Rose was extremely skeptical about Ethan's level. She even thought that he was making fun of her. However, her protest was in vain, and she had no choice but to accept it!
Seeing Ethan start working with his bare hands, Rose couldn't help but quickly remind him.
"Why don't you wear protective gloves? What if you accidentally cut your hand? Do you think you're a master carver?"
"Why wear protective gloves? It will affect my performance!" Ethan said nonchalantly.
"..." Rose was momentarily at a loss for words.
Affect performance? It was his first time holding a knife. What kind of performance could he expect from himself?
However, Ethan's subsequent actions made her even more frightened.
It was okay for this guy to hold the knife bare - handed, but he even played with it.
His fingers twirled, and the carving knife spun continuously with a whooshing sound. The blade flickered with a cold light, like a small venomous snake ready to bite at any time.
"You... be careful! This is a knife, not a pen!" Rose shrank back, keeping a distance from him, for fear that Ethan might not hold the knife firmly and it would fly out and accidentally hurt her.
But Ethan simply ignored her.
The carving knife in his hand buzzed as it spun non - stop, like a windmill, while his eyes were fixed on Rose, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Snap!
Finally, the carving knife in Ethan's hand suddenly stopped.
Then, Ethan began to carve on the bamboo board in his hand.
Swish, swish, swish!
The sound of the knife carving on the bamboo board rang out, and bits of debris flew out. Ethan's hands also kept changing movements, and he moved the knife as swiftly as flying...
Rose was dumbfounded!
At this moment, Ethan's whole temperament had completely changed.
He was no longer a young and inexperienced lad but clearly a master carver.
Those dazzling knife shadows and his skillful movements were even more amazing than what Elder Chen had shown just now.
Rose was completely stunned.
Then, she looked at Ethan's face again.
Serious!
Focused!
Because he was bowing his head, his hair naturally hung down. On his chiseled face, there was an indescribable charm!
For a moment, Rose was completely entranced.
One minute, two minutes!
Ethan was slowly carving the bamboo board in his hand, earnestly and attentively.
Beside him, Rose had been looking at Ethan's profile.
Five minutes later!
Huff!
Ethan blew a puff of air.
The debris on it flew in all directions.
Looking at the first carved work in his hand, Ethan couldn't help but nod with satisfaction.
"Hmm, not bad."
Then, he raised his head and happened to see Rose propping up her cheek with one hand, looking at him.
At the moment when Ethan raised his head, their eyes met.
Rose had been looking at Ethan. The moment their eyes met, it was as if her thoughts had been seen through, and she was extremely flustered all of a sudden.
She quickly sat up straight.
A blush suddenly spread across her face!
"Oh! Little beauty, you took quite a few liberties just now! Learned to peek!" Ethan teased with a smile.
"Who was peeking? I just wanted to see what you had carved me into." Rose said with a lack of confidence, obviously very guilty.
"Isn't this still stealing skills secretly? It doesn't matter if I tell you. I'm extremely talented, and you can't learn this skill." Ethan said narcissistically.
"Pfft! Who cares? Don't think I don't know that you practiced with Uncle Leaf at home before." Rose said to Ethan.
Ethan smiled.
"Here! This is for you!" Ethan reached out his hand to Rose beside him.
"What... what is it?" Rose's voice trembled a little.
She hadn't recovered from her fluster just yet. Now, Ethan was actually going to give her a gift. This...
"If he gives me a heart - shaped gift, should I accept it or not? Oh my..." Rose's face was full of embarrassment.
Looking at the item, Rose was stunned all of a sudden!
There was a girl carved on it!
The girl looked shy, sitting on a stone by the river surrounded by weeping willows in Riverside Haven, and she seemed to have a unique beauty.
"This... did you carve this?" Rose was shocked when she saw this work.
She had originally thought that it was just something simple. Even if it was a bit more complicated, it would at most be some very traditional flowers, birds, insects, and fish that focused more on form than on vividness!
But, unexpectedly, what Ethan had carved was a girl, a girl sitting by the river.
And...
"Why does this girl look so familiar?" Rose was very surprised and asked Ethan.
"It's you... don't you recognize yourself?" Ethan replied.
"I..." Rose looked again. It was herself, indeed!
Similar in form and spirit!
No wonder she thought it looked so familiar, but... she couldn't believe it!
"You... how could you carve it so... so well? Even Elder Chen couldn't be this amazing with this kind of thing." Rose couldn't believe it! The bamboo carvings she had seen before were all ancient maids. But when Ethan carved her image in a classical style and carved it so beautifully, she just couldn't believe it!
"What you just said about recording all of this was to carve it on this?" Rose said to Ethan in surprise.
"Yes! Are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied! Of course I'm satisfied!" Rose nodded hurriedly. If she wasn't satisfied with such a bamboo carving, she would be damned!
"Just that, the scene on the bamboo carving is in Riverside Haven, not the scene where... where you were looking at me just now?" Rose lowered her head, and her voice was as low as a mosquito's hum.
"Although the scene has changed, I think this can better convey this beautiful artistic conception. Art originates from life and is above life! Isn't it?
Otherwise, what's the use of these things? It would be more convenient and more realistic to just take a picture or record it with a camera, right?" Ethan said with a smile.
"Yes!" Rose couldn't help but nod.
Then, she snatched the bamboo board.
Looking at the girl on it who was very similar to herself and looked shy, she felt even shyer in her heart, and the blush on her face became even redder.
"This is for you." Ethan said.
"For me?"
"Yes, of course! It's you carved on it, so of course it's for you. Of course, if you don't want it, I'll throw it into the toilet and let those things bury you."
"Pfft, pfft, pfft! You're so disgusting!" Rose snatched it away.
Looking at the bamboo board, she couldn't put it down. Then, she kept wiping the carving on it with her hand, and a hint of sweetness flashed through her heart.
"You carved it so well! Although I don't understand much! But I feel that you carved this better than Elder Chen. How long have you been learning?" Rose asked Ethan.
"If I tell you that, like you, I just saw the book and just picked up the carving knife for the first time, and what you just got was my first work! Do you believe it?"
"No!" Rose said naturally.
"But it really was my first time! It's for you!" Ethan said.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft! Foul language! What first time! You're taking advantage of me!" Rose scolded coquettishly.