The door to the studio was closed, and the heavy soundproofing material insulated everything inside.
Chloe stood outside the door, and through the crack in the door, she could faintly see the flickering lights inside. She raised her hand and tapped the door panel.
"Finn, I'm in."
No response.
Chloe pushed the door open.
A smell of pigments, turpentine, and despair hit the face. The studio was a mess, with torn drawing paper scattered all over the floor, paint tubes trampled on, and red, blue, and yellow liquids blending into dazzling stains on the floor.
Finn Miller knelt in the center of the room, holding a utility knife in his hand.
The blade reflected the dim light above his head, casting a faint shadow on his pale wrist.
His hair was messy like a bird's nest, his eyes were sunken, and he was so thin that he was out of shape. That once artistic face is now left with only ashes of despair.
The few paintings left on the wall are under his watch, waiting for the final judgment.
"Get out."
Finn's voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible. He didn't look back, but the blade in his hand trembled slightly.
"I don't know you and don't need anyone's sympathy."
Chloe did not back down, but walked into the studio. The sound of her footsteps was particularly crisp in the quiet space, and there was a slight sticky sound as she stepped on the paint on the ground.
At this moment, a strange feeling came to my heart.
The pain of tearing the soul suddenly eased, replaced by an indescribable tranquility. The feeling is subtle, like a restless sea suddenly calming down, a safe haven in a rainstorm.
Chloe followed her feelings, her eyes falling on a painting in the corner.
The painting is carefully hung in the most inconspicuous corner, and the picture is a blurred female silhouette. The whole work is in shades of dark blue and silver white, and the brushstrokes are so delicate that there are almost no traces of them.
Even more strangely, the painting exudes a faint fluctuation of energy.
"This painting is protecting you."
Chloe walked towards the painting, her voice surprisingly calm.
"But its author seems to be more painful than you."
Finn's movements froze.
He slowly turned his head and looked at the intruder for the first time. A hint of confusion and shock flashed in those bloodshot eyes.
"You... How do you know? "
Chloe carefully examined the painting. The woman in the painting has long hair like a waterfall, and her eyes are deep and sad. The whole painting is permeated with a sense of protection, but at the same time, it also reveals the great sadness in the creator's heart.
"Because the painting is crying."
She stretched out her hand, almost touching the picture.
"It's crying for someone, and it's also guarding someone."
The knife in Finn's hand fell to the ground, making a crisp impact.
He stared at Chloe's back, his pupils contracting violently. This strange school girl can feel the hidden emotions in the painting, even more deeply than he is a person with the ability to "perceive emotions".
"Who the hell are you?"
Chloe turned around, her black eyes staring at Finn quietly.
"Someone who came to help you wipe away your tears."
This sentence was like a bolt of lightning, instantly breaking through all the defenses in Finn's heart.
His body began to tremble violently, and tears welled up without warning. This sentence was so familiar that his heart stopped beating.
In the summer when he was seven years old, he hid in his room and cried because his paintings were ridiculed by his classmates. It was my sister who pushed open the door, stroked his hair and said, "I'm here to help you wipe away your tears." "
Since then, whenever he encountered setbacks, his sister would always say the same thing.
"Impossible... My sister is dead..."
Finn's voice was shattered like slag glass.
"My brush is only waved to protect the good."
Chloe continued to tell the code that only their siblings knew.
"This is the first thing you said to me about art when you were six years old."
Finn couldn't control his emotions anymore, and he stumbled towards Chloe, holding her tightly.
"Sister! It's really you! "
His tears instantly soaked Chloe's shoulders, and all the grievances and longing that had been suppressed for eleven years burst out at this moment.
"I thought I would never see you again... I thought I would face all the malice alone..."
Chloe patted Finn on the back, mixed emotions welling in her heart.
This youngest brother has been the most sensitive and vulnerable since childhood. Seeing what he looked like now, she couldn't wait to rush to Ryan immediately and make the hypocrite pay.
"Tell me what happened."
Chloe helped Finn sit down, her voice soft but with unquestionable firmness.
"Start from the beginning."
Finn wiped his tears, his voice still choked.
"Three months ago, Ryan came to my studio in the name of academic exchange. He said he wanted to learn my color skills, and his attitude was very sincere, so I just..."
"I showed him the new work I was conceiving."
A cold light flashed in Chloe's eyes.
"And then what?"
A week later, he released a work.
Finn's fists clenched and his knuckles turned white.
"The composition, the colors, and even the details are exactly the same as I had imagined. But because he posted it earlier, everyone thought I copied him. "
"What's even more excessive is that he also hinted in public that I lacked originality and would only imitate other people's works."
Chloe listened quietly, her inner anger surging like magma.
Ryan's methods are even more despicable than in the original plot. Not only did he steal Finn's ideas, but he also climbed up with Finn's dignity.
"Are there any witnesses?"
Finn shook his head.
"It was just the two of us in the studio. But..."
He paused, his brows furrowed.
"But what?"
"After he left that day, I found a person standing outside the door."
Finn tried to recall.
"It's a boy, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, looking very elegant. He seemed to have stood at the door for a long time and should have heard our conversation. "
Chloe's pupils contracted slightly.
A gentle boy with silver-rimmed glasses? This description immediately reminded her of a person.
Alex Chen.
If it really was him, then things got interesting. Alex not only knows her identity, but also holds key evidence that Finn has been framed.
Is this a coincidence, or has he been secretly observing the Miller's every move?
"Finn, do you remember the other characteristics of that person?"
"He is about 1.85 meters tall, very thin, wearing a white shirt."
Finn recalled carefully.
By the way, his eyes are very special, cold as ice, but there is an indescribable ... Focus? "
Chloe already had the answer in mind.
Apart from Alex Chen, there is no second person in the academy who fits this description.
It seems that at tonight's meeting, she has a new chip.
"Sister, can you help me?"
Finn grabbed Chloe's hand, his eyes shining with hope again.
"I know it's difficult, Ryan has the support of the Smith family behind him, and his reputation at the academy..."
"Difficulty?"
Chloe sneered.
"He thought he was smart, but he didn't know that the biggest mistake was to move my brother."
She stood up and walked to the mysterious painting.
That serene force surrounded her again, making her thinking clearer than ever.
"Finn, I need you to do a few things."
"First, continue to pretend to be depressed, so that everyone thinks you have been defeated."
Finn was stunned.
"Why?"
"Because a hunter who seems to be dead can give a fatal blow to his prey."
Chloe's voice was cold calculation.
"Second, prepare a new work. Use your highest skills to incorporate your truest emotions. "
"But... My current state..."
"Your condition is fine."
Chloe interrupts Finn.
"Anger, grievance, unwillingness, these are the most real emotions. Incorporate them into the painting so that everyone can see the inner cry of a true artist. "
Finn's eyes began to sparkle with excitement.
He understood his sister's intentions. Not passively justifying, but speaking with the work.
"Third, get ready for a beautiful revenge."
Chloe turned around, and the cold light in her eyes made Finn shudder.
"Isn't Ryan going to hold a solo exhibition? Then let this exhibition be his Waterloo. "
At this moment, Chloe's cell phone rang.
Leo's voice came from the microphone: "Sister, Noah and I bought something, and now I'm going to find you." "
"Very good."
Chloe looked at the time, three o'clock in the afternoon.
"Finn, get ready to accept the care of your brothers."
Ten minutes later, Leo and Noah pushed the door in.
Leo carries a huge food bag filled with a variety of exquisite treats and Finn's favorite matcha latte.
Noah was carrying a box of painting materials containing the highest grade oil paints and brushes.
"Little Si!"
When Leo saw Finn's haggard appearance, his eyes instantly turned red.
"You're so thin that you're out of shape!"
Finn barely smiled.
"Second brother, I'm fine."
"It's okay, ghost!"
Leo spread the food and forcefully stuffed a sandwich into Finn's hand.
"You have to give me food! Don't stop until you finish eating! "
Noah didn't speak, but the concern in his eyes was evident when he placed the art box in front of Finn.
"These are top pigments imported from Paris and should help you."
Finn took the sandwich and ate it in big gulps.
When the warm food entered, he realized how long he had been hungry. The feeling of emptiness in the stomach is gradually filled, and the strength of the body is slowly restored.
"Sister, what should we do next?"
Leo asked as he fed Finn a latte.
"Act separately."
Chloe walked to the window and looked at the campus outside.
"Leo, you continue to improve the basketball team according to the training plan I said. Remember, don't have any conflicts with Ryan. "
"Noah, gather all the information about Ryan. His work is released on timelines, social media feeds, and even bank account flows. "
"Finn, you concentrate on creating. I want you to complete a work that shakes everyone in three days. "
The three younger brothers nodded at the same time.
"What about you, sister?"
Noah asked.
Chloe looked at the mysterious painting in the corner.
"I'm going to meet someone. A person who may have key evidence in his hands. "
She carefully removed the painting from the wall and gently rolled it up.
That tranquil force still surrounded her, giving her soul unprecedented stability.
"I'll take this painting first."
Finn had no objection. He could feel that his sister needed the protection of the painting more than himself.
"Sister, be careful."
Leo said worriedly.
"Don't worry."
Chloe smiled confidently.
"A hunter will never become prey."
At six o'clock in the evening, Chloe returned to Leo's dormitory alone.
She carefully tucked the painting under the bed and sat on the sofa and began to sort through the information gathered today.
Ryan's plagiarism has eyewitnesses.
Finn's fighting spirit is rekindled.
The brothers are united and ready to fight back.
And most importantly, she found a way to stabilize her soul.
Now, there is only one last puzzle left.
Alex Chen.
How much does this mysterious man know? What is his true purpose?
Chloe looked at the time.
There are still two hours left at eight o'clock in the evening.
She needs to adjust her form and prepare for this meeting that is not destined to be peaceful.
The sunset outside the window dyed the entire campus golden red.
The melodious sound of bells from the bell tower in the distance indicates the imminent start of a new battle.