Chapter 2152: Hoeing the Crops

Everyone followed the direction she pointed and their gaze returned to the model.

But they didn’t know what to look for, their eyes searching everywhere, trying to find it before the explanation was given.

“The set of frogged buttons on the collar.”

“Elder Lu is skilled at painting ink wash paintings, most famous for the four seasons. I used them on the frogged buttons, but only used partial sections of each. It takes three pieces put together to form a complete painting.”

Frogged buttons?

Did she say frogged buttons?

The thing made from twisted rope?

So before wrapping, the position of the painting was already designed, and only after wrapping can it form a partial painting?

This… this is simply incredible.

“Miss Rose, when you were designing the jewelry, did you consult with me? How come you took part of my work and then came here demanding explanations?”

Nan Jiaojiao’s casual words drew the focus back to the conflict and pointed directly at Rose, whose face had already turned pale on the stage.

Being both designers, in comparison, even though Rose spoke first, her explanations couldn’t hold up. Knowing that Nan Jiaojiao could articulate the thematic elements completely meant she was already defeated.

It’s all Qin Qing’s fault!

When she gave her the design draft and asked about the theme, she was rebuffed by Qin Qing’s retort, “Aren’t you a designer? Can’t you see?” She studied for a long time and finally recognized the seasons from the jewelry, thinking she already had the upper hand. Besides, her long-standing reputation and fame were here, adding a bit of her own interpretation would make it clear to anyone with sense who was more convincing between her and a newcomer.

But it turned out the jewelry was paired with the clothing!

She was already ashen-faced, but she couldn’t back down here, which made her recall living in Sweetheart’s shadow all these years, pushing her humiliation to the brink of madness.

After struggling for so many years, apart from Sweetheart, there was no designer more brilliant than her.

How could she, how can she!

End up being defeated by a newcomer!

“You’re lying! What four seasons paintings, what Elder Lu, I’ve never even heard of them!”

“Elder Lu, Lu Jianming, President of the Architectural Association. He can paint, and his achievements are remarkable. He has another name— ‘Hoeing Millet’.”

As soon as Nan Jiaojiao finished speaking, the scene fell silent for a few seconds.

Everyone was wondering who he was and felt he was familiar, as if they had heard of him somewhere or seen his work on paper.

Until a roughly sixty-year-old man asked, “Are you speaking of the one skilled in landscape painting, whose works rarely sell and are mostly found in top art exhibitions, Hoeing Millet?”

Nan Jiaojiao faced the man, nodding politely, with the humility of a junior, “Exactly.”

“So it’s him! So it’s Lu Jianming! This old fellow, no wonder, I’ve seen many paintings by Hoeing Millet in his study at home, many of which I couldn’t buy even by pulling strings. I’ve offered prices many times and he never sold them. I even asked him to introduce me to Hoeing Millet personally, not knowing it was himself. Well done! This old fellow has deceived me for over thirty years!”

Nan Jiaojiao’s heart trembled, realizing she had played too big a role in this revelation.

Fearing repercussions later, she quickly helped explain, “You exaggerate, Grandpa Lu paints purely as a hobby, not for profit. Those in his study, many are ones he couldn’t bear to discard after failing. He definitely couldn’t just gift you them as a formality; he didn’t reveal his dual identity because he’s very low-key.”

“He’s low-key! He even hid it from us, his old friends. Well done!”

The elderly gentleman, though angered, also cared about appearances in front of the younger generation, and especially under public scrutiny, he needed to preserve his dignity.