Exclusive Model for the Top Painter Chapter 41

A Romantic Proposal on a Starry Night

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This week, Liang Jin was very depressed.

Firstly, when he picked up the report from the physical examination centre, he was lectured by the doctor, saying things like: young people should take care of their health, reduce exposure to electronic devices and not overindulge in desire.

Just when he was thinking of using this as an excuse to bargain with Ji Xiuyuan at night, the doctor suddenly smiled with satisfaction and praised Ji Xiuyuan's examination report, "Mr. Ji's body is very healthy and his physiological age is less than twenty-two years old."

Liang Jin asked, "What's physiological age?"

The doctor said, "It's a concept that corresponds to the actual age. A person's actual age is how long you have lived, while physiological age reflects the level of physiological function and health, which may be lower or higher than the actual age."

"What about me?" Liang Jin pointed to the report card, "He's twenty-two, so am I eighteen?"

The doctor frowned: "Isn't it written there? Twenty-three."

"Did you read it wrong? I'm twenty-three this year, that's my actual age."

The doctor pushed his glasses, "Oh, indeed, you're reading it wrong, you've been in bad shape recently."

"No way?" Liang Jin resisted the urge to tear the report to pieces, "I want to take the test again! Something must be wrong!!!"

Afterwards, Ji Xiuyuan took him to some kind of nutrition institute and had a week's worth of healthy recipes custom-made. After being forced to eat the meals prepared by a professional nutritionist for a whole week, Liang Jin almost developed anorexia. The so-called nutritious meals had no taste whatsoever, and the difference between them and Ji Xiuyuan's cooking was immense.

The private doctor was even more outrageous, asking him detailed questions about his daily positions with Ji Xiuyuan and giving him professional advice. While Ji Xiuyuan listened attentively and took notes, Liang Jin rolled his eyes a million times in his heart: he's so serious now, but would he really manage all that???

The painful week finally passed, and when the two of them packed up for their holiday, Liang Jin was very excited, as if he had been reborn: "Ji Shen, are we going to the island? Where's the island? Have you bought the tickets yet?"

Ji Xiuyuan said, "You don't need to buy a plane ticket to go to the Maldives."

If you don't buy a plane ticket, then how do you get there? By swimming there?

Ji Xiuyuan took him by the hand and led him to the open lawn at the back of the villa.

The morning sun was shining golden light on a white private jet parked above the lawn.

Liang Jin: ... Excuse me, but poverty limits my imagination.

And that wasn't even the most exaggerated thing.

When they landed on a small island in the Maldives, which was like a heaven on earth, Liang Jin keenly noticed that there were no visitors on the island, except for the service staff.

After he asked Ji Xiuyuan about it, the reply he received was, "There won't be anyone else for the rest of the week."

"Why? Did you book the whole place?"

"Mhmm."

"... Are you serious?"

"Of course," Ji Xiuyuan smiled tenderly at him, "Xiao Jin, when have I ever lied to you?"

Although the authenticity of this statement still had to be examined, seeing his smiling face, Liang Jin's heart could not help but beat fast and furiously:

Between the blue beauty of the sea and the sky, the man I love is better than everything on earth.

In the evening, Liang Jin strolled barefoot on the beach, picking up stones and skipping them across the endless sea.

Throwing the stone, it would usually skip across the surface of the water two or three times before disappearing. Whenever the number of jumps exceeded five, Liang Jin would shout at Ji Xiuyuan behind him, "Ji Shen! Look! Aren't I amazing!"

Ji Xiuyuan was sitting under a pergola not far away, casually scribbling some sketches.

On the table were a few scattered sketches of beaches and landscapes.

There was also a small stack of drawings next to it, but they were placed very neatly, deliberately pressed down with a paperweight.

As the breeze blew through the stack of paintings, one after another, they were all images of the same young man.

It was as if the painter, who was drawing with his pen, was thinking deep in his heart and soul, pouring out his inexhaustible love.

———

At night.

While having dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, surrounded by huge blue floor-to-ceiling windows with a 365-degree view of the sea, the pianist in the side room was playing melodious and gentle music.

The stars were starting to emerge, dotting the night sky with brilliance.

Liang Jin looked up at the night scene outside the window as Ji Xiuyuan said, "Xiao Jin, I suddenly remembered a few words of confession you once made to me."

"Have-have I?" Liang Jin reflected on himself for a moment, he didn't seem to have made any confessions other than repeating his liking over and over again, right?

As if recalling something sweet, a light smile spread across Ji Xiuyuan's lips, "Yes."

"... What was it?"

"You said that if you can't see me anymore in the future, you would look up at the stars. As long as I'm under the same night sky, that star will help you find me."

"That counts as a confession?"

"Of course it counts."

"Why?"

"Xiao Jin, have you ever heard of a saying?" Ji Xiuyuan's voice was low and pleasant in the night: "Parfois, on regarde le ciel, on fixe une étoile, et on pense à une personne. C'est ça, le manque."

"Ji Shen, speak human language, okay?"

Ji Xiuyuan smiled and repeated, "Sometimes we look up at the sky, gaze at a star, and think of a person. That's what it's like to miss someone." He leaned closer to Liang Jin and whispered in his ear, "At that time, the way you drunkenly said these words to me was really tempting, I really wanted to..."

"... Stop talking, I know exactly what you were thinking."

Ji Xiuyuan took his hand, "Xiao Jin, let me take you somewhere."

When they left the hotel, their eyes were filled with stars.

The night breeze was refreshing, and the sound of the sea lapping against the rocks was in their ears.

Strolling along the shore, under the moonlight, his face looked so tender.

Not far away was a wooden observation deck, which was currently lit up in a warm yellow light.

The path from the beach was covered in pink flower petals.

The two walked hand in hand down the flower path and up to the observation deck, where Liang Jin found a white marble statue.

"She is Venus, also known as Aphrodite in ancient Greece." Ji Xiuyuan said, "She is the goddess of beauty and love. At the same time, she also symbolises... lust."

The last word was ambiguously spoken, and the warmth of his breath infiltrated his ears. The lump in Liang Jin's throat rolled, and his mouth felt a little dry.

There was a silver cart next to him, which had been prepared in advance.

There was a lamp, a rose and a gift box on it.

Ji Xiuyuan picked up the gift box and opened it, and inside were two rings of the same style. He bewitchingly said, "Xiao Jin, in the presence of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, I am asking for your hand in marriage. Promise me, okay?"

"Ah, okay."

Ji Xiuyuan bent his head and kissed him on the forehead. Taking a ring out of the gift box, he put it on Liang Jin's left ring finger before coaxing, "Xiao Jin, now, help me put on my ring."

Liang Jin took the remaining ring out of the box and put it on the same place on Ji Xiuyuan's left hand: "Okay! Ji Shen, from now on, does that mean we... mhmm."

Suddenly being held by the back of his head, Ji Xiuyuan kissed his lips and pressed him against the statue of Venus.

The kiss was first passionate and dominant, full of tension and aggression. Later it grew gentle, affectionate and lingering.

Leaning against the statue, Liang Jin's legs went limp and he gasped softly between scattered breaths.

Ji Xiuyuan's kisses travelled down from his lips, leaving a trail of bright red marks on his delicate neck. He nibbled at his collarbone, then lifted his shirt and touched his sensitive erection.

Liang Jin's body trembled slightly and he whispered, "... Ji Shen, we're outside."

"Mhmm, there's no one else on the island."

"But..."

"Be obedient."

"There's still a statue of a god here!"

"Xiao Jin, the god of love herself symbolises the desire for pleasure and love." Ji Xiuyuan unzipped his trousers and skillfully caressed his body, "You're excited too, aren't you?"

Liang Jin looked at him with misty eyes, clearly sensing the vortex of pleasure engulfing him inch by inch.

There was more to his eyes than the starry night.

———

During the week of holiday on the island, the days were very fulfilling and enjoyable.

Often, they would wake up in the late afternoon and go sightseeing together. Liang Jin always liked to discover something strange, such as a crab or a rock with a special appearance.

Each time he would ask Ji Xiuyuan if he recognised the strange object he had found, and although most of them were not spectacular, Ji Xiuyuan was able to explain their origins in detail in a generally scientific tone.

But whenever Ji Xiuyuan smiled and said, "Xiao Jin, I don't know about this either", Liang Jin would take out his cell phone and photograph it as if he had discovered a new world, intending to study it later.

When Ji Xiuyuan asked him the reason for doing so, Liang Jin said, "Since even you, Ji Shen, don't know about it, then it must have great research value!"

"Xiao Jin, I'm actually not as perfect as you imagine."

"No need to imagine, you've always been perfect!"

If it was raining, they would usually stroll along the beach in the light rain. Su Shi once said: that there is no need to return from a slight breeze and light rain.

But if it was raining heavily, the two would spend their time in the hall. Ji Xiuyuan would go over to the side room to play the piano, and Liang Jin would sit next to him. When he came across a simple tune, Ji Xiuyuan would also teach him.

The evening activities were more intense and long-lasting, full of all sorts of tricks.

One might even say that this part of the day was the most time- and energy-consuming.

One night, Ji Xiuyuan took out some papers and gave them to Liang Jin to sign.

Liang Jin wanted to see what they were all about, but it turned out to be a dozen sheets of paper, all full of English. Many of the words seemed to be recognizable individually, but together they were incomprehensible.

Liang Jin quickly picked up the pen and signed his name in the place designated by Ji Xiuyuan.

After signing, he asked, "Ji Shen, what kind of document is this?"

"Marriage registration."

"?!! So I've just finished signing...?"

Ji Xiuyuan carefully put the document away, "Xiao Jin, from now on, you belong to me completely. Both from a jurisprudential point of view, and in a physical sense."

"... Why does your statement feel so strange?" Liang Jin said, "Isn't this kind of thing mutual? If you want to put it that way, then you're mine."

"Mhmm," Ji Xiuyuan kissed the ring on his left hand, "tomorrow, we're going to France."

"What are we going to France for?"

"Morgana said she was going to throw a wedding for us herself."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: June 21, 2023