Yuri felt a headache.
As for the cause of the headache, he thought it was probably because he drank too much last night... It seems that, recently, he has become more and more dependent on alcohol.
But he didn't open his eyes yet, he just pressed his hands on his forehead softly, and then sniffed a dull, even a little stinky smell that filled his surroundings.
The salary of the art gallery is very low, and the monthly purchase of paints, brushes, and drawing paper is not a small expense. He can only rent a stuffy and dark basement like this.
"It's already this point?"
Looking up at the alarm clock placed in front of the bed, Yuri had no choice but to get up in a hurry, looking for clothes to wear on the ground.
The clothes are thrown on the ground like garbage... This is probably the case for single men, and it should be even more so for single and poor men.
He finally found a piece of clothing that didn't smell much, and after putting it on casually, he opened the door of the basement where he rented.
"One newspaper, one coffee, one sandwich, the total is..."
"Give."
Yuri ate his breakfast as usual, and got on the bus to the art museum. The bus at this point actually found a seat where he could sit, which made him feel a little lucky.
"...The stolen "Unknown Girl" is officially hung up today, and the art gallery is also open normally."
One night when he casually opened the newspaper, Yuri was surprised to see such headlines. But regarding the content written in the news, he was completely in the feeling of falling into another world after he fell asleep.
The date in the newspaper was correct, it was indeed today.
He subconsciously bit his lip... Well, I felt pain, so I shouldn't be dreaming.
But.
As someone who works in an art gallery... even though it's just an employee responsible for cleaning the exterior walls, why didn't he know about the theft of "The Nameless Girl"
And... or did it happen many days ago
"Damn it!"
According to his temper, Yuri looked at the content of the newspaper all the way. "The Unknown Girl" was actually a very well-known councilor in the city who tried to steal it.
The police had a clue and found the stolen painting directly at the congressman's home. As for the method of the theft, it was not reported.
Later, the police captured the congressman, but during the transport, the criminal congressman was robbed with weapons. At that time, the escaped criminals and gangsters broke into a manor in the suburbs and clashed with the owner of the manor.
In self-defense, the owner of the manor shot and killed three people, including the prisoner Yefim Senator. The stolen paintings have also been returned to the art museum, and they are officially reopened to tourists today...
"Damn..."
Yuri really felt that what was written in this newspaper was nonsense... So many things happened, he didn't even have the slightest impression.
His head was still a little heavy, which made him wonder if he drank so much last night that he forgot so many things.
But no, even if it is a fragment, there is no reason to forget that something has happened for a while.
He subconsciously continued to rub his forehead.
The discomfort after waking up from the hangover lasted until the bus arrived, and I didn’t see much improvement, but after Yuri arrived at the station, he was really in front of the art museum, and saw many more tourists than before. , waiting for the museum to open.
"Everything in the newspaper... is true??"
Yuri muttered, and glanced at the time, he found that he was completely past the time for work... For this reason, he had to do what he often did, which was to drill into a sewer outside the street of the art museum.
It happened to lead to a place in the art gallery. Of course, the exit there was actually blocked early in the morning. It's just that he has been cleaning here for a while, and found this passage by accident, so...
Anyway, after that, even if he missed the time for work, he was not noticed to be late.
Seems like it's time to open the door.
Before Yuri had time to go to the staff room to change into his work clothes, he was forced to temporarily hide aside by the influx of tourists.
"Yuri! Here you are again!"
At this moment, Yuri heard someone calling his name. It was a staff member in the art gallery. His name seemed to be... I forgot, anyway, I didn’t pay much attention to it.
"Ah... I was going to change clothes. But look." Yuri pointed at the guests and said, "In this way, there is no way for me to go there. But I did come on time, you see, I am already here gone."
The employee said indifferently: "I don't care if you are late or not. In fact, even if you are late, I will not care about you! You must not have forgotten that you have been fired for some time, right?!"
"What?"
"I said! You have been fired! Yuri, let me tell you, if you enter the venue in a serious manner, we will not care about you! But if you continue to sneak in like this, there will be another time, We have to call the police!" The employee said sternly: "Now, leave immediately! Don't waste the only feelings I have for you that I have worked with."
"Speak clearly! What dismissal? Who dismissed it? I was still at work yesterday! Why was it dismissed?" Yuri couldn't help but rushed forward.
The employee took a step back in distaste, "It stinks... How much alcohol have you drunk? Please, please only walk on the street after you are sober!"
"say clearly!"
The staff waved their hands at this moment, and two security guards immediately came up, left and right, supported Yuri, and dragged him out of the art gallery abruptly.
"Let me go! Let me go!!"
In front of the art museum, Yuri was pushed away forcefully, and one of the security guards said: "Let's go, don't let me see you again! Tell me, how many times this month? Standing in front of those famous paintings, do you think you are really an artist? Who would look at the rubbish you usually paint!"
"What did you say?!"
"Can you go? We can do it!"
The two security guards puffed up their chests at the same time. Yuri was startled, and spit out angrily: "You guys are laying off employees illegally! I will definitely sue you at the Labor Department! Wait! Bah!"
Yuri took a deep breath, turned around and left bitterly, still feeling absurd all of a sudden.
Before finally walking out of the art gallery, Yuri subconsciously looked back, and then looked at the newspaper he bought in the morning that was still in his hand.
He suddenly crumpled up the newspaper, threw it vigorously in front of the art gallery, and shouted loudly: "Listen! One day, I will hang my paintings inside!!"
…
"It's okay, oh... well, my job is okay now, don't worry, I'm in good health. Girlfriend? I don't have any plans for now. Well, I see, mother."
Maybe it’s been a while since I’ve corresponded with my parents back home
Yuri stood alone under an old building, silently listening to the nagging of his family, "... well, stop talking, I'm going to start working here. I love you, mother."
Yuri tucked the phone into his belt... He said he would go to the Labor Department to sue the art museum, but in fact it was just a waste of time to sit on this kind of thing.
If you have the energy, you might as well find a new job as soon as possible... This month's rent has not been paid yet.
The sky above Moscow is still so clear, just like when I first came here... At that time, I still had a dream, right
After exhausting the money he brought from home, no one appreciates the works he sells door-to-door. In the end, he can only paint portraits for passers-by on the street to earn some living expenses.
I remember half a year ago when it was still cold and snowing, I slept on the street and almost froze to death.
With his hands in his trouser pockets, he walked aimlessly on the street, no longer thinking about the reason why he was fired... What he needs to think about is how to continue his life in the future.
"Dreams can't be eaten."
Yuri no longer remembers who said such words... Maybe he really has no talent, but he is only supporting his so-called dream with an impulse.
But now, with three meals a day and no food and clothing, it's time to think about it... think about it, and give up your dreams.
"here it is… "
I can't remember how I got here. Yuri stopped in his tracks... Perhaps because he was too focused on thinking about the problem, he actually came to this place again.
On the side of the old building with red brick walls, Yuri stood like this for a long time, silently looking at the distorted city pattern on the mottled wall.
It always feels a little ridiculous... At that time, how did I insist on painting here every day in such a cold winter
It's just that he has an urge to fill in some of the last lines that he gave up at the beginning... Anyway, today is free and I don't have to work anymore.
Yuri found a stone on the ground, walked under the wall, and closed his eyes.
After a while, he started to draw light white marks on the wall with the water chestnut of the stone.
When it was abandoned, it was almost done... and now it's just adding some missing things, it doesn't seem to take much time... and it seems to take a long time.
"It seems... almost something."
Suddenly, a slightly muffled voice came from behind. Yuri turned around subconsciously, and found that at some point, there was a man behind him.
Wearing a peaked cap, mask, and sportswear... probably a morning jogger. But he always felt that this man seemed to have met somewhere: "You are?"
The morning jogger's mask trembled a little, and he seemed to smile: "Do you have a dream?"
"Dream?" Yuri was taken aback.
The morning runner said: "Ah, you forgot. Last winter, I asked you why you didn't burn the charcoal on your hands to keep warm in such a cold day."
The memory suddenly opened, and Yuri smiled complicatedly: "Now, I think I will burn the charcoal in my hand."
The morning runner seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then nodded, and said softly: "In that case, it would be such a pity."
Yuri shrugged, looked up at the huge graffiti, and said calmly: "Not necessarily. Anyway, no one would like this thing."
"I won't bother you anymore." The morning runner said politely.
Yuri nodded subconsciously, and when the morning runner was about to turn around, he subconsciously stopped him: "Wait a minute, can you do me a favor?"
"Sir, what's the matter?"
I don't know if it was an illusion, but Yuri always felt that the other party's voice was a little cold. But he didn't pay too much attention, "If possible, can you help me?"
"help?"
…
"By the way, a little to the left, a little more, okay, right here! Don't move! It will be done soon!"
Under the old wall, the morning runner lent his shoulder, and Yuri rode on his shoulder, allowing him to reach a higher position on the wall.
He fumbled some paint tubes from his clothes. This is his habit, and he always carries some with him... But at this time, he squeezed out a tube of paint and painted it on the upper left corner of the graffiti with his fingers.
lemon yellow.
A circle... a sun.
On the twisted city, a bright yellow sun. The blackness and the sunlight seemed extremely weird... But after putting down Yuri, the morning runner stared at it for a long time.
He suddenly said softly: "Sir, I think you have a little mistake. That is, no one will like this, at least I like it very much. I think I finally waited for its perfect day."
Yuri smiled and said, "You are such a weirdo."
He shook his head: "I won't chat with you anymore, I'm going to find a new job now, otherwise, I guess I won't even have charcoal next time... Goodbye, I'm very glad to meet you again."
"Sir, may I know your name?"
"Yuri, my name is Yuri."
"Do you like to draw?"
Yuri was silent for a while, then shook his head and said, "I'm not too sure now."
The morning jogger suddenly opened his skirt, took out a pen, "give me your hand."
He wrote a phone number on Yuri's palm and told him: "I have a friend who also likes to draw, you can communicate with him. I, by the way, I suggest that you can also learn from him. Um... you say it was Vladimirovich, an old friend from his judo class who introduced him."
"judo?"
"I hope to see your work in the future." The morning runner said indifferently, "Mr. Yuri."
…
"It turned out to be a rich man."
Yuri looked at the phone number written on his palm, and watched the morning jogger finally get into a black car... Isn't the driver a little too strong
It should be the bodyguard, right
Yuri thought for a while, and felt that there was nothing wrong with making this call, so he dialed the phone number on his palm.
"Hello, this is the Repin Academy of Fine Arts. I am Professor Aprem. How can I help you?"
Yuri subconsciously reached out and patted his face... Repin Academy of Fine Arts... former Royal Academy of Fine Arts... Apulem... This is the authority in the art world!
"Vladimirovich... Vladimirovich...judo?" Yuri's heart was beating violently: "Could it be... him!! I actually, actually rode on... the shoulders!!"
Yuri turned around suddenly, looking at the graffiti on the wall.
He suddenly felt that today might be favored by the god of luck.
"Hello? Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Ah... hello, I'm here! I'm here! I'm here! My name is Yuri. Professor Aprem, I'm sorry to call you, it's like this, there is one..."
…
…
Luo Qiu was softly reading the contents of the parchment in his hand.
"First, let Mr. Yuri forget everything about you and Yefim, and restore his memory to before he knew you. Finished."
"Second, give him a chance to pursue his dream...to complete."
"Thirdly, let Mr. Yuri enjoy a lifespan of up to twenty-five years again... Well, I'm sorry, Miss Anna, Mr. Yuri has already made a deal with us before this, and your soul trading gold is not enough to buy us. Return his soul, and even the lifespan can only reach twenty-five years at most."
Gently rolled up the parchment in his hand, in the house that originally belonged to Oleg but now has been easily occupied for temporary residence, Luo Qiu looked at Anna in front of him with a smile, and said softly : "Excuse me, do the above meet what Miss Anna you want?"
"Okay." Anna nodded lightly.
It looked very calm.
She was so calm that it made no difference whether she opened her eyes or closed her eyes. But at this moment, she slowly closed her eyes, she knew what was waiting for her next.
Death... the soul belongs to the other. She doesn't know what the soul looks like, but she knows about death.
But after waiting for a while, Anna didn't feel anything wrong with her body.
This made her open her eyes in confusion.
"Miss Anna, I'm curious about something."
Luo Qiu asked softly: "You said, when Yefim and the curator of the art gallery conspired to steal "The Nameless Girl", they actually used a kind of paint that would fade. Um... During the maintenance of the painting, this special paint was quietly painted on the real painting, and then hung up again. This kind of paint is quite special, and it will go through two changes, from appearing to fading."
"Well..." Luo Qiu smiled and said, "It was normal when it was hung up, but after being irradiated by special light, the color appeared, and a good painting became the same color as the bottom frame. It looks like , The real painting seems to have disappeared. After that, as long as you report to the police, and after the police question you, take down the painting with only the 'frame' left, and you will be unnoticed... "
Anna said indifferently: "What exactly do you want to say?"
"It's nothing." Boss Luo walked away a few steps and came to the living room.
An easel was placed here, and he lifted the canvas on the easel, and what was revealed was also a painting of "Anonymous Girl".
"This... you got it out of the art gallery?"
"No. This is not the second "Unknown Girl" painted by Mr. Yuri in the manor that is now hanging in the art gallery... but the first one, the first one that Miss Anna auctioned at the auction."
"Impossible, it has been destroyed by Yuri!"
"Well, I picked it up later, and then repaired it a little bit." Luo Qiu stretched out his hand and slowly wiped across the painting, he looked into Anna's eyes: "During the restoration process, I discovered some very interesting things. Something happened. I just said something about the paint."
When the color on the painting slowly melted away and turned into a mass of smudges, it seemed to have been washed by something again.
The nameless girl has disappeared.
It's just another woman on it, smiling... with charming eyes and a charming smile.
"Yuri..."
Anna folded her right hand with her left hand, and lightly folded her trembling hands on her lips, staring at its original appearance obsessively.
When a tear slipped down, she could only hear her speaking softly in a choked voice.
"Thank you... for loving me."
Among the black and white, a little bit of color slowly spread, not bright, and the range is not large, just, just a little bit.
But it was enough to make Boss Luo fascinated and admired quietly.
…
The ball of light from the soul slowly floated out from Anna's forehead, like a floating dandelion, and finally landed in Luo Qiu's palm.
Its brilliance is fading little by little.
"Above par."
The maid, who was waiting silently, said softly beside the master with a smile, "Congratulations, master."
Luo Qiu seemed to be in a good mood. With a smile, he picked up the painting from the artist and looked at it carefully, "After you go back, find a place to hang it up?"
"Okay." The maid responded softly, and said, "It's a pity that Yuri has already erased all his memories, and he hasn't had time to name it yet."
"Name it?" Luo Qiu was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "Isn't it already named? Look, who is it painting?"
Hence the name of the painting.
"Anna". (.)