Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
When Lin Zhan returned to the dorm, Luoluo and the others were discussing the matter.
Lin Zhan tossed her keys onto the desk: “How did you know she cried?”
“So loud! She was crying and yelling at the end, the whole corridor could hear her—” Luoluo said, “We went to the restroom, and as soon as we came out, we saw her. She was crying so miserably.”
The youngest one was wiping her glasses: “It’s just a competition spot, is it worth crying like that? When Zhanzhan’s exhibition spot was taken by her, Zhanzhan didn’t cry. She cried as if the sky had fallen.”
“This competition is very important,” the dorm leader said, “Just this one, it surpasses all competitions in four years of university, do you believe it?”
Luoluo was tearing open a bag of pine nuts, peeling them as she spoke: “Crying probably also includes regret, and fear that she won’t be able to paint well in the future, fear that she won’t make money anymore. Shāng Zhòng Yǒng (a talented person who becomes mediocre due to lack of effort).”
Lin Zhan looked at Luoluo, a little surprised: “You actually know Shāng Zhòng Yǒng?”
Luoluo threw a pine nut at her: “Get lost! I’m very cultured, okay?!”
________________________________________
That morning, Lin Zhan was sleeping when Luoluo, from the opposite bunk, woke her up.
“Lin Zhan!!”
It took her a while to open her eyes, clutching her pillowcase, squeezing out a few words from her dry throat: “...What is it?”
“The preliminary round passed! I saw the list in the group chat!” Luoluo clutched the quilt. “That’s awesome!”
“Mm,” Lin Zhan replied, turned over, and continued to sleep. “Got it, go back to sleep.”
“What time is it, still sleeping?” The dorm leader, who was cooking instant noodles below, looked up. “It’s ten o’clock, guys.”
The youngest one grumbled as she got out of bed: “It infuriates me, waking me up so early for news that I could figure out with my toes...”
“This is big news, okay?” Luoluo pulled back the bed curtain. “Our city submitted twenty or thirty paintings, and only five passed...”
Lin Zhan rubbed her hair and climbed down from the upper bunk.
After a brunch, Lin Zhan hummed a tune while organizing her paints.
“Are you so happy that the competition passed?”
“No,” Lin Zhan picked out a mixed dirty color and said, “I’m going on a trip with Shen Xi this summer, help me think of some places?”
Luoluo: “...Seven Days Inn?”
Lin Zhan: “...”
Lin Zhan: “Can you suggest some romantic places? Are chain hotels romantic?”
“Not romantic,” the youngest one said, “but very practical.”
“...”
“But,” the youngest one asked Lin Zhan, “We care about your home run, but why are you so concerned yourself?”
“Actually, I’m not that concerned,” Lin Zhan said, “but if it stays like this, I’ll feel like I have no charm...”
That’s why she kept testing him, not really wanting anything, just...
Luoluo said, “Any woman wants to see her partner go crazy for her.”
Lin Zhan: “...”
“It’s still so early,” the dorm leader said. “Summer vacation is still a few months away... You might as well focus on the competition. The final results will be out in a month.”
________________________________________
The final results were announced on site.
That day, almost half of the students from Weida University’s fine arts department went. The vast auditorium was packed with thousands of people, layered like a concert hall.
A large screen stood in the center, with a high platform below it, and a table and microphones on the platform.
Lin Zhan’s entire dorm sat together. While waiting for the opening, she played with her sleeves below.
She untied and re-tied the elastic cord at the cuff, tied it and untied it again.
Luoluo asked her, “Are you nervous?”
Before she could speak, someone went on stage.
After a lengthy and complicated opening speech, Lin Zhan propped her head up, staring intently at the big screen.
What was currently being shown were the excellent works.
After the excellent awards came the third prizes, then the second, and finally the first prize.
All the shortlisted paintings were masterpieces, only a dozen or so out of tens of thousands, truly living up to the phrase “living up to expectations.”
Excellent Awards, five paintings.
The winners successively went on stage to receive their awards and took a group photo with their certificates.
“Winners, please don’t rush off. After the awards ceremony, remember to go backstage for reporter interviews.”
Luoluo whispered, “There are reporters this time too, as expected... I remember there’s only one first prize, so I guess they’ll focus on interviewing the first prize winner.”
Immediately after, accompanied by a flash of paintings on the screen, three works that won third prize were also selected.
Lin Zhan’s was still not among them.
The youngest one jiggled her leg: “Even though it doesn’t concern me, I’m still so nervous...”
“It’s either first or second prize, or no prize at all,” the dorm leader looked up. “I’m almost getting a brain hemorrhage from waiting.”
Lin Zhan crossed her hands, twirling her two index fingers together, staring intently at the screen.
Two second prizes.
First to be displayed was a still life painting, with a ballet dancer at its center.
The color tone of the painting was handled exceptionally well, and the character portrayal was also very accurate, with a soft waist and graceful figure. The toes were arched, exerting force, showing that the entire weight of the body was concentrated on the tips of the feet.
It could enter a major art exhibition with just a simple framing.
Lin Zhan felt her mouth a little dry.
After explaining the reasons for this painting winning an award, the next painting slid in from left to right.
Lin Zhan’s heart suddenly loosened, then tightened again. A myriad of emotions erupted all at once, converging into a thrilling excitement that made her chest numb and her body tremble as it poured over her.
—It was hers.
This painting was hers!
A buzzing sound echoed in her ears, like an old black and white television full of static, accompanied by a continuous, dead-end noise reverberating in her ears.
Her temples throbbed, every pulse beat, shouting and clamoring in her veins.
The television was finally turned off, all the杂音 ceased instantly, returning to complete darkness.
By the time Lin Zhan calmed down, her winning reason had already been read aloud.
She even forgot to go on stage and was pushed by her friends to stand up from her seat, then floated onto the awards platform.
It was only when the cold, heavy trophy touched her hands that she felt a slight sense of reality.
Looking out, the audience was a dense sea of heads, and the entire hall was impossibly quiet.
She felt dizzy. When she bowed in thanks, she almost feared she would fall.
“Everyone, congratulations to the second-prize winners! Next, we will announce the first prize!”
Walking back to her seat, Lin Zhan heard applause.
It seemed that after such a long struggle, she had finally tasted a bit of sweetness.
All glory will not be late; if it is, it’s because heaven is accumulating rewards for you.
So, no matter how difficult, how arduous, you must not give up.
The place you truly want to go, no one can stop you from reaching.
When the first prize was announced, Lin Zhan sat below, staring blankly at her trophy.
Luoluo poked her trophy: “Are you very excited?”
Lin Zhan looked at her, dazed.
“You’ll have to be interviewed later, don’t look at me so confused,” Luoluo smiled. “I’m afraid you won’t know anything!”
With that, she mimicked a reporter: “Excuse me, why do you think you won?”
Lin Zhan pursed her lips and thought carefully.
“Because I’m good-looking.”
Luoluo: ???
________________________________________
After the awards ceremony, once the audience had all left, the winners went backstage for interviews.
Lin Zhan was the youngest one, and several reporters surrounded her, asking questions.
The youngest, the most famous, the first-place winner—they were all their key targets for investigation.
Reporter: “How did you get into the field of painting?”
Lin Zhan: “Passion, I suppose.”
Reporter: “Do you encounter difficulties or creative blocks during the painting process?”
Lin Zhan: “Actually, yes, but when you’re doing something you love, even if it’s hard, it’s not painful.”
Reporter: “Do your family support you?”
Lin Zhan: “Regardless of whether they support me or not, if you firmly believe something is right, you have to do it.”
Reporter: “You are the youngest winner. When did you start painting?”
Lin Zhan: “I started very young.”
Reporter: “What are your plans for the future?”
Lin Zhan: “I hope to hold my own art exhibition.”
Reporter: “Are you very grateful to your family for being able to come this far?”
She paused for a moment.
Lin Zhan asked, “This question... can I not answer it?”
The reporter smiled and then asked, “Then who are you most grateful to?”
Lin Zhan’s answer was vague, but it sparked imagination: “I’m grateful to... my beacon of hope.”
...
The entire interview didn’t last long. Lin Zhan’s mind was surprisingly clear then; she answered concisely and left.
Although after leaving, she no longer remembered what she had said...
Lin Zhan rubbed her cervical spine and looked back at the next winner being interviewed.
Still similar questions, similar templated answers...
Lin Zhan looked down at the steps, walking down one by one. After reaching the bottom, she looked up, preparing to exit through the back door.
She saw someone standing in the light.
Large, intense halos of light continuously emerged, illuminating everyone, leaving no place to hide.
Lin Zhan had intended to pretend not to know her, but as she brushed past Sun Qiqi, she heard her whisper.
“I was wrong.”
Lin Zhan’s steps suddenly halted, her right tiptoe paused on the ground, no longer moving.
She didn’t walk forward, simply waiting for Sun Qiqi’s next words.
“You won, I lost.”
Sun Qiqi’s tone was strained, her head bowed, speaking each word distinctly.
She had stubbornly believed that as long as she could firmly grasp every opportunity, she would win, regardless of whether that opportunity belonged to her.
She had once fantasized about standing on a high peak, where she could then look down on everything.
It wasn’t until she found her skills regressing, her regular clients gradually leaving, and even failing to secure opportunities she used to disdain, that she finally understood she had been wrong.
Reality had finally given her a resounding slap, bringing her back from her dream to reality.
She had lost her original passion for painting, and perhaps it would be difficult to regain her former inspiration in the future.
For a creator, there was no more severe punishment than this.
The world had punished her, and she should also apologize for her greed and recklessness.
________________________________________
The newspaper was printed the next day.
Perhaps because the competition was quite large, the interview and introduction were split into two sections.
Weida University separately pasted the page reporting on Lin Zhan on the public notice board, with a photo of Lin Zhan during her interview in the top right corner.
It was from that time that Lin Zhan slowly began to feel the benefits of this competition.
Not only did local newspapers come to interview her, but even magazines approached her for exclusive interviews, and inspiring youth publications asked her to write a column summarizing her life experiences...
She slowly began to connect with more outstanding young painters and some accomplished mentors.
The competition was merely an opportunity to expose her to the public eye; to truly break into this circle, she still needed to work harder.
Throughout the first half of her junior year, Lin Zhan was in a highly productive state.
She constantly went out for sketching and drawing, absorbing better elements to incorporate into her paintings. Several pieces, after revision, became highly commendable.
During the summer vacation, she and Shen Xi had planned a trip together.
When she first proposed it, Shen Xi looked wary.
Lin Zhan frowned: “What’s with that expression? Are you afraid I’ll do something to you?”
At that time, Shen Xi replied quickly: “Yes.”
Lin Zhan: ?
“Do I look like that kind of person? Besides, you’re a man and I’m a woman. Even if I wanted to do something, I couldn’t succeed. You’re much stronger than me...” Carried away by emotion, she began to give examples. “For instance...”
“Alright,” Shen Xi interrupted her, reaching out and pinching the soft flesh of her cheek. “I’m just teasing you.”
Lin Zhan, her cheek still pinched, asked: “Does that give you a sense of accomplishment?”
Shen Xi looked at her, deadpan: “Yes, it does.”
...
Later, when deciding on locations, Shen Xi, of course, consulted her.
At that time, Lin Zhan was sprawled on a cafe table, lazily swaying in a rattan chair.
She shrugged and asked him, “Then where do you want to go?”
Shen Xi: “I’m fine with anywhere. Where do you want to go?”
“The sea,” Lin Zhan thought for a moment, finally giving a range, “I want to go to the beach.”
“That’s a pretty easy request to fulfill,” Shen Xi nodded. “Alright, anything else?”
“I also want to see the sunrise, and stars...” Lin Zhan thought for a moment and said, “Do you remember a long time ago, you said you’d watch the stars with me, but we never did?”
“That was an accident,” Shen Xi said. “Besides, wasn’t that opportunity later fulfilled? The time you sent me a message, that canceled it out.”
Lin Zhan sat up straight: “You’re actually calculating so precisely with me?!”
Shen Xi: “...”
He stroked her hair and whispered, “Aren’t I agreeing to it now? Whatever you say, I’ll help you achieve it.”
Lin Zhan seemed to hear something she really wanted to hear, and cheerfully began, “I want to...”
Shen Xi interrupted her: “I’ll agree to normal things, but don’t even think about nonsense.”
Lin Zhan pouted.
Shen Xi started looking for travel guides on the side. Lin Zhan watched his serious demeanor and couldn’t help but recall a long time ago, with roles reversed: she was the one endlessly chattering, trying to please him, while he would only respond a couple of times when he was in a good mood.
Two years had passed, and now he was sitting beside her, indulging her wishes and finding things she liked.
Lin Zhan suddenly spoke: “Shen Xi, I think there’s a phrase that can describe my current situation.”
Shen Xi didn’t react: “What?”
She extended her fingertips, using her index and middle fingers to scratch his chin. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, smiling with a satisfied and triumphant look.
“The emancipated serf sings a song, oh.”
Shen Xi’s index finger moved, then he turned his gaze back as if nothing had happened.
That night, as he fell asleep, his mind was filled with Lin Zhan’s phrase, “The emancipated serf sings a song, oh.”
Her tone was melodious, the tail drawn out and then twirling, showing a proper allure.
Especially that slight lengthening, that evocative breath.
Shen Xi tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Rarely, he was sleepless again.
________________________________________
The first stop of their trip was the seaside.
The sea was a sacred place in Lin Zhan’s heart. Over the years, no matter how many places she had visited, she always felt a sense of regret if she hadn’t seen the sea.
In her perception, the sea was sacred—
A restrained, tranquil, gentle, and vast expanse of ocean, carrying the long history of this planet. No matter how time changed, it always flowed there.
But if it raged, a crazy tsunami, no one could stop it.
Though peaceful, it held immense power.
Looking at the sea, she felt at peace.
She wore a trailing, lotus-pink gauze dress, a perfectly matching sun hat, one hand holding the hat, the other clutching the hem of her skirt.
Shen Xi watched her from behind.
Suddenly, she let go of the gauze dress tightly clutched in her right hand, and stretched out her hand to him from afar—
Shen Xi walked up and held her hand in return.
Lin Zhan was still whispering, “When I painted ‘Romantic Ruins,’ I always wanted to see the real sea. I feel you’re actually very much like it.”
Shen Xi turned his gaze: “Like who?”
“The sea,” Lin Zhan smiled, “Gentle, yet very powerful.”
Shen Xi hadn’t even reacted when Lin Zhan suddenly took off her hat, placed it on his head, then turned and ran.
“Whoever gets it put on them is a fool!”
Shen Xi: “...”
Could her artistic style change so quickly?
She ran along the coastline, leaving behind a string of clear laughter and a series of footprints embedded in the sand.
Under the sunlight, her ankles were clean and fair, and because she was thin, her Achilles tendon was particularly prominent.
Shen Xi chased after her.
Lin Zhan, afraid of being caught, kept dodging.
How could Shen Xi let her succeed? With a slight effort, he held her captive.
Even with Lin Zhan’s strength, she now understood the disparity in power between men and women.
“Shen Xi, it hurts...” she hissed, calling out with lowered eyes, even gasping for breath.
Shen Xi quickly let go, and Lin Zhan slipped out of his embrace like an eel.
“I fooled you!”
“...”
That night, they stayed in a guesthouse with a sea view.
Google Sites
Report abuse