Unwilling Bride: The 1V5 Love Drama novel Chapter 353

12:56 Tue, Aug

Chapter 353 The Portrait

Chapter 353 The Portrait

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Cole clicked his tongue, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked back to his seat.

Malory watched him settle into the spot against the wall toward the back right of the room. She leaned close to Ava’s ear and whispered, “Who is that guy? He’s so full of himself.”

“He’s from the Kinesiology Department-third year. I don’t know much else about him, but he’s got a bit of a temper. Just don’t bother with him,” Ava said, keeping her voice low.

Calder walked in and looked out over the room.

“A teacher will be coming shortly to lead the session. If any of you have issues with one another, just bring them to me. Don’t handle things on your own. Getting a disciplinary mark on your record is the last thing you want.”

The remark was pointed enough that no one could miss who it was aimed at.

Malory’s eyes lit up as she studied the young man standing at the front of the room. She leaned close to Ava’s ear and murmured, “The club president is pretty easy on the eyes, isn’t he?”

What she thought was a whisper was actually a broadcast; the men in the room didn’t miss a single word.

From his seat, Cole sized Calder up with a skeptical eye. To him, the man was nothing but a cunning hypocrite.

He genuinely couldn’t understand what these girls were thinking. That face was supposed to be attractive?

Preston made his rounds, handing out brushes, pigments, and paper. As he reached Ava, he paused to add, “A painting instructor will be by shortly to guide the session.”

Malory shot Preston a knowing look. This one definitely has a thing for Ava.

His appearance was forgettable, and his talent even more so. If he’d possessed an ounce of either, he wouldn’t have let Cole put him in his place so easily.

Ava, of course, had no idea what was going through her best friend’s head. She simply picked up her paper and brush and set them on the desk.

Malory stared at the clean sheet of fine-art paper. “I’ve never studied calligraphy before. I can do a bit of sketching, but that’s about it.”

Ava held up the reference sheet.

“We start with line drawing-they won’t throw you straight into the deep end. Meticulous painting is all about the use of line work. You have to build up your fundamentals in line drawing before moving on to the next stage.”

Malory gave a light laugh. “I see. I was worried we’d have to work directly from a reference. Replicating

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Chapter 353 The Portrait

something that detailed is way out of my league.”

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Right on cue, a young man who looked every bit the professional artist walked in. He swapped a few words with Calder before facing the class.

“Looks like we’ve got a good number of newcomers,” he said, scanning the room. “I’m Eli, and I’ll be

leading the session. Just so I can get a sense of the room, raise your hand if today is your absolute first time trying calligraphy.”

Malory’s hand shot straight up. Only a scattered few others followed. She glanced sideways at Ava. “Ava you’ve studied calligraphy before?”

“Just a little. Barely scratched the surface.” Ava raised an eyebrow.

Malory looked at her with undisguised admiration. “You’re incredible.”

Eli swept his gaze across the room and smiled.

“Not having prior experience is perfectly fine-we’ll learn together. For those starting from zero, make the most of the club sessions. By the time you graduate, I’m confident every one of you will have something to show for it.”

After a few standard words of encouragement, Eli outlined the day’s fundamentals and set the class to work. He assigned the beginners to repetitive line-drawing drills, while the more experienced students were left to either replicate their references or begin freehand compositions.

Malory picked up her brush and began her line work.

She’d always dabbled a little on her own, and the prospect of learning a whole new art form had actually sparked something in her-a quiet, genuine interest.

By the time she looked up, Ava had already begun applying washes of color. Her replica was so precise that it was nearly a mirror image of the original.

Malory scratched her head, her gaze lingering on the paper. “That’s stunning-it looks exactly like the original.”

Ava kept her focus on the bird-and-flower painting, responding to the praise without lifting her brush.

“It’s technically accurate, but that’s all. It feels a bit rigid-stiff, honestly. Once you’ve put in enough hours. of foundational linework, the precision will become second nature to you too. There’s really nothing to envy.”

Malory felt genuinely heartened and broke into a smile.

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Chapter 353 The Portrait

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