[Highlight the key point before! In the sculpture room!]
[Hahaha, the truth is revealed. Who said ‘long time no see?’]
[The more you try to hide something, the more obvious it becomes. There is something fishy going on! Trying to cover it up!]
[Mianmian looks so cute with a bun on his head like this.]
[If nothing else, I declare that the cotton workers have won.]
The soft and sticky clay was spinning rapidly along with the bottom of the wheel. You Mian bent down slightly and supported the edge of the unformed pottery jar with both hands. However, if the strength was lost slightly, the entire clay would be distorted and deformed, turning into an ugly pottery jar.
You Mian looked at the broken pottery jar in his hand and frowned helplessly.
Just as he was about to restore its shape, Pei Huaiji, who had been sitting beside him, suddenly moved closer.
The man’s voice was low and hoarse.
“I’ll help you hold it,” Pei Huaiji said and put his hands on the clay in front of him.
With the support of another person, You Mian could shape the clay more easily without worrying about the clay being deformed by the fast-spinning bottom wheel.
Pei Huaiji’s palms were very big. He could indeed hold the entire small pottery jar more easily than You Mian.
The gray mud soon covered Pei Huaiji’s hands, staining his big, bony hands with color.
Every time You Mian lowered his head to shape it, he would inevitably touch Pei Huaiji’s hand. It was sometimes the back of his hand and sometimes his fingers.
Both of them couldn’t help their ears turning red at such blatant contact.
You Mian was once again wrapped in cool clay and touched Pei Huaiji’s hand. He gently pressed on the man’s hand from the outside and they performed the final shaping together.
[Ahhhhhhh.]
[I am speechless. Really, this is what a young couple looks like.]
[It is the fragrance of love.]
[Chairman Pei is awesome. He got a chance to be intimate with Mianmian.]
You Mian’s ears and cheeks were slightly red. He kept his current posture and tilted his head to look at Pei Huaiji, saying softly, “You did it on purpose.”
Pei Huaiji followed suit. His handsome eyebrow was slightly raised and his sharp dark eyes were filled with a possessiveness that made people blush when looking into them.
“Can’t I?’ Pei Huaiji lowered his voice again so that the distant camera couldn’t hear it. “You allowed it.”
You Mian held Pei Huaiji’s hand. The palms and backs of the hands were pressed together. It was as if they could hear each other’s violent heartbeats through the touch of their skin.
You Mian blinked and there was a helpless smile in his beautiful amber eyes.
[What are they whispering about? I want to hear it too!]
[Are they openly whispering? Tsk tsk tsk.]
[Please put the microphone between the two of them. We want to participate in the whole process.]
Pei Huaiji coughed lightly and his voice returned to its normal volume.
“This is the first time we have made a small sculpture together,” Pei Huaiji said.
There was a hint of joy in the man’s eyes. You Mian smiled when he heard this. “A clay pot… counts as such.”
You Mian tilted his head and looked at Pei Huaiji. “Do you really want to make sculptures with me?”
Pei Huaiji might’ve often gone to the sculpture studio to see him, but You Mian didn’t know what Pei Huaiji actually wanted to do it with him personally.
Pei Huaiji opened his thin lips and said, “I am honored to be with a genius, no matter what we do.”
You Mian almost lost his strength on the pot again. Fortunately, the inner layer was held tightly by Pei Huaiji and wasn’t broken.
Pei Huaiji noticed You Mian’s emotional fluctuations and his handsome eyes lowered slightly. He revealed a restrained smile that was full of mature charm.
“My genius.”
You Mian pursed his lips and couldn’t help smiling. “No whispering this time?”
[Ahhhh, I am screaming. Who can understand me?]
[F*k, I can eat a candy this sweet all day long! For a whole month!]
[Cultivating cotton is officially bound. The cotton workers declare victory!]
[No matter how many times it is said, every time I hear the title of ‘my genius’, I get so excited that I pass out. Chairman Pei is too good!]
[Brother Chair is really loved and loves Mianmian too. You two should get together as soon as possible.]
[I’m looking forward to confession day. I’m going crazy.]
“No whispering.” Pei Huaiji turned his head and looked coldly toward the live stream camera. “Let them all listen.”
You Mian doubled over with laughing.
[Chairman Pei really refreshes my cognition again and again.]
[Brother Chair is too domineering.]
[Speak more, speak more. We are listening attentively.]
Half an hour later, they handed the two clay pots to the boss to be fired. They also returned the aprons and gloves that were splashed with clay.
As Pei Huaiji was putting on his watch, he heard the owner of the pottery gallery saying that they could come to pick up the pottery jars in two days.
“No problem,” Pei Huaiji said solemnly. “I’ll come and get it when the time comes.”
You Mian heard Pei Huaiji’s words as he was turning around. Pei Huaiji noticed his gaze and asked with a smile, “Put it in my office?”
You Mian thought of the two little sculptures with the word ‘Huaiji’ engraved on them and guessed that there might be two ugly but cute pottery jars placed next to them. For some reason, his heart suddenly felt fulfilled.
“Okay.”
The two of them came out of the pottery gallery and Pei Huaiji was still driving. You Mian sat in the passenger seat and looked out the window from time to time, not forgetting to hold up the live stream camera in his hand and turning it to the scenery outside.
“It is snowing again,” You Mian said as he looked at the thick snow outside the window.
You Mian wanted to ask where they were going next, but Pei Huaiji was leading the way with everything today. He gave up his curiosity and decided to just follow Pei Huaiji.
Pei Huaiji stared at the navigation carefully. After hearing You Mian’s words, his brow slightly relaxed, and he said, “It snowed a lot this winter. It should also snow heavily on the day of the Star Cup’s finals.”
The comments in the barrage were much faster when it came to the Star Cup.
[By the way, have you all grabbed your tickets? I just found out a few days ago that the Star Cup’s official website has a channel for buying tickets for the finals! I’m so sad. I couldn’t buy it at all.]
[Don’t mention it. It is completely unavailable.]
[It seems that the ticket purchase channel was sold out soon after it was released. The Star Cup is very popular. Many students and people in the art circle will go to watch it. It has been difficult to get tickets for the past few years.]
[Is the venue of the finals the Rubik’s Cube Pavilion at the Art Center? Hehe, I got it!]
[Ahhh, I’m so jealous!]
[Except for the special internal seats arranged by the organizer, there are only 6,000 seats available for purchase. It is indeed difficult to grab one, but I managed to do it! I look forward to seeing Mianmian offline hehe!]
The snow on the driveway had been cleared cleanly and Pei Huaiji drove steadily. After a not so long journey, You Mian finally realized where her next date was.
The Huajiang Song and Dance Theater.
The two men, who had been sitting in the clay for more than an hour, weren’t so nervous when they stepped onto the wide steps in front of the theater hall.
Pei Huaiji was wearing a long coat, a double-breasted suit and a tie, all of which revealed his noble aura. His dark and sharp eyes sank, and someone soon came to greet him.
The waiter obviously knew Pei Huaiji. He came up and said with a smile, “Chairman Pei, the seat is set as you requested.”
You Mian followed Pei Huaiji. The two of them walked into a garden restaurant next to the theater hall. Along the way, they could hear the sound of symphony music from time to time.
This was specially arranged in the most spacious private room. The sun was shining brightly. Through the glass windows, they could see overlapping mountains in the distance. Clouds lingered among the mountains, and the scenery was magnificent.
The moment You Mian sat down, he realized that he was indeed a bit hungry. They quickly ordered food. The waiter didn’t leave with the menu but took out another order book from the drawer beside him.
“Hello, do you two need accompaniment?”
This was the unique hospitality of the theater’s garden restaurant.
You Mian flipped through the music scores and found that there were indeed a few pieces that he really liked.
The live stream camera was placed next to a table covered with soft off-white cloth. The barrage of comments at this moment were all saying ‘wow wow wow.’
[I can’t even read the sheet music. I am crying, hahaha.]
[Not to mention the music score, I don’t understand the menu just now either.]
[Marseille fish soup, foie gras, saffron chicken, and Christmas pudding.]
[…Hungry.]
You Mian flipped through the music sheet before looking up at Pei Huaiji, asking, “Is there anything you want to hear?”
Pei Huaiji shook his head slightly. You Mian ordered Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream according to his preference.
The waiter left with the menu and soon returned with a violin in its intact case.
You Mian didn’t see the performer. The waiter put down the violin case, bowed politely, and turned to leave.
Pei Huaiji had been silent and had no objections when the music score was being ordered. Now as You Mian was feeling a bit doubtful, Pei Huaiji suddenly took off his long coat and stood up.
You Mian’s eyes widened slightly.
Pei Huaiji looked at You Mian and smiled in a handsome manner. Then he opened the violin case and took out the violin in a casual manner.
The missing performer turned out to be here.
The man was wearing a brown shirt buttoned tightly to his collar. This temperament was cold and ascetic. But when Pei Huaiji placed the violin beautifully on his arm and looked down at You Mian, all the cold aura dissipated and turned into a gentle smile.
“Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, dedicated to my Mr You.”
Pei Huaiji relaxed and the sunlight fell on his eyebrows and the bridge of his nose, accompanied by the melodious and romantic violin sound that unexpectedly broke into You Mian’s ears. It was a premeditated surprise gift.
You Mian was stunned and helpless as his heart beat violently. The young man couldn’t help smiling, his pretty eyes unspeakably gentle.
[Ahhhhh!]
[Chairman Pei, you are a romantic guy!]
[I shouldn’t be here. I should be under the table.]
[The sweetest romance variety show I have seen in recent years. It is so sweet that I am going to explode! Ahhh.]
[Mianmian’s eyes are so doting. Love, love you both!]
Halfway through the song, there was s sudden bang, and the screen went blank.
[??]
[Fine…]
[F*k, I have a guess!!!]
The sound of the violin in the live stream room was intermittent. It was obvious that the performer was emotionally turbulent.
The blank screen quickly returned to normal. You Mian, with slightly red lips, smiled and apologized. “Sorry, I accidentally knocked it down just now.”
You Mian saw the disbelieving viewers in the barrage and smiled heartily. His eyes were bright, and he looked like he was in love.
The live stream camera was rearranged. You Mian continued to listen quietly to Pei Huaiji playing the violin.
The man had slightly messy hair falling over his forehead, long legs, and a narrow waist. He stood beside the table, his face slightly pressed against the violin. The arc of his big hands as he played the violin could be described as perfect.
Once the song ended, You Mian gave the warmest applause.
Pei Huaiji put the violin back into its case. The moment he sat back in his seat, he and You Mian exchanged looks inadvertently, and they both laughed softly.
The ambiguous atmosphere instantly exploded.
[Okay, I am glowing now, right?]
[It isn’t just you. We are all shining collectively.]
[What a big light bulb. How many light bulbs are there in the live stream room now?]
[Report! 120,000 light bulbs!]
[Hahahaha.]
After a leisurely meal, it was almost afternoon. The sunlight outside the window gradually became less glaring and the exterior lights of the nearby theater hall also lit up.
Pei Huaiji led You Mian to the entrance as if they were taking a walk after dinner. The man whispered, “This is the last stop of the 12 hour date.”
You Mian saw the repertoire of the Huajiang City Song and Dance Theater’s performance tonight.
A large sign the same height as the head of a person was placed at the entrance of the hall with photos of the performance on it. It was gorgeous and beautiful.
You Mian raised his eyes, stood beside Pei Huaiji in the bustling night, and asked with a smile, “Puccini’s Tosca? It is Italian opera.”
They slowly walked into the theater as Pei Huaiji nodded. “I remember your Italian is very good.”
You Mian raised an eyebrow.
Pei Huaiji held the ticket and asked quietly, “Did I make a mistake?”
You Mian smiled. “No, the lines from the Italian mafia movie should be enough for me to understand.”
The joke made Pei Huaiji smile handsomely.
The two of them walked inside side by side. The full-height signboard behind them was illuminated clearly by lights in the night wind.
[Italian opera composed by Puccini-Tosca.]
[’For art, for love.’]
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I, officially, have diabetes. 🤭 Thank you for the chapter!!!! ♥️
Well, at least the author got one thing right; Pottery wheels spin.
The author clearly has some surface level knowledge about these things, but it’s a shame that they didn’t research it very deeply before writing this novel. It’s still absolutely adorable, but certain things definitely take me out of my immersion when I encounter them. The entire premise of this last round of the art competition, for example, just completely baffles me. What art contest in their right mind would demand that the contestants complete between a third and half of their composition live? This just isn’t something you can do with most art media. Oil paintings need to be made in layers with a certain amount of dry time involved so the layers don’t smear when you go to paint over them. Sculpture is even less practical for this, since most sculpture is made in clay, polymer clay, sculpting wax, or another similar temporary media before a mold is made and the final product is cast from that mold (in the case of plaster) or a wax buck is cast and another mold is made of plaster or ceramic before the wax is melted out and the final casting in metal is made. Sculpting in stone is even less practical to do performatively, due to the time consuming nature of the process. Imagine trying to tell someone who makes mixed media sculptures that involve glass to do so performatively in a two and a half hour session when the glass needs a six hour run in the kiln to temper.