Chapter 159: Tampered Painting
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Xu Jiaojiao did not think much of it. She still felt that Qi Shenbai’s work was much more important than her own matters.
She did not want to be a clingy girlfriend. She would rather be kind and understanding.
When Qi Yunduo became even more anxious, Su Luo teased her. “Are you sure?” “Of course!” Qi Yunduo pouted angrily.
“Luoluo, stop teasing her.” Xu Jiaojiao understood Su Luo. She knew that Su Luo was teasing Qi Yun, so she hurriedly stopped her.
“Alright! 1 won’t say anymore!” Su Luo agreed with a smile.
At the same time, the judges on the stage began to announce the top three winners of the contest.
The third and second place were contestants who had chosen the theme “Tomorrow”. The announcement of the champion was saved for last.
“It’s coming, it’s coming,” Su Luo said excitedly.
“Please, heavens, please!” Qi Yunduo clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. She was extremely nervous.
“The winner of this year’s Ma Liang Cup is Xu Jiaojiao with the theme of ‘Goodbye’,” the chairman of the judging panel announced loudly.
“Jiaojiao, it’s really you. It’s really you! You’re first place,” Su Luo said excitedly, practically jumping up and down.
Qi Yunduo slowly opened her eyes, unable to believe her ears. “Did I really hear that right? Is it really my sister-in-law?”
“Yes, it’s really her.” Su Luo hurriedly replied. She seemed to be even happier than the actual winner.
“Xu Jiaojiao, please come on stage to receive your award,” the chairman of the judging panel continued loudly.
“Wait a minute!”
A loud voice shouted suddenly. Xu Jiaojiao looked over from afar and saw that it was Bai Mengyao speaking into the microphone.
“Ms. Bai, do you have any doubts?” The chairman looked at Bai Mengyao.
“Of course. Xu Jiaojiao’s painting is flawed. She doesn’t deserve to be champion,” said Bai Mengyao sharply. She glared fiercely at Xu Jiaojiao.
The chairman of the jury was confused. “Why would you say that? All the works were selected by the panel of judges. How could there be a mistake?”
“Of course there’s a mistake. Chairman, 1 heard that you’re close friends with Xu Jiaojiao’s teacher, Mr. Sun. Are you biased towards her?” Bai Mengyao looked suspiciously at the chairman of the judging panel.
“I admit I’m close to Mr. Sun, but that won’t affect my judgment. Besides, I’m not the only one who scored the partcipants. The entire committee participated. The outcome is not something I can control.”
The chairman of the jury was not angry. Instead, he spoke calmly. He was too experienced to be taken aback by Bai Mengyao’s actions.
“Even so, Xu Jiaojiao’s painting is still flawed. She can’t get first place,” Bai Mengyao insisted.
“Why do you think so?” The chairman of the jury disagreed with Bai Mengyao.
Bai Mengyao smiled contemptuously. Then, she took out Xu Jiaojiao’s painting and pointed to a spot on it. “Here. She drew this person’s hair wrongly, but in order to cover up this fact, she added other colors to it.”
Looking at the shortcomings Bai Mengyao pointed out, the chairman of the judging panel looked at Xu Jiaojiao. “Xu Jiaojiao, do you have anything to say?” “Yes!” Xu Jiaojiao quickly walked to the stage and stood in front of Bai Mengyao.
“I didn’t draw anything wrong here. The real scenery has light and shadow changes. If you turn off a few lights, you can see that I didn’t draw anything wrong here,” Xu Jiaojiao said as she walked to the back of the state and turned off a few spotlights.
As expected, the place Bai Mengyao pointed at changed.
How could this be?
‘But 1 clearly…’
Bai Mengyao could not believe it.
Xu Jiaojiao looked at Bai Mengyao’s gradually darkening expression and continued, “Over here, 1 was portraying my grandmother’s hair. Back when 1 was in school, my grandmother would send me off every day. Every time she walked me to the school gates, I would say goodbye to my grandmother. Every single goodbye was etched deep into my heart… until my grandmother’s black hair turned white.
“That’s why Grandma’s white hair is even more prominent after the lights are turned down. I also titled this painting Goodbye: Grandma’s White Hair.”
After Xu Jiaojiao finished speaking, she looked at Bai Mengyao. The latter was pale and a cold sweat had broken out on her forehead.
“Can’t you see such a simple brushwork, Ms. Bai? Or…” Xu Jiaojiao continued to stare at Bai Mengyao, making her panic.
“I’m sorry, 1 saw wrongly.” Bai Mengyao had no choice. After all, she could not say that she had tampered with the painting..