Chapter 73 - True Game under the Tender Offensive

Xia Liuli, wearing an elegant sky blue and pink dress, swaying lightly, like a flower blooming in the morning mist, slowly walked into the venue. Du Haoran's eyes were instantly attracted. This dress was exactly the one he carefully selected, but because it was out of stock, he could only preview its beauty through magazines. Now, it fits Xia Liuli's figure perfectly, more moving than any model show, as if it was tailor-made for her. Her makeup is delicate and gentle, like dewdrops in the morning light, crystal clear and fascinating. Du Haoran secretly admired in his heart that Xia Liuli could always touch the softest part of his heart with such an inadvertent gesture. He preferred her innocent temperament, like a small white flower unstained by dust, fresh and refined. Although reason repeatedly reminded him that it was time to break up with this relationship, facing Xia Liuli, the reluctance came like a tide, making it difficult for him to control himself. Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, the phone rang abruptly, interrupting the silence. On the other end of the phone, his father Du Zhengguo's voice was full of unquestionable majesty: "Haoran, I heard that Xia Liuli has bad behavior and is definitely not a good match. With your conditions, why worry about not finding a more suitable candidate? Cut off contact with her as soon as possible, do you hear me?" Du Haoran's heart tightened, but he could only agree vaguely and found an excuse to hang up the phone in a hurry. He knew that his father's prejudice against Xia Liuli was deep-rooted, and Xia Liuli's appearance was undoubtedly an unexpected surprise for this charity exhibition. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his inner waves, but before he knew it, Xia Liuli had quietly approached. "Haoran..." Xia Liuli's voice was soft and slightly choked, and her bright eyes were instantly covered with a layer of mist, as if they would turn into a downpour at any time. Her words were simple and direct, but full of affection: "I miss you so much..." Before she finished speaking, a crystal teardrop slid down from the corner of her eye, just right to outline a pitiful picture. Xia Liuli knew how to capture a man's heart since she was a child. She knew that sometimes, silent tears can touch people's hearts more than thousands of words. For this moment, she practiced in front of the mirror countless times in private, until every subtle expression could accurately convey the emotions she wanted to express. Du Haoran looked at her, and an indescribable tenderness and guilt surged in his heart. He involuntarily took a few steps forward, stretched out his hand, and held Xia Liuli's hand tightly, as if to condense all his apologies and thoughts in this warmth. "I'm sorry, Liuli, I've been too busy these days and ignored you." Xia Liuli felt the warmth of his palm, and secretly rejoiced in her heart that at least Du Haoran's heart had not completely left her. She pinched herself lightly, the pain made the tears in her eyes more full, but she deliberately didn't let them fall, just kept the posture of wanting to say something but not being able to, which made Du Haoran feel more guilty. "It's okay, Haoran. If you are busy, just take care of your business first. I have some private matters to deal with recently." Xia Liuli said casually, revealing a hint of mystery in her words, which successfully aroused Du Haoran's curiosity. "Private matters? What private matters?" Du Haoran asked, his eyes full of concern. Xia Liuli smiled slightly and slowly said: "Have you heard of Zhao Ti?" Du Haoran was stunned when he heard this, and then showed a little surprise: "Are you talking about the Chinese painting master Zhao Ti?" "That's right." Xia Liuli nodded, with a bit of pride in her tone, "He accepted me as his last disciple, and I am busy preparing for an important Chinese painting competition recently." Du Haoran's eyes lit up, and he couldn't hide his excitement. If Xia Liuli really became Zhao Ti's apprentice, it would not only mean that her artistic attainments would be further improved, but more importantly, it would greatly change her father's view of her. He hurriedly asked, "Are you confident that you can win this competition?" "It's a sure thing." Xia Liuli's answer was both humble and confident. She had learned the list of contestants from Zhao Ti. Although each of them was talented, they were still inferior to the work she was about to present. She was good at copying, and as long as she could restore 80% of Zhao Ti's style, she would be able to win the championship in no time. Du Haoran was overjoyed after hearing this. He immediately decided, "Then you should hurry up and prepare now. I'll call my dad to come over. As long as you perform well today, he will definitely look at you with new eyes." Xia Liuli hesitated slightly, then nodded in agreement. She knew that this was a key step to win the recognition of the Du family, and she had to go all out. So, under Du Haoran's arrangement, the staff quickly prepared the materials needed for the competition for her, and she devoted herself to the preparations. At the same time, Du Haoran stood in front of a painting called "A Corner of Broken Stones", savoring the artistic conception of it. In the painting, among the broken stones on the edge of the cliff, an orchid stood proudly, with tenacious and vigorous vitality. He was full of admiration, and turned his eyes to the lower right corner, where he saw the two words "Jiangshan" in gold-plated handwriting. Du Haoran's heart moved, it turned out to be the work of Master Jiangshan! He knew that Jiangshan was in a position, and his works were praised as masterpieces handed down from generation to generation, which was amazing. In the Chinese painting world, although he had reservations about some so-called masters, he was convinced by Jiangshan. Of course, there was also Zhao Ti, whose paintings also fascinated him. Just as he was immersed in the world of paintings, Xia Liuli's competition was about to begin. She stood in front of the canvas, took a deep breath, picked up the brush and painted, integrating the emotions in her heart with Zhao Ti's teachings. Every stroke and every stroke condensed her hard work and sweat. This work proved her strength and won the recognition of the Du family. As the competition progressed, Xia Liuli's works gradually took shape, with profound artistic conception and exquisite techniques, which amazed the judges and audience present. Du Zhengguo walked into the venue accompanied by Du Haoran, and saw Xia Liuli's work at a glance, with a flash of surprise and admiration in his eyes. When the results of the competition were announced, Xia Liuli won the championship without suspense. Du Zhengguo looked at Xia Liuli standing on the podium, and the prejudice and stereotype in his heart quietly dissipated. He realized that this seemingly weak girl actually possessed extraordinary talent and tenacious will. Du Haoran stood aside, his heart full of relief and pride. He knew that at this moment, Xia Liuli not only won the competition, but also won the hearts of the Du family. And he himself, in this emotional game, found his true self and belonging. The painting vaguely reveals the charm of Jiangshan, until he heard that Zhao Ti joined his school, he realized the reason. Suddenly, a pleasant voice floated from behind: "Sixth Brother!" Xia Liu was delighted and turned around. Xia Zhuozhuo stood in front of him with a smile as beautiful as a flower. "Xiao Qi, I'm looking for you. Where are you hiding?"