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墨書 Inktalez
After the matter of Qing Wu attending the Floral Banquet was settled, the masters of the Liu Residence became extremely busy.
There were not many days left until the grand banquet.
Upon hearing this news, the He Family temporarily set aside their sons' marriage matters and hurried to find a good embroidery shop to make beautiful new clothes for their daughter.
The three brothers of Liu Anzhi were also not idle.
Liu Anzhi and Liu An Ting went around searching for the best writing tools suitable for a girl to paint with.
Brother San, Liu Anfeng, would often run over to Qing Wu's side during his free time to cheer her on. He was also worried that his sister might get nervous before the Competition, so he would tell her jokes to lighten the mood.
It was then that Qing Wu realized that Brother San had so many amusing stories hidden away. One after another, she listened and laughed until her stomach hurt, and he could still come up with more.
Qing Wu hurriedly waved her hands, saying, "I can't take it anymore. At this rate, I might not be able to lift my brush later."
Liu Anfeng, knowing that he often lacked restraint in what he did, quickly changed his tone upon hearing her words and nervously asked, "What should we do? Will this delay your practice?"
Before Qing Wu could respond, a lazy voice from beside them already chimed in: "Of course it won't delay anything. Laughing for a while won't stop you; it will just exhaust your energy. How could it possibly delay your painting?"
Hearing his sarcastic remark, Liu Anfeng became flustered and kept circling around Qing Wu, saying, "What should I do? How can I help you feel better?"
Finally annoyed by his incessant chatter, Zheng Ning, who usually preferred not to intervene, lost his temper and directly pushed him out the door. He then forcefully closed the Door and locked it tight.
At first, there were still some resentful mutterings from outside. Gradually, those sounds faded away, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps as the youth ran off.
Zheng Ning felt relieved when he heard Liu Anfeng leave but soon heard footsteps approaching again. Before long, there were a few light knocks on the door.
Irritated, he opened the door and was about to scold whoever was there when he saw Liu Anzhi holding a fine inkstone and Liu An Ting carrying excellent paper and brushes standing outside.
Seeing Zheng Ning's angry face, the two brothers were somewhat surprised. After asking for details, they finally understood what had happened.
Liu An Ting first apologized to Liu Anfeng, then said, "He has a bit of a temper and often acts without thinking. I will go find him later and have a good talk. For the next few days, we should avoid bothering Qing Wu so as not to disturb her practice."
Liu Anzhi thought for a moment and added, "It's not just Third Brother. We shouldn't disturb our sister for the next few days either."
"That's not necessary; after all, it's just a competition. There's no need to be so tense. It was only because that person was suddenly too noisy and gave me a headache that I sent him away," Zheng Ning smiled. "Just act as usual. However, the day before the competition, you need to relax completely and rest well, so don't come looking for Qing Wu to play."
The two brothers took his words to heart and acted accordingly.
In fact, the upcoming practice sessions were surprisingly casual for Qing Wu.
Zheng Ning understood that anything could catch the attention of the person setting the topic. Even so, who could predict what would be required at that time? It was better to paint whatever she wanted. As long as her technique was skilled and she had depth in her heart, there would be no problem.
Skillful technique requires both understanding and diligent practice.
Seizing this opportunity, Qing Wu systematically reviewed what she had learned over the past few years, practicing step by step from basic knowledge to advanced techniques according to her memories. During her free time, she sought out specific objects to depict. Sometimes it was a blade of grass, other times it was a flower.
Zheng Ning did not disturb her much; he merely watched closely from the side. Occasionally, if her technique was incorrect or her strokes were not precise enough, he would speak up to offer some guidance.
Qing Wu also did not neglect her calligraphy practice. Every day during breaks from painting, she made sure to complete her calligraphy exercises as planned. This was also Zheng Ning's intention.
— Painting and calligraphy are one and the same. She copied Huo Yun'ai's characters, which over the years had developed a certain momentum within them.
It was this momentum that perfectly complemented her gentle nature, preventing her paintings from becoming too soft and losing their charm.
Time passed quickly. Before long, it was the day before the competition.
On this day, Zheng Ning indeed ensured that no one else could casually disturb Qing Wu. However, he did not restrict her; she could continue with her usual routine.
Qing Wu was puzzled. Reflecting on how seriously she had been treating things lately, she couldn't help but ask, "What is the significance of this competition?"
Zheng Ning was naturally easygoing; he was strict with her but not harsh. Having studied under him for so many years, Qing Wu knew that he never took competitions seriously.
Because this time was different from the past, her doubts grew more and more.
Zheng Ning smiled lightly, just as he had in previous encounters, and replied, "You will understand in the future."
Qing Wu had asked several times without receiving a clear answer. Now that the competition was imminent and he still remained vague, she realized he was determined to keep it that way. She could only sigh inwardly, set aside her doubts, and focus on her studies.
During this time, Danqing came to report that someone wanted to see Qing Wu and brought a message.
The person was sent by Qin Shuying. The message was that her master wanted to see her.
Danqing thought it was Qin Shuying who wanted to see Qing Wu. However, both Zheng Ning and Qing Wu knew it was Huo Yun'ai who wanted to meet her.
How could Qing Wu refuse Huo Yun'ai? She immediately stood up and intended to go out. After taking a couple of steps, she remembered her teacher's instructions and slowly stopped.
...In the end, she was blocked by Zheng Ning.
He decided that even if the king himself came, he would not allow it.
His obedient disciple must calm down today and adjust her mindset. This time, she must win first place.
...
On the day of the event, Qing Wu had already changed into the new clothes made by her mother early in the morning. She tidied herself up and headed towards the residence where the banquet was being held.
Having been away from the capital for years, none of the ladies attending the banquet had seen her. When they saw a girl in a pink dress approaching, their eyes lit up.
Influenced by Huo Yun'ai for a long time, the girl's demeanor was unlike that of ordinary young ladies; she possessed a unique charm.
With every gesture, she exuded gracefulness while subtly revealing an indescribable elegance. When she lowered her head and smiled gently, there was no hint of timidity or retreat; instead, there was a warmth and sophistication that left others speechless.
Many ladies secretly admired her; at this point, a young lady could be considered exceptional. Her beauty was striking—anyone who had seen her would be amazed. Her poise was also outstanding. She was both charming enough to be cherished and effortlessly captivating enough to hold people's gaze.
Such a girl is rare to see even once in a hundred years.
The ladies were discussing this, but Qing Wu was completely unaware.
She was focused solely on walking with Zheng Ning. It wasn't until the lazy man in front suddenly stomped his foot and stopped that she looked up.
Not far away, a white figure stood beside the Weeping Willow, cold and proud. He was positioned perfectly; others could only see the Weeping Willow from their angle, but he revealed himself only to Qing Wu.
Their eyes met, and the White-Clad Youth slightly raised the corners of his lips and nodded toward her.
Qing Wu did not understand why Huo Yun'ai had come. However, seeing that he wanted her to come over, she exchanged a word with Zheng Ning and walked straight toward him.
"What brings you here?"
As she reached the young man's side, Qing Wu asked in surprise.
Huo Yun'ai heard her question laden with meaning and looked at her charmingly smiling face, causing his brows to furrow tightly, and the solemnity on his face grew colder.
— Why had he come?
He recalled how she had so decisively refused to meet him yesterday, leaving no room for negotiation and not even a word about when she might be willing to see him next.
It was one thing when he was busy with state affairs during the day. But at night, in the stillness, reflecting on these matters only made him feel increasingly unsettled. After tossing and turning for a long time, he finally made up his mind.
Since she wouldn't come to him, he would go find her.
He hurriedly prioritized the most important matters and postponed all ordinary affairs, allowing Huo Yun'ai to free up time to come here.
Who would have thought that she seemed completely unaffected by their lack of meeting? Her complexion was excellent, clearly having slept well.
...It seemed that he alone was troubled by their missed encounter.
Huo Yun'ai felt a deep sense of frustration with no outlet, pulling her hand and gently holding it in his palm.
It was only when the girl’s face showed embarrassment and her cheeks flushed with shyness that he felt a bit more at ease.
Feeling the delicate touch in his hand, as if it had no bones, he became somewhat addicted and unconsciously continued to hold on, forgetting to let go.
Qing Wu saw that he wouldn’t release her hand and, fearing she might miss the start of the competition, hurriedly lowered her voice and said, “Competition is about to begin. I... I need to get going.”
Though her words were urgent, she didn’t pull her hand away; instead, she waited for him to let go. Clearly, she didn’t mind his touch.
White-Clad Youth suddenly felt a wave of sadness wash over him. The pent-up frustration slowly dissipated, replaced by joy and delight.
Perhaps he was just too happy inside. The usually cautious Young Emperor, faced with the girl’s urging, inadvertently let slip what was on his mind.
“I have missed you very much these past few days. Have you thought of me at all?”
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