“Not lying. I’m married, and I have kids.” She smiled, playing with a large sapphire ring on her index finger. “Some games are better played with peers. What do you think?”
Lorenzo was subtly struck by her words, or rather, her warning. His heart raced as he calmly looked ahead for a moment before saying, “Of course, you’re right.”
He raised his index finger and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses peacefully.
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts was packed with visitors today. From the car, Li Yaru immediately saw a huge poster of Kurt on the outer wall.
The blonde, blue-eyed boy was unusually formal in a neat suit, sitting upright and smiling gently at the camera. Finding it amusing, she took a photo and deliberately sent it to Zhuang Qiting.
[Kurt is serious about his art. It’s not easy to have an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. You should stop calling him a sly fox. Age is just a number; don’t be so hot-headed. Be a cultured Chinese person.]
[When you’re free, have Uncle Li brew some Lotus Seed Tea for you.]
Today was the exhibition’s opening ceremony. Only invited guests and a few media with their long lenses were present.
The hall was decorated elegantly with flowers, champagne, sweets, and specially made perfumes and scent cards distributed free daily.
Li Yaru took a glass of champagne and curiously picked up a mini perfume bottle, strolling gracefully through the exhibition to admire Kurt’s animal paintings.
No wonder he risked his life shooting footage in the Serengeti, even daring to rest his camera on a lion’s head. Artists always put their work above their own safety.
Kurt was surrounded by a crowd of media. His tailor-made suit accentuated his tall, poplar-like figure.
His blonde hair slicked back gave him an oddly mature air as he eloquently explained the inspiration behind his work.
When he spotted Li Yaru entering, his eyes brightened. After quickly answering a few questions, he slipped past the reporters and came to her side, pulling her into a warm embrace before she could speak.
“Eleanor, my Muse Goddess, you’re still this beautiful!”
The young man’s hug was full of passion and enthusiasm, nothing like mature tenderness. Li Yaru felt bumped and a little stiff, like a kid pestering her.
“Tone it down, there are cameras everywhere. Behave yourself.” She raised a hand and patted Kurt’s shoulder.
Kurt, having finally completed a long-held dream left unfulfilled in the Serengeti, was brimming with satisfaction and said proudly, “Eleanor! I’ve been waiting for this hug for so long. Luckily your ex didn’t come, or he would’ve sent his gun-carrying bodyguard to threaten me.” He sounded almost spoiled.
Li Yaru laughed, treating Kurt like a golden retriever, “I didn’t see him threaten you with a gun, so you better not badmouth him.”
Zhuang Qiting was hers now, and she wouldn’t let anyone bully him.
“Did he come?” Kurt looked around anxiously.
“No, don’t look. He didn’t come.”
“Good, good.” Kurt patted his chest. “But if he did come, I’d still welcome him. After all, he’s your ex.”
Li Yaru wanted to cover his mouth.
“So, how’s the assistant I sent? Was everything arranged properly?”
“Assistant?” Li Yaru squinted, suddenly turning to look behind her. The suited man had already disappeared. “Was it your uncle? Lorenzo?”
“My uncle? No, no, no. I just asked my uncle to send a good car to pick you up. What, he personally picked you up?”
Kurt scratched the back of his head, incredulous. “He’s the busiest person in our family. How could I trouble him! Forget it, don’t mention him. He’s a workaholic. As long as you enjoy Rome, it doesn’t matter who picks you up. Come on, Eleanor, I’ll show you my proudest painting.”
Kurt made a gentlemanly invitation, leading Li Yaru to a painting covered by a black cloth.
He wanted her to unveil it herself—it was his gift to her.
Li Yaru had already seen this black-covered painting during her wandering, thinking it was just a clever little touch, not paying much attention. “Me unveil it? No, Kurt, I won’t steal your spotlight. It’s your painting, you should unveil it.”
Kurt insisted she do it. Soon, guests gathered around, and the media focused their cameras on Li Yaru.
Trapped, she could only wear a graceful smile, stepping forward and pulling the cloth aside. Countless flashes blinded her, making her dizzy until her vision cleared and the painting came into view.
She and the woman in the painting locked eyes, as if parallel worlds intersected in this moment.
The woman’s gaze, graceful and calm, held a soul-capturing tranquility that made everything both boil and still.
Gasps of admiration echoed around, quickly followed by enthusiastic applause.
Li Yaru never understood why foreigners liked clapping so much, but she somehow became the focus of the exhibition.
Cameras fired wildly in her face.
Kurt stepped forward gently. “Eleanor, I’m sorry. Please forgive my rashness. I originally wanted to keep this painting private, but I think it shouldn’t stay hidden away in a dark studio. It deserves to be remembered by everyone. You are my Muse Goddess. Without you, there would be no such work. When the exhibition ends, I want to give it to you as a gift.”
………
Far away in Rome, this small exhibition barely made a ripple back home. Only a few art accounts tracking global trends reported on it, posting several photos from foreign media.
Zhuang Qiting flipped through the pictures expressionless, his face darkening.
His finger hovered over the image of the giant portrait—every detail of the woman was vivid: her eyes, smile, hair, and the lazy pose—all spelled Li Yaru’s name.
The painting hung in the center of the hall, surrounded by a group of entranced white-skinned onlookers.
He finally restrained his fury no longer, laughing bitterly as he slammed his phone onto the desk.
“Fine, fine, fine! You little brat, I should’ve broken your dog paws back then! Let’s see how you paint now!”
Rage surged through his blood, nearly scorching his brain.
Just thinking about Li Yaru’s body and face being meticulously carved and painted by another man, then displayed publicly for hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands to admire, admire, and even fantasize about… it made him furious and ashamed.
He grabbed a bottle of ice water from the fridge, drinking half before his burning anger subsided a little.
That little thing was never well-behaved. Even going to Rome, he couldn’t stop her from showing off.
Those white-skinned people were the filthiest, and who knew how many scumbags surrounded her now, wagging their tails and sending dirty invitations.
Zhuang Qiting hated it so much he wanted to fly to Rome immediately to keep Li Yaru confined in his territory.
He still had to send someone to follow her, monitoring her movements constantly. He couldn’t trust her.
Every time he decided to give her freedom, she stirred up trouble.
Back at his desk, he pressed the internal line to the secretarial office, ordering preparations for a plane and arranging an experienced private female detective locally to tail Li Yaru.
“Make sure that person doesn’t get exposed,” Zhuang Qiting’s voice was low and firm.
………
Li Yaru had finally endured until the opening ceremony ended.
Today was just strange—strangely appearing at the exhibition, strangely surrounded and photographed, then strangely praised by a group of foreigners as a goddess.
Kurt, reading the situation carefully, asked softly and guiltily, “Eleanor, are you not happy…?”
“Why would I be happy?” Li Yaru glared fiercely at the troublemaker.
“Did I paint you without your consent?” Kurt scratched his head. “Actually, I did some artistic blurring. For example, the woman’s nose isn’t as delicate as yours, her skin isn’t as fair… and the eyes—I actually painted your eyes poorly, modifying them over ten times.”
Li Yaru was helpless. She raised her hand and smacked Kurt’s forehead. “If you’re going to paint me, could you at least give me a heads-up? And suddenly making me unveil the painting—what kind of nonsense surprise is that? If I weren’t mentally tough, I’d have frozen like a statue, which would’ve been a hideous picture.”
“Sorry.” Kurt rubbed his aching forehead but didn’t dare touch it further.
“Alright, alright. I won’t quibble with a kid like you. Also, I’m forty-four, not twenty-five. I’ve told you so many times, why don’t you believe me? If you keep spreading rumors, it’ll be embarrassing when I explain.”
Kurt: “I don’t believe you anyway. You’re at most two years older than me.”
Li Yaru: “……”
Kurt chuckled and pulled out an exquisite Invitation Letter from his suit pocket. “Eleanor, tomorrow is my twenty-fourth birthday, and I want to invite you to come. There’s also a small auction tomorrow night—you don’t have to come. But don’t buy my paintings just to please me. I’d be sad, Eleanor.”
“Not bad, already a twenty-four-year-old man!” Li Yaru held the invitation between two fingers and waved it in the air, her eyes soft with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there on time. Happy early birthday, silly boy. How did you know I’m coming to support you, not just because I want to collect your paintings? Of course, I’m buying some.”
“Eleanor…” Kurt’s eyes shone with pure adoration.
Li Yaru got goosebumps. “I’m leaving now. See you tomorrow night.”
She clicked her heels and strode out of the exhibition hall, the bright spring sunshine shining as brilliantly as the light sparkling in her eyes.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.