Ren Xingliu did the complete opposite. He had both a pretty attitude, and an even prettier calligraphy skill. 

“Done.” Ren Xingliu dramatically waved his brush, completing the final stroke for ‘friendship’. 

With his movements, everyone gradually came back to their senses.

“Great characters! These are wonderful!” Ke Fangsong stood in front of the table, a little short of words from astonishment.

He didn’t dare to pick the fine writing paper up before the ink dried, so he leaned forward slightly, and carefully studied each stroke.

Other calligraphy enthusiasts also gathered around, singing the same praises and popping four-word descriptions out of their mouths. 

“Vigorous and firm strokes, heaven-level inner talents.”

“Clear and distinguish spacing, even distance in each.”

“The words came together, all in one breath.”

“It’s so rare to see a mix of old and new styles.”

The more they inspected, the better they found the calligraphy. Everyone then turned their eyes to Ren Xingliu, but by now, they held a completely different emotion inside.

Especially Ke Fangsong. When I first talked to him, I was a bit polite with elders, but now I was really enthusiastic. Even my name changed: “Little friend, how long have you been practicing this calligraphy?”

Especially for Ke Fangsong. At the beginning, he spoke to Ren Xingliu with the politeness of an elder, but now, he was showing genuine enthusiasm, and he even changed the manner he addressed the other person, “Young friend, how long have you been practicing your calligraphy?”

Ren Xingliu gave a vague answer, “Quite some time now.” 

“Then you must have put quite a deal of effort, right?” Ke Fangsong asked.

Ren Xingliu answered, “Yes, I put great effort into my practicing.”

While he was at Sheng Dynasty, everyone used a brush. To make a name for himself, he had to work hard to master the skill.

Fortunately, there were many famous teachers at that time, and as a powerful minister, many of them were more than willing to teach him. 

So, when the old men praised his handwriting for exhibiting the skills of great masters, they weren’t wrong. His skill was instructed by experts.

“What a rare seedling.” Ke Fangsong’s sigh was getting deeper and deeper, “Nowadays, there aren’t as many young people with your spirit.”

Being able to write with a brush was no big deal, what mattered was the ability to convey the character’s meaning.

Ke Fangsong is not from Lingcheng and doesn’t know much about the circles here, but he has seen a lot of dudes. After seeing everyone’s reaction and hearing Song Lao’s disparaging words, I thought Ren Xingliu was one of those troublesome swingers. 

Ke Fangsong wasn’t from Ling City, so he wasn’t familiar with the social circle here, but he had seen his fair share of silk pants. Previously, he thought Ren Xingliu was one of those headache-inducing and promiscuous young masters, from seeing everyone’s reaction and listening to the disparaging remarks from Mr. Song.

Before, he had only said a few more words because of the youth’s humble and positive attitude.

But now, he had completely overturned his previous judgment.

The character “Ren Xingliu” is powerful and integrated on the back of the paper. It has both the inheritance of ancient methods and a broad image. This requires not only hard work and practice, but also talent and understanding.

Ren Xingliu’s calligraphy was so powerful that it was bleeding through the paper, embodying the inheritance of ancient methods while introducing innovation. This was more than putting effort into practice, but also having the talent and understanding.

Never mind as a young master who indulged themselves, even for his age, it was difficult for someone without experience, and the lapel of a jacket to write in such an imposing demeanor.

Like these gentlemen who invited him over today, they have all been practicing their calligraphy for many years, but in terms of expertise, none of them could compare to this youth.

The longer their interaction, the more Ke Fangsong liked Ren Xingliu. In the beginning, he only stepped out to smooth things over, but now, he was feeling bad for the youth. 

Then he looked at the stunned old man beside him and said: “Mr. Song, I see that little friend Ren has a heroic character and a very open-minded character. He is definitely not a messy person. As an elder, if you have any displeasure, just say so. Well, why bother with a junior like this?”

He looked at the bewildered old man beside him and said, “Mr. Song, I see young Ren Xingliu’s valiant characters, and his optimistic view. He is definitely not a lawless lad. As his elder, be blunt about whatever is bothering you, instead of arguing with a junior.”

This phrase hinted that Mr. Song’s heart wasn’t on par with Ren Xingliu and was suspected of devising the junior.

Mr. Song’s face instantly turned red from the statement. He had the intention to defend himself, but he had run his mouth too much earlier, doing so would only embarrass himself more. 

That wasn’t all. Ke Fangsong then glanced at Song Chengkai and gave somewhat of an advice, “Truth to be told, I think there’s nothing negative for the younger generation to socialize with young Ren Xingliu more.”

Mr. Song almost crooked his nose from the rage, but it was hard for him to refute.

He was just defending his grandson and showed a strong disdain towards Ren Xingliu, not looking keen on his company.

But the reality was that when Song Chengkai first got here, he acted as if he was forced to be here, then he hid and played on his phone, refusing to even cope with the elders. 

Ren Xingliu did the complete opposite. He showed a nice attitude and even nicer calligraphy skill .

Comparing the two juniors, the immense difference was obvious at first glance.

Wouldn’t that show how biased and narrow-minded Mr. Song’s earlier remarks were?

“I have to disagree. I think Mr. Ke has a point. I can at first glance just how much effort was put into these characters. Expressing the feelings alone is already a difficult enough feat to achieve.”

“It seemed that Xingliu’s plan to cultivate his heart and nurturing his character aren’t lip service.” 

“Well put. This isn’t limited to just our younger generations; I think we should also have more back and forth with Xingliu… Xingliu, come, write a set for me as well.”

“Yes, right, write more. I want one as well.”

As these people talked, they switched the conversation and surrounded Ren Xingliu, whether it be grinding ink or passing brushes. Their words also included a touch of friendliness.

Mr. Song: “…” 

Don’t think he didn’t figure it out. They were just trying to sugarcoat Ren Xingliu into writing more!

These people were really too much. Their ages were getting to them, getting enchanted just by seeing a few pretty characters.

Even if he was feeling very displeased inside, there was one thing he had to admit.

Ren Xingliu’s characters were indeed very pretty. Just by looking, it was clear that the youth must have practiced calligraphy for a long time. 

What did this all mean? It meant that what Ren Xingliu had said weren’t merely beautiful words, but he was really self-cultivating, tranquility yielded transcendence!

On the other hand, with his own grandson, who had made zero progress despite his consistent urge, was the butt of the joke today.

Mr. Song’s anger increased the more he thought. Not able to stand this any longer, he slapped Song Chengkai on the forehead and scolded, “What a disgrace you are!”

Song Chengkai was still immersed in the brilliance of Core Socialist Values. To suddenly get a slap, he was confused and said in grievance, “Grandfather, what did I do wrong now?” 

“You still dare to ask?” Mr. Song got even more furious and slapped him two more times. “Starting tomorrow, you’ll write twenty large character a day.”

He pointed to the characters that Ren Xingliu had just written and said, “These will be what you need to write. You’re not allowed to leave the house until you’re done.”

“…???” Song Chengkai’s face turned green, but the sight of his grandfather blowing his mustache and giving him the stare, he didn’t dare to refute and could only yield with tears in his eyes.

Mr. Song was fuming to the point of smoking from the top of his head, while Mr. Ren was feeling a crashing surge of emotions.

Mr. Ren wasn’t familiar with calligraphy, so he couldn’t tell how long it had taken for Ren Xingliu to write this well.

But he was just as surprised as everyone else, but besides that, he was feeling more pleased and moved.

To be honest, he regretted that he had doted on his grandson too much and had cultivated his temperament. But Ren Xingliu has reached this age, and it is extremely difficult to discipline him again.

To be honest, it wasn’t like he didn’t regret cultivating that temper into his grandson from over spoiling him in the past. However, Ren Xingliu had already reached an age where re-disciplining him would be very difficult. 

Especially in recent years, Mr. Ren’s worries only increased with the number of times he had to clean up Ren Xingliu’s aftermath.

Ren Xingliu actually didn’t engage in any vicious wrongdoing. He was just moody, easily instigated by others, and too arrogant to listen to good advice.

But this point alone would get him eaten alive by those shareholders as soon as he entered the company. There wouldn’t be anything of him left, not even a bone.

Furthermore, as the child got older, it was getting harder to use the child’s ignorance as an excuse for the trouble caused.

Mr. Ren couldn’t get the firm resolve to rebuke his grandson, but he couldn’t avoid feeling disgrace.

Mr. Ren didn’t think there would be a day when he would hear so many people praising Ren Xingliu, his old friends on top of that.

For additional information, these were figures who have eaten and seen many things, with eyes aiming higher than people’s heads.

Many of the younger generation in their circle have made great achievements, but when they heard about it, they would only give simple praises, like ‘not bad’. 

Who would have thought that today, everyone would gather around Ren Xingliu and eagerly coax him to write more calligraphy works.

In addition to feeling proud, Mr. Ren also put down a large stone in his heart.

Calligraphy and what not were second to none, as the most important thing was how sensible Ren Xingliu was, as well as firm!

And all these changes happened after he started dating! 

It was no wonder there was a saying in the ancient period that goes, a virtuous wife means less misfortune.

The more Mr. Ren thought about it, the more reasonable it felt. He couldn’t resist turning his head to look at the handsome young man on the side.

…

When Bai Juanqiu saw Ren Xingliu surrounded by the group of elderly folks, other than finding it amusing, there was an inexplicable sense of pride inside. 

Since there was no part for him to play, he simply retreated to the side, crossed his arms and silently watched the youth write.

At this time, the sun was in full swing, but with how well the garden greenified, there were trees on all four sides of the pavilion, providing shade and giving a particular charm.

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But none could rival the youth.

His temperament was too special. He was clearly in his early twenties, and his facial features still contain a hint of youthfulness that hadn’t faded away with time. Not to mention his usual carefree manner. 

But when he picked up the brush, his eyes suddenly showed maturity that wasn’t in line with his age, and his brushstrokes were even more powerful and imposing.

In some degree, there was a hint of murderous intent, as if what he was holding was not a brush, but a sword, or even a gun.

Unknowingly, Bai Juanqiu fell into a trance.

As he was immersed in an indescribable emotion, someone tapped on his shoulder. 

Bai Juanqiu turned around and saw Old Master Ren was staring right at him, saying solemnly, “Juanqiu, I consent to your marriage with Xingliu.”

Bai Juanqiu: “?”

…This was very sudden.

Although he wasn’t sure the reason for this, in a situation like this, just smile and nod. 

Bai Juanqiu showed a soft smile and nodded. “Thank you, mister.”

“What else are you calling me, old man?” Mr. Ren became more and more satisfied with him as he looked at him. He smiled until there was only a slit left in his eyes and said, “From now on, just like Xingliu, just call him grandpa.”

“Why are you still calling me mister for?” The longer they interacted, the more Mr. Ren approved of this young man. He smiled so wide that his eyes turned into two slits. “In the future, just call me like Xingliu does. Call me grandfather.”

Under these elderly masters’ pestering, Ren Xingliu wrote several pieces, until Ke Fangsong had to leave regrettably for a seminar. He had waited until the last possible minute, when he couldn’t delay it any longer.

At first, Ke Fangsong warmly invited Ren Xingliu to attend the seminar as a guest of honor, which Ren Xingliu quickly declined the offer on the pretext of an existing business to attend. He was finally able to get away.

Great joke. In just this half a day, he had regained the feeling from the Sheng Dynasty’s court session.

If he was to attend the seminar, he feared he was going to forget himself and accidentally address Ke Fangsong as His Majesty. 

Since Ren Xingliu stood his ground, it was hard for Ke Fangsong to press the matter. He could only bid goodbye reluctantly and leave, but not before adding each other on WeChat.

The other old men also follow suit, taking their phones out and scanning friend codes with Ren Xingliu.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Watching from the side, Song Chengkai’s mouth twitched.

Correct, after a friendly exchange, everyone found that besides great calligraphy skill, Ren Xingliu also conveyed in a very calm manner. 

Not only that, but he was able to hold a conversation with these old men. He even contributed some insightful knowledge.

So, in a short span of half a day, he became the most popular person present, perfectly integrating into these seniors’ social circle.

If the situation wasn’t sensitive, Song Chengkai would have charged right in and shook Ren Xingliu until he came to his senses.

We are this new era’s silk pants! The topics we excel at are supposed to be sports cars, watches, internet and small celebrities! 

Definitely not any of these four arts, teas, maintaining health crap! More so on the five animal frolics!

In addition to his confusion, Song Chengkai inexplicably felt a sense of sorrow from being betrayed.

During his moment of speechlessness, he was smacked on the head again. He turned and said in grievance, “Grandfather, what did I do wrong this time?”

“You!” Mr. Song glared harshly at him and said resentfully, “In the future, watch how the Ren kid do things and learn from him.” 

Song Chengkai: “……”

…

With great difficulty, Ren Xingliu finally retired from the ‘court’. Mr. Ren also had some business to attend to, so they parted ways.

Mr. Ren was in an extremely happy mood today. When they bid farewell, he was all smiles and earnestly gave his regards, “Be careful on the road back.”

Ren Xingliu showed a well-behaved expression. “Will do, grandfather.”

Bai Juanqiu also nodded. “Alright, grandfather.”

Ren Xingliu slowly gave Bai Juanqiu a glance. He saw the other person’s composed expression, not at all insincere.

“Good, good!” Mr. Ren felt more and more pleased. As if he suddenly remembered something, he slapped his thigh. “Oh right, I forgot to introduce Juanqiu to everyone!” 

Just now, the old men were obsessed with Ren Xingliu’s words, while Bai Juanqiu kept in mind the organization’s instructions and tried not to speak unless necessary. Therefore, no one had time to pay attention to him until the end of the show.

Just now, the old folks were completely immersed in Ren Xingliu’s calligraphy, while Bai Juanqiu kept the task he was assigned to in mind and said as little as possible. Which was why throughout the whole interaction, no one had the chance to pay attention to him.

Mr. Ren was also submerged in his pride for Ren Xingliu and forgot to take the initiative to brag. This was a missed opportunity.

Ren Xingliu said, “There’s always a next time.”

“What do you know?” Mr. Ren glared at him. “There will be exclusive brags for next time.”

Ren Xingliu: “…”

Bai Juanqiu couldn’t resist clearing his throat lightly.

After leaving Mr. Ren’s sight, Ren Xingliu clicked his tongue, “It appears that my grandfather is very taken with you.” 

Bai Juanqiu smiled and countered, “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Of course it’s a good thing now.” Ren Xingliu wrinkled his nose and joked, “But if that’s really the case, when we break up, I hope you can be the scumbag this round…”

This was not the first time they have brought up ‘their breakup’, however, this time, Bai Juanqiu felt a discomfort inside. The lights in his eyes flickered, and he was about to say something.

But before he could speak, a figure suddenly rushed over from behind and blocked their way. It was Song Chengkai. 

Song Chengkai tagged his lips and gave a provocative smile. “Ren Xingliu, why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

He was almost suffocated to death. Now the old men had finally dispersed, there was nothing left to hold him back. He quickly found an excuse to slip away and ran to block Ren Xingliu.

He refused to believe that against him, Ren Xingliu could continue to pretend just like he did with the old men.

Ren Xingliu gave him a puzzled look and asked, “Something you need?” 

“Stop pretending, I won’t do this.” Song Chengkai sneered, deliberately irritating him with sharp words, “Ren Xingliu, our bet hasn’t been decided yet, have you forgotten it?”

“Quit pretending to be garlic. I ain’t eating it.” Song Chengkai sneered, deliberately using sharp words to provoke him, “Ren Xingliu, have you forgotten? There isn’t a victor in our bet yet.”

Of course he did.

Ren Xingliu asked without shame, “Can you give me some signs?” 

Song Chengkai: “…”

He suspected that Ren Xingliu did it on purpose, but the other party’s expression was so sincere that his head got stuck for a moment, and he actually answered, “We agreed that the winner will be decided on the outer ring road, and the loser will give up and show off.” .”

He suspected that Ren Xingliu was doing this intentionally, but the other party’s expression was so sincere that the cogs in his brain stopped spinning for a moment. While his brain was still loading, he replied for real, “We agreed to determine the winner at the outer bound race. The loser will give up on Xianzhi.”

When he said the name at the end, he deliberately pronounced it with emphasis. 

This was the source of their enmity and conflict.

He knew that once this name was mentioned, it would be absolutely impossible for Ren Xingliu to remain calm.

Their bet would continue until the winner was determined…

Then, he saw Ren Xingliu breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Oh, you’re talking about that. I have long forgotten about it. Go and do as you please.” 

Song Chengkai: “?”

Without waiting for him to react, the young man next to Ren Xingliu took a step forward and gave a faint glance, saying coldly, “He already has a boyfriend, so I hope you won’t mention the past again.”

Song Chengkai: “???”