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Shen Tang immediately bristled at those words. She could tolerate criticism of her singing, but her drawing skills? Absolutely not.
That was once her bread and butter! Her professionalism could not be questioned! She retorted directly, "What's wrong with *my* 'painting'?" Qi Shan wanted to ask in return: Where exactly *was* her painting any good? It was practically on par with a three-year-old's scribbles. He said bluntly, "It's awful everywhere, with no redeeming qualities." The art teacher who taught Young Master Shen painting skills was practically misleading students. Shen Tang slammed the drawing table with a loud thud, her face ablaze with anger, directly challenging him, "Qi Yuanliang, if you're so good, *you* do it!" Seeing Young Master Shen still stubbornly refusing to admit defeat, Qi Shan's competitive spirit, suppressed for many years, was ignited.
He immediately picked up a brush with one hand and spread out a fresh sheet of drawing paper with the other. Dipping the brush liberally in ink, he began to paint without hesitation. "Since Young Master Shen has so enthusiastically invited me, I shall reluctantly display my meager skills." With just a few strokes, he sketched out mountains, rivers, flowers, and birds. Though his drawing seemed simple, a stroke here, a dab there, giving one the illusion of "I could do that too with a brush," it was truly a world apart from Shen Tang's stick-figure-like drawings.
Qi Shan set down his brush with satisfaction. Thankfully, his painting skills hadn't deteriorated too much. Shen Tang snorted, provocatively, "Is that all?" Qi Shan: "..." Such a huge disparity, and she was still being so stubborn? "Although I have no particular talent and my skills have atrophied quite a bit from years of travel, compared to Young Master Shen's..." Qi Shan trailed off, leaving the unspoken implication for the listener to ponder. Anyone with eyes could tell which painting was superior.
Few knew that he had been even better in his youth. A renowned master of calligraphy and painting once said that his works captured the essence of **Yanling** from **Lay Buddhist Mojie**'s lines: "From afar, mountains have color; nearby, water is silent. Spring departs, but flowers remain; people arrive, yet birds are unafraid." It was only a pity there were no "Painting Spirits" or "Painting Hearts" in the world; if there were, his would undoubtedly be of an exceptional grade. Who knew Shen Tang would still be so stubborn and refuse to concede? She didn't even forget to declare, "Hmph, it's time to show you my *true* painting skills." Qi Shan's interest was piqued. "I await with bated breath." Shen Tang picked up her stick-figure drawing again and began to paint over the draft, exuding an air of confidence that suggested she would utterly astound Qi Shan. Qi Shan moved aside, giving Shen Tang room to work. He sat to the side, watching, his expression growing increasingly peculiar. He had thought Young Master Shen was preparing to use a "build-up and contrast" technique, showcasing her miraculous ability to turn decay into wonder through the stark difference between her initial and final work.
The result—it was still the same stick-figure drawing, only now the figures had more details. Yet the characters still possessed the same black, round heads, and their bodies and limbs were still rendered with simple strokes. If there was any real difference, it was perhaps that the "agitated" atmosphere emanating from the drawing had grown even more intense. And quite provocative. Qi Shan watched for a quarter of an hour as Shen Tang completed a series of actions for her stick figures: entering the room, undressing, climbing onto the bed to strike a pose, a second stick figure arriving in the room, also undressing, also climbing onto the bed to strike a pose, also... Qi Shan suddenly grabbed Shen Tang's wrist, stopping her from drawing further. His eyes wide, he demanded, "What exactly are you drawing?" Shen Tang replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "**Erotic Paintings**, of course." Qi Shan was almost speechless: "..." He stared, wide-eyed and incredulous, first at Shen Tang's face, then at the series of stick figures on the paper that seemed to move.
For a long moment, he couldn't squeeze a single word out of his throat. Qi Shan had never in his wildest dreams imagined that Young Master Shen would be drawing *animated* **Erotic Paintings**. (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ Qi Shan suppressed the urge for the veins in his forehead to throb violently. For a moment, he didn't know whether to criticize Young Master Shen for not aspiring to higher things by drawing **Erotic Paintings**, or for having the audacity to display such abysmal drawing skills. He took a deep breath, a forced smile on his face. "If all **Erotic Paintings** were of this standard, men and women throughout the land would lose all interest in such matters." It lacked both artistic conception and suggestive allure. If a newlywed couple were to use this drawing for their enlightenment, they would likely turn gray-haired without ever understanding the harmony of yin and yang. Shen Tang: "..." This guy was so mean-spirited, it was a wonder he hadn't been beaten to death! She said seriously, "**Yuanliang**, you just don't appreciate it." She watched her own fluid brushwork, her strokes flowing like clouds and water. Look at these lines, this composition, this artistic conception! If her drawings were bad, how could she possibly have made a living from them?
Now it was Qi Shan's turn to be speechless. He suddenly realized that Young Master Shen wasn't just being stubbornly unyielding; her expression was open and righteous, and the look in her eyes even held a hint of exasperation, as if saying "your aesthetic sense is warped." It wasn't like someone who knew the disparity but refused to admit defeat; instead, it was as if— An absurd conjecture surfaced in Qi Shan's mind—Young Master Shen was truly bad at drawing,
yet completely unaware of it, genuinely believing her work was good? He probed indirectly, and indeed, it was true. Another long moment of silence followed; he didn't know where to begin. He looked at Young Master Shen's head, a sympathetic expression on his face, and promised her, "When I'm better off financially, I'll find a good doctor to give you a thorough examination. The sooner it's treated, the better. Delaying it too long will only worsen your condition!" Shen Tang: "..." Her intuition told her that Qi Shan's words were not exactly well-meaning. Was he subtly calling her crazy? Qi Shan, sensing an impending outburst from Shen Tang, shrewdly changed the subject. "Why has Young Master Shen suddenly taken an interest in **Erotic Paintings**?" To say Young Master Shen was lustful? She drew these kinds of pictures and genuinely thought they were beautiful. What dissolute playboy had such an aesthetic? But to say she was serious... what respectable gentleman could draw **Erotic Paintings** while being watched, without a change in expression or a shred of shame? Shen Tang replied, "I took on a job from the bookstall, to draw a portrait for a male courtesan at the **Moonlit Pavilion**. The pay is quite good." Life was tough; Tang Tang sighed. Qi Shan's expression grew even stranger. He asked a crucial question: "The **Shopkeeper** at the bookstall, did he not test your drawing skills?" When had those shopkeepers become so easygoing? When he was struggling, he also took on jobs from bookstalls, usually small tasks like copying **Yanling** books or writing letters for others. Portrait drawing paid better, and jobs from **Brothels and Theaters** were the most generous, highly sought after.
But this money wasn't easy to earn. With higher pay came endless demands. How could Young Master Shen have secured such a job with such terrible drawing skills? Shen Tang replied, "No, he didn't." Qi Shan was surprised. Fearing that Shen Tang might have encountered a swindler, he said, "...Could you recreate the scene from back then?" Shen Tang recounted everything faithfully. After listening, he understood what had happened. It was all due to luck and the **Shopkeeper**'s blindness. The **Shopkeeper**'s hurdle might have been passed by sheer luck, but the male courtesan certainly wouldn't be so easily fooled. Such drawings were crucial to their future business, reputation, and image, so naturally, they demanded perfection and were extremely strict about the artist's skills. Young Master Shen was so poor her purse jingled emptily—where did the paper and ink on her table come from then? Shen Tang was annoyed.
"This was clearly a job I got through my own abilities. **Yuanliang**, discouraging me like this is hardly fair..." "I'm also thinking of Young Master Shen's life. If you really turn in these drawings, do you believe that male courtesan wouldn't be enraged and summon a group of thugs from the **Moonlit Pavilion** to tear you apart?"