Chapter 78: Coincidentally, I Know a Little

“Sister, what are you looking at?”

Seeing Shu Shu standing motionless for a while, Pei Muyin walked over to her side in confusion, gazing down at the painting as well as her eyes scanned it up and down.

In the next second, Shu Shu turned around, walked over to the prep area, and pulled out a steak knife. Returning straight to the painting, under Pei Muyin’s astonished gaze, she sliced the brown paper wrapper open from top to bottom with a sharp rip.

Shu Shu set the knife down and used both hands to decisively tear the paper open to both sides. The smooth canvas inside was revealed—riddled with several gaping, pitch-black holes!

“This… how could this happen?!”

Pei Muyin’s eyes widened in complete disbelief: “I… I didn’t even touch it! After receiving the package, I just had it carried onto the plane. The wrapping paper on the outside was completely intact.”

The truth was self-evident: the painting was already ruined before it was ever wrapped.

The jagged marks clearly showed that a sharp tool had been used to violently stab through it, thoroughly destroying what was once a beautifully expressive ink painting.

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“R byhl vs vlzz Qaydexy vbyv vbl rykdvkdt kp awkdle.”

Vlk Ywukd bwaaklezu ypjle vbl qzktbv yvvldeydv qsa vbl pyvlzzkvl rbsdl. Tsolhla, yqvla ekyzkdt vbl dwxcla, vbl zkdl jlrv akdtkdt okvbswv clkdt ydpolale. Qasokdt kdnalypkdtzu ydmkswp, Vlk Ywukd oyp ycswv vs ekyz ytykd obld Fbw Fbw tldvzu ralpple bla byde esod, pssvbkdt bla:

“Ywukd, yzaktbv. Mblal’p ds dlle vs nyzz yduxsal.”

“Twb?”

Qygkdt yv bla eywtbvla’p kddsnldv qynl, Fbw Fbw vssj vbl pyvlzzkvl rbsdl qasx bla byde yde bydele kv cynj vs vbl qzktbv yvvldeydv.

Mbyv nyzz, kd yzz zkjlzkbsse, oyp dlhla tskdt vs ts vbaswtb.

“Ebyv pbswze ol es dso?” Vlk Ywukd pyke blzrzlppzu. “Xze Ya. Dw’p ckavbeyu cydiwlv kp vsxsaaso dktbv yv 8:30 VY. Rd pwnb y pbsav vkxl, oblal nyd ol rsppkczu qkde ydsvbla rykdvkdt cu bkp zkvvzl yrraldvknl? El nyd’v lhld poyr kv qsa y ekqqlaldv tkqv—Qaydexy pyke vbl tkqv zkpv byp yzalyeu clld bydele shla vs vbl Dw qyxkzu.”

“Rq ol ralpldv vbkp awkdle rykdvkdt aktbv kd qasdv sq vbl lzelazu tldvzlxyd… vbyv’p oyu vss awel. Qaydexy okzz elqkdkvlzu cl qwakswp.”

However, the reality was far more sinister than just being rude or getting Grandma angry, as Pei Muyin assumed.

The Xu family of Hong Kong had been a prominent noble family for generations. Among their ancestors was a celebrated master of traditional ink painting whose influence remained revered to this day, particularly renowned for his exquisite depictions of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and rocks.

Old Mr. Xu, the guest of honor at this birthday banquet, was a direct descendant of that master artist, inheriting the family’s iconic painting style. Beyond his former status as the head of the Xu family in Hong Kong, he was also a highly respected artist renowned for both his noble character and exceptional skill.

A single piece of his original artwork—elegant, serene, and lofty—was nearly impossible to buy even for a fortune.

Naturally, one could easily imagine how many high-profile figures across various elite circles would attend the ninetieth birthday banquet of such an icon.

Had Shu Shu not accompanied her on this trip, when the gift presentation arrived, an unsuspecting Pei Muyin would have stepped forward. Under the guise of comforting Old Mr. Xu regarding his beloved missing apprentice, she would have presented a ruined painting with her own hands. The atmosphere on-site would not merely plunge to freezing point—Pei Muyin herself would instantly become the target of universal condemnation.

Judging by her daughter’s reaction, she had never attended an occasion like this before, which was why she had felt so bewildered when her grandmother suddenly offered to bring her along.

So this was Song Yunqiu’s scheme: she wanted to turn Pei Muyin into the biggest laughingstock of the entire birthday banquet.

Slapping the ninety-year-old guest of honor right in the face in front of everyone… the consequences of that… heh.

A cold glint flickered deep in Shu Shu’s eyes.

Pei Muyin was so anxious she was on the verge of tears. Her first instinct wasn’t to flee from responsibility out of fear; instead, she tried to figure out a way to make amends, blaming herself inwardly: A ninety-year-old grandfather rarely gets to celebrate such a major birthday. He should be beaming with joy today. If he finds out that his little apprentice’s painting was ruined like this, how heartbroken would he be?

Just as panic threatened to overwhelm her, a soft, warm hand gently took hold of Pei Muyin’s. Like a feather fan lightly brushing past, the gentle breeze instantly smoothed away her panic. Then, a voice reassured her:

“Muyin, leave this to me. I’ll take care of it.”

Pei Muyin looked up blankly, meeting Shu Shu’s gaze. The latter raised an eyebrow playfully and asked, “Do you trust me?”

Even though Shu Shu hadn’t offered a concrete solution yet, for some reason, Pei Muyin nodded almost without hesitation: “Mm, I trust you!”

Shu Shu smiled: “Good then.”

…

It was nearly 11:30 PM.

Pei Muyin’s pink private jet touched down smoothly on the rooftop helipad of the star-rated hotel.

Before departing, Pei Muyin had reported their hotel destination to Song Yunqiu. As the hotel staff guided Pei Muyin and Shu Shu to their suite, they handed Pei Muyin an invitation card for the Xu family’s banquet tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, Song Yunqiu’s phone had still not been reached.

Shu Shu wasn’t surprised at all—she had anticipated it long ago. Before the staff member left, Shu Shu stepped forward and whispered a few instructions into her ear.

Having slept during the flight, coupled with the shock of finding the ruined painting, Pei Muyin felt completely sleepless. Shu Shu retrieved a pair of pajamas and placed them in the young girl’s hands, gently pushing her shoulders to send her off to take a shower first.

When Pei Muyin stepped out of the bathroom distracted, she didn’t see Shu Shu in the bedroom, assuming she had gone to another room to shower. Walking out to the living room, she found Shu Shu setting up equipment on the smooth coffee table.

Stepping closer, she saw a makeshift painting workstation.

A paperweight rested atop a piece of felt, holding down a sheet of clean, spread-out Xuan paper. Next to it were watercolor pigments, a brush washer, ink, and various other painting tools.

“Sister, this is—”

Shu Shu said, “Oh, this is my solution.”

“What… what solution?”

“Since the painting is damaged beyond repair, we’ll just paint an identical one from scratch. Coincidentally, I happen to know a little bit about traditional ink painting forgery and copying.” Shu Shu curved her lips into a smile.

“Huh?” Pei Muyin froze. The girl explained hurriedly, “Sister, I don’t mean to doubt you! It’s just… I heard Old Mr. Xu is a true master in ink painting. If it’s a copy, won’t he see right through it at a single glance?”

“He won’t.”

Shu Shu winked playfully, reassuring Pei Muyin.

The tools and materials she had asked the hotel staff to purchase were all top quality. While they couldn’t compare to the precious materials used by veteran artists, they didn’t need to be—the original ruined painting had been made with these exact materials.

Pei Muyin sat obediently on the adjacent sofa, watching Shu Shu make her preparations with practiced ease. She felt a wave of surprise and wonder: Sister actually knows how to paint! That’s so amazing!

Yet, a moment later, worry crept back into her mind. That little apprentice had been so deeply cherished by Old Mr. Xu, meaning her artistic style must have been personally guided by him. Therefore, copying her work was definitely no simple task.

However, a short moment later…

The worried expression on Pei Muyin’s face gradually transformed into sheer awe.

As Shu Shu switched between large writing brushes a few times, a painting of vibrant red plum blossoms blooming on snow-covered branches took shape under her hands.

Compared to the ruined painting, to say it was similar would be an understatement—it was virtually identical. Even the missing sections where the holes had been punctured were seamlessly filled in, without a single millimeter off.

“Oh my gosh… that’s… that’s incredible!”

Pei Muyin gasped in amazement: “Sister, how did you know what those missing parts looked like—”

Sansukini: Shu Shu knew Muyin’s grandma very well.

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