The candlelight in the side hall burned all night, gently enveloping Qin Xianyue's profile as she leaned over the desk, making her features appear even softer and more serene, like a jade statue immersed in time.
She was propped up at the desk, her fingertips still holding a brush, a small smudge of ink spreading on the xuan paper. She had unknowingly fallen into a deep sleep.
In her dream, she was surrounded by an endless expanse of thick fog.
Qin Xianyue stood alone within it, the surroundings so quiet that only her own breathing could be heard.
Just as the fear was about to consume her entirely, a warm hand suddenly grasped hers.
She instinctively looked up. Through the mist, Gu Yanchi's figure stood tall, his features sharp and handsome. He took her hand and walked forward with steady steps.
But as they walked, his pace gradually quickened.
"Elder Brother, wait for me..."
She struggled to keep up and tried to call out.
The person ahead, however, turned a deaf ear. The distance between them grew wider and wider...
"Elder Brother—"
Qin Xianyue stumbled and fell. When she looked up again, his figure had merged with the mist, becoming indistinguishable.
"Elder Brother..."
She gasped and woke up. Daylight filtered in through the window, casting faint shadows on the desk.
Rubbing her temples, which ached faintly, she was about to get up when her eyes met a pair of deep phoenix eyes.
Xie Jinyuan was sitting in a round chair opposite her, leaning back lazily against the chair's back, his long legs casually crossed.
He wore casual wear of black with dark patterns, which made his face appear as beautiful as jade.
His fingertips tapped lightly on the tabletop, making crisp sounds, as if he had been watching her for a long time.
Qin Xianyue was startled by his gaze, and she instinctively sat up straighter, her voice hoarse from just waking and tinged with confusion.
"Elder Brother, why are you back?"
"I was worried you wouldn't eat well alone, so I came back to check on you."
Xie Jinyuan reached across the desk and gently wiped the fine sweat from her temples with his sleeve.
"Why did you fall asleep here?"
Qin Xianyue's breathing was still unsteady. The sense of abandonment from her dream had not completely faded, and she instinctively reached out to grasp the corner of his sleeve nearby.
The warm touch of her fingertips brought her back to her senses slightly.
"I... I'm fine. Elder Brother, your official duties are important. You don't need to be distracted by me; I can take care of myself."
Xie Jinyuan chuckled softly.
"I can't eat alone. Jiao Jiao, please keep me company, alright?"
Qin Xianyue's face flushed upon hearing this, thinking about when her elder brother became so glib.
While the servants prepared the meal, Qin Xianyue handed the finished portrait to Xie Jinyuan.
"Elder Brother, look at this."
Xie Jinyuan looked up.
On the xuan paper was a portrait of a man.
He appeared to be around forty years old, with a thin face, slightly high brow bones, a straight nose bridge, thin lips, and a jawline that was clear and carried a hint of hardness.
His eyes conveyed a shrewdness and wariness honed by navigating the common folk.
With just a few strokes, the person's expression and demeanor were vividly depicted, a testament to the exquisite artistry.
However...
Xie Jinyuan showed a hint of confusion.
"Who is this?"
Qin Xianyue picked up another portrait, clearly older and with much cruder brushstrokes. It was the childhood image of the suspect that Bi Wu had found last night. She placed them side by side.
"Based on his appearance as a youth, I've deduced and drawn what he might look like now."
As she spoke, she spread out several sketch drafts on the desk that she had used for reference. They depicted facial bone structures from different angles, accompanied by small, elegant annotations.
She tapped her finger lightly, and then explained methodically:
"A person's facial features are seventy percent determined by the underlying bone structure and thirty percent by the overlying flesh and skin. Over a decade, the flesh and skin may change due to weight fluctuations or the elements, but the framework and growth patterns of the bones do not easily change."
She pointed to the childhood portrait.
"Using the bone structure characteristics already evident in his youthful features, such as the arc of his brow bone, the position of his cheekbones, and the nascent shape of his jaw, I've sketched his basic skeletal structure.
Then, referencing the rules of muscle attachment and growth with age, as well as the typical changes in facial fat distribution and skin texture at different ages, I've deduced step by step, adding details, to arrive at this adult appearance."
Having said this, Qin Xianyue slightly raised her eyelashes.
"However, there is still a degree of guesswork and inference involved. I'm not sure if it will be of any help to Elder Brother."
Xie Jinyuan's gaze lingered on the two portraits, spanning over a decade, and a fleeting, sharp glint crossed the depths of his eyes.
He had been in charge of the Zhencha Division for many years. This special supervisory agency, directly under the emperor, had unique authority. To prevent classified documents from being tampered with during transit, many important reports, especially those detailing on-site situations, were customarily submitted as paintings.
The division had dedicated painters, including many skilled artists, and quite a few who were adept at realistic depiction.
However, Qin Xianyue's ability to deduce an adult appearance with such clarity and logical rigor, based solely on a vague and crude childhood image, far surpassed the scope of "exquisite artistry" and could be considered extraordinary.
Even the most experienced old painters in the Zhencha Division would find it far from easy to achieve what she had done.
Yet, this particular skill was not mentioned in the investigation files.
With this thought, he slowly raised his eyes, shifting his gaze from the portrait to Qin Xianyue.
What had she experienced in the Marquis's Estate all these years to be so cautious about hiding such a world-shattering talent?
Qin Xianyue felt uneasy under his scrutiny and, feigning composure, asked.
"Does Elder Brother blame me for meddling in official matters?"
"Jiao Jiao..."
Xie Jinyuan squeezed her slightly cool fingertips.
"Whatever you want to say or do, you don't need to guess whether I approve or dislike it, whether I agree or disagree."
Qin Xianyue looked up.
"Really?"
But why did she instinctively feel that it hadn't always been this way?
"Of course," Xie Jinyuan nodded, "We're siblings. If you don't tell me, do you expect outsiders to advise me?"
At this moment, Bi Wu and Dan Zhu had finished preparing the meal. After they ate, Xie Jinyuan handed over the portrait as a clue.
His gaze swept across the desk, but it settled on an unfinished side profile of a young man.
From the upright posture and the lines of his shoulders and back, he immediately recognized it as Gu Yanchi.
When he spoke again, his tone carried a hint of sourness that he himself hadn't noticed.
"Jiao Jiao's painting skills have truly improved."
He lightly touched the side profile sketch with his fingertip, then withdrew it.
He leaned casually onto the Grand Tutor's chair beside him, his black robe flowing down like water, his phoenix eyes slightly raised as he looked at her.
"Paint me one too, how about it?"
Qin Xianyue nodded, her delicate hand picking up the brush.
She looked at his posture, slouched in the chair, completely lacking in formality, and felt a bit helpless.
"Elder Brother, please sit up properly. How can I paint you if you're all crooked?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Jinyuan did not sit up straight. Instead, he rested his arm on the armrest and leaned even further to the side.
He smiled nonchalantly, which only made him appear more unrestrained and charming.
"Why must you sit so rigidly upright? Jiao Jiao, painting is like living; why must you live according to others' expectations?
Just paint like this."
✦✦✦