Once they arrived at the collection room, they reined in their mentality as an appreciator from awhile ago and were extremely cautious and careful at what they were doing. They labeled and photographed Gu Shishi’s paintings in person instead of having them done by the workers.

  As they worked, they would occasionally indulge in her smooth and poise strokes and the magnificent her work.

  The more they looked, they more they liked them and the more they looked, the more careful they were. They would not want to damage even a small corner of them.

  The few who had loud voices all remained quiet.

  Spittle may accompany talking and would ruin the surface of the artwork and the heat from breathing would also accelerate the deterioration and degradation of the pigments.

  Even with masks on, they still dared not talk a lot.

  All of them were indulged in her work but also didn’t want to slow down on their work.

  It took them whole two hours working together to finally got 27 unframed paintings into scroll holders and the remaining 8 that had been framed were wrapped carefully wrap and stabilized inside cases with bubble wrap and cardboard papers.

  As the host, Gu Shishi wanted to invite them over to the dining room to have lunch after they were all done.

  Huang Chuan, however, waved his hands and declined. “We still need to unpack them paintings and talk to old master to see how best to frame them. We will just grab something simple on our way. Let’s meet after the exhibition is over.”


  All of the other elders nodded. They, too, felt the urgency of the matter.

  Even Lao Lei roared. “I want to look at your painting on the snow mountains again after we get back. Lunch can wait!”


  Everybody’s attention was on the paintings that they had just seen, not on lunch.

  Gu Shishi had no choice but gave up on the idea.

  As she was young, Huang Chuan even turned her down when she offered to go with them and help out.

  “You won’t be as good as us when it comes to framing. Just stay home with your child. Perhaps you will have more creative conception. Why do you want to come with us?”


  “He’s exactly right. The president can take care of all these menial tasks, Xiao Shishi. You just stay home.”


  Gu Shishi suddenly experienced what it was like to be the “group pet”.

  Hao Xiao Bao, on the other hand, burst into tears when he saw his mothers’ precious paintings being taken away one by one with his own eyes.

  These were normally all his toys!

  Luckily Huo Sishen quickly shoved a pacifier into his little opened mouth and stopped him just in time.

  By the day before the exhibition, many individuals both from within and outside of the circle received invitation.

  Art Exhibition of the Ink Painting Guru.

  The name sounded goofy but also somewhat modern.

  Huang Chuan had suggested for Gu Shishi to take up a new alias but she rejected that suggestion.

  She felt that the alias was blessed and had brought her a lot of luck.

  How else would she be having her solo art exhibition at her young age?

  Granted, had Huang Chuan knew that was her thoughts, he would probably have very mixed feelings about it.

  That had nothing to do with the alias.

  But Gu Shishi was superstitious; he would just have to let it go.

  What she didn’t know was that Mayor Liu, who had received an invitation and who valued her work a lot, was the first to purchase a bunch of tickets and handed them out to many others.

  These included his colleagues, family members, and a few others that Gu Shishi knew wasn’t expecting – Gu Jiangxin, Gu Wushuang, and Zhang Sheng, the ones who had taken over the Gu Real Estate at different times.

  To this date, Mayor Liu would still have cold sweat when he thought about the threaten painting To the East.

  In addition to Gu Real Estate, he had given tickets to owners of other real estate companies.

  He hoped that while they were doing business, they would also be mindful of their morals and take a page from the artist Ink Painting Guru’s nobleness.

  He meant well but it was also a warning to these people. And, of course, a “revenge” – he had always been bothered by Gu Jiangxin.

  As such, Gu Shishi had no idea that she would run into all of these individuals on the first day of her exhibition.