Chapter 65 - She Turned Her Head and Smiled; a Hundred Charms Were Born

The middle-aged man on the sofa was taken aback by being called “third uncle” and hesitated, “You are…”

Third uncle’s expression froze for a moment before he glanced at Shen Yiqiu behind Tang Huaijin. He regained his composure and replied with a smile, “Ah.”

Then, jokingly, he turned to the middle-aged man beside him and said, “You old fellow, you really have thick skin. Clearly, he was calling me.”

The middle-aged man, being quite astute himself, didn’t say much but laughed heartily in response.

Tang Huaijin blinked, sensing that something was off, and looked towards Shen Yiqiu.

Shen Yiqiu quickly stepped forward, grabbing Tang Huaijin’s hand, and said to the group, “Jin… Jin has something to do this afternoon, so he needs to leave. I’ll see him off. You all continue chatting.”

Third uncle and second uncle’s eyes immediately focused on their clasped hands.

Seeing Shen Yiqiu’s calm expression, third uncle chuckled and stood up to escort them to the door.

Once inside the elevator, Shen Yiqiu released his hand, standing expressionless beside him, silent.

Tang Huaijin hesitantly asked, “Teacher, did I call the wrong person? I thought that man wasn’t wearing glasses, so he must be sent by third uncle. Plus, I saw you signaling me…”

That wasn’t a signal for you to call someone, Shen Yiqiu bit her lip, her chest heaving with frustration.

As they walked through the complex, Tang Huaijin noticed she hadn’t spoken to him the whole way, feeling uneasy. He awkwardly asked, “Teacher?”

“Don’t call me teacher!” Shen Yiqiu’s tone unexpectedly carried a hint of embarrassment. She turned her head away, not letting him see her expression. After a moment, she softly said, “It’s fine, I don’t blame you. Even though that person wasn’t wearing glasses, he wasn’t sent by third uncle. I was signaling you not to act rashly.”

“Uh…” Tang Huaijin glanced at the system, realizing the reward hadn’t been credited yet, feeling a headache. “Shen-Jie, what about my review?”

“Don’t worry about it. I still have some influence, and your calligraphy was excellent. There shouldn’t be any issues.” Shen Yiqiu’s mood softened, hesitating for a moment before softly asking, “Why did you write that piece?”

Since Shen Yiqiu had kept her face turned, Tang Huaijin couldn’t see her expression, replying awkwardly, “I just thought of it and wrote it…”

“Hmm?” Shen Yiqiu turned to look at Tang Huaijin, her tone indifferent, “Is that so? Suddenly, I feel that piece might not be that good after all.”

Wasn’t this a hint? This was outright intimidation, wasn’t it?

Tang Huaijin felt stifled but couldn’t voice it. He glanced at Shen Yiqiu twice, hesitating, “Actually, it was written for you.”

Having said it, Tang Huaijin decided to be candid, “Because, because Shen-Jie always has a serious expression…”

Seeing Shen Yiqiu’s expression turn cold, Tang Huaijin quickly added, “Of course, I’m not saying you don’t look good like that. Shen-Jie with a serious face is definitely prettier than ninety-nine percent of women in the world.”

“It’s just…” Tang Huaijin met Shen Yiqiu’s gaze, speaking sincerely, “I think if you smiled, you’d look even better.”

The young man had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. His clear, luminous eyes seemed to carry a hint of sparkle.

Listening to his gentle and pure voice, Shen Yiqiu gradually found herself taken aback.

The neighborhood was peaceful, so quiet that Shen Yiqiu could clearly sense the fluttering in her heart, feel her heartbeat gradually accelerating, speeding up until she could almost hear the echo within her chest, making her feel a bit dizzy.

This unprecedented experience made her heart feel tingly and numb.

Coming back to her senses, Shen Yiqiu looked at the young man in front of her, her gaze complex, and softly asked, “Do you want me to smile?”

“Well… of course I do,” Tang Huaijin replied with a smile.

“…,” Shen Yiqiu was silent for a moment, then her lips curved slightly upwards, as if talking to herself, murmuring, “Then you should try a little harder.”

Her voice was very low, and Tang Huaijin couldn’t quite hear it, asking, “Shen-Jie, what did you say?”

“Nothing, you can go. I’ll let you know once the review is approved.” Shen Yiqiu turned her back to him, waving her hand as if she didn’t want to say more.

Tang Huaijin frowned slightly, looking at Shen Yiqiu, unable to understand her, and could only respond softly before turning to leave.

After Tang Huaijin got into a taxi, Shen Yiqiu glanced back in the direction he left, then slowly walked back home.

Upstairs, Shen Yiqiu knocked on the door, and third uncle greeted her with a cheerful smile.

Shen Yiqiu sat down on the sofa, looked at third uncle, and softly asked, “How was it?”

Before third uncle could speak, second uncle nodded, his eyes showing some satisfaction, saying, “Not bad, the girl has good taste.”

Third uncle seemed much more composed, giving his brother a helpless look.

Noticing third uncle’s expression, Shen Yiqiu looked at him and softly asked, “Third uncle, are you not satisfied?”

“It’s not that I’m dissatisfied. In all respects, he’s quite good. He’s young, but his running script has a touch of mastery, extraordinary talent. With some more honing, he’ll definitely be fine. At least, none of the new generation in the Xu Family can compare to him.” Third uncle’s expression was somewhat wistful, hesitatingly adding, “But isn’t he a bit too young? In terms of experience?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll make sure he participates in this year’s national calligraphy exhibition.” Shen Yiqiu’s eyes turned cold, saying, “As long as he achieves results in the exhibition, those old folks will have to acknowledge him.”

Third uncle nodded, recalling the scene of the two holding hands earlier, and asked with a puzzled expression, “So, is your condition… better?”

Shen Yiqiu lowered her head, glanced at her hand, and softly said, “Not better, but it seems I’m immune to him…”

The third uncle’s expression was quite complex. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Girl, are you sure it’s him?”

Seeing Shen Yiqiu nod firmly, the third uncle glanced at the silent second uncle, then stood up and led Shen Yiqiu aside. He sighed and said, “Girl, the second uncle wants to tell you that you shouldn’t be too hasty with such matters. If you’re choosing him because of your illness or our old generation’s issues, the second uncle hopes you’ll reconsider carefully. There’s no need to sacrifice your whole life just to fight for that broken plaque.”

“It’s not just because of that,” Shen Yiqiu replied, shaking her head gently as she glanced at the third uncle.

A faint smile appeared on her face, and her eyes seemed a bit distant. She spoke softly, “I was uncertain before, wondering if it was because of such things that I chose him.”

“Now I’m sure, perhaps it really… can only be him.”

The third uncle looked at Shen Yiqiu silently for a while, then suddenly laughed, his face showing a kind smile as he said warmly, “After all these years, it’s the first time I’ve seen you with this expression.”

“That’s good. The third uncle supports you, so you better work hard.”

Hearing this, Shen Yiqiu looked at the smiling middle-aged man in surprise, “Third uncle…?”

“Oh, come on.” The third uncle chuckled, secretly pointing in the direction of the second uncle, and said, “Do you think I’m as foolish as your second uncle? Trying to fool your third uncle, you really are a tricky girl.”

Even Shen Yiqiu couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at this moment. She glared at the third uncle in anger and shame before running back to her study.

This left the third uncle laughing heartily in place, while the second uncle looked at him as if he were a fool.

In the study, Shen Yiqiu calmed herself for a while before she could ease out of her embarrassed and annoyed state. She walked over to the desk, spread out the piece of calligraphy, and gently traced her fingers over it.

“She turned her head and smiled; a hundred charms were born…?” she murmured to herself as she looked at the calligraphy.