Chapter 393 Lowest Score in History

But a colorless sketch was bound to look plain, and its hyperrealism lacked any artistic atmosphere.

It looked like a simple, stiff practice sketch.

Gu Fei thought for a moment and began to add a background.

She drew a spray of wisteria hanging down from the right side of the frame. Sister Dan was depicted sitting, holding a round fan, her head tilted slightly upward. On the left, Gu Fei drew half of a latticed wooden door.

The straight lines of the wooden door created a contrast with the gentle beauty of the wind-blown wisteria, yet the two elements also complemented each other.

With the woman positioned at the frame’s golden ratio, sitting by the door and gazing at the wisteria, the scene now had an artistic atmosphere.

When Gu Fei finished drawing, she swept her pencil and eraser into her bundle and tucked it away.

Only then did Sister Dan dare to move, looking at Gu Fei with anticipation. "Is it done? Can I move now?"

Gu Fei realized she had forgotten to tell Sister Dan she could get up. She stuck her tongue out sheepishly. "All done."

She wouldn’t tell Sister Dan that she had started drawing the background twenty minutes ago.

Sister Dan rushed over excitedly. But when she saw Gu Fei’s drawing, she froze. This was worlds apart from any painting she had ever imagined.

And yet, the person in the drawing was unmistakably her. The resemblance was uncanny—like looking in a mirror.

But it was even better than a mirror’s reflection, possessing a certain indescribable charm.

Qin Ying had finished her painting long ago and was sitting off to the side, sipping tea.

When she saw Gu Fei put her instrument down, she rose and walked over. Catching sight of Gu Fei’s work, Qin Ying couldn’t help but sneer. "Just as I thought—too poor to buy proper paints. Did you draw this with charcoal? Aren’t you worried about the mess!"

Gu Fei thought, ’Well, you’re not wrong. Pencils are made of graphite, which is a form of carbon—same as charcoal.’

’And charcoal is a perfectly valid medium for sketching.’

She nodded at Qin Ying. "That’s right. My family has always been poor. When you can’t afford paper and brushes, you make do."

Qin Ying hid a smile behind her fan and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "When you lose in a little while, Miss Gu, you’d better not throw a fit."

She beckoned to a maidservant and had her take both art pieces to the colorful pavilion nearby for the masters to score.

Seeing this, Su Chen hastily squeezed through the crowd and entered the pavilion, walking up behind the masters to see the paintings.

He was something of a favorite at the academy and well-liked by the masters, so they didn’t mind his slightly impolite behavior.

The first master examined Qin Ying’s painting, stroking his beard and nodding in approval. But when he saw Gu Fei’s, his brow furrowed. "What is this? Can this even be called a painting?"

Standing behind the master, Su Chen was stunned. ’How could Little Fei’s painting look like this?’

A master beside him also shook his head after a look. "This must have been drawn with charcoal. While it has a certain novelty, a piece like this is hardly fit for refined exhibition."

In total, there were ten masters serving as judges.

The first master thought for a moment before giving it two points. The only reason it wasn’t a zero was that the person and scenery were at least recognizable.

The second master gave it five points. He felt the drawing had some merit, and five points would serve as a form of encouragement.

Both had given Qin Ying a score of eight.

When Su Chen saw the scores, he grew anxious. He couldn’t help looking over at Gu Fei, shaking his head and waving his hands in warning.

Gu Fei had been craning her neck to see, and when she saw Su Chen’s expression and gestures, her heart sank. ’It’s over. The scores must be low.’

’What should I do?’

She lowered her gaze, her mind racing. Suddenly, she turned to Sister Dan. "Sister Dan, go over to that pavilion. See which master has my drawing, and then go stand and wander about right in front of him."