Early morning at the art studio smelled of ink and echoed with roosters crowing. While grinding ink, Li Ming grumbled to himself, If only I had a printer, I'd be done by now. Beside him, Xiao An was diligently showing him how to make a brush from a goose feather, while Li Ming was distracted thinking about how to shoot a time-lapse video on his phone.
"Senior brother, daydreaming again?" A Tao teased, grinning as she walked over with a basket of pigments. "Boss Su wants to see your latest work!"
Li Ming tensed up. Even ancient clients are this demanding? Seriously…
The studio bustled with morning activity. Apprentices were hanging rice paper out to dry in the courtyard. Xiao An and A Tao were goofing around while helping Li Ming set up his tools. Looking at the brush in his hand, Li Ming whispered to himself, Steady now. No shaking. Gotta make something impressive today.
Just as he laid out the paper, light footsteps echoed outside. Su Ran entered wearing a simple, elegant dress. Her fingers were stained a soft sky-blue, and she carried a faint fragrance with her.
"Master Li, I heard your painting style has changed. I brought some new pigments for you to try," Su Ran said with a smile, handing him a small box of blue pigment.
Li Ming took it, secretly thinking, If I could get Pantone codes out of this, I'd open the first color studio in history.
"This color is beautiful, Shopkeeper Su. How did you make it?" he asked, faking a pro tone.
Su Ran smirked, "Family recipe. If you can capture its essence on paper, I'll tell you."
Xiao An and A Tao chimed in from the side, "Come on, senior! Boss Su's standards are super high!"
Taking a deep breath, Li Ming dipped his brush into the paint and began painting a blue lotus. He used modern color-layering techniques—laying down the base first, then shading, and finally using a fine-tipped brush to outline the petals.
Su Ran nodded slightly, eyes showing a hint of surprise.
"This technique... is quite new," she said softly.
Li Ming let out a breath of relief, feeling smug—until A Tao suddenly shouted, "Your sleeve! It's blue now!"
Li Ming looked down—sure enough, his sleeve had a bright blue stain. He chuckled bitterly and rolled it up, thinking, If I were back in the present, this would totally be a customer complaint.
The mood stayed lighthearted. A Tao helped him wipe his sleeve while asking in a whisper, "Senior brother, do you know some kind of magic? You paint so fast."
Before Li Ming could answer, loud voices burst in from outside.
"Come out! Someone reported this studio is using sorcery to deceive people!"
A group of rival painters stormed in with county officials in tow, led by the cranky old master from the neighboring "Ink Fragrance Studio."
"Li Ming, your painting style is bizarre—definitely some shady trickery!" the old master yelled, pointing at him.
The official's face was stern. "County magistrate's orders: if sorcery is found, this studio gets shut down!"
Li Ming's master turned pale. "Sir, please—my apprentice just has a unique style. There's no sorcery here!"
Li Ming knew brute denial wouldn't work. Thinking quickly, he demonstrated the "Rule of Thirds" and principles of light and shadow.
"See this grid? It's a composition technique I came up with to make images more balanced. And the shadows…"
He had A Tao hold up a bronze mirror to reflect light, explaining how it added depth.
The crowd was stunned. Even the official looked unsure.
"Huh... doesn't feel evil," the officer muttered.
But the old master wouldn't give up. He jabbed his finger at Li Ming's phone. "What's that sorcerer's gadget?"
Li Ming quickly tucked it into his sleeve with a grin. "Family heirloom—just stores memories. Nothing special."
Su Ran finally spoke, clearly amused. "Why don't we have Master Li paint something right now and let everyone decide?"
Everyone nodded. Li Ming, cornered, had no choice but to paint again. This time, he used the blue pigment to create a soaring bluebird—bright colors, fresh composition.
When it was done, Su Ran clapped first. "Brilliant! I've never seen color and form like this!"
The officer nodded. "Alright. No charges. Let's call it a day."
The old master fumed, beard twitching, and stormed off with his posse.
Crisis averted, Li Ming's master patted him on the shoulder. "Kid, you've got real skill!"
Xiao An and A Tao danced around him in celebration. A Tao tried copying the grid method and ended up drawing a nine-headed monster, making everyone burst out laughing.
Before leaving, Su Ran leaned close and said, "Master Li, if you're free, come visit me at Colorcloud Pavilion sometime."
Li Ming's heart skipped. She's definitely no ordinary shopkeeper…
As night fell, calm returned to the studio. Li Ming sat by the window, watching the glow of lanterns flicker in the breeze. Xiao An and A Tao chased each other in the courtyard, their laughter light and sweet. Despite the roughness of it all, Li Ming felt oddly content.
He flipped through his phone's photo album—pictures of skyscrapers, neon night markets, and a selfie with Xiao Zhou at a photography exhibit. A pang of homesickness hit him.
If I painted this stuff, would people here think I'm a god?
The next morning, the studio was back to its usual chaos. The master barked at apprentices for moving too slow and personally inspected the supplies. Li Ming was assigned to paint a family portrait for a wealthy merchant.
There were too many people to pose at once, so Li Ming used a "burst shot" strategy—sketching them in batches, then compiling the full image and coloring it all at once.
The merchant was amazed. "Master Li, I've never seen this kind of portrait!"
Li Ming smiled modestly, thinking, Basically just ancient Photoshop group photo mode.
Back at the studio, he bumped into Su Ran again. She brought another box of pigments and sat down to watch him work.
"Your technique is fascinating," she said. "But your paper is too coarse. The color doesn't shine through."
Li Ming blinked, then grinned. "If you've got better paper, I'd love to try it."
Su Ran chuckled, pulling a few sheets of delicate rice paper from her sleeve.
"These are Colorcloud Pavilion's best. Don't waste them."
Li Ming took them solemnly, already plotting how to make something extra special.
A Tao, peeking over, whispered to Xiao An, "Do you think she and senior brother will get married?"
Xiao An nodded seriously. "More like a battle of wits."
That afternoon, a minor official came in, wanting a beauty portrait for his fiancée. Li Ming had an idea—use a "beauty filter" approach: smooth skin, sharp features, glowing colors.
The official was thrilled. "Master Li, you have magic in your hands!"
A Tao tried copying him but ended up drawing a "bun face" beauty. Everyone cracked up again.
At dusk, the master gathered everyone for a meeting. He praised Li Ming's creativity but warned everyone to keep a low profile—no need to attract more trouble.
Li Ming understood. His "dimensional advantage" made them stand out but could easily spark envy. He resolved to start teaching Xiao An and A Tao simple modern techniques—strength in numbers.
That night, lying in bed, Li Ming checked his phone battery. Down to 25%.
He stared at the ceiling, murmuring, "Maybe I can rig up a generator with copper wire and magnets…"
"Or a pedal windmill?" he mused aloud.
The moonlight was like water outside, and from the courtyard came Xiao An's gentle snores. Li Ming closed his eyes, silently swearing he would make a name for himself in this strange, old world.