Chapter 54: It’s You Who Doesn’t Understand, Right?

The number of attendees at the art exhibition was sparse, a stark contrast to the bustling atmosphere outside.

Chi Muyang had already greeted the staff, and Su Yiren and her two companions were ushered into the exhibition hall with ease.

Even though she had been here before, Su Yiren took her time to appreciate the artwork this time, answering Sheng Jiaer’s questions along the way.

Since admiring the painting at the villa earlier, Sheng Jiaer had felt that Su Yiren was a connoisseur of art. Her casual remarks often offered deeper insights into the paintings, fostering a stronger connection with the artists.

“This cherry blossom painting was done in Japan seven years ago, when he was only 13. Yet, his brushstrokes were already incredibly mature. Each cherry blossom petal was rendered with exquisite detail and tenderness.”

Su Yiren stood before a painting of blooming cherry blossoms, her eyes filled with nostalgia.

Back then, they had traveled the world with their master, collecting inspiration. Those were her happiest and most carefree days.

Her master was still alive, her parents were still alive, her grandfather was still alive. She wasn’t married yet, and she didn’t have many worries.

All she cared about were the latest fashion releases from major brands, the new works of renowned artists, and occasional adventures like racing and rock climbing. In her spare time, she would quietly paint, raise fish, and live a carefree and unrestrained life.

Sheng Jiaer pushed Su Yiren to browse the paintings one by one, constantly expressing her amazement.

Bu Chi was hailed as a master of flowers and plants. The flowers and plants in his paintings seemed to come alive, as if a gust of wind from outside could set them swaying.

The three women walked and talked softly, unknowingly arriving at the sunflower painting at the very back.

It was Su Yiren’s painting, the one she had recently sent to him.

From afar, Su Yiren noticed Ouyang Shasha standing there admiring the painting, proudly introducing it to a young woman beside her:

“I recently bought a sunflower painting as a gift. He painted it!”

The young woman was named Sun Miaomiao, the mistress of the CEO of Ruiheng Telecom. The CEO was in his 50s, while she was barely 20.

Although they didn’t appear in public together, most people in the circle knew about their affair.

Sun Miaomiao looked envious: “You actually managed to buy one of his paintings. That’s amazing!”

Ouyang Shasha became even more smug:

“It took a lot of connections to get it.”

Unfortunately, the money seemed to have been wasted. Lu Yunting’s mother didn’t seem very impressed and remained indifferent towards her.

Yesterday, she had called Jiang Jinyun，offering her a ticket to the art exhibition, but Jiang Jinyun said she already had a ticket and told her to give it to someone else.

That’s why she brought Lu Yunting with her to the exhibition. On the one hand, it was to strengthen their relationship, and on the other hand, it was to subtly curry favor with Jiang Jinyun.

As soon as they entered the exhibition hall, Lu Yunting went to the side to answer a phone call.

She deliberately searched for Jiang Jinyun but couldn’t find her. When she called her, the call went unanswered. She had no choice but to wander around alone. She happened to meet Sun Miaomiao and decided to walk with her, taking the opportunity to show off.

Sun Miaomiao used to be a receptionist at a real estate sales office. Because of her beautiful appearance and gentle demeanor, she caught the eye of the CEO of Ruiheng Telecom. They hit it off immediately, and the CEO bought her a villa to live in.

Many people in the circle knew about this. Although Ouyang Shasha looked down on her, Sun Miaomiao’s humble background and lack of education made her a perfect foil.

The ticket Sun Miaomiao had was originally bought by the old man for his wife. However, they had a huge fight last night, and the old man gave the ticket to her, urging her to attend such events and quickly integrate into their circle.

She wasn’t keen on attending such events, as she didn’t understand art, but she had to come.

Her status was awkward. The ladies and young women in the circle didn’t bother with her. Whenever she attended any event, she was usually alone.

Now that Ouyang Shasha was eager to be her companion, she was naturally delighted.

Hearing Ouyang Shasha say that, Sun Miaomiao asked innocently:

“So, which painting do you think is better?”

Ouyang Shasha didn’t really understand art either. She just appreciated it based on her feelings.

She recalled the painting in her mind and wanted to say that the colors in the one before her were more beautiful, but she changed her mind at the last minute:

“Of course, the one I bought is better. After all, I paid a lot of money for it!”

No one knew which painting she had bought, so there was no way to verify it. This was a perfect opportunity to brag.

Several ladies around them, who were also looking at the paintings, gathered around.

“I think this sunflower is pretty good.”

“Yes, although the style is different from Bu Chi’s, it’s truly evocative.”

“Right, I can feel the joy radiating from it. I imagine Bu Chi must have been in a very good mood when he painted this.”

Ouyang Shasha didn’t care. She continued to boast:

“This painting is good, but it’s still far inferior to the one I bought.”

“May I ask how much you paid for it?” a lady asked eagerly.

“I tried through several connections, but I couldn’t get one of his paintings. I heard they’re incredibly difficult to buy.”

Ouyang Shasha had paid over a million for it, but she had recently heard that Bu Chi’s paintings had fetched eight-figure sums. She couldn’t help but blurt out:

“Eight figures.”

“Wow!” A chorus of envious gasps filled the air.

Ouyang Shasha was even more pleased. It felt like the whole world was focused on her. It was a great feeling.

Unfortunately, someone couldn’t stand to see her showing off like this. A bright female voice suddenly rang out:

“That shouldn’t be Bu Chi’s work.”

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice. They saw a man and two women walking towards them from the crowd. One of the women was in a wheelchair.

The speaker was the woman pushing the wheelchair, Sheng Jiaer.

Ouyang Shasha frowned and retorted:

“Jiaer, what are you talking about? This is Bu Chi’s art exhibition. How could he exhibit someone else’s work?”

Sheng Jiaer explained seriously:

“Before the exhibition, Bu Chi mentioned to the public that there might be a few paintings by other artists on display.”

“Yes, yes! I heard that too.” A lady chimed in.

“Isn’t the most prominent painting at the entrance his teacher’s work? It seems to be true.”

Ouyang Shasha glanced at the sunflower again. She had been bragging about it, and if she was proven wrong now, it would be very embarrassing. So, she stuck to her opinion:

“I think it’s his painting. It’s exactly the same as the one I bought.”

After all, Bu Chi wasn’t there in person, so she could say whatever she wanted.

“How is it exactly the same?” someone asked.

Ouyang Shasha hesitated for a moment and said:

“The positions of the sunflowers, the colors, are almost identical to this one, but it’s even more vibrant and eye-catching.”

Sheng Jiaer wanted to refute her, but she hadn’t seen the painting she bought, so she couldn’t compare it. She could only emphasize:

“I still think it’s not right. Bu Chi’s brushstrokes are more gentle, while this sunflower is more bold and unrestrained. The colors are also very bright.”

Ouyang Shasha smiled nonchalantly:

“Oh, Jiaer, you just don’t understand. People change. His earlier works are different from his current works.”

Seeing how confident Ouyang Shasha was, the onlookers began to waver.

Sheng Jiaer was speechless. But no matter how she looked at it, she felt something was wrong with the painting. She was so frustrated.

At that moment, Su Yiren, sitting in the wheelchair, spoke up.

Her voice was soft, yet it was clear enough for everyone in the room to hear.

“It’s you who doesn’t understand, right?”