Yuan Zixu came over and said with surprise, "Teacher Jian!"
She had originally thought that since Chang Xuyu also worked as a teacher at the institution where Jian Jiayue was employed, and he was her superior, they probably rarely had a chance to talk in such a large organization. So she brought Chang Xuyu over to make herself known to him.
Jian Jiayue smiled and nodded slightly.
Yuan Zixu pushed Chang Xuyu forward and introduced her: "This is my best friend, Chang Xuyu. You should remember her—she works at your institution."
Chang Xuyu pursed her lips.
Jian Jiayue looked at her, a flickering smile in his eyes.
"Yes, Xuyu and I teach the same class. We're good colleagues."
"What a coincidence?"
Yuan Zixu clapped her hands in surprise.
Because of what happened yesterday, Chang Xuyu had been feeling a bit uncomfortable. She remained silent the whole time, only murmuring softly, "What a coincidence."
"Yes." Jian Jiayue's gaze focused on Chang Xuyu, a flicker in his eyes.
Observing Jian Jiayue's expression, Yuan Zixu narrowed her eyes.
She smiled: "I'll go tidy up first. You two chat for a bit."
As she left, she tapped Chang Xuyu's shoulder and winked, as if saying, "I'm rooting for you."
Chang Xuyu just wanted to facepalm. She widened her almond eyes and frowned at her, conveying: "What exactly are you up to?"
Yuan Zixu automatically blocked her look and ran off.
...
The air conditioner had just been turned on and hadn't started blowing warm air yet. A pot of green asparagus fern sat on the table. Chang Xuyu sat across from Jian Jiayue, nervously picking at her nails.
Jian Jiayue was a few years older than her after all. Even if she didn't say it, he could tell what was on her mind.
"Xuyu, I really didn't expect that you were already married."
He took a sip of hot water, set the cup aside, and got straight to the point.
Upon hearing this, Chang Xuyu nodded slightly and said apologetically, "Teacher Jian, actually..."
"I know," Jian Jiayue interrupted her, pausing. "This is your personal matter. Whether you want to tell me or not is up to you. Xuyu, I told you I would respect that."
Hearing this, Chang Xuyu breathed a slight sigh of relief.
A warm current spread from her heart to her limbs. She pursed her lips, looked at Jian Jiayue, and sincerely thanked him.
She and Yi Zhuo had a secret marriage. When they got married, they had agreed that it was just to escape family pressure. They had gotten the certificate but never held a wedding. Chang Xuyu wasn't sure about the people around Yi Zhuo, but few people on her side knew she was married.
She hadn't confessed to Jian Jiayue. The other day when Yi Zhuo came to pick her up, there had been a misunderstanding, and she was really embarrassed.
"We're colleagues. No need to thank me." The man smiled gently.
When he looked up at her again, he couldn't help feeling disappointed. The light in his eyes dimmed a little.
Yuan Zixu finished her work, and the three of them went into the studio together.
The studio displayed oil paintings one after another. Yuan Zixu majored in fine arts and had loved Monet since college. Her oil paintings were mostly fresh and vivid.
Among them, there was one painting by Chang Xuyu.
Jian Jiayue spotted it at a glance.
"There's a touch of Rembrandt's work in it, Xuyu."
He pointed at the painting and nodded in approval.
Chang Xuyu was startled and touched her nose sheepishly.
She did love Rembrandt's paintings, especially the delicate handling of light and shadow.
Unfortunately, she was born colorblind, extremely insensitive to color. In school, her color scores were always the worst. She practiced relentlessly and barely managed to pass the art exam.
To her, painting was like life. In a picture that was originally dim, if a beam of light could happen to shine in, it would be enough to make the image rich and splendid.
Catching a glimpse of vibrant vitality within solemnity and majesty.
But she knew that a painting begins shaping its sense of light from the moment of color mixing. A picture that was meant to be gray would not be helped by adding highlights.
It was just fooling herself, seeking comfort.
"It really is my painting, Teacher Jian. You flatter me."
Chang Xuyu curved her lips faintly.
Yuan Zixu gave a thumbs up: "Impressive, Teacher Jian! Your observational skills are amazing. You spotted Xuyu's painting in one glance!"
Jian Jiayue hummed and explained: "After all, Xuyu and I work together. I'm very familiar with her style."
"But Xuyu's use of color still needs improvement."
Jian Jiayue glanced at her.
Chang Xuyu was emotionally unstable today and had no mind to discuss painting issues with him. She smiled faintly and didn't say anything else.
After a while, Yuan Zixu and Jian Jiayue discussed illustration matters alone. Yuan Zixu had many drafts, and Jian Jiayue gave specific requirements and suggestions. So they had to distill new things from the drafts, which was a big project.