Su Li’s eyes were blindfolded with a piece of cloth by Bai Huizi, making it impossible for her to see anything around her.
With her vision blurred, her other senses grew sharper. So she could keenly sense even the slightest movement of wind or grass around her.
Actually, Su Li thought Bai Huizi didn’t need to go to all this trouble.
If they were just playing a game, there was no need to blindfold her; she could simply close her eyes.
Besides, for her, being able to close her eyes was also a way to conserve her energy.
But Bai Huizi seemed to enjoy this kind of game, and since it was the client’s choice, Su Li would never spoil the client’s mood.
She sat on the chair, waiting for Bai Huizi’s next move.
Because her back was already covered with patterns, Su Li guessed Bai Huizi was going to paint on her front now.
Luckily, Bai Huizi’s mood today was a bit more stable, at least compared to Shen Cishu.
After all, this wasn’t Bai Huizi’s house. If she were as emotionally unstable as Shen Cishu, carelessly splashing paint everywhere, cleaning up afterward would be quite troublesome.
Even if they found an Auntie Cleaner to tidy up, Su Li suspected she’d probably end up cleaning alongside the Auntie Cleaner.
Besides, she wasn’t in the habit of asking others for help.
Of course, if things got too troublesome, she might reconsider.
Bai Huizi looked at Su Li sitting on the chair. The girl’s skin was dazzlingly fair, like a plaster figure in a shop window untouched by dust.
But compared to plaster, Su Li was livelier and more interesting.
Even when Bai Huizi tied the white cloth around her head just now, Su Li’s body hadn’t trembled at all.
Now, with a tight butterfly knot tied behind her head, she looked even more like a finely wrapped gift.
Su Li sat nude on the chair, her back straighter than a ruler, face covered by the white cloth, head slightly tilted as if a spotlight—not a chandelier—hung above her.
Bai Huizi quietly stood beside Su Li, gazing at her appearance at this moment, and a word surfaced in her mind.
“Artist.”
She was a mundane person, not understanding art.
Even though she owned an Art Museum and knew plenty about paintings, she still didn’t understand art.
Compared to those paintings, what she understood more was their price.
She couldn’t evaluate a painting’s value outside of its monetary worth.
But seeing Su Li now, she felt as if she suddenly understood what art was.
If only it weren’t for the random doodles she’d just made on Su Li’s back, ruining the scene.
Thinking of this, Bai Huizi’s lips curled up in a smile.
Isn’t it even more interesting this way?
To destroy the art.
Or perhaps, to defile it.
Shen Cishu always fancied herself as cultured—perhaps now, in her eyes, Su Li would be a priceless Artist as well. In that case, Bai Huizi’s goal was to destroy this Artist.
Bai Huizi’s paint-stained fingers hovered above Su Li’s collarbone and she suddenly realized Su Li was even controlling her breathing.
The rhythm of her chest rising and falling matched a second hand ticking away, switching precisely at the tenth beat.
Just like the expressionless look on Su Li’s face.
“If it wasn’t for the tiny reactions in your body every time elder sister transfers you money, sometimes I really think you’re a Robot.”
“A Robot with thoughts and ideas of her own, able to keep learning about the world.”
“But compared to other people, I think you’re much more interesting.”
“Even the feeling when touching your skin is better than a Human’s.”
Muttering, Bai Huizi spread cold Blue Paint across Su Li’s shoulder.
As the paint trickled down Su Li’s spine, only a few fine hairs at the nape of her neck bristled; even her knees didn’t shift a bit.
Bai Huizi deliberately pressed her palm, now covered in Cinnabar Red, onto Su Li’s chest. The Transfer Notification sounded in the quiet room.
“Twenty thousand yuan—will that buy us a racing heart from our little Su Li?”
She murmured to herself, pressing her hand against Su Li’s chest and laying her ear atop Su Li’s heart.
She was curious whether, like a Robot running on a Program, Su Li’s heart would speed up.
After listening for a while, Bai Huizi soon felt bored.
Su Li’s heartbeat hadn’t quickened.
With a hint of disappointment, she let out a sigh.
“So our little Su Li can’t carry out all of elder sister’s commands just because there’s money involved.”
As she spoke, Bai Huizi dragged her nail down Su Li’s neck, over her ribs, leaving a winding red line on her delicate skin.
She stopped again at Su Li’s chest.
“I almost forgot we were playing ‘I draw, you guess.’”
Speaking, Bai Huizi sat on Su Li’s lap, one hand pressing on Su Li’s shoulder, the other drawing a Dog with a Collar on Su Li’s abdomen.
At the other end of the Leash, there was a Person.
And nearby the Human and Dog, she drew another Dog, this one barking furiously.
“Little Su Li, guess what elder sister drew.”
The blindfold gradually soaked through with paint, and a drop of cobalt blue clung stubbornly to Su Li’s chin.
Bai Huizi stood up, looked at her artwork, and waited for Su Li’s answer.
“Human and Dog.”
“Elder sister isn’t satisfied with that answer.”
“A Person holding the leash, a Dog with a Collar, and another Dog barking on the side.”
Su Li’s tone was still calm; she didn’t hear Bai Huizi’s reply, but again, her phone sounded with another transfer notification.
“This Dog that keeps barking at the side, so noisy. Little Su Li, what do you think elder sister should do?”
Bai Huizi’s voice was casual, as if she were genuinely listening to Su Li’s answer.
Su Li could distinctly feel the paint sliding down her body, finally dripping onto the floor.
The room still ended up dirty, thanks to Bai Huizi.
But compared to the payment Bai Huizi gave her, cleaning costs were negligible.
“I think you should just follow your heart, Sister Bai.”
“No matter what you do, I’ll always support you.”
Su Li spoke, guessing that Bai Huizi wasn’t really asking for her opinion, but about whose side she was on.
Earlier this afternoon, Shen Cishu had painted Two People and One Dog on her.
Now, in the same spot, Bai Huizi drew Two Dogs and One Person.
Who was the Person, and who were the Dogs, was plain as day.
So Su Li chose to toss the question back to Bai Huizi.
“Is that so?”
Bai Huizi murmured softly, as if pondering Su Li’s answer.
“Mm.”
“Then, little Su Li, you must obediently close your eyes next~”