Rebirth 93: Break off the engagement at the beginning and marry Bai Fumei

As Zhou Jiqing entered the art exhibition, he was greeted by a constant stream of people. Some were familiar colleagues from the art world, while others were collectors who had come specifically to see his work. Zhou Jiqing smiled and nodded, his eyes glancing at the dazzling array of paintings in the exhibition hall, silently marveling at the allure of art. He walked slowly forward, weaving among the well-dressed guests.

Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a familiar figure. He quickly walked over, and there stood Smith. Smith seemed to sense something, turned around, and his eyes lit up. A bright smile bloomed on his usually serious face, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

"Hi, Zhou, my friend!" Smith grinned and opened his arms enthusiastically. "It's such a pleasure to see you again! I was just thinking how much of a shame this exhibition would have been without you!"

Zhou Jiqing couldn't help but smile sincerely, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Hi, Mr. Smith!"

He replied politely, "Me too, it's so nice to see you! We haven't been in touch for so long, I thought you'd forgotten about your old friend!"

As they spoke, Zhou Jiqing stepped forward and opened his arms. The two old friends embraced gently.

Chen Yang stared wide-eyed. "Wow, so these two knew each other before!" he thought to himself, clicking his tongue in amazement. He realized Zhou Jiqing must hold a significant position in the Western art world. Just as Chen Yang was marveling, Zhou Jiqing strode confidently towards Anderson, extending his right hand with a gentle smile. "Mr. Anderson, my friend, how have you been? It's been a long time. You look great!"

"Yay!" Anderson greeted Zhou Jiqing with a smile and shook hands warmly. He slightly curled his lips, his eyes sparkling with a tired yet joyful light. "I'm still the same as always, you know, it's all work, work, work every day, I can't stand being idle! But to be honest, seeing you here makes me feel much more energetic."

Zhou Jiqing nodded slightly, his eyes showing understanding. "I understand, I understand. Workaholic Anderson is always busy with art. But don't forget to take a break and rest properly every now and then."

Anderson laughed heartily and patted Zhou Jiqing on the shoulder. "You're right, I'll consider it. By the way, do you have any new projects lately? I've been looking forward to them!"

Zhou Jiqing blinked and said mysteriously, "Yes, it is, but it's still in the creation process. Once it's finished, you'll definitely be one of the first to appreciate it."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Zhou Jiqing reluctantly said goodbye to Anderson and turned to walk towards the others. He then greeted Jason, but it was clear that Zhou Jiqing wasn't overly enthusiastic; it was just a polite greeting. He nodded politely, "Mr. Jason, long time no see. Hope you're doing well."

Jason replied somewhat awkwardly, "Yes, Mr. Zhou. Everything is fine, thank you for your concern."

The atmosphere between the two was somewhat subtle, a fact Chen Yang keenly noticed, and he couldn't help but wonder if there was some past grudge between them. Just as he was pondering this, Zhou Jiqing's gaze shifted to the next person.

When he looked at Yoshida, he couldn't help but chuckle, a complex look flashing in his eyes. "Isn't this Mr. Yoshida? How come you're qualified to stand here now? That's quite surprising."

Yoshida paused for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "Mr. Zhou, you flatter me. I am very honored to have the opportunity to participate in this exhibition."

“It seems you’ve made rapid progress these past few years!” Zhou Jiqing shook hands lightly with Yoshida, his tone tinged with amusement. “I remember the last time we met, you were worried about not being able to find exhibition opportunities for your work.”

Yoshida looked slightly embarrassed, but still tried to maintain a polite smile and nodded slightly. "Thank you for your praise, Mr. Zhou. I still have room for improvement in oil painting. Your achievements have always been a role model for me."

"Mr. Yoshida, you're too kind. There's no hierarchy in the arts; we should all learn from each other to improve!"

Afterwards, the group recounted the events to Zhou Jiqing, describing the chaotic scene in turn. As they spoke, Chen Yang quietly approached Dean Zeng, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. He lowered his voice and whispered, "Dean Zeng, this guy surnamed Zhou seems quite extraordinary. He knows all these international bigwigs, and he speaks with such ease."

"Since he's so talented, why doesn't he represent Hong Kong in an art exhibition? Isn't that a waste of talent?"

After hearing this, Dean Zeng turned to look at Chen Yang, a hint of amusement in her eyes. Then, a meaningful smile appeared on her lips, her tone tinged with regret.

Dean Zeng sighed softly and continued, "Xiao Chen, you're still too young. In the art world, nationality is sometimes more important than talent." She paused, then turned her gaze to Zhou Jiqing, who was talking to others, "Because he's American, he can't represent Hong Kong! No matter how outstanding his work is, it can't change that fact."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? He's actually American?" he exclaimed, then realized he had spoken too loudly and quickly covered his mouth with his hand.

Upon seeing this, Dean Zeng couldn't help but smile. "That's right. Although Zhou Jiqing has Chinese ancestry, he has already acquired American citizenship. At this kind of international art exhibition, everyone represents their own country. Rules are rules, and we cannot change them."

Chen Yang nodded thoughtfully, his gaze falling on Zhou Jiqing again.

Holy crap! This guy's American? This information hit him like a hammer blow. Chen Yang's pupils dilated slightly, his lips tightened involuntarily, and his fingers clenched into fists. His thoughts raced like a tangled mess. Isn't this basically giving Smith an accomplice? If I say they've agreed to let Zhou Jiqing do the testing, doesn't that mean he's one of theirs?

The thought exploded in his mind like a bolt of lightning. Chen Yang felt a cold sweat creep up his back, and his heart pounded involuntarily. What if he suddenly claimed it was a genuine Pollock artifact? Wouldn't he be in big trouble then?

Chen Yang was secretly annoyed. He should have thought of this sooner. These foreigners, facing a Chinese person, would be at a disadvantage if they couldn't gain an advantage. Why would they obediently find a Chinese person to do the testing? No, he told himself, he absolutely couldn't let things continue like this. His gaze unconsciously swept across the room, as if searching for a foothold to lean on. Suddenly, his eyes hardened, and a thought flashed through his mind: No, after he finished the test, he had to have the bearded man confirm it.

This decision brought Chen Yang a slight sense of relief, but the unease within him still rippled like waves. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, only to find his palms already damp with sweat. Chen Yang knew that every step from now on would be fraught with peril, and he had to be fully alert to face the challenges ahead.

"What did you say? He said he can tell the age of oil paint with the naked eye?" Zhou Jiqing raised his voice in surprise, his brows furrowed, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before finally settling on Chen Yang. His expression shifted from disbelief to deep skepticism. "How is that possible? That's utterly absurd!"

“Yes, Zhou,” Smith nodded with a smile, his eyes gleaming with interest, “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen anything like it, but I’ve never seen anything where you can distinguish the age of the paint with the naked eye. This young man has certainly taught us a lesson!”

Zhou Jiqing scoffed dismissively, "Don't be ridiculous, Smith. Even the most advanced instruments need time to analyze, let alone the naked eye. This is an insult to our intelligence."

“But Zhou,” Anderson interjected, “you haven’t witnessed his abilities firsthand, so you shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions so quickly, should you?”

“Anderson, you don’t actually believe this nonsense, do you?” Zhou Jiqing turned to Anderson, his tone laced with sarcasm. “We’re professionals, how could we be fooled by such petty tricks?”

Anderson cleared his throat. "Zhou, perhaps we should give this young man a chance. After all, the art world is always full of surprises, isn't it?"

"A surprise?" Zhou Jiqing scoffed. "I think this is more like a farce."

Yoshida silently observed the reactions around him, and cautiously said, "Mr. Zhou, perhaps we can witness it with our own eyes? After all, seeing is believing."

Zhou Jiqing remained silent for a moment, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes. He stared intently at Chen Yang, as if trying to see through the young man's heart. Suddenly, a playful smile appeared on his lips. "Interesting, very interesting."

Zhou Jiqing looked at Chen Yang and nodded with a smile, his eyes gleaming with a challenging light. "Then let's prove him right with facts! I want to see what kind of surprise this young 'genius' can bring us."

Zhou Jiqing approached Chen Yang, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Young man, are you ready? If you really have this ability, I'd like to learn from you."

Chen Yang took a deep breath and met Zhou Jiqing's gaze. "I'm ready at any time, Mr. Zhou. Please let the facts speak for themselves."

“Very good,” Zhou Jiqing said with a smile, “Then let’s begin this interesting experiment! I believe this will be an unforgettable moment.”