Chapter 128

After the little episode with the naive and adorable girl, the rest of the time passed uneventfully.

Today was the competition day for the national calligraphy exhibition. In the morning was the opening ceremony, where the host introduced several judges, most of whom were leading figures in the calligraphy world. When a renowned calligrapher surnamed Xu was mentioned, Tang Huaijin could clearly see Shen Yiqiu’s expression grow a bit tense.

After attending the opening ceremony, Shen Yiqiu had lunch with Tang Huaijin, then lined up to enter the competition venue.

The competition was held in a conference hall of the hotel, with red carpet on the floor, and each contestant had their own designated seat.

Since the competition hadn’t officially started yet, Shen Yiqiu also came in, sat down right next to him, and helped him arrange the prepared paper, ink, brush, and inkstone on the table.

Today, Shen Yiqiu wore that same qipao again, her hair styled in a bun at the back of her head.

Because they were indoors, she also took off the down jacket she had wrapped around herself, revealing her graceful and curvaceous figure. She stood quietly by his side, like a virtuous wife, grinding ink for him with her delicate hands. Such a scene of a beauty adding fragrance to the scholar’s side attracted countless contestants’ attention.

Most contestants also had someone accompanying them to help grind ink, usually their teachers or relatives.

There were indeed some with wives grinding ink by their side, but Shen Yiqiu’s looks were absolutely top-tier no matter where she was, the kind that could outshine countless others in an instant.

Noticing the gazes sweeping over from all corners, Tang Huaijin felt a strange mix of emotions-somewhat embarrassed, yet also a little proud.

Shen Yiqiu didn’t say anything, just quietly ground the ink for him. After preparing the ink, she took something out of her small bag and handed it to Tang Huaijin, softly saying, “Your seal.”

Tang Huaijin took the seal made of Tianhuang stone¹, and seeing his own name carved on it, his expression froze for a moment. He had already noticed during lunch that Teacher Shen’s fingers had a few more band-aids on them.

He hesitated and asked, “Teacher Shen, did you carve this?”

Shen Yiqiu’s expression was a bit unnatural. She bit her lip lightly and nodded, saying softly, “Mm, maybe it’s not very good. This is my first time making something like this. Take a look, is it okay?”

Shen Yiqiu had barely left her room these past two days; it seemed she had been busy with this the whole time. Besides, carving a seal isn’t something just anyone can do-it requires holding a carving knife and working bit by bit, which is both labor-intensive and mentally demanding.

What’s more, it was Shen Yiqiu’s first time. Seeing that almost all five of her slender fingers were covered in band-aids, Tang Huaijin was deeply moved and said softly, “Thank you, I really like it. I will definitely cherish it.”

Sensing the tenderness in his tone, Shen Yiqiu’s lips curved into a satisfied smile as she gently said, “Mm, that’s good. You must take good care of her.”

As the host announced that the competition was about to begin, her gaze fell on the red string around Tang Huaijin’s neck, and she softly said, “Do your best, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

“Okay.” Tang Huaijin nodded, and only after watching her sit down in the stands at the back did he withdraw his gaze, sit in his chair, close his eyes, and rest, waiting for the competition to start.

The competition lasted an hour and a half. Contestants could write many pieces, but only one could be submitted.

Tang Huaijin practiced a few pieces first, then glanced back at Shen Yiqiu, who was looking his way. Only then did he take a few deep breaths and begin to write.

Like the light clouds veiling the moon, drifting as the wind returns the snow.

This was a line Cao Zhi used to describe Zhen Mi in the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River²-talented and beautiful, stunningly gorgeous.

Although it wasn’t quite appropriate for him to write this for her, Tang Huaijin really couldn’t think of any other words to describe a woman like Shen Yiqiu-cool and aloof, like the goddess of the Luo River, captivating at a glance.

When the ink had dried a bit, Tang Huaijin examined the characters he had written and nodded in satisfaction.

Whenever inspiration struck, the words always turned out so pleasing.

Tang Huaijin didn’t plan to write anything else. This piece could already be considered the pinnacle of his life.

But when it came to signing, he hesitated. This piece was written for Shen Yiqiu, so by rights it should have a double inscription.

His own inscription was easy, but as for the recipient’s title…

Given the content, calling her Teacher Shen was clearly inappropriate…

After much hesitation, he quietly wrote: To Miss Shen, with respect.

After signing, Tang Huaijin used the seal Shen Yiqiu had given him to stamp his very first name seal below the inscription.

Having finished all this, Tang Huaijin handed his work to the judge in the stands, who was the elder surnamed Xu.

The elder surnamed Xu looked at the piece of calligraphy, his expression slightly stunned. After scrutinizing it for a moment, he asked, “Who is your teacher?”

“My teacher is my father.” Tang Huaijin smiled politely, turned, and left the competition arena, heading toward the stands.

He sat down in the stands, looked at Teacher Shen who glanced his way but hesitated to speak, and Tang Huaijin smiled gently, saying in a soft voice, “Don’t worry, I’ve already shown my best.”

Shen Yiqiu’s slightly nervous expression eased a bit. She still had great confidence in Tang Huaijin. She pursed her lips slightly and asked, “What did you write?”

“You’ll know when the time comes.” Tang Huaijin smiled. He was always confident in himself, and judging by the elder’s expression just now, he was almost certain of victory.

The competition ended quickly. The contestants all left the venue, leaving the judges to score the works. Since the national calligraphy exhibition was considered a top-tier competition, there weren’t many participants. In two hours, the results would be out.

After a short rest, the two returned to the hotel’s conference hall to attend the final award ceremony.

With the host’s announcement, “First prize in the running script group, winner: Tang Huaijin,” the verses from the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River were projected onto the big screen.

Because the awards were announced in reverse order, the somewhat nervous Shen Yiqiu instantly relaxed upon hearing this, excitedly stood up with Tang Huaijin, glanced in surprise at the calligraphy on the big screen, then turned to look at Tang Huaijin beside her. Her expression gradually became extremely gentle, and a clear smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Seeing Shen Yiqiu’s delighted expression, his mood improved as well, his heart growing soft. He said gently, “I told you, you’d know when the time came.”

Because entry to the national calligraphy exhibition required joint nominations from the presidents of regional calligraphy associations, most contestants were disciples of various presidents, so most people went on stage to accept awards together with their teachers.

Amid the applause, Shen Yiqiu accompanied Tang Huaijin as they strolled up to the podium.

As they stepped onto the stage, Tang Huaijin hesitated for a moment, then turned gentlemanly and extended his hand to Shen Yiqiu.

Shen Yiqiu took his hand without hesitation, and even after reaching the center of the stage, she didn’t let go.

The presenter was still the elder surnamed Xu. Because of his age, he needed help getting on stage. He walked slowly to Tang Huaijin, smiling and ready to praise him, but when he saw Shen Yiqiu beside him, his expression clearly froze. He asked, “Are you… that girl from the Shen Family?”

“Yes, Old Mr. Xu.” Shen Yiqiu’s expression was very calm, but her tone was extremely indifferent as she said, “My father received much care from you all during his lifetime.”

Hearing her words, the elder surnamed Xu’s eyes showed some emotion. He sighed and didn’t say more, turning to Tang Huaijin and asking, “So this is Miss Shen?”

Tang Huaijin also sensed Shen Yiqiu’s unsettled mood at this moment. Hearing the words ‘during his lifetime’ made his heart skip a beat, and feeling Shen Yiqiu gripping his hand tightly, he comfortingly stroked the back of her hand and replied, “Yes, sir.”

The elder surnamed Xu laughed, looking at the two standing hand in hand, softly praising, “Good, good, Shen girl has good taste. The future belongs to you young people.”

Having grown older, he had become much more indifferent to these things. For the sake of that empty reputation, the Shen and Xu families had competed for many years, with no end in sight. And with his status, he wouldn’t make things difficult for the younger generation. Let the young people handle their own affairs.

He took a certificate from an attendant and handed it to Tang Huaijin, casually praised him a couple more times, and then left the podium.

There was a dedicated photographer on the podium. Seeing the two standing hand in hand, he came over with a smile and took a photo of them.

Shen Yiqiu’s personality was very calm; she didn’t have a single photo in her social circle, and even her background was her own calligraphy. But at this moment, she found the photographer, gave him her email address, and asked him to send her the electronic version of the photo.

Even after the entire award ceremony ended, Shen Yiqiu still hadn’t let go of his hand.

After leaving the conference hall, Tang Huaijin finally couldn’t hold back and hesitantly said, “Teacher Shen…”

“Hmm?” Shen Yiqiu turned to look at him, her tone surprisingly coquettish as she softly asked, “What is it?”

Her soft, sweet voice made Tang Huaijin’s bones feel a little weak. He pursed his somewhat dry lips and said, “Shouldn’t you let go of my hand now?”

After hearing him, not only did Shen Yiqiu not let go, she gripped his hand even tighter, snorting discontentedly, “No!”

Footnote:

1. Tianhuang stone(田黄石): A highly prized variety of Shoushan stone (寿山石) found in the fields around Shoushan Mountain in Fujian, China. It is renowned for its warm, translucent, and waxy texture, and its rich yellow color (hence “field yellow”). Extremely rare and valuable, it is often referred to as the “King of Stones” and has historically been favored for imperial seals and exquisite carvings due to its exceptional quality and beauty.
2. Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River(洛神赋):It is a famous rhapsody by Cao Zhi (曹植, 192–232 AD) from the Three Kingdoms period. It describes the ethereal beauty and grace of the Goddess of the Luo River, and is often interpreted as an allegory for his unrequited love for Zhen Mi (甄宓), his brother Cao Pi’s wife. The poem is renowned for its exquisite and captivating descriptions of female beauty.