ability to capture beauty. No matter who you are, your circumstances—good or bad, rich or poor—your life could potentially be more joyful and fulfilling.”

Koizumi Katsuko smiled and caressed the little girl’s forehead with her thumb and softly said, ”For instance, I think your eyes are very beautiful, that is artistic.”

She pointed up to the sky.

”Tonight’s rainy night is also artistic, Brother Gu and I had a great time watching it, appreciating these kinds of artistic beauty doesn’t cost anything.”

”Knowing how to appreciate beauty can make a beggar live with dignity. If you see painting as just monetary values in the auction market, even if you own an entire gallery filled with masterpieces, you would merely be a slave to wealth.”

Gu Weijing glanced sideways at the two conversing people.

Because of Uncle Ah Lai, Little Girl Mo Li’s English was good, but he wasn’t sure if she could understand the slightly profound words of Miss Sakai.

Little Jasmine followed Sister Sakai’s gesture, and stared at the night sky, lost in thought.

”Did you come today to paint such a rainy night?” she gently asked.

”Yes, if you want to paint, I can teach you in the future,” Koizumi Katsuko smiled and said.

Her own ”Old Church on a Stormy Day” was actually painted only halfway, as most of the night’s time was spent watching Gu Weijing paint, not completing her copy.

Actually, upon witnessing Gu Weijing’s completed copy, Koizumi Katsuko stopped wanting to copy tonight.

For such a night, it was enough to see such a great work.

Gu Weijing’s copy surely couldn’t be called great, even calling it stunning would have to be generous with his age taken into account.

Koizumi Katsuko has seen too much, with master artists capable of outshining Gu Weijing as mere scrap.

Strictly speaking in terms of technique,

This copy, if taken to a serious art exhibition with masters and experts crowding the stage, its qualification is questionable.

And any proper exhibition nearly always has originality as the basic requirement; copying and plagiarizing are akin to cheating.

However well the imitation is done, it holds no meaning, like the tens of thousands of ”Starry Night” paintings spontaneously produced in oil painting villages every year, they hold no value in art evaluations.

Even so, Koizumi Katsuko finds it sufficient enough to be a great work.

She witnessed Gu Weijing’s near miraculous progress under impossible conditions, which genuinely made Koizumi Katsuko feel it was Carol’s spirit walking from historical dust, attaching itself to his body.

As she pondered,

she accidentally clipped a little too deeply, possibly causing Jasmine some pain.

The little girl flinched back as though lightning struck, using a slightly fearful and apologetic tone to say, ”Sister, be careful that wound doesn’t affect you.”

Koizumi Katsuko smiled, shaking her head, patting Jasmine’s little head.

”It’s okay, in my eyes you are just like a normal person; let me see if there’s any tear.”

It was already late, generally volunteers wouldn’t come to the orphanage to help,

thus Jasmine’s hand indeed didn’t have the special identifying red ribbon on it, but Koizumi Katsuko had roughly learned about this poor little girl’s situation from Gu Weijing.

It’s no longer the terrifying era of the 1980s where people feared AIDS like leprosy.

There indeed are some bad people in the world who try every possible way to transmit the virus once infected with AIDS, but the virus’s transmissibility with regular medicinal control is very low.

Being beside an internationally distinguished artist like Professor Yakai Ichiro often involves participation in various charitable activities, Koizumi Katsuko had also encountered AIDS patients.

Facing such a well-behaved little girl, Koizumi Katsuko only felt pity in her heart.

”Sister, you are really kind,” Jasmine softly said, ”Just like Brother Gu Weijing, very kind—”

The little friend hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked the question she was most curious about, ”Are you his girlfriend?”

Koizumi Katsuko turned her head to look at the boy beside her.

At that moment, the last drips of rain stopped, silvery moonlight broke through the clouds and spilled from the sky, illuminating both of them.

Like some kind of mystic divine revelation,

Koizumi Katsuko gently sniffled, grabbed Gu Weijing’s hand, rested her head on his shoulder, and smiled saying, ”Yes, Jasmine, he is indeed my lover.”