038 Questions of the attendant (Part 2)

Shen Tang harbored the impulse, for the nth time, to perform a cerebral operation on Qi Shan's consciousness, yet, mindful of the scant remnants of their friendship, she gritted her teeth and bore it stoically. Suppressing her fiery temperament, she remarked with restrained indignation, "Humph, why the sudden indignation? My artistic prowess is undeniable..."

Qi Shan remained silent. At this moment, he could truly ascertain it.

Shen Langjun's aesthetic sensibilities diverged from those of the common populace. The two of them locked gazes, neither willing to yield. Ultimately, Qi Shan, his temples throbbing with discomfort, evaded Shen Tang's confident and resolute gaze. He had encountered confidence before, but never quite like this.

How could such lackluster artistic skill coexist with such unwavering confidence? Aware that communication barriers could hinder efficiency, Qi Shan could only resort to circumlocution. With a grave tone, he pointed to Shen Tang's masterpiece on the table and posed a crucial question: "Even if your painting skills are exceptional, if the patron cannot appreciate them, can you still receive compensation?"

Shen Tang, startled by his remark, mused to herself, "Indeed, without the satisfaction of the patron, it is futile." She cast a skeptical glance at Qi Shan, seeking affirmation, "How can you be sure that he shares your aesthetic sensibilities and cannot appreciate my work?"

Suppressing the phrase "unusual aesthetic" that rose in her mind, she refrained from voicing her doubts. Her withdrawal was not out of fear of Qi Shan, but rather a concession to the patron's expectations.

Qi Shan, with a mixture of seriousness and irony, inhaled deeply and exhaled, "The eyes of the common folk often share similar appreciations of beauty." Shen Langjun's unconventional gaze was truly unique.

Unaware of the depth in Qi Shan's words, Shen Tang nodded thoughtfully, her expression tinged with regret as she sighed, "Rare is the harmony in understanding, elusive like finding a kindred spirit in music."

After uttering these words, she shook her head with genuine emotion.

Internally, Qi Shan felt almost speechless.

Shen Tang, feeling a headache coming on, glanced at the two paintings on the table, pinching the bridge of her nose. "In that case... How should we explain this to the client, or rather, to the landlord? I'm incapable of producing this kind of artwork."

Qi Shan inquired, "Have you signed a contract with the shopkeeper?"

If no contract had been signed, she could simply walk away from the job, suffering only a slight dent in her reputation. However, as Shen Langjun didn't rely on menial tasks like copying or painting to make a living, some loss was preferable to forcing herself into a situation.

To Qi Shan's surprise, Shen Tang replied, "The contract has already been signed. I've received the down payment."

Shen Tang retrieved her small purse, pouring out over twenty pieces of cut silver. Qi Shan's gaze at her grew increasingly complex — who had given her the audacity to accept payment for a job without possessing the requisite artistic skill? Now, the situation had turned dire. Qi Shan pondered how Shen Langjun would handle it.

"Now what?" Shen Tang asked.

Though Shen Tang still believed in her artistic ability — after all, it had once been her livelihood — she knew Qi Shan's words couldn't be easily dismissed. Yet, she also worried that even if she painted exceptionally well, it would be futile if the client didn't appreciate it.

She hesitated before suggesting, "Why don't we test the landlord? Perhaps he is a rare connoisseur of beauty beyond the common realm!"

Qi Shan remained silent.

"A connoisseur beyond the mundane world??? Ha-ha-ha, daydreaming is quicker."

"If it really won't work..."

Shen Tang was about to say, "If it really won't work, we might as well give it a try. If things get physical, who ends up hitting whom is still uncertain," when Qi Shan interjected, "If it really won't work, I'll help you finish the painting. We need to keep a low profile in Xiaocheng, and it's best not to stir up trouble if we can avoid it."

"...Fine, you make money, I make money. But, we should still inform the shopkeeper afterward that there's been a change in artists. We can't just take advantage of him." Shen Tang readily agreed, "I'll tell you about the appearance and demeanor of that landlord."

Qi Shan remained silent.

Who knows how many years it had been since he last did this kind of work? Even during the most difficult times, he hardly did it a few times.

Internally grumbling, yet his ears attentively caught Shen Tang's descriptions, not missing a single detail, while simultaneously constructing a mental layout.

Thank heavens, Shen Langjun's artistic skills were captivating, but his ability to organize thoughts was not weak either, with a clear and concise structure and keen observation.

Just by listening to her description, he could visualize the appearance, demeanor, characteristics, and temperament of that landlord, having a clear picture in his mind.

However...

Qi Shan keenly caught onto a detail.

"You mentioned that the landlord was initially dissatisfied with you?" 

Shen Tang corrected solemnly, "Initially, yes, but wasn't that because of my deceptive appearance? Perhaps they thought I was too young and my painting skills were not as good as those of older artists. However, later on, didn't they realize my exceptional talent and give me the job?"

Qi Shan remarked, "He recognized your literary talent."

Having literary talent and being exceptional due to it were completely different concepts from confirming Shen Langjun's painting skills as exceptional. 

Furthermore, did Shen Langjun even possess such painting skills?

Shen Tang waved her hand dismissively, "It's all the same, it's all the same."

Qi Shan shook his head, "How could a landlord in the prime of his life recognize your signature as a literary one with just one glance? Something seems off about that. It's not right to entrust such an important task solely based on your literary signature without verifying your painting skills."

Literary talent and painting skills were not equivalent.

Shen Tang didn't seem to have any doubts about it.

"What's the big deal? He's also a well-known figure in the Moonlight Pavilion, a future leading performer. He interacts with all kinds of people, so why would it be so rare for one of his clients to have literary talent? You're not suggesting that the landlord also has literary talent and recognized me because of it, are you?"

After spending some time in this world, one knows that even the lowest-grade literary talent surpasses that of ordinary people. 

Unless one is rendered useless or encounters other catastrophic disasters, it's difficult to fall into such a predicament under normal circumstances. 

The landlord didn't seem like that kind of person.

Qi Shan couldn't pinpoint the issue for a moment and asked again, "You said his condition was to use the materials he provided?"

Shen Tang affirmed, "Yes."

Rubbing his brow, Qi Shan asked Shen Tang to describe the landlord again, but even after two descriptions, he couldn't find the source of his doubts. 

Shen Tang, arms crossed, looked at him puzzled by his furrowed brow, "Yuan Liang, what exactly are you worried about?"

Qi Shan replied, "It's not worry; it's discomfort with the unknown."

Or rather, discomfort with being in the midst of things but not knowing the whole picture. He had a gut feeling that something was amiss with the landlord, and without answers, it would continue to gnaw at him, causing considerable distress.

In Shen Tang's understanding, it was akin to an obsessive-compulsive episode.

Seeing his seriousness, Shen Tang suggested, "If he does have a problem, perhaps the clue lies in the materials he emphasized, the ink, brush, and paper."

A sudden realization struck Qi Shan. He pulled out a sheet from the stack, either placed it over the candle flame to roast or splashed it with water, waiting for something to reveal itself.

Shen Tang quietly observed him "going mad."

After a while, she reminded him, "Perhaps it's related to linguistic arts?"

Yuan Liang, the world has changed.

This is a world that doesn't abide by science.

Methods like roasting paper over a flame or splashing water aren't popular here.