It fell from his fingertips

"Hello, Mr. Lu."

Tang Luoqing then came to her senses and took the lead in greeting Old Master Lu.

Her ears turned bright red instantly, and she lowered her head, bowing deeply to Grandpa Lu. Her voice was full of admiration: "Grandpa, I... I really love your paintings. I copied many of them when I was in school."

The girl bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, her words filled with undisguised admiration, her voice trembling with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Then he raised his head and nodded earnestly to Zhou Jinbai: "Hello, Big Brother."

He hurriedly bent down to pick up the drawing paper from the ground.

Grandpa Lu glanced meaningfully at Zhou Jinbai, who seemed unmoved across from him, then smiled and waved to Tang Luoqing, his kind face saying, "Young lady, don't be so polite. Are you Yan Chen's girlfriend? Come and sit down."

His gaze slowly swept between the two of them, a knowing smile hidden in his eyes. He raised his white eyebrows slightly and spoke in a friendly tone like a neighbor's elder, not at all like the reclusive old man that outsiders might perceive him to be.

"He's a newly signed artist with our company."

Lu Yu also squatted down to help Tang Luoqing pick up the drawing paper, and casually explained.

Then it dawned on me: "Wait a minute, the artist I signed is actually your brother's girlfriend? What a coincidence!"

But then I thought about it again. Tang Luoqing only posts her own paintings on Weibo and never anything else. I guess Assistant Shen doesn't know that "Qingqing Painting Cats" is his boss's younger brother's girlfriend. Isn't that a coincidence?

Lu Yu picked up a sketch, glanced at it, and his eyes lit up: "Did you draw this outside just now? It's really good."

They completely disregarded this coincidence of their identities.

Tang Luoqing hadn't expected that her boyfriend's brother had such a good relationship with her idol, and even with President Lu. Her face turned even redder. She took the drawing paper and said softly, "No, no, I'm just doing some random drawing. It's not finished yet."

Her cheeks were burning hot. She hurriedly stuffed the drawing paper into her sketchbook, stood there holding the sketchbook, and paused for a moment before remembering that Grandpa Lu had just asked her to sit down.

Tang Luoqing then quietly sat down on a stone bench not far from Zhou Jinbai.

The main thing is that she never expected to run into Zhou Jinbai here.

She had only caught a fleeting glimpse of this man in the car last time and found him to be aloof and serious. Now, bumping into him in this setting, Tang Luoqing became even more nervous and didn't know where to put her hands.

As a light sweat slowly began to form on his palms, Old Master Lu spoke.

"Let me see it."

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a deep, mellow quality that had been building up over many years, making it exceptionally clear in the quiet pavilion.

Tang Luoqing was taken aback, then quickly stood up and walked over, handing the sketchbook to Old Master Lu, nervously at a loss for what to do.

Inside her sketchbook were some unfinished drawings she had done outside, as well as some small practice sketches that were all messy and she was too embarrassed to show them to anyone.

But Old Lu flipped through a few pages, reading very attentively, and nodding from time to time.

When he turned to a sketch of a kitten on a windowsill, he stopped, pointed at the drawing, and asked, "Did you draw this?"

"Um."

Tang Luoqing responded softly, clutching the hem of her clothes, her heart pounding rapidly.

"good."

Old Lu smiled and handed the sketchbook back to Tang Luoqing: "It does have a spark, but it's still lacking something, too deliberate. Painting requires feeling, not just technique. If you want to paint temperature, you have to feel it first, understand?"

As he spoke, the old man leaned back slightly, his tone slow and leisurely, as if he were talking about a painting, or something else entirely, his eyes carrying a wise look that came from experience.

Upon hearing this, Tang Luoqing's eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded, "I understand, thank you, Elder Lu."

The girl had a soft smile, her eyes curved into crescent moons, and two shallow dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth. The pencil ash on the tip of her nose hadn't been wiped off yet, making her look a little silly, but also a little cute.

Zhou Jinbai lowered his eyes, and his fingertips, which were resting on the chessboard, paused slightly.

The chess piece landed on the board with a "thud," heavier than usual.

He didn't look up, but he clearly heard Tang Luoqing's laughter, soft and sweet like a peach candy.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the girl looking up at Old Master Lu and Lu Yu, her clear eyes filled with admiration and joy.

Zhou Jinbai withdrew his peripheral vision and continued to focus on the chessboard in front of him, but his gaze was somewhat vacant, as if he were looking at some chess piece.

Grandpa Lu glanced at Zhou Jinbai, stroked his beard, smiled, and slowly added, "No wonder even Jinbai is willing to give you pointers."

Zhou Jinbai was once Mr. Lu's most prized student. He had an exceptional talent for painting in his early years and made a name for himself in the industry at a young age. He was recognized as a promising talent in the art world, and everyone thought that he would continue down this path and achieve unparalleled success in the art festival.

Unfortunately, the Zhou Group later faced internal and external troubles. Old Master Zhou's health could not withstand the burden, and his father was also unable to take on the responsibility. The stock price plummeted, and the foundation was on the verge of collapse. As the eldest son of the Zhou family and Old Master Zhou's favorite grandson, Zhou Jinbai had to interrupt his promising studies and return to the company to take the helm. He was forced to change his hand from holding a paintbrush to holding a pen to sign contracts, thus ruining Zhou Jinbai's otherwise brilliant future in painting.

Tang Luoqing was stunned, her eyes widening in surprise: "What?"

Then it dawned on me: could it be that the legendary, incredibly capable friend of President Lu, the one who could easily spot the problems in her painting, was Zhou Jinbai?

So, that's why the older brother spotted the flaws in her painting at a glance last time in the car?

After realizing what was happening, Tang Luoqing quickly asked tentatively, "So, the friend that President Lu mentioned last time was Big Brother? Is that right? Thank you, Big Brother."

Hearing this, Lu Yu, who was leaning against the pillar, looked at Zhou Jinbai and smiled: "No wonder. I was wondering why you stared at the painting for so long at the beginning. Were you also surprised that your brother's girlfriend could paint so well?"

Then, Lu Yu said to Tang Luoqing, "I never expected you two to have this kind of relationship. If I had known, you could have just asked Jin Bai for advice. He has a really sharp eye."

Tang Luoqing never expected that the mysterious person she had hoped to meet would actually be her elder brother.

In an instant, everyone's attention was focused on Zhou Jinbai.

The man spun the chess piece halfway between his fingers, gave a soft "hmm," and then put the piece down.

It was as if he wasn't the one being noticed by everyone.

Time passed quietly, and Tang Luoqing knew that this was not a place where she, an outsider, could stay casually.

She glanced at the chessboard, then at Zhou Jinbai and Grandpa Lu, who were engrossed in their game, and wondered how to bring up the idea of ​​taking a stroll in the garden.

Fortunately, Grandpa Lu said, "Let's go for a walk. Lu Yu, you go and explain things to him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Old Master Lu's gaze fell on Zhou Jinbai again, and he stroked his beard with a meaningful smile.

Lu Yu was taken aback, realizing that the old man had begun to approve of Tang Luoqing, and his smile deepened: "Alright."

Tang Luoqing was both surprised and delighted. She bowed to Grandpa Lu to express her sincere gratitude, and then looked at Zhou Jinbai: "Brother, I'll be going now. I won't disturb your game of chess any longer."

Zhou Jinbai didn't look up, and simply hummed in agreement.

Tang Luoqing, clutching her sketchbook, followed Lu Yu outside. Her steps were light and unsteady, as if she were walking on cotton. It felt so unreal, like a dream, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

This was her first time entering Qinyuan Garden.

Just around the corner of the pavilion, the entire garden unfolds before you without reservation.

The weeping willows on both sides of the road swayed, and when the wind blew, it swept across the lotus leaves in the pond, casting dappled shadows.

In the distance, pavilions are scattered about with upturned eaves and corners. Every few steps under the corridor, there is an old elm wood easel, some of which still hold unfinished paintings.

Further in, at the end of the lotus pond, hidden in the bamboo shade, is a studio with earthen walls and wooden windows. Unidentified flowers climb all over the entrance. This is where Grandpa Lu usually paints.

As Lu Yu walked, he talked about the origin of the garden, where the old man had painted his famous works, and which year the lotus flowers were in full bloom.

Tang Luoqing listened intently, occasionally squatting down to take photos or sketch with her phone.

Throughout the entire process, I was inwardly thrilled but dared not reveal a single trace of it.

Along the way, I couldn't help but glance at the second-floor pavilion in the distance, where an old man and a young man seemed to be playing chess.

In the pavilion,

Grandpa Lu placed a white piece, looked up at the person opposite him, and said with a hint of inquiry and a smile, "That young girl was quite good."

"Um."

Zhou Jinbai responded, his fingers holding a black piece, his gaze fixed on the chessboard, but he hesitated to make a move.

"You seem distracted today."

Grandpa Lu tapped the chessboard, his teasing tone undisguised: "You're playing much slower than usual, which isn't like you."

Zhou Jinbai paused for a moment, then placed the chess piece down, his tone calm: "No, I was just thinking about the company's project."

"Yeah?"

Grandpa Lu's smile became even more meaningful: "I thought you were looking at that young girl."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinbai's fingertips turned slightly white. He then raised his eyes, his expression remaining calm and showing no sign of panic. His tone was also impeccable: "Grandpa Lu is joking."

The man spoke so frankly, as if it were truly just that Old Master Lu had misunderstood.

Grandpa Lu placed another piece, a smile playing on his lips, without revealing his intentions. The white piece landed in a position that directly threatened the heart of the black territory.

Zhou Jinbai stared at the chessboard, his eyes darkening slightly. He pondered for a moment, then carefully placed a black piece in the gap, forcefully blocking the dangerous situation.

Although the move was accurate, it lacked the usual sharpness and aggressiveness, and instead showed a hesitation that was never seen in the president of the Zhou Group.

Seeing Zhou Jinbai's tenacious defensive stance, Old Master Lu stroked his white beard, smiled, and didn't rush to press his advantage. He glanced at the seemingly unfazed young man opposite him, then suddenly changed the subject: "Jinbai, playing chess is like judging a person. In this game, your defense was too tight, which actually... revealed a weakness."

After a slight pause, Old Master Lu glanced at the girl who was intently sketching in the distance, then smiled meaningfully and said, "Let me give you another piece of advice: Before the outcome is decided, anything is possible. Sometimes, you have to fight for everything."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinbai tightened his grip on the flag slightly, his knuckles turning white, and his eyes flickered.

Should we give it a shot?

But he couldn't change her identity.

She might not want to see that kind of situation.

The man's prominent Adam's apple bobbed forcefully, but he remained silent, only gripping the chess piece between his fingers tighter. Emotions surged in his eyes, but his face remained expressionless.

However, the pace of placing the pieces was noticeably slower than before.