Jonah had completed the entire art when I started on a curved flower petal. He laughed as though he’d won when he saw my canvas only had two petals.
I ignored his sneer and the whispers from the audience, merely focusing all my attention on my art.
“I’m done!” Jonah threw his paintbrush onto the table as he proclaimed triumphantly after completing four of his artworks.
At the same time, I drew the last stroke and put down my brush. “I’m done too.”
“This is the artwork you wanted to use to compete against me?” Jonah taunted as he looked at the flower buds. Suddenly, his face turned red in anger. “Hey, are you looking down on me? Why else would you compete with this artwork? Is the painting on the wall done by another artist?”
“Sorry, there’s a final step I missed.” I walked toward Christopher and asked for his glass of water, then headed back to the stage. As I stared at the about-to-bloom peony, I dipped my paintbrush into the water and splashed it onto the painting. All the peonies had blossomed as though they had come alive.
“Woah!” Someone from the audience exclaimed as he rubbed his eyes. “Am I hallucinating? I thought I saw the flowers in the painting bloom?”
“You’re not because I saw it too,” another audience added.
Jonah was stunned by my skills. He rubbed his eyes and asked, “What happened? How is this possible?”
A smile formed on my lips as I pulled the canvas and swiftly drew a rose on it. I repeated the same method by splashing some water on it. The rosebud bloomed splendidly.
“In Hawen, we have a large land, abundant resources, and plenty of talented individuals. This skill was merely a small trick I’ve learned.”
A member of the audience requested another painting because they didn’t get a clear look at my previous ones. I didn’t mind, so I drew another species of rose. As I made it bloom again, the audience started cheering. Jonah was snapped back from his thoughts and muttered, “So you truly have the skills. I shouldn’t have listened to the rumors and challenged you recklessly.”
Standing close, I heard every word he said. I realized he was instigated to challenge me.
“I lost.” Jonah said with a bitter expression, “I’ve lost to you, and I accepted that. As I have promised, I’ll never draw again.”
Jonah set his paintbrush on the table and was about to leave. I quickly stopped him. “There is no win or lose. We merely had a friendly exchange. Have I said anything?”
“What are you saying?” Jonah asked puzzledly, surprised by my words.
“I’m glad to stand here and paint with you. If there’s a chance in the future, let’s do it again.” I extended my hand out. “I’m Yvonne Tanner.”
Jonah merely stared at my hand and finally understood that I was asking him to forget about his bet. He shook my hand and said, “I’m Jonah Deere. My biggest gain from today is meeting a beautiful lady like you.”
The art exhibition ended smoothly. That night, Ansley hosted an after-party at the hotel. With the clinking of glasses, guests came and go, the sweet scent of champagne wafting through the air. I was in the spotlight that night. Maybe it was because of the competition with Jonah earlier, many approached me for a chat. And there were even some Anglander girls who came up to me for a selfie.
Furthermore, I saw a Hawenian journalist come over, requesting a photo of me with Christopher. With that his interest was piqued, despite my aversion to having my photo taken, he pulled me to the camera and posed cutely. “This is an excellent opportunity for us to show what a sweet couple we are. I’m not letting this slip. Put your arm on my waist and smile sweetly.”
“What a childish man!” I uttered under my breath. How can this guy be so cute?”
