Chapter 152 The Past
  When Teacher Qiu was teaching her to paint in her hometown, Fang Qing once heard the teacher mention her family.

  Teacher Qiu was born in a bourgeois family. Both her father and mother were professors. Although the world was turbulent in those days, Teacher Qiu had a happy childhood because of the good protection of her family. Her mother was also her first painting teacher. Under the influence of the family atmosphere, Teacher Qiu grew up quickly.

  But things are impermanent. When Teacher Qiu was twelve years old, her mother had an accident. Her health deteriorated from then on and she passed away in less than a year.

  For the sake of the family, his father remarried with another woman a year later. Teacher Qiu also met her half-brother, Qiu Yulin, for the first time.

  Recalling the melancholy on Teacher Qiu's face when she mentioned her brother, Fang Qing always felt that something must have happened between the siblings.

  What did she say at the time?

  "Teacher Qiu, why do you live alone in a small place like ours? Don't you miss them?"

  Teacher Qiu simply smiled and patted her hand. "Qingqing, everyone has many choices in life, some of which you might not want, yet you must make them. You're still young, and perhaps you'll understand these words later. Alas! What is the teacher saying? I hope you never have such a feeling in your life..."

  Although Teacher Qiu tried her best to avoid the past, Fang Qing stumbled upon an old photo tucked into a book while helping her clean the house. In the photo, Teacher Qiu was still in her twenties, smiling broadly. The young man standing beside her, though handsome, had a gloomy look between his brows.

  Images hidden deep in Fang Qing's memory suddenly resurfaced at the sight of this man's face.

  Although the man's face had aged, Fang Qing immediately recognized him as Qiu Yulin.

  Thinking of the hardships Teacher Qiu had endured over the years, while the man before her was so highly sought after and lived a carefree life, Fang Qing suddenly felt a sense of injustice for Teacher Qiu. What on earth had she gone through that made Teacher Qiu choose to live alone in the countryside? And what on earth did all this have to do with this man?
  With her mind in a mess, she could no longer appreciate any paintings here with peace of mind, so she found an excuse and left in a hurry.

  But after Fang Qing left, Qiu Yulin looked at her back thoughtfully. He just noticed that the girl looked at him with a strange look in her eyes. Although he thought he didn't know her, her expression seemed to have some resentment towards him.

  Qiu Yulin shook his head to get rid of these strange thoughts, turned around and talked to the middle-aged man next to him.

  Not long after Fang Qing returned to the villa, she received a call from Lu Can.

  "Honey, why did you leave so early? Shortly after you left, the organizers announced they were organizing a folk painting competition. They say the prizes are generous, and there's even a chance to get mentored by renowned artists!"

  Fang Qing let out a long sigh. "Really? That's great, you should give it a try."

  Unexpectedly, the other party told her, somewhat mysteriously, "Of course I'm participating, but you have to thank me profusely. I've submitted your information, so just wait for the notification."

  What?
  Fang Qing sat up abruptly. "Hey, why did you sign me up? You can just go on your own."

  Lu Can seemed to know what she would say. "Hmph, if we weren't close, I wouldn't care even if you begged me. Anyway, it's settled. Prepare well. This opportunity is rare, so seize it! Okay, I'm hanging up. The phone bill is too expensive..." Fang

  Qing sighed as she listened to the beeping on the phone. "This Lu Can..."

  A few days later, Fang Qing received an invitation from the organizers.

  Looking at the prizes on the invitation, even if she wasn't interested, she was still tempted.

  Zicheng leaned over and saw the words on it, exclaiming, "Wow, what kind of competition is this? The prizes are so good! Teacher Fang, are you going?"

  "Tsk, have you finished your homework?" Fang Qing raised her hand to hit him, but Zicheng dodged like a loach, turning back and making a face. "Oh, I can't hit you, I'll tell my master!"

  Everyone knew about this, and everyone encouraged her to participate. Even Wen Ning thought it was a rare opportunity. Fang Qing had no choice but to enter.

  Two weeks passed quickly. After Meng Ting and Zhang Ting returned, Fang Qing started school.

  Back at school, Fang Qing began to prepare her entry for the competition. She finally chose her best landscape painting, and after repeated revisions, she finally submitted it. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, she received the results.

  As she expected, her work didn't make the final round, only receiving a participation award. She wasn't too disappointed, because she knew her own strengths and weaknesses, and the fact that she received a participation award was probably a favor from the organizers.

  Later, Fang Qing received another invitation: the organizers were planning to hold an awards ceremony, inviting all the participants.

  Fang Qing had no interest in such a gathering and declined outright, but she was surprised to receive a personal call from the organizer.

  "Hello, Fang Qing. I'm from the association. This gathering isn't just about awarding prizes; more importantly, we want to get more people involved. We've also invited several renowned painters to present the awards. It's a rare opportunity, and many people won't be able to squeeze in..."

  Fang Qing, dreading this kind of persuasion, reluctantly agreed to attend the gathering.

  On Saturday afternoon, after Fang Qing and Wen Ning finished tutoring Zicheng, Ah Cheng drove them to the gathering.

  Wen Ning, unable to attend due to an evening class, smoothed Fang Qing's hair before leaving and said, "Don't drink, eat more. Call me when you're done, and I'll pick you up."

  The two lingered on the side of the road for a while, until Ah Cheng started coughing uncontrollably, and Wen Ning finally got in the car and left.

  This was a private, upscale restaurant. From the outside, it looked like a slightly more refined courtyard house, but once inside, it revealed not only ancient houses but also rockery, winding corridors, and a vast lotus pond overflowing with lotus pods.

  Following a waitress in a cheongsam, Fang Qing finally arrived at the banquet hall after many twists and turns.

  The hall also had a classical ambiance, with golden satin-covered chairs, strings of red lanterns, and elegantly dressed people chatting and chatting at tables. Fang Qing was stunned by the scene. If she hadn't known it was a private gathering, she would have thought she was at a wedding.

  Upon seeing Fang Qing's arrival, many single men immediately stood up and offered their seats, until Lu Can suddenly jumped out and pulled Fang Qing out of the crowd.

  "Why are you here so late? It's almost starting. If I hadn't cleverly saved a seat, you'd be standing here watching us eat."

  The table was filled with women, and while the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Lu Can was a restless person, and everyone quickly got to know each other. As the lights in the venue gradually dimmed, the music started, the host officially took the stage, and the banquet began.

  (End of this chapter)