Uneasy daily life

The woman looked extremely angry, her cold voice grinding out a sharp conclusion in her throat.

“Hey, hey, that’s not a firecracker,” Nian corrected seriously. “That’s called a sparkler.”

Veins bulged on the woman's smooth forehead as she gritted her teeth and said, "If you come into my room again, I'll burn your messy scripts!"

"Alright, alright, I know you're going through a rebellious phase lately, so don't let the guests see how you're doing." Nian replied perfunctorily, then raised his hand to introduce her, "This is my younger sister—Xi, the eleventh in the family. This kid has been exceptionally talented at drawing since she was little; a sneeze on paper can conjure up a stormy sky..."

"She just gave birth a little earlier than me, so stop acting like an elder. Your foul breath is making me feel uncomfortable."

Xi retorted coldly, walked to the table and sat down: "What do you want? Get to the point, and don't bother me after you've finished."

Why does it feel like there's both heavy snow and light snow underneath? Eleventh in line? Your parents had at least eleven children?!

Feng Bin and Hua were in a strange mood, so they suppressed their urge to complain.

"Here's the thing, I'm looking for an illustrator for my light novel," Bai Ying said. "Director Nian said you're a master of traditional Chinese painting who can sell his paintings while still alive. I have a little doubt about whether you're up to the task."

“Any kind of painting is fine.” Xi said confidently, seemingly eager to finish and get off work. “To stop this guy from bothering me all the time, I’ll paint some paintings for you—what kind do you want? Ink wash? Realism? Freehand? Just tell me your requirements.”

"Wait, I need light novel illustrations," Bai Ying corrected. "Why don't you take a look at my light novels and then think about how to draw them?"

"light novel?"

Xi looked somewhat curious.

Bai Ying picked up the printer paper she had brought and handed it over: "Please!"

Xi took the book and quickly flipped through it, displaying a kind of quantum reading speed, yet she seemed quite focused, as if she had actually finished reading: "This is Japanese light novel? It's light and cheerful on the surface, funny and interesting on the inside, and unrestrained and carefree on the outside. The writing style is unchanging, but it can be given a fresh twist by the times. It has a bit of Third Sister's carefree spirit, not bad... If you were to draw pictures based on the text, the fantastical otherworldly scenery and various characters would convey a sense of novelty and vastness. It wouldn't be difficult to draw them."

The young man flicked his fan, obscuring half his face, his eyes curving slightly.

"Stop," the white figure gestured. "I don't want you to draw those things."

"You mean the art style? I've also studied Japanese anime and manga styles; after all, Japanese manga is quite famous, and I've read quite a few." Xi spoke confidently, her words naturally exuding the arrogance of a master artist, able to chat effortlessly with any client. "Even if you don't know what kind of work you want, I can quickly adjust it to a level that you can't criticize..."

"No, I'm not talking about the art style, but about what to draw."

Bai Ying reached out and took the manuscript paper, pointing to the description in the first chapter: "For example, this part needs to be drawn. My requirement is that through light and brushstrokes, people can feel the hazy, the sense of autumn in a single leaf, and the lingering ambiguity of color!"

Xi was taken aback. "You mean you want me to draw something?"

Bai Ying: "In short, it's about color."

evening:"?"

"Oh, you can't imagine the specific scene?" Bai Ying took out her phone and pulled up a few photos she had just taken of Feng Bin and Hua. "It's this pose, but you have to be leaning against a wall, holding onto the edge of the wall. From outside the alley, it should be your hands and feet showing. Let's say someone is grabbing your calves—that's right! To make it more specific and obvious, the man's hand should be faintly visible at the calves! This part of the scene can be further refined. As expected of me, I've already figured out how to revise it for the standalone book so quickly..."

Feng Bin and Hua, who were eating sunflower seeds, froze. What? My photo... huh?

"Wait, wait!" Xi's eyes widened. "What plot points do you want me to draw for this novel?!"

Bai Ying said matter-of-factly, "The illustrations for female characters, of course, can't pass the censors. They have to have a subtle, hazy, and alluring beauty. For example, it's like your bangs covering one eye, only revealing the other eye, that kind of half-covered, half-revealed..."

Xi immediately raised her voice: "I won't draw!"

Bai Ying immediately frowned: "What do you mean by not drawing? Are you not capable?"

"You're the one who's not up to par!" Xi said angrily. "Ridiculous! Ridiculous! You're asking me to draw seven or eight tenths of the content, but I'm not supposed to draw any of that awful, vulgar stuff?!"

"Just draw it because I told you to. Do you know more about light novels than I do? I didn't ask you to draw anything adult!" Bai Ying adopted the attitude of a client. "Xiao Xi, you can't be untrustworthy. You need to know the spirit of contracts..."

"I won't paint!" Xi Yi waved her hand dismissively. "I never give away my paintings. Please leave!"

Bai Ying decisively turned to look at Nian, who was holding a fan and chuckling to himself, and pointed at Xi: "Look at her!"

"Ahem, Xiaoxi, didn't we already agree on this?" Nian put down his fan and said with a serious face, "What do you mean by not giving away paintings? That's ancient history. You've sold paintings a few times before, haven't you?"

Xi's eyes twitched: "This is a matter of principle. Drawing that kind of scene is just as disgusting as your movies..."

"Sigh, sigh, sigh!" Nian closed his fan, tapped his palm, and shook his head, saying, "I don't like this kind of thing called 'taste.' If we're talking about vulgarity, taste is the most vulgar thing. It's like closing the door to the outside world, drawing a circle around yourself, arrogantly thinking that only you can afford good things, lacking ambition, and utterly disgusting..."

Bai Ying's eyes lit up, and her voice immediately became like Xi's, carrying a faint arrogance, as she repeated what Nian had said.

"Wow! You're imitating so well! You're really good at it!"

I couldn't help but offer a few words of praise.

"?"

Xi's eyebrows twitched twice as she stared at the two of them.

“My standards are very high.” Bai Ying sighed and said regretfully, “Of course I won’t do anything illegal or criminal that won’t pass the review. Therefore, it must be erotic but not lewd, with profound meaning. It should evoke the feeling of picking up fallen leaves to know that autumn is deep, or adding a cotton coat to suddenly feel the weight of winter, rather than simply giving people a visual impact through a sense of immorality… This may be too difficult for you.”

"#!"

Xi took a deep breath and said with a straight face, "Fine! At least it'll keep this guy from bothering me for a while—where's the pen and ink?"

Wait a minute!

Nian got up with a grin, dashed into the house, and soon brought out a complete set of painting tools.

Clearly, this person is a master of hand-drawing.

Xi calmed down, her thoughtful gaze scrutinizing the blank canvas, the image described in the words surfacing in her mind.

With a stroke of the pen, several straight lines instantly divided the blank space into several areas.

Two walls form an alleyway; the viewpoint is from the side of the alleyway, looking forward...

A foot, barely clinging to its high heel, emerges from the inside of the wall, revealing part of the lower leg. A man's hand, gripping tightly, is faintly visible on the lower leg. A woman's other hand is also gripping the wall with difficulty, revealing her index, middle, and ring fingers, with her little finger barely visible... The intention is to convey a sense of tension and trembling...

The setting should be late at night, and the few human figures should appear restless and exerting force, creating a contrast.

The overall effect should convey a sense of oppression and gloom, yet also a decadent atmosphere.

lure.

A scene that allows the viewer to peer into it must be filled with a strong sense of allure.

The unknown is not a temptation...

The unknown, the known, and the yet to be known – that's the allure.

"I'll let you know when I've finished the rest of the illustrations!"

With her stunning brushstrokes, Xi quickly completed an illustration. After finishing her work and handing it over, she sternly told the white figure holding the painting, who was looking for something to point out, to get lost.

Sakurajima's mother and Toyohama Kazuka, representing the company and team, signed the contract, confirmed the schedule, and then left together.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft!" Nian shook his head and sighed, "To achieve that level of completion in such a short time—Xiao Xi, you must have had a burst of inspiration just now and finished it in one go, right?"

Xi: "It's just a mere illustration. To deal with you, a little improvisation will suffice."

"Really?" Nian teased, drawing out the words, "Really? I think you only draw this fast when you're really inspired..."

"Boring." Xi coldly curled her lip, then frowned and said, "There seems to be something strange about that white figure... something that doesn't belong to him?"

“Everyone has things that don’t belong to them, it’s normal,” Nian said with a smile. “Xiao Xi, who usually doesn’t care about outside affairs, why did she suddenly decide to inquire about them?”

"How can that compare to Da Nian's smugness and reckless behavior?" Xi retorted without hesitation, coldly snorting, "I just think that guy looks a little bit like your sister, not much, just a tiny bit..."

“That’s true.” Nian nodded. “Compared to your previous nonchalant attitude of ‘I’m tired, let the world end,’ you seem much more promising.”

Xi's face stiffened slightly, and she muttered a few words of self-pity: "Yes, yes, I can't compare to you in throwing a tantrum, nor can I compare to your sister who's drunk and staggering, putting on an act..."

Nian's eyes immediately lit up: "You're talking badly about your sister! We heard you!"

Xi: "I didn't!"

“You are!” Nian laughed strangely. “You’re finished! If your sister hears you slandering her in her dreams, she might go looking for you in her dreams tonight, hehehe…”

Xi looked a little flustered, but quickly calmed down.

"It's okay, I won't sleep."

……

……

To draw so quickly and well, Xi must be a superpowered person, right?

This kind of question is not important at all!

Feng Bin and Hua walked beside the white figure, their eyes piercing, their teeth clenched. They recalled being tricked into showing off their flexibility, supposedly to provide material for the illustrator... While it was indeed for material, it seemed to be for some kind of terrible scene!

"Perverted? Pervert my foot! You should say beautiful! Gorgeous! Gorgeous!"

Those were clearly movements full of graceful suppleness!

Once your sister's mother leaves, you'll be sorry!

"To be able to complete a painting of this quality in such a short time... he doesn't seem to be very old. There are truly amazing things in the world."

Sakurajima's mother put away a contract, glanced at the train station, and turned to ask, "Has Kazuka already transferred to Chiba Soubu High School?"

"Uh, more or less..." Feng Bin and Hua said rather guiltily, "Training and work won't be affected. I'll learn from my sister how to manage my time well..."

"That's fine, after all, apart from your age, you should be treated as adults in many ways."

Sakurajima's mother nodded gently, then looked up at the white figure, slightly hesitant.

Bai Ying blinked, then suddenly put her arm around Feng Bin and Hua's shoulders, saying affectionately, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her and make sure she smiles at least three times a day."

Toyohama Kazuka: "?"

My God! What are you doing?!

“?” Sakurajima’s mother paused for a moment, then sighed. “I have reservations, but I can’t just curse Mai to bad luck… I’ll refrain from interfering in the affairs of young people.”

Sakurajima's mother walks towards the train bound for Yokohama.

Feng Bin and Hua snapped out of their daze, raised their hands and slapped Bai Ying twice, gritting their teeth as they said, "What kind of idiot are you! Tell me! Are you trying to sow discord between me and Auntie?!"

"Didn't you see?" Bai Ying said innocently. "Aunt Sakurajima is clearly tacitly approving and observing. You don't need to act like a good boy in front of her anymore—even though you don't act like one at all."

"climb!"

Did my sister's mother tacitly approve?

Uh, really?

I don't understand!

Overall, it's a good thing, right?

Feng Bin and Hua scratched their heads, easing their worries, and instantly became cheerful.

As the train arrived in Chiba from Tokyo and we took the elevator up to our apartment, we casually chatted about final exams along the way…

The stick figure seems to have forgotten.

It's okay, I'll make her remember.

Bai Ying solemnly unfolded the painting and exclaimed, "This painting is truly wonderful; it perfectly captures the mood and scene I wanted to express."

"It's clearly a strange painting..."

Feng Bin and Hua complained for a moment, then suddenly frowned: "Hey! You made me do those splits..."

Ding dong.

The elevator has arrived at the floor.

The white figure turned its head and blinked innocently at Feng Bin and Hua, then dashed out like lightning.

"Thank you for sharing the erotic image!"

"You're the one who's being lewd! That's the beauty of dance!"

Feng Bin and Hua instantly remembered what they had forgotten, and they rushed out after her, kicking the white figure who was trying to open the door: "Shin-nei—!"

"Well done!"

Bai Ying decisively gave up on opening the door and stepped back to avoid Feng Bin and Hua's kick.

Feng Bin and Hua Di raised their feet again, but this time they not only missed their target, but Bai Ying also bent down and reached out to grab their calves.

"open!"

Toyohama and Kazuka hopped on one foot in place to maintain their balance.

The white-clad figure revealed a kind smile, and slowly moved backward, holding one foot of Feng Bin and Hua's hand: "One, two, one, two, little friends, let's go..."

"#!"

Feng Bin and Hua gritted their teeth, hopping on one foot to close the distance. The foot that was grabbed lifted up forcefully, trying to claw at the white figure.

Bai Ying suddenly turned around and stepped aside, raising her hand to support Feng Binhehua's waist to maintain her balance. In the dizzying turn, Feng Binhehua's back instinctively leaned against a door. Before she could react and struggle, Bai Ying lifted the foot she was holding with her right hand, and the sneaker hit Feng Binhehua's head.