DP Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“What’s going on? It’s dark.”

“It’s a bit scary. Should we go out?”

In the pitch-black darkness, Xiang Yiye took out his phone and sent a message to Xu Chuo: “Chuo-ge, the lights in the corridor are all out. Is there a power outage?”

A few minutes later, Xu Chuo called. He seemed to have quietly stepped away from the crowd to make the call, his voice slightly lowered: “Hey, Xiao Yiye, it seems the venue tripped a circuit. Where are you?”

“I’m at ‘Rumble’. Are the lights out there too?” Xiang Yiye asked.

Xu Chuo hummed in agreement and said, “We’re not far from each other, but there are some seniors from the Arts Association here, so I might not be able to come find you for a while. Are you afraid of the dark? Should I ask a staff member to take you out? There’s a coffee shop across the street; you can sit there for a bit. Sorry.”

So, some leaders were visiting the site. No wonder he couldn’t get away. Xiang Yiye said, “It’s okay, I’ll wait for you. But with a sudden power outage, will the leaders of the Arts Association be dissatisfied?”

Xiang Yiye knew that similar solo exhibitions weren’t aimed at making a profit but were more for expanding the artist’s influence. He imagined the respected leaders groping around in the dark, which was a little funny, but he was more worried about Xu Chuo.

“I can only apologize afterward and make amends. I just contacted the venue manager, who said it would take about ten minutes to restore power,” Xu Chuo said, his voice revealing a hint of helplessness.

Xiang Yiye noticed the flashlights lighting up around him and suddenly said, “Chuo-ge, turn on the flashlight on your phone.”

Xu Chuo was puzzled: “Now? There are already several flashlights on…”

“Do you trust me, Chuo-ge?” Xiang Yiye didn’t give Xu Chuo a chance to answer and quickly continued, “If you do, give me a few minutes. You continue to show the leaders the paintings.”

Xu Chuo was stunned for a few seconds and said, “Okay.”

Xiang Yiye thought Xu Chuo would ask a few more questions, but he didn’t.

Time was limited. Xiang Yiye didn’t have time to think too much, hung up the phone, and said to the spectators around him who were preparing to leave, “Please stay. The most exciting part of this exhibition hasn’t arrived yet. Don’t you want to continue watching?”

“The power’s out, it’s pitch black everywhere, how can we watch?” someone said.

“This is also part of the exhibition process,” Xiang Yiye said. “Please, those who want to continue viewing the exhibition, turn on your flashlights and follow me.”

He acted too naturally and persuaded several viewers who were preparing to leave to gather around him.

In the open-plan exhibition hall at the end of the corridor, the leaders of the Arts Association were using their nearsighted, hundred-degree presbyopic eyes to view the paintings in the beam of their flashlights, unable to tell whether they were in a modern hall or mining coal in an 1980s mine.

Among the up-and-coming new artists in recent years, Xu Chuo could be classified as talented and individualistic.

Today, his teacher Xie Lei was also present. The latter was also well-known in the local art scene. With all sorts of favors intertwined, the leaders couldn’t dampen Xu Chuo’s enthusiasm and waited to finish watching the painting in front of them before leaving.

Just as they were suffering in the “mine,” suddenly, many lights shone in from one side, attracting the leaders’ attention.

Xu Chuo saw tall figures with long legs appear in the beams of light. He led the crowd behind him to the painting labeled No. 23.

Xiang Yiye’s voice was rhythmic and unhurried: “Now we come to Relic No. 23. From this cross-section of the planet’s geological layer, perhaps we can glimpse a trace of an ancient civilization’s embers. The shape of this relic looks like… a creature called a lamprey. We might as well interpret it as a metaphor: new life needs to completely corrode the bones and blood of the old world before it can fully sprout…”

The vice president of the S City Arts Association was closest to Xu Chuo. Xu Chuo heard him say, “This perspective is a bit biased, but it’s quite unique.”

In his previous life, Xiang Yiye had been invited to perform in several stage plays and had participated in countless auditions. His ability to improvise and adapt to changing circumstances was not weak. He also owed it to his parents, who forced him to read when he was young. Although the main purpose was to cope with exam-oriented education, it roughly went through some mainstream natural and humanistic books, not to mention integrating them, but at least he could use some material in his mind to weave lines so he wouldn’t be empty-handed.

The dim light gave people a sense of security and restoration. The viewers became unusually active, often asking questions or expressing opinions.

Faced with the questions thrown by others, Xiang Yiye didn’t respond directly. Instead, he guided other viewers with ideas to express their views. Creating an atmosphere of thinking and communication, rather than simply instilling, was the role he needed to play now.

The leaders usually stood on the stage in front of the curtain. At this time, they observed the reactions of the crowd in the dark and found it very novel.

Xu Chuo’s teacher Xie Lei asked, “Xiao Chuo, did you arrange this on purpose? How come even I don’t know?”

“Teacher, just like when painting, it’s difficult to predict what effect the next stroke will have. That’s a complete surprise,” Xu Chuo said.

Xu Chuo stared at Xiang Yiye’s profile, feeling that the place he was in was no longer just an ordinary venue but also Xiang Yiye’s theater. He was jointly completing this exhibition with him.

A few minutes of exchange passed. Xiang Yiye looked at his phone and estimated that the time was almost up. “I’m very happy to appreciate the paintings with everyone. Next, you can view them freely. I wish you a pleasant exhibition.”

Soon after he finished speaking, the lights came on, the room returned to brightness, and the crowd gradually dispersed. The vice president and the others regained their interest and wanted to finish watching the remaining paintings they hadn’t seen.

Some viewers didn’t go far. One of the girls passed by Xiang Yiye and asked him, “Little brother, you’re not a staff member, are you? I didn’t see a badge on your chest.”

Xiang Yiye didn’t know how to answer. Xu Chuo walked over and answered for him, “No, he’s not an ordinary staff member.”

“He’s a specially hired narrator for this exhibition and also an actor. His name is Xiang Yiye,” Xu Chuo continued.

“So, he’s an actor. No wonder he looks and speaks so nicely, and his temperament is also very good!” the girl exclaimed.

“Thank you.” After leaving the role of narrator, Xiang Yiye became shy again, not as eloquent as he was just now.

Xu Chuo said, taking out a card and handing it to the girl, “This card is for you. You can see exhibitions on Lichuan Road without a ticket in the future.”

The girl was a viewing enthusiast. The card meant freedom to watch the exhibition to a certain extent, but she didn’t take it and confirmed, “Ah, for me?” Who is this handsome guy, and why is he suddenly giving her something?

“Yes, because you have good taste.” Xu Chuo raised his chin toward Xiang Yiye. “If you like him, remember to pay attention to his future works.”

He wants to gain Fans for himself, Xiang Yiye’s heart moved, and he spread out his palm in the direction of Xu Chuo and introduced, “It doesn’t matter whether you follow me or not, just follow him. All the paintings here were created by him.”

The girl exclaimed again, and then said, “Can I take a photo with you?”

“Of course,” Xu Chuo responded to every request and walked to the painting in the center of the hall. “Here, the light is good here.”

After taking the photo, the girls left with satisfaction. Xiang Yiye glanced at the painting behind him and found the blue a little familiar, but there was no introduction next to it, so he couldn’t help but say, “This painting doesn’t have a name?” All the other paintings do.

“I haven’t decided whether to use the word ‘escape’ or ‘elope’,” Xu Chuo said. “Which one do you think is better?”

“Which two words?” Xiang Yiye asked.

“The ‘escape’ of fleeing, the ‘elope’ of running away together,” Xu Chuo said.

Xiang Yiye thought for a while and said, “I like the second one. The word ‘escape’ is a bit negative.”

Xu Chuo nodded and said, “Don’t rush to leave. Let’s have lunch together.”

“With the leaders of the Arts Association?” Xiang Yiye had already seen a familiar figure among the leaders, Gu Wenyu, whom he had met at the Cultural Center a few days ago. Is this the reason why Xu Chuo insisted on him coming today?

“Yes,” Xu Chuo anticipated that Xiang Yiye would decline, so he finished his words in advance, “If there hadn’t been a sudden power outage and you had just come to see the exhibition, then that would be fine. But now they all have an impression of you and will ask about you later. You’ve already ‘joined the gang,’ so you have to come. If nothing else, just help me clean up this mess today.”

At noon, Xiang Yiye sat in the private room of the restaurant. The seat was arranged very coincidentally, right next to Gu Wenyu.

Seeing that the dishes were almost ready, Xie Lei stood up and raised his glass to everyone, “Thank you for taking the time to attend Xu Chuo’s exhibition.”

Xu Chuo also stood up and raised his glass, “Thank you for your appreciation, uncles. I respect you.”

Deputy Chairman Qi said, “You two teachers and disciples, please sit down. Today, Xiao Xu let us old guys see the creativity of young people today, which is truly eye-opening. Lao Xie, you have taught a good disciple, and in the future, you may surpass your teacher.”

Xiang Yiye looked at the middle-aged man in his fifties who was very thin and realized that this person was Xu Chuo’s teacher, Xie Lei.

Xu Chuo began to learn painting in junior high school, and Xie Lei was the teacher who introduced him to the field.

Xie Lei taught Xu Chuo everything without reservation. He was quite eccentric, arrogant, and had high standards. He had offended many people, including some big names who had risen to fame in the art world.

Such a self-respecting and unconventional person predicted that Xu Chuo would definitely achieve great things in the future when he was only a teenager, and took the initiative to enter the world, lowering his status to communicate with many masters to pave the way for Xu Chuo’s future development.

Correspondingly, Xie Lei was poor all his life, divorced early, had no children, and Xu Chuo always regarded him as a father. The two of them had always been a good story in the S City art scene.

If it weren’t for that art competition later.

At least they look very harmonious now, Xiang Yiye thought distractedly, suddenly hearing his name mentioned: “Today, thanks to Xiang Yiye as well.”

Xu Chuo had been looking for an opportunity to lead the topic to Xiang Yiye. But when it really came to this time, Xiang Yiye felt that he couldn’t handle it.

Unlike Xu Chuo, he only showed his skill in areas that he was interested in or specialized in, and in other aspects, he adhered to the principle of “keep silent if you don’t understand.”

Looking at the gazes cast over the table, Xiang Yiye said dryly, “No, I didn’t do anything.”

Xu Chuo said, “Everyone is probably wondering if the interactive exhibition just now was arranged by me. There were other viewers on the scene at the time, so it wasn’t convenient to say it clearly. Now I can tell you all that it wasn’t arranged by me. Because of my negligence, the venue lost power for ten minutes. All of this was temporarily planned by Xiang Yiye to save the day for me.”

Xiang Yiye was stunned, his heart like the sea under a storm, suddenly setting off huge waves.

Xu Chuo said that he asked him to come over to help “cover up,” but at this time, he easily revealed the truth at the table, putting all the credit on him, not worrying about any adverse effects on the exhibition.

However, Xiang Yiye couldn’t say anything except deny and be modest. He looked at Xu Chuo, who comforted him with his eyes, telling him it was okay, and that someone would say what he couldn’t say for him.

In a few words, Xu Chuo unobtrusively explained Xiang Yiye’s current situation. He said that although Xiang Yiye didn’t come from a professional background, he was very talented and hardworking, and even the always strict Director Li Di was very optimistic about him.

Gu Wenyu, who had been listening for a long time, finally opened his mouth: “Looking at Xiao Xiang, I always think of when I was young. If I remember correctly, I had a lecture at the Cultural Center a few days ago. Did Xiao Xiang go? And asked me if I needed students?”

Xiang Yiye nodded, embarrassed, “I was too presumptuous…”

Xu Chuo smiled, “Uncle Gu, his most admired senior is you. Are you really not considering it?”