26

After returning to the country and adjusting to the time difference, Shi Yue discovered that the Feather Garment Designer Competition had opened for registration. She had barely caught her breath before diving straight into preparing her design drafts.

For the preliminary selection phase, participants needed to submit their previous design works to the competition's email for evaluation. If selected, they would receive an invitation to participate in the competition's recording.

The preliminary selection was brutal, limiting designers to those under the age of 25, primarily targeting a younger crowd. Out of the tens of thousands of applicants, only seven designers would be chosen to compete for the championship.

Shi Yue wasn't the least bit worried about being eliminated—not only because she knew from the plot of the book that she would make it, but also because of her confidence in her own design skills.

After two days of work, she carefully packaged and submitted her selected designs to the competition's organizers. Then, with nothing pressing on her schedule, she suddenly found herself with some free time.

That day, as she was tidying up at home, she noticed a flat, square box tucked away in the corner. It took her a moment to recall that this was the gift Leng Yanmi had given her before she returned home. Since Leng Yanmi had mentioned that it was just a decorative item, she hadn't thought much of it and hadn't even opened it after being home for four or five days.

With nothing else to do, Shi Yue decided to grab a utility knife and open the gift.

However, when the painting inside was revealed, she was completely stunned.

The delicate brushstrokes, the classic and vintage style of a master artist, and the canvas featuring a plump woman in a luxurious gown with a crown—all pointed to one undeniable fact: this was not just a decorative item. It was the famous painting Leng Yanmi had won at the auction.

During their trip to Europe, the two of them hadn't had much time together, and Shi Yue had deliberately avoided bringing up the auction or Miss Shu, not wanting to spoil the mood. But she had never imagined that the centerpiece of the auction would end up in a plain shipping box, casually handed over to her.

Was Leng Yanmi crazy, or was it just her own lack of experience?

Shi Yue initially wanted to call Leng Yanmi right away to ask, but considering it was still the middle of the night in Europe, she forced herself to wait until the evening before dialing her. As for the painting, after unboxing it, she placed it carefully against the wall, not daring to touch it further.

When Leng Yanmi answered, she was in the car, and the hum of the engine could be heard in the background.

Her voice was light and indulgent as she asked, "Have you had dinner?"

"No," Shi Yue replied instinctively but immediately wrinkled her nose, "Wait, that's not the point."

Leng Yanmi, as if ignoring her, continued, "What do you feel like eating?"

Shi Yue chuckled helplessly, "Auntie, don't change the subject."

"Hmm?" Finally, Leng Yanmi asked, "What's the matter?"

"You're asking me what's the matter… that painting!" Shi Yue sighed, her gaze fixed on the brilliant colors of the artwork. "The painting you gave me—isn't that the one you bought at the auction? How could you casually hand something like that to me?"

Leng Yanmi's tone remained calm as she responded, "Is there a problem?"

Shi Yue: "…"

Hearing no reply from Shi Yue, Leng Yanmi added, "I bought it for you. Originally, I was going to have it shipped back to the country, but since you came over, I thought it was convenient to let you take it home."

Shi Yue didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Is that really the point?"

As she spoke, she walked over to the painting and ran her fingers along the frame. Looking at the beautiful aristocratic girl depicted inside, she felt as if she were dreaming. "Why would you want to give me something so valuable?"

Leng Yanmi explained, "Back at Wu Xuan's exhibition, you had your eye on a painting of a girl with a veil over her face. Unfortunately, that plan got interrupted by Wu Xuan's daughter, and you weren't able to buy it.

"When I went to the auction, I thought this painting was even better than Wu Xuan's, so I bought it for you."

Shi Yue was momentarily taken aback.

Back when she visited Wu Xuan's exhibition, she hadn't been that interested in the artwork itself; she had just gone for other reasons. It had been so long ago, and the incident with Wu Miaoya disrupting the sale had long since faded from her memory. Yet, Leng Yanmi still remembered it.

Not only had she remembered, but she had also felt bad that Shi Yue didn't get her desired painting. Even during a business trip, she had been thinking about making it up to her.

At that moment, the painting's frame seemed to warm under Shi Yue's touch, forcing her to pull her hand away. A swirl of emotions brewed in her heart, leaving her chest feeling full and warm.

"You…" She wanted to say something but couldn't seem to form the words, so she remained silent.

Leng Yanmi simply asked, "Do you like it?"

"Yes," Shi Yue nodded, unable to hold back her smile. "I love it."

"Hang it in a prominent place where you can see it every day."

"Pfft." Shi Yue suddenly burst into laughter.

She gently touched the face of the aristocratic girl in the painting, as if handling delicate rose petals. "You want me to hang this in my house?"

Leng Yanmi didn't understand. "Why not?"

"Auntie…" Shi Yue realized they probably had vastly different perspectives on value.

After a moment of consideration, she voiced her concerns, "This painting is worth a lot. Isn't it a bit risky to keep something so valuable in a place like my apartment with no security measures?

"What if someone steals it?"

On the other end, Leng Yanmi frowned.

She realized she might have overlooked something. "It wouldn't matter if it were stolen, but I'd be more worried about someone targeting you. That could lead to trouble..."

Shi Yue had no words for that.

Then, Leng Yanmi added, "I'll have my assistant arrange for four bodygua—"

Before she could finish, Shi Yue quickly interrupted, "No!" She rubbed her nose and laughed. "I'm still a student. Isn't that going a bit overboard? Besides, wouldn't having bodyguards draw even more attention, like saying, 'there's something valuable here'?"

Clearly unsatisfied, Leng Yanmi asked, "What do you suggest?"

"Um…" Shi Yue offered her solution, "I think the painting should stay at your place."

Fearing that Leng Yanmi wouldn't accept this, she quickly added, "It's actually more convenient that way. If I want to admire it, I can just visit your place, right?"

Leng Yanmi responded, "Then I'll have my assistant contact you to pack your things and move in."

Shi Yue: "I'm not moving in. Just have your assistant come pick up the painting."

Leng Yanmi: "..."

She fell silent.

Sensing the brewing storm, Shi Yue cautiously called out, "Auntie?"

In a low voice, Leng Yanmi replied, "Do as you like." After a brief pause, she added, "I'll send you the address later."

With that, she hung up.

A few minutes later, Shi Yue received a lengthy message with the address of Leng Yanmi's villa, along with detailed instructions on how to enter the house and place the painting in the dry, secure underground vault.

Shi Yue was a bit puzzled.

It would have been much simpler for Leng Yanmi's assistant to come over and retrieve the painting. Why had she gone through the trouble of instructing Shi Yue to personally take it over?

She spent the whole night thinking about it, concluding that perhaps there weren't any assistants in the country that Leng Yanmi fully trusted.

It made sense—entrusting something worth millions to an assistant wasn't exactly safe.

Not wanting to delay, Shi Yue prepared to repack the painting and deliver it early the next morning.

As she rewrapped the aristocratic girl back into the thick cardboard, an unexpected wave of reluctance washed over her. After all, it was a gift that Leng Yanmi had specially bought for her. Though she had only spent a few days with the painting, it already felt hard to part with it.

Not wanting to leave any regrets, Shi Yue took out her phone and, crouching beside the painting, took several selfies with the girl in the frame.

After picking her two favorite photos, she posted them on her Moments to commemorate the occasion.

[A meeting with the one I admire]

The caption hinted that the "one I admire" was the noble girl in the painting, though Shi Yue had cleverly intended it as a double meaning. Leng Yanmi liked the post almost immediately but didn't send any probing messages. Shi Yue had no idea if she had caught on to her little trick.

The next day, Shi Yue called for a car and carefully brought the securely packed painting to the address Leng Yanmi had given her.

The destination was a high-end villa complex with strict security. Clearly, Leng Yanmi had already notified the property staff in advance, because after Shi Yue registered, the security guards immediately switched to a more respectful demeanor, even driving her to the door of the villa in an electric cart.

Once they arrived, the guard kindly offered to help move the heavy object, but Shi Yue politely declined, and he left.

Holding the painting, Shi Yue found the smart lock at the front door and entered the six-digit code. She smoothly entered the villa. She had been to Leng Yanmi's house in the city before, and the decor here was similar, though the space was larger, and it lacked the same lived-in warmth.

Finding the entrance to the basement took some time. By the time she unlocked the layers of security and reached the vault, half an hour had already passed since she entered the house.

Relieved, Shi Yue took a few photos to prove the painting had been delivered and immediately left the gloomy basement, returning to the sunlit living room.

Across the ocean, it was still nighttime. Leng Yanmi hadn't gone to sleep yet, and when she saw the message, she immediately replied: [So quick?]

Shi Yue smiled to herself, never passing up the chance to tease: ]Of course, anything related to Auntie takes top priority]

It was impossible to detect emotions through text, so Shi Yue had no way of knowing if she had stirred any feelings in Leng Yanmi.

But a moment later, she received a calm response: [The villa is quite nice. You can take a walk around inside. No need to rush]

Shi Yue strolled around the living room.

The garden outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was beautifully landscaped, and the interior decor was top-notch, but she wasn't really in the mood to appreciate it. When she thought about it, she realized it all came down to one person.

[It's no fun looking around alone. I'll wait for you to give me a tour when you're back]

A minute later, Leng Yanmi replied with a single word: [Okay]

Shi Yue packed up her things and left.

The security guard who had driven her to the villa had already left, so she had to walk back to the entrance on her own. The path wasn't very long, but sometimes fate had a way of playing tricks.

As soon as she stepped out of the villa and locked the door, she looked up and spotted a familiar figure not far away.

Leng Mingchuan was just as surprised to see her.

With the Shi family's capabilities, there was no way they could own a home in such an upscale villa community. Although he hadn't seen exactly which house Shi Yue had come out of, it was undeniable that she was standing right in front of his aunt's villa.

He blocked her path, standing in the middle of the road, demanding, "What are you doing here?"

Shi Yue raised her hand to shield her eyes from the increasingly harsh sunlight, "…What's it to you?"

Leng Mingchuan squinted, "How did you know this is my aunt's property? What are you doing here?"

Shi Yue smiled and retorted, "What do you think?"

Without missing a beat, she added, "Why don't you ask your aunt directly?"

With that, she brushed past him and strode away.

Behind her, Leng Mingchuan frowned.

He turned and entered the house, inputting the passcode and checking the interior. Finding nothing unusual, he sat down on the sofa to catch his breath. Just then, his phone buzzed, and he received two pictures from Shen Lingling.

When he saw Shi Yue's face in the photos, his instinctive reaction was to swipe away, feeling a sense of disdain. But the next second, the painting beside Shi Yue caught his attention.

"Isn't this…" He zoomed in on the image, studying the noblewoman in the painting.