25 Chapter 25 Mr. Xia_1

With concern, he hurriedly answered the call.

"Uncle, why are you calling? Is Grandpa still feeling unwell?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, can't you think of something positive? Your grandpa's foot is fine now, all the swelling has gone down. He just finished eating and went out for a walk. I'm calling you for a different matter."

Zhou Ning sighed with relief. After all, he only had a few close relatives, and it was best that they were well. However, the thought of the match his aunt had introduced made Zhou Ning feel a bit nervous.

"Oh, that's good. Uncle, what's the matter?"

Zhou Xianghua let out a sigh.

"I heard you've been busy with a case these past few days. I didn't dare call you until you were done. I want to apologize on behalf of your aunt. No one expected Cheng Li to be that kind of person. Xu Da said there's no need to give her money. It's extortion, and we have evidence, so we're not afraid."

"Uncle, what are you talking about? Auntie is just worried about me. How could I be mad at my own family? Tell her not to take it to heart. I'll come over and see you guys this weekend after I finish the case."

"Don't interrupt, I haven't finished yet! It's been genuinely busy lately, inspections every day, and I'm also tied up here. But we can't let this episode delay the matchmaking. After New Year's Day, you'll be twenty-seven in nominal age. Your parents are gone, and I..."

Zhou Ning moved the phone away, shaking his head helplessly.

Uncle and his wife truly cared about him, but when it came to finding a partner, Zhou Ning wasn't in such a rush. Before, the system had not been fully operational, and he felt no pressure. But now it was different. Every night he was being drilled by the system, leaving him no leisure time for romance.

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Xianghua seemed to have finished his harangue but added one last phrase.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Listening, Uncle, don't worry. I'm not in a rush to find a partner. It's all about the right chemistry, isn't it? Do you want me to just pick any woman?"

Zhou Xianghua fell silent and Zhou Ning quickly added.

"There's something I need Auntie's help with, can she find me a teacher who knows how to paint?"

"Painting? How come you're thinking of learning to paint now?"

Zhou Ning blinked. With his skills at the level of kindergarten coloring, it would be tough to catch up without professional training from someone, in addition to the system's drills.

"I want to improve my professional skills, and one of them is drawing, particularly portrait drawing. You've seen those forensic drawings of skulls, right? Just like that, a specialized teacher. If you know someone, just introduce me."

Zhou Xianghua paused to think, then suddenly there was a loud slap, as if he had smacked his thigh.

"Just wait, I'll send you a message tonight. I remember that your aunt's school just got a new art teacher who graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts. They've won many awards and even have a studio at the Youth Palace."

Zhou Ning was stunned. Are the qualifications for being a teacher now this demanding?

Just for a primary school art teacher, to require such high credentials?

"That... maybe find someone with lower qualifications? This one seems a bit overqualified to teach me."

"Don't worry about it, I'll handle this. By the way, you don't need to run back to the hometown this weekend. Grandpa already said when it gets colder he's going to live in the city with me. We'll be in the same residential community then, no need for all this hassle. Focus on your work. That's settled, I'll send you a message once I've made contact."

Click. The call ended.

Zhou Ning was dumbfounded. Since when had his uncle become so impatient? He felt like he might be missing something but shook his head and didn't think any further. His brain cells had been seriously depleted these past few days. Time to pack up and go home to sleep.

...

October 30, 2010, Saturday

The phone on the nightstand, charging, ding-donged a notification.

Zhou Ning opened his eyes, pulled from his training by the sound, took two deep breaths, and sat up directly.

Damn it, before it was just analyzing cases, providing conditions to find the cause of death. That was easy enough, and I could get some answers right. The accuracy rate was about 60%, so I wasn't constantly punished with electric shocks.

But with this facial reconstruction technique, straight up, it's giving me skulls or unrecognizable victims, asking me to match the correct portrait from over a hundred photos without any clues. I can only guess, and without a single correct guess all night, I've been constantly shocked. Now my whole body smells like it's been scorched.

Zhou Ning grabbed the phone, truly grateful for the interruption; otherwise, he didn't know how long the torment would continue. He saw the message was from Uncle Zhou Xianghua.

Zhou Xianghua: The teacher's name is Xia Momo, mobile number 1390542****, QQ: ******. I've told her what you need to learn. Mr. Xia is very interested in teaching you. The meeting is set for today at 10:00 AM in the Shuxin Studio on the second floor of the Cultural Palace. Dress nicely and don't be late.

Remember, remember!

Zhou Ning responded with two words: Got it!

Then he got out of bed, rushed to take a shower, and after getting ready, the scorched smell on him seemed to diminish. It was already nine o'clock by then, so he quickly cooked a pack of noodles, wolfed them down, changed into a clean jacket, and left the house.

Leaving the Yuhua Residential Community, he headed straight for the Cultural Palace.

The distance wasn't far, just through the park, and he reached his destination, surprised to find that the place had been renovated. It featured an antique architectural style with beautiful bucket arches.

Entering the Cultural Palace and following the signs, he went directly to the Shuxin Studio on the second floor. Piano music wafted down from upstairs, likely from kids taking extracurricular lessons on the weekend.

He knocked on the door, and a pleasant voice came from inside the studio.

"Please come in."

Zhou Ning pushed open the door, and inside the studio stood a girl in a long dress, who glanced at Zhou Ning with a slight tilt of her head. Her long hair was casually twisted into a bun, held by a paintbrush, with some stray strands hanging down.

The girl wore no makeup, but with her looks, what need was there for makeup?

Her beautiful eyes met Zhou Ning's, a smile on her lips and dimples flashing at the corners, sending a jolt through Zhou Ning's heart as he suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

"You must be Zhou Ning, come on in."

Zhou Ning nodded and hurriedly closed the door behind him. The girl approached, and the studio was quite spacious, with seven or eight teenagers, around fifteen or sixteen years old, engrossed in painting. On the central stand were assorted bottles and jars and some fruit.

"I'm Xia Momo, just wait a little; I have five minutes left in class. Feel free to look around and get familiar with the environment," she said.

Zhou Ning's awkwardness dissolved instantly with such considerate arrangements, and he nodded with a quick smile.

He was startled at first, thinking he would have to study with these professional art students—that would truly have been embarrassing. The items on the stand were only familiar to him from watching people paint on television.

Zhou Ning remained silent, standing behind a boy to look at his drawing board. Without realizing it, his face twitched.

This?

How could it resemble so closely, as if made by a human printer?

Even the few others nearby who were a bit less skilled moved their gouache brushes rapidly, dancing on the paper. Though he didn't understand the details they were refining, seeing Xia Momo nodding approvingly meant they must be doing well.

At that moment, Xia Momo walked to the center stand and clapped her hands.

"Alright, that's it for today's class. Don't be late tomorrow. You don't have many days left until your art exams; make sure to make the most of each weekend's practice."

The teenagers quickly packed up, stretching their necks and gathering their drawing boards. After saying goodbye to Xia Momo, they left, not forgetting to sneak a couple more glances at Zhou Ning, their faces wearing mysterious smiles as if they had discovered something extraordinary.

Xia Momo glanced at her wristwatch, a touch of apology on her face.

"We ran a little late today, so thanks for waiting a bit extra. Sorry about that!"

Zhou Ning waved his hand dismissively.

"Mr. Xia, you're too polite. Watching was quite enjoyable," he replied.

Xia Momo gestured for Zhou Ning to take a seat opposite her. Zhou Ning perched on a tiny stool, his tall legs tucked beneath him, reminiscent of being visited by a teacher at home.

"Mr. Chen told me that you're a forensic doctor seeking to learn painting. I'm curious, do forensic doctors need the skill of drawing as well?" Xia Momo asked, her eyes twinkling like stars, her gaze holding Zhou Ning's, who inhaled deeply to compose himself.

"I want to learn the techniques of facial reconstruction, but this requires high proficiency in painting and sculpture, and I'm a beginner in this area. To be honest with you, my skill level is about that of coloring in kindergarten," he admitted.

Xia Momo laughed, her dimples reappearing.

"Actually, it doesn't matter if you have a foundation or not. The important thing for adults learning to paint is determination. However, this facial reconstruction you're talking about interests me greatly—is it about reconstructing a face on a skull, filling in the muscles and skin?"

Zhou Ning nodded, impressed by how quick-witted she was.

"Yes, that's one aspect. Of course, it also involves sketching perpetrators' faces based on victims' descriptions."

Xia Momo's eyes widened in amazement.

"I've seen that in suspense movies, it's truly impressive. After all, matching descriptions with understanding is difficult, and it puts the artist to the test."

"Exactly, so I made up my mind and asked my aunt to find me a teacher, to start from scratch."

Xia Momo stood up and went to a cabinet, from which she pulled out several plaster shapes and rearranged them on the stand: a sphere, a cone, a cube.

She approached Zhou Ning with a pen case and an easel in hand.

"Now that you have the resolve, let's begin with the basics. We'll start your first lesson today on the difference between light and shadow."

After two hours, Zhou Ning's hand felt as if it were no longer his own.

Looking at the dark smudge he had painted on the easel, Zhou Ning's face flushed with embarrassment as he shook his head apologetically at Xia Momo.

"I understand with my eyes, but it seems my hand doesn't follow orders. I'm really sorry, Mr. Xia."

Xia Momo inspected Zhou Ning's work, still smiling kindly.

"Sketching really tests your perception. Today we just needed to understand the basics of handling a brush and expressing light and shadow. As long as you practice wholeheartedly, you will make progress," she reassured him.

Relieved, Zhou Ning stood up, and it was already twelve o'clock. He hesitated for a moment before turning back to Xia Momo.

"Mr. Xia, let me invite you to lunch. It's the perfect time to talk about when our next class will be."