Exclusive Model for the Top Painter Chapter 79

The Painting Exhibition Resonates with You

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The production of A City's city promotional film was completed, and the literature and propaganda department began to promote it with great fanfare across all major channels.

It was on the on-board projection screens in every car of every subway, it was on the electronic information screens at bus stops, it was on the giant LED screens in the centre of shopping districts, and even in the opening advertisements of every movie in the cinemas.

Liang Jin was instantly in the limelight in A City, and even his parents, who were far away in C City, made a point of calling to say hello, saying that they had seen him in the CCTV advertisement time slot.

Due to the enthusiastic response to the film, the A City Cultural Federation awarded Liang Jin the Outstanding Literary Work of the Year commendation and recommended him to be selected as one of the Top Ten Youths of A City at the end of this year.

He raised the commendation in front of Ji Xiuyuan, as if he was a primary school student who had won first place in an exam: "Ji Shen, I won another award! This time, it's from the A City Cultural Federation!"

Ji Xiuyuan rubbed his hair and said, "It's just a certificate, are you that happy? Wait until the end of the month, the mayor will also give you an award in person at the Top Ten Youth Awards Ceremony."

"Wow really? I can get the Top Ten Youth?"

"Mhmm."

"Ji Shen, why are you so sure!"

"Because I can predict the future."

"That's a bit outrageous!" Liang Jin said, "I remember a film or something where the hero had the ability to foretell things, and he seemed to be a vampire. Yuan Yuan, could it be that you are some kind of non-human creature?"

"What do you think I am?"

"A vampire? A werewolf? An exorcist? An immortal cultivator? A born-again villain who travelled through time?"

"The last one is kinda interesting."

"If you're the villain, then I, the righteous one, am going to murder my family on behalf of the righteousness of the earth."

"Xiao Jin, you're going to murder your own husband?"

"How could I dare," Liang Jin poked him in the face, "if the villain looks like you, I'm very willing to offer myself voluntarily, to tell you to turn back to the shore of the sea of bitterness with affection and reasoning."

"I'm curious, how are you going to persuade me, hmm?"

"Seduction? Do you think I can do it?"

"Xiao Jin, seduction doesn't sound like a decent tactic."

"Aren't you the villain? It's all about analysing specific problems."

"Then let's try it now?"

It was only when Ji Xiuyuan pressed him on the bed that Liang Jin recalled the topic that he was brought away from, "Wait, Ji Shen, you still haven't answered me, why are you sure that I can get the Top Ten Youth?"

Ji Xiuyuan unbuttoned his shirt and said in a low voice, "It's because A City's Top Ten Youth has an equal shortlisting system. As long as you are shortlisted, you can win."

"Oh," Liang Jin wrapped his arms around him and said, "when I get the Top Ten Youth, I'm going to put the trophy in the locker in your studio!"

"Okay."

"Putting it together with your awards will give me even more motivation. One day, I'll be able to catch up with you. Ji Shen, you have to wait for me."

"Mhmm."

Monday, Tian Han Group international art department.

Ji Xiuyuan's annual solo exhibition officially kicked off.

World-class renowned painters and famous figures from the political and literary worlds were invited to attend.

The spectacle was the best of the year in A City.

When Ji Xiuyuan was receiving guests, Wen Di and Liang Jin exclaimed, "It's really a day to witness history! Tian Han used to be a dominant name in the fashion industry. After today, it will have established its position as an extraordinary and outstanding company in the art world. I'm about to burst into tears."

Liang Jin handed him tissues and said, "Wen Di, you have such deep feelings for Tian Han!"

Wen Di pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose: "That's for sure, I'm really very pleased that Tian Han has achieved such success under Director Ji's management. After all, Director Ji was only in his early twenties when he first took over the company, and many people on the board of directors were unconvinced. Later on, when the company flourished and Director Ji set up the international art department, that group of old guys came back to oppose it. It was only because Director Ji was able to force his way through all the arguments that he was able to get to where he is now. In short, it's not been easy."

Liang Jin patted his shoulder, "Dreams come true, Tian Han will definitely get better and better!"

"A'Liang, you are right, Tian Han is a great company."

Liang Jin looked at the sound and saw Bei Sha smiling at him.

"Isn't that what art is all about?" Yu Shan pretended, "How much is the most expensive painting here? I'll buy it."

Liang Jin: ......

"Brother, sister-in-law is too awesome!" Shu Yue pointed to a painting on the flyer, "This painting, I think I've seen it in the art history textbook of the art department next door!"

Liang Jin finally couldn't help but ask, "Why are you guys here?"

Bei Sha explained, "Wasn't the promotional film released? The response was very good, and Director Ouyang was very satisfied. It just so happened that he was sent invitations to Mr. Ji's painting exhibition, so he called us all in to support the exhibition as well."

Liang Jin looked around, "Where is Director Ouyang?"

"What do you care what he's doing, it's nothing more than going to socialise." Yu Shan said impatiently, "Where is the most expensive painting?"

Liang Jin answered truthfully, "I don't know."

Seeing Wen Di with his work badge on, Yu Shan arrogantly said, "Hey, let me ask you, how much does the most expensive painting here cost?"

Wen Di said, "I'm sorry, the paintings on display are all Mr. Ji's masterpieces, so I can't give a specific price."

Liang Jin hurriedly covered Yu Shan's mouth, "I'm sorry Wen Di, this friend of mine has a bad brain and isn't very good at talking."

Shu Yue suddenly ran over excitedly and said, "Come and look, there's a really interesting series over here!"

The group of people walked to Exhibition D under his leadership, and Shu Yue looked at Liang Jin and said, "Brother, I really didn't expect you to be like this! You can also be like this!"

Seeing the subject of the painting, everyone's eyes immediately changed when they looked at him, and Liang Jin almost spat out three litres of blood instantly!!!

How could Ji Shen put this series out on display!!!

There were a total of three paintings in the [Body Art] series, and only two were on display here.

Liang Jin thought: luckily he kept his word and didn't take out the naked one, or else he would have died a direct social death, alright?

But these two paintings look even more shameful:

The first one, 'Punishment', was about scientists being tortured under the oppression of the Church in the Middle Ages, that is, the wax dripping in the beginning...

The second one, 'Discipline', depicts the torture of an officer after being captured, with uniforms and instruments of torture appearing together in the picture, which looked extremely erotic...

Yu Shan actually took a rare moment to admire it carefully, "Liang Jin, you guys are really good at playing!"

Bei Sha: "Is this the cultivation of refined human art? I'm so excited!"

Shu Yue: "Brother, I'm so disappointed in you! You've degenerated! How can you degenerate?"

Liang Jin violently smacked Shu Yue's head: "Shut your mouth!"

Shu Yue touched his head, aggrieved, "Brother, they all talked about you, why did you only hit me?"

Liang Jin smiled, "Because I'm your brother, if you don't like it, just hold it in.!"

Shu Yue: wu wu wu wu!

———

In the afternoon, in the conference room of Tian Han's international art department, Ji Xiuyuan introduced Liang Jin to an artist from Japan.

It was a lady with a graceful temperament who looked to be around fifty years old, named Fujiwara Miki. She was a well-known master of painting appreciation in the Japanese art world and had an almost obsessive love for ancient Chinese culture.

Ji Xiuyuan had previously told Liang Jin that this was a Japanese person. He was searching his brain, his mind flashing back to the countless lines of loose Japanese he had learnt while reading Japanese manga, how do you greet someone?

Yǎměi dié, ó hāi yōu, sī mǐ mǎsài, āyí xǐ tiělù?

Fujiwara Miki, however, spoke first, "Liang Jin-san, good afternoon."

"Ah good afternoon!" Liang Jin said, "You speak Chinese?"

Fujiwara Miki smiled, "When I learnt Chinese, you probably weren't even born yet."

Liang Jin suddenly remembered the pronunciation of "awesome" in Japanese, and smoothly said, "Sīguóyī!"

Naturally, this pronunciation could not be standardised, Fujiwara Miki was amused, "Jin-san, kawaii."

Liang Jin couldn't help but be flattered, and his ears suddenly reddened.

Ji Xiuyuan gently held his palm and breathed in his ear, "Cute."

"Shut... your mouth ah! Don't use cute to describe me!"

Fujiwara Miki: "You two are so in love."

Liang Jin: ????

Ji Xiuyuan said, "Xiao Jin, Ms. Fujiwara would like me to use you as a model to create the [Paintings of Classical Chinese Beautiful Male Figures] for next year's Tokyo Art Gallery Tour, what do you think?"

Liang Jin was doubtful, "Don't you make this kind of decision yourself?"

"I want to ask for your opinion."

"Is my opinion important?"

"I'm sorry, in the past, I've always been the one to make decisions without permission." Ji Xiuyuan looked at him solemnly, "Xiao Jin, you are the true core of my paintings."

Fujiwara Miki said, "I'm sincerely making this proposal, and I hope you two can seriously consider it. Perhaps, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Tokyo next spring, we can even invite Jin-san and Mr. Ji to come and enjoy the blossoms."

Liang Jin was excited, "Cherry blossoms! I think it's alright!!!"

Fujiwara Miki pursed her lips and smiled, "Arigato, Jin-san."

Seeing Fujiwara Miki off, there were only the two of them left in the conference room.

After Ji Xiuyuan locked the door behind him, he said to Liang Jin, "Today is a memorable day for Tian Han."

"Mhmm-hmm, Wen Di and I spoke about it, congratulations Yuan Yuan!"

"Xiao Jin, do you know why the theme of this painting exhibition is called Treasure?"

"You like that word a lot?"

"Because of you." Ji Xiuyuan lowered his voice: "When I first met you, it was the bottleneck of my creativity. To be precise, after winning the Alexander Rutsch award, it was as if the journey had reached its peak and everything seemed tasteless. My exploration of art was plunged into an eternity of atrophy. What you are to me is like a salvation that shatters the void."

He brought Liang Jin to the floor-to-ceiling window, pulled the rolled-up curtains which obscured the view, and peered down into the office area of the international art department. This conference room was a duplex structure, built right above the office area.

At the moment, the office area was in perfect order, with the employees doing their respective duties, and it looked like a thriving environment.

Ji Xiuyuan hugged Liang Jin tightly and said in a deep voice, "All of this is because of you."

He lowered his head and kissed him tenderly, pressing him against the transparent glass floor-to-ceiling window.

Liang Jin's breathing grew chaotic, and he reminded in a small voice, "Ji Shen, this… it's an office area, it'll... be seen, right?"

"No," Ji Xiuyuan bit his collarbone, "the glass is one-way, we can see them, they can't see us."

Liang Jin still gulped nervously, "But there are so many people down there!"

"Well, I just want to hug you here."

"Ji Shen, but..."

"Shhh," Ji Xiuyuan pressed his lips with his fingertips, "Xiao Jin, don't reject me, okay?"

Under his lover's deep gaze, his hoarse, magnetic voice echoed in his ears.

Like the countless previous nights of sleeping in each other's arms, it was simply impossible to turn down an invitation such as this one.

The gasps of the overlapping bodies, on the day of the exhibition, seemed to compose a moving piece of music, the aftermath of which lingered on.

‿︵‿︵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: November 3, 2023