Urban Soldier Young Master

Chapter 1035 - 34: Unexpectedly, Everyone Reacted

Chu Ge kept silent, not because he had nothing to say, but because this kind of situation often gets worse the more you explain, and it's really not worth it. It's better to just stay quiet.Qin Ruojing waited a few seconds, seeing Chu Ge had no intention of speaking, thought for a moment, then smiled and changed the subject.

"Alright, let me see what's on your phone. I want to experience what kind of art can make my husband so engrossed."

Of course, Qin Ruojing wasn't unconcerned about the matter between Chu Ge and Mu Xiaoting; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought it up.

But in her view, everything has its limit. Discussing to this extent is enough, and if the conversation continues, it might cross the line.

Initially, Chu Ge felt a bit frustrated, but when he heard Qin Ruojing wanted to see what's on his phone, his spirits lifted immediately. However, he had learned his lesson. Although he cared a lot about this issue, he didn't show his expectations on his face.

"Here." Chu Ge said a single word and handed the phone back to Qin Ruojing.

Qin Ruojing took the phone, unlocked it, and saw the image on the screen—a photo with twelve strange characters.

Glancing at the photo for a few seconds, Qin Ruojing blinked and looked at Chu Ge, speechless.

"Are you... sure this is abstract art?"

"What else do you think it is?"

"Your taste in art... is really unique. This... looks more like a random doodle, don't you think?"

"Okay, whatever you say it is, it is. But even if it's just a doodle, it's still a form of culture, right? Look at it more closely, maybe you'll find something profound in it."

Seeing Qin Ruojing's amused and speechless reaction, lacking any of the response he'd hoped for, Chu Ge felt a bit disappointed. Yet he didn't give up, since Qin Ruojing had only given it a fleeting glance and hadn't focused her attention. He encouraged her again.

"I bet a random five or six-year-old could draw something that looks better than this. What's there to see?"

Qin Ruojing looked at Chu Ge's phone again and still found it baffling, failing to see anything worth her attention.

"Come on, it's not as bad as you say. Just because you can't understand it doesn't mean it's bad, right? Besides, abstract art is called 'abstract' because at first glance, you can't see the underlying message. Think about it, those award-winning movies make people watch multiple times and still struggle to understand. Just to prove your husband's artistic taste, look at it a few more times?"

After hearing Chu Ge say this, even though Qin Ruojing still felt the so-called 'painting' was a bit incomprehensible, what Chu Ge said made some sense. Finally, she skeptically turned her gaze back to the photo on the phone.

Just as Qin Ruojing was looking again for a few seconds, her sister Qin Ruoying awoke with a yawn.

"What are you two talking about? Paintings and movies?"

Seeing her sister wake up, Qin Ruojing casually laughed and said, "I don't know where your brother-in-law saw some so-called abstract painting. He took a photo with his phone and said it was good, asking me to appreciate it."

"If my brother-in-law thinks it's good?" Qin Ruoying paused her eye-rubbing hand, looking at the phone in Qin Ruojing's hand with interest. "Let me see? If brother-in-law thinks it's good, it must be. He has a great taste!"

"Him? Good taste?" Qin Ruojing laughed out loud, shook her head amused, and handed Chu Ge's phone to Qin Ruoying. "After you've seen the abstract painting he praised, you'll definitely take back those words."

"Can't be that bad. If my brother-in-law didn't have good taste, we wouldn't be family." Qin Ruoying stretched lazily, took the phone, and glanced playfully at Chu Ge. "Right, brother-in-law?"

"Of course, absolutely!"

Chu Ge grinned proudly, using a phrase Chu Shiyao often says. It not only praised himself but also the Qin sisters. Saying he had good taste naturally meant the Qin sisters were great too.

After some banter, Qin Ruoying looked at the picture on the screen. Chu Ge maintained his smiling face, but secretly felt a hint of anticipation.

With just one look, Qin Ruoying's reaction differed from Qin Ruojing's. She first paused slightly, then looked up at Chu Ge and smiled, "Brother-in-law, this painting really isn't bad."

Qin Ruojing countered speechlessly, "You're just flattering your brother-in-law. It's clearly a messy doodle, what's good about it?"

"Sis, you might not get it. Art isn't necessarily better when it's more detailed or lifelike. Remember my friend Catherine? She paints abstract works, and even her cheapest piece sold for over three thousand."

Hearing Qin Ruoying say this, Chu Ge couldn't help but feel delighted, a smile spreading on his face. It reminded him of accompanying Qin Ruoying long ago to meet her friends, most of whom were artistic young people with some talent; no wonder she reacted this way.

Qin Ruojing, on the other hand, curled her lip disdainfully, evidently disagreeing, but said no more.

After Qin Ruoying finished, she swiped the screen with her fingers twice, zooming in on the painting, and began studying it intently.

As she stared at the painting, her expression grew increasingly serious. After about ten seconds, her body suddenly swayed slightly, and the phone she held steadily dropped onto the bed.

"Ruoying, what's wrong?" Qin Ruojing quickly supported her sister, asking worriedly.

Chu Ge's heart skipped a beat. Could it be... Qin Ruoying is really reacting to this cultivation technique?

Leaning against her sister, Qin Ruoying raised her hand to rub her temple, with her elegant brows slightly furrowed. She glanced at the phone on the bed, her complexion a bit pale, and muttered to herself, "Strange, so strange..."

Seeing Qin Ruoying react this way, Chu Ge became even more curious and promptly asked, "Ruoying, what do you mean by strange?"

Qin Ruoying turned her head, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I feel... like this painting is moving, but not like the common visual deception of static-dynamic prints. It's... how should I say it?"

Initially, Chu Ge didn't have high hopes that Qin Ruoying would discern anything from the photograph. But at this moment, it seemed clear that Qin Ruoying did indeed sense something unusual.

Although Chu Ge felt both amazed and doubtful, he outwardly displayed just the right amount of curiosity without pressuring Qin Ruoying, waiting for her to continue speaking.

After pondering briefly, Qin Ruoying glanced at Qin Ruojing and then at Chu Ge before continuing.

"Sis, Brother-in-law, you might not believe me, but I truly feel as if I could be sucked into this painting. It's so eerie. The more I try to see clearly the first symbol in the painting, the stronger this feeling gets, and then I actually got a headache, and the feeling just vanished."

When Qin Ruoying shared this, it unequivocally proved she was reacting to the cultivation technique. Her described sensation, except for the headache, was precisely akin to what Chu Ge felt earlier!

How could this be? Didn't Su Yuanzhou say only their Su Family could cultivate this technique?

Chu Ge grew increasingly puzzled. As an orphan, he knew nothing about his own background, so having ties to the Su Family couldn't be ruled out. But why would Qin Ruoying react to this technique too?

Could it be... does Qin Ruoying have some connection to the Su Family?

That's impossible, right?

Chu Ge knew the Qin Family's relations well; they had always been Beijingers for generations without any surname Su relatives. Plus, Su Yuanzhou had said their ancestral home was in Nanyun Province's Guicheng. Qin Ruoying and the Su Family couldn't be related in the slightest.

Chu Ge's mind was full of questions, and Qin Ruojing was also taken aback by her sister's words. To be honest, she found it hard to believe them, but with Qin Ruoying speaking so earnestly, and her face turning noticeably paler after looking at the photograph a while, it seemed evident Qin Ruoying wasn't joking.

Qin Ruojing furrowed her elegant brows slightly and cast a questioning look at Chu Ge, given that he was the one who showed them the photograph and had seemed eager for them to scrutinize it earlier.

After hesitating for a couple of seconds, Qin Ruojing asked, "Chu Ge, where did you take this photograph from? Do you know something?"

Of course, Chu Ge knew, and knew a lot, but he wasn't planning to disclose the truth now. After all, it was Su Yuanzhou's, or rather the Su Family's, secret. Showing the photo to the Qin sisters was fine, but revealing this secret wouldn't be right.

Meeting Qin Ruojing's questioning gaze, Chu Ge shook his head.

"I saw it by chance in a convenience store before and thought it was interesting, so I snapped it."

Qin Ruojing looked suspiciously at Chu Ge for a few seconds, then picked up his phone and for the first time seriously studied the photograph. Concentrating fully, she soon felt the sensation her sister described, except she felt the slight headache while seeing the second symbol.

When Qin Ruojing withdrew her gaze from the photograph, her expression grew even more serious. At a glance, it seemed an abstract painting akin to random daubing, yet profoundly eerie.

Simply from Qin Ruojing's expression, Chu Ge knew she too experienced that mystical feeling, heightening his curiosity even further.