38 Reckless and Unrestrained
After helping her register the paintings, the both of them headed into the private room and Wang Lei was impressed with her composure.
She had handled everything there from the registration to the appraisal very calmly without having to put his father’s name out there.
As soon as they entered the VIP suite, master Wang stood up immediately.
“Good... good... I thought you were decieving this old man again.” He said as he beamed with smiles and then used his hands to hold Rong Yue’s hands like he was looking at a doting grandchild.
After looking at his son’s hands however and seeing that there was no painting anywhere, his face turned cloudy immediately. “You this brat! Were you decieviinh me when you said that there was a painting? Where is your so called painting?” He had been waiting expectantly thinking that he would get to feast his eyes one more time.
And since Rong Yue had once deceived him, he already understood that this little girl was very sly.
“Grandfather, she brought four paintings, we have put them all up for auction.” Wang Lei explained hurriedly as he held his grandfather’s hand that had smacked Rong Yue.
“F...four?” Master Wang Shu asked while looking stunned.
How could they have carried four paintings to the auction house!?
.....
“Quick let me call them, how can I not check my student’s paintings before they are sold off.” He whined and the two before him had to resist the urge to laugh at his childishness.
“The appraisers already said her works would be kept in the second section where people would work around and bid for. That way you get to see it before it’s sold off completely.” Wang Lei explained.
Although he was dissatisfied, after all, he could have bought them first or even seen them first but he had to wait.
Also, he understood that he couldn’t buy all her works, after all, she needed exposure all round, him buying it all would limit her progress.
Thinking up to this point, the old man consoled himself with that and sat down back on his seat.
“Miss Yue, you can seat here.” Wang Lei said politely as he pointed at the seat beside him to Rong Yue.
Master Wang Shu who had sat down to take a sip of his tea was stunned silly again.
They were on first name basis?
He had always known that his precious student was someone that anyone would like.
So lovable!
If Wang Lei could see what was running through his grandfather’s mind, perhaps he would have coughed out blood at this man that had forgotten who his Kin was.
“The auction today is going to be a sale of famous artistry work, the kind that their names are already renowned and have no need for people to look at clearly.” Master Wang started to explain to her.
While it might look like the first section was where the greatest works were, it was only a camouflage for people that didn’t genuinely know art, after all if they even had to look at it, they won’t be able to tell the good ones from the bad ones.
So what they did was put art that had very simplistic themes and was from an artist that already built his name. After all, there was only great and average works from every artist.
Also, they would also slot in some simple paintings with unknown origins and allow the audience decide if they wanted it by looking at the digitally enlarged image.
The second stage was a lot more important and unique and was also a place for people to also connect with each other.
The first stage soon started and the paintings were sold very quickly, after all, most of the works displayed already had their name and also had a fan base.
In the VIP room, Wang Lei constantly refilled Rong Yue’s tea cup and poured more almonds and sunflower seeds in her plate without the little girl knowing.
Rong Yue was fascinated by the auction process and paid rapt attention until the items were all sold out.
Before long, a total of ten items were all sold at sky high prices.
“Hmmm, master, do you have any painting to sell today?” She asked curiously as her mind was trying to imagine how much her paintings would sell for.
“I brought one. I completed it last month and felt selling it here would be a good idea.” Although he could complete a painting in a day or less, it all depended on the type of painting and the wish of the artist.
Rong Yue had a overall relaxed and unrestrained attitude when painting which made all her paintings give someone the feeling of freedom.
As for her previous style, it was rigid and solemn, yet, her talent had of course managed to shine through in both styles.
“Are you thinking of your profit? Little money grubber!” Master Wang said with a sigh.
How could she be so money minded.
“Hmmmm, when I decided to create four paintings yesterday, it was indeed for the profit. Otherwise, why else would I lose my sleep?” Her tone was as if she had said the most casual thing.
Wang Lei and Wang Shu’s had stunned expressions on their faces.
“Y...yo...you...made the four paintings yesterday night?” Wang Lei was stunned.
“Yes I did. I was up until morning and didn’t sleep a wink.” She whined slightly as if dissatisfied that she had spent so much time on it.
Wang Lei was even more stunned. Yet it was hard to have any negative feeling with her attractive face pulled into a pout.
What was this reaction?
As the grandchild to one of the world renowned painters in China. He belonged to that world whether he wanted it or not and so he had quite the fair amount of understanding of good paintings.
Earlier, he had indeed seen that the art work was clearly done by the same person that had done the same painting that his grandfather had brought home.
More importantly, it had been even better than that which he had seen. Even the reaction of the appraisers that had been brought from the capital was enough to let him know that his eyes weren’t the only one that could see how good her work was.
Although her master was stunned, he got over it quickly and decided that when he saw her works, he would be able to tell her the places she should have exercised patience on.
For her age, she was already doing shockingly well so he didn’t jump ahead and express how he felt only nodding three time before taking an handful of sunflower seeds.
******
In another VIP room in the painting association.
“Mother, I thought we were supposed to meet him before the auction?” Tong Yang asked worriedly as she looked around the hall that was already emptying.
“Mmmm, we thought we would get here before him but you spent so time on dressing up, of course we can’t just go to his room and present himself.” Her mother chided softly.
She cared about her appearance that even though they just had to come and get her a respectable master so she could get into the school of arts in the capital flawlessly, she had instead spent more than two hours dressing up and doing her makeup.
“Mom! You don’t know who I can meet here, it’s always important that I look my best all the time.” She argued while her mother nodded with a doting look in her eyes.
“Come let’s go to the second section, it would be easier to see him there.” Her mother said as she stood up.
Just like everyone going to the second hall, they left their VIP rooms and left.
As they passed a certain room, the temperature in the that room lowered immediately as a dangerous glint flashed in Rong Yue’s eyes that both the old man and the gentleman in the room looked at her with suspicion.
“What’s the matter?” Wang Lei asked hurriedly.
Since the VIP rooms were designed in a way that you could see everything happening outside but no one could see the person inside.
“That’s my classmate who used to be my best friend. I asked her back for my paintings with her and she made several excuses of traveling and yet she’s here attending the auction show.” Rong Yue said with narrowed eyes and her master who had thought it was some big matter chuckled.
‘In the end, she was still a child!’
The three of them only stood up and walked out of the VIP room when they were ready to leave. At that time, the entire hall was already empty so they didn’t have to greet any unnecessary person. Just before they entered the other hall, Rong Yue pulled a mask out of her small purse and used it on her face so that anyone of them couldn’t see the person face.
She didn’t mind showing her face but she knew that showing her face would of course not allow Tong Yang to act the way she wanted her to.
Wang Lei on the other hand nodded as he felt like her appearance was truly eye catchy, it might end up being her that would be admired and not even her work.
With this, the three of them entered the hall, with Wang Lei leading the way, Master Wang following behind him and Rong Yue at the end.
Instead of following him like a normal student would, Rong Yue immediately went to another corner of the room as soon as she entered.
“Isn’t that master Wang?” Someone asked rather loudly and brought everyone’s attention to the man that looked like he was in his sixties but was still brimming with life.
“Hmmm, looks like him! I did hear from someone that he was going to be here.” Someone commented while people that had heard the information also nodded.
“Little girl....” Master Wang started as he turned back so he could tell the little girl to walk beside him instead.
Yet, there was no one behind him.
“That sneaky brat!” He murmured angrily as he managed to keep his emotions in check.
As for Wang Lei? He was struggling to not burst out laughing!
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