Su He's art exhibition commenced as scheduled.
On that day, she went to a beauty studio early for an intellectual makeover and changed into a custom-made gown by Su Ying. After a thorough preparation, she indeed exuded an artistic flair.
The jade bracelet on her wrist was a gift from the old man for their first meeting, extraordinarily precious, which she normally wouldn't dare to wear. It was only on an occasion like today that it was suitable for wearing to uphold her status.
It was Su He's first art exhibition, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous.
"Nervous?" Lu Yanbei held her hand, feeling it was clammy.
Su He nodded. "Do you think no one will come?"
Although invitations had been sent out, it was hard to say how many people would oblige.
"They will come," Lu Yanbei encouraged. He had taken a day off specifically to be by her side, and he couldn't bear to watch the light in her eyes dim.
With his comfort, Su He felt a little better.
As the appointed time approached, the deserted exhibition hall entrance gradually became lively. Cars after cars of luxury vehicles drove in, and elegantly dressed men and women alighted.
Su He heard the commotion outside and hurried to the entrance to check.
The first to arrive was her mentor, Ms. Hong. She wasn't alone this time; she brought her husband and several children. Their family of five or six people, bustling with energy, looked quite impressive.
"Teacher," Su He said, seeing Ms. Hong, and her heart suddenly settled.
"Have you been waiting long?" Ms. Hong gently patted her hand. "I said I wanted to come earlier, but they were all dawdling. It took us ages to gather everyone, and then we made a detour to the gas station..."
"I'm already very happy that you could come," Su He said with a smile, linking her arm with Ms. Hong's, their demeanor very intimate. Then, she politely greeted the He family behind her.
"Uncle He, Sister Qin, Sister Rong, Brother Bin, Brother Yao, Shu Fan."
After a round of greetings, more people arrived at the entrance.
Ms. Hong knew Su He would be busy, so she exchanged a few pleasantries and then led her family inside.
With Ms. Hong as a pillar of support, Su He gained some confidence. In the subsequent interactions, she gradually became more adept, handling guests with increasing skill and earning much praise.
"Is this the young mistress of the Lu family? She looks quite good, not like the rumors outside at all..."
"So, rumors can't be trusted!"
"Mrs. He is known for her strictness; can her disciple be any less capable?"
"Then I must choose one or two paintings to take back later! Perhaps, they will be worth more than this price in the future!"
An art exhibition was held, first for fame, and second, to sell paintings.
Most of the attendees were influential and wealthy individuals, capable of making generous purchases. If they fancied a painting, they could buy it on the spot. The more they sold, the better the paintings were considered, achieving both fame and fortune.
Su He was now Mrs. Lu, naturally not lacking in money. Therefore, in the eyes of most people, she was actually seeking to gain a good reputation to please Mr. Lu.
However, after entering the venue and seeing Su He's works, many gradually changed their minds.
Su He's paintings were truly vibrant and pleasing to the eye.
Her paintings primarily featured flowers and birds, arranged according to the seasons. Visitors felt as if they were immersed in a vast sea of flowers. Various colors and forms of flowers intertwined, captivating the gaze and making one forget all their troubles.
"The paintings are exquisite!"
"Indeed! It reminds me of my younger days living in the countryside..."
"Time flies, and the younger generation is truly formidable!"
"No wonder Mrs. He is so supportive; she indeed has some talent!"
"I thought it was just undeserved fame, but unexpectedly... this trip was worthwhile!"
At this exhibition, all the Su family members, except for Su Chen, were present. Even Su Lin came! Unlike his usual secretive demeanor, he entered through the main door openly this time, without sunglasses or a hat. He stood together with the Su family, showing no signs of avoidance.
Due to his striking height, he quickly attracted considerable attention.
"That tall young man looks familiar; is he a celebrity?"
"It's Su Lin!"
"He's actually here too!"
"I heard the Lu family's madam is also named Su; aren't they siblings?"
"And the one next to him is Su Ying, right? All the siblings are so outstanding!"
"Birds of a feather flock together! It seems the Lu madam is also very capable, just overly low-key!"
The Su siblings were unaware that their attendance at Su He's exhibition would have such an effect.
Su Ying noticed the surrounding gazes and nudged Su Lin with her elbow. "Are you not afraid of causing a commotion by coming so ostentatiously?"
"The exhibition isn't open to the public, and there are less than fifty people in the venue, so what's there to fear! Besides, there are security guards outside; what trouble could there be!" Su Lin replied nonchalantly while admiring a painting.
"Don't underestimate your fans! If they knew your itinerary, they would definitely follow. Those few security guards at the entrance wouldn't be able to stop them!" Su Ying rolled her eyes.
Did he have a misunderstanding of his own popularity?
A superstar with tens of millions of fans, going out without even an assistant, wasn't he afraid of being devoured by his fans?
"You came here to support Su Su; don't end up causing trouble."
Su Lin pouted unhappily. "Got it, I'll leave soon!"
He hadn't even finished looking at the paintings; it was so disappointing!
Su Ying patted his shoulder. "Don't be upset! If you want a painting later, I'll bid for it for you!"
Su Lin had already planned to speak, but suddenly a noisy commotion erupted from not far away.
The siblings exchanged a look and walked towards the source of the noise.
After inquiring with Tang Jiaojiao, they learned that someone was questioning Su He's plagiarism. The cause was a lady guest who stated that a painting in the venue was very similar to one hanging in her room, almost identical. So, she mumbled a few words to her companion. Unexpectedly, the companion was quite particular and went to inform Ms. Hong about the matter.
Ms. Hong, prioritizing her disciple's reputation, naturally wanted to investigate. Firstly, she detested plagiarism and couldn't tolerate any wrongdoing. Secondly, if the matter was hushed up, it would damage Su He's reputation. It was better to get to the bottom of it and clear her name.
Su He was quite bewildered at the time.
She could vouch with her chest that all these paintings were her own work and had never copied anyone else's.
However, the guest had sound reasons.
For this reason, she even dug out a post from a few months ago, which contained a casual photo she had taken. The background of the photo was the "Lotus Pond at Night" painting, which looked like it was carved from the same mold as the one in the venue.
With such strong evidence, Su He couldn't deny it.