"Elder sister, you must win the painting competition. We can’t let her be smug again,"
Honestly, Gu Youyou’s performance left her feeling unsure, so Yue Rushuang didn’t agree directly and only said, "I will do my best."
The young ladies were painting together, and they all placed their hopes on the eldest sister, so the others were merely painting casually.
As long as the eldest sister won, it didn’t matter if they lost.
The youngest of the sisters, just a child, was the happiest; she didn’t understand what her elder sisters were competing for and was content to just spread her little hands and smear away, wishing she could cover the whole paper with her favorite colors.
Gu Youyou frowned because she wasn’t very skilled with the brush, so she asked a servant for some charcoal instead.
The servant was slightly surprised, not knowing what Gu Youyou wanted charcoal for.
But upon seeing the Marquess nod to him, he promptly went to fetch it.
"What mischief is she up to now?" the Marchioness said discontentedly.
The elder Madam said, "Just watch. They’ve all started, and she hasn’t even begun."
As that was said, Gu Youyou started to move.
She had already decided what she was going to paint. She had previously studied fashion design. She might not be good at painting landscapes, but she could paint portraits.
Gu Youyou squeezed out the paints from the small tub with a brush, mixing different colors on the table.
The others looked over in surprise. Seeing her mix so many colors, they were curious about what she intended to paint.
When they painted, it was nothing but flowers, grass, or landscapes, which required only a few colors. There wasn’t enough time for a grand work with so many colors, really.
The only one using a lot of colors was the youngest sister with her finger painting.
Before long, the servant returned with the charcoal.
Gu Youyou thanked him and looked at the burning incense before quickly taking the charcoal.
Her actions were swift, her hands moving in tandem. From a distance, it appeared she was alternating between drawing with one hand and smudging with the other. What kind of painting was she working on that she would use charcoal?
Yue Rujing couldn’t suppress her curiosity and ran over to see what Gu Youyou was doing.
She saw that on the white paper before Gu Youyou, an outline of a figure had appeared and although the costume was brought to life with just a few strokes, it already exuded a breathtaking beauty.
Gu Youyou glanced at Yue Rujing, appearing to smirk at her challenge.
Then, she saw Gu Youyou dip her brush into the colors she had mixed on the table.
With both hands working simultaneously, one brush was barely dampened with water and had no color.
She first added a dab of color to the drawing with the colored brush, then gently blended it with the other, creating a unique effect in the painting.
It was unexpectedly beautiful – who knew coloring could be done ?
As Gu Youyou’s brush danced on the paper, a stunning beauty emerged, breathtakingly alive.
The beauty had her eyes lowered, her long lashes partially veiling her gaze, giving her a melancholic look that tugged at the heartstrings.
Why did the beauty look so melancholic? Because Gu Youyou had given her white hair.
A beauty with white hair before aging, no wonder she looked distressed.
Of course, Yue Rujing had these thoughts, but Gu Youyou wouldn’t know, and even if she knew, she would probably dismiss him as an ignorant country bumpkin.
As the last bit of the incense ash fell, Gu Youyou made her final stroke.
The maids held up the paintings for those seated on the high platform to see. From a distance, Gu Youyou’s portrait of the beauty shocked the seated audience into a collective gasp.
How could someone paint a person so beautifully?
Those eyes, those softly shaded lips, and that dress of hers.