The three of them appeared rather unruly. It was said that many children in the capital were pampered, all show and no substance. Seeing these three staring at the painting he had made, it seemed they were still at the stage of drawing simple flowers and plants.
Zhan Xiaoli really didn't want to waste words.
Zhan Xiaofeng also felt there was nothing to say, although he wasn't interested in painting.
He couldn't stand Zhan Zichen's arrogance.
Because he didn't think the painting was that good, not as lifelike and beautiful as Yun Xiaojing's tigers and lions.
This question made even the usually talkative Yun Xiaojing reluctant to say more.
Seeing that the three of them remained silent, Zhan Zichen automatically assumed they felt ashamed of their inferiority.
He became even more smug.
Then, he waved his small hand towards Quanzi and commanded, "Go fetch the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. I'll teach them how to paint."
After speaking, he looked at the three siblings with an air of superiority, "I'll teach you guys how to paint. How about painting lotuses? Lotuses are easy to draw and learn. Once you learn, you can take them back to show your parents, and they'll surely be happy."
"I rarely teach people, but you are my cousins, and you seem eager to learn, so I'll teach you."
?
Question marks popped up simultaneously in the minds of the three little ones.
When had they ever said they were eager to learn?
Just as Zhan Xiaoli was about to refuse,
Yun Xiaojing pulled Zhan Xiaoli back and said with a chuckle, "Painting lotuses is boring. I don't like lotuses."
"Then what flower should we paint? Peonies? Or simpler little grasses?" Zhan Zichen was a bit displeased. Were their demands on him too low? Although lotuses were a bit more difficult than grasses, they offered no challenge at all.
"Girls like flowers and grasses. I like small animals," Yun Xiaojing revealed his pearly white teeth.
When it came to small animals, his eyes sparkled.
"I like small animals too," Zhan Xiaofeng agreed.
Zhan Zichen was a little surprised, "Small animals? What kind of small animals? My estate only has horses, no other small animals."
"I'll go find one. You guys wait for me." As Yun Xiaojing finished speaking, his short legs had already run out. Small animals weren't hard to find; they were everywhere, it just depended on what kind of small animal you wanted.
Yun Xiaojing squatted on the ground and rummaged around.
His eyes lit up.
With a quick grab, he returned to the room.
"Let's draw this! A cute little mouse! A chubby little mouse!" Yun Xiaojing held the mouse by its tail. The mouse was incredibly well-behaved, not daring to move a muscle, but its small eyes darted around.
Zhan Xiaoli and Zhan Xiaofeng were used to it. If Xiaojing pulled out that little snake, they might actually be interested in painting.
Zhan Zichen's eyes widened, "A mouse?! Where did you catch a mouse?"
He abruptly stepped back, a look of disgust on his face.
He hated mice the most!
"Just outside. Let's draw it. I think it's so cute, the cutest mouse I've seen lately." Yun Xiaojing was serious, not joking at all. He genuinely thought the mouse he had caught was good-looking.
Zhan Zichen felt goosebumps rising all over him, his hair standing on end. "Take it away! I hate mice the most, let alone painting them!"
"What's there to be afraid of with mice?" Yun Xiaojing pouted, thinking Zhan Zichen was too timid.
Zhan Xiaofeng walked up to Yun Xiaojing and seriously examined the little mouse. "It is quite cute."
Zhan Xiaoli didn't say anything, but his cool demeanor indicated he wasn't afraid of mice at all.
A little man, he wouldn't be afraid of mice!
Quanzi entered with Xuan paper and ink. At first, he didn't notice. When he reached Yun Xiaojing's side, he finally saw that Yun Xiaojing was holding a mouse. He immediately exclaimed, "A mouse! Where did this mouse come from?"
The young lord of their estate was extremely clean. He absolutely wouldn't allow mice, scorpions, or ants to appear in the estate. They would use all sorts of methods to drive away pests and mice.
So, where did this plump little mouse come from?
"It's a mouse from your estate. Weren't you going to teach us to paint? I want to paint a mouse," Yun Xiaojing said with a smiling gaze, a hint of a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Hmph!
Did he think he hadn't noticed? Zhan Zichen treated the three brothers like fools, thinking they were incapable of this and that. Just now, he had pretended to be asleep to put on a show of superiority. If he didn't retaliate, he wouldn't be able to swallow this insult.
Zhan Zichen was almost furious. He pointed at Yun Xiaojing and said, "That's a mouse! Don't you think it's dirty?"
"Are you a girl? Afraid of everything," Yun Xiaojing retorted.
Zhan Zichen had originally wanted to order Quanzi to take the mouse out and stomp on it. However, upon hearing Yun Xiaojing's mockery, he immediately changed his mind, "Fine, then let's draw a mouse!"
He suppressed his disgust and quickly drew after glancing at the mouse.
After all, he had studied with a painter since he was young and had good drawing skills. With just a few glances, he could quickly sketch a mouse.
Zhan Xiaofeng took the opportunity to whisper to Zhan Xiaoli, "Shall we go?"
"Wait, Xiaojing isn't done playing yet," Zhan Xiaoli said.
The two little boys indulged Yun Xiaojing greatly.
Yun Xiaojing got tired of holding the mouse and handed it to Quanzi, "Hold this for me."
Quanzi's eyes widened. Seeing the mouse handed to him, he could only take it.
However, once the mouse was in his hands, it began to move and glare wildly.
Its little claws almost scratched his hand.
It was completely different from how obedient it had been in Yun Xiaojing's hands.
The mouse in Yun Xiaojing's hands had looked a little cute, but the mouse in Quanzi's hands made him want to stomp it to death.
Quanzi broke out in a sweat. He had just run to fetch the ink and paper, and now he was holding a mouse and sweating profusely. He was on the verge of tears. "Can I let go?"
"If you let go, the little mouse will run away," Yun Xiaojing said, already preparing to paint the mouse.
Quanzi could only grit his teeth and hold onto the mouse.
Zhan Zichen, suppressing his disgust, finished his drawing and held it up for them to see. "Take a look. Although I don't like mice, I looked closely at its features to be able to draw it. Look at its tail, and its mouth..."
He put on an air of great accomplishment.
After speaking, he added, "You guys go and draw. You probably won't draw very well at first, but it's okay. Even though you are my younger cousins, I'll teach you! I guarantee I can teach you, and then you can tell everyone that I taught you!"
Then, everyone in the capital would know how capable he was, more capable than the three of them.
Zhan Xiaoli was too lazy to listen. He looked at Zhan Zichen boasting with a blank expression.
"Why haven't you two started drawing yet?" Zhan Zichen asked Zhan Xiaoli and Zhan Xiaofeng.
"Xiaojing is almost done," Zhan Xiaofeng said coldly.
Zhan Zichen was a bit surprised. "Almost done? So quickly?"