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nXue Xi nodded.

nShe looked around but still could not find Ye Li. Hence, she looked at Song Wenman in confusion.

nSong Wenman sighed. “Your mother is in the art studio.”

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nXue Xi then went upstairs and did not go to her room. Instead, she stood at the entrance of the art room and peered in through the gap.

nYe Li was standing in front of a painting and staring at it quietly.

nEver since Xue Xi had been returned to them, although Ye Li did not work, she would still wear a cheongsam and put on some simple makeup. She looked good.

nHowever, today, she was wearing silk pajamas and a knitted sweater. Her hair was casually pulled back and she looked a little haggard.

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nXue Xi looked at her for a while, then pushed open the door and walked in.

nUpon hearing the sound, Ye Li turned around and forced a smile when she saw her. “Xixi, is school over?”

n“Yes.”

nXue Xi walked to her side and looked at the painting in front of her as well. The ink was not dry. It must have been freshly drawn.

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nYe Li asked, “Xixi, what do you think?”

nXue Xi frowned and wanted to make her happy. Hence, she slowly said, “This mountain looks tall, upright, majestic, and beautiful…”

nSeeing that Ye Li had no expression on her face, she continued, “Take a look at this mountain rock again. The drawing method is cutting the brush with an ax. The brush method is simple, and the brush stroke is shrewd. The scene rarely uses Chinese drawing lines. Instead, it uses color and ink to express the image and texture…”

nYe Li remained expressionless.

nXue Xi then continued, “Look at this water again…”

n“Pfft.” Ye Li could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing. Only then did Xue Xi realize that she had been tricked. She widened her eyes and stared blankly at her.

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nYe Li laughed even louder. “I finally managed to make you say a few more words.”

nShe held Xue Xi’s hand and sat down on the sofa beside her. “I was too distracted yesterday.”

nXue Xi paused when she heard this. “Then today…?”

nYe Li’s eyes dimmed. “Yes, I’ve thought it through today.”

nShe looked at the painting on the table. “This is my last painting. In the future, I will work hard to be your father’s wife and become a virtuous wife.”

nAfter saying this, she walked to the window.

nThe smell of ink in the room was very strong. The studio often had open windows to let in the wind, but now that Ye Li had closed them, she also closed the window that led to her dreams.

nLooking at Ye Li’s forced smile, Xue Xi felt her heart sink.

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nYe Li brought Xue Xi out of the door. She took out a key and locked it. Not only was her painting locked, but she had also locked it for 20 years.

nAt this moment, a voice sounded from downstairs. It seemed like a guest had arrived.

nXue Xi had never liked to entertain guests, but seeing Ye Li’s expression today, she followed her downstairs. When she arrived downstairs, she saw that it was actually Xia Yiyi’s mother, Mrs. Xia.

nEver since Xue Xi had helped Xia Yiyi become Zhou Zhou’s disciple, Mrs. Xia had remained in contact with Ye Li. She would only occasionally call her or chat with her on WeChat. This was the first time she had come to her directly without informing her beforehand.

nYe Li hurriedly tidied her image and asked, “Mrs. Xia, why are you here?”

nMrs. Xia smiled. “I happened to pass by your neighborhood. I thought about how you said you’ve moved here and I said I’d visit, so I came to take a look. Moreover… I have something on.”

nAt this point, she frowned. “I just went to a spa with a friend and came from there. Mrs. Xue, I’m straightforward. There’s something going on that might hurt you, but I still have to say it. Otherwise, you’ll be at a disadvantage if you don’t know.”

nYe Li invited her to sit on the sofa and nodded. “Please speak.”

nMrs. Xia entered in a hurry and looked anxious. She shot a glance at Xue Xi. She originally wanted to ask the child to leave, but for some unknown reason, she felt that this young mistress of the Xue family was extraordinary. Hence, she simply said, “There’s a large spa in Bin City that basically only serves members, and the members are all madams and young mistresses from different families. Hence, this spa is also a place for gossip. After I went there today, I realized that everyone is actually discussing you, Mrs. Xue.”

nYe Li was stunned.

nMrs. Xia paid attention to her words and said gently, “They said that you spent money under the table after you drew a painting and forcefully sent it to the international art exhibition. They said that you wanted to make use of this opportunity to gain fame but were dismissed after the well-known people in the art exhibition commented on it.”

nYe Li’s heart skipped a beat when she heard this.

nMrs. Xia observed her expression and continued, “Actually, everyone in our circle is a snobbish person. Everyone has also spent money to buy some fame. It’s just that this painting has been taken down, so things appear even uglier now. Look, do you want to clarify?”

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nYe Li frowned. “The truth is that some of the paintings were accidentally dirtied by a guest, so they were removed. They called me yesterday and said that they wanted me to send another painting, but I rejected them. How did they end up being removed?”

nThis was pure slander!

nUpon hearing this, Mrs. Xia said indignantly, “So that’s how it is. I was wondering why such a refined person like you would do such a thing. However, this matter is currently spreading like wildfire… Even ten mouths can’t explain it clearly!”

nYe Li sighed. “I can’t control others’ comments. They can just say whatever they want to say.”

n“You can’t say that.” Mrs. Xia’s expression was solemn as she sighed. “In our circle, reputation is more important than anything else. Our image will always be greater than our reputation. Things like reputation will affect the children’s reputation, and their business will also be affected. If there’s a chance to do it, we have to clarify.”

nYe Li nodded.

nMrs. Xia stood up. “Yiyi is still waiting for me to eat at home. I’ll go back first. I’m in a hurry this time and didn’t prepare any gifts. I’ll make up for it next time.”

nAfter sending Mrs. Xia off, Ye Li lowered her head and went upstairs.

nShe did not expect her own matters to bring trouble to Xue Sheng. She balled up her fists and felt that her life was truly laughable.

nIf she had not found Xixi, and if not for her sick father and elderly mother, she might not even have the courage to live…

nLooking at her back, Xue Xi did not know what to say. Carrying her bag, she went upstairs and entered her room.

nThe moment she entered, she spotted the painting that Ye Li had had framed for her.

nThis painting was extremely grand and majestic. One could see the artist’s skills in the painting, and she could not help but admire it. She slowly looked from left to right and finally looked at the seal: Night Li.

nNight Li?!

nXue Xi was stunned. Taking a closer look, she realized that it was indeed those two words. She quickly picked up her phone and sent a message to Painter: “Night Li is not dead.”

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