Shanghai morning

On Sunday, Wang Yao came as scheduled according to the address Ferry gave him. He is no stranger to this place. He has stopped under this bungalow many times to listen to the beautiful melody flowing from the window on the second floor.When he agreed to Ferry, he vaguely thought of this possibility, but Ferry's bright smile made him unable to refuse.

But today there is no piano sound, maybe the musician is not there.Wang Yao lingered at the door for a while before ringing the doorbell. A young Chinese servant opened the door. The moment he saw Wang Yao, his big bright eyes showed a bit of surprise, but he quickly returned to normal. He smiled and spoke Chinese. Ask Wang Yao if he has an appointment with Mr. Beschmidt.

Wang Yao didn't know how to answer. He didn't remember that Ferry had told him what his last name was. Even if he had told him, it was difficult for Wang Yao to remember foreign names that were too complicated.

"Yun Jian, who is outside?" A voice sounded familiar, but it was speaking in a language that Wang Yao couldn't understand.

It was Ludwig who came out, and the Chinese servant called Yunjian stepped back slightly.

"It's you?" Ludwig switched to English, "It turns out that the friend Ferry said was coming today is you." After he finished speaking, he looked behind Wang Yao.

Wang Yao was a little scared at first, and then felt baffled.

Luther realized that he had lost his composure, and hurriedly said, "Please come in!"

"What are you looking for?" Wang Yao couldn't help asking.

Luther said a little shyly: "Sorry, I thought you would be with that Mr. Jones. We had some unpleasant things, I didn't know you would come to the door alone."

Mentioning that embarrassing incident, Wang Yao would still feel annoyed. If there hadn't been that accident, he wouldn't have to advance his salary to avoid being thrown out by the landlord again.

Walking into the simple but elegant living room, Wang Yao was attracted by an oil painting above the fireplace. It was a neoclassical work, but to Wang Yao who didn't understand art, the picture was just a nude woman with fair skin. The plump cock was too dazzling, but he couldn't take his eyes off it.

"This is Ferry's painting, he is a genius." Luther's voice brought Wang Yao back to reality.

Wang Yao's cheeks were hot, and he actually stared at the woman's naked body intently.

Luther asked Wang Yao to sit down on the sofa decorated with exquisite Chinese patterns, and said to Yunjian, "Go and wake Ferry up and tell him: his guest has arrived." Then he shook his head helplessly.

Yunjian was pouring coffee for the two of them. Hearing the master's order, he calmly straightened his slender body, glanced at Wang Yao inadvertently, and walked lightly like a cat to the second floor.

The moment their eyes briefly met, Wang Yao suddenly felt that there was a stubbornness under this young man's supple appearance.

"Yunjian is a nice Chinese boy," Luther pointed to the direction Yunjian left. "Most Westerners are willing to hire a servant like him. He is beautiful, docile, and most importantly, loyal to his master."

"Maybe it's not like that." Wang Yao said to himself.

"Oh, by the way, I don't know your name yet." Luther leaned forward and asked.

"Wang Yao," Wang Yao put down his undrinked coffee and said, "Are you Mr. Beschmidt?"

"Just call me Luther." Luther nodded.

"Ah, here you come!" Ferry sprinted down the stairs like a gust of wind, his hair disheveled and his clothes still unbuttoned.

Wang Yao didn't know how to deal with this situation, maybe he should take the initiative to shake hands, but Ferry's left hand was scratching his head, and his right hand was buttoning buttons indiscriminately.

"You should tidy up before you come out!" Luther said to Ferry, rubbing his temples.

"Isn't it impolite to keep customers waiting?" Ferry smiled and tugged at his crumpled clothes even after they were buttoned up. "That—" He pointed at Wang Yao but couldn't get his name.

"Wang Yao." Wang Yao said with a smile, "Hello, Ferry."

"Huang-Yao?" Ferry had difficulty pronouncing the sound of "Wang".

"Wang—" Wang Yao raised his voice, "Forget it, just call me Yao."

"Yao, come with me, my new work is about to be unveiled!" Ferry happily grabbed Wang Yao, making a gesture to go upstairs.

"Hey, that's impolite!" Luther hurriedly brushed off Ferry's hand.

"Ah, I'm sorry! But I really can't wait!" Ferry said and led Wang Yao upstairs, but Luther didn't follow.

The doors on the second floor are all closed. Wang Yao guessed that they should be bedrooms and study rooms, and then there is a large attic.Ferry led Wang Yao to his studio. Although Yunjian would do a simple tidying up, Ferry's studio was still messy, with easels and oil paints scattered around.Once, Yunjian accidentally stepped on a dye jar, and it fell in the middle of a pile of bottles and jars, and it fell into colorful colors.This scene inspired Ferry to create a rainbow-like painting.

"Come, take a look at my favorite work!" Ferry walked to a covered painting panel like offering a treasure, first bowed slightly pretending to be elegant, and then lifted the cloth on it all at once.

On the gray screen, the tall buildings on the Bund are indistinct, like beasts.In front of the oppressive gray monster, a melancholy looking Chinese stood by the rushing Huangpu River. His body proportions were elongated and he looked thin. Locks of hair stuck to slightly parted lips, adding a bit of melancholy.

"This is... me?" Wang Yao looked at himself in the painting in disbelief.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ferry looked at Wang Yao expectantly.

"But why is it different?" Wang Yao felt that the people in the painting seemed unreal.

"This is to restore the impressive picture in my mind, and the unimportant parts are blurred, so the effect is much better than the photo!" Ferry pulled a little distance to look at his work.

"It is indeed a rare masterpiece." Although Wang Yao does not understand art, he feels that this painting has a kind of sad beauty.

"I'm still planning a new work, if completed, it will be the most outstanding painting in my life!" Ferry's eyes sparkled, "I would like to ask you to help us to complete this great work together. "

"But I can't draw?" Wang Yao didn't understand why Ferry would make such a request.

"No, I want to invite you to be my model." Ferry said with a smile.

"But you have already painted me." Wang Yao pointed at himself on the picture.

"It's different this time. I want you to be a mannequin," Ferri gestured, "with no clothes on."

Wang Yao was taken aback for a moment, his mind flashed the painting of a female nude in the living room, his face flushed instantly, and he waved his hands vigorously: "No! What's wrong with this? I'm not the kind of person who does this kind of thing!"

Ferry misunderstood Wang Yao's meaning: "I know you have a job, but I just need you to come at night or on Sunday, and I will pay you by the hour, don't worry!"

Hearing the word money, Wang Yao suddenly became speechless. He needed money too much, and it wasn't that he hadn't thought about finding a job to earn money outside of working hours. Ferry's condition moved his heart: "I don't want money." May I ask? That... How much are you going to pay me?"

"How about one dollar an hour? About three hours each time, of course, the time is not so sure." Ferry doesn't know much about the market. He has only painted a few sketches of human bodies in China. The models are some dancing girls, and they all cost a few dollars. The money was sent at will.

Wang Yao's eyes widened suddenly, the price was much higher than the wages of ordinary laborers, if he could do it once a week, it would be quite a good income.If Ferry finished his paintings sooner, he would not have to worry about rent for a short time.

"Evening or Sunday? When will it start?" Wang Yao asked.

"So you agree?" cried Ferry cheerfully. "Great! Let's start tomorrow, then. Can you come tomorrow evening?"

Wang Yao nodded, he suddenly had a feeling of betraying himself.

"Then I'll pick you up at Jardine Matheson tomorrow night! I have a car, you can walk less, and then I'll take you home!" Ferry happily planned, "Of course, you can also save dinner For the money, the Chinese chef hired by Luther is very skilled! What do you like to eat? You can make something you like!"

Facing Ferry's happiness, Wang Yao couldn't laugh anymore.