Chapter 349: Volume 1 Chapter 349: Deceitful Vastness (19)

Jiang Zhi didn't react yet.

Only when she walked onto the award stage did she realize she had won first place.

Her painting was displayed on the huge screen, a landscape painting.

Only after she left the award stage did she react.

As she walked through the staff passageway, her wrist was suddenly seized; Jiang Zhi stopped, stared back, and saw a familiar face.

Yu Shian furrowed his brows and asked, "I called you—why are you ignoring me?"

Jiang Zhi lifted her finger, intending to explain that she couldn't speak.

Yu Shian's face was cold, and he went on, "Is it because I'm your defeated subordinate that you don't want to acknowledge me?"

Jiang Zhi:?

Wait, did she misread his lip movements?

Yu Shian saw her unwillingness to speak, his mood darkened, his thin lips pressed tight, and after a pause he said, "I admit you're better than me; I sought you out just to ask, when you painted that piece, what was your mood then?"

Jiang Zhi hastily took out her sketchbook, wrote with a pencil on it, and then handed it to him.

(Sorry, I'm deaf and mute; I can't speak.)

After Yu Shian finished looking, another sheet of paper was placed before him.

(Naturally, I was happy.)

"Happy?" Yu Shian frowned, lifted his hand to adjust his gold-rimmed glasses, and his handsome face showed a hint of doubt.

(I still have things to do; I'm leaving first.) She handed him the last note, turned, and prepared to leave.

Yu Shian stepped in front of her and said, "I'll see you off."

Jiang Zhi shook her head to indicate she didn't need it, but the youth's attitude was firm.

They walked out of the competition grounds.

Yu Shian asked, "Can I look at your other works?"

Waiting here for Wen Chijin, Jiang Zhi heard his words, froze for a moment, then immediately took out her sketchbook from her bag and handed it to him.

Yu Shian flipped through her sketches; each was exceptionally well drawn, and the more he looked, the more excited he became, wishing he could take the sketchbook home to look at day and night.

When he turned to the final page, he saw a boy with closed eyes asleep in the drawing; every stroke conveyed the owner's affection.

He understood art, so he could instantly see the emotion behind the painting.

At that moment, the girl suddenly snatched the drawing back from his hands; her pretty face showed a hint of shyness, her pink lips pressed tightly.

Yu Shian froze.

Suddenly.

A figure stepped before them, blocking his view of the girl.

That person's face was exactly like the one in the painting, except he now had his eyes open.

"Sister, let's go back."

Jiang Zhi turned her head, waved at Yu Shian, then followed Wen Chijin away.

Yu Shian gazed deeply as the black-haired boy enfolded her in his arms, his eyes darkening somewhat.

…

On the way back.

Wen Chijin suddenly stopped and said, "Sister, did you show him the drawing?"

Jiang Zhi had not yet reacted to having her secret seen just moments ago; her brown eyes flickered, and she nodded.

Wen Chijin saw her distracted look, a flash of cold light crossed his eyes, icy and sinister, his expression unchanged, and he continued, "Sister, do you like him?"

Seeing his blunt words, Jiang Zhi quickly shook her head.

She gestured anxiously with her fingers: "I don't like him."

But her denial, in Wen Chijin's eyes, was just shyness unwilling to admit it.

Indeed, after the male contestant went on stage, the female audience below erupted in excited screams; his looks surpassed even top-tier entertainment idols.

Jiang Zhi, who rarely goes out, upon seeing such a handsome young man, would naturally be moved.

Wen Chijin lowered his head, his dark bangs shading his eyes.

They returned to their lodgings.

The competing students were all housed in a hotel; in the evening they went to the restaurant to eat, bustling with activity.

"I don't know which backwater school's student managed, by sheer luck, to get first place—it's infuriating that someone like her could beat me; I'm utterly unwilling to accept it."

"Even Yu Shen is beneath her; if I hadn't seen her wearing cheap street-market goods, I'd have thought her father was the organizer."

"Have you ever heard her say a word? I think she's just a mute."

"Hahahaha..."

Several people in the restaurant spoke loudly, hurling insults to belittle the first-place winner, Jiang Zhi.

Just as Jiang Zhi arrived at the restaurant entrance, hearing the voices she abruptly stopped; seeing Wen Chijin about to walk past, she quickly grabbed his wrist and signed:

"Ah-Chi, it's fine, don't be angry."

The usually gentle and refined youth's face turned cold for the first time.

He turned his hand to hold hers, gave a reassuring pat, then immediately took her hand and walked inside.

The youth's arrival drew everyone's attention.

The person following him was no stranger—it was Jiang Zhi, who had won first place in the first match.

Those few sarcastic individuals, seeing this, did not stop; instead, they became even more vehement.

"I thought who had arrived; just thinking about having to compete alongside someone who got first place through scheming makes me feel disgusted."

The speaker wore a small braid, dressed like an artist, hadn't eaten anything, sat with legs crossed, and mocked her there.

Boom—!

Yu Shian had come to the restaurant at some point, walked behind that person, lifted his foot, and kicked the chair under him hard.

The male student fell to the ground, seeing stars; when he saw Yu Shian, his anger dissipated, and he stumbled out of the restaurant.

Yu Shian pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses; the pupils behind the lenses showed no emotion.

The first-place level is higher than mine, so I accept my loss willingly; those who can't afford to lose can just go home.

He spoke without sparing any mercy, each word piercing the heart.

Those few who envied Jiang Zhi heard this, said nothing, and left dejectedly.

Jiang Zhi read the lip language, her eye corners slightly lifted, her tear mole glittering; she walked over, knowing he couldn't understand sign language, and silently mouthed the two words 'thank you'.

Yu Shian clumsily made a sign.

You're amazing.

He can afford to lose; after seeing her painting, he knew the outcome was already decided.

He shows respect to those stronger than him.

Jiang Zhi didn't expect him to know sign language; although he seemed like a beginner, it was enough that she could understand.

She signed, 'You too.'

Wen Chijin, standing not far away, watched this scene gloomily, narrowed his eyes, and the corner of his mouth curved sinisterly.

The smile on the girl's face was eyesore no matter how you looked at it.

Wen Chijin's heart suddenly welled up a dark, morbid thought.

He wanted to tear apart and destroy the beautiful scene before him.

She is his.

She can only smile at him.

Those eyes can only look at him alone.

Jiang Zhi came over trotting; the boy's face had already returned to normal.

Her eyes could not hide her joy, she signed:

"Ah-Chi, he's really great! He said we'd go to the competition this afternoon and give us a ride, so we can save on taxi fare~"

Wen Chijin suddenly reached out, tightly gripping her trembling wrist; beneath his exquisite perfect face lay a chilling danger, and he smiled as he said:

"But what can we do, sis? I don't like him at all."