Who wants to take the civil service exam after being reborn?

Chapter 608 The First Prize in Your Heart
When the contestants in the multi-functional hall began to paint, the students watching outside were initially very interested.

But after a while, it might get a bit boring, since it takes six hours.

So some students left, but other students kept coming in.

The teachers leading the teams couldn't leave. Fortunately, autumn in the capital was quite comfortable. Some stood outside, while others went to rest in the next classroom. Volunteers from the Central Academy of Fine Arts would hand them some bottled water.

"Tong Lan".

Seeing that everything was almost ready, Li Xianglan stood up and said, "I'll go to the gallery first, and I'll come back to take you out for lunch."

"Need not."

Tong Lan said politely, "You go ahead with your business. We'll have lunch nearby, and then we'll get together again after Yu Xian finishes his exams."

This shows that Li Xianglan and Tong Lan are quite familiar with each other, after all, one is Professor Guan's first disciple and the other is his niece, and they are about the same age.

Li Xianglan thought about it and didn't insist. However, before leaving, she saw Chen Zhe looking depressed, so she smiled and comforted him, "Chen Zhe, you don't need to worry too much. I know Xuanmei'er's strength very well. Her basic skills are not weaker than those candidates, and her talent is even higher than theirs."

"Yes, thank you, Aunt Lan."

Chen forced a smile. He wasn't worried about the exam, but rather about Cosplay Sister's words, "I'll come find you at Sun Yat-sen University."

Sweetie is still at Sun Yat-sen University. We agreed not to meet, so why are we meeting soon?
Furthermore, after much deliberation, Chen realized that he might not be able to stop them.

The first and second time, I can use "I'm busy outside and not at school" as an excuse, but what about the third and fourth time?
You can't use this excuse every time; it will only make you more and more suspicious.

So, it's definitely going to Sun Yat-sen University for cosplay!
The only consideration now is how to cover this up naturally.

The key word is "natural," which means "even though Yu Xian came to Zhongda University, they didn't notice anything unusual in the end."

This task is far more difficult than overturning the three mountains that once weighed on retrospection.

He remained gloomy until noon. Everyone assumed Chen was worried about his girlfriend, offered some words of advice but found it had no effect, so they let him be.

"Let's go grab something to eat at a small shop outside the school."

Wu Yu walked over, patted Chen on the shoulder, and said, "Don't be so anxious. Cosplay Sister will definitely win an award. Besides, she'll have a long vacation after her exams, so you two can be together every day. She can even come to class with you..."

"I was a little hungry, but after hearing your comforting words, I suddenly lost my appetite."

Chen said with "gratitude," "Thank you, Wu Yu. I hope you and Wang Changhua will be good friends for life and never quarrel."

"Ok?"

Wu Yu blinked; this "blessing" sounded rather strange.

Besides, being good friends who never argue... doesn't seem to imply being in a romantic relationship.

"Wu Yu".

Just as "Silly Beauty No. 2" was getting confused by Director Chen, Tong Lan called out from not far away: "Tell Chen to go eat."

"He's not going; he said he'll wait for the cosplayer here."

Wu Yu shook her head and said.

That's how we idiots are; if we can't figure something out, we just give up. Just like Wu Yu used to do math problems; if she couldn't solve them, she would just stop doing them.

In the end, it was Tong Lan who personally came to invite him, and Chen Zhe felt embarrassed to refuse.

I glanced at Cosplay Sister through the window again. She was holding a paintbrush, head down, focused on laying down colors. Occasionally, a proctor would stop behind her and then quietly walk away.

Seeing how focused she was, Chen Zhe figured she wouldn't finish anytime soon, so he followed Tong Lan and the others outside.

"Old Chen."

Wang Changhua's nagging voice came again: "It's just a small test, and you're so worried that you can't even eat. With a mentality like that, how will you ever control the Suhui Group in the future?"

"You talk too much nonsense. I also wish you and Wu Yu will be good friends for life."

Chen said sincerely.

……

While Chen and his group casually found a place outside the school to eat, Professor Guan and several other renowned figures were being invited by the leaders of the Central Academy of Fine Arts to a quiet private room in the cafeteria. The room, though not luxurious, was clean and elegant, likely reserved for official receptions.

A group of sprightly elderly men and women sat around a table, none of them drinking alcohol, but accompanied by tea, creating a relaxed and leisurely atmosphere.

These people are almost all participants and witnesses to the development of China's art after the reform and opening up, and some are even the founders of certain fields.

They chatted casually, their voices low, yet every word carried weight.

"The theme of Nirvana is actually very easy to fall into clichés."

The speaker was Li Heyi, the former president of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, who, like Kwan Wing-yee, has now stepped down to focus on nurturing the next generation.

He said with a smile, "Ninety percent of students subconsciously think of phoenixes, fire, and rebirth. Their compositions might be a magnificent bird spreading its wings and taking flight from the flames, and their colors are inseparable from the strong clash of red and gold. But it's easy to get visually fatigued if you look at them too much."

"Indeed."

Fan Di, the president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, agreed, saying, "Students in these formal art academies are getting better and better in terms of basic skills, but their ideas are becoming more and more similar. On the contrary, amateur enthusiasts who have not formally studied art always come up with amazing creativity."

Mr. Xia Peiyao, a retired professor at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute who was rehired, is also a second-level senior professor.

He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Artistic creation is not about the grandeur of the theme, but about the depth of understanding. This year, many children will definitely use the earthquake as the background for their creations. As someone who experienced it firsthand, I have a say in this year's selection."

"That won't work."

Another elderly gentleman with gray hair, Professor Yang Yongshan from the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, waved his hand in disagreement: "Your eight-academy exchange competition always excludes us because the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University is not an independent institution. But now that you're a judge, you've dragged us over to do the work. Old Xia, you're even trying to take away this little bit of power."

"What's the big deal?"

Xia Peiyao said nonchalantly, "Anyway, with the talent of the students from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute participating this year, they can only get a third prize at most. They probably can't expect to get a first or second prize, so I definitely can't be biased. What do you say, Lao Guan?"

When Professor Xia started shouting, he even started speaking in Sichuan and Chongqing dialect.

"Don't ask me."

Kwan Wing-yee said calmly, "We have a good chance of winning an award this year."

Upon hearing this, the elderly people in the private room fell silent for a moment.

Everyone knows that Kwan Wing-yee has a straightforward temper, but she also holds a high position. There are many professors here, but there are really very few "second-level senior professors".

Only Xia Peiyao and Guan Yongyi are eligible to receive government subsidies.

Perhaps because of their similar social standing, or perhaps because he retained a childlike heart, Professor Xia still smiled and struck up a conversation: "I know, you've taken on a very talented disciple, and that kid seems to be from Sichuan or Chongqing."

Kwan Wing-yee sensed something was wrong and looked at Old Xia warily: "So what if it is?"

Xia Peiyao suddenly sighed, and said with a wronged tone, "Our Sichuan Fine Arts Institute hasn't encountered a kid with such frighteningly high talent for many years..."

As Lao Xia spoke, he used his eyes, hidden beneath his graying eyebrows, to observe Guan Yongyi's expression.

Grandma Guan almost laughed out of anger. She had gone through so much trouble to finally find a young apprentice to inherit her mantle, and he was exceptional in every way, from his personality to his talent.

And yet you, old man, actually set your sights on my apprentice.

Kwan Wing-yee's lips twitched. If she hadn't seen Vice Dean Chang Ruomin push open the door, the words she was about to say would probably have already been shoved right into Old Man Xia's face.

Chang Ruomin was in charge of maintaining order in the examination room. When she patrolled the room, she naturally took in all the candidates' works.

So as soon as he entered, everyone's eyes immediately turned to him.

Vice Dean Chang was a generation younger than many of the people present. She was startled by being stared at like that, but she understood what these seniors were thinking. She smiled and sat down at the end of the table, saying, "The children are all quite good, and their level is quite good."

As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily swept over her own dean and Kwan Wing-yee's face.

Some elderly people were unhappy with this vague answer.

Professor Ji Xiaoyue from Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts said, "Ruomin, please explain yourself clearly. Would we possibly show favoritism or treat any child unfairly? The chairman of the review committee, Lao Yang, is also here."

That's right.

Because he himself didn't have much of a chance this year, Professor Xia Peiyao, who always seemed to enjoy stirring up trouble, said, "Xiao Chang, what's your opinion on who will win first prize?"

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(End of this chapter)