Chapter 371: Time for Matchmaking Again

**Chapter 371: Time to Appraise Paintings Again**

At first, Su Tong thought Ye Xiaoxiao had invited her so formally because she wanted to buy traditional Chinese paintings.

Then she saw those loosely sketched, vibrantly colored ink paintings.

The paintings were good, but the paper quality seemed basic.

"Are these... what you want to buy?"

Su Tong hesitated—the paintings would suit a home, but she wasn’t sure who had painted them.

"Not really. First, help me decide if they’re worth buying."

Ye Xiaoxiao kept the painter’s identity a secret for now.

After examining them carefully, Su Tong said, "These have a unique artistic style and are likely all by the same artist. The painter clearly has skill—the brushstrokes are relaxed, but expressive.

If you're paying for them, a few hundred yuan (about $50) would be fair."

Original art can be pricey, but Su Tong’s assessment put Ye Xiaoxiao at ease.

"Actually, these were painted by my mom."

It took Su Tong a moment to register this.

"You mean your mother from White Stone Village?"

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded. "Yeah."

Though embarrassed, Su Tong couldn’t help asking, "Didn’t you say before that your mother was simply an ordinary village woman?"

Seeing these works made her, an art student, feel ashamed.

Her earlier estimate of a few hundred yuan was for unknown amateur painters.

If the artist gained recognition, these could easily sell for thousands.

That's how the art world goes—you never know who might make it big.

"Well, my mom had schooling—she probably learned from my grandfather. Whether she had other teachers, I don’t know."

Ye Xiaoxiao topped up Su Tong’s teacup. "I’m asking about this now because someone named Lin Chan, a woman in her fifties, wants to buy Mom’s paintings. This came up in a letter from my mom."

Su Tong suddenly grabbed Ye Xiaoxiao’s arm in excitement.

Water splashed from the teacup, and Ye Xiaoxiao quickly steadied it before setting it aside.

"Lin Chan?" Su Tong’s voice rose. "You mean Master Lin Chan, the renowned contemporary Chinese painting master? She once taught masterclasses at our school!"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I’m not sure if it’s the same person. I’m worried it might be a scam."

Even if the paintings weren’t valuable, they might be after something else.

Su Tong was so eager she almost wanted to fly to Shenshi to meet the woman.

But even if she confirmed Lin Chan’s identity, she couldn’t just show up unannounced—especially since she wasn’t sure yet.

"You're right. Teacher Lin Chan is a big name, and we wouldn't want someone impersonating her."

After calming down, Su Tong analyzed carefully, "If it really is Teacher Lin Chan, there's no need to worry—she's the kind who loves collecting works with folk elements like these."

"Besides, although these paintings by your mom have some technical shortcomings, they have a really unique style. That’s what art students value most."

Ye Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. "Then I’ll find a way for my mom to confirm whether the buyer is really Teacher Lin Chan."

Su Tong suddenly got excited again.

For someone who came off as this artsy, elegant beauty, she'd get all hyper when excited.

Outsiders would never guess she was so lively in private.

"Teacher Lin Chan has appeared on lots of shows—you can spot her in newspapers and magazines. Let me give you some book titles; your mom can check them at the local Xinhua Bookstore."

"The books have photos of Lin Chan, so she can just compare them. Easy enough."

Not a bad plan. Ye Xiaoxiao asked which books so she could tell Miao Cuifang to look them up.

"I was gonna show these paintings to Jiang Yi originally, but now that you’ve confirmed their value and mentioned Teacher Lin Chan, probably not worth bothering."

Besides, Jiang Yi had been at the hospital lately keeping his friend company—it’d be better not to disturb him if possible.

"Jiang Yi... The guy can seriously paint. You could still show them to him."

Su Tong and Jiang Yi knew each other—they grew up together in the same complex and were both art students.

Jiang Yi had even participated in a recent local exhibition in the capital.

Ye Xiaoxiao tilted her head. "I rarely hear you praise people?"

Su Tong shrugged. "Painting comes down to talent. I'm... just average, while Jiang Yi is the kind talent just pours into."

Su Tong studied out of town, while Jiang Yi landed a spot at the country’s top-ranked fine arts academy.

Though school doesn’t define skill, landing a spot at the best art school tells you all you need to know about his ability.

Ye Xiaoxiao comforted her. "You're plenty talented yourself."

After finishing their tea, Su Tong and Ye Xiaoxiao sprawled on the living room rug chatting.

"Xiao Xiao, I suddenly really want to fall in love."

Su Tong just came out with it.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Got your eye on anyone?"

Su Tong shook her head. "Nope."

She was way too picky about looks, which made finding someone hard.

Ye Xiaoxiao sat up and looked at her. "Want me to set you up?"

But she was blanking on who'd be right for Su Tong.

An artsy type like her would pair best with a brainy science guy…

Ye Xiaoxiao’s face brightened. "What about my brother? You're even in the same college town."

Su Tong: "You mean Ha City?"

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously, "The National Defense University—isn't it pretty close to your art college?"

"It is pretty close, but I'm in Beijing now. Trying to set me up in a long-distance relationship?"

Su Tong didn’t catch that earlier, "Wait—you said he’s your brother?"

Ye Xiaoxiao patted her bestie's shoulder, "Just wait—this one’s on me.

It’s not really long-distance anyway. He’s still in grad school and might come work in Beijing after graduation. Then you’ll be close.

You’re always traveling around the country sketching—when would you even have time to hang out with a boyfriend?

Trust me, making money matters way more than having someone around."

Su Tong burst into laughter at Ye Xiaoxiao’s words.

She’d only just started thinking about dating—not like she was rushing to find a boyfriend or anything.

But after hearing Ye Xiaoxiao talk it up, Su Tong actually felt a little curious.

"Is he really your brother? Does he look like you?"

If he looked anything like Xiao Xiao, she might actually like him.

"Duh, of course he’s my real brother—ridiculously good-looking. Like super hot for a STEM guy."

Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t exaggerating. Ye Changsheng really was handsome—

the refined, elegant type.

Exactly Su Tong’s style—the kind who cares about looks.

Su Tong flopped back down, "Well then, I can’t wait to see what your 'crane among chickens' brother looks like."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Won’t disappoint, guaranteed."

Who knew helping her bestie get a boyfriend would end up being her job?