This art exhibition was held in a bustling district near the Florence Academy of Fine Arts.
As Ye Mingxuan stepped out of the car, a cool breeze lifted the flowing ribbon on his jacket. He caught it with his hand and pulled it down. When he looked up again, the Academy stood before him.
The massive, castle-like European-style building stood before him, capturing all of Ye Mingxuan’s attention. He didn’t even hear Qi Lin calling him.
“Professor Qi, what did you say?”
Qi Lin glanced at the school gate, then looked at Mingxuan. “If you’re interested, I can bring you to tour the art museum here tomorrow.”
“Really?” Ye Mingxuan gazed at the colossal structure.
For some reason, the moment he saw it, Ye Mingxuan felt a momentary daze. Something stirred restlessly within him.
Qi Lin’s voice came from beside him: “Of course it’s true. But right now we have more important things to do. Pull yourself together—don’t mess up once we’re inside.”
Ye Mingxuan snapped back to reality, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. He nodded. “Mm.”
He focused his attention, straightened his clothes, and was led by an attendant into the exhibition hall.
This expo featured three pavilions and over a hundred exhibition halls. By the time they entered, crowds were already browsing the displays. Ye Mingxuan, who had never attended such an event before, had expected a solemn atmosphere. To his surprise, everyone seemed relaxed, gathered in front of the artworks, laughing and chatting.
Ye Mingxuan followed Qi Lin around, noticing that several renowned domestic universities had exhibits here, including the Academy of Fine Arts at University A.
Qi Lin seemed less interested in browsing than in shopping. Before Ye Mingxuan could blink, he’d already purchased three paintings, six sets of cups, and various other collectibles. The zeros on those price tags made Ye Mingxuan’s heart skip a beat.
“Mingxuan, is there anything you’d like to buy?” Qi Lin asked.
Ye Mingxuan shook his head vigorously. “No.”
He couldn’t bring himself to spend that much on collectibles, even though he was tempted… But these were just too expensive, easily running into tens or even hundreds of thousands. Ye Mingxuan simply couldn’t justify it.
After filling out the information with the staff, Qi Lin beckoned to him. “Follow me. We’re almost at my exhibition hall.”
Ye Mingxuan replied, “Okay,” and followed Qi Lin forward.
“Qi?” A blonde-haired, blue-eyed collector stopped them. Recognizing Qi Lin, he exclaimed with delight, “It really is you!”
His sudden appearance caught Ye Mingxuan off guard. He glanced at Qi Lin, who immediately greeted the foreigner and introduced him: “This is my friend, Ken.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded and smiled, “Hello, Mr. Ken.”
Qilin then introduced Ye Mingxuan to Ken: “This is my student, Ye Mingxuan.”
Upon hearing Ye Mingxuan was Qilin’s student, Ken’s gaze toward him deepened with admiration. “Hello.”
He then told Qi Lin the purpose of his visit: “Qi, I came straight for your booth. You have no idea how much I’ve missed your art!”
Though not an artist himself, Ken carried the same fervor and stubbornness as one, his eyes glowing with a hunger for art that resonated with the soul.
Compared to Ken, Qi Lin was far more composed. He smiled at Ye Mingxuan and said, “Ken admires my work greatly. He often buys my paintings to add to his collection.”
Ken added, “It’s not just Qi Lin’s own paintings. The artists under his banner are all incredibly talented too. I’ve bought so many pieces, my room is completely filled!”
Qi Lin beamed with pride at Ken’s praise. “My booth is just ahead. Let’s go take a look.”
Ken remained visibly excited, continuously expressing his admiration to Qi Lin. Ye Mingxuan followed quietly behind them into the exhibition hall. Amidst the dazzling array of artworks, he spotted a familiar painting.
He froze for a moment, his eyes widening. Approaching the wall, he saw his own ivy painting mounted there, illuminated by overhead lights that made it shimmer.
In the lower right corner, three large characters signed: “Ye Mingxuan.”
“Teacher Qi, this is my painting?!” Ye Mingxuan turned, utterly astonished.
Qi Lin nodded.
“Oh my god!” Ken rushed excitedly to the painting, shielding it with both hands. “Whose artwork is this? It’s Mr. Ye’s artwork?! Besides Qi Lin’s, this is the first time I’ve seen such a spiritually charged painting!”
Ye Mingxuan looked to Qi Lin for confirmation, utterly stunned his painting would be displayed here.
Qi Lin, hands clasped behind his back, nodded. “Yes, this is your painting. Remember when I asked you to submit a piece a few weeks ago?”
“I remember, but I didn’t know what you intended to do with it.” Ye Mingxuan’s realization dawned on him.
No wonder Qi Lin had been so secretive back then, insisting he sign his full name on the painting—it was meant to be displayed here!
And the reason Qi Lin had brought him here was precisely to show him his own work!
Ken examined the painting intently, then declared fervently to Ye Mingxuan, “Mr. Ye, I wish to purchase this painting of yours.”
Something exploded inside Ye Mingxuan. He thought he’d misheard: “Mr. Ken, you want to buy my painting?”
“Yes! I want to hang it in my home as part of my collection!”
Ye Mingxuan’s head buzzed like a bell had been struck: “Really?”
Ken held up his fingers: “I’ll pay eight hundred thousand dollars!”
Eight hundred thousand… dollars?!!
“Wait!” Ye Mingxuan cried out. “Mr. Ken, perhaps you should reconsider?”
Was he dreaming? His painting was being exhibited in Florence, and a collector wanted to buy it.
Seeing Ye Mingxuan hesitate, Ken said, “Do you think that’s not enough? How about one million dollars?”
“No, no!” Ye Mingxuan shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. Eight hundred thousand dollars is simply too much!”
Ye Mingxuan was utterly unprepared for such a situation. His work was being exhibited, and suddenly a collector wanted to buy it—and with such extravagant generosity at that! What had he ever done to deserve this?
“Teacher Qi…”
“Just agree to him,” Qi Lin shook his head with a smile. “Ken is a stubborn man. If you don’t agree, he’ll follow you home.”
Ye Mingxuan’s heart pounded wildly, as if he’d just climbed Mount Hua. His feet felt hollow beneath him, as though the ground had vanished.
At Ken’s repeated pleas, the painting was finally sold to him for eight hundred thousand dollars.
The entire process left Ye Mingxuan feeling lightheaded, as if he’d eaten poisonous mushrooms.
Stepping out of the gallery, Ye Mingxuan still couldn’t believe it. “Teacher Qi, I… I don’t know how to thank you.”
Qi Lin smiled. “No need for thanks. I was actually afraid you’d be angry. Mingxuan, please forgive me.”
Ye Mingxuan shook his head. “How could that be? This is a surprise for me—a surprise I never imagined.”
“Actually, there’s someone else you should thank.”
“Who?”
Qi Lin replied, “Mr. Tan from your family.”
Ye Mingxuan froze as Qi Lin continued, “He helped me transport the paintings here. In fact, most of this trip was funded by him.”
“Mingxuan, Mr. Tan truly cares deeply for you.” Qi Lin patted his shoulder.
Ye Mingxuan pressed his lips together, warmth rising in his eyes. “Yes, I’ve always known.”
Qi Lin smiled. “Want to keep browsing?”
“Yes, I’d like to buy some pieces to take home.”
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
Ye Mingxuan lowered his gaze, a blush of shyness spreading across his cheeks: “For my husband.”
“Young love is so romantic,” Qi Lin mused. “Alright, go ahead. I won’t disturb you.”
“Mhm.”
“Mingxuan,” Qi Lin called after him. Ye Mingxuan turned back, meeting the admiring gaze of Teacher Qi fixed upon his face. “From today onward, you will emerge as a rising star in the art world. Your life is about to begin.”
“Thank you, Teacher Qi,” Ye Mingxuan bowed to him, then straightened up. “But… my life began long ago.”
His clock had stood still for a very, very long time, until it started ticking again after marrying Tan Sizhe.
After meeting Tan Sizhe, his life truly began….
Following the art fair, Qi Lin brought Ye Mingxuan to the gala dinner, introducing him to numerous artists.
Amidst the clinking glasses and mingling guests, Qi Lin held a champagne glass while conversing with others.
Ye Mingxuan, unable to drink due to his pregnancy, ate only a few bites before heading to the terrace with his phone.
At night, the city sparkled with scattered yellow lights—romantic and quiet. The evening breeze rustled the leaves before him, carrying a faint fragrance that tickled Ye Mingxuan’s nose.
Leaning against the railing, Ye Mingxuan stared at his chat history with Tan Sizhe for a long time. He desperately wanted to call his husband, but feared waking him.
If only he had the gift of seeing across a thousand miles, to witness Tan Sizhe sleeping on the other side of the ocean.
Ye Mingxuan puffed out his cheeks. Just then, the baby kicked him. He smiled, rubbing his belly and murmured, “You miss Daddy too, huh?”
“Good boy. We’ll be back in a few days.”
The baby seemed to understand his words and settled quietly. Ye Mingxuan’s eyes crinkled with warmth. Suddenly, he wondered if the baby would resemble his husband or himself.
Ye Mingxuan found himself looking forward to their future life more and more….
The next morning, Tan Sizhe’s first move upon waking was to check his phone. Ye Mingxuan hadn’t sent him a message. Tan Sizhe scratched his head, got up, and went to wash up.
He came downstairs for breakfast, snapped a photo of the food on the table, and sent it to Ye Mingxuan: “Good morning.”
Ye Mingxuan was still asleep at this hour. Tan Sizhe didn’t rush to wait for a reply, instead focusing on his meal. After finishing, he headed out to the office.
By lunchtime, Ye Mingxuan finally sent a photo: “Good morning, Sir. I’m having breakfast too—toast is so delicious.”
His mood peaked at that moment. Tan Sizhe replied: “Looks great.”
Ye Mingxuan immediately called: “Hey, sir, guess what I saw at the exhibition yesterday?”
Tan Sizhe’s heart skipped a beat, uneasy: “What?”
Ye Mingxuan: “I actually saw my painting at the exhibition!”
“Really? What a coincidence! Who did that?”
“It was Teacher Qi. He brought my painting to Florence, and it was bought by a collector—for five million!”
“That’s fantastic.” Tan Sizhe replied warmly, “Mingxuan, you’re truly amazing.”
Ye Mingxuan: “It’s all thanks to Teacher Qi. He gave me the chance to sell the painting.”
Tan Sizhe: “Then you should thank him properly.”
“Of course!” Ye Mingxuan suddenly sighed. “But…”
“But what?”
“My painting is missing a corner. It seems to have been damaged during transport.”
Tan Sizhe froze, then frowned. “Damaged? How could that be?”
How could it be? He had people monitoring the entire process. When it was hung on the wall, he even had someone send him photos of the scene. How could there be a slip-up?
He had no idea he’d let it slip, but Ye Mingxuan was already laughing.
Tan Sizhe’s sharp mind had a rare glitch. When he caught up, he silently cursed his own stupidity and sighed helplessly, “Mingxuan…”
Ye Mingxuan’s bell-like laughter rang out for a long while, leaving Tan Sizhe unusually silent.
“Sir, thank you,” Ye Mingxuan murmured, gazing out at the azure sea, his heart feeling incredibly light. “Thank you so much.”
Tan Sizeh pressed his ear to the phone, staring down at the egg congee in his bowl. “You really want to thank me?”
“Mhm.”
“Alright, call me ‘husband’.”
“?!?!”
Tan Sizhe chuckled. “Didn’t you just say you wanted to thank me? Why the sudden reluctance?”
“Ever since we got married, you’ve always called me ‘Sir’. Today, I just wanted to switch things up a bit.”
“…”
“Come on, say it.”
“…” Ye Mingxuan was flushed crimson on the other side of the ocean. Clutching his phone, he closed his eyes in embarrassment, took a deep breath, and steeled himself to blurt it out—only to bite his tongue. “Husband!”
“?”
“…”
Aaaaaah! Ye Mingxuan silently screamed and quickly hung up.
The relentless busy tone rang out. Tan Sizhe stood frozen for a long moment.
The next second, he lowered his head and laughed.
Fine, hubby it is. So adorable.
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