CHAPTER 776: CHAPTER 776

The thought of Xu Qianli buying her painting and likely fooling around in front of it with one or many women, enjoying the tenderness of others while lasciviously fantasizing about the woman in the painting, made Qi Yujiao unbearably embarrassed.

Not only because she had painted it, but also because the woman in the painting was actually herself.

Qi Yujiao had used herself as the model for that stunning oil painting of a beauty.

In the painting, she, veiled and baring her enticing body, with mere leaves covering the most crucial areas, was simply too shameful.

Creating this painting and exhibiting it had required a great deal of determination on her part.

Perhaps it was an uncontainable rebellion deep within her, or maybe something else altogether, but she did it regardless of the consequences.

At the exhibition, she roamed near the painting, purposely observing.

Every time someone, particularly a man, stopped to look at the painting, her heart would race, and she would be overcome with an indescribable sensation she had never felt before.

Embarrassment, excitement, exhilaration—it made her wonder if she might have an exhibitionist streak.

But she didn’t care anymore; she reveled in that feeling, quietly hoping that a man would come along and buy the painting.

Of course, she knew it was unthinkable—who would pay a million for a painting by a virtually unknown artist? It was impossible.

Yet, Xu Qianli had emerged out of nowhere, not only buying it but also saying it wasn’t for the craftsmanship or collector’s value, but plainly because the woman’s figure in the painting was superb and he found it incredibly arousing, purchasing it to spice things up.

Although she was annoyed by his actions and words, she couldn’t deny he had an eye for quality, recognizing how fantastic her figure was.

Lying on her bed, Qi Yujiao suddenly laughed, snickering away.

Heeheehee, just from the painting, Xu Qian was willing to spend a fortune—what if he saw her real face, saw how hot and perfect her body was? Would he impulsively go mad and pounce on her, desperate to claim her without a second thought?

Surely he would, that guy knew quality. Having seen how sensational the woman in the painting was, how could he not lose control upon meeting her in person?

What was that bastard doing now? She had looked around when she came in earlier but hadn’t seen him; he must have left the gallery by now, but where did he go?

Surely he wasn’t secretly finding a place, thinking of the person in the painting, and shamefully relieving himself somewhere?

Ugh, shameless, that detestable rogue is truly shameless, to imagine doing such things with her painting, utterly disgraceful!

Was she really so beautiful, so alluring, that he’d spend a million just to buy the painting? He knew quality too well.

When she’d see him next, she had no idea when that would be.

While Qi Yujiao was lost in her wild thoughts, footsteps approached from the entrance, followed by a woman’s voice, "Miss, should we get the painting back? After all, it’s a self-portrait of Miss, and it’s probably not good to let it fall into the hands of a man, that’s too much of a bargain for him."

The newcomer was Qi Yujiao’s female bodyguard. Without turning her head, Qi Yujiao said, "Forget it, let him have it cheaply. I hope he treasures that painting. Enough about him, though. Tell me, am I really that beautiful, and is my figure really that great? Is that why the painting sold for a million?"

Qi Yujiao quickly sat up and pulled off the loose T-shirt, revealing the provocative figure underneath.

The female bodyguard gave a thumbs up, "Miss, you’re not just beautiful, you’re like a reborn goddess. With a body like yours, if a man saw it, he’d dream about you every night. I bet countless men would be bewitched by you."

"If it’s really like what you’re saying, then why did only one man appreciate my self-portrait and was willing to spend money to buy it?"

Qi Yujiao suddenly felt a bit downcast.

It was a painting of herself as the model, so why was there only one man willing to spend the money?

The bodyguard said, "That’s because only that man really knows how to appreciate it, and knows your worth, Miss. Or perhaps, he is your soulmate."

"Soulmate?" Qi Yujiao scoffed and shook her head, "How could that be, just because I painted a picture and he bought it, he’s my soulmate?"

"Of course," said the bodyguard, "others may not appreciate your painting, but he not only appreciates its quality but also spent money to buy it. Doesn’t that prove he’s your soulmate? If he’s not your soulmate, then it must be fate. He’s fated to be with you, Miss, it’s that simple."

"You really are—what soulmate, what fate, who’s fated with him—I certainly don’t have any fate with him."

"Soulmate and fate aside, that’s not even it, that man is just a pervert. He saw the figure in your self-portrait, which is top-notch, and his lust made him buy it. That guy is just a scoundrel!"

Qi Yujiao wouldn’t admit it. She absolutely refused to.

The bodyguard said, "Men, huh? Who doesn’t like beautiful women? It’s very normal to like beautiful women. Miss, have you ever thought about a man who, just by looking at your self-portrait, becomes so impulsive he can’t help it and is willing to pay big money for the painting? If he saw you in person, imagine how much he’d like you. He’d probably be afraid that even holding you in the palm of his hand isn’t good enough."

Qi Yujiao retorted, annoyed, "Really, what are you even saying? I don’t want to be held in his palm. The man Qi Yujiao marries will be a real man, not some pervert!"

Suddenly the bodyguard snickered, climbed onto the bed, and whispered into Qi Yujiao’s ear, "Miss, you guessed right. He’s a pervert. Your painting has set him on fire. He was so impatient that he dragged a woman into the restroom to do ’that’. They’re at it hot and heavy right now. Miss, you’ve really wrought karma. Just one painting made him so impulsive; if he saw you in person, he’d probably stop at nothing to take you home."

Qi Yujiao’s ears turned red with embarrassment.

Damn Xu Qianli, how shameless, actually doing something like that, utterly faceless.

To think he could be so easily aroused by her painting, unable to resist dragging a woman off to do the deed, surely it was because of her artwork. It seemed the guy was truly captivated by her painting, by her body.

Hmph, although he wasn’t anything respectable, he did have an eye for quality.

Despite her disdain and even disgust for Xu Qianli, Qi Yujiao suddenly took a keen interest in him, "Go, have someone look into him, see where he comes from, what his background is."

Qi Yujiao was determined to find out about that stinking man who had bought her painting and made her so furious.

The bodyguard replied with a yes and quickly left.

She was none other than Xiao Wu, disguised as an ordinary woman. Hehehe, success, she had managed to pique Qi Yujiao’s curiosity about Xu Qianli. Now she could progress to the next step of the plan.