The Painting

In the gallery, the light was a bit dim.

Wang Gu held the painting, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

In the backyard, in front of the door, the old man trembled even more severely.

Ye Bei just stood quietly.

He looked back faintly, in those deep eyes, there were no waves, they were very calm.

The old man in front of him looked kind, he combed his hair very carefully, without a trace of messy, but the silvery-white hair was still clearly visible in the dim light. In his slightly sunken eye sockets, a pair of dark brown eyes quietly revealed about the years and the transformation of life.

If his outline was not so similar, who would think that this old man, eighty years ago, was handsome, versatile, as countless beautiful women lined up in a long line, boldly pursuing him alone throughout the Ancient Street?

"You…" Looking at Ye Bei, he slowly stretched out his hand, his mouth was half-sound before spitting out such a word, all his pupils were shocked and unbelievable, but there was still a lot of hesitation in his eyes.

"Old Master, why are you here? I have good news, that painting is found. Look, it's in my hand now. I've seen you tried to paint it many times, it's very similar to this painting. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it." When Wang Gu saw the old man, he ran over with the painting quickly, his voice excited, with some mist around his eyes, he was clearly crying with joy.

But when Wang Gu stretched out the painting in front of the old man, he did not expect that the old man would actually slowly push it away, without even looking at it. Those eyes were still on Ye Bei.

"It's me." Ye Bei looked at the old man, and when the atmosphere in this gallery was extremely silent, he spoke softly.

His words were not much, just simple two words, his voice was hoarse and a bit young, but it was extremely deep.

After the old man listened, his trembling body was shaking more and more at this moment.

It seemed that at this moment, he went straight through countless hours and returned to eighty years ago.

He was wearing a blouse, sitting at the door, painting for a young girl.

A young man in a white gown came with small steps, stood with his hands behind his back, he did not speak, he just watched quietly.

The youth looked indifferent. Those eyes were like the void which contained countless stars and countless stories.

But now, when the old man saw Ye Bei again, he only felt that the two images were magically overlapping.

There seemed to be an illusion of a thousand years instead.

"Guest, my name is Wang Xiu, penname is Winter Jasmine. I don't know whether the guest is here to paint for himself or buy paintings?" That day, Wang Xiu was very young and personable. When he spoke, his voice was clear and confident.

"I need a portrait of one person." The youth in the white gown spoke softly.

"Oh?" Wang Xiu was puzzled.

"I will narrate, you will sketch." The youth said flatly.

"Difficult!" After Wang Xiu understood the meaning, he looked thoughtful and cautious.

"Accept?" The youth in the white gown asked.

"Accept." Wang Xiu nodded earnestly after pondering for a few seconds.

The memory of that year, at this moment, became extremely clear.

Standing in the gallery, Wang Xiu's trembling body could not stop shaking.

The air almost solidified at this moment.

Wang Gu was a little unclear about this, but in any case, he still held the scroll tightly though he did not know what to say.

After a long time, Wang Xiu finally recovered.

He raised his head and looked at Ye Bei again, he sighed softly, "People who are very similar also exist. Guest, are you a descendant of that person? He once said that a hundred years later, he will definitely come to see me."

"I am that person." Ye Bei opened his mouth and looked at Wang Xiu who had been eroded by the years, his eyes were indifferent to the extreme. His eyes did not have any wave as he made another statement, but when his sentence fell, the gallery was instantly occupied by a kind of sadness.

Wang Xiu did not speak, staring straight at Ye Bei with his dry eyes.

Doubts, at loss, ups and downs…

He was thinking.

He could not believe it and did not dare to accept it.

There was no trace of age on the face of the old friend 80 years ago, even his voice and clothes were exactly the same as before.

Could it be that the years are fake? In this world, could it be there is someone who is unbound by time?

"Old Master, and this gentleman, what are you talking about? How do I feel that I don't understand at all? And, where did this painting come from?" Wang Gu beside him could not help it anymore, he opened his mouth and broke the silent atmosphere.

Ye Bei was silent, he did not make any special actions.

The corners of Wang Xiu's wrinkled eyes trembled a little, "Little Gu, you go to the backyard first, I have something to ask the guest."

"Old Master?" Wang Gu became more puzzled.

"Go!"

"Yes, father." Wang Gu did not dare to talk anymore, he put the painting on the table near that. In his heart, Wang Xiu was not only his father but also the one who disciplined him the most severe. Even though he was already nearly 70 years old, when facing this father of his, he did not dare to disobey.

When Wang Gu left, only Ye Bei and Wang Xiu were left in the gallery.

Wang Xiu looked at Ye Bei and spoke slowly, "Guest, my name is Wang Xiu, penname is Winter Jasmine, I don't know if the guest is here to paint for himself or buy paintings?"

The words were the same, but the sound was completely different from the clearness of the past.

"I need a portrait of one person." Ye Bei said lightly.

"Oh?" Wang Xiu shook his body and put one hand on the table, trying to stand firm.

"I will narrate, you will sketch."

After hearing this, Wang Xiu was finally determined and he no longer had any doubts.

"It's really you! Eighty years ago, that day, after you left with the painting, I repeatedly trying to paint that painting every day, but no matter how hard I work, no matter hard I paint, I can't draw that painting again with that perfection, why is that?" When he said this, Wang Xiu stared at Ye Bei. Compared to that painting, Ye Bei's unchanging appearance was undoubtedly more amazing for him.

"I'm looking for this answer too. If I'm not wrong, about the person in this painting… I have a hunch that in the near future, the girl in the painting will appear at No. 32 Ancient Street." Ye Bei did not hide it and said calmly.

"The girl in the painting? Eighty years…" Wang Xiu stared at Ye Bei blankly. Eighty years ago, he had a foreboding of everything? This was too strange.

However, Wang Xiu understood that there were some things that he did not need to know.

"Whatever, guest, since you are here again, Winter Jasmine has only one thing to ask for." Wang Xiu was serious.

Ye Bei nodded, he did not wait for Wang Xiu to tell what was the matter, he agreed directly.

Wang Xiu had lived for a long time, he was already over a hundred years old.

Ye Bei looked at his old face and immediately judged that he had run out of time. So since he had a relationship with him, he could not refuse.

"Why don't you ask about it?" Wang Xiu was surprised.

"Paint a picture." Ye Bei replied lightly.

Wang Xiu grinned, his old face revealed a rare smile.