Men are superior to women: the heartthrob in Yunqi

Mu Yao ran to find Xu Qingcheng excitedly. She didn't know if these paintings were enough to rent a small courtyard.

During this period, she was taken care of by her employer, but it was not a long-term solution. If you have food in your hands, you will not be worried. Only when you earn money by yourself can you be strong.

When Xu Qingcheng saw these works, her eyes were filled with passion. She held the edge of each painting with her slender jade fingers and rubbed it repeatedly, especially the "Beauty Picture". It seemed as if a cluster of flames had been ignited in her heart that had been silent for many years, sparking endless reverie.

Mu Yao stared at Xu Qingcheng with her eyes wide open. She didn't say anything for a long while. The thin paper was wrinkled due to rubbing. She couldn't help but ask, "Boss, do you think these paintings are okay?"

Xu Qingcheng came back to her senses, and his eyes were like a high-energy X-ray machine, scanning her inch by inch, so hot that it seemed to devour her.

He was deeply shocked by Mu Yao's superb painting skills. It was really hard to imagine what kind of family could cultivate such a talent.

He is the third son of the prime minister's mansion. His mother is the younger sister of Emperor Qingyuan. He studied in the Imperial Academy with the other princes since he was young. The teachers who taught him were all famous scholars. He showed his extraordinary talent for painting at the age of three, and his father specially invited Yunqi's top painter "Meng Zhongshu" to teach him painting. Xu Qingcheng is now 23 years old and has long been famous in the calligraphy and painting circles.

Mu Yao's painting skills focus on novelty and unconventionality, which is particularly eye-catching in today's art world dominated by fine brushwork.

Xu Qingcheng felt that Mu Yao was like a treasure pot, bringing him surprises all the time.

His gaze was too scorching, and Mu Yao's scalp was numb. She called out again in a low voice: "Boss?"

Xu Qingcheng smiled: "Ayao's painting skills are novel and unique, and his brushwork is delicate yet majestic. "White Clouds and Fire Trees" has rich colors, and only a few strokes show the artistic conception, which adds a thousand gold to this precious fan."

Mu Yao's mouth twitched. Xu Qingcheng was also a very outgoing person.

"Master, you are too kind." Mu Yao said modestly.

"Ayao, calling me boss is a bit strange. I am twenty-three years old, a few years older than you. If you don't mind, just call me big brother."

"Then I will obey your command, Brother Xu." Mu Yao was not hypocritical. One more friend means one more way. Xu Qingcheng's every brow and every look touched her heart. Calling him "brother" was the most beautiful thing for her, a single dog for 18 years.

"A Yao is young, but his skills are profound. This painting, "The Taoist Cultivator", is simple in brushwork. Thick ink is used for outlining, and light ink is used for contrast. From a distance, the mountains appear colorful, and from a close distance, there is fairy air. It perfectly depicts the spirit of the Taoist cultivator. It is a masterpiece with both artistic conception and fine painting skills." Xu Qingcheng continued to comment earnestly.

Mu Yao was very happy. Xu Qingcheng's words were much more pleasant than those of Old Man Xie. Back then, Old Man Xie had never praised her in person. Even if she thought her paintings were good, the old man would just say "okay" and dismiss her. Now she missed him a little. If it weren't for the old man's strict teachings and hellish training, she would have to do hard labor when she came to Yunqi.

"Brother Xu, how much do you think these two works can be sold for?" Mu Yao asked impatiently.

She had too many places to spend money. If she could earn a hundred taels of silver, she would have the confidence to go to the "Lan Yi Pavilion" for a stroll.

"These two works are unique in their craftsmanship and exquisite in their brushwork, but you are not well-known yet, so I think the reserve price of five hundred taels is quite appropriate. As for how much they can be sold for, it depends on the final bid."

"Great, Brother Xu! When will the auction start?"

Mu Yao was overjoyed. She thought that a painting could only be sold for a little over 100 taels of silver, and she could get 70 taels. Unexpectedly, the reserve price was 500 taels.

At first, she only wanted to buy a few more decent clothes and rent a small courtyard. Now, she couldn't help but look forward to buying a house. I wonder how much it would cost to buy a small house here? Mu Yao's thoughts drifted away again.

Xu Qingcheng smiled and said, "Don't worry, Yao, you can participate in the auction in three days."

"What about this painting 'Beauty'?" Mu Yao had high hopes for this work, and she spent a long time on it before putting down her pen.

Xu Qingcheng looked shy, his eyes flickered as he said, "Ayao, I was just about to discuss this with you. I like this work very much. I want to ask you to sell it to me directly? Do you think 20,000 taels is okay?" Xu Qingcheng's palms were slightly sweaty. If he went through the auction channel, even 20,000 taels might not be enough. Xu Qingcheng was handsome and clear as plum blossoms, and was known as the "Hanmei" lord among the four great lords of Shangjing. Now he had selfish thoughts.

"Ah! Brother Xu likes this "Beauty Picture"?" Mu Yao asked excitedly. Her slightly yellow skin was slightly flushed, which made her eyes look even brighter than the stars.

Xu Qingcheng was stunned. A Yao's eyes were too moving and beautiful. Whenever she looked at them, she would unconsciously let them lead her.

Xu Qingcheng replied unnaturally: "A gentleman dreams of marrying a beautiful lady. The beauty in this painting is extremely beautiful and charming." He didn't know whether A Yao was familiar with the woman in the painting. He wanted to ask but couldn't.

Xu Qingcheng was used to being cold and indifferent, and his family worried about his marriage every day. They introduced all the beautiful unmarried noble ladies in the capital to him, but none of them caught his eye. Seeing that he would grow another year older after the New Year, his family was very anxious.

In Yunqi Continent, men who are unmarried at an older age are even less attractive. There are very few women nowadays, let alone noble ladies with good family background and good looks! They all have long noses and eyes, and they are very picky about their husbands.

There were only a few unmarried ladies from high-class families who had come to the capital, and they could be counted on one hand. If they waited any longer, they would all be married off.

Xu Qingcheng was born into a royal family and was the eldest son in the family, with a prominent status.

For someone like him who uses all his strength to resist marriage, if a few more years pass, he will probably have to condescend to share a wife with someone else, or marry a noble lady from a small family and live with her.

The princess was so anxious that she tossed and turned day and night, and she almost asked Emperor Qingyuan to force a marriage. Xu Qingcheng simply moved out of the Prime Minister's Mansion and lived in Yangming Town for a long time and opened this "Sanwei Bookstore", which unexpectedly made him famous. In addition, he was handsome and elegant, and was one of the four young masters in Shangjing. Many noble ladies came to him to meet him, but they were all ruthlessly rejected by him. Not long after, some rumors that were extremely unfavorable to him spread in Shangjing, such as homosexuality and impotence. It made the Prime Minister's Mansion particularly embarrassed. Xu Qingcheng didn't care and was happy to be quiet.

This painting of beauty touched his heart.

Mu Yao was delighted: See, she knew that heroes are hard to resist beautiful women. So what if he is a banished immortal? A banished immortal would still be distracted and unable to walk when seeing a beautiful woman.

"Brother Xu, you are joking. Since you like this "Beauty Picture", I will give it to you." Mu Yao felt sorry for the 20,000 taels, but she had been taken care of by Xu Qingcheng these days. And it also gave her the opportunity to display her ambitions.

There are many good horses, but there are few good horse trainers. It's just a painting.

"How can that be done!"

Xu Qingcheng said hurriedly, "If this "Beauty Picture" is put up for auction at the Treasure Pavilion, it may be worth more than 20,000 taels. I have already been so shameless and arrogant, how can I let you give it away for free? Besides, A Yao has already given me a "Spring Outing Picture". Please accept the 20,000 taels, otherwise just call it a day."

Mu Yao thought about it and replied with a smile: "Okay. Then I will draw a few more beautiful beauties for you brother some other day."

Xu Qingcheng curled her index finger slightly, and said unnaturally: "This painting is enough. A Yao might as well paint another "Beauty Picture" for the "Treasure Hunting Fair" two days later. It will surely become famous and shake the painting world."

"Brother, you flatter me too much. I would take your words seriously and be so proud of myself." Mu Yao teased.

"Ayao, don't be too modest. I am just speaking the truth. Ayao's painting skills are unique in Yunqi. This alone can make him stand out, not to mention Ayao's "Beauty Picture". Although there are many beauties in the collections and auctions of various families, there are only a few such lifelike and stunning beauties as the one painted by Ayao. If it is put up for auction in the Treasure Pavilion, it will definitely be sought after by bidders."

Mu Yao couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic to the boys here. They didn't have many opportunities to see girls, let alone those with pretty faces. Girls like "Cui'er" from Huaxi Village could stand out from the crowd, which showed how much the boys in Dayun were thinking about love.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, and infinite inspiration flooded into her mind. After hurriedly saying goodbye to Xu Qingcheng, Mu Yao closed the door and buried her head in her work again. She wanted to make another masterpiece "Beauty Picture". What she wanted was the love and admiration of the boys for the beauty. The more emotions there are, the more business opportunities there will be, and the higher the rate of return will be.

She worked day and night to conceive and finish the work, and finally emerged from confinement with dark circles under her eyes on the day of the "Treasure Hunting Meeting".

"Mr. Mu, are you okay?" Wang Hao asked worriedly. Mu Yao had seldom touched the food he had sent her these days, and he was really worried that the young man had fainted in his room. Xu Qingcheng was calm, and told him not to disturb Mu Yao, because that was how painting was done.

"Hahaha, it's done! Brother Wang, I'm fine, just a little tired. After tonight, I'll go to sleep and have a good sleep." When Mu Yao thought of the auction in the evening, she seemed to see countless gold ingots waving at her.

"By the way, is Brother Xu in the bookstore?"

"Not yet. The young master went to Tutor Li's residence." Wang Hao answered mysteriously.

Mu Yao said "Oh", turned around and walked away.

Wang Hao was anxious, and rushed forward: "Why don't you ask what the master is doing at the Taifu's house?"

This time it was Mu Yao's turn to be dumbfounded: Ah, this kid's gossip problem has struck again?

"Then what did Brother Xu do?" Mu Yao asked sympathetically.

Wang Hao raised his chin proudly: "You don't know yet, my son is the third son of the Prime Minister's Mansion." At this point, Wang Hao glanced at Mu Yao, and seeing that he didn't react, he thought that maybe the son had told him long ago, so he said with confidence: "He is the Taifu's student. The son admires your talent and took your two auction works to Taifu Li for appreciation. As a result, Taifu Li's eyes widened after seeing them and he refused to let go, especially the "Cultivation Picture". It happened that Minister Xu was also there, and he took a fancy to the Eight Treasures Fan. The two elders fought for it, and the son was so overwhelmed that he was frozen there and has not been able to come back yet."

"Mr. Mu, I admire you so much now. It's a pity that I didn't get to see those two paintings, and I don't know if I will have the chance to see them again." Wang Hao's excited eyes dimmed again in an instant.

Mu Yao was anxious and asked quickly: "Can Brother Xu get it back?"

Wang Hao pursed his lips and said, "It's difficult. Master Li is a well-known painting fanatic, and Minister Li is a fanatic. Master Li has taught you for many years, and Minister Xu has been a close friend of my master for many years and is also my master's uncle. If these two ask, it will be difficult for you to ask for it back."

Mu Yao felt cold in her heart, and she wanted to cry but had no tears. At this critical moment, something like this could still come up. As expected, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

It was a relief to have two respected elders appreciate his work, so he said, "Since you two like it, I'll give the painting "Cultivating Taoism" to Li Taifu. As for the Eight Treasures Fan, although the painting was made by me, the fan bones were not. Brother Xu has to decide on this work. Brother Wang, please go to Taifu's mansion and tell Brother Xu not to have any psychological burden. I have painted a painting of "The Goddess of Luo River" these two days, which can be auctioned tonight."

Wang Hao didn't expect Mu Yao to be so magnanimous. He was so excited that he kept saying yes and rushed to the Taifu Mansion like a flash.