During this time, Jing Yang created two paintings and displayed them in Cui Yan's gallery. Someone wanted to buy them right away after they were hung up, but Cui Yan refused to sell them until they had been hung up for a month. Many oil painting enthusiasts liked these two paintings, and after media reports, these two paintings became popular, and many people waited for a month to buy this painting. Cui Yan simply asked the gallery staff to sell it at auction, open bidding, and whoever gets the highest price one month later will be the owner.
Cui Yan wanted to collect Jing Yang's "Mermaid" privately, but he thought Jing Yang painted so well that it would be a shame if only he knew about it. Cui Yan finally decided to hang "Mermaid" in the gallery to show off, but only for people to admire, not for sale.
When "Mermaid" was published, it caused quite a stir in the art world. Every day, a large number of art enthusiasts poured into the gallery to admire the painting, with many wealthy people willing to pay exorbitant prices to obtain it.
Cui Yan, on the other hand, would never sell it. Not to mention that this painting was especially painted and given to him by Jing Yang, but the drawing content always evokes unexplained feelings in him.
Although he thought the other two paintings he agreed to sell were excellent, they did not elicit any strong emotions from him. And he knows that he may not be able to collect every painting Jing Yang creates, he should also give others the opportunity. This is also beneficial to Jing Yang's reputation.
There are many wealthy people in the world, as well as many people who are willing to spend money. Those who are willing to pay a high price but are unable to purchase "Mermaid" want to purchase the painting through their relationship with Cui Yan or through other exchanges.
Cui Yan was irritated by those people, so he planned to take back "Mermaid" after it had been hanging for a few days. Then he'll tell the gallery staff that it had been purchased by a mysterious person. If someone asks who bought it, they could say that the buyer does not want to reveal his identity.
Su Mo entered the gallery wearing a mask. He came to see the "Mermaid" painting. Only this painting was displayed on a large wall in the gallery's center. A special glass cover was placed over the painting to protect it.
During this time, Su Mo was almost frustrated to no end. He was numb in his heart and didn't feel much when he saw netizens using various words to insult and curse him. Anyway, it was only slightly more serious than the previous scolding, and he didn't care. The thing that made him feel painful and desperate is that he had lost control of Wu Xiuyuan and had no chance of revenge.
But what he didn't expect was that Jing Yang's painting "Mermaid" would be the one to cool the flames of the scandal between him and Wu Xiuyuan. This made him feel ironic and sad, as if he were just a toy that could be manipulated at will.
Su Mo himself had no idea what his reasons and feelings were. He just wanted to look at Jing Yang's "Mermaid".
Many people were already gathered in front of the painting when he arrived. When he saw their obsession with the painting in their eyes, the jealousy in his heart began to surface. But the more people here the better for him, he puts on a mask and blends in with the crowd. Those who are focused on the painting will miss him, and there'll be nothing strange when he is standing alone wearing a mask.
When he saw "Mermaid," he was taken aback. Has Mu Jin, who was once a student like him, achieved this level? Then he felt jealousy and annoyance, jealousy of Mu Jin's ability and annoyance that no matter how hard he worked for a lifetime, he couldn't compare to Mu Jin.
Su Mo looked at it, and before he knew it, he was immersed in the scene. In his mind, the content of the painting appeared to have become a real picture. The ocean, the mermaid, and the people on the boat all appeared to be familiar.
Su Mo had no idea what was wrong with him, an unfathomable sense of despair overcame him. In that painting, there appeared to be pain and devastation. Are he and Mu Jin natural enemies? Others were stunned and mesmerized when they saw this painting, but aside from the stunned, there was only anguish and regret for him.
Su Mo felt the urge to cry and hurried to the door, wanting to leave this gallery. But just as he was about to walk outside, he noticed Jing Yang getting out of the car. He quickly turned around and walked to the side, pretending to look at a painting.
Su Mo tilted his head, carefully inspecting the situation outside. He saw Jing Yang being helped out of the car by Cui Yan, but Cui Yan was facing the door with his back to him, and he had no idea who that person was. But he had already predicted that the person in question was the one who was supporting Mu Jin.
Cui Yan walked into the gallery, holding Jing Yang's hand. Su Mo's eyes widened when he saw Cui Yan's face, and they were filled with shock. He knew who Cui Yan was, but he didn't expect the person who had supported Jing Yang to be Cui Yan. Now he understands why he was so thoroughly defeated, why his family had to disown him, not only because of netizens' dissatisfaction and public opinion, but also because Mu Jin's support was so powerful, so powerful that he could easily destroy him.
Su Mo nearly dashed out of the gallery. His uncontrollable tears, erratic running, despair, and fear drove him insane. He had no idea what would happen to him in the future; perhaps it would be even worse than it was now. He had the feeling that the road ahead was dark and that he could only run wildly. He might be able to see the light after running out of the darkness.
Wu Xiuyuan drove to Su Mo's house to find him. Originally, he had not been discharged from the hospital, but the hatred in his heart was so strong that he didn't care about his broken legs, so he sneaked out and drove his father's car to Su Mo's house.
Wu Xiuyuan drove faster and faster, thinking what to do after seeing Su Mo. He must first severely beat him, and then....
Wu Xiuyuan had not figured out what to do when he realised someone was running toward his car as if he were insane. He was stunned and subconsciously hit the brakes with his injured leg. However, the injured leg hurts whenever it is used, and it cannot exert any strength.
Before Wu Xiuyuan could recover from the sharp pain in his leg, he could see that the person who had rushed had been hit by his car and had flown away. In his fear, he remembered that he could step on the brake with his other uninjured leg.
When passers-by saw the accident, they all gathered around, called the police, and called up an ambulance.
Wu Xiuyuan considered getting out of the car to check on the person who had been hit. He opened the car door, walked softly and wobbly, limping toward that person.
Su Mo was lying on the ground, his upper face covered in blood and his lower face hidden behind masks. He knew he'd been hit by a car, but he didn't feel any pain, possibly because the pain was beyond the range of the human body, so he couldn't feel it anymore. Before falling into the darkness and losing consciousness, he thought that it might be better if he died like this; at the very least, he would be free of pain and fear, which would be a complete relief.
Wu Xiuyuan finally made his way to Su Mo's side, albeit with difficulty. With a pale face, he sat beside him, looked at him, and said, "Hello, are you alright? Can you still hear me?"
When Wu Xiuyuan saw the person lying on the ground with his eyes closed, he stretched out his trembling hand and removed his mask, hoping to wake him up.
Wu Xiuyuan's eyes widened and he was completely stunned when he saw that it was Su Mo. For a while, he was at a loss for words.
He was there to teach Su Mo specifically, but when he saw Su Mo was hit by him and didn't know whether he was alive or dead, his brain went blank for a long time before he finally came back to his senses.
Wu Xiuyuan was in a very conflicted mood when he glanced at Su Mo's face, and he couldn't tell whether he was relieved or sad. But one thing is certain: he isn't sad for Su Mo; rather, he is sad for himself.
Remembering the past, everything was very beautiful at the time. He thought that if he waited until Mu Jin graduated completely, he would be able to be with him smoothly and live a better life. But since Su Mo showed him kindness, purposefully hinted at him, and seduced him, everything has gradually changed.
Nothing would happen now if he could refuse at that time and keep his distance from him. He began to despise himself and Su Mo. The two of them were responsible for their own outcome, which they deserved.
Wu Xiuyuan thought of his father who was still lying in the hospital. Even if Su Mo was hit and lying in front of him right now, he couldn't get rid of his dislike for him. He cast a glance in the direction of the car, wondering if he could simply kill him.
The ambulance arrived, and the medical personnel quickly put Su Mo into the ambulance and drove away.
Wu Xiuyuan sat slumped on the ground, as if he didn't have a soul, staring in the direction of the ambulance's departure. He had a feeling this was not the end of their unfortunate lives, but rather the beginning of it.
Soon after, the traffic police arrived and took Wu Xiuyuan away, but Wu Xiuyuan was always absent-minded. He was obviously alive, but he appeared to be dead inside. He didn't answer or respond as if he hadn't heard the question, no matter what it was.