Chapter 39
“Quick show me where her works her let me have a look.” Master Wang Shu told his grandson while shooting him a glare.
“The appraisers felt the work had a lot of potential and was kind of different so they had promised to give it the prime positions.” As he talked, he looked around the hall to figure out its prime positions. However, his grandfather was more familiar with how industry arrangements usually worked and found the four painting in seconds.
“Is that her work?” He asked, her blazing as he pointed at a corner of the room.
“Yes, that’s one of it....”
Before long, the both of them had found the four painting and master Wang Shu headed towards the first one.
However, contrary to his plan to admire it alone for a while, the paintings already had a crowd in front of it as he got there. After all, they were kept in the prime position and were also very good.
More importantly, in somewhere like city A, even though he had decided to come to supervise the whole thing.
Famous and extremely big artist would definitely not send their work down here. This made the contrast in the work quality even glaring.
.....
“If you both had come to me first, I would have allowed to put only one work up. What’s the use of putting her prime work here?” He huffed angrily even though his eyes shone brightly as he took in the beauty in front of him.
The painting style was even more unrestrained than the one from before. If one wanted to compare, it was as if the woman in the first painting that Rong Yue had finally leaped towards the light and was ready to go all in.
The strokes were confident, firm and still elegant. The three qualities were so interwoven together that not one could overlap the other one.
It was a really beautiful thing to see.
More importantly, art was something that always spoke to the soul and the people there could see the burst of inspiration from just looking at her painting and not yet even with the message being passed being explained.
“Who’s Yue? This work is so beautiful.” One person finally said breaking the spell bound crowd.
“I don’t think I have heard of this name before too... but this work is really good.” Someone else commented and Master Wang nodded his head in pride.
He turned to go to the other painting with his grandson only to see that the young man was no longer there.
“????”
So this one had left him like that, he looked around to confirm his suspicions and true to what he thought, the young man had gone to join Rong Yue.
Well, this was also important and so he strode away and went to find her other paintings.
Usually, when he was in auctions like this, he would carefully look through most of the paintings and decide which one he wanted or which one caught his eyes the most but this time around, he was just eager to see what his student’s works were like.
The feeling was like rushing to see your child start walking.
On the other side of the room.
“You don’t want to be associated with him yet?” Wang Lei asked curiously. Her wearing a mask was still considered normal but even stepping away immediately was a bit different.
“Hmmm, I also want him to appreciate the works without the feeling of me being there. That’s the only way he would be able to spot my mistakes very quickly. After all, if I’m beside him, he would immediately take those mistakes as normal because of my age.” Rong Yue.
Of course, she had another reason, she wanted to give Tong yang and her parents a chance to see him. A chance to embarrass themselves terribly.
Wang Lei was even more impressed after her reply and he felt like she was more than just an eighteen year old high schooler. He had just met her today but he felt like there was already so many sides of her to see.
Since he was less experienced in art, the both of them walked around and Rong Yue took the responsibility of explaining to him carefully.
When they finally stopped by one of her paintings again. Wang Lei’s expression became very solemn.
This painting had a more of the younger audience, after all this style was a lot different and the older audience not appreciate it immediately.
“Do you mind if I bid for this?” He asked as he turned to watch her, hoping to not miss any expression of her face.
“As long as it’s because you like it and not because you feel it won’t sell. Although it’s a new style, i designed it specifically for the younger generation. Anyone looking at this regularly can begin to feel like they are like the young man in the painting, capable of holding up their world and that of those around them without feeling tired.” She explained carefully.
They had passed one of their paintings earlier and she didn’t react this way. That this one could mean some more to her made him even more determined to buy it.
“It’s because I love it. I feel a work of this quality would make everyday easier to challenge.” He said determined and Rong Yue smiled also and nodded.
As long as there was no lines crossed, she would have lived two lives for nothing if she didn’t notice that Wang Lei was taking interest in her but with him being from the capital and being her master’s son, she decided not to act rashly.
And his location meant that she would probably not see him again in a year.
While she was explaining to him, several people in front of them had also heard her and even though they didn’t hear the first part clearly where she mentioned that she painted it, the second part increased the value of the painting in their opinion.
Many of them immediately started writing the prices that they wanted to pay for the painting after checking the initial bidding price.
Wang Lei also took a paper from the box and wrote 15 million yuan in the paper and kept it there.
From the initial price of two million, he had taken quite the leap.
****
Master Wang had just finished looking at her fourth painting. He was about to look for the lad or rather monster!
How could she claim to have done that in a night? Four ground breaking paintings in one night? If that was really possible, then it only showed how unfair the heavens were.
That was pure cheating!
“Master Wang Shu!” A young woman called beside him making stop and looked at the approaching women. One was young, around the age of his student and the other one seemed like she was her mother.
“It’s a surprise to actually meet you here!” Tong Yang’s mother said with feigned excitement.
“We had earlier booked a meeting with you for today but your assistant called last minute and canceled. Who would have thought that you were coming to our city.”
Hearing that they had an appointment before made him more responsive.
“Hmmm, this auction is quite interesting, it’s better if someone from the capital shows up also.” He said simply and the woman nodded earnestly.
“You see my daughter, she’s a painting fanatic and has taken to your work greatly. We had the thought of bringing her to you so you could see her work and decide if she’s a worthy enough to be your student.” She said in one go and master Wang’s face fell.
There were so many people eager to elevate their status by becoming his student. He was used to it already. Yet out of courtesy, he still maintained an amiable expression.
“When next I’m free, you can bring her over then.”
For someone that didn’t take any student previously, he had no intention of taking one again so of course even if they came, he was already determined to turn them down.
“Ahhh! Is that so... thank you so much Master Wang. She coincidentally brought some of her work here.... Yang’er, don’t be shy and show him some of your paintings.” Her mother said while nudging her daughter like it wasn’t something they had both planned.
Tong Yang also brought roll of folded papers together from the bag she carried and opened it.
Originally, master Wang had no much interest or expectation in the work. But the moment she opened the first work, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Her mother hurriedly took the other one and allowed her to show the work to him. Some people that also knew master Wang’s identify had also gathered to see the work.
“This....”
“It’s quite good for a girl this young right?” Someone said from the crowd and a lot of people nodded in acknowledgment.
The work was really good for her age. Although the style and strokes still needed a lot more skill, but the age was a very strong determinant.
Seeing ther crowd’s reaction to her daughter’s work, her mother felt even more pride course through her.
While they had all given their opinions, all of them turned their attention back to master Wang that hadn’t said a word since.
The mother daughter were also waiting for his acknowledgment after all, even his assistant commended her daughter.
“Are you the one that did this painting?” Master Wang asked fiercely.