Reality
As Chen Li stepped into the competition venue, several contestants were already waiting inside. The moment he entered, all eyes turned to him.
He became the center of attention.
Many kinds of expressions were directed his way, but Chen Li remained unfazed.
After becoming an NPC in Horror Game, he no longer feared being watched the way he used to.
At the very least, the stares of these ordinary people—untouched by the threat of death—were far gentler than the ones filled with suspicion and fear from players in Horror Game.
One contestant, who had hoped to see him flustered, was disappointed by his calm demeanor. With a soft tch of annoyance, he stepped forward: “You’re that dark horse who’s been blowing up online lately?”
Though their words acknowledged him, a flash of contempt flickered in their eyes.
System 001 gave a reminder: [This one’s not friendly.]
Some of the contestants watched with a schadenfreude-like amusement, others seemed slightly concerned, but none of them stepped in to defuse the situation.
“I’m not a dark horse,” Chen Li said politely. “My name is Chen Li. And you are?”
Damon hadn’t expected Chen Li not to recognize him. His face darkened instantly: “I’m Damon, student of Master Li Huasheng.”
Mentioning his proud teacher brought his smugness back. He looked at Chen Li with feigned confusion: “You made it to the finals step by step—must’ve been tough, right? But to be honest, in recent years, the Golden Butterfly champions have all come from those of us who were pre-selected for the finals. This year probably won’t be any different.”
That comment immediately offended several finalists who had made it through by their own merit. They glared at Damon, but no one wanted to cause trouble before the competition.
Everyone waited to see how Chen Li would respond, but he just calmly nodded: “Mm. After all, those who can qualify directly for the finals are top talents recognized by all.”
It was like punching a pile of cotton—Damon felt thoroughly unsatisfied. He knew stirring up conflict before the competition wasn’t wise, but he couldn’t help but feel sour about the crowd that had gathered outside just to support Chen Li.
Just some lucky nobody—why does he get more attention than me?
He was just a young painter with no prestigious background. The art world was full of such “geniuses” who quickly faded into obscurity after their moment in the spotlight.
Damon sneered and stopped pretending to be polite. He looked at Chen Li with blatant hostility: “If that’s the case, you should know—you don’t stand a chance.”
“Hahaha, confidence is good in a young person, but don’t let it turn into arrogance.”
A hearty laugh came from behind the crowd.
Everyone turned toward the voice and immediately froze, followed by an audible wave of surprise.
“Is that—Master Omicho?! He’s one of the special guest judges this year?!”
The group that arrived with him were all big names in the art world. Their appearance was like a jolt of adrenaline for everyone present.
In that moment, no one cared about what Damon had just said.
Being called out for arrogance, Damon’s face turned an ugly shade—but he didn’t dare show any disrespect toward Omicho. He could only glare at Chen Li in frustration.
Then he noticed someone else among the group and immediately brightened, raising his voice deliberately: “Teacher! What are you doing here?”
Though phrased as a question, he wore a deeply touched expression. Some people looked on enviously, whispering to their companions: “Didn’t Master Li Huasheng go abroad a few days ago? He actually came all this way just for his student’s competition. That’s so sweet.”
Damon almost couldn’t contain his smugness and looked ready to raise his nose into the air—until the next moment, when Li Huasheng’s words hit him like a slap in the face. Burning with embarrassment, he could barely keep his composure.
Li Huasheng smiled warmly: “I came to take on a new disciple—your junior.”
Before the words even finished, Omicho exploded: “You old man! Don’t tell me you’ve set your sights on Xiao Lizi too?! I’ll have you know, he’s going to be my last disciple—my only student!!”
Li Huasheng got worked up because of him and snapped: “Did he agree with you? Huh? Why don’t you take a good look in the mirror and see where you actually look like a teacher!”
The two masters began bickering like children. No one dared intervene. All they could do was turn stunned eyes to Chen Li.
There was no question who “Xiao Lizi” referred to.
Suddenly, the once quiet space around Chen Li was surrounded by people. Some came with pure curiosity or admiration, others with not-so-subtle flattery.
The crowd gradually and quite deliberately edged Damon out of the spotlight. His face turned an ugly shade of red. Not only did Master Omicho want to take Chen Li as a student—even his own teacher was here for Chen Li. If there had been a hole in the floor, he would’ve crawled right in.
Someone nearby muttered mockingly: “Some people really think the world revolves around them, huh.”
Damon flushed an angry liver-red, eyes darting around trying to identify the speaker, only making himself look more ridiculous.
While the venue buzzed with noise, the competition organizers finally stepped in to manage things. Chen Li followed a staff member toward the competition area, but he couldn’t resist glancing back at Master Omicho.
Omicho waved at him cheerfully, like a mischievous but kind neighborhood grandpa.
System 001: [This human’s pretty nice.]
Anyone could tell Omicho had just stepped in to help Chen Li.
Chen Li blinked, then smiled: [Yeah.]
Once inside the specially-prepared competition area, a staff member explained gently: “For the finals, we only accept paintings created on-site. This is your workstation. If you need anything, feel free to ask any of the staff.”
Chen Li gave a shy smile: “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. It’s my pleasure.” The staff member blushed.
What a polite kid.
The little incident that just happened had no negative effect on Chen Li. After sitting down, he immediately discarded all distractions, and his gaze gradually grew resolute.
The intense reds and blacks under his brush became the most splendid colors.
By the time he put down his brush, the canvas had already faintly revealed the outlines of two people.
System 001 thought he was going to stop to rest, but in reality, he only paused for a few seconds to think, his eyes fixed on the tall man’s face on the canvas.
Then he pressed his lips and silently continued to work. The two figures in the outline were closely intertwined. Behind them bloomed a vast field of red spider lilies on the far side of the Yellow River. The tall man tightly held the slender figure in front of him, covering the person’s head with a red bridal veil embroidered with golden butterflies. His hands hung quietly at his sides.
The man behind him held him tightly, his head slightly bowed as if gazing at him with endless tenderness—just one look was enough to stir an overwhelming possessiveness.
Some might be curious about the man’s face, but when their eyes drifted upward, they would be startled to find that the man’s face was completely blank.
Nothing at all.
Chen Li was still carefully adding details to the wedding clothes of the two people. It seemed he hadn’t noticed the most crucial thing missing from the painting.
This competition had been going on for three days. During these three days, judges and special guests were not allowed to disturb the contestants while they were painting, and the contestants couldn’t leave the venue. Almost everyone was racing against time to finish their painting.
Finally, an hour before the on-site judging, Chen Li put down his brush. After keeping his facial muscles tense for three days, they relaxed naturally, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.
He breathed out lightly: “Done.”
System 001 didn’t understand human art appreciation, but it sincerely showered him with praise. In its eyes, all the humans here were weaklings; none could compare to its host.
[Thank you, 001.] Chen Li picked up his painting and, guided by the staff, headed toward the award ceremony.
His heart was uneasy, like a restless rabbit hopping around, excitedly urging him to share the painting with the world.
The competition opened to the public today, with many media outlets present. When Chen Li appeared, the camera flashes reached a peak. He looked like the darling of the cameras, looking good from every angle.
To capture the most eye-catching shots, the media frantically pressed their shutters.
Chen Li blinked against the flashes. Sitting in the guest seats, Omicho impatiently tapped and urged: “Hurry up and start!”
There were ten judges in total, and the highest scorer would be crowned this year’s Golden Butterfly champion.
When Chen Li turned the painting around, the judges’ eyes almost sparkled. One female judge didn’t hesitate to praise: “Oh my, how did you come up with this theme?”
There was no theme restriction in the Golden Butterfly finals. Previous contestants chose their specialties, but none of their works evoked such strong emotions the moment they were revealed.
Compared to his previous two paintings—also in a horror style—this one had an even deeper emotional impact. If the previous ones conveyed despair, this one brought a suffocating feeling beneath a complex shadow. It was clearly visible yet somehow hazy and unreal.
The judge’s praise brought the rest of the crowd back to attention. Some of the more curious voices asked questions:
“Is this a ghost marriage? Are the people in the painting still alive?”
“I feel they’re deeply in love, it’s a kind of chilling affection.”
“No, the main figure under the red veil isn’t willing. Look at his posture!”
A thousand people, a thousand interpretations, and art takes many forms.
No one thought the blank face of the tall man was a problem. Praise poured from the judges.
In the end, he received nearly unanimous scores: the highest was 10, the lowest 8.5. None of the ten judges gave below an 8.
Such high marks were extremely rare in the history of the Golden Butterfly competition.
As expected, he won the championship.
Damon, who had shouted the loudest at the start, didn’t even make the top three.
Flashing lights erupted again as Chen Li stepped onto the stage to accept the trophy. Slightly dazed, he bent down, took the trophy, tilted his head, and gave it a little affectionate nuzzle.
This scene quickly became the top trending topic of the night.
. . . . .
By the time he got home, it was already the next day. At Chen Li’s request, his painting had been brought back with him.
He carefully sat on the sofa holding the painting, still carrying a nervous heart like a rabbit, but with no relief at all.
System 001 didn’t understand: [Host, are you unhappy?]
Chen Li shook his head in confusion and fell silent.
He had won first place, received recognition, and showed the painting to many people. So why did he still feel like something was missing inside?
The joy of sharing hadn’t reached his heart immediately.
After who knows how long, Chen Li suddenly moved. He hugged the painting tightly, his voice carrying a faint but unmistakable excitement: “System!”
[Eh?]
Chen Li’s face flushed bright red: “I want to show it to Fu Moyang!”
Author’s note:
The next chapter enters an instance—warning: jealousy ahead.
Thanks for the update, but you skipped chapter 55. I love this story so thanks for your hard work.