The young girl lightly bit her pearly teeth, her face pale, with only that touch of deep red at her eyebrows becoming more distinct, like the apricot blossoms falling softly in the apricot grove—vast as snow, covering the delicate pink of first bloom, inexplicably arousing pity.

Unfortunately, the one thing Chi Can lacked most was any tender feelings toward women. He glanced at Qiao Zhao sideways and said irritably: “What’s the use of asking this now?”

“Is it inconvenient for Big Brother Chi to say?” Qiao Zhao casually curved the corner of her mouth.

This person had come to visit her father. Given his status and age, it was certainly not official business, so nine times out of ten, it was still related to his purpose for visiting three years ago.

If that were the case, she might be able to help him achieve his wish. This wasn’t showing off—it was simply to repay his kindness in rescuing her.

As for this person’s moody temperament… ahem, why should she argue with a pervert?

Qiao Zhao calling Chi Can a pervert wasn’t meant as an insult.

Her understanding of people in the capital was limited, but Chi Can was an exception. On one hand, it was because Chi Can had visited her grandfather, but more importantly, his parents’ story was too famous.

The Eldest Princess Changrong was the current emperor’s sister and had been quite beloved by the Empress Dowager and the emperor in her youth. When she reached marriageable age, the Eldest Princess carefully selected and personally chose an exceptionally handsome scholar from a humble background.

In the Eldest Princess’s words at the time, scholars from humble backgrounds had less ostentation than the sons of noble families and were more down-to-earth and reliable.

Perhaps validating the Eldest Princess’s words, after marriage, the couple treated each other with mutual respect. Over more than ten years, they not only never quarreled but rarely even bickered. The princess was noble, which naturally required considerable tolerance and accommodation from the prince consort.

For a time, this divine couple attracted countless people’s envy, and those princesses who had initially not understood the Eldest Princess Changrong’s choice admired her wisdom more than once.

Who knew that life was always more dramatic than any play? When the prince consort unexpectedly died and the Eldest Princess Changrong was grieving herself to death, a woman arrived at their door with a pair of children—she was the prince consort’s mistress.

What the Eldest Princess couldn’t accept even more was that the mistress’s pair of children were not much younger than her only son, Chi Can.

More than ten years of happiness and pride—the sweeter and more enviable it had been, the more resounding the slap that viciously struck the Eldest Princess Changrong’s face. Slap, slap, slap—her face was so swollen that the Eldest Princess barely had any grief left, yet the person was already dead, leaving her with nowhere to vent.

Not long after, the Eldest Princess Changrong openly began keeping male favorites, and the Eldest Princess’s residence was filled with music and revelry every night.

Chi Can, still young at the time, faced this series of upheavals, and those people whose malicious intentions were well-disguised but still present, became increasingly ill-tempered. Moreover, he resembled his father in appearance, and as he grew older, his elegance became more magnificent. The Eldest Princess treated this son with alternating coldness and warmth, while the young ladies of the capital pursued him madly, making his temperament even more eccentric.

All of this was idle gossip Qiao Zhao had occasionally heard after marrying into the Marquis Jing’an’s residence. She withdrew her thoughts and looked at Chi Can with eyes that inevitably carried a hint of sympathy.

Compared to him, how normal her parents were!

Chi Can was particularly sensitive and felt stung by the young girl’s inexplicable gaze. He said coldly: “There’s nothing inconvenient about it!”

He swept Qiao Zhao from top to bottom with his eyes, his contempt practically overflowing from his upturned mouth corners: “What use would telling you be!”

Qiao Zhao had an open and cheerful nature. Under normal circumstances, she might have joked casually to ease the awkward atmosphere, but her family had just suffered a great disaster. No matter how broad-minded she was, she had no mood for idle chat at this moment. Seeing he had no intention of speaking, she didn’t persist, simply saying “Oh” indifferently and picking up the chess piece Chi Can had thrown back, continuing the game by playing against herself.

Chi Can had been waiting for her to respond, but all he got was an “Oh” before the young girl began entertaining herself. A breath of air immediately got stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down, and his handsome face darkened.

“Oh” was the most annoying response, bar none! Chi Can thought through gritted teeth.

Zhu Yàn couldn’t stand watching this and coughed lightly with his fist against his lips: “Shixi, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t wanted to see Master Qiao’s painting, the painting wouldn’t have been destroyed, and you wouldn’t have made this long journey for nothing—”

Chi Can was particularly tolerant toward his good friend, waving his hand: “There’s no point talking about this now. I’ll just think of another way.”

“My father still has a ‘Five Oxen Painting’ by Master Han—”

Chi Can interrupted Zhu Yàn’s words: “My mother has no interest in paintings by those masters from previous dynasties. She only treasures Master Qiao’s paintings.”

Qiao Zhao’s eyes flickered.

The Eldest Princess Changrong treasured her grandfather’s paintings.

Her mind was quick, and she soon thought of Chi Can coming to seek her grandfather’s guidance on painting techniques more than three years ago.

Everyone knew that her grandfather had been weak in his later years and had long lacked the energy to teach anyone. Could it be that this person’s request for his grandfather to guide his painting technique was false, and asking for his grandfather’s paintings was his real purpose?

Given her grandfather’s reputation and status in literary circles, if Chi Can had directly asked for a painting back then, he would very likely have been flatly refused. But this person had pestered her grandfather under the pretense of seeking instruction, ultimately wearing her grandfather down until he gave him a painting to get rid of him.

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but look deeply at Chi Can.

That year, this person was only fifteen or sixteen, right? Indeed, he wasn’t simple.

Thinking again of those rumors, Qiao Zhao was even more puzzled.

Wasn’t it said that Chi Can and the Eldest Princess Changrong had a strained mother-son relationship? How could he put so much effort into obtaining a painting just because the Eldest Princess treasured it?

As Qiao Zhao unconsciously pondered this, she saw Yang Houcheng slap his forehead and exclaim: “I remember now! My father has a painting by Master Qiao in his collection—it was bestowed by the Empress Dowager years ago.”

Yang Houcheng was the heir of Marquis Liuxing, and the Marquis Liuxing’s residence was the Empress Dowager Yang’s maternal family. By calculation, Yang Houcheng should call the Empress Dowager great-aunt.

Chi Can glanced at Yang Houcheng with a half-smile: “Just remembered?”

Yang Houcheng scratched his head: “Well, I was thinking that if we could ask Master Qiao to copy one, we wouldn’t need to go after my father’s. That was bestowed by the Empress Dowager and is also Master Qiao’s painting—my father treasures it. If he knew I stole it, he’d break my legs—”

“But Master Qiao isn’t skilled at painting,” Qiao Zhao finally couldn’t help but interject, drawing the immediate attention of all three men.

“How do you know?” Chi Can was annoyed by her interruption and asked impatiently.

The young girl’s eyes widened slightly, her tone very earnest: “I admire Master Qiao. I’ve always copied his paintings and paid attention to Master Qiao’s achievements. Not a single trace of Master Qiao being skilled at painting has ever been reported.”

As her words fell, the three men couldn’t help but look at each other.

It seemed this was indeed the case. Master Qiao had served as an official in the capital for many years, but no paintings by him had ever circulated. They had only assumed that since Master Qiao was Master Qiao’s son, he must be skilled at painting—they had been blinded by their assumptions.

“May I see that destroyed painting?” Qiao Zhao asked.

Chi Can looked at Zhu Yàn.

That painting was what he had sought for his mother three years ago. When his friend wanted to see it, he had taken it out. Now that the painting was ruined, it naturally had no value.

Zhu Yàn smiled bitterly, returned to the boat cabin, and came back shortly with a long box in his hands.

He was someone who cherished paintings. After opening the box, he used a clean white cloth to cushion it as he carefully took out the painting and gently unfolded it before Qiao Zhao.

A pool of jade-green water with evening clouds spread across half the surface, a small bridge standing with its reflection as companion, seven or eight ducks painted so lifelike they seemed ready to flutter their wings and swim out of the painting—unfortunately, a blob of ink had stained the artwork.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze deepened.

It was indeed the painting that the grandfather had given to Chi Can.

Grandfather had gained fame in his early years for painting ducks. Because duck paintings had a childlike charm, this was also what she had first learned and painted best.

With confidence in her heart, Qiao Zhao said, “I can paint this.”