AMTBYIGA Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Strange Artist

At 2:30 PM, Lin Sui dawdled out of the house, arriving five minutes early at the designated meeting place.

The university Lin Sui attended had excellent infrastructure, and the cafeteria was a prime example. The second floor was even more refined and luxurious than the first. Occasionally, students would work part-time, playing instruments to create ambiance. It was perfect for chatting and discussing matters, though the prices were also quite beautiful.

But today, the entire second floor of the cafeteria was eerily deserted, with only a few servers quietly working. Lin Sui had never been here before and was immediately taken aback by the scene.

A server noticed him and quickly approached, asking, “Are you Mr. Lin Sui?”

Lin Sui clutched his backpack straps and cautiously nodded.

“This way, please. Mr. Sui will be here shortly.” The server bowed slightly and gestured elegantly towards the center of the dining area, making a “please” gesture.

Lin Sui had a vague sense of foreboding and asked, “Why is no one here today?”

“Mr. Sui dislikes noise, so he reserved the entire floor,” the server explained.

Lin Sui was instantly stunned.

Dumbfounded, he was led to a seat by the server. Holding a glass of plain water, he surreptitiously sized up his surroundings, silently calculating how much it would cost to reserve this entire place.

Although it was a school cafeteria, and the prices were definitely lower than those of outside restaurants, many rich kids at their school had done similar things. Lin Sui searched on the school forum and, after seeing the number listed there, remained silent for a moment, and unconsciously sat up straighter.

Yesterday, the counselor hadn’t told him exactly how much the painting had sold for. He originally thought it was just a few hundred dollars, bought to hang up as a decoration. But judging by this scene… Lin Sui felt like he might be about to strike it rich.

Amidst his admiration for the local tyrant, the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs connecting the cafeteria to the first floor reached his ears. Lin Sui subconsciously looked over and saw a young man appearing there, wearing a long trench coat, his eyes fixed intently on him.

“!”

Lin Sui quickly put on a friendly smile.

Sui Congzhi scrutinized the young man sitting in the chair, from his appearance to his attire, and grudgingly concluded that he was decent-looking. He gracefully walked over and sat down at the other end of the table.

Lin Sui’s smile momentarily froze as he looked at the overly familiar face.

He thought he was mistaken from the distance – wasn’t this Sui Congzhi! The renowned painter who had given a lecture in the auditorium yesterday!

Why would he want to buy his painting!

The joy Lin Sui felt from selling the painting instantly vanished. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling like a terrible student who had inadvertently been seen by a super-genius, clutching a test paper full of red marks – awkward and ashamed.

Why had the money-scattering local tyrant suddenly turned into a god-level player who had entered the newbie village? Lin Sui couldn’t figure out where things had gone wrong.

Sui Congzhi inexplicably watched Lin Sui’s expression change from smiling to crying, then lowering his head and becoming dejected. He tapped his fingers on the table and asked displeased, “What are you doing? Or are you deliberately doing this for me to see?”

Lin Sui shuddered and quickly sat up straight, like a model student, honestly answering, “No, it’s just that I’m a little nervous. I didn’t expect you to buy my painting.”

Sui Congzhi chuckled. “What, so lacking in confidence?”

Lin Sui shook his head, sincerely saying, “It’s not a question of confidence, but because my painting is really bad. Before submitting it, I was worried whether the teacher would just throw it in the trash. I thought only people who just wanted to hang it up for fun would buy it.”

Sui Congzhi was taken aback. The harshness on his face lessened, and he huffed and muttered, “You do have some self-awareness.”

Lin Sui scratched his nose sheepishly, admitting frankly, “So, if Teacher Sui regrets it, it’s totally fine. My painting doesn’t even meet the standards for selling. Buying it would just be a waste of money.”

Sui Congzhi rolled his eyes in a very un-artist-like manner and sneered, “What, do you think I’m short of that little bit of money?”

Lin Sui helplessly said, “No… that’s not what I meant.”

Sui Congzhi seemed to have thought of something and, crossing his arms, said sarcastically, “Teacher Sui, Teacher Sui. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you really respected me. No need for all this superficial stuff. I can’t be bothered to watch it.”

Confusion flashed in Lin Sui’s eyes. “I really do respect Teacher Sui. You’re a very talented painter.”

Sui Congzhi snorted. “Spare me the act! There were so many people at the lecture yesterday, but you were the only one who left early, even giving up the chance to interact with me up close. Do you know how much face I lost?”

Lin Sui blankly said “Ah,” before finally realizing what he meant. He looked incredulously at the stylish and elegant painter across from him. The image of Sui Congzhi as an aloof, otherworldly artist in his mind made a cracking sound. A stone fell from it and rolled down, then slammed onto Lin Sui’s head, leaving him completely dumbfounded.

It seemed like the fact that Sui Congzhi wanted to buy his painting wasn’t the only surreal thing happening today.

Lin Sui thought dazedly.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Feeling guilty?” Sui Congzhi mocked.

Lin Sui snapped back to reality, shaking his head frantically, wishing he could transform into a rattle-drum and shake himself ninety-nine times eighty-one times. “That’s not it! I had something urgent to take care of and had to go home early that day. You’re so amazing, your paintings are beautiful, and the lecture was very interesting. If I could, I would have loved to watch the entire thing.”

Sui Congzhi said “Oh” and didn’t say whether he believed him or not, just coldly saying, “Alright, then prove it.”

Lin Sui, who was just about to continue explaining, said:?????

Why was the situation developing differently from what he expected?

Sui Congzhi’s eyes were cold. “Could it be that you were lying to me?”

“Of course not!” Lin Sui swore that he hadn’t been complimenting him just now… or at least not entirely. He had admired Sui Congzhi’s paintings, and his skill was completely worthy of his reputation, amazing in both technique and substance. But – Lin Sui hesitated. “How do I prove it?”

He couldn’t just shower him with rainbow praises for a whole day, could he?

Sui Congzhi curled his lips, waiting for this line. He suddenly pulled out a tablet from who-knows-where and placed it in the center of the table. The screen lit up, revealing a recording of Sui Congzhi’s lecture from yesterday.

“Now, watch it again seriously, and I’ll believe what you said.”

Lin Sui: …

Had artists become so persistent these days? He was just an ordinary college student!

Lin Sui couldn’t refuse at all, so he simply joined in, tapping the play button and starting to watch the recording seriously.

To be fair, Sui Congzhi’s lecture completely lived up to the packed auditorium that day. It was full of substance while also being humorous and engaging. Adding to that his outstanding appearance, even people who knew nothing about painting would be happy to watch the beauty up close.

At first, Lin Sui had been trying to be perfunctory, but as the video played, he gradually became immersed in the lecture. Like the students in the audience who were occasionally captured by the video, he sometimes smiled, sometimes gasped in amazement, and sometimes appeared deep in thought.

The lecture lasted for a total of one and a half hours. After Lin Sui finished watching it, he still felt a little unsatisfied. When he looked up and saw the genius painter from the video sitting across from him, he suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

Sui Congzhi’s expression was much softer than at the beginning, even bordering on friendly. He slightly raised his chin, and said smugly, “How was it? My lecture was very engaging, right?”

Lin Sui nodded, sincerely praising, “Teacher Sui really has a wealth of knowledge. I’ve read books by some painters that weren’t as vivid as your one lecture.”

Sui Congzhi’s lips curled upwards, saying casually, “Oh, these things are nothing. After all, I’m still very young.”

Lin Sui tilted his head and blinked, uncertain if he had heard the underlying messages of “Don’t stop, keep going” and “That’s right, I’m amazing.”

Um… it must be his imagination, Lin Sui tried hard to straighten his crumbling artist filter for Sui Congzhi.

“But, Teacher Sui, I still don’t understand why you specifically came to see me,” Lin Sui changed the subject, asking his biggest question. “Why did you use buying my painting as an excuse to meet me? If it were you, even if there was no reason, I would definitely come to see you?”

Sui Congzhi felt extremely comfortable and pleased by the last sentence. He took a sip of his drink, feeling very happy. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow and said amused, “What kind of image do you have of me? Some childish idiot who makes appointments with juniors just to save face?”

Lin Sui strategically remained silent.

Wasn’t he? He really wanted to ask that.

Fortunately, Sui Congzhi didn’t dwell on the topic. He continued, “To be honest, the reason I looked for your painting was indeed because you left early. I wanted to see what kind of talent someone who didn’t even bother to listen to my lecture had. Do you want to guess why I eventually wanted to meet you here?”

“Because my painting was too ugly?”

Sui Congzhi chuckled in response. “You really don’t have any confidence in yourself. A boring painting wouldn’t be worth me wasting my time appearing here. My appearance fee is very expensive, you know.”

“Indeed, your technique is nothing like that of a college student, not even as good as some students from art studios. You’re more like an amateur.” Sui Congzhi objectively evaluated, then suddenly changed the subject. “But a painting is not just a display of technique. It also has its meaning, or rather, the life that the creator gives it.”

“Life?” Lin Sui mumbled to himself, his eyes filled with confusion.

Sui Congzhi tapped the tablet. “Do you remember the theme of my lecture?”

“Yes, it’s which is more important, technique or emotion,” Lin Sui answered reflexively.

“I didn’t give an answer in that lecture, because the question itself has no answer,” Sui Congzhi said. “Painting is a skill that only humans possess. The moment a person picks up a brush and puts it to paper, there is no such thing as a work that is purely technique. Whether it’s numbness or passion, these things become part of the life of a painting, and these paintings will naturally reflect the author’s inner self.”

“I used to be passionate about looking at paintings by all sorts of people, because I could see the deepest core of a person’s heart through those paintings. Do you know what I was thinking when I saw your painting?”

Lin Sui shook his head.

Sui Congzhi smiled slightly, looking into Lin Sui’s eyes and saying seriously, word by word, “I saw a painful but incredibly brilliant soul in that painting.”

“Lin Sui, your talent is beyond your imagination. Your understanding of freedom amazed me, so I bought that painting and took the time to see what kind of person his creator was.”

Sui Congzhi took out a document from his bag, pushed it in front of Lin Sui, and said solemnly, “So, out of respect for this spirituality, I am officially extending an invitation to you in the name of my personal studio. Lin Sui, I hope you can continue to paint with me, and I also look forward to the paintings you will create after you have more refined skills.”