1185 Spring on Xi Hill

“Shi Yang?”

Gu Tinglan was slightly stunned.

“I’ve heard of him before, but I’m not familiar with him. Why?”

Shi Yang had a high status in the painting world. Even if they did not know each other, they would probably at least have heard of each other.

Shen Li asked again, “Then, you and your family don’t know that he used to like my mother?”

“He liked your mother?”

Gu Tinglan frowned.

“I’ve never heard of this before. But I seem to remember that he was also from Xijing Art School? He should be your mother’s senior.”

Gu Tingyin was beautiful, with a lively and innocent personality. There were many people who had liked her since she was young.

Who would have cared about Shi Yang?

Shen Li fell into deep thought.

Not many people knew that Shi Yang had wooed Gu Tingyin before. After all, according to Bella, he had only given her a painting with a love letter in it. Gu Tingyin had very quickly returned the painting and her rejection could not have been more obvious.

After that, it did not seem like there had been any more contact between the two of them.

Such a small matter was extremely common.

It was nothing more than him having feelings for Gu Tingyin, confessing them to her, and then being rejected.

No one would think too much about it. Perhaps even Gu Tingyin herself had never taken it to heart.

However…

“Why are you suddenly asking about him?” Gu Tinglan vaguely felt that something was wrong.

Shen Li was silent for a while, then she said, “I think some of his actions are a little strange.”

Then, she briefly told him about how Shi Yang had once pursued Gu Tingyin, bought a white thoroughbred horse that looked like Bright Moon at the horse race event, and how he had suddenly arranged for the horse back to the Capital the day before.

“Teacher Yu mentioned to me before that Shi Yang isn’t actually interested in horses. I don’t know why, but he suddenly went to the racecourse and bought that white horse. Moreover, the National Art Association is in the middle of investigating the matter of the fake painting recently. He should be very busy, but he just had to take the horse away at this time.”

Shen Li rubbed her eyebrows.

“Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I really can’t understand the logic behind his actions.”

Gu Tinglan fell silent on his end.

After a long time, he asked, “So, you think there’s a problem with him?”

“It’s just a guess,” Shen Li replied after a pause.

At present, she had no evidence in her hands, so naturally, it was not appropriate for her to say anything.

But Shi Yang was very strange.

One or two coincidences might be a coincidence, but when there were too many coincidences, it was likely that they were not just coincidences.

Shi Yang clearly did not like her, but he pretended to. He had even gone to the auction to bid for one of her paintings.

In everyone’s eyes, Shi Yang was a gentle and elegant man.

However, if he was really such a person, he would not have insisted on raising the paddle that day even though he knew that he could not win against the Gu family and Lu Huaiyu.

He had just wanted to fight.

This kind of person…

After a long time, Gu Tinglan said in a deep voice, “I see.”

For the past few years, they had been trying to find out where Dylan was. However, it was something that had happened many years ago and there had been no results.

If Shen Li had not mentioned it, no one would have linked the two names together.

Dylan.

Shi Yang.

“I’ll investigate it.”

Shen Li replied with a “hmm.”

She ended the call. The bowl of noodles in front of her had already turned cold.

However, she no longer had any appetite.

She thought for a while and called Bella.

…

It was noon in Bai City. In the conference room at the headquarters of WM, everyone was discussing the topics for the next season’s magazine issue.

A fashionably dressed young woman was standing in front of the projector, introducing a proposal of her own designs.

Bella sat at the head of the table. She was exquisitely made up and exuded a strong aura.

These designs were obviously not to her liking. She showed no reaction and her expression remained cold.

The designer in charge of explaining the proposal also started to feel uneasy.

Just then, Bella’s phone vibrated.

Everyone looked over.

Bella frowned.

Everyone’s hearts were also in their throats… Who was so unlucky to have hit the muzzle at such a time?

However, at the very next second, they saw Bella’s brows relax.

As she signaled everyone to pause the meeting, she got up and walked out. She picked up the phone and said in a gentle tone, “Ah Li?”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The female devil was actually capable of having such a pleasant expression?

“Aunty Bella, I hope I’m not disturbing you by calling you so suddenly?”

Shen Li asked.

Bella looked back at the meeting room.

“No, I just finished with a meeting. Is there an emergency?”

Everyone in the meeting room understood what she meant and waited silently.

Shen Li paused for a moment.

“Aunty Bella, you said before that Shi Yang once gave a painting to my mother. Do you remember what kind of painting it was?”

Bella was stunned.

She had not expected Shen Li to call her to ask about this.

“You mean that particular painting?”

“That’s right. Recently, I’ve been quite interested in traditional Chinese paintings and happened to study his techniques and changes in painting style. I remembered that you mentioned that painting before, so I thought of asking you.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Bella suddenly understood.

Shen Li had studied under Mei Yanqing and was good at oil painting, but Gu Tingyin had studied Chinese painting.

It was normal for her to be interested in these things.

Besides, Shi Yang was indeed one of the top Chinese art masters in the country.

“Let me think…” Bella crossed her arms and fell into deep thought.

Shen Li thought for a while and said, “It’s fine if you can’t remember. I was just asking. If you can’t recall it, I can still go and look up his other works.”

After all, it was many years ago. Moreover, Gu Tingyin had returned the painting not long after Shi Yang had given it to her.

It was estimated that–

“I remember now!”

Bella snapped her fingers.

“That painting’s name is “Spring on Xi Hill”!”

The Chinese words “Spring on Xi Hill” were a little obscure, but Shen Li still understood it.

Xi Hill was a hill in the suburbs of the Capital. It had beautiful scenery and could be considered a rather famous small scenic spot.

“Xi Hill?”

“Yes.”

Bella recalled,

“The reason why I remember it so clearly is because Yin Yin specially invited me there before. There was a large area of camellias that had been planted on Xi Hill. Every March and April, the camellia flowers would bloom all over the hill, and the view was especially beautiful. She really liked it.

“The painting that Shi Yang gave her back then was a scenery of this place.”

The intention of such a painting was clear.

Bella shrugged.

“But your mother returned it the very next day and didn’t keep in touch with him after that. I don’t know if the painting is still there.”

Shen Li said, “I see, thank you.”

Bella smiled and said, “If you really want to thank me, come to Bai City more often in the future.”

Shen Li’s lips curved in a smile as she said, “I will.”

Bella reluctantly ended the call and turned to go back to the meeting room.

Her mood was obviously much better than before.

“Continue.”

…

“Spring on Xi Hill”.

It was hard to say if the painting was still there.

However, that was not what Shen Li was concerned about.

She thought for a while and sent a message to Wei Songze.

[ Are you free tomorrow? Please do me a favor. ]

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