After I Dumped the Famous Painter

Blurb 1:

He Lian, a Chinese-Italian mixed-race model, made his runway debut at eighteen. He had thought one show would make him famous, but reality quickly doused him with a bucket of cold water.

At nineteen, he followed his mother back to Huacheng in China for the summer, figuring he might as well take a break. When he heard that Huamei was recruiting art models, curiosity got the better of him and he went to apply.

As it turned out, he was accepted.

A handsome art model with an extraordinary presence had joined Huamei. The fine arts students were all dazzled by him, and whenever they had a life-drawing class, they looked forward to drawing him.

Lu Shuchen was a star of Huamei's fine arts department, adored by teachers and experts alike.

But, unfortunately, his inspiration suddenly ran dry, and the star fell from his pedestal.

Then he saw the new art model. Lu Shuchen couldn't stop thinking about his sculpted, handsome face and his body, a work of art in its own right.

He knew he had found his muse.

One day, just after He Lian had gotten dressed and was about to leave the studio, a tall man in gold-rimmed glasses stopped him.

Lu Shuchen said, "You're beautiful. Could I paint a portrait of you, just for myself?"

He Lian looked him over carefully. A dark glint passed through his eyes, and he lightly touched his chin with a fingertip before smiling. "Would I have to take everything off?"

Lu Shuchen froze for a moment, then nodded stiffly. "Yes."

He Lian said, "Then I'll have to think about it."

Later, Lu Shuchen offered him everything he had, and at last won a "Sure" from He Lian.

His inspiration was completely rekindled. He considered the nude portrait he painted of He Lian the best work he had done in more than a decade.

The painting was finished, but the man in it had completely captured his heart.

When Lu Shuchen finally understood his own feelings, his muse suddenly vanished, as if he had never been part of his world.

Only the painting proved that it hadn't all been a dream, and that the beautiful memories of the man in his mind weren't an illusion.

Blurb 2:

Lu Shuchen returned to his former gloomy self, and became even worse. Yet more and more people came to admire his paintings, and his fame continued to grow.

In just five years, he became an internationally renowned painter.

Meanwhile, He Lian made a name for himself in the fashion world.

When he returned to China to attend a major fashion show, he unexpectedly ran into the man he'd once taken for everything he was worth.

Out of habit, he greeted him with a smile and a nod, then paid him no further attention.

It had been five years. Surely he'd forgotten by now.

Lu Shuchen was reunited with his muse. His fingers trembled, and he barely managed to restrain the beast within, stopping himself from doing anything inappropriate.

Only he knew how deeply he longed for that man.

"Ha..." Lu Shuchen covered his face, letting out a slightly hoarse laugh. "You can't get away now."

*He was like a bewitching seducer, every inch of his skin flawless and irresistibly alluring.*

Note:

1. Teasing, scheming model gong x devoted, gloomy painter shou

2. They dote on each other. Readers with extreme preferences, please skip.

Theme: Keep striving forward, even in darkness