The students from the painting department fell into a brief silence, then the quiet classroom erupted into thunderous exclamations!
"Oh my goodness!"
"Who is this prodigy?"
"Who among us doubted the Great God's gouache skills and suggested we come to assist? This is beyond amazing!"
"It's unbelievable!"
"If this doesn't impress, then we might as well give up painting altogether. My mom will ask why I was kneeling in front of the painting when I get home!"
"We came to lend a hand, but it seems we're just lifting water, handing pens, and holding chairs and paints."
The students were dumbfounded.
Even squad leader Cao Bin was dumbfounded.
He thought Lin Yuan had called senior students from the painting department to help with painting, but it turned out Lin Yuan had summoned this group of professionals to take over!
What's a mere hand?
Zhong Yu swallowed hard, finding it difficult to speak. "So, besides sketching, you're also proficient in gouache."
A bit of art education was in order.
Sketching focused on form and space, while gouache emphasized color and environment. While the two disciplines shared a pursuit of three-dimensional representation, most artists tended to specialize in one or the other.
Some were skilled sketch artists.
Others excelled in gouache.
Some are painted in oils.
Others preferred Chinese ink painting.
While many renowned artists dabbled in various mediums, few achieved mastery across the board. Yet here was Lin Yuan, a genius who effortlessly commanded both sketching and gouache!
This was the true mark of a prodigy!
Indeed, among these students were accomplished sketch artists. However, they now found themselves humbled before Lin Yuan's dual mastery.
"This is the real deal!"
"Who knew the Great God was not only a sketching maestro but also a gouache virtuoso?"
"This is an opportunity of a lifetime!"
"Five hundred an hour."
Lin Yuan remained composed.
Zhong Yu struggled to assert himself. "You're all special talents. Don't crowd. Those interested in learning gouache can schedule a session with me. Remember, I'm the Great God's top disciple!"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Someone interjected impatiently. "You're just trying to get first dibs on the appointments!"
The group begrudgingly made appointments with Zhong Yu for Lin Yuan's gouache lessons. Unsurprisingly, Zhong Yu secured the first slot under his own name.
And so, everyone agreed to Zhong Yu's terms, lining up for lessons with Lin Yuan. This was a rare opportunity, and they weren't about to miss it.
Lin Yuan took his leave.
"Where's the Great God?"
"In the cafeteria."
The painting students hurried after him, clamoring for a treat, leaving Cao Bin bewildered in front of the blackboard.
Yan Mengjia and her team returned to the dormitory after lunch, assuming their involvement with the blackboard newspaper was over. However, Cao Bin's unexpected call drew them back to the classroom.
"It seems we've entered the wrong room."
Upon entering the classroom in the East Building, Yan Mengjia glanced at the blackboard, puzzled.
"Something's not right."
The boy behind her shared her confusion. "I think we got the wrong classroom. Where are we?"
"That's odd."
Her classmates noticed Cao Bin on the blackboard. "Isn't that our monitor?"
They exchanged uncertain glances.
Moments later, they rushed into the classroom, their eyes fixed on the breathtaking landscape on the blackboard. It seemed they were transfixed.
"You're here."
Cao Bin turned to greet Yan Mengjia and the others. "I was just about to grab lunch. Do you know if the cafeteria is still open?"
"What's going on?" Yan Mengjia asked, her gaze fixed on the blackboard. She was at a loss for words; the previous blackboard had been replaced with a captivating landscape painting!
There were only about two hours until school ended.
Was this some kind of magic?
Cao Bin understood their bewilderment and explained with a smile, "Lin Yuan painted it."
The boy behind Yan Mengjia sounded unsure. "Lin Yuan? The one we know?"
Cao Bin didn't respond, instead looking to Yan Mengjia. "Lin Yuan suggested your name for the blackboard report, but I didn't think it was very fitting. It might be better to credit you instead."
"Got it," Yan Mengjia replied almost instinctively.
There were still afternoon classes to attend, but upon Lin Yuan's return to the classroom after lunch, a classmate suddenly exclaimed, "Lin Yuan's here!"
"Lin Yuan is amazing!"
"You painted the blackboard?"
"In just two hours?"
All eyes turned to Lin Yuan, as if seeing him in a new light.
Yan Mengjia approached Lin Yuan and whispered, "Thank you."
"Sure," Lin Yuan replied, taking his seat.
His classmates shared knowing smiles, unsurprised by Lin Yuan's modesty.
Arrogant?
Not at all.
This was just Lin Yuan.
Suddenly, there was commotion in the corridor. The art teachers responsible for selecting the blackboard newspaper had arrived, led by the head of the department, Kong An!
The classmates tensed up.
As the judges entered one by one, Kong An, upon seeing the blackboard, was visibly taken aback.
And he wasn't alone.
The gouache mentors behind him were equally astounded. Could a student have accomplished this?
Did they bring in outside help?
Or perhaps a teacher had secretly intervened?
After several seconds of silence, Kong An spoke, his tone serious. "Who was in charge of the blackboard in your class?"
"Lin Yuan!" Yan Mengjia was the first to respond.
Lin Yuan raised his hand in confirmation.
Kong An's doubts vanished instantly.
He scrutinized Lin Yuan, then turned to the blackboard, then back to Lin Yuan, and repeated the process several times.
Finally, he asked with a complex expression, "Did you do this alone?"
"Yes," Lin Yuan replied simply.
Approaching the blackboard, Kong An examined it closely before remarking, "Your gouache skills are impressive, but there's room for improvement in certain details."
"..."
Seriously, with a blackboard this size and only two hours to work, expecting every detail to be perfect was unrealistic.
Yan Mengjia wanted to explain, but Lin Yuan remained silent, and they held their tongues.
At that moment, another teacher chimed in, "The professor's expectations are too high. In my opinion, the painting is already flawless. It's just the ink, it appears to be unfinished?"
"It's been rather damp lately," Lin Yuan explained.
The entire class exchanged bemused glances.
Why didn't he just say the ink wasn't dry and the details weren't perfect because he'd painted the blackboard in just two hours?
Oh well.
He couldn't be bothered to explain.
That was just Lin Yuan being Lin Yuan.