My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Watching the retreating figure of this outstanding worker, Wayne sighed.

"As long as you're doing something you love, no matter how tough it is, you'll do your best to overcome it because of your anticipation of the outcome."

Chris glanced at Wayne and asked, "Wayne, is there... anything you really want to do?"

Things I want to do—

It seems that no matter what I'm dealing with, I don't have any absolute obligation to make it happen.

No, does having a harem count?

Wayne laughed and said, "Of course, I'll stay with Chris forever."

This isn't a lie, but it's only half the truth.

Hearing his unwavering answer, Chris looked at him with tender eyes.

“Nothing in this world is permanent,” she said softly.

"—But I will love you until fate changes us."

This seemingly casual statement carried an undeniable air, leaving Wayne stunned for a second.

Barely managing to control his expression, Wayne chuckled and changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Chris..."

"Didn't you claim last night that you were the chosen one who could get whatever you wanted and succeed at whatever you did?"

Chris immediately lost her composure.

"When did I say that?!" She immediately denied it to the bitter end.

"Oh?" Wayne smiled mischievously, revealing her shameful declarations little by little.

"Who exactly is that person who claims to be the female lead and angrily calls me an idiot and says I can't understand human language?"

His eyes were full of doubt, as if he really wanted to know.

And so, Chris's face gradually flushed red.

"Why are you looking at me! It wasn't me anyway!" she shouted defiantly, grabbed the cushion behind her and threw it at Wayne's face, then quickly left the scene before Wayne could react.

Wayne caught the soft cushion with quick reflexes, shook his head, casually placed it on the armrest of the sofa, and then lay down.

Whether you're the protagonist or a supporting character... everyone has their own unique life.

Whatever awaits them on the road ahead, no one can face it for them except themselves.

……

After a considerable period of time, the publisher's call for submissions of artwork has finally come to an end.

Chris also became very busy, and Wayne had to run around with her every day.

The judges who accepted the invitation are now conducting their selections daily at Leaf Publishing House. Apart from Chris's special "one-vote decision-making power," each award generally follows the principle of majority rule.

However, although the judges were all highly skilled painters, their personal aesthetic tastes differed, and they often argued over some unconventional works.

Finally, Chris suggested that all submissions be screened three times, with the number of winners decreasing at each stage, and the final awards would be determined in the last round. This finally calmed the escalating argument.

By the time the selection process reached the final round, only seven works remained on the table.

"Every single one of them is excellent, it's really hard to choose..."

Mrs. Cherry wore a black veiled hat, which she did not take off even indoors, the brim of which covered half of her face.

At first, Wayne had some doubts about her identity as an inside agent. But after spending some time with her, he discovered that she seemed to have genuinely participated in the art magazine selection simply because of her painting skills.

At this point, Modric interjected, "There's one more book that's confirmed to be published as a third-place winner. That means it will have four to five pages in each of the six magazines in the first season."

He carefully placed a bound manuscript on the table.

It was Chris's submission.

The judges already knew there would be a pre-selected entry, but since the funding and awards were all provided by the Wincher family, and the pre-selected entry wasn't for the first prize, no one objected.

The financial backers behind the scenes have to get something out of it too...

According to the original call for submissions, once these paintings were selected, the ownership of the works would transfer to Leaf Publishing House the moment the artist received the prize money.

The publisher will allocate the space in each issue of the magazine based on the length of the works, with the first prize winners having the most pages and the third prize winners having the fewest pages.

Although Chris originally wanted to create a long-term serial subscription product with a new issue released every two weeks and a rotating series of works every quarter, there were still many problems in the specific operation because this sales method had not been implemented before.

"If the first-prize winning entry is too short and ends too quickly, how will the follow-up content keep up?" Mrs. Cherry asked curiously.

The specific publication details afterward had little to do with the judges; Mrs. Cherry's question was purely a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Modric glanced at her and patiently explained, "We can use other materials that our publishing house usually collects to supplement them... Initially, they will all be published at the lowest level, and then the length will be adjusted gradually according to the market response."

If the quality is too poor or it's unpopular, it might be forcibly canceled after only a few publications.

Initially, Modric was worried about this seemingly inhumane rule. With such fierce competition, what if the submission rate couldn't keep up with the publication rate?

However, when he actually put it into practice, he discovered that there are more talented people in the world who are willing to put in the effort than he had imagined.

Chapter 508 The Painting Genius Chris

Now, including Chris's book, there are a total of eight books on the table.

However, with one first prize, two second prizes, and three third prizes, there are only six winners in total. If we temporarily retain the spot that Chris has already decided on, it means we'll have to eliminate two more books from the remaining seven.

This put the judges in a very difficult position.

"I think the plot of this painting is just too... bizarre. Although the brushstrokes and techniques are skillful, they cannot cover up the problems with its theme, making it slightly inferior to other works," one judge commented first, trying to be as restrained as possible.

However, another judge gave a completely opposite opinion.

"We are painters! Superiority in painting is the decisive factor."

"That book does have some problems with its plot, but it's not so bad that it's completely inconsistent. Its excellent composition and visuals can make up for it. It's unfair to eliminate it just because of a small flaw!" That book was his favorite, and he wouldn't agree to it being eliminated no matter what.

"The plot is the most important thing!"

"Painting is the most important thing!"

The dispute, which had just subsided, is showing signs of recurring.

Wayne took the book, "The Spark," from between the two of them and flipped through it casually.

"Why don't you two take a look at Chris's work first? If you relax, you might be able to make a more objective judgment," he suggested.

He had browsed through all of these books and had a general idea of ​​their advantages and disadvantages.

It's not because I personally favor Chris that I think she has a talent for painting, but rather because her skills and imagination are truly unique in an era when the exploration of various formulas was still lagging behind.

Just as after eating an extremely delicious and strongly flavored dish, ordinary dishes will seem bland, Chris's creations have just that flavor.

He felt a little resentful because he noticed that the judges subconsciously ignored Chris's work and focused all their attention on the few works selected from a large number of submissions.

"Uh……"

The two judges froze for a moment, but with Wayne's strong recommendation, they finally reluctantly picked up Chris's pre-selected work, which had been ignored by everyone.

Seeing them open the cover and quickly immerse themselves in the story, Wayne chuckled to himself.

Ignorant mortals, prepare to be crushed by modern ideas!

Before long, an exclamation rang out in the judging room: "This...this level of skill...how could there be such a genius?!"

Everyone else in the room was immediately drawn to the surprised voice.

Upon seeing the more exquisitely bound pages in the man's hand, someone immediately displayed a peculiar expression that was both complex and clear.

Could it be that even he... finally succumbed to the power of the wealthy and powerful, choosing to flatter them against his will?

Then Mrs. Cherry came over and said, "Hmm, it seems I've found a very good piece of work. I'll take a look too."

Next, the others clearly saw that the famous socialite's expression changed several times, and her expression became increasingly serious.

"This……"

……

What principles underlie the creation of so-called geniuses?

Cherry was once again at a loss regarding this question.

She loves painting.

Only through painting can she experience the feeling that she is in control of everything.

What will appear on the blank canvas depends entirely on her decision.

She can boldly choose novel color schemes and recklessly highlight the theme of rebellion, without having to continue to force herself to be a puppet in someone else's hands.

Only when she is engrossed in painting is "Cherry" an independent and free person.

Nevertheless, she still felt that she didn't actually have much skill in painting itself.

She simply enjoyed it and practiced diligently when she had nothing else to do.

Although she has indeed gained considerable fame, with many people treating her and her paintings as honored guests, she is also well aware that most of the praise stems not from her own talent, but from the connections behind her…

The more she understood these things, the more she wanted to prove herself.

If Cherry herself had any wishes, it was that she wanted to create even more amazing paintings so that everyone could see her true talent.

This was her only selfish desire after she had abandoned all other delusions.

Putting down the sketch in her hand, she felt a slight sense of loneliness.

Is it a blessing or a curse to have such a genius right in front of you?

Seeing outstanding works that transcend time is indeed delightful; however, living in the same era as such a "monster" only makes all other painters pale in comparison.

"This should be the first prize."

Mrs. Cherry said in a slightly hoarse voice.

Hearing that even she said so, one judge after another solemnly accepted Chris's submission, and one by one they revealed an indescribable expression.

It's hard to say whether I'm happy or unhappy.

“This level of work is beyond my ability to judge.” Finally, someone broke the silence. “I agree, this should be first prize.”

As he spoke, the man looked at Chris, who was sitting calmly at the other end with no expression on her face.

“Miss Chris, you should have brought it out sooner… If we really only award it third prize, it would be an insult to our professional competence.”

Chris shook her head.

"The lowest award is fine, I have my own plans." She still insisted on her original idea.

"The most important goal of this call for submissions is to discover painters who can produce a stable output over a long period of time, but for me, doing this is just out of interest."

This almost explicitly states that she won't be working in this industry for long.

Upon receiving this illogical explanation, the judges' expressions became even more complicated.

Indeed, awards or prize money held little appeal for her, but—

"But wouldn't that be a waste of your talent and ability...?"

One of the judges, somewhat reluctantly, advised, "If you continue to hone your skills, you will surely become a great painter!"

"Well..." Chris's response was tinged with distress and a hint of helplessness.

"Greatness or not... is not what I pursue."

She said with a faint smile, "I only want to do what I'm interested in, even if it's painting."

"It's just a tool I use to experience life, not my life itself."

Chapter 509 The Work of the Publishing House

Wayne, casually leaning against the window, turned his gaze away from the various expressions on the faces of the people in the judging room.

In fact, in many ways, Chris's ideas coincided with her own.

No, it should be said that her life was purer and more unrestrained than mine.

Like herself, she was also wholeheartedly trying to make herself happier, and in fact, she had largely succeeded in achieving her goal. But she still had many concerns and couldn't bring herself to appear truly honest with her.

What's most frustrating is that most of the pain and troubles are self-inflicted.