[HBU] Chapter 4

 The next day, Jiang Yu went out to buy art supplies. S City was huge and in the city center, there was a specialty store for art materials called ‘Yan Zhai’.

Gouache, watercolour, oil painting, traditional Chinese painting...

Jiang Yu could paint in almost every style—and she had mastered them all.

As people often praised her, she was born to hold a paintbrush. Others might spend a lifetime perfecting a single art form, but she was different. She could paint in all styles and she excelled in each one. It seemed as if she had been destined for this, a talent so enviable that others could only dream of it.

This shop carried the finest art supplies from around the world. For artists, it was heaven—and it had always been one of Jiang Yu’s favourite places.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough money to buy the best materials. Even the most basic supplies still cost thousands.

Of course, the key to a successful painting lay in the artist’s skill, but high-quality materials minimised flaws in the final work. Jiang Yu would rather buy fewer supplies than settle for cheap, low-quality ones.

After eagerly running her fingers over boxes of paints and brushes, she finally bought a set of coloured pencils and a stack of high-quality drawing paper—and just that cost her 2,000 yuan.

Jiang Yu sighed.

Life was not easy. Jiang Yu sighed!

As she was browsing, someone suddenly called her name from behind.

"Jiang Yu?"

She turned and was surprised to see the person approaching. "Teacher Shen."

Teacher Shen walked up to her, glanced at the art supplies in her hands and fell silent for a moment before sighing. "You bought these… You haven’t given up on painting."

Jiang Yu nodded. "I love painting. It’s second nature to me."

Hearing this, Teacher Shen asked, "If you love it, why aren’t you continuing your studies? Also, I heard from your teacher that you haven’t been attending class these past two days."

Jiang Yu: "…"

Oh. Right. She was seventeen right now—a high school junior.

"I forgot," she said.

Teacher Shen: "…"

Looking at her calm expression, she found that she couldn’t even get angry.

With a deep sigh, she asked, "What are you planning to paint?"

Jiang Yu replied, "Just something casually. I can’t afford expensive pigments anyway."

Teacher Shen frowned. "I heard about your family’s situation from your homeroom teacher…"

Even her teacher had said that Jiang Yu was exceptional but had an unfortunate fate.

"I’ll see if I can find a way to get you some financial aid for art materials."

The government placed great emphasis on the arts and provided funding for students studying fine arts.

After all, their country’s art industry lagged behind internationally, so the government had been actively supporting art students. Over the years, they had made some progress—more and more young people were taking up painting.

Teacher Shen brought this up because she still hoped Jiang Yu would continue painting seriously. There were millions of people studying art, but true geniuses were rare. And standing before her was a genius. How could she stand by and watch her give up?

Jiang Yu thought for a moment before saying, "Teacher, I will never give up on painting. But I don’t think I need to stay in the art studio anymore. There’s nothing more I can learn there."

"…"

Teacher Shen frowned.

She assumed she was just being stubborn and didn’t want to admit she was struggling.

She had only been in the art studio for a few days—how much could she have possibly learned?

"If you’re not going to the studio, fine," she said. "But if you really don’t want to give up painting, listen to me: practice line sketches and speed drawing every day. If nothing else, just draw an egg. Whatever you do, don’t let your skills deteriorate."

Her advice was sincere. She truly cared about Jiang Yu’s future.

Jiang Yu nodded. Even if Teacher Shen hadn’t said anything, she would have done so anyway.

After parting ways with her, Jiang Yu returned to her rented apartment. She kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot across the floor.

The living room was mostly empty—she hadn’t bought much furniture. Aside from two chairs, the only things in the room were her art supplies.

Tying up her hair, Jiang Yu spread out a sheet of drawing paper. She had already decided what to paint—an ancient beauty. The composition was already in her mind. She just needed to bring it to life.

She painted for an entire day. By the time night fell, the painting was finally complete.

Coloured pencils were softer than other pigments. Unlike watercolour or oil paints, their colours weren’t as vibrant, but they had a delicate, gentle beauty.

This type of painting was effortless for Jiang Yu and she completed it quickly. She stretched her slightly sore wrist, took a photo of the painting with her phone and uploaded it to Weibo.

The painting depicted a young and beautiful girl leaning over the edge of a pond, dressed in exquisite traditional attire adorned with delicate ornaments and bells. One hand reached out, fingers gently stirring the water, creating ripples that spread out in layers.

The background was filled with lush trees and blooming flowers, with sunlight filtering down from the sky, casting a glow on the girl in the painting. Further into the background, one could see the eaves of a pavilion peeking out.

The painting was both lively and tranquil—lively in its scenery, yet serene in its subject.

What was most astonishing was Jiang Yu’s delicate brushwork. The woman she painted exuded an ancient charm, resembling the elegant ladies depicted in traditional Chinese paintings.

Because of Lu Mingyu’s previous Weibo post, Jiang Yu had already attracted a lot of attention. Many people followed her out of curiosity, wanting to see if this [A Fleeting Dream] truly had exceptional skills. As a result, her new post gained traction quickly.

Jiang Yu’s caption read:
[Limited materials, so I used coloured pencils to create a sample piece… I can do oil painting, watercolour, traditional Chinese painting and even manhua. However, I currently lack the necessary materials and don’t have a tablet, so I’m only accepting hand-drawn commissions. No size limitations, price negotiable!]

By posting this, she was essentially saying that no matter the style or type of painting requested, she could guarantee the quality.

Her confidence stemmed from her own skill!

After making the post, she closed Weibo and picked up a magazine she had bought earlier that day—Painting.

Painting was a well-known art magazine, published quarterly and held authority in the art world. Many young artists aspired to be featured in it. If selected, their work would not only be published but also earn them a modest payment.

Jiang Yu took out a knife and began sharpening her pencils. She was used to doing this herself, ensuring they were both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

She muttered to herself, "I don’t even know if anyone will commission me yet. I still need to find other ways to make money."

Flipping through other magazines, she considered trying her hand at drawing manhua. If she could get a manhua published, it would also be a good source of income.

However, creating manhua required storytelling. A great manhua was the product of both a talented artist and a compelling story—both were indispensable.

Jiang Yu knew she could be a great artist, but she wasn’t sure if she could come up with a great story.

In her past life, she had collaborated with others—she focused on the artwork while her partner handled the story. The partnership had been smooth and once she earned enough money, she dedicated herself entirely to painting, only occasionally posting short manhua strips when inspiration struck.

Now, she seriously considered pursuing this path again.

Meanwhile, her Weibo post had exploded with activity. Lu Mingyu’s fans had swarmed in, initially out of curiosity, but they were soon left stunned by her artwork.

Some fans even rushed back to Lu Mingyu’s Weibo to comment:

[Lu shaoye! [A Fleeting Dream] just posted on Weibo!]

As it happened, Lu Mingyu was casually scrolling through his phone at that very moment. He saw the comment and immediately perked up.

"She posted, huh…?"

A smirk played on his lips as he clicked into [A Fleeting Dream]’s Weibo profile. His posture remained relaxed, one leg casually crossed over the other, embodying the very definition of nonchalance.

However, the moment he saw the painting, his expression froze. His crossed legs dropped back down and he furrowed his brows, staring at the screen intently.

The account was relatively new, with only three posts in total. The painting had been pinned to the top, making it stand out against the otherwise empty feed.

"Are you even listening to me?"

His aunt, Zhang Siyi, frowned at him.

Absentmindedly, Lu Mingyu nodded and then handed her his phone.

"Aunt, you studied art—tell me, how is this painting?"

Zhang Siyi shot him an annoyed glance. It seemed that this guy hadn’t been listening to a word she said.

"Which painting—ah?"

But as soon as her eyes landed on the screen, she froze.

There’s a saying: Amateurs watch for fun, professionals analyse the technique. Zhang Siyi was a professional and what she saw stunned her.

This wasn’t just a good painting—it was exceptional. The way the colours and shadows were handled was simply breathtaking.

And this was just a coloured pencil drawing!

The artist had pushed the medium to its absolute limits, creating a piece that radiated an ethereal beauty. Even through a screen, the painting exuded a captivating charm. Seeing the original in person would likely be even more mesmerising.

"Aunt, this painting is worth at least three thousand, right?" Lu Mingyu asked with a grin. He wasn’t an expert, but even he could tell the painting was impressive.

Zhang Siyi shot him a glare.

"Three thousand? Even thirty thousand wouldn’t be an exaggeration! You amateurs don’t know the first thing about art. You always undervalue great works like this!"

She huffed, clearly annoyed.

Lu Mingyu: …

Why was she scolding him now?

But, seeing his aunt’s reaction, he knew one thing for sure—this [A Fleeting Dream] wasn’t bluffing. They really had talent.

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