He unexpectedly becomes a father at the start of his life, and the mother of his child is a national

Chen Hao sat in front of the computer, his fingers just off the keyboard, the pads still slightly cool from the keyboard.

On the screen was the chapter he had just finished writing, the cursor blinking at the end of the paragraph, as if reminding him that he could take a short break.

He stretched, his shoulders chuckling slightly; days of writing at his desk had left his back a little stiff.

He raised his hand to rub his temples, and was about to get up to pour himself a glass of water when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket, the buzzing sound breaking the silence of the study.

He bent down and took out his phone from his pocket. The screen displayed the three words "He Muqing" and the contact name was "Manager He of the Gallery".

Chen Hao smiled, lightly tapped the answer button with his fingertip, and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Manager He." His voice carried a hint of languor from just catching a break, yet remained gentle.

He Muqing's clear voice immediately came from the other end of the phone, as enthusiastic as ever; her eagerness could be felt even through the receiver.

"Mr. Chen! I hope I haven't disturbed you? I thought you might not be busy with anything urgent at this time, so I took the liberty of calling."

"No, I just finished writing a passage and was about to rest." Chen Hao leaned back in his chair, completely relaxing, the chair back creaking slightly.

"Manager He, please just say what you need."

He Muqing never liked beating around the bush, and upon hearing Chen Hao's words, she immediately cut to the chase: "Mr. Chen, I won't stand on ceremony with you."

During this period, several collectors came to the gallery, and as soon as they entered, they asked me about Haolin's new works. They asked me about it no less than ten times.

Especially the collector who bought your "Lotus and Fish Playing" painting last time, he calls almost every week. Sometimes when I'm busy and don't answer immediately, he'll leave a message, afraid of missing your new works.

Chen Hao tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his gaze fixed on the text on the computer screen, but his thoughts drifted to the sheet of Xuan paper spread out in the studio.

He paused for a few seconds before slowly saying, "I'm currently painting a new one, the subject is flowers and birds, it's not finished yet, it may take a few more days to complete."

He Muqing's voice instantly rose several octaves, her surprise and delight impossible to hide:

"Flowers and birds? That's wonderful, Mr. Chen! Collectors have been full of praise for your landscape paintings, both in terms of artistic conception and brushwork. We have already witnessed your skill, but this is the first time you have brought out a flower and bird painting."

With your skill, this flower-and-bird painting will certainly not disappoint; it might even be more popular than "Lotus and Fish Playing."

She paused, then quickly added, "Mr. Chen, please let me know in advance when you finish this painting."

Haolin's reputation is much greater than before, and many collectors are eyeing your works, some even willing to pre-order.

I'll help you promote your work in the gallery and also let those collectors I know know on the side, guaranteeing that your work will find a suitable owner and that your hard work won't be in vain.

Hearing her sincere words, Chen Hao's smile deepened.

"Okay, I'll contact you as soon as I finish the painting. I won't keep you and the collectors waiting too long."

"Alright, alright! Then I won't disturb your creation. You can focus on your painting, and I'll wait for your good news."

"Goodbye, Mr. Chen!" He Muqing's voice was full of anticipation. Before hanging up, she made a point of reminding him, afraid of disturbing Chen Hao.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Hao placed it on the table, lightly swiped his finger across the screen, and closed the call interface.

He stood up and walked briskly towards the art studio next to the study, his steps carrying a hint of barely perceptible anticipation.

During this period, he had been wanting to try pure flower-and-bird painting. His previous painting, "Lotus and Fish Playing," was ultimately focused on landscapes, with flowers and birds merely as embellishments. This time, he wanted to properly refine a true flower-and-bird painting.

Pushing open the studio door, a faint scent of ink wafts out, the aroma of rice paper and ink mixed together, bringing a sense of peace.

The painting table was placed in the center of the studio, with brushes, ink, paper and inkstone neatly arranged on it. The brushes were arranged in order of size on the brush holder, and the inkstone still had the ink stains from the last grinding, but they had dried.

Chen Hao walked to the painting table, bent down and took out a brand new sheet of Xuan paper from the drawer. The Xuan paper was delicate in texture and spread out on the painting table with neat edges.

He then took two paperweights from the bookshelf and placed them on the four corners of the Xuan paper to ensure that it remained flat and would not shift while painting.

After making preparations, he picked up the inkstone, walked to the water trough by the window, poured in an appropriate amount of water, and took out an ink stick, gently grinding it in the inkstone.

The ink stick rubs against the inkstone, making a soft rustling sound. The black ink slowly spreads, gradually becoming warm and translucent, from light to dark.

The grinding motion was unhurried and slow, and Chen Hao's expression became focused. His usual laziness disappeared, replaced by an extreme seriousness.

After grinding the ink, he picked out a small wolf-hair brush from the brush holder, pinched the brush handle with his fingertips, gently dipped it in the ink, and scraped off the excess ink on the edge of the inkstone to ensure that the amount of ink on the brush tip was just right.

He stood before the painting table, his gaze fixed on the rice paper. He didn't immediately begin to paint, but instead closed his eyes slightly, conceiving the layout of the entire painting in his mind.

He hadn't painted many flower-and-bird paintings before. The last time he painted flower-and-bird paintings was with "Lotus and Fish Playing". Strictly speaking, that painting was still mainly about landscape, with flowers and birds only playing an embellishing role. It couldn't be considered a pure flower-and-bird painting.

This time, he is going to paint a subject that is extremely difficult in flower and bird painting - "A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix".