Chapter 553

Mu Youyu replied obediently: "Sure, when the time comes Aunt Shen can help us look; we ourselves picked so many things we're dazzled, thinking each looks good, but afraid they won't look good together."

Shen Ningmu was coaxed by her words into smiling, eyes crinkling: "Whatever you pick, it'll look good no matter how you match them; Auntie trusts your eye."

Jiang Su coughed from the side: "Just now you said you wanted to go to the staff, and now you're saying you trust others' judgment."

Shen Ningmu gave him a look: "I mainly want to go appreciate, got it?"

Jiang Su didn't understand: "Don't speak while eating, don't talk while sleeping."

Suddenly brought up, Shen Ningmu felt he was being odd for no reason.

This rule has always existed in the old house, but as long as Mu Youyu is present, it's mostly just nominal.

Jiang Ye Ye knew she was a child raised in love, worried this atmosphere would make her feel restrained and cold, so he always initiated conversation to ease the mood.

Plus the Song family also broke the rule for her, so he also needed to show other families that he values his future daughter-in-law, right?

Shen Ningmu retorted without courtesy: "If you find it noisy, go eat in your own room."

Jiang Su also didn't understand why he always had to be snarky, so he dared not speak again.

Jiang Liangjin raised his eyebrows, taking pleasure in others' misfortune.

The next day, Mu Youyu didn't go to the field to join the fun; instead she stayed in the Painting Studio to finish the oil painting she hadn't completed before.

Jiang Liangjin stood beside her, quietly mixing her paints.

When Mu Youyu freed her hand to open her phone and scroll up, she saw Mo Yuan had sent a message ten minutes earlier in the class group, saying the Art School won an excellence award for the opening ceremony formation, gained additional funding, and proposed a class gathering.

She scrolled down further; Mo Yuan had posted the restaurant's address and time, also listed the menu uniformly, and below a long chain of sign-ups, everyone except the two of them had already joined.

Mu Youyu signed herself and Jiang Liangjin up; when the time came, Jiang Liangjin simply washed his painting tools, and they set off.

The class gathering was set for 1:00 PM, at a well-reviewed hotel near C University that Mu Youyu often visits; Mo Yuan had booked a large private room in advance, able to hold four tables.

Before half past twelve, people had already been arriving at the restaurant entrance one after another.

Actually, such class gatherings, if placed in an ordinary university, there will always be people who skip for various reasons: social anxiety, having something else to do, not wanting to sit at a table with strangers, or thinking it's a waste of time compared to gaming in the dorm.

The reasons are myriad, but ultimately they all mean: not wanting to go.

But at C University, the situation becomes subtle.

This school has had an invisible selection mechanism since admissions; students' family backgrounds vary, from ordinary white-collar to top-tier aristocracy… and the Art School's tuition sits there.

Those who can sit in this classroom either have outstanding grades and hold various competition awards, or have behind them a family whose name is known; most have both.

In such an environment, the subtlety of interpersonal relations lies in that you don't need to know everyone personally, but you must let people know you belong to this circle.

Thus, for the first gathering, the sign-up speed in the class group was outrageously fast.

The students of Art Class One arrived more completely than any usual collective activity; even those few who rarely show up in class and have their own studios outside appeared on time.

From Mo Yuan sending the message to the entire class of twenty-four finishing sign-ups, it took less than fifteen minutes total.

It's not that they are especially enthusiastic about group activities; rather, in such occasions, being absent is easier to be noticed than attending.

Moreover, in such occasions Mu Youyu is sure to be the center of attention; nobody wants to be left behind with the label of "not fitting in" or "not giving face."

"……"

The two arrived, and the private room was already more than half full.

Mo Yuan stood near the door, chatting with a few teachers; seeing them enter, he immediately waved for them to come sit inside.

Mu Youyu glanced around; the middle table still had a few empty seats, so she pulled Jiang Liangjin over there.

After sitting down she realized that besides her and Jiang Liangjin, everyone at the table were class officers from both classes; Xiao Yu was also there, head down looking at her phone, with Qiao Xin sitting beside her.

This seat was clearly reserved for them.

"Goddess!" Qiao Xin rushed over as soon as she saw her sit down, lowered her voice, expression exaggerated: "Guess how many people came today? I counted—fifty, not a single missing, meaning the neighboring Class Two also arrived in full!"

The institute's formation is organized by specialty; each year the Art major recruits about fifty people.

Mu Youyu wasn't particularly surprised: "I heard Professor Mo say that."

The class gathering of C University's Art School, though called a class activity, is actually more like a small social occasion.

On the surface everyone is polite, each with their own circle, normally no one rushes to flatter anyone, but underneath the competition and comparison never cease.

What's talked about at the table isn't necessarily professional courses, but there will definitely be someone discussing resources and connections.

Before the dishes were all served, someone came over holding juice; the person was a short-haired girl, Mu Youyu didn't have a strong impression of her.

"Mu classmate, I toast you." The short-haired girl raised her cup, smiling politely.

"The painting Professor Lin critiqued last time, I went back and revised it several times but still couldn't reach that effect; each time after revising, when I look at your painting I feel inferior, thinking I'm far from achieving your level of skill..."

Mu Youyu lifted the juice before her, clinked it with the girl's, took a sip, and asked: "Which part?"

The short-haired girl froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting Mu Youyu to actually ask, after all she was just tagging along with the group to get some face time.

After reacting, she quickly pulled out a photo from her phone and handed it over, not knowing which year it was painted.

"It's this transitional surface; Professor Lin said it's too stiff, I tried several methods but couldn't fix it."

Mu Youyu glanced at the screen and, following her own thoughts, casually offered a few suggestions.

The short-haired girl nodded repeatedly, said a string of "thanks," and walked away holding her cup, feeling satisfied.

She thought happily inside: "The princess will surely think she's a good child who loves to learn!"

When the dishes arrived, Jiang Liangjin, to avoid disturbing his girlfriend's meal, did his duty and blocked most of the gazes offering tea.

When someone approached, he would slightly turn his body; just that indifferent expression was enough to make the other person tactfully retreat half a step.

Mu Youyu took advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, leaned over, and deliberately said softly: "You look so fierce today."

Jiang Liangjin, who was picking food for her, heard it, turned his head: "Really? Then I'll smile."

Not long after, Mu Youyu's plate in front of her already had a small half-plate of food piled up, and Jiang Liangjin was still adding more.

She reached out to cover her plate: "Enough, I can't eat any more."

Jiang Liangjin glanced at the plate of vegetables: "You just ate half a bowl of rice."

Mu Youyu put the vegetables back: "I think you're the one who needs to eat more."