Chapter 393: Chapter 393 - 369, Portrait_1

Within the golden waves of Daozi, Daohua, wearing a white veil hat and a sky-blue dress, openly stretched out her arms, relishing in the caress of the warm breeze on her face.

Behind her, Xiao Yeyang, dressed in a pale white robe, followed at a leisurely pace, a gentle and indulgent smile on his face.

Initially, Wang Manman tried to stop her good fortune without care, longing to find her girl, but gradually, feeling the warm and delightful atmosphere between the two, she slowed down her steps.

“Xiao Yeyang, you are in charge of the Glass Factory and you also train in the military camp. How do you still find time to come to Taohua Village?”

“Didn’t I say? I came to install glass tiles and glass windows for grandma and ancient master.”

“Installing glass tiles and glass windows is so simple, couldn’t you just send someone over to do it?”

“How could that be? Taohua Temple is such a place apart from the world; it cannot be trampled upon carelessly.”

“…Then you’ve installed them now, why haven’t you left?”

“Yan Yiyi, grandma and ancient master haven’t rushed me yet, but you’re rushing me first.”

“I’m just afraid of delaying your business.”

“I thank you for that.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“…”

After a little while, Xiao Yeyang took the initiative to ask, “Yan Yiyi, why do you like playing in the fields so much?”

“Don’t you think that walking among the fields makes you feel exceptionally carefree? Looking at the bumper crop, I sincerely feel joy.”

Xiao Yeyang smiled, “My imperial uncle has said similar things. Every year during the autumn harvest, he would venture out in disguise to inspect the grain harvest and sometimes he would even go down to the fields himself.”

Upon hearing this, Daohua was startled and turned her head in surprise, “The emperor takes agriculture so seriously?”

Xiao Yeyang nodded, “My imperial uncle often talks about how ‘food is the paramount necessity of the people,’ and in the Imperial Manor, there is an abundance of experienced farmers continuously researching how to improve grain yield.”

“When your father reported the high-yield crops to the Imperial Court, my imperial uncle laughed heartily for quite a while.”

Daohua smiled, “From what you’re saying, the emperor really is a good emperor.”

There was a look of pride on Xiao Yeyang’s face, “My imperial uncle indeed is a hardworking and people-loving emperor, and you like farming so much. He will certainly like you when he meets you.”

Daohua appeared hesitant, “Can I meet the emperor? That seems rather unlikely unless my father becomes a Capital Official, and besides, the position can’t be too low; otherwise, the family can’t enter the palace, right?”

Xiao Yeyang’s eyes twinkled with resolve, “You will definitely be able to meet him.”

Daohua shook her head, “Don’t be so certain; I don’t even know if my father can be promoted.”

Xiao Yeyang smiled silently, choosing not to continue the subject but merely gazing at Daohua wandering among the Daozi waves with a soft smile.

The golden waves of Daozi, the bright and dazzling smile, the elegant figure—all contrasted against the clear blue sky, creating a beauty like a painting that one simply couldn’t look away from.

Having watched her for quite some time, when Daohua turned and gave him a radiant smile, Xiao Yeyang blurted out, “I will paint a portrait of you, just like you look today.”

Daohua’s eyes lit up, “Great, I’ve wanted you to paint me before, but unfortunately, I never got the chance.” After a pause, she asked, “Did you bring your brushes and paints?”

Xiao Yeyang turned and motioned to Defu.

Soon after, Defu and Wang Manman came running over.

Xiao Yeyang asked Defu, “Do we have brushes and paints on the boat?”

Defu nodded, “We always keep them ready, in case the master wishes to paint upon seeing a beautiful scenery.” With that, he briefly glanced at Daohua.

The master had been talking about painting a portrait of Miss Yan for a long time, so wherever he went, he made sure to have brushes and paints prepared.

Xiao Yeyang, “Then bring them here quickly.”

Defu was startled, “Bring them here?”

Xiao Yeyang nodded, “Yes, right here.”

Without asking further, Defu turned and ran toward the boat.

Daohua smiled, “I never thought you would be a realist painter. I’m curious about the quality of your work.”

Xiao Yeyang glanced at her sideways and said, “Don’t worry; painting you is still within my abilities.”

Daohua quickly said, “You can’t paint me ugly, though. I want to hang the painting in my bedroom. If it’s ugly, it’ll affect my mood. Of course, you don’t need to beautify me either.”

As she spoke, she covered her face with both hands and said with a chuckling smile.

“As for this face, I am quite fond of it. You can just paint it as it is.”

Xiao Yeyang couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s me painting, not you, yet you have so many demands.”

Daohua said with full conviction, “Though it’s you holding the brush, the subject is me. With a responsibility to my eyes, I definitely need to have some requirements.”

Xiao Yeyang shook his head, smiling, too lazy to argue with her.

After a while, Defu brought two young servants to fetch the painting desk, chairs, stool, and art supplies like paper, brushes, and pigments.

“Do I need to strike a pose?”

As Xiao Yeyang was organizing his ink and brush, Daohua suddenly asked this.

Xiao Yeyang almost laughed, watching Daohua about to remove her veil and hurriedly stopping her, “No, don’t take it off. It looks better on you!”

Daohua looked skeptical, “Really or not? Won’t this hat hide my elegance?”

Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter, “Yan Yiyi, you are really quite narcissistic!”@@novelbin@@

Even Defu and Wang Manman couldn’t help but lower their heads to stifle their laughter.

Their masters, one as self-loving as the other.

Daohua pursed her lips, and Wang Manman helped her adjust the veil. She didn’t mention taking it off again but soon asked, “Do I need to hold a folding fan or a handkerchief or something?”

Xiao Yeyang took a deep breath and said helplessly, “If you want to hold one, then hold one. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

Daohua felt he was brushing her off and said anxiously, “How can you paint well without any requirements?”

Seeing Daohua prattling on non-stop, Xiao Yeyang simply kept quiet and prepared the paper and pigments. He took the brush in his hand, glanced at Daohua, then lowered his head to begin painting.

Seeing him start painting, Daohua dared not move, staring straight ahead. But after a short while, she couldn’t help but speak again, “Why don’t you look at me at all?”

Xiao Yeyang then looked up at Daohua again before lowering his head.

Seeing this, Daohua was extremely uneasy and said to Wang Manman, “Go, see what he’s turned me into in the painting.”

Wang Manman ran behind the painting desk, craned her neck to take a look, then laughed and nodded at Daohua, silently mouthing two words: “Looks good.”

Upon hearing this, Daohua felt relieved. Bored and standing still, she idly played with the rice stalks beside her.

About an hour later, Xiao Yeyang lifted his head and looked at Daohua with a smile, “It’s done.”

Daohua shook her stiff legs and then trotted over cheerfully, “Let me see how you’ve painted me!” She said and then leaned in to look at the painting on the desk.

In the painting, among golden waves of rice, stood a smiling maiden in blue, with the thin, translucent white fabric of her veil blowing in the wind, covering half of her face.

Under the golden sunlight, this partial cover added an air of misty beauty to the maiden.

“How is it?”

Xiao Yeyang’s gentle voice rang in her ear.

Daohua looked at the painting, nodded earnestly, and then looked up at Xiao Yeyang, “It looks good.”

Xiao Yeyang lowered his gaze to Daohua and asked with a smile, “Do you like it?”

Daohua nodded with a smile, “I like it. I’ll have it framed and hung up in my bedroom once I get home. Xiao Yeyang, well done, your painting skills are indeed not bad.”

After speaking, she couldn’t help but look at her portrait again, liking it more and more until suddenly, her expression froze.

“Eh? Why did you also paint a sunflower?”

Xiao Yeyang’s eyes flickered slightly as he casually said, “I made a wrong stroke just now, so I painted this sunflower to cover up the flaw. Why, don’t you like it?”

Daohua shook her head and said with a smile, “No, it just seems odd to have a sunflower among the rice. But it’s okay, I quite like it.”

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