Chapter 48: Turning the Fake Daughter’s Backer into Your Man 

Ji Xiaoyue plunged her hand into the inkstone, her palm covered in ink.

She directly pressed her palm onto the rice paper, her fingers randomly smearing a few spots.

She picked up a brush for outlining and used red to outline a few areas. Before everyone could react, a watercolor painting of a monkey wreaking havoc in heaven had already emerged.

The painting wasn’t detailed, just an outline, but everyone could see the painting’s artistic conception.

Everyone looked at the painting in disbelief. Nowadays, who would paint so carelessly? Yet, she managed to capture the feeling perfectly.

A monkey’s back, its shoulders resting on the Golden Cudgel, stood on the peak of the Five Finger Mountain. The wind whipped up a red sash, and at its feet lay a peach.

“Good!” Someone exclaimed, “Although this painting is different from ordinary Chinese paintings, it truly has spirit, artistic conception, mood, and composition all perfect.”

Chen Baili also looked at the painting in disbelief.

Such an outrageous act could produce such a painting.

Chen Baili knew, without anyone needing to say it, that the difference was clear.

Her painting could only be described as ordinary and lacking in any special features. It had technique, but no spirit could be seen.

She didn’t like painting anyway. She learned to paint over the years to please others, so she lacked passion and enthusiasm for it.

But Ji Xiaoyue only needed to outline with a brush, and the painting became so vivid and spirited.

Old Master Fu looked at the painting and said with a smile, “Guanshan, Xiaoyue’s personality is indeed like yours, not following the usual rules.”

He picked up Ji Xiaoyue’s painting, laughing loudly, and handed it to the person behind him, “Hang this painting in my study.”

Then, he said to Yan Guanshan, “From now on, I finally won’t have to beg you to paint anymore. I’ll ask Xiaoyue.”

Yan Guanshan protectively put his arm around Ji Xiaoyue, “Humph, Xiaoyue won’t paint for you either. She listens to me.”

This little drama ended.

The old master didn’t comment on Chen Baili’s painting, but his attitude towards it was already clear.

When his adjutant returned, he said, “Put Chen girl’s painting in for framing too.”

He said to Chen Baili, “Chen girl, having this level of skill at your age is quite good.”

He then said to everyone, “Let’s go upstairs.”

After that, he ignored Chen Baili and turned to leave with Ji Xiaoyue and Yan Guanshan.

Chen Baili looked at Fu Liye, but his gaze only followed Ji Xiaoyue.

Chen Baili’s face turned pale, and she stared blankly at Fu Liye’s back.

Why?

They had grown up together, and Fu Liye knew she had liked him since childhood and wanted to marry him. Why would he choose someone like Ji Xiaoyue?

Liu Hong’s face was also pale, and she stood there blankly.

Her father-in-law was Old Master Fu’s elder brother. Their whole family had always been close to the old master. Yesterday, she had let her daughter humiliate Ji Xiaoyue, refusing to accept that Chen Baili was being outdone.

Today, she had completely offended both Old Master Fu and Fu Liye. How would she face her husband and father-in-law when she went home?

“Auntie, I… I didn’t expect things to turn out like this. What should we do?” Chen Baili, though dazed, also came to her senses and looked at Liu Hong in fear.

She wasn’t a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl anymore. She knew what today’s events meant.

Liu Hong looked at her daughter and Chen Baili, and said in a hoarse voice, “What should we do? I want to know too. How will I face my husband and live with him after today? After what happened today, their whole family will hate us.”

…

After the birthday banquet, Ji Xiaoyue and Yan Guanshan repeatedly assured him that they would go see him tomorrow, and Yan Guanshan finally left in a huff.

When Fu Liye sent Ji Xiaoyue back to the guesthouse, he asked her, “Uncle Yan has been my grandfather’s old friend for many years. This is the first time I’ve seen him so dependent on someone.”

Yan Guanshan had a tough temper and a straightforward personality. He had been married when he was young and had a son. His wife quickly divorced him when she learned he was being sent down, taking their child abroad.

His parents and others passed away during his time being sent down.

This time, Yan Guanshan was recalled, leaving him all alone.

“Uncle Yan’s temper just seems bad, but he’s actually the easiest to appease.” Ji Xiaoyue said with a smile, “Of all the uncles, he’s the most childish. He never stays angry for more than half an hour.”

Fu Liye laughed, “He’s just not willing to be angry with you. The Uncle Yan I know isn’t like that.”

Fu Liye sent Ji Xiaoyue to the guesthouse and said to her, “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow to see Uncle Yan.”

Ji Xiaoyue nodded.

As Fu Liye was about to leave, she asked him, “Does Chen Baili want to marry you?”

Fu Liye frowned at the question, “She was sent to my great-grandfather’s house to be raised when she was a child. Her parents were both diplomats who died a few years ago due to some incident. My grandfather treated her differently because of her parents.”

Ji Xiaoyue smiled, “She clearly wants to marry you.”

Fu Liye chuckled, “Just because she wants to marry me doesn’t mean I have to marry her. I’m not close to her. I went to the army when I was sixteen and only came back to see her during the New Year occasionally. I don’t know her as well as I know you.”

Ji Xiaoyue nodded, “Okay. I was just trying to understand your relationship. I need to figure out what attitude to take towards her.”

Fu Liye laughed, “In our family, as long as grandpa agrees, even my parents can’t say anything. Uncle Yan treats you like his own eyes. You’ll be the golden egg in our family.”

“That’s it. Uncle Yan is someone even my grandfather is afraid of.”

He then reassured Ji Xiaoyue, “We make our own decisions in our own family.”

Ji Xiaoyue nodded, “Be careful on the road.”

Fu Liye grinned at her, “So, can we report our marriage when we get back?”

Ji Xiaoyue paused for a moment and asked Fu Liye, “Don’t you need to be married first to go through the adoption process?”

Fu Liye immediately clarified, “I’m not rushing to get married just to adopt a child.”

Ji Xiaoyue smiled, “Okay, then go ahead and report your marriage when you get back.”

Fu Liye was stunned for a moment, looked at Ji Xiaoyue for a while, then skipped away happily.

Ji Xiaoyue watched Fu Liye, her smile widening.

In the original book, Fu Liye would eventually take over his grandfather’s position. Besides, she also wanted to move into the compound and deal with Ji Dahai’s family.

Ji Qingqing’s support system had become her man. She wanted to see if her life could still be as smooth and happy as in the original plot.

The original Ji Xiaoyue not only had Ji Dahai, a pair of extremely biased parents.

The Ji family also had five sons, each with their own achievements in different fields. In the original plot, they all favored Ji Qingqing and were extremely disgusted with their sister, Ji Xiaoyue.

Ji Qingqing, I want to see how you, the reborn heroine, will rise to the top after I’m here!