Chapter 82: The Cherished Painting

Some people live in the north, where the sun shines bright all year round but occasional rain and clouds occur.

Some people live in the south, where it’s cloudy and rainy most of the year and sunshine is rare.

Jin Yang feels like he’s living a life that doesn’t belong to him, but he doesn’t know whose life he’s stolen.

He’s used to living a tough life, not just the hardship of poverty, but also a kind of spiritual scarcity that cannot be filled with reading more books.

He has few friends, and besides Mushi, he has never liked anyone else. Even the children in the orphanage were constantly changing, and just as he had developed a bit of a bond with the latest group, they were quickly adopted by someone else.

Jin Yang is happy for the children who get adopted, they will have a family, parents, and a better life than growing up in an orphanage.

He still remembers when he was younger and had poor health, even if he looked beautiful, he would never be adopted by parents.

But his brother was different, he was healthy and lively, always with a bright and cheerful face, and was loved by the adopting families.

When Jin Yuan was first adopted, he was sent back after only two days because the adoptive family said the child cried so much when he couldn’t see his younger brother that they couldn’t console him. This trick was tried again and again and ultimately delayed his adoption for several years, causing him to miss the prime age for adoption.

Jin Yang looked at the gray clouds and watched as his Patek Philippe watch ticked away, waiting for the inevitable rain to come when the dark clouds arrived. He lit a cigarette, hoping the taste of tobacco would make him more alert and aware that all of this was not a dream.

As the restaurant server packed up his food, the rain began to fall steadily. Although it was only 5:30 in the afternoon and still early, the weather had turned gloomy because of the rain.

Jin Yang put in his earbuds and continued listening to instrumental music, walking alone with an umbrella.

Mushi’s work today was a bit challenging, so he would be late coming home. More accurately, hotel. They were staying at a hotel, because the big sister who claimed to be pregnant with Zhou Qingwen’s child was still holed up in their house. However, it didn’t matter, as long as the person he loved was with him, anywhere could be home.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the weather, but the cigarette I just smoked seemed to be stuck in my lungs, making me feel uncomfortable and wanting to cough.

When Zhou Mushi came back, there was a little bit of rain on his shoulder, and he was talking on the phone with one hand near his ear.

Jin Yang listened with one ear, and it seemed to be Zhou Hang on the other end of the phone, talking about something related to the drama crew and a gathering with a few friends.

Zhou Mushi had a big smile on his face, asking for a kiss from Jin Yang while talking to the person on the phone, looking very bright and sunny, completely opposite to the weather outside.

After dinner, Zhou Mushi was bored and lying on the bed playing with his phone. He didn’t know what to do and felt very bored.

He thought Jin Yang had gone to wash up, but after about ten minutes, he suddenly called him.

“Mushi, come here.”

Zhou Mushi went over and saw that Jin Yang had set up an oil painting board and arranged the paints neatly by category.

“When did you buy these?”

He sat excitedly on the small stool, picking up the oil painting brushes and palette knives and asked.

Jin Yang handed him the palette and said, “I remembered you used to like painting, so I bought a set for you.”

“To thank Mr. Jin for the full set of tools, the first painting I will do after my comeback will be specially made for you. So, what do you want?”

Zhou Mushi asked eagerly, but before Jin Yang could answer, he quickly added, “Just to be clear, it doesn’t have to be too difficult, just an amateur level.”

Jin Yang patted his head and said, “Just make it brighter.”

“You’re not very picky,” Zhou Mushi said, taking out his phone to find a picture. He hadn’t painted in a long time and didn’t know what he would create, but it couldn’t be worse than his first attempt at oil painting.

He picked a painting of a maple forest with golden and red leaves covering the entire path, typical of October’s golden autumn.

First, he outlined the shape and then gradually blended the colors, layer by layer.

Jin Yang sat next to him, watching him paint.

Zhou Mushi naturally didn’t have the skills of a professional painter, but he had learned some basics by following videos for a few days.

He wore a simple T-shirt, and his soft hair fell gently over his forehead, giving him a gentle and obedient look.

As an adult, learning was not as difficult as teaching a child.

His laptop was on the table, he held a medium brush in his hand, and a palette in the other, fully absorbed in his painting.

Even Jin Yang felt embarrassed to interrupt him, so he refrained from watching funny videos on his phone and placed two bottles of milk on the table, feeling it was necessary to provide nutrition to the child who’s working hard on his painting.

Loosening his grip, he carefully took out his laptop and books from the suitcase, and took advantage of the opportunity to learn more.

When Zhou Mushi finished a painting, Jin Yang was sitting at a small table studying, completely focused on the book in his hand. Zhou Mushi couldn’t help but think that a serious man was really attractive!

Sensing that he was being watched, Jin Yang moved his gaze away from the computer and gave Zhou Mushi a gentle smile, then turned his attention to the painting.

It was clear that it was drawn with a lot of care. Even the direction of each leaf was made to look like it was really blowing in the wind. But as Zhou Mushi said, he only had an amateur level of skill, so the painting wasn’t really anything to brag about. It could be hung on a wall for decoration, but if you looked at it closely, it wasn’t quite up to par.

Jin Yang didn’t care about that, he wasn’t a wealthy child with high-class taste anyway.

There was nothing to criticize, this was a painting made by someone he cherished, and it didn’t look out of place on the wall, so that was great.

Jin Yang had never mentioned it before, but he had been cherishing a painting of ‘Wind Blows Over the Wheat Fields’ with even worse craftsmanship than this one. It was truly an entry-level piece, yet it had become his cherished treasure for many years.

“I actually think that I didn’t do well this time. If you don’t want this one, I’ll paint you a new one,” said Zhou Mushi as he picked up the milk beside him and drank it, feeling a bit unsatisfied with his work.

The person sitting beside him snatched it away and said, “No, I want this one. You promised me this one.”

“You like it that much?” Zhou Mushi asked him with a smile, holding his cheek with his hand.

Jin Yang remained silent, wearing slippers, he hung the painting on the balcony and then came back, saying to Zhou Mushi, “Actually, even if you gave me every one of your paintings, I wouldn’t think it’s too much.”