The house rented by He Mo is an old residence belonging to a local resident of this ancient town. Just from its appearance, one can feel the weight of history emanating from it.
The front door of this old house is a hefty wooden door. Although the carvings on it are somewhat mottled, one can still see the careful and meticulous craftsmanship of the past.
Once you pass through the door, there is a small and quiet courtyard. The courtyard is paved with bluestones, with small green grasses growing in the gaps of the stones at the edges. In the corners, a few pots of roses and azaleas are arranged, and the vibrant roses stand out in the quaint courtyard.
The rustic atmosphere exuding from this residence, inside and out, is perhaps one of the reasons He Mo is willing to rent it for a long time.
Beyond the courtyard, there is a two-story building. According to He Mo, the landlord lives on the first floor, and the room she rents is on the second floor.
The staircase leading to the second floor is a wooden one with a sense of age, and Li Jing can faintly hear creaking sounds as he steps on it.
The second-floor corridor is somewhat narrow, and the walls are slightly yellow, but they are very clean, giving a sense of simplicity and comfort.
He Mo's guest room is the first room after leaving the staircase.
Since He Mo had left in a hurry earlier, she hadn't closed the door. Li Jing pushed in without waiting for He Mo's invitation.
"So cluttered?"
As soon as he entered the room, Li Jing expressed his surprise.
Compared to An Tong's neatly arranged home, He Mo's room could be described with one word: cluttered.
The walls are covered with paintings of various styles. A bookshelf occupying one wall is filled with different types of books. Even the only large wooden table in the room is piled with all sorts of crafting materials, colorful threads, delicate beads, and soft fabrics. It was clear that He Mo had been making crafts at the table not long ago.
"What, is having a cluttered room against the law?"
Seeing Li Jing's astonished expression, He Mo looked displeased and promptly went to sit on the only wooden chair in the room, with no intention of inviting Li Jing to sit down.
Li Jing glanced around and found that besides the wooden table, wooden stool, and bookshelf, there wasn't even a sofa, let alone somewhere he could sit.
"You came in on your own, so it's not my fault there's nowhere to sit."
He Mo shrugged indifferently, mimicking Li Jing's thick-skinned attitude: "I told you, this place can't compare to your luxury hotel. If you can't tolerate it, then just go back to your high-end B&B."
"Who says this place can't compare to my B&B?"
Li Jing's gaze fell on several paintings on the right wall. His lips curled into a slight smile, displaying appreciation: "At least there aren't these artworks in my room."
Seeing the other party appreciating the artwork, He Mo was initially a bit surprised. But after following their gaze to the wall, she rolled her eyes, exclaiming, "You're shameless!"
The works Li Jing was admiring were indeed several female nude art paintings—some showing the back, others the front. Each painting delicately portrayed the graceful lines and texture of the skin of the uncovered human figure.
Amazingly, in this packed old room, these nude artworks didn't seem out of place or embarrassing. Instead, they harmonized with the overall ambiance of the room.
Evidently, He Mo had put careful thought into the placement of these paintings.
"Hey, you pervert! Have you looked enough? Don't smudge my paintings."
Watching Li Jing continuously staring at her nude art pieces made He Mo uncomfortable, especially since he had been staring for several minutes without moving, making her feel even more uneasy.
"Didn't expect you could paint these."
Hearing this, Li Jing withdrew his gaze, looking at He Mo in the wooden chair, discovering her artistic sense and professional level were much higher than he had anticipated.
On reflection, it made sense. Making quick portrait sketches for a living couldn't fully showcase He Mo's talents.
"What, you're talking as if you understand these things."
He Mo glanced at him, snorting lightly: "Besides the butts and breasts in those paintings, did you see anything else?"
"See, you have a bias against me. Just because I have money doesn't mean I know nothing else."
After searching around, Li Jing, without finding a place to sit, plopped himself down on the floor and shared his thoughts: "Looking at your models' postures, lines, and colors, I can sense the loneliness and struggle in these paintings."
Although Li Jing wasn't an art major, he was a top student from a prestigious university, with considerable overall and artistic literacy. Perhaps his technical skills were lacking, but his eye for art surpassed the average person.
Especially since Li Jing himself had a knack for painting, and during college, he had visited many art exhibitions, gaining some understanding of nude art.
Hearing him articulate the emotions she had imbued in her paintings, He Mo, who initially looked disdainful, couldn't help but be surprised internally. However, she didn't show much change in her expression, just softened her tone a bit, and asked stiffly, "What else?"
"And..."
Li Jing's gaze returned to those paintings as he pondered: "In fact, all these paintings express the same thought of yours."
Hearing this, He Mo finally broke into a light smile: "Sorry, but the emotions in each of these paintings are different. I thought you really understood, but I must say, you're quite good at bluffing..."
"Is that so?"
Unaffected by her words, Li Jing continued to give his opinion: "I have a very clear, unified impression from your paintings.
It's that every piece reveals a certain pessimism towards the world or life.
In other words, you're actually a pessimist."
Originally not intending to engage with Li Jing and planning to continue her crafting, He Mo paused slightly after hearing this. It took a few seconds before she turned her head back to Li Jing with a gaze of surprise and disbelief: "You... really saw my pessimism from my paintings?"
"Of course."
Actually, Li Jing had just been guessing, but upon observing her reaction, he confirmed his guess was right.
After all, most true art lovers these days are pessimists.
It's not that they act pessimistically or depressed outwardly, but they hold an innately pessimistic view towards the development of the world and the meaning of life.
Indeed, He Mo's admiration for fleeting passion and romance, contrasted with her disbelief in sustained relationships, is a reflection of her pessimistic outlook on the long-term maintenance of romantic relationships.
Looking at Li Jing's serious face, different emotions flickered in He Mo's eyes before she turned her head aside, pouting: "You've learned quite a bit just to chase girls."
Knowing He Mo was being stubborn because he had hit the mark, Li Jing oddly found her current demeanor somewhat endearing. He couldn't help but tease, "Although these paintings express well, it's mainly certain areas that attracted my attention."
"Which areas?"
Although He Mo originally wasn't interested in Li Jing's opinion, inwardly, she had recognized his insight, so she couldn't help but feel a bit of expectation and curiosity.
"Just what you mentioned earlier."
Li Jing resumed his carefree demeanor, grinning: "The big butts and breasts in those paintings. To be honest, I think the model in the second painting looks better than the first, though it's just a back view. If she turned a bit more, it would..."
"Get lost!!"
Before he could finish, He Mo erupted with anger, her eyebrows raised as she grabbed her materials bag beside her and hurled it at him.