Rebirth of an Idle Noblewoman (1-200)

Chapter 70: Chinese Painting

Wu Hongwen easily maneuvered his way through the crowd with his lanky figure and was soon beside Gu Xiqiao, placing the tools on the table, as well as laying out a roll of fine writing paper for her.

The young girl was going to protest at the change, but when a tall, handsome Wu Hongwen appeared in view under the sun, she was suddenly at a loss for word as a blush appeared on her cheeks. She forcefully swallowed the words that had threatened to come from her mouth, wanting to preserve her image.

The young girl was the daughter of the dean for the Academy of Fine Arts, and would be considered to be a scholar. However, she always had an unconventional behavior ever since she was little. Due to her status as an artist, her partially eccentric attitude was accepted by the people around her.

“What painting do you want, and what are your requirements?” Gu Xiqiao said as she held the brush loosely in her hand, looking at the young girl.

“Portrait, with me being the model for it. The girl said, sneaking a glance at Wu Hongwen before adding, “Make it prettier.”

“Alright, have a seat.” Gu Xiqiao said as she ground the ink slowly. She looked at the girl who was obediently sitting down, and thought over a few ideas before starting to work.

Figures in a Chinese painting involved capturing the outer appearance of the subject, and also the inner essence as well. This made it relatively more profound and had more depth than the usual scenic paintings. It required meticulous brushwork, as well as free, expressive brushwork, together with a decent mastery of calligraphy.

Gu Xiqiao had deliberately picked Chinese painting to study while she had been in the virtual space, but her level was only almost Intermediate, and she could only do her best in painting a portrait.

She closed her eyes, entering a meditative state for a short moment. When she opened her eyes shortly after, it was as though she excluded a mysterious aura, raising her brush and started to work. The tip of the brush danced across the paper, as though having a soul of its own. As the Chinese idiom ‘while the connoisseur recognizes the artistry, the layman simply enjoys the show’, passersby who were walking around the place couldn’t help but stop to look at the girl who was painting, their eyes entranced by the movement of her brush on the paper, stunned by the painting she was producing.

What surprised the audience gathered around was the fact that the painting was only using black ink, and yet the figure in the painting was bright, valiant, elegant, as well as clearly showcasing the feminine aspect of it.

Everyone who stopped to look had forgotten the passage of time.

Finally, Gu Xiqiao finished the last stroke of her painting, and seemed to snap out of her wondrous state, her mind brushed by the system.

[Mission completed! Obtained 20 points.]

[Ding! Congratulations Beauty Qiao, your Chinese Painting has leveled up to Intermediate. The system has rewarded 50 points!]

[Ding! Congratulations Beauty Qiao, your Chinese Painting has leveled up to Advanced. The system has rewarded 50 points!]

[Ding! Congratulations Beauty Qiao, your Ancient Martial Arts has leveled up to Bone Refinement. The system has rewarded 500 points!]

‘System, what is this?’ Gu Xiqiao was slightly surprised, it was similar to the night when the system upgrade had been successful.

The system materialized slowly in its human form from the void, its form now more realistic after the upgrade, as it raised its flesh hand with claws to scratch its head. [Beauty Qiao, I have no idea what happened. But when you first started painting, it attracted the spirit of heaven and earth. I think you were able to gain another height of insight through painting as a route, and that’s why you were able to achieve such an upgrade. No matter how it happened, this is a great thing. Don’t worry too much about it.]