Chapter 161: The Painting

When Cao Xiuhua entered the kitchen, she was surprised to find Qin Miaoyu there.

"Miaoyu, what brings you here?" she asked, pleasantly surprised.

Qin Miaoyu turned to see her grandmother-in-law and smiled. "Grandma, it’s been a while. I heard a lot of rumors circulating outside, so I came over to see if Qi'an was alright."

"That's very thoughtful of you. I heard... I heard that you and Qi'an..."

Qin Miaoyu knew what she was going to ask and replied directly, "Grandma, Qi'an and I have already divorced."

"Why the sudden divorce? Were there problems in the relationship?" Cao Xiuhua asked.

"You could say that, but not entirely. You must already know, Grandma, that my marriage to Lu Qi'an was only a contract from the start."

Cao Xiuhua, indeed, was already aware of this.

"So, Grandma, our divorce is quite natural. You don't need to worry about us."

"What about the future?" Cao Xiuhua asked. "Is there really no possibility between you two anymore?"

Cao Xiuhua genuinely liked Qin Miaoyu as her granddaughter-in-law. Firstly, because Qin Miaoyu was someone Lu Qi'an loved, she naturally extended her affection to her. Secondly, through their many interactions, she had come to see what a fine young woman Qin Miaoyu was, which only deepened her fondness.

Qin Miaoyu could not give an answer to that. "Grandma, to be honest, I don't know. Who can say what will happen in the future?"

This answer made the heaviness on Cao Xiuhua’s face fade significantly. As long as the door wasn't completely shut, there was still a chance! It would just depend on whether her grandson had the resolve to win her back.

Lu Qi'an soon returned to the kitchen and "shooed" both women out. Cao Xiuhua led Qin Miaoyu to the living room, taking the opportunity to look around, as this was her first time visiting her grandson’s new home. Suddenly, her gaze landed on a painting.

"Where did Qi'an buy this painting? Qi'an..."

Seeing the painting on the wall, Qin Miaoyu said, "Grandma, I painted that. Qi'an thought it was beautiful, so he hung it up."

Cao Xiuhua looked surprised. "Come to think of it, I had no idea you were so talented at painting!"

Qin Miaoyu smiled. "I studied it in the past, but since I don't do it professionally now, I never felt the need to mention it to you." Although she had met Cao Xiuhua many times, their visits were usually short and focused on daily matters.

Cao Xiuhua nodded, though her astonishment hadn't fully faded. She continued to praise Qin Miaoyu, "I’ve seen my fair share of art, and this skill is truly impressive. If you have the time, would you paint one for me? I can pay the market price."

"Grandma, I’m quite busy lately, but I do have a few finished pieces at home. I’ll take some photos and send them to you. If you see one you like, I’ll just give it to you. There’s no need to talk about money."

Cao Xiuhua insisted, "That won't do. You put your heart into your art. Send me the photos, and if I find one I love, I’ll pay you the market price!"

Qin Miaoyu shook her head, refusing. "Grandma, I never pay for the meals I have at your house; if I take your money, I’ll be too embarrassed to go over for dinner anymore!"

"That’s ridiculous. A granddaughter-in-law coming to her grandmother’s house for a meal—there’s no reason to pay for that!"

"Well, what if I want to visit you for dinner in the future? Do you mean to say you wouldn't welcome me?"

Hearing this, Cao Xiuhua laughed heartily. "Alright, alright! Then I won't buy the painting. You just come over more often to keep me company, and I’ll treat you to some good food!"

When Cao Xiuhua was younger, she didn't mind living alone, but as she aged, she grew to miss the company of the younger generation. Her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson were always busy and only visited occasionally. She was more than happy to have Qin Miaoyu visit her from time to time.

Recalling that the old man must have seen Qin Miaoyu earlier, she asked, "The old man said some nasty things again, didn't he?"

Qin Miaoyu nodded. "Yes, but I didn't hold back; I retorted right back at him!"

"Good for you. You shouldn't give that old man any easy treatment. Was he here to push Qi'an into another arranged marriage?"

"No. He did criticize me, but he didn't push for marriage. He came to talk about the major project the Lu family lost, going on and on about the Li family, saying Qi'an shouldn't have ended the partnership with them."

Cao Xiuhua’s face was full of mockery. "I didn't realize the Li family had such influence! Did he bring up anything else?"

"Qi'an tried to steer the conversation toward other matters, but the old man kept pulling it back to that."

Cao Xiuhua frowned. "Is he trying to force Qi'an to resume the partnership? Does he want to keep funneling the Lu family's money into the Li family?"

"I suspect so," Qin Miaoyu replied.

Because Elder Lu kept harping on about the project, insisting that if they had the Li family as a backup, they wouldn't have lost a deal that was supposedly a sure thing.

"He is truly dreaming! The Lu Corporation isn't his alone anymore. Back in the day, he could..." She stopped herself; there was no point in bringing up the past.

In the kitchen, while watching the soup, Lu Qi'an was thinking about the same issue. He felt that something must have happened that they were unaware of, which was why his grandfather was acting so strangely.

Since there was nothing else to do at Lu Qi'an's place, Qin Miaoyu decided to head home after the meal. The old lady asked Lu Qi'an to give her a ride, but Qin Miaoyu declined.

"Grandma, let Qi'an stay here and keep you company. I don't live far, and a taxi will get me there in ten minutes!"

Back home, Qin Miaoyu dug out her paintings. She had a fair number of works she had painted on a whim or hadn't sold yet. She organized them, took photos, and sent them to Grandma Lu.

As Cao Xiuhua looked through the images, she grew increasingly familiar with the style. She had studied painting herself, and though it wasn't her primary talent, she had a sharp eye from years of appreciating art. When she looked at the painting on Lu Qi'an's wall, she realized the technique and style were almost identical to the paintings her daughter-in-law had gifted her.

When she heard Qin Miaoyu say she had painted it, she formed a suspicion. As she looked through the photos, that suspicion grew stronger.

Then, she arrived at a painting of an autumn landscape. Qin Miaoyu had felt there was a minor flaw in this piece, so she had kept it for herself and painted another one for the buyer. However, time had passed, and she had forgotten about that detail, so she had included it in the photos for Grandma Lu.