The Sweetest Marriage Ch.150

Chapter 150 – It’s True

After Chen Qing retrieved the painting, he went directly to the Chen family’s old residence. Upon learning that Chen Shihuai was in the study, he had the servants carry the painting behind him and went to the study to find Chen Shihuai.

“Grandfather, I’m back,” Chen Qing knocked on the door and said.

“Come in,” Chen Shihuai’s voice was calm, revealing no emotions.

Chen Qing pushed the door open and gestured for the servants to be careful with the painting, fearing it might get damaged. Chen Shihuai saw Chen Qing carrying a painting and narrowed his eyes slightly, asking, “Did you find it?”

“Yes, Grandfather,” Chen Qing replied. His eyebrows lifted, no longer showing the timidity he had when he last saw Chen Shihuai. In fact, he seemed somewhat proud, displaying all his emotions on his face.

Chen Shihuai was somewhat surprised. It had been several days and there had been no word from Chen Qing. He himself had tried to inquire about the results but had found nothing. He had already given up and was planning to prepare another gift for Secretary Wu. Yet now, Chen Qing suddenly brought back the painting. This seemed suspicious to Chen Shihuai.

Chen Shihuai didn’t rush to look at the painting. Instead, he had Chen Qing recount the process of acquiring it. Knowing his grandfather’s suspicious nature, Chen Qing described the process in great detail from start to finish.

After listening, Chen Shihuai remained silent for a moment. He didn’t find anything suspicious in the story. Only then did he allow Chen Qing to unfold the canvas.

As the canvas opened, Chen Shihuai saw that the painting matched the image of the artwork he had acquired. He felt slightly relieved, but not entirely. He ordered the butler to bring in an expert from Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy Association to verify the authenticity of the painting.

Due to the Chen family’s status in Shanghai and their relationship with Chen Yunlan, the experts from the association immediately dropped what they were doing and arrived at the Chen residence within half an hour.

However, when they heard that they were to authenticate a painting by the winner of the Dream Cup Gold Award, their expressions turned difficult.

“Mr. Chen, this Gold Award winner has only produced two works so far. One is housed in the National Art Museum, and the other is this one before us. We are seeing this person’s artwork for the first time. As for its authenticity, we cannot confirm,” the association’s president explained.

Chen Shihuai was rational. He understood the difficulty of the situation and waved them off.

Still, Chen Shihuai felt something was amiss. He decided to send a video request to Chen Yunlan, who was in the United States, to have him take a look at the painting. After all, Chen Yunlan’s expertise in this field surpassed that of the experts in the painting and calligraphy association.

Due to the time difference, it was still early morning in the United States. Chen Yunlan was awakened and his tone was somewhat annoyed. However, realizing it was his father calling, he refrained from venting his frustration on Chen Shihuai.

“Dad has a painting here. Can you evaluate its quality for me?” Chen Shihuai said, a rare hint of warmth in his eyes.

“Where is it? Let me take a look,” Chen Yunlan managed to suppress his impatience.

Chen Shihuai directed the camera towards the painting Chen Qing had brought. Chen Yunlan took a cursory glance and asked, “What aspect of its quality do you want me to evaluate?”

Chen Shihuai didn’t have much knowledge in this area. He only knew that this painting had won the Dream Cup Gold Award, so he asked, “If this painting were to be entered in the Dream Cup competition, what rank would it achieve?”

Chen Yunlan then took a serious look at the painting and found the skill and technique to be quite good. The most impressive aspect was the strong conceptualization of the artwork. He commented, “It’s almost at the level of a Gold Award.”

He hadn’t paid much attention to the Dream Cup in China for several years, and this standard was based on the previous criteria. However, in Chen Yunlan’s view, the participants in the Dream Cup were generally mediocre and unlikely to produce exceptionally outstanding works.

Chen Shihuai was unaware of Chen Yunlan’s thoughts, but he trusted his judgment. If Chen Yunlan said the painting could achieve a Gold Award, then there was no doubt that it was indeed Chen Li’s work.

As Chen Shihuai was beginning to feel relieved, he noticed in the video that there was a naked man walking behind his son. His eyebrows furrowed immediately. He said to Chen Yunlan, “Yunlan, you know the situation with your body. Don’t be too indulgent. Do you really want to go through that ordeal again?” Chen Shihuai’s tone was stern, reflecting both displeasure and concern.

“I know, I know,” Chen Yunlan’s impatience flared up as he mentioned this. “Haven’t I been fine all these years?”

Chen Shihuai was about to say more, but Chen Yunlan interrupted him. “Okay, Dad, I don’t want to discuss this anymore. It’s still early morning here, and it’s not even dawn yet. I need to get some rest.” Without waiting for Chen Shihuai’s response, he abruptly ended the video call.

Chen Shihuai sighed inwardly as he looked at the disconnected video. He then turned his gaze to Chen Qing and said, “You did well this time. I appreciate your efforts.” The affection he had shown towards Chen Yunlan disappeared when faced with his own grandson.

Chen Qing’s face lit up with joy. “Thank you, Grandfather, for your praise. There’s still a lot I want to learn from you.”

“Prepare an outfit. The day after tomorrow, come with me to Secretary Wu’s birthday banquet,” Chen Shihuai instructed. Despite Chen Qing’s immaturity and excitement, he was, after all, the future inheritor of the Chen family. It was time for him to meet and get to know some people.

“Thank you, Grandfather.” For Chen Qing, this was certainly a pleasant surprise. Grandfather taking him out in such a formal setting indirectly affirmed his status.

Chen Shihuai waved his hand, indicating for Chen Qing to leave, and also instructed someone to frame the painting. He planned to present it to Secretary Wu during the birthday banquet.

When Chen Qing left, Wu Zikang was waiting in the living room. Upon seeing Chen Qing come down, he immediately approached him and asked, “Aqing, how did it go?”

He had been waiting for almost an hour. Seeing experts come and go had made him anxious. Now that Chen Qing was back, he was eager to know the answer. Thirty million was minor; the main concern was that his efforts hadn’t been in vain.

“The painting is genuine,” Chen Qing didn’t hold back and straightforwardly revealed the truth. His eyebrows and eyes relaxed. Despite the frustration he felt at spending so much effort to find Chen Li’s painting, his grandfather’s recognition was more important than anything else.

Wu Zikang’s heart finally eased. “That’s a relief. All our days of hard work weren’t wasted.”

“Let’s go. I’ll treat you to a meal,” Chen Qing said. After so many days, he finally felt like enjoying a good meal.

“Sure, but you have to follow my lead,” Wu Zikang grinned.

“Of course, you’re the hero here. Who else would I follow? Also, bring your group of friends along. They’ve been a great help during this time!” Chen Qing laughed.

“Got it.”

Chen Qing and Wu Zikang left the Chen residence together, their closeness evident.

*

“Sheng Ji Silver Pavilion” was an old and renowned establishment in China that could be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. It was rumored to have been a royal artisan, catering specifically to the imperial concubines by crafting jewelry for them. Over time, Sheng Ji Silver Pavilion expanded its offerings beyond just jewelry, producing various gold, silver, and jade items, gaining worldwide popularity due to its intricate designs and strong Chinese aesthetic.

The ring Wei Chen gave to Chen Li last time was crafted by the skilled artisans of Sheng Ji Silver Pavilion. Now, after returning to Beijing from Shanghai, Wei Chen visited Sheng Ji once again.

This time, Wei Chen wasn’t here to order a ring. He was selecting a jade Buddha statue as a birthday gift for Secretary Wu.

It was Chen Li’s first time entering Sheng Ji Silver Pavilion, and he was immediately captivated by its interior design.

Being a well-established heritage brand in China, Sheng Ji’s interior was naturally filled with an antique charm. The carved railings, painted columns, flowing streams – it didn’t look like a shop, but rather an ancient mansion with historical significance.

Upon entering Sheng Ji, they were promptly greeted by attendants dressed in traditional Han attire. Upon hearing Wei Chen’s request, they led him to the area with jade products. Without offering any introductions, they allowed Wei Chen to choose freely. They were confident enough in their products; as long as it bore the Sheng Ji mark, there was no need for introductions or marketing – customers would buy them.

Sheng Ji’s jade products weren’t numerous, and even fewer were suitable for celebrating birthdays. However, each piece was crafted with great care and carried profound meanings, making it challenging to make a decision.

After reviewing several options, Wei Chen couldn’t decide which one to choose. He asked Chen Li, “Li Li, pick one from these.”

Chen Li carefully examined them and finally pointed to a jade statue of a deity holding a peach. “This one looks particularly good.”

Wei Chen took a look and decided on that one.

The carved jade statue of the deity was indeed of high quality, translucent and flawless, with a faint fluorescent glow. The most ingenious detail was the peach held by the deity. The tip of the peach had a natural pink hue, not artificially added, but inherent in the jade itself.

After the jade statue was carefully packaged, Wei Chen and Chen Li continued to explore the shop. Chen Li showed a keen interest in many items, often expressing amazement. But when Wei Chen asked him if he wanted to buy anything, Chen Li would shake his head. He found these items intriguing in the moment, but he suspected that the novelty would fade once they were brought home.

It wasn’t until nightfall that they left Sheng Ji and returned home.

After the Spring Festival, spring arrived in the capital, and the temperature began to rise. However, during this early spring season, the temperature was still below zero. After spending a day outside, returning home was like entering a warm embrace. The heating made them feel warm throughout.

Inspired by his visit to Sheng Ji, Chen Li was struck with creativity. As soon as they got home, he headed straight to his studio. Wei Chen, not wanting to disturb him, took the groceries he had bought and started cooking in the kitchen.

Chen Li was lured out of his studio by the aroma coming from the kitchen. His inspiration had taken shape on the paper, but he wasn’t in a hurry to finish the painting. He slipped on his slippers and left the studio.

Wei Chen had just brought out the last dish as he saw Chen Li sitting at the dining table. He had paint on his hands and was eyeing the dishes hungrily. He knew he was hungry.

“Go wash your hands and let’s eat,” Wei Chen said, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

Chen Li obediently got up and headed to the bathroom to wash his hands. When he returned, the table was set with bowls, chopsticks, and steaming hot rice.

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