Chapter 313 - 158: Red Dust Skill Goes Online

Chapter 313: Chapter 158: Red Dust Skill Goes Online

In the afternoon, the number of tourists at West Lake increased. Some people, after visiting Guozhuang Village, passed by the Shan Family estate. Seeing another Hangzhou Garden of equally grand scale, but with a sign that read "Private Residence. No Visitors.", they would just snap a few photos at the entrance before continuing their tour of West Lake. Occasionally, guests would come to visit Shan Changqing. There were those requesting paintings, inviting him to give lectures, asking for treasure appraisals, or inviting him to appear on television shows—all sorts of things. Especially with the end of the year approaching, more people than usual came to disturb the old master’s peace. He would turn down whomever he could, and for those he couldn’t, he would invite them in for a cup of tea.

"...Alright, then. You and I have known each other for over thirty years, after all. My Zhentian owes much of his current success to your guidance along the way. I’ll paint a piece for you in a few days. Please, have some tea, Professor Zhang."

The old master felt quite helpless when it came to people using their personal connections to request paintings, but he felt he had no choice but to agree.

The old master’s current situation was much like that of a wealthy tycoon. Every day, countless ’relatives and friends’ would show up at his door. For the rich, they came to ’borrow money’; for the old master, they came to ’request paintings.’ The meaning was the same—it was all about money. The old master didn’t want to paint, but if he refused, he’d be the subject of gossip. People would say he was ungrateful, that he’d become cold-blooded now that he was a master, that he’d completely forgotten his roots.

Suddenly, a burst of laughter and cheerful voices traveled from the back courtyard to the front.

"Su Ran, be gentle! You’re hurting your grandaunt! Ah~"

Professor Zhang commented, "I hear a woman laughing over there. Is that..."

The old master smiled warmly. "That’s my sister-in-law, Lou Shishi, and my grandson-in-law, Su Ran. They’re playing over in the West Courtyard."

"Oh~ Your grandson-in-law is certainly good at making her laugh. Wait, did you say your sister-in-law?" Professor Zhang paused, surprised. He put down his teacup and asked, "Is that the dan actress from the Yu Tan Kun Opera Troupe in Suzhou?"

"You’ve seen my sister-in-law perform?"

"I had the good fortune of seeing her perform once when I was in Hangzhou two years ago. I still remember the opera was *The Peony Pavilion*—an absolute classic... To this day, the beautiful sound of her ’aaaaah...’ on stage still echoes in my ears..."

"My sister-in-law’s Kunqu singing is superb. The first thing she does every morning when she wakes up is practice her vocal tones, ’aaaaah...’. Her voice is so melodious and moving. She’s destined to become a famous actress."

"By the way, Elder Shan, you said the other person is your grandson-in-law. Which family’s young master is he?"

’He thought that anyone who could become the Shan Family’s son-in-law couldn’t possibly be a nobody.’

"He’s not a young master from any family. Just an ordinary person."

The old master didn’t mention Su Ran’s identity as ’Young Master Su.’ After all, the ’Young Master Su’ craze in the stock market had died down quite a bit recently, and there was no need to add fuel to the fire.

"Oh..." Professor Zhang nodded slowly, his gaze drifting toward the courtyard wall. He naturally didn’t believe that the grandson-in-law the old master had introduced with such pride could be an ordinary person. As for who he really was, the professor knew it wasn’t his place to press further. His curiosity, however, made him decide to do some digging about the young man’s background later.

"How dare you, Su Ran, say your grandaunt has no allure! My allure is saved for your granduncle to see."

Another wave of cheerful laughter came from the back courtyard.

The delightful chatter of women, full of amusement. This was the carefree daily life of the men and women in the large courtyard that afternoon.

Lou Shishi was dressed in an opera costume with long, flowing water sleeves and wore heavy, powdered makeup, looking every bit the part of a Kunqu Opera dan actress. She was in the back courtyard striking poses for photos, but Su Ran wasn’t satisfied with her prim and proper look, which resembled a promotional shoot for the opera. So, he went up to coach her himself, trying to get her to adopt a more natural, lifelike style. Sometimes he’d accidentally hurt his grandaunt and get an earful; other times he’d complain that she was too stiff and lacked allure, only to get another scolding.

"Sigh... Grandaunt, we’re taking lifestyle photos, not promotional shots. Can you not be so formal? Could you be a little more... womanly? A dash of allure, a hint of flirtation, a touch of sexy. Let that ’sly old fox’ side of you show! And show off those killer long legs, too."

"Like this?" Lou Shishi took a step, lifted her costume to reveal her long, pale legs, and twisted her body to bare a silky shoulder. She glanced at the camera from the side. "Is this it?"

"Yes, yes, yes! That’s the vibe! You can show a little more shoulder. More expression! I don’t mean for you to glare at me—try biting your lower lip just a little. Just pretend the camera is your granduncle."

"But I can’t really make that kind of face..."

"Stop dawdling, you’re wasting time! I’ll do it!" Liu Piaopiao, who had been watching impatiently as the shoot dragged on, handed her hot water bottle to Shan Weizi and strode forward domineeringly. Seeing Liu Piaopiao approach, Lou Shishi asked in a fluster, "Piaopiao, what are you doing? Ah...!" But Liu Piaopiao was already in front of her. With both hands, she pushed Lou Shishi against the rockery, pinning her there. She grabbed one of Lou Shishi’s long legs with one hand and gently lifted her chin with the other. Their two peerlessly beautiful faces drew close. The image of the young Kunqu Opera starlet, her shoulder bare, being teased by the ’Republican-era lady in a qipao’ was incredibly striking.

Su Ran quickly raised his camera and took a flurry of shots. CLICK! CLICK! His photography skills might not have been technically flawless, but in this moment, it was as if he were possessed by a master.

Su Ran was in charge of shooting, while Liu Piaopiao was in charge of directing the grandaunt. It was the grandaunt’s first time being so thoroughly directed, and one stunning set of photos after another was captured. By the time they were finished, the grandaunt was dizzy from being ’played with,’ but she was extremely satisfied after seeing the pictures. Only then did she let Shan Weizi help her back to her room to rest. Shan Weizi also took the opportunity to touch up her makeup, wanting to look her best for her turn.

Women love having their pictures taken, especially with Su Ran behind the camera, as they felt they could let go of their inhibitions. The grandaunt, after all, hadn’t known him for long, and given the difference in their seniority, it was understandable that she was a little reserved. Liu Piaopiao, however, was different. She loved showing off and was an expert at striking poses. Su Ran only had to give her a look, and she would instantly switch to a new position. She just got it.