What's Wrong with Changing to a New Wife? [Rebirth] - Chapter 7

Recalling that Yan Congyu was also from the Art Department, Gu Ji asked, “I’m looking for someone. Do you know where Studio 317 is?”

Yan Congyu gently pressed his lips together, suddenly realizing why the other had come. Still, he pointed the way: “It’s this one.”

Although he knew it was unlikely that Gu Ji had come specifically to find him, the moment he saw him, an irrepressible joy surged in his heart, and he stepped out without a second thought.

Upon learning that Gu Ji was there to find Lin Qingran, though it was expected, Yan Congyu couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.

Gu Ji noticed that Studio 317 was the very room Yan Congyu had just exited. Glancing through the back door, he spotted Lin Qingran’s figure seated by the window, but his eyes shifted away after a brief look.

“Aren’t you going in to find him?” Yan Congyu spoke up. “You can just walk into the classroom.”

Gu Ji had no intention of seeking out Lin Qingran. He had only agreed to a perfunctory lunch to maintain appearances—nothing more than that.

The seats in the studio were arranged haphazardly. Noticing an empty chair near the back door, Gu Ji asked, “Can I sit beside you for a while?”

Yan Congyu froze, feeling as though his heart couldn’t take the sudden ups and downs. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his eyes. “Sure.”

He certainly wouldn’t ask a foolish question like why Gu Ji wasn’t sitting next to Lin Qingran.

At that hour, there weren’t many students in the studio, and the back rows were particularly sparse. Gu Ji pulled over a chair, careful not to block the easel, and settled beside Yan Congyu.

Yan Congyu picked up his brush and paints again, but his mind was too restless to focus, and he didn’t make a single stroke for a long while.

“Am I disturbing you?” Gu Ji sensed something and apologized, “I can go sit in the hallway.”

He thought this way because Lin Qingran was highly sensitive while painting. Any minor dissatisfaction with his surroundings would set him off, claiming his inspiration was ruined.

Having only ever been around Lin Qingran as an artist, Gu Ji assumed everyone was like that and worried he might be bothering Yan Congyu.

Yan Congyu tugged lightly at Gu Ji’s sleeve, not wanting him to leave, but quickly released it, aware it might be inappropriate. Softly, he said, “It’s fine. You’re not disturbing me. I just haven’t figured out how to paint this yet.”

Gu Ji glanced at the easel, where deep and light shades blended and intertwined, resembling a starry cosmos at first glance. He didn’t understand art well, but that didn’t stop him from appreciating the beautiful colors.

“It looks lovely,” Gu Ji remarked.

Hearing his words, Yan Congyu nearly dropped his brush. Why did such an ordinary comment from Gu Ji unsettle him so deeply, leaving his heart in turmoil?

Yan Congyu exhaled softly. “Thank you.”

With nothing else to do, Gu Ji turned to watch Yan Congyu paint, his gaze shifting between the easel and the palette, seemingly fascinated by the mysterious interplay of colors.

Yan Congyu paused and asked, “Would you like to give it a try?”

“No, no,” Gu Ji declined tactfully, shaking his hands. “I don’t know how. I’d just ruin the painting.”

Noticing that Gu Ji had been watching the easel intently instead of playing on his phone, Yan Congyu guessed he was interested. “How about trying on a blank sheet?”

Gu Ji blinked. “Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Yan Congyu replied with a smile, attaching a fresh sheet of watercolor paper to a nearby easel. He prepared another set of brushes and paints and handed them to Gu Ji. “Feel free to ask if you have any questions.”

Gu Ji carefully took it, then turned to look at his own blank paper. After pondering for a long while, he finally applied a deep blue color to the paper.

If one looked closely, they would notice that Gu Ji was imitating Yan Congyu’s painting style.

At first, Yan Congyu didn’t realize it until he noticed a conspicuous blob of pink paint in the upper right corner of Gu Ji’s paper, which gave him a sense of familiarity. Hesitantly, he compared it with his own painting a couple of times.

…Was that how he painted?

Gu Ji thought his own painting was quite good.

The problem was that the painting itself was a landscape with an atmospheric quality. If it were a portrait or an object, even an amateur could tell whether it was poorly executed. But for this kind of ambiguous, impressionistic style, it wasn’t so easy to distinguish.

Yan Congyu pulled his gaze back, picked up his brush, and added a stroke to his own canvas.

Time passed slowly. Gu Ji’s rough, low-effort version of the painting was quickly completed. Yan Congyu, who had almost finished his own work, was now putting the final touches on his piece.

Gu Ji set down his brush. “Not bad, right?”

Yan Congyu looked over and paused for a few seconds. From an artistic perspective, it was hard to evaluate, but from a personal standpoint, he found the painting incredibly charming.

“It’s very cute. For a first attempt, you have a lot of talent,” Yan Congyu said. “Do you want to keep it? I can help you frame it.”

“…Never mind, I’ll just throw it away later.”

Gu Ji had enough self-awareness to know that he was just painting for fun. There was no real value in preserving it—the frame might even be worth more than the painting itself.

Still, since it was his first work, Gu Ji took out his phone and snapped a few photos as a memento.

Yan Congyu’s eyes flickered slightly. “Then let’s leave it here for now.”

Gu Ji agreed and glanced at Yan Congyu’s nearly finished work. Even as a complete novice, he could feel its stunning beauty.

In his previous life, Lin Qingran had eventually become the most renowned artist in Rongcheng. But Gu Ji felt that Yan Congyu’s current skill already surpassed that of Lin Qingran a decade later. In the future, he would undoubtedly be even more remarkable.

The only regret was that, in his past life, Gu Ji never found out what kind of work Yan Congyu ended up pursuing.

Yan Congyu asked, “Can you do me a favor?”

Gu Ji was puzzled. “What is it?”

“There’s just one last stroke left,” Yan Congyu said, handing his brush over. “Could you help me complete it?”

Although Gu Ji didn’t fully understand, he figured a single stroke wouldn’t ruin the painting. Eager to try, he took the brush. “Where should I add it?”

As the brush changed hands, Yan Congyu’s fingers accidentally brushed against Gu Ji’s. A faint warmth transmitted through the touch, making his heart skip a beat for a moment.

Yan Congyu steadied himself and pointed to a spot near the bottom of the paper. “Right here, just a dot will do.”

Gu Ji studied it for a moment and then dabbed the brush onto the spot.

The highlight in a painting could be considered the finishing touch—the stroke that brings it to life. Many people aren’t incapable of painting; they just don’t know where to place that final detail.

With the addition of that last pale white stroke, the painting seemed to transform, as if the play of light and shadow had shifted, imbuing it with a vague, soulful quality.

Yan Congyu took a step back, confirming that the painting was now complete. A faint sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart. This was a painting that Gu Ji had contributed to. Its meaning and value were incomparable to anything else.

–

Lin Qingran gathered his belongings and was about to leave when Fang Zhao, who was beside him, suddenly tapped his shoulder and said in surprise, “Qingran, look—isn’t that your boyfriend sitting in the back?”

Lin Qingran thought it was impossible. If Gu Ji had arrived, how could he be sitting in the classroom without sending him a message? But as he casually glanced toward the back, he suddenly furrowed his brow.

Fang Zhao squinted to get a clearer look. “Right? The one sitting next to Yu Shen. Does your boyfriend actually know Yu Shen?”

A faint unease stirred in Lin Qingran’s heart. He stood up and walked in Gu Ji’s direction.

Gu Ji caught sight of Lin Qingran out of the corner of his eye and abruptly remembered that he had actually come to see him. Spending so much time with Yan Congyu had nearly made him forget the reason for his visit. After finishing his drawing earlier, he had even considered heading straight back.

He cursed inwardly. He had no desire to have a meal alone with Lin Qingran. The thought of having to pretend for so long made him deeply uncomfortable.

Just then, Gu Ji’s eyes fell on Yan Congyu beside him, as if spotting his savior.

If he had to eat with Lin Qingran, Gu Ji much preferred having a few more people join them rather than being alone together.

Yan Congyu noticed Gu Ji’s gaze and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Before Lin Qingran could approach, Gu Ji leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Xiao Yan, even though we only met yesterday, we’ve already built some rapport, right?”

Hearing the nickname, Yan Congyu was momentarily taken aback before nodding. “…Mm.”

“Help me out,” Gu Ji pleaded quietly, clasping his hands together. “Have lunch with me, please?”

Yan Congyu felt as if he were dreaming. Gu Ji’s voice was usually low and casual, but the way he said “please” carried a hint of a coaxing tone, almost flirtatiously charming.

Under such circumstances, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. “…Alright.”

Gu Ji let out a sigh of relief.

Lin Qingran walked up to Gu Ji. “When did you get here? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Having someone else nearby made it much easier for Gu Ji to handle Lin Qingran than being alone with him. He replied casually, “I saw you were drawing and didn’t want to disturb you.”

Though Lin Qingran wasn’t entirely convinced by this excuse, he couldn’t argue. He glanced at Yan Congyu again, as if he had more to ask, but held back in the other’s presence.

“I’m done with my drawing,” Lin Qingran said. “Let’s go eat.”

Gu Ji lazily draped an arm over Yan Congyu’s shoulder. “Xiao Yan is coming with us.”

Lin Qingran’s expression tightened. “…Gu Ji.”

“Xiao Yan is a new friend of mine,” Gu Ji said. “It’s normal to eat with friends, right?”

Yan Congyu had initially thought Gu Ji was using him to provoke Lin Qingran. Even if he was being treated as a tool, he didn’t mind because of that “please.”

But after hearing their exchange, he suddenly felt uncertain about Gu Ji’s true intentions.

Lin Qingran turned to Yan Congyu. “Yu Shen, are you coming to eat with us?”

Yan Congyu responded indifferently.

Lin Qingran seemed to ponder for a moment before unexpectedly agreeing readily. “Alright then, Yu Shen can join us.”

…Something wasn’t right.

This wasn’t like Lin Qingran. Even if he agreed, he wouldn’t have been so quick about it. It made Gu Ji suspect he had something else in mind.