Chapter 36

Before anyone could react, Ruan Xizhi grabbed the bottle of mineral water on the stone table, twisted off the cap, and poured it all over the painting. As if that wasn’t enough, she twisted open another bottle.

This move shocked everyone present.

Although the painting wasn’t worth much, it was something Professor Ning had bought for three million, and to see it treated this way was unimaginable.

Ning Tang, who was standing nearby, however, smiled.

Before revealing the secret, Ruan Xizhi noticed Xing Peixuan standing at the back of the crowd.

An idea flashed through her mind. She turned around and called Xing Xiaochi over.

While this man was here, she might as well make Xing Xiaochi show off in front of him.

The principle must not be forgotten: Do as much as possible with reckless abandon!

“Xing Xiaochi, come here,” Ruan Xizhi said, picking up a tool from the stone table. “I need your hand for a magic trick.”

Xing Xiaochi’s eyes lit up when he heard this: “I love magic!”

Ruan Xizhi thought about how Xing Xiaochi had been eating and making a mess in the rural village these past few days, and she could feel a headache coming on.

So, she decided to plan ahead. To ensure he behaved at dinner later in front of Xing Peixuan, she leaned close to Xing Xiaochi’s ear and whispered.

“You promise me that you’ll eat quietly and properly at dinner, no throwing food or being messy, and I’ll show you a magic trick.”

Now, Ruan Xizhi had figured out Xing Xiaochi.

He was best handled with a sweet treat first, then a little discipline.

Xing Xiaochi thought for a moment, then nodded: “Okay.”

Ruan Xizhi replied, “A gentleman’s word.”

Xing Xiaochi completed the saying: “Not even four horses can chase it.”

As the two made their agreement, the painting that had just been drenched in water was completely soaked through, the ink spreading and the paper deteriorating.

Seeing this, the crowd couldn’t help but shake their heads. It had no value earlier, and now it was just a piece of scrap paper.

And now they were letting a child participate—this really was treating the restoration process as a joke.

Some sighed, some pursed their lips.

The woman who had been the loudest earlier, however, was now staring intently at the painting. Following Ruan Xizhi’s gaze, she noticed the sticky, layered texture on the paper.

“!!!”

Could this be a layered painting?!

She had only heard of such a technique, but never expected to see it in her lifetime.

Anyone using this method would surely reveal an incredible piece of art.

She was just thinking this when Ruan Xizhi directly revealed the answer.

Ruan Xizhi said to Xing Xiaochi, “The magic trick is about to start, pay attention.”

Xing Xiaochi nodded. “I’m ready!”

She held Xing Xiaochi’s hand and slowly began to tear open the floating painting.

Little by little, the true form of the painting revealed itself to everyone.

The layers of peaks and mountains, dense forests and wild trees, three large roc birds spreading their wings in a formation, and the figures in the painting were well-organized.

Weaving, plowing the fields, chatting and laughing—just like a fairyland.

The painting scroll was made from high-quality materials. Even though the surface was completely filled with swollen painting paper, the inside had remained unaffected, still flawless.

The artist was meticulous. The entire painting was sketched from top to bottom with ink to outline the contours, then shaded with green to add color, showing the mountain peaks in a lush green.

What a beautiful folk landscape painting!

The people, who had been waiting to watch the show, saw that the once tattered painting on the stone table had not only been restored but had completely transformed.

This was the true form of the painting!

It was indeed a complete painting!

A top-tier ancient painting, no less!

Whether in terms of color or composition, it was perfectly preserved.

As for the craftsmanship, it was of the highest quality, even by today’s standards!

Xing Xiaochi exclaimed excitedly, “Wow, it’s a bird! Such a big bird, it’s so beautiful!”

“This is the magic I performed, isn’t it impressive?”

Ruan Xizhi was amused by the little one’s enthusiastic praise. As the saying goes, innocence is harmless.

“Impressive.”

She indulged his innocence.

Xing Peixuan, watching this scene, had a slight smile at the corners of his lips.

He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Ruan Xizhi was indeed born to be a mother.

Even in such a tense moment, she hadn’t forgotten to involve the child.

Most people wouldn’t be able to do that.

At that moment, Ruan Xizhi noticed the slight curve of Xing Peixuan’s lips. She couldn’t help but smile subtly.

She thought to herself, no one can resist a cute little treasure.

Although Xing Xiaochi was mischievous and annoying at times, when he was well-behaved, he was quite endearing.

She just had to wait for him to win everyone over.

Little did she know, someone had already contracted a severe case of “spoiling the child syndrome.”