Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Su Xingyao never imagined that his act of saving the orca would be captured and posted online for everyone to see.

Even his painting "The Orca" was inspired by the intelligent and brave baby orca saving its mother and the deep bond within the orca family, which moved him to create this piece.

While video chatting with Xu Huan about the film’s progress, he heard these two anecdotes and felt a mix of amusement and disbelief.

"The funniest part is hearing that a painter also painted an orca and sold it for 46 million. Netizens are wondering if he’s your friend," Xu Huan said.

Su Xingyao, who had been smiling while listening to Xu Huan, had his expression shift slightly upon hearing this.

His attention instantly locked onto the number.

"Wait, how much?" he asked.

Xu Huan paused for a moment and repeated, "46 million."

After saying this, Xu Huan couldn't help but marvel, "Art is on another level, even higher than my film budget."

Hearing the price again, Su Xingyao, in disbelief, quickly grabbed his work phone to check.

He then noticed that his manager from the gallery had excitedly messaged him about the auction price several hours ago.

But since he hadn’t checked his phone, he missed the message.

Learning about the high auction price of his new work from someone else, Su Xingyao's first reaction wasn’t as excited as his manager.

He had a rough idea of the estimated value of the painting.

He figured 6 million was a fair estimate.

However, who could have imagined that the final auction price would be so sky-high...

6 million was just a drop in the bucket.

While competitive bidding often drives up prices, Su Xingyao felt something was off.

He sent a message to his manager, inquiring about the collector’s identity.

But the manager, likely busy, didn’t respond right away.

After hanging up with Xu Huan, Su Xingyao watched the sunset sinking into the sea and began packing up his easel to head home.

By late December, winter had already turned the mainland cold.

But on the equatorial island, the temperature remained unchanged.

Seagulls soared freely over the azure sea, gliding over the waves.

Su Xingyao carried his easel, barefoot on the golden sand, as the sea breeze gently ruffled his clothes.

He’d been on the island for over three months.

But Su Xingyao hadn’t gotten bored at all.

The island is peaceful and comfortable, free from any outside disturbances.

It’s the perfect place to stay and clear your mind.

Of course, the main reason is that the island Lu Jiuxu created is exactly what Su Xingyao had always dreamed of.

That night, as he fell into a deep sleep, he dreamt of his childhood again.

In the dream, his childhood friend appeared again to keep him company.

His friend asked, “Have you ever seen the sea?”

Little Su Xingyao nodded, his eyes sparkling with excitement about the sea.

“Yes!! But I’ve never actually seen the sea.”

“I really want to go see it someday.”

“I haven’t seen it either, but when I grow up, I’m definitely going there.”

His friend looked at him and said, “I heard you can even live on an island.”

Little Su’s eyes lit up right away.

“Can I live there someday?”

His friend reassured him, “Of course, when the time’s right, we’ll go together.”

After that, his friend even pulled out a piece of paper and started sketching out their future plans with Su Xingyao.

The two kids excitedly described the island they both dreamed of.

They imagined how they’d create their dream island someday.

The island would be perfect if it were crescent-shaped.

It would be like a fairy tale, with lush trees, blue skies, and bright sunshine all around.

There’d also be colorful flowers everywhere, and a quiet stone path leading to a diving spot.

When they dove into the sea, they’d see dolphins and Xiao Yu, and sometimes even spot whales on the surface.

It’d be perfect if there were also a long boardwalk leading to a cozy wooden cabin, just like in a fairy tale.

The lights in the cabins would always be glowing.

Even on the darkest nights, they’d offer shelter to a child like him, who had no home...

And all those childhood “daydreams” have come to life on Lu Jiuxu’s private island.

It’s even more stunning and beautiful than anything he’d imagined as a kid.

Sometimes Su Xingyao wonders if Lu Jiuxu has some kind of magical power.

Or if he’s actually the friend from his childhood.

Otherwise, how could they have shared the same vision to create such a dreamlike island?

But Su Xingyao only wonders about it from time to time.

He had casually brought up Lu Jiuxu's past in a previous chat with Lu Zhiyun.

Lu Zhiyun mentioned that Lu Jiuxu was raised in the Lu family.

*

After finishing 95% of his album while soaking up inspiration on the island, Su Xingyao was getting ready to head back to China.

As much as he loved the island, he couldn’t just laze around there forever.

As he was packing up for his trip home, Lu Zhiyun’s video call came through, right on schedule.

Because of motion sickness, Su Xingyao decided not to bring Sunset and Coral along for such a long trip.

Lu Zhiyun, a big animal lover, was thrilled to look after the two little ones every day.

But for this long trip, Sunset and Coral were clearly not ready to say goodbye to Su Xingyao.

So, Lu Zhiyun would video call Su Xingyao almost every day, letting the pets see and "talk" to him over the phone.

Once Sunset and Coral had gotten their cuddles in, Lu Zhiyun squeezed his face between the two little heads to chat with Su Xingyao.

"Xing Yao, is my brother coming to get you?"

As Lu Zhiyun spoke, Coral, annoyed at him stealing the spotlight, reached out a paw.

The phone, which had been sitting on the table, toppled over.

Lu Zhiyun quickly grabbed it, gave Coral an apologetic smile, and stood up.

As Lu Zhiyun moved, Su Xingyao caught a glimpse of the carefully framed "Killer Whale" in the background.

When "Killer Whale" came into view, Su Xingyao was stunned.

"Wait, you’re the one who bought this painting?"

No wonder Su Xingyao jumped to that conclusion.

After all, Lu Zhiyun didn’t know he was S and was known for splurging on pricey things like sports cars.

With his personality, it wouldn’t be out of character for him to bid sky-high at an auction without really knowing what he was doing.

On the other end, Lu Zhiyun, suddenly brought up about the painting, looked confused.

"Huh? What painting?"

"The one right behind you."

Lu Zhiyun, who’d snuck into Lu Jiuxu’s study with Sunset and Coral, spun around and spotted the framed painting behind him.

After studying the painting for a moment, he scratched his head.

"Oh, this one? My brother must’ve bought it—I’m in his study."

Su Xingyao’s heart, which had been in knots, suddenly felt like it was floating in a calm, warm pool.

So the collector who’d been so captivated by his painting...

Turned out to be Lu Jiuxu.

After hanging up the call with Lu Zhiyun, the island's housekeeper reminded Su Xingyao that Lu Jiuxu's helicopter was about to arrive.

Su Xingyao followed the housekeeper to the helipad.

The helicopter's roar filled his ears.

The noise grew louder as the helicopter drew closer.

Though Su Xingyao had already learned about Lu Jiuxu's itinerary from Lu Zhiyun, seeing the tall figure approaching in the wind still made his heart skip a beat.

Though they hadn't been apart long, it felt like ages.

The two had lunch together.

Su Xingyao, unable to hold back, finally asked about the painting.

*

"Mr. Lu, was it you who bought the painting 'Orca'?"

Lu Jiuxu's expression didn't change, his eyes still holding a faint smile as he nodded.

"Yes."

He looked at Su Xingyao and asked, "Why do you ask?"

Su Xingyao realized Lu Jiuxu already knew he was S.

He didn't delve into how Lu Jiuxu found out, but instead, he straightforwardly expressed what he had been wanting to say.

"I just think the price is a bit too high."

"That painting isn't worth that much."

Now that everything was clear, Su Xingyao shared his plan with Lu Jiuxu.

"In a few days, after my manager transfers the money, I'll refund you."

Su Xingyao's cheeks puffed out slightly.

"However, the auction house will take a commission..."

As he spoke, Su Xingyao mentally calculated the amount, planning to use his own money to cover the deducted commission for Lu Jiuxu.

Lu Jiuxu, beside him, smiled at Su Xingyao's earnest expression. After watching for a moment, he casually interrupted.

"I simply liked it."

He didn't explain his reasons, but his gaze stayed locked on Su Xingyao.

Hearing this, Su Xingyao couldn't help but argue.

"If you like it, I could paint one specially for you."

Lu Jiuxu laughed softly and shook his head.

"It's not the same."

"What's the difference?"

Aren’t they all my own paintings?

But Lu Jiuxu avoided the question and instead asked him.

"So you didn’t want me to bid on that painting?"

Su Xingyao got caught up in the conversation.

"No, that's not it."

He explained to him.

"If someone else had won it, I would have felt lucky, unexpectedly earning a hefty sum..."

"But if it were you who won it."

"I’d feel like the auction house got the better deal."

After saying this, Su Xingyao looked up to meet Lu Jiuxu's gaze, only to see the other laughing warmly.

As if he hadn’t spent forty-six million, but had struck the deal of a lifetime.

Su Xingyao felt that his earlier explanation might not have been quite right, but for a second, he couldn’t figure out exactly what was wrong.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Lu Jiuxu casually shifted the conversation.

"Uncle Lin mentioned you haven’t been enjoying yourself much lately?"

Although this island belongs exclusively to Lu Jiuxu, it still boasts many playgrounds and attractions.

However, in the past few months, Su Xingyao has been busy writing songs and isn’t really into the hustle and bustle. During his time here, he has mostly been either painting or composing.

Lu Jiuxu waved him over, "Come on, I’ll show you something cool."

Su Xingyao hurried after him.

With his companion by his side, he suddenly found himself greatly interested in these water activities.

Originally, Su Xingyao wanted to try out the water jetpack.

But after some thought, he ended up choosing to go diving instead.

Lu Jiuxu had previously told him that the underwater world here is stunning.

So he wanted to see it for himself.

Soon, under the guidance and accompaniment of a professional instructor, Su Xingyao finally dove into the ocean.

As the clear seawater covered him, he felt as though he had entered a new world.

Colorful corals swayed gently to a rhythm, and various schools of fish swam freely in the open sea.

Sunlight filtered through the surface, casting gorgeous light patterns below.

Su Xingyao felt the gentle caress of the seawater against his skin, and it seemed as if time had paused in this tranquil and mysterious moment.

The ocean floor was absolutely breathtaking.

Lu Jiuxu quietly swam alongside him, not too far away.

Su Xingyao turned to smile at him but quickly realized Lu Jiuxu couldn’t see it, so he waved instead.

Lu Jiuxu gestured back, but Su Xingyao, flustered from his first dive, missed it.

After swimming a bit further, Su Xingyao was delighted to find a small school of fish, Xiao Yu, surrounding him.

They swam fearlessly, coming incredibly close to him.

A few bold ones even swam up to interact with him.

Su Xingyao gazed at the yellow Xiao Yu before him and gently, cautiously reached out his hand.

The Xiao Yu seemed to understand, wagging its tail gently in response.

A moment later, Su Xingyao’s fingertip brushed the Xiao Yu’s mouth in the soft seawater.

Su Xingyao’s eyes lit up with pure joy.

He couldn’t wait to share his excitement with Lu Jiuxu.

Unbeknownst to Su Xingyao, Lu Jiuxu, who had been watching him closely, quietly snapped a photo of the magical moment.

*

As the vacation ended, Su Xingyao had barely returned home when invitations from various shows started pouring in.

Beyond guest mentoring on singing shows, many variety programs eagerly reached out to him.

After all, netizens crowned Su Xingyao the "god of variety shows," and every show he’d been on had miraculously skyrocketed in popularity.

So, every show—whether on air or in the works—was vying to invite him, hoping his charm would create unforgettable moments and boost their ratings.

Among them, the team behind *Quan Shen Er Tui* wasted no time in inviting Su Xingyao.

Su Xingyao had starred in the show’s premiere episode.

Back then, he and Luo Yiyuan, the duo terrified of the dark and ghosts, had gone viral with their hilarious antics and sharp wit, instantly making the show a hit.

Now, as the show approached its finale, the team was desperate to bring Su Xingyao back to wrap up the series perfectly.

Su Xingyao, ever loyal to old friendships, learned the finale’s script and games were designed just for him.

Despite his packed schedule, he accepted the invitation on the spot.

The team was thrilled and geared up to announce it on Weibo to build hype.

Meanwhile, Chu Zian, who’d been lying low, found a new sugar daddy after splitting with Jiang Xunche.

His sugar daddy pulled strings to land him a spot in the *Quan Shen Er Tui* finale.