At the end of the workshop, Mary was gathering her supplies when her eyes landed on Yong. He was sitting a few rows back, staring intently at his half-finished painting. Curious, she found herself walking toward him without thinking.
"Wow... How are you this good at painting?" she asked, genuinely impressed.
Startled by her voice, Yong turned to her."It's not that great… Seems like you haven't seen the instructor's paintings yet," he replied modestly.
"I have! Of course I have. He's the instructor. But you, as a student, really do a great job," Mary said with admiration.
Yong removed his apron, glanced at her with a slight smirk, and said,"Painting is an art that demands consistency… There's not much difference between a student and a master. What matters is how much time you give to it."
"I know… Anyone who becomes a master has obviously worked hard," Mary said.
Yong tilted his head playfully. "Yeah… Like Nicholas."
Mary smiled. "You two don't usually get that close, but only people who are comfortable with each other bicker like that."
Yong paused for a moment, his expression turning serious."I don't think it's how you imagine…" he said quietly.
Without further explanation, he packed up and walked off. Mary stared after him, puzzled by the cold tone in his words.
She then headed toward Helen, and they exited the workshop together.
Just then, Mary spotted Yong talking to a girl outside the classroom. She recognized her immediately—it was the same girl from the exhibition.
"Helen, that girl with Yong… is she his girlfriend?" she asked.
"Yeah, Diana. How do you know her?"
"I saw her at the exhibition."
Helen smirked teasingly. "I heard things haven't been going so well between them lately…"
Mary's expression turned anxious. "Because of the painting I ruined?"
Helen laughed. "No way! Why would anyone argue over a painting? There's probably another reason."
Mary let out a small sigh of relief. "Good… For a moment, I thought I caused it."
"You're too sweet, Mary. Your kindness is a gift. I'm really glad we became friends. We should grab coffee sometime and talk more," Helen offered.
"Definitely," Mary agreed.
The next day, Mary returned to work as usual. But something felt different. It was as if a part of her painting world had remained alive inside her, quietly accompanying her into the corporate environment. The presence of her colleagues and their shared efforts to help the company grow gave her a sense of encouragement.
Even Rachel, who usually acted distant, seemed more motivated today, trying to prove her dedication to the boss.
By the end of the day, Mary and Deniz left the office at the same time.
"I need to go. I've got something to take care of," Deniz said quickly.
Mary grabbed her hand. "What's the rush? You think I haven't noticed? You've been avoiding me for a whole week!"
Deniz forced a nervous laugh. "What? Why would I do that?"
"You don't know how curious I am, do you?"
With hesitation, Deniz finally admitted, "Oh… you mean that. Fine, I'll tell you everything… some other time."
Mary grinned mischievously. "Well, today is exactly that time. Let's go to the café where Ava works. It's easier to talk there."
Deniz raised her eyebrows. "There? No… wouldn't it be better if Ava didn't find out just yet?"
"Actually, she's better than me at getting things out of you."
At the café, Deniz looked around nervously, sipping her water as Mary and Ava sat across from her, both staring intently.
"Why are you two looking at me like that?" she asked.
"Talk!" Mary demanded.
"Don't make us use force!" Ava added.
Deniz chuckled. "What do you want me to say? I… met someone."
"Name? Family background? Finances? Appearance? Better show us a photo too. How did you meet? How long have you known each other? Come on, spill it!" Ava fired off questions.
"Are you interrogating me or what?" Deniz laughed nervously.
"Are you going to tell us or not?" Mary raised her voice.
People in the café turned to look. Embarrassed, Mary lowered her head.
"Deniz, please… you're embarrassing me," she muttered.
"Alright, alright… A while back, when I was at the company—"
"Exactly how long ago?" Ava interrupted.
"Five months."
Mary's eyes widened. "You've been seeing him for five months?"
"No, just dating for three," Deniz clarified.
"Three months?!"
"Can I tell the story or not?"
"Okay, go on," Ava said.
"I met him at the company. He asked for my number for a project. Later, he helped me find a university textbook—"
Mary raised an eyebrow. "You haven't thought about university in years!"
"It just came back to me, okay?"
Ava crossed her arms. "So who is this mystery guy?"
Deniz blurted out, "He's the university president's son. He recently started working at the same holding company…"
Mary and Ava stared at her in stunned silence.
"He's the one who liked me, okay? Believe me!" Deniz insisted.
Mary sighed. "If you say so…"
Ava burst into laughter. "Seriously! Mary, we need to sign Deniz up for a class in dating."
"Why not!" Deniz said proudly.
Mary laughed. "You're way too shameless to still be talking! We need a few days apart."
"Why though?" Deniz giggled.
As laughter and teasing filled the air, Mary suddenly thought of Nicholas—his smile, the way his words rekindled her motivation.A strange feeling blossomed in her heart.A feeling that told her painting wasn't just a passion anymore.It was beginning to change her fate.