Yan Yu understood her gaze, feeling a bit helpless internally.
“Mm, it looks good,” she paused, then added, “It suits you perfectly.”
“As long as Sister likes it.” Bai Yan’er immediately broke into a smile, her beautiful eyes curving into crescent moons.
Then, she naturally walked around behind Yan Yu, grasped the wheelchair handles with both hands, and smoothly took over the pushing, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I came here specially today because I saw Sister’s Moments yesterday saying this exhibition had your work.” Bai Yan’er said in a sweet, soft voice as she slowly pushed the wheelchair along the edge of the exhibition hall. “What a pity though. I just went to ask the organizers’ staff how much it would cost to buy Sister’s painting Time’s Shadow. But they said all the paintings in this exhibition are for display only and not for sale… so annoying. I really like that painting.”
Her complaint sounded childlike, yet carried a hint of stubbornness.
Listening to her murmurs beside her ear and feeling the steady rhythm of the wheelchair, Yan Yu was silent for a moment before speaking softly: “If you like it, I can paint you another one.”
As her words fell, she could feel the hands pushing the wheelchair pause for a brief moment.
Then, Bai Yan’er’s voice, laced with amusement, sounded almost against her ear: “Sister, you really spoil me. Aren’t you afraid you’ll spoil me rotten? If I do get spoiled, that’ll be your responsibility.”
Yan Yu was taken aback, not quite understanding what Bai Yan’er meant by “spoil” specifically. But she was certain that her sly younger sister’s mind was definitely plotting something not quite proper.
Yan Yu’s tone was gentle, with a hint of elder-sisterly helplessness: “Yan’er, that’s enough, stop messing around.”
She had intended to use the conversation as an opportunity to naturally raise her hand, perhaps lightly pat Bai Yan’er’s hand, and then activate the [Emotion Perception] skill to see what exactly this girl was thinking at the moment.
But as luck would have it, just as her fingertips were about to rise, Bai Yan’er happened to raise her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, seemingly casually, precisely avoiding the trajectory Yan Yu might have taken.
Yan Yu’s movement paused. She had no choice but to withdraw her hand as if nothing happened, lightly tapping her fingertips on the wheelchair armrest, temporarily suppressing the urge to use her skill, waiting for a more natural opportunity.
“I’ve seen most of the works. I plan to head back soon,” Yan Yu proactively changed the subject. “Yan’er, do you want to continue looking at the exhibition?”
“Leaving already?” Bai Yan’er slowed her pushing. “There are still many other activities in the art gallery. If Sister has time, could you accompany me to have some fun? I’m alone… a bit bored.”
“Activities?”
Hearing this, Yan Yu looked around carefully. Her attention had been mostly on the paintings earlier, but now, reminded by Bai Yan’er, she noticed that in the spaces between the display walls, there were indeed some standing signs placed here and there, reading “Art Fun Experience Zone” and so on.
These areas offered interactive projects like printmaking, color collage, fun sketching, etc., for visitors.
“See, that one,” Bai Yan’er casually pointed in a certain direction, her tone excited. “I’m especially interested in that. And we’re companions, both art majors. Going to play that together would be really interesting, wouldn’t it?”
Yan Yu followed the direction of her finger. It was a simple small booth in the corner of the exhibition hall, near some teaching plaster statues.
The standing sign had some playful art lettering: “You in My Eyes—Friend Portrait Exchange.”
Yan Yu quickly glanced at the activity description next to it. The gist was: Two participants sit facing each other, use the simple art materials provided on-site to draw a portrait of the other within a time limit, aiming to capture the image in each other’s eyes, and upon completion, they can take it away as a souvenir.
“Ah…” Yan Yu sighed inwardly.
‘It’s drawing again.’ She loved painting, but thinking that even on her day off on the weekend, she had to sit down formally to draw a sketch like completing a class assignment… she couldn’t help but feel a bit amused and exasperated, as if she were working overtime on the weekend.
However, seeing Bai Yan’er looking so expectant and eager, she couldn’t bear to dampen her spirits. After all, her younger sister had come specifically to see her exhibition today, and had dressed up so… adorably.
“Alright,” Yan Yu nodded, giving her consent. “Then let’s give it a try.”
“Great!” Bai Yan’er immediately smiled, pushing the wheelchair lightly and quickly toward that small booth.
The person in charge of the booth was a volunteer from the art museum. She recognized Yan Yu at a glance and waved enthusiastically from afar: “Hey, Miss Yan! It’s you! Come to see our activity? It’s really fun. After completing the painting, you can get a free special creative ice cream from our museum!”
Yan Yu exchanged a glance with Bai Yan’er beside her, then nodded to the volunteer girl: “Mm, we’ll give it a try.”
“Great! This way, please! Choose any spot!” said the volunteer.
About ten meters away from them.
Behind the shadow cast by a replica of the David statue, Dai Feng, wearing a black baseball cap and mask, had a rather unpleasant expression at the moment.
She had just secretly searched her phone for guides like “How to Naturally Flirt with Your Crush,” forced herself to watch for a few minutes, rehearsed in her mind several times, mustered a bit of courage, and planned to pretend to “bump into” Yan Yu when she was alone to say hello.
But she never expected that today, she wasn’t the only one targeting Yan Yu. There was also that Bai Yan’er.
After some investigation (mainly through indirect inquiries from A Yue and others), Dai Feng already knew about Bai Yan’er’s influence as the “School Belle” at school, and also knew she was the beloved second young lady of the Bai family.
But despite that, Dai Feng still felt a stubborn resentment. ‘So what if she’s the school belle? Isn’t my own appearance attractive? So what if she’s a Miss of the Bai family? Isn’t the Dai family’s wealth substantial?’
To be honest, Dai Feng didn’t feel she was inferior to Bai Yan’er in any way. She felt that as long as she worked hard and showed her true charm, she might not lose to that seemingly delicate and soft Bai Yan’er. It was just that she still needed an opportunity.
Watching Bai Yan’er’s slender white hands take over the wheelchair handles so naturally, the two walking side by side chatting and laughing, Dai Feng felt as if a small bottle of lemon juice had been knocked over in her heart, sour and astringent.
She also wanted to step forward, push Yan Yu’s wheelchair, wander around the exhibition hall with Yan Yu, chat, or… participate in some interesting activity.
But, even though she had come first today, she was hiding here like a coward, wasting half the day, and ending up letting someone else take the lead.
“…” She sighed in frustration, feeling that her moves this time were really lame.
Despite this, Dai Feng couldn’t bring herself to give up and leave. She just watched from afar as the two walked to the “Friend Portrait Exchange” activity booth, watched them choose their spots under the staff’s arrangement, set up easels, lay out paper, and then… begin to focus on drawing portraits of each other.
Dai Feng really wanted to go over and take a look, see how they were drawing, hear what they were talking about… but that would go against the persona she wanted to maintain too much, and would make her look like a stalker. So she just thought about it and then extinguished that idea herself.
Time passed. One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. Four minutes.
Both were painting, both seemed very focused. Bai Yan’er occasionally looked up to carefully study Yan Yu, then lowered her head to sketch quickly; Yan Yu seemed quieter, her gaze moving steadily between Bai Yan’er and the paper.
Dai Feng sometimes thought that art students were amazing, able to sit still for so long, quietly, just to draw a picture. She herself usually didn’t have much interest in activities that required such great patience. However, because the person sitting in front of the easel holding the brush was Yan Yu, just admiring the delicate profile of Yan Yu’s slightly lowered head was enough to satisfy Dai Feng’s heart.
‘Yan Yu’s so pretty. If only I could develop a closer relationship with Yan Yu.’
After some time, the two over there seemed to have finished. They stopped painting simultaneously and smiled at each other.
Then, Bai Yan’er stood up first, holding her drawing board, smiling as she turned to Yan Yu and showed her the painting.
Just as Bai Yan’er turned around, her gaze seemed to lightly sweep in the direction where Dai Feng was hiding. Just a very brief glance.
But in that instant, Dai Feng’s entire body stiffened.
‘Was Bai Yan’er just now… looking at her? Did she… discover that I was following Yan Yu?’
Dai Feng didn’t know the answer, only felt her heart skip several beats, then start racing wildly.
She also almost reflexively pressed her body further behind the statue, wishing she could merge with the shadows.