This person is clearly a male protagonist in a female-oriented novel, yet he is excessively lucid.

With the farce over, Yu Chenzhou, unsurprisingly, got another chance to win a prize.

After all this commotion, Xiao Yilin's originally cheerful mood was completely ruined, and Yu Chenzhou also lost his previous ease.

The two walked in silence for a while until they entered the limited-time pedestrian street of Zhengda Plaza.

The aroma of food stalls filled their nostrils, and the shouts of vendors and laughter of tourists filled their ears. This vibrant atmosphere gradually dispelled the gloom in their hearts and made them forget their earlier unpleasantness.

The two found a barbecue stall and leisurely finished their dinner.

They then walked back side by side, intending to go to the parking lot to get their car and go home.

When the two walked to the Oriental Pearl Tower again, Xiao Yilin's eyes were drawn to an antique-style shop by the roadside.

It was a calligraphy and painting shop called "Jinkuangzhai," with strong and vigorous characters on its wooden signboard.

She suddenly remembered that the portrait Yu Chenzhou had painted of her still didn't have a suitable frame.

He then tugged at Yu Chenzhou's sleeve and suggested:

"Shall we go inside and take a look? We can buy a frame to display your paintings; they'll look beautiful hanging in our home."

Yu Chenzhou not only did not refuse this small request, but also said it with a playful expression.

"Perfect timing, we don't have a photo hanging above our bed yet!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yilin didn't say anything, she just rolled her eyes.

The two then entered Jin Kuang Zhai together.

The shop is filled with the faint scent of ink and the fresh aroma of wood. Various calligraphy and paintings hang on the walls, while picture frames of different materials and styles are displayed in the counter.

When the owner saw the customer come in, he warmly greeted him and introduced that in addition to ready-made picture frames, he could also provide custom services, which could be tailored to the size and style of the painting.

After a brief exchange and a glance at the custom-made samples displayed in the store, Yu Chenzhou shook his head.

The craftsmanship and artistic style of these custom-made pieces were simply not to his liking.

Finally, he picked out a simple yet elegant solid wood frame from the finished product section, the size of which was just right for the portrait.

After paying, Yu Chenzhou carried the picture frame, and Xiao Yilin took his arm, and the two walked out of Jin Kuang Zhai.

Stepping out of the store, Xiao Yilin looked at the bustling night scene around her and said with a smile:

"Since we're already here, why not take a look around a bit more?"

I just finished eating barbecue, this is a good time to digest.

Upon hearing this, Yu Chenzhou glanced at the smile in her eyes and softly agreed.

So the two slowed down and strolled around the streets around the Oriental Pearl Tower. The evening breeze was cool and carried away the lingering smells of smoke and fire.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the Oriental Pearl City Square.

As soon as I stepped into the square, I noticed that the atmosphere here was much more lively than elsewhere.

A stage covered with a red carpet was set up in the open space in the center of the square, and the stage was surrounded by a fence.

There were already quite a few people inside, gathered in twos and threes, whispering to each other, their eyes all gazing towards the stage.

Xiao Yilin was already curious, and upon seeing this, she stopped in her tracks, tugged at Yu Chenzhou's hand, and said with sparkling eyes:

"Looks like there's an event going on, shall we go check it out?"

Without waiting for Yu Chenzhou's response, she pulled him and squeezed into the crowd.

After squeezing his way to the front row and seeing the stage setup, Yu Chenzhou rolled his eyes silently, a sense of helplessness welling up inside him.

It's a live stream again.

However, compared to the vulgar street live stream by "Brother Xiaoming" that I encountered before, this live stream was significantly larger in scale and looked much more formal.

Upon seeing the word "live broadcast," Xiao Yilin instantly recalled her earlier experience, her brows furrowed slightly, and she grabbed Yu Chenzhou's hand, intending to leave.

But the crowd behind them grew larger and larger, and in the pushing and shoving, they were firmly trapped in the middle, surrounded by walls of people, with no gaps to retreat through.

Xiao Yilin tried to move, but was gently pushed from behind, forcing her to stop.

Seeing this, Xiao Yilin looked at Yu Chenzhou with a blank and helpless expression, and complained softly:

"Why can't we get out?"

Yu Chenzhou remained calm, having already roughly guessed the reason.

When they squeezed in, there were clearly many people around, yet there was inexplicably a gap that allowed them to pass through smoothly.

Looking back now, it wasn't good luck at all; it seemed like someone was deliberately guiding and making way for us.

The fact that they can't retreat now is clearly because someone on the outside has deliberately blocked their escape route.

This is most likely a little trick deliberately set up by the organizers to retain the crowd at the event.

As it turns out, it's best not to get involved in some of the excitement, because the moment you do, you've already fallen into their trap.

With things having come to this point, there was no point in struggling any longer, so the two were forced to stay and patiently watch the live broadcast.

Yu Chenzhou glanced at the stage setup and realized that this live stream was completely different from the vulgar live streams of Brother Xiaoming that relied on sensationalism to attract attention. This live stream had a much more elegant style.

Because the live stream featured traditional Chinese painting creation, the banner on the stage backdrop read in bold ink, "Master Jia's Special Live Stream of Traditional Chinese Painting."

The live streaming equipment was also very professional, with several high-definition cameras set up on both sides of the stage, some aimed at the audience, some at the streamer, and some at the desktop.

A huge LED screen stands in front, and spotlights from above focus on a rectangular table in the center of the stage.

The table was neatly arranged with the Four Treasures of the Study: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. There were even small items such as paperweights and brush rests. The tools were quite complete.

The fact that a live broadcast could be held at a landmark location like the Oriental Pearl City Square means that the content couldn't possibly be random or nonsensical; that much is beyond doubt.

Behind the rectangular table in the center of the stage stood a middle-aged man dressed in a gray-white long gown.

The long gown had a simple and ancient style, with a straight collar, right-fastening front, and slanted opening. The length of the gown reached down to the ankles, and the fabric looked thick and crisp.

With this attire, coupled with his deliberately grown goatee, he gave the first impression of a refined and gentle scholar.

It's worth noting that this type of long gown was the everyday attire of scholars and merchants during the Republic of China era, exuding a scholarly air.

It has to be said that this person has done a lot of preparation work to be able to pull off a live stream to this level.

His appearance alone is enough to establish his persona as a "literati painter".

At this moment, the "literati painter" was holding a wolf-hair brush, dipping it in ink and creating freely on the paper, his head bowed low, looking completely absorbed and oblivious to his surroundings.

Two staff members stood beside him, each holding a large sign.

The sign above, written in bold, read "No noise during painting," and the artist occasionally gestured to the surrounding audience.

Seeing this, Yu Chenzhou paid closer attention, leaning forward and standing on tiptoe to try and see the brushstrokes on the paper more clearly.

But after just one glance, the expectation in his eyes vanished instantly, and he lost all interest.

When the other person's pen tip glides across the paper, one can see some solid foundation in calligraphy and painting in the rise and fall and turns, but the strokes lack inspiration and are too deliberate, so there is really nothing worth studying in depth.

Greatly disappointed, Yu Chenzhou looked up at the large LED screen at the back of the stage, where the live broadcast was being played simultaneously.

The live stream room has a very straightforward name: "Master Jia Talks About Painting".

Upon seeing the words "Master Jia," Yu Chenzhou couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"That's a good name."

He glanced at the number of viewers in the live stream and saw that it was over 80, a truly impressive number in the live streaming industry.

Looking at the scrolling comments on the screen, they were all praises like "Master is awesome," "A stroke of genius," and "Waiting for the finished product," densely packed and filling most of the screen, making it dazzling to look at.

Not long after, the middle-aged man who had been engrossed in his painting finally stopped. He gently placed the wolf-hair brush on the brush rest, deliberately slowing down his movements, which made him appear exceptionally elegant.

He then took a few steps back, squinted at his work, and his face quickly lit up with undisguised joy as he shouted.

"Okay, all done!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff around him immediately understood and brought him a cup of steaming tea, handing it to him in perfect harmony.

"The master's brushwork is fluid and graceful; truly befitting a master!"

Whether it was a plant at the scene or a genuine audience member who was moved, a loud exclamation suddenly rang out from the crowd.

Immediately, the previously quiet atmosphere was ignited, with the audience applauding and cheering, and the live stream chat flooding in with comments.

Phrases like "Master is awesome!", "This sunset is absolutely stunning!", and "Truly a master of traditional Chinese painting" kept flooding the screen.

To ensure that the audience at the scene and viewers in the live stream could see the "masterpiece" more clearly, the staff immediately adjusted the camera angle, focusing the lens precisely on the newly completed painting on the rectangular table.

The entire painting instantly appeared on the LED screen.

It turned out to be a painting titled "Sunset over the Huangpu River".

Once the painting was displayed, the applause in the audience grew even louder. Many viewers were amazed, and some even raised their hands to ask about the price, eager to buy the painting.

However, in Yu Chenzhou's eyes, this painting, "Sunset over the Huangpu River," was quite mediocre.

The brushwork is indeed quite skillful, and the composition of the outlines and dots shows a certain level of expertise, indicating that the artist has put in a lot of practice.

But the painting lacks a soul.

The river was as calm as still water, without a ripple; the colors of the setting sun were too vibrant, lacking the vast and distant beauty that twilight should have.

The entire piece is written in a formulaic style, as if it were drawn according to a fixed template, or as if it were a manuscript printed on an assembly line.

It lacks even the slightest sense of "capturing the spirit through form," and cannot be considered a true work of art at all.

The praise in the live stream didn't stop; instead, it became even more frenzied.

"A masterpiece by a master, a must-have for collectors."

"This level of skill would make him a master even in ancient times."

"Master is amazing, I'm in awe!"

"I'll offer 100,000 for this painting, Master, sell it to me!"

"You dare to offer 100,000? That's a huge underestimation of the master! I'll offer 200,000!"

"Three hundred thousand! I'll offer three hundred thousand!"

...The barrage of comments announcing high-priced acquisitions left viewers speechless.

Master Jia held his teacup, took a small sip, and looked at the enthusiastic response from the audience and the live stream, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

He put down his teacup, put his hands behind his back, slightly raised his chin, striking a pose of superiority, and then began to boast and brag, spitting as he spoke:

"My painting incorporates all my life's learning, and there are very few who can surpass it in the entire art world!"

Those who say my paintings lack artistic conception and soul are complete laymen who don't understand art and have no right to appreciate the charm of traditional Chinese painting!

He paused, cleared his throat, and continued:

"This painting, 'Sunset over the Huangpu River,' is one of my masterpieces. It took me a long time to complete, and it is the only one of its kind, making it a unique piece."

However, don't be discouraged. I came to Oriental Pearl City Plaza specifically to do a live broadcast to give back to my fans for their support.

I have prepared a hundred landscape paintings of various themes in advance, each one a meticulously crafted work.

When mentioning the number "one hundred," Master Jia deliberately raised one finger high and emphasized his words, as if afraid that others might not hear him clearly.

"While I can't guarantee that everyone will benefit, don't worry. As long as you follow my live stream and become my fan, I will paint a few paintings every month at a discounted price for those who truly love traditional Chinese painting."

Come on, let me show you the paintings!

After saying that, Master Jia clapped his hands.

The staff below the stage immediately responded and stepped forward, carrying out several large boxes covered with red cloth and placing them on one side of the stage.

Then, they carefully lifted the red cloth, took out the rolled-up paintings one by one, and hung them one by one on the prepared display rack, their movements methodical and orderly.

While the staff were hanging the painting, Master Jia spoke again:

"As for this unique piece of 'Sunset over the Huangpu River,' I don't plan to auction it. Instead, I intend to select a lucky audience member at the event and give it away."

As you all just saw, someone offered 300,000, but I want to say that as the saying goes, "It's hard to find a true friend even if you have a thousand pieces of gold." The value of art lies not in money, but in the people who know how to appreciate it.

If I were to meet a true friend who understands me, I could take this painting for a thousand yuan, as a small gift from me.

These passionate and sentimental words instantly touched many people.

The audience erupted in applause, their faces beaming with excitement, as if it were an immense honor to be "a confidant of the master."

The live stream was flooded with comments like "Master is so magnanimous," "Master has such a grand vision," and "I also want to be a close friend of the Master," creating an atmosphere that reached its peak.

"Well then, let me see who will become my new confidant today!"

At this point, Master Jia changed the subject and said in a half-joking tone.

"Next, my live stream camera will slowly scan the audience, and the person who is finally captured will be the lucky one."

But before that, I need to ask for everyone's opinion.

Taking photos of someone's portrait without authorization is an infringement of their portrait rights, and it's illegal—something we absolutely cannot do.

There were just too many people at the scene, and not enough time for those who didn't want to be on camera to move to the back.

So if you don't want to be on camera, you can crouch down or cover your face with your hands, and our cameras will automatically avoid you.

These words sound like they're respecting the audience's wishes, but in reality, it's just a formality.

In such public settings, everyone cares about their image. Who would want to squat down or cover their face in public and appear out of place?

Moreover, since most people are already here, they're mostly just there to join in the fun, or even hoping to be the "lucky one," so naturally no one would actually do such a thing.

With this seemingly "compliant" operation, Master Jia no longer needs to worry about anyone causing trouble for him regarding his portrait rights, which shows that he has made a very good plan.