The afternoon sunlight filtered through the glass display windows of the art gallery and spilled onto the floor, forming patches of mottled light and shadow, adding a somewhat lazy and cozy atmosphere to the entire space. Taking advantage of a moment when there were fewer guests, Evelyn walked to the lounge area nearby, gently rubbed her slightly aching calves, yet still wore a satisfied smile on her face. For her, being able to share the stories behind those paintings with so many art-loving people today was the happiest thing.
Lucas watched Evelyn, who looked a bit tired yet full of enthusiasm, and a sudden urge to step forward and help welled up in his heart. However, he held himself back. He didn't want to show up abruptly and disrupt this peaceful daily life that belonged to Evelyn. Instead, he continued to watch over her silently in the corner.
At this time, an elderly gentleman-like guest walked up to Evelyn, holding the brochure of a classical oil painting, and inquired about the color-matching techniques used in the painting as well as the creative mindset of the painter at that time. Evelyn immediately perked up, with a polite and amiable smile on her face, and began to patiently answer the questions. She used vivid metaphors to explain those professional color knowledge in an easy-to-understand way and also cited various stories from the painter's life, making the guest nod frequently, with admiration filling his eyes.
Watching this scene from the corner, Lucas grew even more admiring of Evelyn in his heart. He could sense that Evelyn's love for art was deeply ingrained, not just a superficial appreciation. The look of concentration when she was explaining, along with her lively gestures, made it seem as if she had merged with art as a whole, emanating a unique charm that made Lucas unable to take his eyes off her.
Unconsciously, the sun gradually set in the west, and the sky was dyed orange-red, just like a magnificent oil painting. The guests in the gallery also left one after another. Evelyn began to sort out the materials of the day, neatly arranging the picture albums that had been flipped through by the guests and carefully putting away the notebooks that recorded the guests' opinions.
Just as she was about to go to the lounge to get her things and leave work, she once again felt that faint gaze inexplicably. She stopped in her tracks, frowned slightly, and her confusion deepened. Throughout the whole day, that feeling of being watched had popped up from time to time, but every time she searched for it, she found no clues at all. She bit her lip and decided that this time she must figure out what was going on.
Evelyn pretended to casually walk towards all the possible hiding places. Her steps were light, and her eyes scanned the surroundings warily. Lucas, seeing this, secretly thought it was bad. He knew that Evelyn was suspicious, but he didn't want to expose himself so quickly. So, relying on his agile skills, he moved quietly, always keeping a certain distance from Evelyn to prevent her from discovering his tracks.
Evelyn checked every corner of the gallery, not even sparing the storage room, but still found nothing. She sighed helplessly, thinking to herself whether it was really just her illusion. She stood in the middle of the gallery, with her arms crossed and her lips pouted slightly. She looked so cute, just like a little kitten that was a bit annoyed for not finding the answer.
Lucas hid behind a pillar and watched Evelyn's appearance. He almost couldn't hold back his laughter. He thought that Evelyn like this was really interesting and was also a bit glad that he hadn't been discovered.
After a while, Evelyn finally gave up the search. She picked up her things and walked out of the gallery. Lucas waited until she had walked a bit further before casually walking out of his hiding place and then following her not too far behind. He watched Evelyn's back. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, coating her with a soft halo. The picture was so beautiful that he was a bit lost in thought.
Evelyn was walking on her way home, looking back from time to time. She always felt that the gaze was still there, but when she looked back, she could see nothing. And Lucas just followed her at a neither too close nor too far distance, like a loyal guardian or a mysterious shadow, quietly blending into the dusk of the city.
This kind of on-again-off-again attention was like an invisible net, quietly intertwining the lives of Evelyn and Lucas. Evelyn's heart was full of confusion and curiosity, while Lucas was enjoying the unique feeling of this silent attention in the shadows.