Chapter 366: Living to Be Someone Else’s Idol
Chapter 366
Selling paintings was out of the question.
Li Tangsong had no intention of heartlessly selling the painting that his younger brother had prepared as a birthday surprise for his girlfriend. If he did that, not only would his younger brother turn against him, but his parents would also beat him up.
However, since he had quoted a price, someone actually agreed to buy it.
Li Tangsong had no choice but to stubbornly instruct the staff to inform the other party that this was the bottom price and that a bidding process was required.
Regardless of the final price, he would bid to get the painting back.
He felt he was being terribly wronged...
So after the art exhibition, there was an auction process for the paintings that someone wanted to buy.
Little Seven looked at Li Weijin: ???
Li Weijin was equally baffled. Why would he sell the paintings, especially the one Little Seven had painted of him? He wasn't crazy. He had already planned that after the exhibition, he would take the painting titled "Light" home and hang it in his bedroom to admire every day. He never expected that in Little Seven's eyes, he would look so handsome, and his heart was filled with joy.
Li Qianmen and Gao Cuihua also came. When they saw the paintings of their beloved daughter, they thought they were beautiful. Gao Cuihua felt heartbroken and even decided to bring her "wife squad" to see their son and judge how handsome he was.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Gao Cuihua didn't realize her son looked that handsome.
Li Qianmen was also pleased with himself, thinking that his genes were too good. His younger son resembled him when he was young and just as handsome. His taste was also like his, with an eye for beauty, as his girlfriend was not only academically outstanding but also a talented artist.
He wanted the young lady to paint a portrait of him as well. The young lady's paintings were so uplifting. He felt a bit shy to ask, but he thought he should hint that his birthday was coming up soon.
Learning that it was the unfortunate eldest son's fault, they let the unfortunate eldest son handle it.
Li Tangsong repeatedly assured them that he would bid to get the paintings back.
The painting titled "Light" was eventually auctioned off for 7.5 million to a wealthy woman who said it resembled her first love from her youth???
Looking at the woman's over 180-pound frame, Li Tangsong shuddered, thinking that if he didn't buy it back, his younger brother would make his life miserable.
Mrs. Su's painting was auctioned off for 2 million because the artist Cui Guohua wanted it, and there were others who knew Mrs. Su.
Su Shuyu herself joined the bidding as she didn't want her painting to be sold, but ultimately didn't raise the price further as she believed someone would outbid her.
However, "Coral" was truly "sold."
The one who wanted this painting was a disabled young girl who had been in a car accident a year ago, resulting in the amputation of both her legs. She was in a wheelchair, pushed by her mother.
She really liked this sister's paintings. In her eyes, every single painting was full of emotion, bright and radiant, with an indescribable sense of vigor and upward momentum.
She especially loved the painting of the pink little pony, which looked like a fairy.
Little Seven had painted it based on her first impression when she saw Coral, thinking she had entered a fairy tale world and didn't expect to see a pink little pony. It was so beautiful.
A dream projected into reality.
An incredible beauty.
The girl who loved "Coral" didn't come from a particularly wealthy family, but they were above the average. Otherwise, her mother wouldn't have brought her to the exhibition.
Her mother initially thought she would buy whatever her daughter liked, no matter the cost. However, she was startled when the starting price was tens of thousands, completely unable to comprehend why a painting would be so expensive.
It could have covered the down payment for a house.
As ordinary people, they wouldn't spend that much money on a painting.
Little Seven also went to the auction venue and saw the young girl in the wheelchair.
She happened to overhear the conversation between the mother and daughter.
In fact, she often gave away her paintings once she finished them, considering them practice works.
It was only because her little one had specially organized this exhibition for her that this misunderstanding occurred, resulting in each painting having a starting price of tens of thousands. Even more absurdly, there were people buying them???
Little Seven saw the disappointment in the little girl's eyes, but she didn't seem distressed. Instead, she actively comforted her mother.
"Mom, it's okay. I can learn to paint too. I can take photos here and practice painting them when I get home. That's also great."
The girl's mother felt particularly saddened because this was almost the first time her daughter had actively asked for something since losing her legs.
Yet she couldn't fulfill her wish.
The mother was more heartbroken than the daughter.
Little Seven also loved the painting "Coral." Perhaps if she painted it again, she might not be able to capture that fairy-like essence, as each painting by an artist is unique, reflecting their emotions at that particular moment.
However, she wanted to give this painting to the girl.
As the mother was preparing to push her daughter's wheelchair away, a staff member informed them that the artist was willing to gift the painting to them free of charge.
The mother and daughter looked incredulous.
The girl was overjoyed.
However, after their initial delight, the mother and daughter resolutely declined, saying it was too precious to accept.
This dramatic scene also drew the attention of others.
Little Seven didn't expect that her offer to gift the painting would be rejected. She didn't like being the center of attention or receiving gratitude in person, as it would make her feel awkward. That's why she had the staff convey the message, but she didn't anticipate the rejection.
Seeing the longing in the little girl's eyes, her intense desire for the painting, yet still declining it.
The mother's reluctance and guilt.
Little Seven deeply understood this feeling.
It was like when she was a child and saw her neighbor's daughter eating something delicious and fragrant. That's when she learned it was called chocolate. She really, really wanted to try it. The neighbor's daughter said it was a gift from her aunt, something precious.
She desperately wanted to eat it but could only watch the other girl savor it.
The little girl didn't expect the artist to be so beautiful in person, and her paintings to be so exquisite.
She had read the artist's introduction at the entrance, which included a photo and biography, listing various awards and accomplishments. Despite being a freshman in college, she was already a member of the Meng City Calligraphy and Painting Association and fluent in English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. She was the top student in her major, won first place in the Jingnan Province Freshman English Speech Contest, broke the marathon record, excelled at running, ranked first in the Jingnan Province Women's 200m Freestyle Swimming event, and was skilled in equestrian show jumping.
The girl spent a long time reading the artist's introduction. While she didn't pay much attention to the beautiful photo, as photo editing techniques are advanced nowadays, she was in awe of the listed awards and accomplishments. Looking at these vibrant paintings, she felt that only such an outstanding and brilliant person could create works brimming with spectacular lives, rich emotions, and vitality.
"Thank you, sister. I really like this painting, but I can't accept it. It's too precious," the girl said in a sweet voice. In her heart, she vowed to learn from this sister and grow up to be as outstanding.
Little Seven walked up, squatted in front of the wheelchair, and smiled at her, saying, "I'm so happy that someone appreciates my paintings. Today is my birthday, and I've received many gifts. I'd also like to give one away. Would you fulfill this wish of mine?"
In the end, the mother and daughter were defeated by Little Seven's smile.
They left in a daze, clutching the painting.
Others were green with envy.
While some spent hundreds of thousands and still couldn't obtain the painting, this girl received one for free.
Someone immediately posted a video of this on Douyin, and someone clever shared it on Toutiao.
The news of a little girl receiving a million-dollar painting at an art exhibition for free was perfect clickbait and quickly became a trending hot news story.
Unexpectedly, this birthday surprise exhibition that Li Weijin had organized for Little Seven became a sensation.
Some people questioned whether it was a setup, that the organizers of the art exhibition deliberately did it, and many people came out to refute this, saying they witnessed it themselves at the venue.
Others came out saying they were classmates of the girl, and she said she was going to the art exhibition today, so it must be true.
Nowadays, for a painting to sell at a high price, it must first have a reputation.
And this art exhibition became popular out of nowhere, drawing curious onlookers from all walks of life.
Art enthusiasts saw the video and thought the paintings seemed quite good, so they wanted to see them in person as well.
After all, these were paintings exhibited in this prestigious gallery.
This was a gallery with a five billion dollar ancient bronze cauldron serving as its centerpiece.
Little Seven didn't have any special feelings himself, but suddenly a mechanical voice rang in his mind: "Host has actively studied and made progress, becoming an idol and goal for a disabled girl, giving her the courage and motivation to live. As a reward, the host receives a mid-level lucky card valid for one day, which can help avoid the worst from happening."