Everyone was somewhat stunned by her words.
The little girl pouted her lips and said indignantly, "Didn't you ask me to choose the best painting as a reference? This one it is."
Without waiting for the old man or Jian Xiuheng to stop her, she pointed to the displayed works and graded them one by one.
With the reference piece as ten points, the other paintings generally scored between eight and ten points, with the lowest being 8.1 and the highest 9.6.
"This painting is so empty here, it feels too empty and looks very unpleasant."
"The eyes of the people in this painting are so hollow."
"This painting..."
The little girl commented on each painting, finding fault with most of them, including the one she gave a perfect score.
Initially, the teenagers were somewhat dissatisfied seeing the reference works and scores Jian Sheng chose. They were all geniuses and never thought they were inferior to anyone. Even if someone said their work was not as good as another's, they attributed it to their work not being the teacher's preferred style.
However, as Jian Sheng continued speaking, a sense of astonishment began to dawn upon them.
It was no wonder.
Although the little girl used plain, un-professional language, she pointed out the core issues in their respective works with remarkable accuracy.
For example, the painting Jian Sheng called "empty" was by a student who favored negative space, but sometimes used it at inappropriate times.
Others had issues with the characters' expressions, the interplay of light and shadow, or the treatment of color. These were minor problems they hadn't overcome, yet the little girl could pinpoint them with such precision.
Her artistic appreciation and insight were frighteningly sharp, making her a natural prodigy born for painting!
The youths, who had intended to dismiss her criticisms as the innocent prattling of a young child, suddenly shrunk back into themselves, feeling utterly humbled.
They retreated into their own shell.
What the teenagers could see, the refined middle-aged man and the old man could also see. They looked at Jian Sheng with shining eyes, almost wanting to snatch her away in a sack.
The old man strode forward and crouched in front of the little girl, as enthusiastic as a street vendor trying to attract customers.
"You two are the child's family, right? This little doll's talent is truly unparalleled. If her practical skills can improve even slightly, I guarantee she will become a top artist in China within twenty years and renowned overseas within forty!"
The old man spoke with overflowing passion, even spitting a little.
Besides his eagerness to nurture talent, he was also keen to poach her from those other old fellows.
Her sharp and critical eye, clearly honed by extensive exposure to masterworks, made him believe she must have come from one of those old guys' households.
Jian Xiuheng had already told Jian Junru about the legend of the Hua Wen Art Studio. Jian Junru was incredibly tempted by the old man's offer to take his niece as a student, however,
Jian Junru said, "I hope Sheng Sheng can cultivate a hobby, but whether she wants to learn or not depends on her. I won't force her to study anything."
"No problem with the parents."
The old man's face beamed like a chrysanthemum. He squatted before Jian Sheng, displaying the classic villainous smile used to lure children.
But before he could speak, Jian Sheng looked up, her soft voice uttering a firm refusal: "No!"
The old man's radiant smile froze on his face. "Why?"
The little girl held her head high, her eyes filled with a wronged stubbornness that made one's heart ache.
"They don't like Sheng Sheng, so Sheng Sheng doesn't want to go and be disliked!"
The old man stiffened, truly regretting his mischievous impulse to use the little girl to provoke those proud youths.
The child looked young, but she was exceptionally sensitive to people's emotions.
She had noticed the hostility the youths felt towards her due to his actions, which was why she stepped forward to point out the flaws in their paintings.
However, their animosity had made her refuse to come to the art studio.
For such a young child, she saw things more clearly than anyone.
His actions had indeed hurt this little girl.
Yet, he had done it precisely to provoke those youths. Now, while he had achieved his goal, he couldn't prevent those people from harboring negative emotions, could he?
Even if he could use his status to make the youths apologize and concede, could he control their thoughts forever?
The old man painfully tapped his head. How could he have come up with such a foolish plan in a moment of recklessness?
Now, he had lifted a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
Wise in a thousand things, but foolish in one!
The old man smiled wryly. "I was rash just now. I apologize for my actions."
While he was contemplating how to mend the rift between them, the other two walked over quickly.
It was Jian Junyu and his senior disciple, Gao Yunhai.
Upon seeing the old man, they immediately walked forward with excitement, respectfully saying,
"Teacher!"
"Elder Cheng!"
The old man stood up. "Ah, Xiao Yu. I remember you, the leading figure of the new generation in the art world."
He completely ignored Gao Yunhai standing beside him.
Gao Yunhai smiled bitterly in his heart, finally realizing the vast gap between himself and his junior disciple.
However, it was still good to have the chance to meet this titan of the art world through his junior disciple.
After introducing his senior disciple Gao Yunhai to Elder Cheng, Jian Junyu inquired about the situation.
"Teacher, I heard you took a liking to my niece, Sheng Sheng. I happen to be here, so I came to take a look."
The old man's eyes lit up. "This is your niece?"
No wonder this little doll's talent was so immense; having an uncle like this made sense.
But Jian Junyu alone couldn't cultivate such a fine talent, could he? The Jian family had no other famous artists.
Perhaps it was a connection from his sister's husband's side?
However, having Jian Junyu as a connection was good. With this connection, he could visit the Jian family more often and build a good relationship with the little doll, couldn't he?
The old man thought this, conjuring an image of the little doll toddling behind him, obediently calling him "Teacher," and he couldn't help but chuckle again.
"Teacher? Teacher?"
"Ah? What were you saying?" The old man snapped back to attention, wiping away non-existent drool from the corner of his mouth.
"You saw Sheng Sheng's talent and wanted to take her into the art studio for training?" Jian Junyu repeated helplessly.
He had studied under this master for a while when he was at the art studio, hence calling him teacher.
However, this master was good in all aspects, just a bit too unreliable in temperament.
The old man looked at Jian Junyu with unprecedented amiability and warmth. "Xiao Yu, bring the little doll to visit me more often when you have the chance, or notify me when the little doll is free to have me over."
Jian Junyu was bewildered. What had just happened?
The young man with glasses who had stepped forward earlier walked over with some awkwardness, his face flushed red.
"S-sorry."
"Hm?" Jian Sheng looked up blankly.