Old Harden, can you handle having your vision-shifting abilities on all the time?

After the two finished washing up and changing their clothes, it was already one o'clock in the afternoon.

Since the hotel's buffet restaurant was past lunchtime, Xu Xing ordered takeout and also bought a complete set of traditional Chinese painting tools in the same city.

After ordering a table full of dishes, Li Yuting wolfed down her food, mumbling between bites, "I'm starving, I used up so much energy last night..."

Xu Xing picked up a piece of pork rib for her and said with a smile, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

"Mmm..."

Li Yuting chewed on a rib and mumbled, "Brother Xu, you should eat too, don't just look at me."

Xu Xing smiled and began to eat.

After lunch, Li Yuting still had some difficulty moving around, and her steps were slightly awkward.

She decided not to go back to school and stayed at the hotel with Xu Xing instead.

He took out his phone and said, "Brother Xu, since we don't have anything else to do, let me explain the basic theoretical knowledge to you first."

She opened her phone's photo album, found some pictures of traditional Chinese paintings, and began to explain them to Xu Xing.

"The core of traditional Chinese painting is the line, and the quality of the line determines the spirit and charm of the painting."

Look at this section of "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains". Huang Gongwang's lines seem casual, but in fact, every stroke is carefully considered...

Li Yuting spoke very seriously, explaining everything from the use of lines to the shades of ink, from the composition to the techniques of leaving blank space, in a clear, concise, and easy-to-understand manner.

Xu Xing listened attentively, occasionally asking questions.

He discovered that after being enhanced multiple times by the Warm Current of Antiques, his memory and comprehension abilities had improved significantly.

He could basically remember what Li Yuting said after listening to it only once, and he could quickly grasp the essence of it.

"Brother Xu, look here."

Li Yuting pointed to a flower and bird painting on her phone screen and said, "The painter used the 'silk feather method' to draw the texture of the feathers one by one with a fine brush, so as to show the fluffiness and texture of the feathers."

As he spoke, he casually picked up a paintbrush from the coffee table and demonstrated it on a sticky note.

Although it was just a few simple strokes, the bird's feathers were already incredibly lifelike.

"See, that's it."

She handed the note to Xu Xing and asked, "Why don't you give it a try?"

Xu Xing took the paintbrush and imitated her brushstrokes on another piece of sticky paper.

His movements were steady, and his strokes were decisive. Although he was not as skilled as Li Yuting after a few strokes, he had already captured the essence of the character.

"what?"

Li Yuting looked at his painting in surprise and said, "Brother Xu, you really haven't studied traditional Chinese painting systematically before?"

"No, it's just that some painting techniques are used when repairing porcelain, but it's all just copying the designs, so there's no systematic learning involved."

"Your talent is just too amazing!"

Li Yuting exclaimed sincerely, "When I first learned the silk-hair technique, it took me a whole week to barely get it to look like anything. You managed to draw something like this on your first try! It's infuriating how people compare!"

Xu Xing smiled but didn't say anything.

He knew this wasn't talent, but rather the result of modifying antique warm currents.

Those warm currents not only improved his physical fitness but also enhanced his brain function, giving him stronger learning and practical abilities.

"Brother Xu, if you had pursued traditional Chinese painting a few years earlier, you would definitely be a renowned master in the field now."

Li Yuting exclaimed, "It's such a waste that someone with your talent isn't painting."

"It's never too late to learn."

Xu Xing put down his pencil and said, "Besides, I learned traditional Chinese painting to help with porcelain restoration, not to make a living from it."

"Too."

Li Yuting nodded and said, "Your porcelain restoration skills are so good that you earn more in a year than those masters of traditional Chinese painting earn in a lifetime. There's really no need for you to change careers."

The two chatted for a while longer, then Li Yuting yawned: "Brother Xu, I'm sleepy, I want to take a nap."

"Go ahead, I'll look at some more materials."

"don't want."

Li Yuting took his hand and said, "Sleep with me."

Xu Xing smiled helplessly: "Okay, I'll go with you."

The two lay in bed, and Li Yuting nestled in his arms like a kitten, quickly falling asleep.

Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, Xu Xing felt a rare sense of tranquility.

……

Another day passed, and Li Yuting's condition improved a lot; she could walk without much difficulty.

She then took Xu Xing to Professor Feng's studio.

Professor Feng's studio is located in an old residential area near the art academy. It is a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment that has been converted into a professional art studio.

As soon as I pushed open the door, a strong smell of ink wafted towards me.

The studio contained several painting tables, and the walls were covered with works by Professor Feng and his students. Various types of Xuan paper and paints were piled up in the corner.

"Professor Feng usually creates and teaches here."

Li Yuting led Xu Xing on a tour and said, "Everything here is usable; the paints, paper, and brushes are all professional-grade."

She walked to a painting table, spread out a sheet of Xuan paper, weighed it down with a paperweight, and then picked up a brush and dipped it in ink.

"Brother Xu, let me demonstrate the most basic brushstrokes for you first. Traditional Chinese painting brushstrokes are divided into four types: central brushstroke, side brushstroke, reverse brushstroke, and scattered brushstroke. Each type has a different expressive effect..."

Li Yuting explained while demonstrating on paper.

Her movements were fluid; her wrist moved nimbly, and the pen tip danced across the paper, leaving behind streaks of ink, some dark and some light.

"When using a central brush tip, the brush handle is perpendicular to the paper, and the tip moves in the middle of the ink line to create a rounded and full line, which is suitable for outlining contours."

"Using the side of the brush with the brush handle tilted, the brush tip on one side of the ink line creates rich variations in the lines, making it suitable for texturing mountains and rocks."

"Using the reverse stroke technique, with the brush tip moving in the opposite direction, produces lines that are stiff yet powerful, suitable for depicting withered branches and old trunks."

"When using a 'scattered tip' brush, the bristles spread out, allowing multiple lines to be drawn in one stroke, making it suitable for depicting hair, grass, and the like."

She explained in great detail, drawing the corresponding lines on paper for each brushstroke she described, allowing Xu Xing to intuitively experience the effects of different brushstrokes.

"Brother Xu, why don't you give it a try?"

She handed the calligraphy brush to Xu Xing.

Xu Xing took the pen, took a deep breath, and began to practice on the paper according to the key points Li Yuting had just explained.

Center forward, wing forward, back forward, spread forward...

He was a little awkward at first, but he quickly got the hang of it.

His wrist is very steady, and his control over the pen is becoming more and more precise, resulting in increasingly smooth lines.

Li Yuting watched from the side, becoming more and more surprised.

She originally thought that although Xu Xing had good talent, he was still a beginner and there would definitely be many irregularities that she would need to correct one by one.

But Xu Xing's performance completely surprised her.

Although his brushwork is not yet fully refined, he has mastered the basic techniques and makes almost no mistakes that are common for beginners.

"Brother Xu, you're really not lying to me, are you?"

Li Yuting couldn't help but ask again, "Are you sure you've never studied traditional Chinese painting before?"

"I really haven't learned it."

Xu Xing put down his pen and explained, "I use some of these when repairing porcelain, but I just figured them out myself."

"Your self-learning ability is truly terrifying."

Li Yuting exclaimed, "Do you know what? The strokes you just drew are already better than what I achieved after practicing for a month."

"However, you still have some minor issues."

Li Yuting walked to his side, reached out and took his hand holding the pen, and said, "For example, here, your wrist is too stiff. You need to relax it a bit, let the power transfer from your shoulder to your wrist and then from your wrist to the tip of the pen..."

She gently corrected Xu Xing's posture, their bodies very close together, and she could smell the faint scent of laundry detergent on him.