Rebirth of the Fashion King

The two walked through the passageway connecting the two exhibition halls and entered the second oval room.

The paintings here are different from those in the first exhibition hall.

The colors are darker, with purple and deep blue dominating, and the light on the water's surface is fainter.

In the center of one painting is the reflection of a weeping willow. The trunk is thick, and the branches droop into the water. The green leaves and duckweed on the water's surface are intertwined, making them indistinguishable from each other.

"This painting was taken before sunrise," Li Xun said.

Liu Yifei stands in front of this painting.

The upper half of the picture shows a deep blue sky, while the lower half shows a deep green water surface. Between the two is a thin, slightly reddish light, a sign that the sun is about to rise. The water lilies have not yet opened; their leaves are closed, and the water surface is calm and undisturbed.

"When Monet painted this picture, he would get up at three o'clock every morning and wait for the sunrise by the pond," Li Xun's voice reached Liu Yifei's ears.

He said the light in the early morning is the best, the cleanest, and the least seen.

"The least seen by anyone".

Liu Yifei repeated these words, her eyes softening.

What else in this world is the least seen by anyone?

Li Xun thought for a moment and then replied.

"Very few."

Liu Yifei turned around and sat down on a bench in the center of the exhibition hall.

She patted the spot next to her.

Li Xun hesitated for a second, then sat down next to her.

The two sat quietly, surrounded by Monet's water lilies, with light streaming down from the dome, falling on their shoulders, hair, and knees.

The exhibition hall was quiet. Occasionally, footsteps could be heard from the other side of the passageway, then disappear again.

"You came here to find inspiration?" Liu Yifei asked, without turning to look at him, her eyes still fixed on the painting in front of her.

"Occasionally."

"one person?"

"one person."

  

"What are you doing here?"

"Sit, do nothing, just sit."

Liu Yifei smiled.

"Then there's one more person today."

"Yes, that's right."

The two fell silent again.

This quietness wasn't awkward; it was even quite comfortable, like two people floating together on a body of water surrounded by water lilies, needing not to speak, not to do anything, simply to exist.

"You really are a very special person," she suddenly said.

Li Xun turned to look at her.

"What's so special about it?"

"I can't explain it." Liu Yifei thought about it seriously.

"It's just... you're very quiet. When I'm with you, I feel like I become quiet too, unlike when I'm with other people, I always have to think of topics, talk, laugh, and respond."

"And now?"

"Now?" She smiled sweetly.

"Right now, I just want to sit here and look at these paintings."

"That's good."

"Um."

It was quiet again.

After a long time, Liu Yifei stood up.

"You haven't finished introducing me yet," she said with a smile. "My tour guide for the day, please continue leading the way."

……

Li Xun led Liu Yifei to the underground exhibition hall.

There are more people here than upstairs, but it's still very quiet.

Occasionally, a guide would walk by with a small group, speaking in a very low voice. Li Xun would slowly introduce the tour, occasionally stopping to let Liu Yifei see for herself.

His introduction was concise, without being verbose or using unnecessary adjectives; he simply stated the background, the technology, and the story.

Liu Yifei found that she quite enjoyed listening to him.

It wasn't because he knew a lot, but because of the way he spoke—calm, rational, and occasionally with a touch of understated humor.

He didn't try to please her, nor did he deliberately treat her coldly. His attitude towards her was natural from the beginning, as if he were treating an ordinary friend.

This naturalness made her feel very comfortable.

They stopped in front of Henri Rousseau's "The Snake Tempter" (which is actually housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France).

The painting is large and depicts a woman in a tropical jungle, standing amidst dark green plants, holding a flute in her hand, with a snake swimming over her shoulder.

The overall atmosphere of the scene is mysterious and dreamlike, like a dream that doesn't belong to the real world.

The plants are painted with extreme detail; each leaf has its own shape and texture, but when combined, they present a surreal effect.

"Rousseau was a customs officer who had never studied painting. He painted jungles, but he never left France. All the plants and animals were things he had seen in botanical gardens and picture books."

"How did he draw it?"

"Imagination," Li Xun explained. "He used his imagination to go to all the places he couldn't go before."

Looking at the strange plants and the woman in the painting, Liu Yifei suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

"Very good," she said softly.

"What's so good?"

"This place, these paintings, and your introduction," she turned to look at him, her eyes curving into crescents, "are all very good."

Li Xun looked at her.

Her eyes shone brightly at that moment; the lights of the underground exhibition hall reflected in her pupils, like two stars.

He looked away.

"There's also a temporary special exhibition," he said, "Paul Guillaume's Parisian Art World, want to go see it?"

Are you tired?

"Not tired."

"Let's go then."

……

When I left the special exhibition hall, it was almost 5:30.

The staircase was pure white. The two of them climbed the steps, their footsteps muffled yet clear in the enclosed vertical space.

Pushing open the door at the bottom of the stairs, the natural light from the first floor enveloped you once again. The sunlight had changed color, shining obliquely onto the floor-to-ceiling glass next to the souvenir shop.

Liu Yifei stopped and turned to look at Li Xun.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for showing me these paintings."

Her tone was genuine and sincere, without any formality.

"You're welcome," Li Xun said. "I just wanted to relax."

"But without you, I wouldn't understand these things." Her expression was very serious.

"I can only see the surface colors and composition; I can't understand the stories and meanings behind them. Monet's light, Rousseau's dreams, Modigliani's soul... without you, I can see nothing of all of these."

Li Xun looked at her, and her eyes met his directly, without flinching or shyness, only with open gratitude.

"How will you thank me?" he asked.

Liu Yifei paused for a moment, then her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Didn't you say before that you didn't admit to getting the invitations, so I didn't owe you a favor?" she retorted. "Why are you asking for it now?"

"I didn't arrange the invitation." Li Xun looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"But I was the one who gave the explanation."

"Alright then." Liu Yifei put her hands behind her back and slightly raised her chin.

"There's a Western restaurant in the Tuileries Garden next door. I'll treat you to dinner."

Li Xun shook his head.

"I have something to do tonight, so I'll skip dinner and just buy me a coffee instead."

"OK~ No problem."