If a girl wanted to go shopping, she would definitely go into these shops to find clothes or other things she liked. But Qin Leshi's attention wasn't on these shops at all. In fact, she was just walking and chatting with Gao Jianfei, not even glancing at the shops!
Is this even considered shopping?
Gao Jianfei was puzzled.
Soon, Qin Leshi and Gao Jianfei walked out of the kilometer-long commercial pedestrian street.
Once outside the street corner, Qin Leshi took the initiative to lead the way, guiding Gao Jianfei toward an intersection on the left.
At this moment, Gao Jianfei realized something... Where did Le Shi want to take me? It seemed like she had a specific purpose in mind, rather than just going shopping!
Of course, Qin Leshi was just a harmless, kind girl. Gao Jianfei didn't believe she could lead him into some dangerous place!
So Gao Jianfei remained silent and simply followed Qin Leshi.
At this moment, Qin Leshi seemed a little embarrassed. She didn't dare to say much to Gao Jianfei, but instead kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she walked. She was afraid that Gao Jianfei would see through her little trick and then turn away unhappily.
Okay, Gao Jianfei kept smiling.
Qin Leshi breathed a slight sigh of relief, then quickened her pace.
The two turned three corners and finally seemed to have arrived at their destination.
Gao Jianfei looked up. In front of him stood a large, antique-style building.
Wooden railings, colorful glazed tiles, and carved window lattices. The entire building occupies an extremely large area and looks like a work of art.
"Oh, Yue Shi, hello."
"Le Shi, hurry up and go inside."
At this moment, some young men and women walked up from behind and politely greeted Qin Leshi. Then they headed towards the building.
"Le Shi!" A chubby woman rushed up from behind and grabbed Qin Le Shi's arm. "Wow, I didn't expect you to have a boyfriend? He's so handsome!" The chubby woman looked Gao Jianfei up and down.
Then, the fat woman waved to a group of young women not far away, dressed in a flamboyant manner and wearing heavy makeup, who appeared beautiful. "Didn't you say that Le Shi was old-fashioned and couldn't find a boyfriend? Look... what a handsome man!"
Those women looked at Gao Jianfei and Qin Leshi with expressions of defeat and jealousy in their eyes!
Gao Jianfei was a little confused... What does this mean? And where is this place?
Qin Leshi glanced timidly at Gao Jianfei, then looked directly at the women opposite her, and casually said to Gao Jianfei, "Jianfei, come inside with me, okay?"
Gao Jianfei keenly sensed that Qin Leshi's gaze towards those women held a sense of satisfying revenge and provocation!
Chapter 143 Give me your chair!
Chapter 143 Give me your chair!
"Jianfei, come inside with me, okay?" Qin Leshi said to Gao Jianfei somewhat timidly. Her face had an expression similar to that of a child who had made a mistake.
Gao Jianfei chuckled to himself... It turned out that Qin Leshi had planned this all along, deliberately bringing him here!
At this moment, the several glamorous women over there, as well as the fat woman holding Qin Leshi's arm, couldn't help but look at Gao Jianfei.
Gao Jianfei knew that if he rejected Qin Leshi now, it would definitely cause great damage to her self-esteem!
“Okay, Leshi, let’s go in together.” Gao Jianfei gave Qin Leshi a bright smile.
Qin Leshi was overjoyed. She broke free from the fat woman and walked briskly with Gao Jianfei toward the antique building.
The fat woman and the few glamorous women were left behind, standing there like lovesick fools, watching Gao Jianfei and Qin Leshi's backs as they walked side by side.
Before entering the building, Qin Leshi explained with her head down, "Jianfei, this is a painting studio. I'm attending one of their training classes, learning traditional Chinese painting. I came here for class this afternoon. Jianfei, it's so rare to run into you, so I asked you to come with me. Actually, it's not just about accompanying me. Today, our famous painter from G province, Teacher Ge Chunhou, will be personally instructing the students. Teacher Ge Chunhou is remarkable; his paintings have profound artistic conception, are elegant and refined, and he excels in figure painting, landscape painting, as well as the appreciation and copying of ancient paintings. It's said that Teacher Ge Chunhou's paintings are priced at 50 yuan each."
Qin Leshi praised the painter "Ge Chunhou" highly, but the subtext was actually telling Gao Jianfei... that she wasn't forcing him to come to class with her, but that a famous painter was coming today so he could witness his talent firsthand!
Gao Jianfei was never one to feign refinement; he was completely ignorant about calligraphy and painting and had no interest in them whatsoever.
Now that Qin Leshi has brought us here and we're "on the pirate ship," let's go in and take a look!
"Okay, I'd also like to see this famous painter from our G province!" Gao Jianfei said, feigning interest. Then, smiling, he and Qin Leshi went inside.
Qin Leshi was overjoyed. She felt that it was truly an unparalleled thing that Gao Jianfei was able to accompany her to class today.
Upon entering the building, one is greeted by a large garden, in the style of Suzhou gardens. There are artificial hills and ponds, pavilions and terraces, winding corridors, and elegant gazebos.
Birdsong and fragrant flowers!
It's a beautiful place!
At this moment, a large number of young people, along with a small number of middle-aged people, had set up easels in the garden and were intently painting. Some were exchanging painting tips with each other. The atmosphere was harmonious and quite pleasant.
"Heh, this really is a great place," Gao Jianfei said sincerely.
To be honest, Gao Jianfei quite liked this environment and this place. It was much more to his liking than those nightclubs and bars.
Now, he had absolutely no regrets about coming with Qin Leshi. In fact, Gao Jianfei even thought… “When I’m bored in the future, I can come here to play! Make a cup of tea, bask in the sun, and watch others paint—it’s so relaxing!”
"Jianfei, I'm going inside to get my art supplies. Wait for me." Qin Leshi smiled sweetly at Gao Jianfei, then walked towards a small building on the side of the garden.
Gao Jianfei followed, "Let me help you carry it, Le Shi."
Qin Leshi turned to Gao Jianfei and smiled sweetly, looking very content.
Inside the small building, there were several numbered metal cabinets. Qin Leshi took out a key, found one numbered "1604," opened it, and took out various sizes of paintbrushes, easels, watercolor supplies, and two small stools. Qin Leshi explained with a smile, "My dad told me to learn something in my spare time. Partly to pass the time, and partly to cultivate my temperament and character. He said learning painting and piano could cultivate that. He let me choose one. I chose painting. I've been learning for three years now, and I really enjoy it. I feel like my dad's advice was right."
Gao Jianfei joked, "Le Shi, you're really obedient, the kind of girl who's a good girl. A woman like you is perfect for marriage." As he spoke, Gao Jianfei got Qin Le Shi a drawing board, easel, and stool.
Qin Leshi blushed, looked up at Gao Jianfei, and asked, "Do you like a girl who's good at managing a household?"
"Huh? Me? I actually go by feeling." Gao Jianfei smiled casually. "It's not limited to any particular type."
Originally, Gao Jianfei wanted to tell Qin Leshi about his relationship with Chen Xian, but Qin Leshi just said "Oh" and took her paintbrush and watercolors outside, muttering, "Girls who want to settle down are too rigid and old-fashioned. My classmates often make fun of me, saying that I'm out of touch with the times, conservative, and can't find a boyfriend."
Upon hearing Qin Leshi's words, Gao Jianfei immediately recalled the words the fat woman had spoken to the group of glamorous women before they entered: "Didn't you say that Leshi is old-fashioned and can't find a boyfriend?"
"It seems that Le Shi must have been laughed at by some open-minded female classmates. Indeed, a well-behaved girl like her is rare in this society. So, it's inevitable that she's seen as an 'oddball'." Gao Jianfei muttered to himself, then quickly followed.
The two left the small building and found a winding corridor outside a pavilion.
This covered walkway spans a small pond. In the pond are artificial hills, frogs, wild ducks, and lotus flowers.
Qin Leshi's choice of this position is actually quite good.
She skillfully set up the easel and canvas and began to work with the watercolor paints.
After everything was settled, Qin Leshi and Gao Jianfei sat on small stools. She didn't rush to start painting, but instead chatted idly with Gao Jianfei.
The sun shone brightly, warming the two of them comfortably. Occasionally, a gentle breeze blew by, carrying the delicate fragrance of lotus blossoms from the pond. Qin Leshi seemed to have no real intention of painting; instead, she devoted all her attention to chatting with Gao Jianfei.
Gao Jianfei didn't mind; he quite liked the environment. Besides, chatting with a beautiful woman wasn't a troublesome thing. Furthermore, Gao Jianfei didn't have any special feelings for Qin Leshi. He considered them just ordinary friends, and they hadn't done or said anything inappropriate. In short, chatting was fine.
"Heh, Le Shi, if we could brew a cup of tea and get a recliner here, that would be really nice," Gao Jianfei said with a smile.
“Yes. I like the environment here, so I come here to paint every week.” Qin Leshi said, taking out her water cup. It was a cute cartoon-shaped cup that she used to drink water when she was thirsty while painting. The cup contained a large glass of purified water that Qin Leshi had just filled from the water dispenser. “Jianfei, are you thirsty?” She shyly handed the water cup to Gao Jianfei.
When she heard Gao Jianfei say he wanted tea, she assumed he was thirsty.
Gao Jianfei suddenly felt very embarrassed.
A girl hands her water bottle to a man so he can drink from it. What does this mean?
Gao Jianfei may not have high emotional intelligence, but he's not stupid.
Seeing the sweet smile on Qin Leshi's lips, Gao Jianfei suddenly understood... "No way? Could Leshi have feelings for me?"
"I..." Gao Jianfei was just about to subtly reveal that Chen Xian was his girlfriend to avoid the misunderstanding from deepening, when...
"Le Shi!" From a distance, a middle-aged man ran towards them.
Qin Leshi frowned slightly, took the opportunity to put her water glass aside, and then whispered to Gao Jianfei, "Jianfei, this is Teacher Ma from the training class. He's also like the owner here. He's a disciple of Teacher Ge Chunhou, and he's quite famous in the art world of G Province."
Gao Jianfei nodded. "This must be someone at the expert level."
"Pfft..." Qin Leshi couldn't help but laugh. "Expert? Professor, huh! Anyway, Teacher Ma is a painter, I guess."
As they were talking, the so-called Teacher Ma had already run up to Gao Jianfei and Qin Leshi.
Gao Jianfei couldn't help but scrutinize him.
To be honest, this guy really should be called "Teacher Ma".
He had a long face, with crowded features. He wore thick glasses due to nearsightedness. He was probably around 35 years old.
To be honest, this person is a bit ugly.
However, it must be admitted that he has a great presence. It's the combined presence of a successful person and an artist.
In other words, in Gao Jianfei's view, although this man was ugly, the way he stood there gave people the feeling that they should respect him, be polite to him, and even admire him.
This feeling is definitely not the result of Mr. Ma showing off. He genuinely has real ability!
Thinking about it, it makes sense. In his thirties, he already owns such a large training center. Qin Leshi saying he's the boss means that this antique-style building, this elegant environment, is at least rented by him. Being able to rent such a large area in the prime location of the flower market to run his business certainly shows he's a resourceful person.
Besides, he is a famous painter from G province and a disciple of Ge Chunhou, so he should definitely be classified as a "painter" or "artist".
"Hello." Gao Jianfei acknowledged the man's excellence, and thus greeted him politely.
Unexpectedly, Teacher Ma barely paid any attention to Gao Jianfei, only nodding slightly before turning to Qin Leshi. "Leshi, why haven't you started drawing yet? Wasn't the assignment I gave you last class to draw a frog? Is it too difficult? Well then, Teacher Ma will personally tutor you now."
As he spoke, he leaned closer to Qin Leshi and gave Gao Jianfei a very suggestive look!
Originally, Gao Jianfei was sitting on a small stool next to Qin Leshi. Now, Teacher Ma kept saying he would tutor Qin Leshi in drawing frogs, and his eyes clearly meant that Gao Jianfei should move aside and give him the stool!
Chapter 144 This kid has some connections!
Chapter 144 This kid has some connections!
Gao Jianfei sensed that Teacher Ma seemed to harbor some hostility towards him. Gao Jianfei couldn't figure out why.
Gao Jianfei felt he hadn't done anything wrong, right?
I'm just here with my friends, enjoying the sun and chatting.
"Le Shi, when it comes to painting frogs, the most important thing is to capture the frog's movements. Come here, Le Shi, let me explain the key points to you." Teacher Ma moved closer to Gao Jianfei.
Gao Jianfei had no choice; after all, the other person was a teacher instructing students, and Gao Jianfei had no reason not to give up his seat. Immediately, Gao Jianfei stood up. "Le Shi, how about I go first? You can continue drawing. We'll contact each other again next time."
Upon hearing Gao Jianfei's words, Teacher Ma couldn't help but sneer, revealing a satisfied yet disdainful smirk. In fact, Teacher Ma harbored ambitions towards Qin Leshi.
This doesn't refer to the ambition of men and women in romantic relationships.
Imagine an artist, a painter, and a successful one at that, with so many young women studying painting under his tutelage. If he wanted to seduce women, wouldn't it be incredibly easy for him? Therefore, Teacher Ma had slept with many female students in his training classes. The reason these female students willingly allowed themselves to be slept with by Teacher Ma wasn't because of money. Mainly, Teacher Ma was a prominent figure in the art world of G province, and his painting skills were indeed exceptional. Those who came to study there were mostly people who loved painting, and a large portion of them dreamed of making a career out of it. This gave Teacher Ma an opportunity. He could personally and patiently teach the female students he had slept with, and he could get their works exhibited and auctioned in high-end galleries. In short, he could open doors of convenience for female students aspiring to become professional painters!
When it became easier to toy with women, Teacher Ma's heart became wild and arrogant. Initially, he didn't pay much attention to Qin Leshi. After all, there were several hundred female students in the training class. However, after a while, he naturally set his sights on Qin Leshi. After all, a girl like Qin Leshi—beautiful, elegant, quiet, and conservative—was very attractive to a seasoned lecher.
Therefore, he gave Qin Leshi some hints.