Throughout the process, Ruan Nianxi maintained a single expression, leaving Xie Shu uncertain whether she had taken in his words.
But he didn't dwell on any serious concerns.
Later, as both of them focused on painting the model, their conversation naturally dwindled.
Xie Shu held the model steady with one hand while carefully applying color with the other.
Ruan Nianxi, too, was determined to make it look better, showing considerable dedication.
After all, this was a piece she was completing with Xie Shu.
With his background in art, Xie Shu naturally wouldn't settle for monochromatic simplicity.
He felt it would be a disservice to his identity as an art student not to mix a sophisticated grey.
Moreover, he found plain colors unappealing, so he incorporated gradients and other embellishments as he painted.
Of course, he couldn't do it all by himself; the whole point was to have fun with Ruan Nianxi, so it was essential they both participated.
Thus, he took several opportunities to guide her hand in mixing and applying colors.
Color mixing is a skill, and those with poor color sense or no foundation can struggle with proportions, not to mention the theoretical knowledge of brightness and purity.
Since this wasn't a classroom, Xie Shu refrained from lecturing and instead taught her directly which colors to mix.
The frequent contact with Xie Shu made Ruan Nianxi exceedingly nervous, leaving her with no spare thoughts for earlier matters.
Even her usually stoic face was now flushed.
Sometimes when Xie Shu leaned in to speak, she was so nervous she couldn't utter a complete sentence.
The studio provided small palettes, unlike the larger ones they used in training, and Xie Shu, with his penchant for mixing sophisticated greys, quickly filled theirs up.
The palette was still full of wet paint, and without cleaning it, any new colors would blend with the old, affecting their mixing.
"I'll go wash the palette; just wait here."
Xie Shu stood up to clean the palette, taking the used gouache brushes with him to wash at once.
There was a sink in the studio for this purpose, and after spending a few minutes cleaning everything, he returned to his seat.
As he handed the brushes back to Ruan Nianxi, his movement paused, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's wrong?"
Ruan Nianxi was at a loss, unaware of what she had done.
"Nothing, haha."
"…"
If it was nothing, why was he laughing so happily?
Seeing Xie Shu staring and laughing at her face, she grew more curious.
Was there something on her face?
With that thought, she reached out to touch her face.
"Don't! Don't touch your face," Xie Shu quickly intercepted her hand and gently pressed it down.
"Why not?"
Xie Shu didn't answer, still smiling, and stood up, pulling her by the hand to the side.
Suddenly being pulled by him, Ruan Nianxi felt her head spin, forgetting to think and what Xie Shu had laughed about.
She followed him like a shell without consciousness.
In seconds, Xie Shu had led Ruan Nianxi back to the sink.
Under her bewildered gaze, he took a small packet of tissues from his pocket, dampened them with water, and then turned and bent slightly to gently wipe her cheek with the wet tissue.
His sudden proximity and intimate gesture left Ruan Nianxi, already dazed, feeling the world spin, her consciousness slow to return.
It was only when Xie Shu scrubbed harder that she snapped back to reality.
Seeing his handsome face so close, she felt a sudden surge of nervousness, instinctively raising her hand and placing it on the back of his.
Her body stiffened.
Xie Shu reminded her, "Don't rub your face with your hand."
His actions and words finally made Ruan Nianxi realize what was on her face.
Uncertain, she looked at her palm and indeed found it covered in paint.
Despite her carefulness, she had still managed to get paint on her hand.
So Xie Shu had been laughing at her smeared face…?
Feeling embarrassed and annoyed that Xie Shu had seen her in a less flattering light, Ruan Nianxi also felt a pleasant thrill from their close contact.
She obediently stood still throughout.
After Xie Shu cleaned the paint from her face and dried the water droplets with a tissue, seeing her still dazed, he responsibly led her back to their corner.
Once seated, Ruan Nianxi's face began to redden belatedly.
Why was she so easily embarrassed?
It was just a simple touch, after all.
Since their relationship hadn't progressed that far, Xie Shu didn't tease her.
He looked away to relieve her pressure, dividing the brushes between them and speaking in a calm voice:
"It's normal. When I first started learning about colors, I often got paint all over myself without realizing it, ruining many clothes. Not just with colors, but with sketching and quick drawing too. After every class, my hands would be dirty, and I'd be covered in dust, feeling like I could never get clean."
Recalling some amusing memories, Xie Shu chuckled again.
Ruan Nianxi listened silently, not knowing what to say.
She hadn't been by his side during his training, unable to empathize with his feelings.
Instead, she remembered her own troubles during that time, which made her feel uncomfortable.
She had almost not made it back.
But she had to swallow all her hardships silently.
It didn't matter anymore; she had persevered and was by his side again.
Time passed, and they finished painting together. Xie Shu went to pay the owner, who, after confirming they wanted to take the ceramic doll with them, began to package it.
While the owner was packing, Xie Shu and Ruan Nianxi returned to the sink.
It was inevitable to get their hands dirty while painting.
Xie Shu's hands were inevitably stained with paint, and Ruan Nianxi, too focused and inattentive, had touched her face again, smearing it once more.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan