As they chatted, Yun Xiangxiang found out that Qi Jun would stay here for a few days, as he had business to do. But he would leave as soon as he was done with it.

  Qi Jun didn’t go into the details about his business. Yun Xiangxiang wouldn’t ask either.

  As dusk descended upon the city, it was showered in golden light. Every street, every building lit up, turning the city into a star upon the earth. Watching this unfurl as they enjoyed the sea breeze while they were on the yacht was pure bliss. Qi Jun hired a great chef to make the girls some famous dishes, which included foie gras and snails.

  It was a bit over nine when they returned to the hotel. Song Meng still wanted to play, but she knew Yun Xiangxiang needed the rest for the work ahead.

  “Did you girls have fun?” Song Mian asked.

  “We did. Thank you so much.” Yun Xiangxiang knew Song Mian arranged this. Qi Jun wasn’t someone meticulous.

  Song Mian even did this under the condition of not exposing her to the media. She wouldn’t be photographed, and the paparazzi wouldn’t have anything bad to write about her.

  “Making sure my girlfriend is happy is my responsibility,” Song Mian smiled. “You shouldn’t go out tomorrow. Rest up for your work. I’ll ask Jun to take you to see someone.”


  “Who is it?” Yun Xiangxiang was curious about everything Song Mian did for her.

  “It’s an old man. You’ll know when you see him tomorrow,” Song Mian kept it a secret. “It’s getting late. You better go to sleep.”


  Yun Xiangxiang didn’t ask anything more about the surprise Song Mian had in mind. “You too. Sleep tight. Good night.”


  The best thing about coming to Paris was that it had no time difference to where Song Mian was.

  Whenever she thought about how she and Song Mian went to sleep at the same time, Yun Xiangxiang slept better.

  He Wei needed to go a different way the next day. He asked the girls about their plans for the day.

  Yun Xiangxiang told him she would be going out with someone Song Mian arranged for her. Not long after He Wei left, Qi Jun arrived to take them to visit a French gentleman. The old gentleman lived in a lovely house. Every corner of it was full of artistic soul.

  They saw a lot of paintings the moment they stepped into the house. They were imaginative and impactful paintings.

  “This is Mr. Ebner.” Qi Jun introduced the house’s owner to Yun Xiangxiang. “He is a celebrated painter.”


  Yun Xiangxiang did learn about painting before. She dabbled in traditional Chinese painting and sketching. She was no expert. It was just another skill of hers.

  She didn’t know anyone in the field of art. But since even Qi Jun lauded Ebner’s skill, the gentleman must be one of a kind.

  Yun Xiangxiang politely introduced herself and her friends to Mr. Ebner.

  “You look prettier than in the photos,” Ebner praised Yun Xiangxiang.

  “Photos?” Yun Xiangxiang was puzzled.

  “You don’t know yet?” Ebner was surprised.

  Yun Xiangxiang looked at Qi Jun in confusion. His only reply was a cryptic smile.

  “Please come with me,” Ebner invited Yun Xiangxiang to his studio. It took up two hundred square meters of room. Behind the studio was the exhibition hall.

  Everything in the exhibition hall was Ebner’s masterpieces. The girls might not understand the nuances of oil painting, but it didn’t stop them from admiring the works.

  Ebner finally led Yun Xiangxiang to a covered painting standing in front of a wall. “You can uncover it.”


  Yun Xiangxiang could guess what was under the cloth, but when she uncovered it, she was still stunned.

  The painting was thirty centimeters tall, fifty centimeters wide. The person in the painting was her, and yet it wasn’t her.

  The girl in the painting had Yun Xiangxiang’s look, but her fashion was based on how the French dressed in the eighties.

  She was holding some black tulips under the sun, turning back to smile as she stood within the sea of black tulips.

  The sunlight illuminated her, and yet it felt so surreal.

  “She looks vague. Unreal, even.” This was Li Xiangling’s first impression.

  “No she doesn’t. Look at how holy she is under that sunlight.” This was what Song Meng felt.

  “They look contradictory to me,” Qi Jun voiced his opinion.

  WIth the brilliant sunlight sprinkling its golden gleam down the sea of flowers, it should be a world where only dreams existed. And yet the blooming flowers were the darkest tulips. The contrast between black and white hit them hard.

  Yun Xiangxiang’s smile looked flawless, but when they looked at it for a while longer, the smile looked insidiously cold.

  “Mr. Ebner, you truly are an amazing painter,” Yun Xiangxiang was astonished by the painting.

  Only she knew what this painting meant. This was the painting in “First Love.” The male protagonist’s imaginary lover – Amy. The protagonist hung that painting in the most conspicuous spot in his house.

  This was an important part in the film. The black tulips meant power. When the protagonist painted this, he was mocking the twisted society back then.

  “No. You have an amazing boyfriend,” Ebner shrugged.

  Song Mian asked him to make this painting a few months ago. He provided Yun Xiangxianhg’s photo for Ebner, requesting that the person in the painting look exactly like her.

  Song Mian described most of the painting in painstaking detail. What Ebner did was just recreate it in a different medium. Only a little part of the painting was his own idea.

  When Ebner made this painting, it seemed to take on a life of its own. Ebner followed that trail of life, and completed this painting in record time. Thanks to the painting taking its own path, everyone would interpret it differently.

  This was a magical painting. It was Ebner’s magnum opus.

  “Does this painting belong to me?” Yun Xiangxiang asked Ebner. She had never felt such a strong desire to possess something.

  The moment she saw this painting, Yun Xiangxiang felt like she must have it. She would place it in her home and treasure it.

  “It does,” Ebner nodded. But his eyes said that he was reluctant. “But I do hope that you’ll fulfill my humble request. I wish to take this to this year’s Salon art exhibition.”


  Enber believed that this painting would astonish everyone.

  When he agreed to create this painting, part of it was because he wanted to repay Song Mian. But halfway through the painting, Ebner knew that this was one of the best decisions he had made.

  The Salon art exhibition in France was touted as the world’s most prestigious art exhibition. Painters from all around the world would congregate at this event.

  If Ebner could be awarded because of this, he would step up to a new level of fame. Yun Xiangxiang, who was the subject of the painting, would also enjoy international fame. It was something everyone could only aspire to, and never achieve.

  “Do I have this painting’s right to use?” Yun Xiangxiang queried.

  “Yes. I only have the right to credit.” Song Mian made an agreement with Ebner before he started work. Except for crediting this work to him, everything else belonged to Yun Xiangxiang.

  This was the condition Ebner agreed to. The world could only know that he created this painting. Everything else was off-limits.

  “Mr. Ebner, I can grant you that request. I hope it brings you luck.” Yun Xiangxiang gazed at the painting deeply. “But I need to take it away now.”