Exclusive Model for the Top Painter Chapter 82

A Shining Favour Within the Palace Walls

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After dinner that day, Ji Xiuyuan was painting in his studio, and Liang Jin and Amber were lying on the carpet together playing with Legos.

It was a Ducati V4R red motorcycle, which was super cool, and the internal structure was extremely detailed; Liang Jin had been working on it for more than an hour, and it looked like it was about to be completed!

At that moment, Amber took an elegant cat step, and with its soft cushion of flesh, it swiftly smacked the bike on its head.

Hearing only the clattering of parts scattering all over the place, Liang Jin was almost furious. Amber, on the other hand, did not have the consciousness of having made a mistake, but instead wagged its tail and looked at Liang Jin with an extremely innocent expression, like it was waiting for its brother's praise.

Liang Jin captured it in his arms and seriously educated, "Bo Bo! You're already an adult cat, you need to learn to manage yourself. How come you always come to tear me down? I never see you bothering Yuan Yuan?"

Amber cocked its head, "Meow?"

"Never mind, it doesn't make sense to you," Liang Jin poked its head with his fingertips, "Seeing as you've been neutered, I won't bother with you. Hey! You won't be able to find a wife in the future like this, only your brother Xiao Jin cares for you this much."

Somehow this sentence stimulated it. Amber broke away from Liang Jin's arms, aggressively walked to the collapsed block toy motorcycle, and swept its tail violently. The blocks snapped and fell all over the place, and completely disintegrated, no longer able to be rescued.

Liang Jin immediately complained, "Xiuyuan! Your son smashed my toy!!!"

Ji Xiuyuan was in the middle of colouring a painting, "Xiao Jin, I'll apologise to you on its behalf."

"Why is it so glass-hearted? I just said something about it not having a wife and it got angry at me."

"It really shouldn't be angry."

"It's still far more reasonable."

"Because you're in a similar situation to it."

Liang Jin felt that these words were a bit wrong: "Yuan Yuan, what do you mean?"

"The literal meaning."

Liang Jin moved to Ji Xiuyuan's side: "Yuan Yuan, a man can't say no, you're hurting my fragile self-esteem!"

Ji Xiuyuan put down his brush, "I'm sorry, what I meant was that you're just like it, you won't have a chance to court again."

"Then you're screwed, I won't look for you in the future."

"Xiao Jin, I'm your husband."

"I don't care, I just think you're my wife."

Ji Xiuyuan hugged him and sat him on his lap, "Okay, everything you said is right."

Liang Jin wrapped his arms around his neck and deliberately flirted with him, "When are you going to bed? Yuan Yuan? Good times and beautiful scenery, spring nights are short~"

"Right now then, right in the studio."

Liang Jin: ???

———

The next day was Saturday. When Liang Jin woke up, it was nearly noon.

There was a note left by Ji Xiuyuan on the bed, it said that he had to go to Tian Han for a meeting today, and that breakfast was ready and in the fridge.

Why has Ji Shen been so busy lately? He has to work overtime on the weekends?

Could it be because of Ji Wenbin?

Liang Jin lazily lifted the quilt and stepped on the carpet with his bare feet. The winter afternoon sun shed a few strands of golden light through the gaps in the curtains of the floor-to-ceiling window, shining on his fair skin.

From his neck to his collarbone, he was flushed with red strawberry marks; even his waist, stomach, chest and the side of his legs had seemingly ambiguous traces.

Fiercely pulling open the floor-to-ceiling curtains, the warm sun suddenly poured in.

Liang Jin's entire body was bathed in the comfortable sunlight, and he squinted his eyes lazily. Amber snuck in at some point and rubbed up against his feet in a standard cat-like stretch.

It was at this time that the bedroom suddenly echoed with a knock on the door.

Liang Jin was startled, this this this... how could there be someone else?

"Xiao Jin, awake?"

It was Morgana's voice!!!

Liang Jin then breathed a sigh of relief, "Mhmm-hmm!"

But when did she come?

Liang Jin suddenly remembered the note Ji Xiuyuan had left for him at his bedside, which he had just roughly scanned.

Immediately darting to the bed, he grabbed the note and read it again, and sure enough, there was a sentence at the end: the day after tomorrow is Christmas, Morgana arrived this morning.

The day after tomorrow is Christmas?

So tomorrow is Christmas Eve?

Time flies so fast!

He was still sighing on his side when Morgana's voice came from over there, "Xiao Jin, I'm coming in."

"Ah, wait!" Liang Jin's heart was sounding alarm bells, he was still wearing his oversized underwear in here!!!!

Scrambling, he pulled open the wardrobe and found a random piece of clothing to put over his body.

Morgana came in with breakfast in her hand, "Bonjour! Here's a new dessert I learnt, how does it taste?"

"Did you come earlier?"

"Mhmm, I saw you were sleeping at that time, so I didn't disturb you, you must have had a hard time last night."

Liang Jin blushed at the teasing, "Actually it wa-wasn't, thank you."

Morgana looked at him carefully for a while, "Xiao Jin, are you wearing Vincent's clothes? It looks so cute."

Liang Jin explained, "I was in a hurry just now, so I just put on a random top."

"But the pants look a lot bigger too!"

Liang Jin's ears reddened, and only then did he remember that after the studio last night, he was too tired, so Ji Xiuyuan hugged him as he cleaned up his body, and in the process, changed him into a pair of his own underwear.

This underwear wasn't even his own size!!! It was clearly Ji Shen's!!!

A sense of shame inexplicably welled up, and Liang Jin said, "I'm going to go wash up now, and change in the meantime."

Morgana kindly said, "It's okay, this is great! I'm sure Vincent will be very happy if you dress like this."

After washing up, getting dressed and eating breakfast, Liang Jin came downstairs where Morgana was compiling her Christmas shopping list.

Recalling the not-so-pleasant incident of last Christmas, Liang Jin's heart welled up with some guilt, "This Christmas will definitely go smoothly."

"Of course, my child." Morgana held Liang Jin's hand, "I pray to God every day, may the Lord bless you and Vincent to be happy and joyful forever and ever."

Liang Jin's heart warmed, "Ji Shen may be busy at work these days, let me help you with anything you need to prepare."

In the afternoon, Liang Jin drove Morgana to the nearby shopping mall to purchase the ingredients and other supplies needed for Christmas.

By the time they returned home, it was nearly evening.

Morgana hummed a pleasant little song, cooking dinner in the kitchen.

Liang Jin opened a picture book and began to study.

Morgana asked, "Xiao Jin, what are you reading?"

"Oh, it's a book about Chinese history, it's related to Ji Shen's painting, and it's the theme of our creation this evening."

"Oh! Chinese history, I love it!" Morgana brought dinner to the table and poured Liang Jin another glass of milk, "Tell me about it?"

"The plot is a bit complicated, there was once a period in Chinese history when the sixteen kingdoms were divided by war. There was a very beautiful royal prince named Murong Chong at that time. His country was destroyed by another country, but the emperor who captured him didn't kill him, and instead took him into his harem."

"What does it mean to be in a harem?"

"Actually, you can think of it as marrying him."

Morgana excitedly said, "That's interesting! I didn't realise that Chinese history would be so open and interesting! What happened afterwards?"

"The emperor favoured him so much that he ordered hundreds of thousands of sycamore trees and bamboo to be planted in the Afang Palace where he lived, because his nickname was Phoenix."

"As far as I know, the phoenix is an auspicious bird in China, what does this have to do with the sycamore?"

"Because according to legend, the phoenix is only willing to perch on the sycamore tree."

"I see. But I think that the conflict between them cannot be removed, after all, the emperor destroyed his country."

"Indeed, so the story doesn't end well. Murong Chong eventually escaped the emperor's captivity and led a rebellion against him. The emperor, mindful of his old friendship, wanted the two to make up, but Murong Chong did not accept it."

"I can understand that," Morgana said, "it's actually a painful memory for him."

"Eventually he captured the emperor's former city and became emperor himself."

"What a great story!" Morgana asked, "What phase of him are you going to paint?"

"Him in captivity and in his favour."

"That sounds very exciting, good luck with your creations!" Morgana suddenly remembered something like, "Xiao Jin, I have something for you."

She went to her room, grabbed a black bag, and placed it on the desktop, "Guess what this is?"

Liang Jin looked at the black bag that seemed familiar, and the answer was already coming out...

Morgana smiled, "These are the latest models from France, I hope you guys have fun!"

At night, the studio.

Liang Jin was dressed in a dark gilded phoenix brocade robe, and knelt stoically on the ground.

Like a young cub of a wild beast that had not yet fully developed, he appeared docile but sharp and vicious.

Ji Xiuyuan leaned down slightly and picked up his chin, "Xiao Jin, you looking at me like this almost makes me tremble a little, as if you're about to pounce and bite me in the next second."

"Ji Shen, it's not me looking at you, it's Murong Chong looking at Fu Jian."

Ji Xiuyuan's fingertips gently rubbed on his lips, "Fu Jian is the king, Murong Chong is the subject. Xiao Jin, the killing intent in your eyes can barely be concealed, isn't that a bit excessive?"

Liang Jin slightly opened his lips and bit Ji Xiuyuan's finger, licking it gently with his tongue, "There's no need to hide it at all, Fu Jian knows. But so what? Murong Chong has the backbone to do so, because Fu Jian favours him and will never be able to kill him."

Ji Xiuyuan pulled his wet finger out and whispered, "Despite that, you can't anger him. The king is most tyrannical and changeable, as the saying goes, accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger."

Liang Jin deliberately flirted with him and said, "Have I angered you? Your Majesty?"

"Mhmm, don't look at me with those eyes."

"What kind of eyes?"

"A gaze with hatred."

"And if I must?"

"Then a punishment will be used to set the record straight."

Liang Jin was acting with great enthusiasm, completely oblivious to the quietly approaching danger: "I feel that I have not disobeyed Your Majesty, I don't know what offence I have committed?"

Ji Xiuyuan pressed him against his body and breathed in his ear, "If I want you, I don't need a reason."

Liang Jin immediately gave in, "I understand! I was wrong! Ji Shen! Ahem, let's stop here???"

"No," Ji Xiuyuan's tone was undeniable, "tonight's bedding has only just begun, how can Ai Qing back out?" (Angel: Ai Qing is the term used by monarchs to address their ministers.)

"Yuan Yuan, that's close enough."

"Xiao Jin, I just found a black bag in our room with many toys inside."

Liang Jin gulped, "No way! No way! I don't agree!!!!!!"

"Behave, it'll be fun."

"Wu wu wu!!!!!!"

‿︵‿︵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 4, 2023