Chapter 206: Chapter 0206: The Arrogant Great Painter_1
"That’s impossible. How could something like that happen?" Zhang Bin said, feigning utter surprise.
"Darling, there’s no need to beat around the bush. You know Ruomei has fallen in love with you. And I know you like Ruomei, too," Liu Ruolan said.
"Honey, you’re overthinking it..." Zhang Bin immediately broke into a sweat.
"Don’t be nervous. I’m not angry at all. On the contrary, I’m glad and proud. It’s precisely because you’re so outstanding and magical that Ruomei fell deeply in love," Liu Ruolan said. "I’ve always believed that the more beautiful women a man can woo, the more it reflects his value. If a man doesn’t even have a mistress, he’s an absolute failure."
"Honey, you put that so perfectly. I’ve only had a vague inkling of that idea before, but I could never put it into words," Zhang Bin blurted out admiringly.
"You Big Bad Egg, it seems I’ve spoken your mind. From now on, I don’t care how many sisters you bring into the fold, but you can’t lay a finger on my little sister..." Liu Ruolan scolded playfully before hanging up.
She immediately began to prepare to meet Chen Junheng.
First, she roused Liu Ruomei from bed and insisted she get dressed up. She even took her out for breakfast before driving toward the Qingshan International Hotel.
"Sis, why are you being so formal about this?" Liu Ruomei asked nonchalantly. "He’s not interested in me anymore, and I have no interest in him. We’re just ordinary friends having a meal to thank him for his past help to the Liu Family."
"He has a gift for you. Maybe he’s making one last-ditch effort to move you and win back your heart," Liu Ruolan said. "He’s such a miraculous hacker, always hiding his true depths. This time, he’ll definitely pull out some of his Miraculous Abilities. You should be looking forward to it, don’t you think?"
No miracle he could perform would ever compare to my brother-in-law’s dazzling sword strike, Liu Ruomei retorted inwardly. Out loud, however, she merely said, "What kind of gift could it be? He probably just bought 999 roses. At most, he’ll have a helicopter scatter them from the sky... That’s just so cliché."
"Your imagination really is something else. No wonder Chen Junheng says that about you," Liu Ruolan said, rolling her eyes at her sister, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Chatting idly, they finally arrived at the Qingshan International Hotel.
Seeing it was already nine o’clock, they didn’t delay and went straight to the rooftop.
Liu Ruolan’s face was filled with curiosity and anticipation, while Liu Ruomei kept sneering to herself, feeling an innate aversion to the Rabbit King.
On the rooftop stood a peculiar easel. Upon it rested a drawing board at least five meters long, with a sheet of pure white drawing paper held in place by several clips.
A long-haired youth, dressed in robes as white as snow and holding a paintbrush, was staring intently at Great Green Mountain in the distance, watching the red sun slowly rise.
He exuded the grand and mysterious aura of a master painter. It seemed as if he had completely blended into the fabric of Heaven and Earth, as if he were not a man, but an Immortal detached from the secular world.
Liu Ruolan’s eyes lit up, her anticipation growing even stronger.
Even the previously dismissive Liu Ruomei was taken aback, a look of surprise on her face. She felt that the youth before her was completely different from a month ago, as if he had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. He was once like a piece of unpolished jade covered in dust, but now the dust was gone, and the jade had been carved by the most skilled artisan, revealing a unique and brilliant splendor.
Such an aura was something she had only ever seen on her brother-in-law.
Could it be that he truly possesses Miraculous Abilities on par with my brother-in-law? Liu Ruomei wondered.
The two of them involuntarily slowed their steps, as if afraid of disturbing him.
At last, Zhang Bin moved, beginning to paint with fluid strokes. His expression was one of complete composure and confidence, exuding a presence so powerful it was awe-inspiring.
He was no ordinary person; he had strengthened the nervous system in his arms multiple times. Therefore, his painting Speed was far beyond what any ordinary artist could achieve.
His brush danced rapidly across the paper, and a magnificent, breathtaking vista gradually began to take shape. It was a painting of sheer cliffs and lofty peaks, soaring from the ground to pierce the clouds. The treacherous cliffs were truly precipitous, a sight that made the heart pound.
On the peaks, forests of strange and wonderful trees stood amidst ethereal clouds and mist, while waterfalls hung like curtains, cascading down for what seemed like miles.
The scene grew wider and wider, eventually filling the entire five-meter sheet of paper. The majestic scenery seemed to leap off the page, and then, a red sun jumped out from behind the clouds on the painted horizon, bursting with ten thousand rays of golden light.
In an instant, the entire sea of clouds appeared to burst into flame.
As if adding the eyes to a painted dragon, the whole picture came alive, bursting with vibrant energy. The scene was too grand, too vast, its magnificence utterly intoxicating.
The two beautiful women stared, their eyes wide and their faces filled with utter fascination for the painting. They were from a wealthy family and had a collection of famous paintings, but never had they seen a work so magnificent, so beautiful.
A painting like this was beyond their wildest imaginations. It could definitely be considered one of the pinnacle works in all of history.
And it was created by a hacker? Was that even possible? Then why was he a hacker? He was clearly a painter of incredible, almost magical talent.
They continued to stare, their hearts pounding in their chests. They were witnessing the birth of a masterpiece, a work destined to be passed down through the ages.
Zhang Bin then began to paint meticulously on the highest, most remote summit, swiftly rendering the figure of a youth. The figure was a spitting image of himself—same clothes, same hair, same build. His hands were clasped behind his back, his face turned to the sky as if in silent inquiry to the heavens.
Then, in a blank space on the canvas, he began to inscribe a poem.
*Questioning Heaven*
*Standing on the highest peak, who can stand beside me?*
*For five hundred years, past and future, none can meet my eye.*
*I wish to return to the Immortal Realm, but the heavens are too high.*
*Helpless, I remain in the mortal world, year after endless year.*
The calligraphy was like a dragon in flight, bold and unrestrained, majestic and endlessly beautiful. It captivated the gaze, making it impossible to look away.
What was most shocking, however, was the poem’s unprecedented arrogance. He declared that no one in a thousand-year span could measure up to him. He considered himself an Immortal, not a mere mortal, who remained in the human world only because the Immortal Realm was too distant for him to return to just yet.
But such a breathtaking painting and such elegant calligraphy were indeed worthy of such an audacious poem.
And so, the two beauties were utterly spellbound.
Especially Liu Ruomei. She was profoundly stirred, shouting in her heart: I truly underestimated him! He’s actually an unparalleled great painter and calligrapher. He once said he enjoyed music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; he’s probably reached the Master Realm in all of them, just as with his chess and calligraphy. Perhaps... only he could compare to my brother-in-law. If I could forget my brother-in-law and had to find a boyfriend, the Rabbit King would be the only choice!