My years as a menswear boss

"Are you going to pack so many things?" Albert leaned against the door, watching the young man organize his portfolio.

Jiqiu took a few charcoal pencils and stuffed them into her pocket. She chose a few suitable pieces of paper and put them in the picture folder, "Inspiration is fleeting, and I must record it immediately, so a painter must bring it with him when he travels. his equipment."

"If you feel bored, you can take a stroll around my studio."

A studio belonging to Roxi was finally built. The studio as a whole is in the style of the Renaissance period. Several life-sized plaster plasters are located in every corner of the studio. Every painting is hung on the wall. The studio is more like a small art gallery.

Albert visited this brand-new studio. He carefully examined every painting on the wall. Most of the models were indistinguishable beauties, lying in the sea of ​​flowers, sitting on the reef by the sea, and leaning against the towering trees. Waiting for the poses, the expressions of each oil painting are different, sad, joyful, indifferent, he is immersed in the oil painting for a while, dancing with the people in the painting in his mind.

"I'm packed and ready to go." Jiqiu walked to Albert while arranging her shoulder straps.

"Do the people in this painting really exist?" Albert asked, pointing to an oil painting.

Jiqiu looked in the direction he pointed, and the person in the painting was Grossi, "Of course, he is my muse, and he has inspired me a lot."

"Him?" Albert was a little surprised, he didn't expect this person to be a man.

"Well, real man, he doesn't like being thought of as a girl."

Jiqiu nodded, she looked out the window, the carriage was already waiting at the door, "Shall we go by carriage?"

"My suggestion is not to, otherwise you will lose a lot of fun." Albert said.

Before leaving the studio, Albert noticed that the innermost room of the studio was locked, "Why is that room locked?"

"Oh, there are my unfinished works there, so it's not convenient to show them to others." Jiqiu replied.

Albert took Jiqiu through the alleys of Paris. They were not limited to the city center, but more to the edge of the city.

"Here, you can see all kinds of people." Albert walked in front, and he pointed to a bakery next to him, "Their croissants are the best in Paris, sometimes I buy some Bring it to my mother."

Jiqiu Wenyan also lined up to buy a bag of chocolate-filled croissants, planning to take it home for Dantès to taste, "I hope my father will like it."

Albert saw Jiqiu carefully put the paper bag into the backpack behind her, "The Earl will definitely improve his appetite when he sees this."

Suddenly a bakery clerk came out with a huge woven basket, and after a while, a large crowd rushed up.

"Simon, be careful!" Albert quickly supported Jiqiu and led her out of the crowd.

"How is this going?"

Jiqiu was squeezed by someone just now, and her foot was stepped on. She looked at the crazy crowd and was a little confused for a while, "Are they grabbing bread?"

"Yes, the owner of this bakery is kind-hearted. When the shop is about to close, he will sell the unsold bread at a lower price. Many poor people will come here to loot it." Albert said.

"Thank you for your helping hand just now, otherwise I'm afraid I will be trapped among those people and unable to go out."

Jiqiu breathed a sigh of relief, she stood at the outermost part of the crowd, most of the bread grabbers were women in shabby clothes, they wrapped their hair with a piece of cloth, moved their bodies and rushed towards the basket.

"Let's go shopping elsewhere." Albert signaled Jiqiu to follow him closely, walked around the crowd, and walked forward.

At this moment, a warm body collided with Jiqiu. She looked at the leftovers of bread scattered on the ground and a young girl, and bent down to help her up, "I'm so sorry, miss, are you okay?" ?”

The girl in front of her hesitated and raised her head, allowing Jiqiu to see her face under the hood, "Simon?"

"Aurora?" Jiqiu hurriedly pulled her away from the crowd, "Long time no see."

"I never thought that we would meet in this way." Aurora lowered her head, her face was covered by scattered hair, she saw the black mud in her nails, and shrank her hands back into the large cloak awkwardly.

"It seems that Amicitia has appeared, and she gave us a chance to meet again." Jiqiu said in a warm voice, and she helped Aurora to walk towards the open place.

Aurora saw that the young man was still full of vigor, and his demeanor was still gentle and gentle, but she was no longer that carefree girl. In just two months, life had dealt her a severe blow.

"You didn't get hurt anywhere, did you?" Jiqiu asked, she took Aurora's hand, and spread her hand, and there were a few small holes on it worn by fine sand and stones.

Aurora withdrew her hand and shook her head wildly, "I'm fine, why did you come to Paris?"

"I was invited to visit Paris, and by the way, see the academic painting here."

Jiqiu took out a handkerchief from her pocket, pointed to her cheek, "Here you are."

"Ah, thank you." Aurora hurriedly took the handkerchief, and vigorously wiped away the black marks on her face, which should have been touched by someone's hands when she was grabbing the bread just now.

"Sorry, I have to go home now, or my parents will be worried."

Aurora turned her head and glanced at the clock tower not far away. She saw the time, bowed to Jiqiu, and prepared to leave.

"I accidentally bumped into you just now, so I'll give you this as compensation." Jiqiu stuffed the croissant into Aurora's hand, and then ran towards Albert without looking back.

Aurora watched the back of the young man disappear into the crowd, feeling a little lost in her heart, she sighed, and rushed home with the oil paper bag in her hand.

"Who was that lady just now?" Albert, who witnessed the whole process not far away, asked curiously.

"It was my dance partner at the Rome Carnival, and I didn't expect to meet her here." Jiqiu said.

"That's really lucky, did you give her contact information?" Albert sighed.

Jiqiu touched his forehead in annoyance, "I don't think she really wants to see me."

"After all, every girl always wants to show her best side when she meets a boy she likes."

Albert patted Jiqiu on the shoulder reassuringly, "You are in the same city, as long as you go around more, maybe you will meet by chance."

"Then she won't be happy to see me until she gets out of the current predicament." Jiqiu shrugged her shoulders, she thought of Aurora's expression, embarrassment was greater than joy, why should she be embarrassing.

"Has she encountered any difficulties?"

"When she was in Rome, she once said that her father had only one sponsor, and that sponsor hoped that her father could imitate the painting style of a painter on the market. Unfortunately, this matter did not go well, which may cause their family to be a little bit financially poor now. .” Ji Qiu speculated.

"Then is it possible that the painter her father wants to imitate is you?"

Albert looked at the distressed expression of the young man, and couldn't help but said, he analyzed with reason, "First of all, the painter whom the sponsor favors is still alive, and the paintings of that painter cannot be bought, and the paintings of that painter are difficult to buy." To be imitated. You see, you are the only one who fits all the criteria."

"No way." Jiqiu glanced at him suspiciously, "Why can't I buy my paintings?"

"Do you remember when was the last time you sold a painting?"

"It seems... two years ago?" Jiqiu calculated the time when she sent the painting to the auction house.

"It's an unspoken rule for the auction house to select the items for nobles before releasing them for auction." Albert said, "Your works will be bought by high society people before the auction, so Rich people can't buy your work either.

What you don't know is that since you became famous, there have been many painters in Paris imitating your style of painting.

But without exception, none of them can imitate the essence, and no one can draw all the fluff on a person's face. "

Jiqiu touched the back of his head uncomfortably, "Because my brushes and paints are custom-made, each color is produced in a different place, and most importantly, I hired an oriental craftsman to make the brushes. The strand of animal hair at the tip of the white fox's tail is selected and made into a brush the size of a needle point, so that the tiny hairs on the human body can be depicted."

"Then, isn't it that no one can draw works similar to yours?" Albert looked shocked, and he was surprised by what Jiqiu said.

"In theory, yes. Unless he has a sponsor with financial resources comparable to my father, who is willing to hire people to collect paint from all over the world, build special tools, and have meticulous observation skills and solid painters. " Jiqiu said.

"No wonder the sponsor of the lady's father is always dissatisfied." Albert said softly, feeling sympathetic to the poor painter in his heart.

"The so-called collectors in the market now will only chase the price of a painting, and will not delve into the hidden meaning in the painting.

In the long run, the prices of the works of famous painters will become higher and higher, and there will be an endless stream of follow-up painters. Few people will be willing to pursue their own style of painting, and the painting school will not be able to be innovated. " Jiqiu said flatly.

Albert waved his hand helplessly, "But this matter is not something you can change."

"It seems that I have to seek a new breakthrough in No. [-] Middle School." Jiqiu said with a smile, thinking of the paintings piled up in her studio, "However, I have to sell the works I piled up first. This time I can organize the painting myself. In an auction, no one can earn the difference from me."

"Oh, then I have to order a picture I like first!"

Albert said happily that he had already set his sights on Jiqiu's oil painting of a muse lying in a sea of ​​flowers.

"Of course." Jiqiu nodded in agreement, and she planned to sort out the paintings when she went back.

"By the way, this is an invitation letter for my birthday! Please come and attend with the count."

Albert took out an invitation letter from his pocket, on which was printed the emblem of seven light blue swallows.

"I will. My father is very curious about the Earl and Countess of Montego, and he has always wanted to meet this loving couple." Jiqiu smiled sincerely, which made people feel relaxed.

"They are the same, and they all want to personally thank the Earl, the savior." Albert said.