Exclusive Model for the Top Painter Chapter 75

Willing to Pay for What You've Done

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It was the turn of autumn and winter when they returned to A City from Madrid.

Wen Di drove to the airport to pick them up, and in the backseat was Amber, who was temporarily fostered in his house.

Liang Jin lifted the cat high in the air and carefully looked at it for a while, "Ji Shen, hasn't it grown a lot?"

"Cats have a rapid growth period, and from the perspective of dental, skeletal and sexual maturity, twelve months is generally the default for adulthood."

"Then won't Bo Bo be an adult in a few months?"

"Mhmm."

The two took their seats in the back and the car started.

Amber was a little scared and clung to Liang Jin, sticking to the base of his thigh.

Ji Xiuyuan picked it up with a displeased face and placed it at his side.

Liang Jin: "No way Ji Shen, it's just a cat."

"Theoretically, English Shorthairs will show signs of heat at around six months. Cats are not allowed either."

"Bo Bo seems to be almost ten months old, Wen Di, is there anything unusual about it lately?"

Wen Di spoke as he drove, "Not at all. It eats and drinks on time and on schedule every day, and doesn't make any noise. Sometimes from afar, it looks like it has a quiet and melancholic temperament, I suspect it is sexually indifferent, worthy of being a cat raised by Director Ji."

Hearing the words sexually indifferent, Liang Jin immediately objected and said, "Wen Di, you have quite a deep misunderstanding of your Director Ji."

Wen Di changed his tone and said, "I'm sorry, what I'm talking about is Director Ji's previous style. Specifically, before meeting you."

Ji Xiuyuan thought seriously for a while, "As a precautionary measure, let's take it to be sterilised tomorrow."

Amber (shivering): meow?

At night, in the villa's studio, the two begin working on their first painting Lorca.

Ji Xiuyuan dressed Liang Jin up as a poet, making him wear a white shirt with a black tuxedo and an elegant bowtie as he sat at an oak table.

During the period when the poet Lorca and the painter Dari were passionately in love, they often strolled along the seafront. Dari observed the light, the clouds and the sea, while Lorca composed his poems. At night, they would sit together. Dari would paint, and Lorca would recite his poems in a low voice beside his lover.

What Ji Xiuyuan wanted to recreate was this scene: Lorca softly reciting his new poem at the oak table, and his lover, immersed in his unparalleled talent and beauty, obsessively painting for him.

As it was now.

Liang Jin fully integrated into Lorca's role, holding his book of poems in his hand, slowly reciting:

A lonely tree,

and four moons in the night.

There is a lonely shadow,

and a lonely bird.

I turn to my body,

searching for traces of your lips.

The fountain kisses the winds of heaven,

and they do not touch each other.

I hold it in my hand,

your "no" to me.

Like an almost,

faded wax lemon.

A lonely tree,

and four moons in the night.

On the tip of a needle,

is my love,

spinning.

The young man's cool voice, in the dark night, was like an emerald shining brightly in the depths of a cavern; it was like a few swimming fish in the depths of a blue pool, lifting the mist and tugging at people's heartstrings.

He was dressed in a neat suit and recited a passionate poem.

He actually looked sexier than ever before.

Ji Xiuyuan gazed deeply at him, the pleasure of beauty stirring under the tip of his pen.

The interplay of love and art seemed to have broken through the limits of time and space, glittering in a flow that did not touch each other.

———

Sunday, A City Stadium, backstage of Scratch's "Autumn Night Music Poetry" concert.

Shu Yue, with his new half-length, slightly curly hairstyle, crossed his legs and introduced Liang Jin to tonight's performance.

Liang Jin stared at his hair for a while, "Shu Yue, have you been stimulated by something?"

Shu Yue was puzzled, "No, what's wrong?"

"Weren't you still blonde last time?"

"It was silver hair last time, what's so strange about it, I just got tired of it."

"No, I wouldn't say a word even if you dyed all your hair green, but you're a brunette this time!"

"Brother, isn't that normal?"

"Of course it's normal for normal people, but it's not normal for you. If I remember correctly, the last time you had black hair was in elementary school."

Shu Yue shrugged indifferently, "Isn't this what the boss likes? Of course I have to go along with him."

"You guys have shaken hands and made up now?"

"Didn't he invest in my band? I'm the one who is at an advantage in the situation, so it's not a big deal to compromise on such a small matter." Shu Yue asked, "By the way, where's sister-in-law? Didn't he come over with you tonight?"

"He has a meeting."

"How can he have meetings every day? Brother, you can't always spoil him like this. Men tend to bully the weak and fear the strong. If he dares to refuse you next time, you'll have to punish him severely!"

"Sounds like you're very experienced?"

"Of course." Shu Yue's eyebrows flew up as he said, "Take Zhou Hai for example, he has a deep heart, is devious, cunning, withholding and calculating. To deal with this kind of person, you have to be more ruthless and wilder than him, and you must never, ever become timid."

Liang Jin gently coughed, signalling for him to stop talking.

Shu Yue was getting excited and didn't understand his hints, so he continued to ramble, "The so-called more ruthless and more wild, that is, if he tells you to go to the east, you must go to the west; if he deducts ten dollars from your salary, you must get a few more free meals in the company cafeteria; if he deducts one hundred dollars from your salary, you must fish at work; if he deducts a thousand dollars from your salary, you must go straight to the finance office to make false accounts… " (Angel: Fishing at work refers to employees who have fun at work, are lazy, or work irregularly. It can also refer to taking advantage of the opportunity to go play outside the office or do their own private things during the working hours specified by the work.)

"I see." Zhou Hai stood behind him, with one hand holding his chin, deep in thought.

Shu Yue thought it was Liang Jin who answered, and said smugly, "You've learnt, haven't you?"

"Mhmm, I've learnt."

Shu Yue curiously glanced at Liang Jin, "Brother, why don't you open your mouth when you speak?"

Liang Jin patted his shoulder with a grave expression, "It seems that your company has some internal affairs to deal with, I have to go first."

Shu Yue's heart thumped and he suddenly realised that that was Zhou Hai's voice just now! He gulped and immediately swapped to a smiling face as he greeted Zhou Hai, "Boss! Good evening! Are you here to inspect the work? Wasn't I just joking around with my brother? Don't take it seriously!"

Zhou Hai looked at his watch, "The concert starts at eight, it's now seven ten, come with me to the office."

Backstage of the stadium, administration office.

Zhou Hai had the finance manager send him this month's statement and transferred the file to the printing device. After a beep, the printer began to work.

Shu Yue sat uneasily at the desk, as if he was a prisoner awaiting trial. His mind was running at high speed, searching for excuses to make up.

After the documents were printed out, Zhou Hai placed the stack of warm statements in front of Shu Yue: "False accounts, huh?"

"I'm not! I'm not!"

"Still acting stubborn. If I find out, do you know what the consequences will be?"

"You will strip me of my skin."

"Shu Yue, this is a society with the rule of law. It's not like you've done this kind of thing once or twice, have I ever touched you?"

"No, you will only exploit me to work for you for free." Shu Yue raised his right hand and clenched his fist against the side of his face, "Boss, I swear to God, I really didn't this time! I was just mouthing off!"

"You really didn't?"

"Really."

"Good." Zhou Hai folded the financial statement neatly and threw it into the shredder, "Then we won't pursue this any further."

Shu Yue didn't expect this kind of development at all: "You're not going to check?"

"I trust you."

"But I have a criminal record!"

Amidst the sound of the shredder clicking and clacking in operation, Zhou Hai leaned forward and nibbled on his lips, "Then do you have any indications?"

"Wh... what indications!"

"What do you think?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"It doesn't matter, after the concert, I'll take you home and you'll find out."

Shu Yue: ????

———

After the concert, Liang Jin received a message from Ji Xiuyuan on his way back.

[Xiao Jin, the meeting's over. Where are you? I'll come pick you up.]

Not long after he had emerged from A City Stadium, he sent his location to Ji Xiuyuan and leaned on the street light of a side street to play with his cell phone.

From time to time, there were college students who had finished watching the concert passing by here in groups of three or two, mostly girls.

Liang Jin, after all, had studied martial arts and defence, and was more alert than ordinary people.

He had a feeling that the man wearing a hoodie not too far away was not quite right.

This person did not look like a fan who had just finished watching a concert, nor did he look like he was waiting for someone. It looked like he was wandering around with nothing to do, and he was always staring at groups of girls.

Liang Jin could almost conclude: he was either a thief or a hooligan!

But after all, there was no solid evidence, and it was not good to act rashly. Liang Jin continued to pretend to concentrate on the cell phone, but secretly stared at the man.

Two girls had called for an online taxi, and while waiting, they were laughing and talking by the side of the street.

The man in the hoodie quietly approached and reached for one of the girls' backpacks.

The girl who was being robbed was completely unaware of it, and just as he was about to succeed, Liang Jin rushed over from the side and fiercely grabbed the man's wrist: "Stealing from a girl? Do you have a conscience?"

The girl screamed and covered her backpack with one hand, gripped her companion with the other and cried out, "There's a thief!"

The man was furious and yanked on Liang Jin's collar, wanting to teach him a lesson.

He didn't expect to encounter a Taekwondo black-belt. On the contrary, he himself received several punches from Liang Jin, and he was beaten until he had stars in his eyes. The man was frightened and recklessly rushed away from the crowd and fled.

The girl opened her backpack to check and exclaimed, "My wallet is gone! It's not a big deal to lose the money, there's not much cash, but all of my important documents are inside!"

When Liang Jin heard this, he immediately chased after him.

The man hadn't even run a few steps before he was subdued by Liang Jin, pressed to the ground, and had several items he had stolen seized.

Seeing that more and more people were surrounding him, the man, intent on getting away as quickly as possible, fumbled out a dagger from somewhere and violently swung it at Liang Jin.

Liang Jin was too busy dodging, and he was able to break free.

The man climbed up from the ground and continued to attack Liang Jin with great vengeance.

A second before the tip of the knife landed on his chest, someone stepped in front of him and tightly grasped the sharp dagger.

Bright red blood seeped out as Ji Xiuyuan stared indifferently at the person holding the knife, who couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat under his gaze.

Sirens sounded, the security personnel finally arrived, and the thief was taken away in handcuffs.

Liang Jin looked at Ji Xiuyuan's blood blurred right hand, his heart was uncomfortably tight and his eyes immediately welled up with a layer of moisture, "Ji Shen!!!! You're bleeding!!!"

Ji Xiuyuan comforted him, "It's okay. Xiao Jin, you're not hurt, are you?"

Liang Jin cupped Ji Xiuyuan's hand and said heartily, "This is the hand of the world's top painter!!!"

"Xiao Jin, I'm willing to be injured for you." Ji Xiuyuan's voice was low and gentle, "The fact that he didn't hurt you is my greatest fortune tonight."

‿︵‿︵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: October 6, 2023