114: Not Plagiarized

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For a moment, everyone stood frozen in disbelief.

Master Fu and Master Lu, the two most respected elders in the cultural arts and architectural world, were practically beaming at Lin Yue.

The two elder masters then glared at each other briefly, an invisible spark flying between them, before simultaneously turning to Lin Yue with bright, adoring smiles that didn't match the solemn environment of a high-level project meeting.

Zhang Qian's brows furrowed.

Qin Ke, who had been standing stiffly at the doorway like a statue, looked as if someone had pulled the ground from under him.

Jin Shu blinked in disbelief.

Even Liang Yexuan, who never showed a ripple in his usually unreadable expression, frowned subtly—eyes narrowed, thoughts spinning, as he looked at the girl standing at the door.

What the hell was going on?

Master Fu strode toward Lin Yue first, his face lit up. "Yue girl! What on earth are you doing here?"

Lin Yue blinked. "Master Fu… Master Lu… I should be the one asking you that."

"You—this child!" Master Fu laughed, then gave her an approving pat on the shoulder. "When did you come to the Capital? What's this? You work here now?"

"Yes." Lin Yue nodded. "I joined the Liang Conglomerate recently. I'm part of the design team."

Master Lu had come up beside her by now, his eyes wandering to the projected sketch, then narrowed slightly before darting to Master Fu.

"Did you draw that?" both asked in sync.

Lin Yue nodded.

In unison, both old men turned to face each other, blinking—before bursting into pure laughter.

"So you're the one!" Master Fu crowed.

"I knew it looked familiar!" Master Lu said.

Master Fu turned to Mr. Nan, his chest puffed with pride. "She's the artist, isn't she?"

Mr. Nan nodded slowly, his brows furrowed in shock.

"Then there's no plagiarism here. Not with this girl."

Everyone in the room sat frozen in disbelief.

Mr. Nan could barely find his voice. "You… you know her?"

Master Fu turned back to him with pride gleaming in his eyes. "Know her? She's —"

Master Lu chimed in making Master Fu glare at him, "She's from my district. Went viral a while back. Remember those gorgeous traditional paintings that were trending online?"

Someone from the government team nodded. "The ones that went viral? I remember. She was incredibly young and yet the work was…"

"...incomparable," Master Fu finished proudly.

Behind them, Liang Yexuan's eyes darkened slightly.

He remembers Jin Shu telling him about her opening a gallery but he'd not paid much attention.

So she hadn't plagiarized.

She had created that brilliance with her own hands.

It was good.

Otherwise, he didn't know what he would've done.

After all, she was his saviour.

Master Fu turned back toward him. "CEO Liang, you have good eyes. You're lucky to have her."

Liang Yexuan's jaw tightened. He gave a small nod, lips barely parting. "She's talented."

Master Fu turned to her, arms folded with mock irritation. "You didn't even tell me you moved to the Capital. Do you not take me as your grandpa anymore?"

Lin Yue blinked. "G-Grandpa…?"

Master Fu looked pleased. He folded his arms, shooting a victorious glare at Master Lu.

Master Lu huffed. "Yue girl, don't let this old man claim you now."

Their back-and-forth sent visible waves of awkwardness through the other men in the room.

They exchanged hesitant glances, all thinking the same thing: how did this young woman know two of the biggest names in the industry?

They were known to be arrogant. Unfriendly.

However, here they were, laughing heartily like she was their beloved granddaughter.

Mr. Nan, clearing his throat, cut through the chaos. "Ahem. Masters… Shouldn't we return to the matter at hand?"

Master Fu straightened. "What matter? Isn't it obvious? That sketch is the one we've been looking for. Traditional meets modern. Emotionally rich. Perfect strokes. Who else can do it better?"

He looked directly at Liang Yexuan. "Prepare the materials for the bid next week."

Liang Yexuan gave a subtle nod, but his eyes never left Lin Yue.

Then, turning to Lin Yue, Master Fu said warmly, "You owe me a visit. You didn't even tell me you moved to the Capital."

Master Lu huffed. "I was supposed to say that. Yue girl, why did you leave without telling me? You owe me a painting."

Everyone in the room watched with awkward fascination as the two masters bickered over her like children fighting over candy.

Qin Ke leaned over to Zhang Qian. "Is she a permanent hire?"

Zhang Qian shook her head.

"Offer her a contract," Qin Ke muttered. "Immediately... No, today. If we lose her, we lose a literal gold mine."

Zhang Qian nodded, her thoughts racing.

Meanwhile, the government delegates began to rise.

Mr. Nan gave a small nod toward Lin Yue. "Miss Lin, thank you for your contribution. The work is… remarkable."

—

As they began to file out, another man stepped forward.

His hair was silvery and neatly tied at the nape, and he carried an elegant ink brush in the pocket of his traditional coat.

"Miss Lin," he said with a small smile. "I am Master Cheng, advisor of the National Art Foundation. You're very talented and I'd like to nurture you to be more outstanding. If you're interested, I'd be honored to take you on as my apprentice."

Lin Yue blinked.

Before she could reply—

"She's not interested!" Master Fu and Master Lu snapped in unison, stepping in front of her like two protective bulldogs.

Master Cheng recoiled slightly, laughed nervously, and backed away. "I understand, I understand. Just asking."

Was there a need to look like they wanted to tear him apart?

He was just asking.

Just asking.

As the group departed, they all looked back at Lin Yue one last time.

Who exactly was this girl?

Once everyone had left, only Lin Yue and the two masters remained.

—

Liang Yexuan accompanied them to the elevator.

Zhang Qian and Qin Ke had quietly excused themselves, still processing what they had just witnessed.

—

Back inside the conference room, Master Fu and Master Lu stayed behind with Lin Yue.

Master Fu folded his arms. "Why the Liang Conglomerate, girl? With your talent, you could've walked into any design institute or museum in the country."

Master Lu nodded. "We even went to your gallery. Your manager said you were out of town."

Master Fu said proudly, "I even got your number from him."

"Me too," Master Lu added quickly.

"Excuse me? You begged the manager, I just asked politely," Master Fu snapped.

Lin Yue couldn't help the laugh that slipped out.

Looking at the two men, both wrinkled and stubborn and so very competitive, she felt a sudden warmth in her chest.

It surprised her.

They didn't know each other but... she could feel their care.

Lin Yue lowered her gaze, cheeks flushed. "Masters, you're exaggerating. I'm not that talented... I just draw what I feel."

Master Fu scoffed affectionately. "You say that like it's easy. That's exactly what makes you special."

Master Lu nodded, smiling with pride. "Your brush speaks truth, Yue girl. That's a gift not even time can teach."

She looked up, eyes softening. "I just... never thought anyone would see it."

Master Fu gently patted her head. "We don't just see it—we cherish it. That's why we like you."

"Thank you," she whispered.

Master Fu's tone softened. "If you need help, just tell me."

"I'll help too," Master Lu added, puffing out his chest.

Lin Yue's throat felt tight.

She didn't know why these two elders treated her with such affection… but it warmed her heart.

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