Chapter 583: The painting belongs to you, and I belong to you

The bus drove for nearly two hours, the scenery outside the window gradually fading the city buildings, replaced by an endless expanse of open fields.

The old village was built against the hill, gray tiles and white walls staggered, and a terrace field not yet fully green stretched along the slope in layers.

Mo Yuan stood on the open ground at the village entrance, clapped his hands, and said, "We'll gather at six this afternoon; you're free to do as you like, but don't wander too far."

After getting off the bus, Mu Youyu finally felt her whole body relax.

She and Jiang Liangjin walked along the field ridge for a stretch, found a spot with an open view, and set up their easel.

Jiang Liangjin put down his art supplies bag, first set up the two folding stools, then unfolded his own small sketchpad.

The midday sun slanted across the terraced fields, and the water surface rippled with glimmering light.

Mu Youyu adjusted her colors, occasionally lifting her head to gaze at the distant mountain ridge outline.

Jiang Liangjin sat beside her, lowered his eyes, put brush to paper, and focused on drawing the outline.

The two painted in silence, occasionally their eyes met, then they tacitly looked away, each immersed in their own creative rhythm.

Not far away, Qiao Xin held up her sketchpad facing the distant old tree, her brush tip hovering over the paper, not yet touching down.

Xiao Yu beside her had already set up her frame, seeing the sister still not putting brush to paper, she asked, "What are you waiting for?"

Qiao Xin sighed, "I'm waiting for inspiration."

Xiao Yu mercilessly picked up her pen and drew another stroke on the paper, "Inspiration isn't waited for; it's painted into being."

Qiao Xin glared at her, "You're an art student, why do you talk like a PE teacher?"

Xiao Yu ignored her, kept her head down and focused on painting.

Not far away, several other classmates gathered around a patch of wildflowers, presumably bored, arguing without end.

"Is this purple?"

"How do I see it as more blue?"

"Are you colorblind?"

A classmate tried to mediate, "You guys stop arguing, just mix a middle color."

Seeing this, Qiao Xin shouted toward the opposite side, "Goddess! What do you think this color is?"

Mu Youyu lifted her head, looked in the direction she pointed, and said, "Maybe a purplish gray? Add a bit more white."

Having gotten the answer, Qiao Xin turned back satisfied, raised her chin at the two classmates still arguing, and said, "Heard that? Purplish gray—you two are both wrong."

Those several classmates all let out an "oh" and didn't argue further.

Qiao Xin, stirred by this, also found inspiration.

After an unknown amount of time, Mu Youyu filled in the last color block of the scene, put down her brush, and glanced sideways at the person beside her's sketchpad.

Not looking, one wouldn't know; but upon looking, she was startled.

On the sketchpad was, to her surprise, her side profile as she lowered her head to mix colors, even the tiny detail of a bit of paint on her fingertip precisely rendered.

Mu Youyu helplessly chuckled, raised her hand and lightly tapped the edge of his sketchpad, saying, "Are you sketching from life or sketching me?"

Jiang Liangjin put down his pen, leaned toward her, his gaze falling on her face, and said, "I'm painting you."

Mu Youyu pursed her lips, turned his painting toward her, and said, "Then I'll take it."

Jiang Liangjin didn't stop her, only slowly added, "The painting belongs to you, and I belong to you."

As the gathering time approached, the two packed up their art supplies together, and finally Jiang Liangjin carried all the items.

Qiao Xin and Xiao Yu from across also arrived at the meeting point.

Upon seeing Mu Youyu, Qiao Xin bounced forward, unfolded her artwork, and said, "Quick look! I painted the goddess—isn't she especially beautiful?"

Jiang Liangjin: "……"

The classmates instantly felt they'd missed a chance, an opportunity to curry favor with the princess!

Mu Youyu unexpectedly glanced over and commented, "The composition looks good."

Qiao Xin immediately followed up, "And what about me?"

Mu Youyu smiled lightly, "You look good too."

Qiao Xin felt delighted inside, covered her face, and went off to savor the moment.

Jiang Liangjin silently put the things in his hands away.

"……"

Xu Zhiying stood in the middle of the path, clutching a delicate-looking envelope in her hand, her expression hesitant, then as if she had made up her mind, she strode forward and called out, "Mu classmate!"

Mu Youyu was chatting and laughing with Jiang Liangjin when she heard someone call her, instinctively turned her head, and asked, "What's up?"

"This……"

Xu Zhiying nervously handed over the envelope, quite awkwardly, "Last semester's matter was my fault; I shouldn't have gossiped about others behind their backs."

"After thinking it over carefully, I realized how unpleasant I was; this is an apology letter, I hope you can accept it."

She had learned of Mu Youyu's fame and status outside shortly after the school term began, and as Qiao Xin and Xiao Yu grew closer to her, their relationship improved as well.

In contrast, because of her earlier back‑biting, Mu Youyu's relationship with her remained distant, and she also gradually developed an invisible barrier with the two girls in the dorm.

She felt ever more regretful, and this semester she began trying every way to find an opportunity to mend her relationship with Mu Youyu.

Mu Youyu felt indifferent, thinking it wasn't her concern, why should she apologize to her?

If it weren't for this person bringing it up, she would have almost forgotten it.

She didn't reach out, saying, "No need, this matter is already past."

Xu Zhiying felt a bit disappointed, but still handed the letter to her, "I know I was wrong; I won't do that again. You may not forgive me, but I hope you can accept this letter as a gesture of my attitude."

The surrounding classmates were all curiously watching.

Jiang Liangjin directly refused, "She doesn't want to accept it; please keep your distance from us."

"…… Sorry to bother you." Xu Zhiying gave her an embarrassed smile, turned, and walked away quickly.

After the person left, Jiang Liangjin put one arm around his fiancée's shoulder, leaned in, and said, "She's trying to curry favor with A You."

Mu Youyu gently pushed him, "Pay attention to the occasion."

Jiang Liangjin stood up straight, switched to holding her hand, deliberately acting dumb, "Then Ah You, do you plan to forgive her?"

"You already helped me refuse?" Mu Youyu tilted her head, "But it's not really a matter of forgiving or not forgiving; she didn't really do anything to me."

Jiang Liangjin tidied her wind-blown collar, his words gentle and indulgent: "Ah You is right; my Ah You is the most reasonable."

"Don't come." Mu Youyu was amused by his tone of "my fiancée is always right," she pushed his hand away, "Stand properly, Uncle Mo is coming."

Jiang Liangjin obediently replied: "I know."

After Mo Yuan arrived, the remaining students successively emerged from the field ridges and alleys, gathering before him.

After counting heads, Mo Yuan and another teacher led them deeper into the village; the Future Path along the way was full of potholes, and scattered along the route were several households.

Finally, the group entered a narrow alley, turned two corners, and stopped in front of an old residence.

The gate of the old residence was half-open; from outside one could see a spacious courtyard inside, where an old pagoda tree with lush branches and leaves stood, beneath which were placed several wooden tables and stone benches.

The courtyard walls were mottled, with moss spreading along their bases, showing that it was a self-built old house that had endured several generations.

At the doorway, a few children were playing and roughhousing; seeing the neatly dressed older brothers and sisters, they dared not come too close.

An elderly person with white hair and a simple appearance saw Mo Yuan and another teacher bringing people over, laughed heartily, and stepped forward: "You two teachers have come? Please come in and sit!"