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

The woman was probably in her early thirties, tall and well-proportioned, wearing a well-tailored dark gray business suit with the hemline above her knees, accentuating her beautiful hip curves.

She wore a fitted suit jacket over a white silk shirt, with one button undone at the collar, revealing her delicate collarbone and a small patch of fair skin.

Her breasts were quite full, forming an alluring curve under her shirt and suit.

She has a classic oval face, fair skin, and striking features.

Her long, dark brown hair was neatly tied into a bun at the back of her head, with a few stray strands hanging down beside her ears.

She wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and her eyes behind the lenses were bright, sharp, and full of spirit.

She exudes a unique aura of maturity, competence, and artistic flair.

She walked in wearing black stilettos, the heels clicking crisply on the marble floor.

The female shop assistant immediately stood up straight upon seeing her, her face showing a respectful expression: "Manager He."

It turns out she is He Muqing, the manager of Yulantang.

He Muqing nodded to the female shop assistant, but her gaze was immediately drawn to the painting on the table that was only half rolled up.

Although only half of the painting was visible, the majestic landscape and the lively brushstrokes allowed her to instantly grasp its extraordinary nature.

"And who is this gentleman?" He Muqing asked the shop assistant softly, her eyes never leaving the painting.

"Manager He, this Mr. Chen is here to inquire about consigning his paintings," the female shop assistant replied softly.

"Oh? Then why did you put it away again?" He Muqing then turned her gaze to Chen Hao and quickly looked him over.

"This..." The female shop assistant hesitated, lowering her voice.

"Mr. Chen's asking price... is a bit high, so I didn't agree to keep it for consignment."

"How much are you asking?" He Muqing asked.

The female shop assistant leaned closer and lowered her voice: "One million."

He Muqing raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, but more so a gleam of interest that had been piqued.

A newcomer asking for a million?

Either they are ignorant of their own limitations, or... they really have something to rely on.

Judging from the quality of the scene she caught a glimpse of, the latter seems quite likely.

At this moment, Chen Hao had almost finished the painting and was preparing to put it back in the brocade box.

"Please wait a moment, sir," He Muqing said, her voice clear and pleasant, carrying an undeniable sense of professionalism.

Chen Hao paused, then looked up at her.

He Muqing walked to the table, a perfectly timed smile on her face:

"I'm He Muqing, the manager of Yulantang Gallery. I heard you have a painting you'd like to consign?"

"Yes." Chen Hao nodded, his words concise and to the point.

"May I see the complete work?" He Muqing pointed to the scroll, which was already mostly rolled up.

"I only saw a corner of it just now, but it seems...very interesting."

Chen Hao glanced at her, then at the somewhat nervous female shop assistant beside him, thought for a moment, and nodded: "Okay."

The two unrolled the scroll again.

This time, He Muqing watched with extreme concentration.

She first took two steps back to observe the overall composition and spirit.

One can see layer upon layer of mountains, with ever-changing scenery. The distant mountains are as dark as ink, the middle ground is majestic and rugged, and the pines and rocks in the foreground are vivid.

The painting exudes a majestic aura of "a storm brewing in the mountains," yet the details reveal the desolation and chill of autumn.

The composition is bold yet disciplined, and the spatial arrangement is excellent, combining depth, height, and level perspectives.

Then, she leaned closer to examine the brush and ink.

The texturing techniques used to depict mountains and rocks are rich and varied. The use of hemp fiber texture strokes, axe-cut texture strokes, and folded ribbon texture strokes is skillful and natural, and the control of ink color (dry, wet, thick, light) is just right.

The depiction of pine trees is particularly skillful; the trunk is rendered with dry brushstrokes to create a rugged texture, while the pine needles are delicately dotted with the tip of the brush, creating a sense of density and sparseness, as if one can feel the rustling of the pines.

Those few wisps of "autumn wind" swept across with light ink are a stroke of genius, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, bringing the whole painting to life.

Looking at the color scheme, ochre renders the warmth of the autumn mountains, while indigo highlights the chill of the distant mountains, creating a harmonious and layered contrast between warm and cool tones.

The overall color scheme is unified in a sophisticated gray tone, elegant without being gaudy.

Finally, she looked at the signature and seal.

The two characters "浩林" are written in a vigorous and powerful running script with a natural composition, showing that the calligrapher has a solid foundation in calligraphy.

The seal is also well-carved.

He Muqing watched for a full five minutes without saying a word. Her expression gradually changed from calm to focused, and then to surprise and appreciation.

She slowly straightened up, took a deep breath, and her gaze towards Chen Hao had completely changed.

"Mr. Chen," He Muqing began, her voice filled with undisguised admiration.

"This painting, 'Autumn Wind in Ten Thousand Valleys,' is... truly exquisite."

She walked back to the front of the table, pointed to the picture, and began to comment in detail. Her speech was not fast, but every word was clear and forceful:

"First of all, the composition is grand and the layers are distinct."

Your application of the "three distances" technique is very sophisticated: the distant view is vast and boundless to create atmosphere, the middle view is rich and detailed to support the framework, and the foreground is detailed to grab the eye.

This kind of overall control is something many veteran painters who have been painting for decades might not be able to achieve so perfectly.

"His skill with calligraphy and painting is even more remarkable."

The brushstrokes for mountains and rocks are unconventional, applied flexibly according to the texture of the mountains, resulting in rich and natural variations in ink color.

"Look here," she pointed to a cliff in the foreground, "the dry brushstrokes perfectly capture the hard texture of the rock."

And these pine trees, each with a different posture, all possess a tenacious vitality. The depiction of the pine needles, in particular, is both meticulous and free-flowing—a rare find.

"What amazed me most was the creation of the atmosphere and the treatment of the 'wind'," He Muqing said, her eyes sparkling, clearly truly moved by the painting.

"The theme of 'Autumn Wind in Ten Thousand Valleys' is difficult to paint. It is easy to be superficial. Either you only paint the mountains without seeing the wind, or you paint the wind but destroy the stability of the mountains."

You, however, used a few strokes of light ink to sweep across the paper, creating a sense of both reality and illusion, allowing the viewer to feel the presence and strength of the wind without disrupting the overall composition of the painting.

This approach is extremely skillful, requiring exceptional imagination and control.

She paused for a moment, then concluded: "The whole painting is majestic and grand yet exquisite, rigorous in its rules yet full of inspiration."

It possesses both traditional brushwork skills and the pursuit of artistic conception, as well as modern people's understanding of space and form.

Honestly, Mr. Chen, with the quality of this painting, it would absolutely stand out and even win an award at a provincial or even national Chinese painting exhibition.

After delivering this long evaluation, He Muqing looked at Chen Hao and asked seriously:

"May I ask, Mr. Chen, which master did you study under? Or which art academy did you pursue advanced studies at? Such skill and vision cannot be easily achieved through self-study."

The female shop assistant standing nearby was completely stunned.

She had been working for Manager He for over two years and had never heard him give such a high and detailed evaluation of a painting, especially one by a newcomer.

The praise in those words was not just polite talk, but a heartfelt recognition.

When she looked at the painting "Autumn Wind in Ten Thousand Valleys" again, she suddenly wondered if she had misjudged it.

Or perhaps, my view is too superficial?