Ansley frowned upon hearing that and turned around to look at me. The fact that Crystal had the audacity to slander me in front of the great Ansley sent a shiver down my spine.
“Sir, I…” I was about to explain myself, but Crystal was quicker and cut me off, “I know Yvonne. She’s my cousin, but her character is questionable at best. She was rude to Spencer at the art exhibition and shows no respect for Julian whatsoever. Be careful not to let her sweet words fool you, sir!”
I bit down on my lip and made no further attempts to clear my name as I believed a wise man like Ansley wasn’t the type to blindly believe in rumors.
He may be a great artist, but he is still a human being like everyone else. If he really believed Crystal’s words, then I would have nothing further to say.
Ansley eyed me from head to toe before shifting his gaze toward Crystal as he asked, “Sorry, what did you say your name was?”
“Crystal Yates, sir. I’ve told you my name three times now.” Crystal was so angry that she made no attempt to hide it at all. She then pointed at me and said, “You should get rid of this liar or she’ll mess up your art exhibition!”
The look in Ansley’s eyes grew cold all of a sudden as he said sternly, “Ms. Yates, my art exhibition welcomes any and all young artists with a passion for art as well as those who would love to paint with me. However, people like you who make up stories and slander others are not welcome here. Is there anything else you would like to talk about? If not, please get your assistant and leave at once.”
“Yeah! We need to get rid of Yvonne so we can…” Crystal paused halfway through her sentence when she realized what Ansley had said, and the look on her face was twisted in disbelief. “Sir, she’s the one you should be kicking out of here!”
“I know what I should do at my own art exhibition, and you’d better not make me repeat myself. Go now, or I will have security escort you out.” Ansley pointed at the entrance to the art exhibition with a firm expression.
Crystal let out a scream in anger and frustration. She looked like she was about to say something, but the man behind her noticed and quickly clamped his hand over her mouth. He then apologized to Ansley before dragging Crystal outside.
As expected of the wise and brilliant Ansley! I let out a sigh of relief before turning toward Ansley with a look of admiration and respect in my eyes. The two of us then had a brief chat about my painting which benefited me greatly.
“Thank you so much for this conversation, sir! I was feeling uneasy when I first came here as I haven’t painted for six years. It wasn’t until I recently found my goal in life that I had the courage to pick it up again.”
“If you’re able to pick up painting again, then I’m sure you will be able to pick yourself up in life as well. Make sure you don’t give up on it ever again, because you’ll be giving up both your dreams and your youth along with art itself.”
Ansley then pointed at the painting and said wisely, “You see, your paintings reflect your yearning for art, your passion for your career, your ambitions, and your eagerness to prove yourself. I have witnessed your brushwork and painting skills, so the rest boils down to your continuous hard work and discipline.”
I nodded and said solemnly, “Understood. You might not know this, but your painting, Dream, has always been a huge inspiration for me to keep pushing forward in art. In fact, I used to base most of my paintings on Dream when I was little. I’ll be sure to continue carving out my own path from here on!”
As I was about to leave, I couldn’t help but ask Ansley out of curiosity, “By the way, why did you choose to believe in me instead of Crystal?”
Ansley stroked his beard and pointed at my painting on the wall as he said with a smile, “A picture is worth a thousand words, and this painting speaks for itself. I have faith in my judgment.”
