The Sweetest Marriage Ch.237

Chapter 237 – How Similar They Are

Chen Yunlan stopped in front of Chen Li’s painting for a few seconds and then walked away. There was no expression of admiration or disgust on his face. No one could discern how he evaluated the painting, but nobody was foolish enough to ask Chen Yunlan for his opinion.

Some people wanted to approach and greet Chen Yunlan, but as soon as their steps began, they were pulled back by their friends. Chen Yunlan’s reputation in the art world was not very good. Despite his international fame, whether it was his severed ties with Master Sun or his reputation for promiscuity, it made the generally self-righteous individuals feel naturally distant from him. To these people, it seemed like having any association with Chen Yunlan was an insult, generating aversion.

So, even though Chen Yunlan held a high international status, his position within this circle in his home country was rather awkward. However, Chen Yunlan didn’t care about these things. He didn’t care about what others thought. In his heart, life had lost all meaning, so what significance did the opinions of others hold?

Chen Yunlan took a look around the non-traditional Chinese painting section and eventually returned to the traditional Chinese painting section. At a glance, he spotted another painting displayed by Chen Li in the traditional Chinese painting section. Chen Yunlan could tell at once that this painting and the one he had just seen in the non-traditional section came from the same artist’s hand.

And this artist was probably Master Sun’s favored disciple.

Indeed, the quality of this traditional Chinese painting was exceptionally high, worthy of being considered Master Sun’s favored disciple’s work.

The theme of this painting was no longer hope; the river rushed down from where the sun rose, a lone sail hung over the waterfall, and with a few light and clear strokes, it created a thrilling scene. It seemed like at any moment, this solitary sail could drop from the waterfall and shatter into pieces.

Chen Yunlan stood in front of this painting for a long time. In his eyes, this lone sail should fall from the waterfall at this very moment. There was nothing worth persevering for. To die so easily, wasn’t it a kind of release?

“Master Sun.”

At this moment, a few respectful calls came from behind Chen Yunlan. Master Sun, Sun Ruocheng, was walking toward him.

Chen Yunlan turned upon hearing the call and saw an elderly man with entirely white hair approaching him. Compared to over a decade ago, he had indeed aged. Not only had his hair turned completely white, but even his gait was no longer as steady as before.

Yes, over a decade had passed, and he had grown old. Chen Yunlan couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

Seeing this situation, Zhao Liyou’s gaze sharpened; the moment had finally come. Zhao Liyou knew that a tense confrontation was about to unfold. The master and disciple, whose relationship had been severed for more than a decade, were meeting now. Nobody could predict what might happen.

In his heart, Zhao Liyou was worried for Master Sun. He wasn’t sure if an elderly man like Master Sun, who was well past his prime, could handle the shock. He had to be prepared to call an ambulance in case Master Sun had any issues later.

However, the situation Zhao Liyou had anticipated did not occur. When Master Sun saw Chen Yunlan, his emotions remained quite calm. He nodded at Chen Yunlan and said, “You’re back?” He still had that benevolent appearance, and no one could discern what Master Sun was thinking at that moment.

“Yes, I’m back,” Chen Yunlan responded in a similarly calm manner. His gaze then landed on the young man standing beside Mr. Sun. “Master Sun, I suppose this is your disciple…”

Chen Yunlan’s unfinished words danced on the tip of his tongue. When he had a clear view of the young man beside Master Sun, he found himself unable to speak those words. They stuck on his tongue.

The young man appeared nervous at the moment, exuding a hint of timidity. However, as he stood next to Master Sun, his posture remained upright, and his large eyes held both caution and tension.

Chen Yunlan stared at Chen Li in a daze. He believed that the face that had become blurry in his mind was gradually becoming clear again. This young man’s appearance was just like that person from his memories: large eyes, long eyelashes, a lip with a distinct mole on it, and even when pursing his lips, they were slightly pouted. When facing strangers, his eyes were both wary and nervous.

“Qu Ran…”

Chen Yunlan unconsciously murmured the name deeply buried in his heart. The appearance of this young man before him matched the person from his memories, and there was no sense of incongruity.

But that person had died, jumping from such a high place, leaving behind a scene of blood and flesh, not even allowing Chen Yunlan to see his face one last time.

Yes, that person had died.

Chen Yunlan snapped back to reality, and it seemed that the lights were too glaring. He felt an unusual bitterness in his eyes.

“I have something to attend to; I must leave,” Chen Yunlan said, and then he hastily departed.

Chen Yunlan remained lost in thought even as he got into the car. Memories of that person continued to haunt him like a nightmare.

Chen Yunlan sat listlessly in the driver’s seat, tears streaming down his face, unaware of it.

Later, the image of the young man he had just seen resurfaced in Chen Yunlan’s mind, and it felt like his heart, which had been stagnant like still water, was suddenly beating vigorously.

Chen Li…

These two words leaped into Chen Yunlan’s heart all of a sudden, making him straighten up with a jolt.

Could it be Chen Li?

However, as soon as this possibility emerged in Chen Yunlan’s mind, he immediately dismissed it.

Chen Yunlan chuckled self-deprecatingly and pushed himself back into the driver’s seat. How could it be him? He had seen him take his last breath in front of his eyes, seen him cremated with his own hands, and even buried his ashes.

He had died in his arms!

How could he possibly be alive, and how could he have grown up like this?

Even if he were alive, would the Chen family allow such a stain to exist?

As Chen Yunlan chuckled, his laughter turned silent, and he began to cry without making a sound.

But one by one, they all died, leaving him without considering his wishes, departing mercilessly. They had selfishly allowed him to live, living a life worse than death.

…

At this moment, in the art gallery, no one knew why Chen Yunlan, who had been perfectly fine just moments ago, suddenly became immersed in sorrow.

Master Sun was also unaware of the reason. He walked up to Chen Li’s painting, called Chen Li to his side, and provided detailed guidance.

By this point, the other onlookers had no intention of minding Chen Yunlan’s thoughts. They eagerly listened to Master Sun’s teachings.

After all, this was Master Sun! They felt incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from Master Sun during this art exchange event; it was well worth their time.

Even Master Sun didn’t find any flaws in Chen Li’s painting and offered some simple guidance, which was easy to understand. Not only did Chen Li comprehend it, but everyone in the vicinity also benefited from the instruction.

When Master Sun finished his guidance, they belatedly realized that this painting was actually created by Master Sun’s student! How could his student possess such incredible skills at such a young age? This talent was nothing short of extraordinary!

The people were amazed and suddenly understood why Chen Li’s paintings were commanding astronomical prices on the market. If all his works were of this caliber, they were genuinely worth the high prices!

No wonder both Master Sun and Master Zhuge were interested in Chen Li, regardless of their age. They eagerly competed to mentor him, hoping that their students would possess even half of Chen Li’s talent. With such talent, their dreams would be fulfilled!

At this point, these people had selectively forgotten their initial impression of Chen Li, associating his success with the reputation of his two mentors.

They were now utterly impressed by Chen Li’s natural talent. So, when they later found out about the non-traditional Chinese painting that had received widespread admiration, which resonated with many, and also was created by Chen Li, they were no longer so surprised. In fact, they had become somewhat numb to it.

A genius of such an extraordinary level, there was nothing to be surprised about, right?

Afterward, Chen Li became the star of the art exchange event. Many people wanted to get to know him, and their attitudes had completely changed from when Chen Li first attended the event.

Now, in their eyes, Chen Li was a rising new star. Unless there were unexpected circumstances, with the guidance of Master Zhuge and Master Sun, Chen Li’s future could no longer be described as limitless. Chen Li’s future would be beyond their reach.

These people wanted to get to know Chen Li, but Chen Li had no desire to interact with strangers. Master Zhuge also understood this and acted as a barrier to those who tried to approach Chen Li.

Less than five minutes later, Zhuge Yu, feeling quite disturbed, decided it was time to leave, taking Chen Li with him. After all, they had achieved their goals for the day, and there was no reason to make Chen Li suffer any longer.

So, after a word to Zhao Liyou, Zhuge Yu left the art gallery with Chen Li, and Master Sun also departed.

Chen Li did not leave with Zhuge Yu and Master Sun. Wei Chen was waiting for him to leave together.

Zhuge Yu watched as Chen Li got into Wei Chen’s car and only then returned to his own car. He said to Master Sun, “How about sleeping at my place tonight? It’s late, and going back up the mountain won’t be easy.”

Master Sun sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, and after a moment, he nodded but remained silent.

“I know you’re not in a good mood,” Zhuge Yu said, more to himself. “He’s back, and I can tell his mood isn’t much better.”

In Zhuge Yu’s words, “he” naturally referred to Chen Yunlan. In Zhuge Yu’s eyes, Chen Yunlan was a despicable person who betrayed his teacher, and he held deep resentment towards him.

Master Sun still didn’t respond, but this time, he let out a long sigh, as if feeling a bit weary.

Seeing Master Sun’s reaction, Zhuge Yu stopped speaking as well. He asked the driver to play soothing music, creating a relaxed atmosphere inside the car.

…

“How do you feel?” Once Chen Li sat down, Wei Chen leaned in to fasten Chen Li’s seatbelt and asked.

Away from the mocking and unfamiliar environment, Chen Li’s nervousness and wariness immediately disappeared. His eyes sparkled, and his words came out quickly. “I’ve learned so much! They are all so talented, and their paintings are beautiful.”

Wei Chen gently ruffled Chen Li’s hair. “You’re happy, aren’t you?” He could tell that this sponge had absorbed a lot of knowledge and was slowly growing.

Chen Li nodded. “Yes, I’m very happy.”

Drawing was the most important thing in Chen Li’s heart, aside from Wei Chen, and it was the easiest way for him to let down his guard.

“As long as you’re happy,” Wei Chen said with a gentle expression. After giving Chen Li a kiss on the lips, he started the car and drove away.

The night was growing darker, and the surrounding lights began to shine, creating a colorful world.

On an autumn night, the cool breeze carried a slight chill, and leaves falling from the trees danced through the air before landing on the ground.

As the leaves on the trees slowly lost their green color, the primary color of autumn, yellow, began to take over this world.

The moon was waxing and waning, and with the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival was fast approaching.

On the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Grandfather Wei called Wei Chen and asked him to bring Chen Li home for the festival. This was the first time the old man had mentioned having Chen Li and Wei Chen come home together. It was unclear if the old man had truly accepted Chen Li, or if he had other motives.

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