Gu Beixian's voice was mesmerizing—deep, magnetic, and clear, like the soothing notes of a cello, brushing past her ear and slipping into her eardrum.

Su Hua's heart betrayed her, beating erratically.

It felt like a little deer was ramming its antlers against her chest.

She stood there, frozen.

The sweet words from someone you love can truly make your brain release dopamine.

Su Hua's eyes curved into a smile as she looked up at his charming, seductive face. "Thank you for comforting me like this. Thank you."

Gu Beixian chuckled, pinching her cheek with a playful look in his eyes. "I realize you're quite straightforward, my little straight girl."

Su Hua's expression froze slightly, and she smiled awkwardly. "I guess I'm a bit clueless about romance. Xiao Yi said the same thing about me before."

Gu Beixian raised an eyebrow. "What did he say?"

"He said I'm a good woman, but too good, which makes me a bit boring. He told me to learn to be a bit more wild, more playful, to be more flexible, to act coy when needed, to be weak when necessary, to be thick-skinned when required, and to use tactics when appropriate."

Gu Beixian pondered for a moment. "Being playful is fine, but only in front of me. Acting coy and weak is also okay, but forget about being thick-skinned and using tactics."

Su Hua obediently replied, "Okay."

Gu Beixian patted her head. "Wait for me at home. What do you want to eat tonight? I'll bring it for you."

Su Hua hadn't had much of an appetite these past few days, so she said, "I don't really feel like eating anything."

"Then I'll decide for you. Let Sister Liu handle lunch; you don't need to do anything."

Su Hua felt like she had transformed from a maid into a princess and obediently replied, "Okay."

"I'm leaving now." Gu Beixian hugged her again, picked up his briefcase, changed his shoes, and reached for the door handle.

Suddenly, Su Hua ran up to him, hugging his waist from behind, and whispered, "I wish I could shrink and fit into your pocket, so I could go wherever you go."

She wasn't good at sweet talk, but she felt she had to say something in return. So she awkwardly came up with that line.

Gu Beixian almost burst out laughing.

Saying sweet nothings seemed to be such a challenge for her, like matching couplets.

What came naturally to others took her a long time to come up with, and even then, it was so stiff.

She said it so earnestly that it lost all its romantic charm.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He slowly turned around, cupped her face, and kissed her on the lips, unable to hold back his laughter. "Why is our Hua Hua so adorable?"

Adorable?

Su Hua was a bit confused.

After Gu Beixian left, she went to the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror for a long time.

Her face was indeed pretty, but it had nothing to do with being adorable.

Once Gu Beixian left, the large room felt empty, and Su Hua started missing her grandmother again.

She walked to the balcony, sat on the lounge chair, and stared blankly into space.

Just as she was feeling sad, her phone rang.

She glanced at it and saw it was Shen Yuan calling.

After answering, she said, "Su Hua, Wang Meng's 'Retreat' painting has started being restored. Next, we need to choose someone to continue the work. The museum has gathered a group of experts from all over the country to copy parts of it, and the best one will be selected. My brother wants you to submit a copy too."

Continuing the work means filling in the missing parts of an ancient painting so that the restoration is seamless.

It tests a person's overall aesthetic sense and mastery of basic techniques.

Copying is about reaching that standard with your own skills and methods, while continuing the work involves directly stepping into the artist's role, which is more demanding.

That's why the museum gathered experts to select the best.

Su Hua replied, "Okay."

Shen Yuan said, "I have a photo of the entire 'Retreat' painting on my phone. I'll send it to you later."

Su Hua casually replied, "No need, I have it memorized."

"What? You have it memorized?" Shen Yuan was astonished. "That painting is so complex. You memorized the whole thing? Even the missing parts?"

Su Hua responded calmly, "My grandfather trained me since I was young. No matter what kind of ancient painting it is, I can memorize it after looking at it for a few minutes. When I get back, I can recreate it exactly within half a month."

Shen Yuan was stunned. "Oh my god, are you some kind of genius?"

Su Hua thought to herself, I can't even say a sweet line properly; what kind of genius is that?

"Enough talking, I'll go draw the partial painting now and give it to you tonight."

Shen Yuan was even more surprised. "That fast?"

"Yes."

After hanging up, Su Hua walked into her study.

The study was equipped with a complete set of tools for restoring ancient books and paintings.

The Old Master loved collecting ancient calligraphy and paintings, which are difficult to preserve. Over the years, Su Hua had been helping to maintain and restore them.

This set of tools was provided by Gu Beixian.

Su Hua took a piece of Xuan paper, skillfully dyed it with black tea, and asked Sister Liu to help grind the ink.

Once the paper dried, she picked up a brush and began to paint, relying on the image in her mind.

Wang Meng's paintings are rich in technique, with layered and varied brushwork. His unique methods, such as the "解索皴" and "牛毛皴" techniques, use heavy ink and dense compositions, featuring multiple layers of mountains and water, creating a serene and profound scenery.

Due to his deep longing for a reclusive life, his works exude tranquility, detachment, and a serene beauty, with a rich and elegant style.

Under her grandfather's guidance, Su Hua had copied many of his works since childhood.

She was well-versed in his techniques and brushwork, so drawing a partial painting now was effortless.

By evening, Su Hua had finished the painting and contacted Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan rushed over, took the painting, and compared it with the photo on her phone. It was an exact match.

The only difference was that the missing parts of the original painting had been seamlessly filled in by Su Hua.

Shen Yuan was amazed and couldn't help but examine Su Hua's head closely. "Hua Jie, what kind of magical brain do you have? It's even better than a camera!"

Su Hua felt a bit embarrassed by her scrutiny and gently pushed her away. "I was born a few hours later than you, so just call me Su Hua."

"No, you're my Hua Jie. 'Jie' represents status in the community, not age."

Su Hua couldn't argue with her and let her call her whatever she wanted.

Shen Yuan carefully rolled up the painting and put it in her car. "My brother went abroad for a medical exchange conference. He heard from his colleagues that your grandmother passed away and specifically called to ask me to keep you company. Where do you want to go? I'll go with you."

Having free time made Su Hua miss her grandmother, so she wanted to go out and relax. "Let's go ride the Ferris wheel."

Shen Yuan rolled her eyes. "What's so great about that?"

Su Hua felt a bit embarrassed. "I've never ridden one."

Shen Yuan burst out laughing. "No way! You're in your twenties and you've never ridden a Ferris wheel?"

"Yeah, never."

"Alright, let's go."

Su Hua got into Shen Yuan's car.

They had a meal together and then went to the largest amusement park in the capital.

The giant Ferris wheel, over a hundred meters tall, had colorful lights installed on each cabin, making it look like a beautiful rainbow at night.

Su Hua and Shen Yuan got into a cabin together.

In about ten minutes, they reached the highest point of the Ferris wheel.

There were binoculars in the cabin for visitors to enjoy the night view.

Su Hua and Shen Yuan picked up the binoculars and looked outside, seeing the entire capital city, with its thousands of lights, dazzling and beautiful, the neon lights outlining an unparalleled night scene.

Suddenly, Shen Yuan patted Su Hua's shoulder and exclaimed, "Look! That handsome guy, Gu Beixian!"

Su Hua adjusted the binoculars and looked in the direction Shen Yuan pointed.

Across from them, in the parking lot of the Kyoto Grand Hotel, a man and a woman stepped out of a long luxury car.

The man was tall and handsome, dressed in a dark suit, walking with long strides, exuding elegance.

The woman was beautiful, fashionably dressed, and adorned with jewelry.

The man was Gu Beixian.

The woman was Chu Suosuo.

They walked side by side towards the hotel's main entrance, chatting as they went.

The binoculars were so clear that Su Hua could even see the smile on Chu Suosuo's face.

She was smiling so happily.

Su Hua's smile froze on her face.