Jane found it somewhat amusing that the two people who could shake up a circle were bickering here. If this were to be revealed, it would probably shock their fans.
“Girl, with your amazing talent, don’t you have any desire to become my apprentice?”
Elis looked at Jane expectantly, making her even more embarrassed. People who wanted to become Elis’ apprentice probably didn’t even know where they stood in line. And now this person was asking her.
“Um, not for now.”
Jane felt helpless as she still had many things to do and if she became an apprentice now, she might not have time later on.
This sentence was a polite refusal of Elis’ offer but Elis did not give up.
“With your talent and the skills, you already possess without being an apprentice yet? You’ll be able to shock them all if you learn from me.”
Braiden laughed beside them; he never thought that Elis would say such things just for the sake of getting an apprentice.
“I’m just an ordinary person,” Jane said awkwardly while denying what Elis said earlier.
“How can that be?”
Elis continued persuading her, “Your skills are already enough to surpass many people. Won’t you consider learning more? Trust me; there will be great breakthroughs for you.”
“Ahh?” Jane felt like crying as she looked at Braiden beside her. He was the one who showed off her work earlier; if he hadn’t done so, then maybe Elis wouldn’t have thought about taking on another student.
“I’m telling you, it’s just a disciple, and you know how others talk about her outside. Aren’t you afraid of getting into trouble?”
Braiden received Jane’s plea for help and quickly chimed in to explain.
Little did they know, Elis didn’t appreciate their efforts at all. He had a stern expression on his face, as if he had made up his mind. “If no one had discovered the talent of this girl, where would I come in? In that case, I should thank those people for not coming to compete with me.”
Upon hearing this, Braiden felt quite helpless. He shook his head at Jane, indicating that he couldn’t do much about it.
Jane, feeling helpless, saw Elis’s determination and realized that he wasn’t someone who took things lightly. If she became his disciple, she might be able to learn even more.
With this in mind, Jane became somewhat hesitant.
“Don’t worry, I will pass on everything I’ve learned in my lifetime to you. You don’t need to pay attention to what those people outside say. They will realize in the future what a loss it is to miss out on you.”
Jane smiled and was surprised by Elis’s eloquence.
“Alright, I accept.”
Then, Jane took a step back, clasped her hands together, and respectfully bowed to Elis. “Master, please accept your disciple’s bow.”
Seeing Jane about to kneel down, Elis hurriedly stopped her. “Alright, alright. It’s the modern era now. There’s no need to follow the old ways.”
However, this action made Elis even more delighted. He patted Jane’s shoulder and couldn’t stop smiling. “Good child, it’s great that you agreed.”
Jane blinked her watery eyes, unable to hide her joy on her face.
“By the way, there will be a gathering at the Realm of Literature and Art in a few days. As my disciple, would you like to go with me?”
Elis invited Jane, which surprised her.
She didn’t expect Elis to take her to the Realm of Literature and Art so soon. She had just thought of asking if she should prepare for it, but since she had just said she didn’t care, she had to agree.
“Yes, I’ll go with my master.”
In the evening, Jane returned home and dressed up nicely.
She wasn’t attending an ordinary business gathering this time, so she couldn’t dress as flashy as before, fearing that she would be criticized by the people there.
Jane specifically chose a light green dress, with her long hair tied up high, perfectly showcasing her delicate and elegant charm.
She looked at herself in the mirror, and Patrick, who was beside her, nodded in satisfaction. “Indeed, you are my wife. You look good in anything.”
Jane smiled. She didn’t expect Patrick to be so eloquent.
Then, she boarded the car specially arranged to take her to the gathering and arrived at the entrance of the venue.
In the morning, Elis had given her a ticket, and she handed it to the gatekeeper for inspection. The gatekeeper looked her up and down, looking surprised.
Jane pursed her lips. It was no wonder; her reputation had been tarnished, so it was inevitable to receive such looks.
Until the gatekeeper opened the door, Jane walked in.
Jane was naturally beautiful, and her attire today was very elegant. She even had a flower hairpin in her bun, making her look dignified and graceful.
As soon as she entered, she undoubtedly caught the attention of everyone present, who were amazed by her appearance and temperament.
However, suddenly, someone in the crowd pointed at Jane and exclaimed loudly, “Isn’t this Jane?”
The crowd started to scrutinize Jane, nodding in agreement, “Indeed, such a tacky person, why would she come here to join our gathering!”
Suddenly, there were murmurs of criticism surrounding Jane, making her feel a bit helpless.
She looked around, but Elis hadn’t arrived yet. Sitting alone on the side, she felt a little lonely.
But Jane didn’t care at all. She came here mainly to absorb the scholarly atmosphere and turned a deaf ear to the insults from those people.
“Tsk tsk, what is she doing here?”
Every person who passed by would mock Jane. After all, the outside world had spread rumors about her incompetence, and on top of that, she was a businessperson. To those cultured and refined individuals, she was simply vulgar and out of place.
As a result, Jane became even more looked down upon.
“She probably used some money to buy a ticket from a merchant to get in.”
People around even started to laugh at Jane, hurling all sorts of vulgar and offensive words at her, which made Jane feel annoyed and disheartened.
This gathering of the Realm of Literature and Art was quite significant. It wasn’t something that could be bought with a little money. Only those with a certain reputation within the field were invited to exchange their experiences.
Someone like Jane, who had no experience and hadn’t even touched calligraphy, how could she know anything about it?
Jane was helpless too. Faced with so many people, she was powerless to argue with them. She just sat alone in the corner.
“What are you all talking about?”
Just then, Jane heard a familiar voice in her ear.
She turned towards the sound and saw Molly, her face devoid of makeup, radiating a misty glow. She appeared untainted by the world, indicating that she also had some reputation within the Realm of Literature and Art.
However, Jane didn’t expect Molly to be a member of the Realm of Literature and Art as well.
Molly walked briskly towards Jane, came to her side, and sat down.