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墨書 Inktalez
Qing Wu took a moment to catch her breath and nodded lightly, letting out a soft "mm."
Huo Yun'ai noticed she had regained her composure and supported her to stand steady. Once she indicated that she was ready, Huo Yun'ai released her hand.
Qing Wu knew that with Huo Yun'ai present, Zheng Ning would likely not come in for a while. However, she was still preoccupied with the painting from earlier. Since the teacher couldn't provide feedback for the time being, she decided to ask Huo Yun'ai for guidance.
Huo Yun'ai had a different teaching method compared to Zheng Ning.
When Zheng Ning taught Qing Wu, he would first demonstrate whether it was writing or painting, and then Qing Wu would follow suit. He would then repeatedly correct her mistakes with words.
In the earlier steps, Huo Yun'ai and Zheng Ning were completely different. But when it came to the "correction" phase, he not only spoke but also placed his hand over Qing Wu's hand, teaching her stroke by stroke.
Thus, under his instruction, whether it was writing or painting, Qing Wu learned at a much faster pace.
Now, in front of Qing Wu was a desk, and behind her stood Huo Yun'ai.
"…You need to gather the strokes here in advance. Otherwise, when you reach the tip of the leaf, you won't be able to outline it properly."
The Young Emperor placed his left hand behind his back, leaned slightly forward, and held the girl's hand. He replicated the painting she had just done from start to finish, emphasizing the mistake she had made earlier.
Qing Wu silently committed his words to memory and occasionally raised a question or two. As Huo Yun'ai continued to paint, he answered her questions effortlessly.
Once they finished the painting together, Qing Wu set aside her earlier work and went to another desk to place the piece that Zheng Ning had painted previously.
Comparing the three pieces side by side, she couldn't help but laugh.
The same few orchids were depicted; although their postures were identical, upon closer inspection, their meanings were vastly different. Zheng Ning's work exuded a carefree elegance; hers appeared delicate and charming; while the one created with Huo Yun'ai, infused with his touch, radiated a cold and proud beauty.
Looking at her own piece and then at the other two, Qing Wu sighed, "Mine still lacks some spirit."
"Your painting has its own charm, do not belittle yourself."
Huo Yun'ai, before Qing Wu could react, casually folded the orchid drawing that Qing Wu had drawn with a mistake and tucked it into his own bosom. He continued, "Hearing your words today, you have improved a lot compared to before. I suppose you won't need me to teach you anymore."
Hearing him praise her improvement made Qing Wu very happy. However, when she heard that he would no longer teach her, she felt a bit empty and sad inside.
But before that sadness could spread, Huo Yun'ai continued, "From now on, I will teach you calligraphy. Whenever you have questions about what you read but don't understand, feel free to ask me. I will do my best to answer you."
This meant they would still see each other often for lessons.
Although she knew he was usually very busy and that taking up his time would tire him out even more, ever since Qing Wu came to this world and was saved by him, she had developed an inexplicable dependence on him.
She did not want to lose the chance to see him. After thinking it over, she ultimately could not go against her heart and declined politely, thus feeling very happy to thank him and agree.
Seeing that she did not refuse, Huo Yun'ai secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his brows gradually relaxing and revealing an undeniable joy.
He touched the item at his waist, intending to take it off and give it to her when he heard Qing Wu say, "The pouch was originally a New Year gift. I sent it to you early, so I made another one."
Huo Yun'ai was completely unprepared for her to say such a thing.
Having just arrived at Zheng Ning's place, Zheng Ning had already shown him the pouches that Qing Wu had given to Zheng and Qin, smiling as he told Huo Yun'ai that he should be receiving one embroidered with bamboo soon.
Only then did Huo Yun'ai realize that the pouch Qing Wu had used to wrap the rock candy for him last time was a New Year gift. He thought to himself how fortunate he was to have brought a gift for the girl today; otherwise, he would truly feel sorry for her kind gesture.
Who would have thought that Qing Wu would now tell him that since she had already given him a pouch, she prepared another one.
Huo Yun'ai felt both expectant and surprised. He slowly lowered his hand from his waist and smiled as he asked, "I wonder what Mist has prepared for me?"
In front of her, he did not hide his gaze, and Qing Wu naturally saw his expectations.
Seeing him like this, she felt a bit shy instead. Slowly, she took something out from her fragrance pouch and blushed as she handed it to him.
It was a net made of greenish silk thread. It couldn't be considered expertly crafted, but the care put into it by the maker made it neat and pretty.
"I didn't know what to make, but I remember when I went out with Dou Mama, I bought some thread and asked her to teach me."
Qing Wu said this while looking up at Huo Yun'ai.
The young man slightly lowered his gaze, focusing intently on the item in his hand. His long eyelashes partially covered his eyes, obscuring all thoughts and making it hard to discern his expression.
Qing Wu grew increasingly nervous, tugging at the hem of her clothes as she said, "I'm afraid of being seen by others and not being able to explain what it's for. I could only weave it when I was alone or when only Dou Mama was around. I haven't practiced much; it's too... ugly..."
The last four words were spoken very softly.
But Huo Yun'ai heard them clearly.
His long fingers closed around the net, suddenly gripping it tightly in his hand. A warm smile appeared at the corners of his lips. "Who is ugly? I really like it."
Huo Yun'ai initially wanted to tuck the net away into his embrace but thought better of it and loosened his hand.
His slender fingers moved to his waist, and with a few twists, he had already tied it around the jade pendant at his waist.
After securing it, he inadvertently caught sight of a new sachet hanging at his waist. The sachet was bulging, clearly stuffed with quite a few things.
Huo Yun'ai paused for a moment, sighed inwardly, and then no longer looked at it again.
In fact, the Sachet was filled with many gold ornaments.
He had inquired before and knew that girls liked delicate and intricate things. During the New Year, elders often crafted gold and silver into various beautiful shapes to give to the younger generation for play.
Because of this, Huo Yun'ai specifically sent someone to find over a hundred types of gold ornaments. He carefully selected from among them. He rejected those that were not finely made, those with simple carvings, and those that were not pure in quality.
Whenever he had free time, he would sift through the many gold ornaments, examining each one. In the end, he chose the one he liked best from the Sachet.
Originally, he thought it would be a perfect New Year gift for Wu. Now, compared to the thoughtful and heartfelt things she had made just for him, he felt that these items were too ordinary.
The sentiment was not enough.
She treated him with utmost care, yet he did not reciprocate with equal sincerity.
After pondering for a long time, Huo Yun'ai finally fished out a pendant from around his neck.
It was a Sheep Fat Jade Pendant, warm and flawless. In the shape of a Golden Eagle, there was a hole on its back through which a fine thread made of Braid of White Silk was threaded.
"This was sought for me by the Grand General when I was five years old."
Huo Yun'ai walked over to Qing Wu's side, slightly bent down, and arranged her hair behind her back.
"I heard from Father Emperor that this jade has been blessed and can protect one’s safety and health. I have always worn it."
Qing Wu listened attentively to every word. Suddenly, she felt a coolness around her neck and realized that the young man had wrapped the white silk thread around her neck and was about to tie it for her.
As he spoke, his warm breath brushed against her neck.
Thinking back on his previous words, Qing Wu suddenly understood the importance of this pendant. Startled, she hurried to push him away, but he gently smiled and raised his hand to brush her off.
"The Great General seeks this item because he hopes for the wearer to be safe and healthy. My greatest wish now is for you to be so."
As he spoke, the knot was already tied.
Huo Yun'ai adjusted the pendant, looked at it for a moment, and then personally placed it into her collar.
Seeing the girl's shocked expression, he couldn't help but smile. He pointed at her nose and asked with a laugh, "Are you still going to paint?"
With the precious gift left by the Grand General suddenly adorning her, Qing Wu could no longer focus on painting.
She quickly shook her head.
Huo Yun'ai smiled knowingly and took her hand to walk outside. "Since that's the case, why not play for a while?"
Qing Wu initially thought this was a great idea. After all, studying and practicing writing required complete concentration. However, she believed she lacked the composure to remain calm after receiving such a precious item. Rather than wasting time inside, it would be better to do something else to relax. Once she calmed down, she could return indoors to study.
But it didn't take long for her to realize that this idea wasn't as wonderful as she had imagined.
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