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墨書 Inktalez
Beside the Marquis stood Chang Sui Wen Nian. Dressed in sturdy attire, his eyes were serious and focused.
The girls were in a flurry over here, but he paid them no mind. He simply walked into the courtyard and shouted with a deep voice, "Prepare now; we will begin in one minute!"
His voice echoed like a great bell throughout the courtyard.
The girls all shivered, and in an instant, it fell silent. After a moment, they glared angrily at those they disliked and then dispersed.
—No one would waste their preparation time on irrelevant people on such a splendid day to showcase their skills.
Only at this point did the table and the four treasures of the study finally come together.
The table was one thing, but the items used for painting caused the girls to murmur among themselves.
The reason was simple. Instead of the usual paper, silk cloth was laid out on the table.
Painting on silk...
It was much more difficult than painting on paper.
This time, even Zhu Minran, who had been full of confidence before, couldn't help but furrow her willow brows, her face showing signs of seriousness.
In contrast, Qing Wu, who had always been looked down upon by Zhu Minran, remained calm. Even when Shen Shuihua and the others began to feel anxious, she spoke up to comfort them.
Previously, Lu Pingting and Zou Kefen had merely disapproved of Zhu Minran. After what had just happened today, they were thoroughly disgusted with that group.
Now seeing Zhu Minran and Zeng Mingxin choosing from the table on the east side, the two made up their minds and pulled Qing Wu and Shen Shuihua toward the west side.
Due to the earlier struggle, Shen Shuihua's arm was still a bit painful.
Qing Wu was worried that if she insisted on painting without seeking medical attention, it would worsen her injury. If that happened, it would take a lot more effort to restore her arm to its original state.
So she earnestly tried to persuade Shen Shuihua to see a doctor before making any plans.
However, Shen Shuihua was determined and would not back down once she had made up her mind. No matter how Qing Wu urged her, she insisted on participating in the Competition on time.
"If I back down now, wouldn't that be exactly what she wants? I refuse to do that!"
The girl appeared delicate but had a resolute spirit.
Seeing her friend being bullied like this, how could she bear it? She was even more determined to support Qing Wu and treat this Competition seriously.
Qing Wu appreciated her sincerity and, seeing that her persuasion was ineffective, became increasingly worried about Shen Shuihua's arm, causing beads of sweat to form on her forehead.
Just then, a gentle voice came from beside them.
“Qing Wu, how are you? Are you hurt?”
Since there were others present, Wen Qingyue did not call her "sister" but instead used the affectionate term everyone usually called Qing Wu.
Hearing her brother's voice, Qing Wu suddenly remembered something and felt relieved.
Turning towards the young man, she couldn't bother with small talk and urgently asked, “Do you have any medicine for injuries? Something for bruises and sprains? Can you lend me some?”
Wen Qingyue had just arrived and only witnessed the noisy conclusion. Hearing Qing Wu's words, his expression changed dramatically. “What? Are you hurt?”
"Not that, it's Miss Shen." Qing Wu pointed to the spot on Shen Shuihua's arm that had been severely pinched and briefly recounted what had just happened.
Wen Qingyue quickly sent someone to fetch medicine.
Qing Wu hurriedly thanked him.
Wen Qingyue chuckled lightly, "It's nothing borrowed from you; even if I gave it all to you, what would it matter?"
The two were already familiar with each other, and Qing Wu was too anxious, only thinking about applying medicine to Shen Shuihua's injury within this brief moment. She didn't think much of it and spoke in their usual conversational manner.
However, the surrounding girls noticed how casually Qing Wu interacted with the Heir Apparent of the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion. They also saw the affectionate look in the Heir Apparent's eyes when he looked at Qing Wu, which led them to quietly gossip among themselves.
Qing Wu was worried about Shen Shuihua and did not notice this.
Wen Qingyue did notice but initially did not care. However, he also understood that he could not publicly acknowledge his relationship with Qing Wu for now.
Fearing that his sister might be affected by this, he thought for a moment and smiled, "The Wu Family has helped me, and the Liu Residence has a good relationship with the Wu Family. You are like my own sister. It's nothing much to help."
The Wu Family and the Liu Family were neighbors, and they had a good relationship back in the day, something anyone who paid a little attention to the Liu Family would know.
Upon hearing Wen Qingyue mention the Wu Family, many understood and stopped thinking further. Occasionally, some confused girls would ask about it, and those in the know would explain.
Just then, the medicine had arrived.
Qing Wu, along with Zou Kefen and Lu Pingting, hurriedly took Shen Shuihua to a room in the courtyard.
Zou Kefen, coming from a military family, found bandaging quite simple.
After seeing the medicine brought by Wen Qingyue, she gently sniffed it and praised, "Good medicine," without saying much more, and quickly applied it to Shen Shuihua.
The medicine was cool and refreshing, alleviating much of the burning pain in the injured area.
When the girls came out of the room, Wen Qingyue was still waiting outside the door. Seeing the girls' relaxed expressions, it was clear that the medicine had taken effect, and he let out a sigh of relief.
Just now, due to the severity of the injury, he hadn't had time to ask more. Now that he saw Shen Shuihua had already applied the medicine, Wen Qingyue finally asked what had happened earlier.
Upon hearing that Shen Shuihua was upset because those people looked down on Qing Wu and had argued with them out of anger for Qing Wu, Wen Qingyue's expression brightened. He looked deeply at Shen Shuihua, smiled at her sincerely, and said, "Thank you very much. You are very kind."
The Wen family was already known for their good looks, and he carried an inherent elegance and composure typical of a noble family. This smile truly made it hard for anyone to look away.
Even though Shen Shuihua had seen many charming young men in the Capital City, she couldn't help but blush in front of this outstanding gentleman and stammered, "It's nothing."
With the matter settled, the girls needed to hurry and prepare their utensils for their table.
Wen Qingyue could no longer stay for long. He reminded Qing Wu once more and asked Shen Shuihua a few more concerned questions before heading towards where the boys were gathered at the southern end.
Only then did the girls notice that the boys standing in the southern part of the courtyard were all holding something similar in their hands.
It turned out that today, during the banquet hosted by the Marquisate, there was little difference for female guests; anyone participating in the painting activity could simply arrive when it started.
However, for male guests, each one received a willow branch upon entering the estate.
This willow branch was different from ordinary ones. It was made from freshly sprouted willow twigs that were picked and dried, then carefully engraved with the words "Very Good" by skilled craftsmen.
Initially, the boys did not know what this item was for. But seeing a row of stands just moved into the courtyard and taking in their surroundings carefully, they quickly understood its purpose.
The shelves each held a bamboo woven basket underneath. They were about one or two feet long and half a foot wide, dyed in a bluish-green hue, with faintly visible specks of green leaves on top. They matched perfectly under the newly sprouted willow tree.
Looking up, at the top of the shelf where the basket was placed, there was a piece of red paper affixed.
Originally, the paper was blank. Now, a gentleman in his thirties or forties stepped forward, carefully observing the girl at the table in the courtyard, writing down everyone's names on it. When he encountered someone he didn't recognize, Wen Nian approached and informed him of their name.
Seeing this action, not only the boys but even the girls understood the purpose of these shelves.
It was clearly intended for after the painting session, for the boys to use their Willow Branches to score the girls.
Looking again at the spacious middle section between each shelf and the baskets with names...
It seemed that they would be placing the girls' artworks there shortly.
Realizing that their paintings would be judged publicly, the girls felt a mix of joy and surprise, but more than anything, they were anxious.
These girls loved to paint. The previous Floral Banquet had been fine; after all, it was judged by experts, and even if they didn’t receive much praise, it was merely due to their lack of skill.
Now, after so many years, it wasn't guaranteed that those judging would understand art. If they received poor reviews, it would inevitably leave them feeling unhappy.
Just as everyone was nervously sweating in their palms, contemplating whether to withdraw, a burst of hearty laughter rang out.
Zhenyuan Marquis and Master Wen stood in the courtyard with their hands behind their backs and said, "This time we set up this game for fun; there's no need to take it too seriously. Just choose whichever you like. Those casting Willow Branches shouldn't worry too much, and those receiving them shouldn't take it to heart. It's all based on personal preference. I remember when Mr. Wang painted in his youth; he faced many setbacks. There were even studios that discarded his work outside and stepped on it. I ask you now, who would dare say a word against the old gentleman? So in painting, it's all about eye affinity. Just be casual about it."
Mr. Wang and Master Wen had known each other for many years.
The Marquis's teasing of Mr. Wang was not seen as excessive; rather, it was viewed as a testament to their long-standing friendship that remained as easygoing as ever over the years—something truly enviable and admirable.
Upon further reflection on the words of the Marquis, everyone began to relax.
Indeed. It was just a banquet, merely an opportunity to gather and study painting. Why should we be so calculative?
Acting spontaneously and doing our best is enough.
Just as everyone was eager for the upcoming Competition, an unpleasant voice suddenly rang out among the girls.
"This way seems rather unfair!" one person scoffed. "Even if you say 'just for fun,' some people might take it seriously!"
The crowd turned to see that the speaker was the girl who often followed Zhu Minran.
I vaguely remember her...
Is her surname Zeng?!
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