funbook-pk Chapter 262 Second Brother, wake up!
Chapter 262 Second Brother, wake up!
However, to be fair, this woman really knows how to create opportunities to spend time together.
[The implication was that she had reserved a piece of calligraphy from her second brother.]
[It's so difficult to refuse that you can't even if you want to.]
[Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.]
Zhai Jiqing paused for a moment, then his smile became even gentler. "Okay."
“Since Miss Wei has such an interest, I’ll have a friendly competition with you,” he said, turning to Tao Siwen. “Miss Tao, why don’t you join me?”
"Me?" Tao Siwen pointed to herself, somewhat surprised.
Zhai Jiqing nodded, "I've heard that Miss Tao is also quite accomplished in calligraphy."
"I wonder if I, Zhai, will have the honor of seeing this today?"
Zhai Rongyu then slapped his forehead.
[If my second brother hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered. In the original book, the Tao family was actually a family of calligraphers!]
They all have beautiful handwriting!
Wei Wenshu's expression changed immediately, and her gaze toward Tao Siwen became somewhat unfriendly.
Tao Siwen was completely unaware of the situation and humbly said, "Young Master Zhai, you flatter me. It's just something I wrote for fun, nothing to speak of."
Zhai Rongyu, always eager for a good show, chuckled and said, "Sister Tao, please agree to Second Brother's request. It'll be a good opportunity for me to learn as well."
“But…” Tao Siwen glanced at Wei Wenshu with some trepidation.
Such precious writing implements, the Duke's daughter probably wouldn't like her using them...
"Sister Tao, are you perhaps worried that these writing implements are too precious and you dare not use them?" Zhai Rongyu noticed her hesitation and gave Wei Wenshu a sweet smile: "You're overthinking it. I don't think Sister Wei is such a petty person."
"What kind of good things doesn't the Duke's mansion have? Why would she mind a set of writing implements?"
"You mean, Sister Wei?"
[Hehe, I learned this moral blackmail trick from San San.]
Wei Wenshu glanced at Zhai Jiqing and said with an awkward smile, "Miss Zhai is right. How could I be so petty?"
"It's just writing a character, Sister Tao, why don't you come along?"
Tao Siwen then agreed.
The servants quickly brought a table and placed it in the courtyard.
Wei Wenshu said, "Writing like this is rather boring. Why don't we each write a poem related to 'clouds', whether it's our own or someone else's, just to relieve our emotions? What do you think?"
Zhai Jiqing and Tao Siwen naturally agreed.
Zhai Rongyu had originally intended not to participate, but after hearing what she said, she had no choice but to nod.
"Just don't laugh at my terrible handwriting."
Zhai Jiqing laughed so hard his chest vibrated, then gently shook his head. "You."
"I'll teach you to write another day."
Zhai Rongyu quickly refused, "There's absolutely no need for that!"
"Second Brother is about to take the imperial examination. How can he waste his time and energy on me? I disagree, I'm the first to disagree!"
Young man, please stop having such dangerous thoughts!
It's impossible to practice calligraphy.
Learning without thinking is futile; neither thinking nor learning is disastrous.
What's the difference between someone who has no dreams or goals and someone who is carefree?
I think being a useless nobody is pretty good.
Zhai Jiqing's smile grew even wider, and he affectionately patted Zhai Rongyu's head.
"It's kind of you that you still think of your second brother."
"Fine, if I don't want to learn, then I don't want to learn."
If Rong'er wanted to be a good-for-nothing, he wouldn't object.
Whatever she wants, I'll earn it for her in the future.
Wei Wenshu felt a little annoyed when she saw that Zhai Jiqing was only talking to Zhai Rongyu and didn't even glance at her.
She coughed loudly and walked to the table first.
"Then let me go first."
She picked up her pen, glanced at Zhai Jiqing with some shyness, and wrote on the paper, "Look at the sky at dawn and the clouds at dusk."
Zhai Rongyu had no choice but to give her a thumbs up.
【You really have to say it's our Sister Wei!】
This elegant, delicate calligraphy immediately establishes her as a woman of talent.
Looking at this poem again, the second half, "Whether walking or sitting, I think of you," is also universally known.
[You're really something, flirting with guys so subtly yet so blatantly.]
No wonder he said he wanted to use a poem about "clouds" to write the characters; it seems he had planned it all along and was waiting for his second brother.
Zhai Rongyu secretly glanced at Zhai Jiqing and saw that he still had a faint smile on his lips, which made her feel uneasy.
[Was Second Brother hit by her?]
She really wanted to rush over, shake Zhai Jiqing's shoulders, and yell at him.
Second brother, wake up!
Zhai Jiqing lowered his head and chuckled.
Rong'er is really overthinking it.
He raised his head, his refined and handsome face showing a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, with a touch of gentleness, and said to Wei Wenshu, "The Duke's Mansion truly has a fine family tradition."
"Miss Wei's handwriting is indeed quite good."
Wei Wenshu raised the corners of her mouth smugly and gave up the table, "Young Master Zhai is too kind. Shuer is waiting to see your calligraphy."
Zhai Jiqing didn't stand on ceremony, picked up his brush and wrote the line "A lone cloud drifts leisurely away" on the paper.
Zhai Rongyu covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.
It seems I worried for nothing.
Second brother still wants to be free and independent~
As long as you haven't let beauty cloud your judgment, that's fine.
[I wonder if Sister Wei noticed this subtle rejection.]
She turned to look at Wei Wenshu and saw that her expression had indeed changed, which amused her.
Even a horse can stumble.
Who would have thought that even the seemingly carefree and shrewd Sister Wei would have moments of difficulty?
She suppressed a laugh and turned to Tao Siwen, "Sister Tao, it's your turn."
Tao Siwen stepped forward, picked up his pen, glanced at Zhai Rongyu for a moment, and wrote down the line "May the clouds and the sky shine brightly for a thousand miles."
Zhai Rongyu glanced at her with some surprise.
[It's unexpected that Tao Siwen, who appears quiet and reserved, possesses such a passionate and unrestrained spirit.]
[I love this contrast!]
Zhai Rongyu: "I never imagined that Sister Tao was such an ambitious person."
Tao Siwen stared at Zhai Rongyu somewhat embarrassedly, "Don't laugh at me, Miss Zhai, but I have this idea because of you."
"Me?" Zhai Rongyu asked, puzzled.
Tao Siwen smiled and nodded, "I am a gentle person by nature, and I used to be confused and worried a lot. Thanks to Miss Zhai, I was able to see the light through the clouds."
"Only then did I realize that no matter how much fog lies ahead or what dangers lie ahead, I have to keep going."
"Because we will always see the light at the end of the tunnel."
Perhaps for Miss Zhai, it was just a small favor that helped her.
But for her, it changed her entire life.
How could she not be grateful?
Zhai Rongyu felt a little embarrassed by what she said. "Sister Tao, you flatter me. It's not my doing. These changes in you are all due to your own efforts."
"It's your own willingness to change."
A single thought arises, and flowers bloom; a single thought vanishes, and all things perish.
All human affairs boil down to one word: "I".
Zhai Jiqing walked to the table and praised Tao Siwen's calligraphy.
"Miss Tao's running script is truly wonderful! The brushstrokes are dynamic and unrestrained, with variations within a balanced style. It is both calm and vigorous!"
He became increasingly convinced that women themselves possess limitless potential.
Such a bold and unrestrained style is something that ordinary men might not be able to match.
When Wei Wenshu saw him praising Tao Siwen, she immediately frowned, and her drooping eyelashes cast a shadow on her face.