Chapter 25
Teach him what?
Ji Wei was a little bewildered. The next second, the man pulled the boy to his side. The movement was so sudden that Ji Wei didn’t have time to react.
By the time he did, the man had already leaned in close, their faces so near it was as if they were about to kiss. He could smell the faint, grassy scent on the man, as well as his warm breath.
He instinctively tried to dodge.
“Afraid of me?”
The man didn’t let go.
Ji Wei’s heart pounded violently. He didn’t dare to look directly into Lu Shenxing’s long, narrow eyes and nodded hesitantly.
Lu Shenxing suddenly released him. Ji Wei wasn’t sure if he was mistaken, but for a moment, the man’s expression seemed hurt.
“Weiwei, we’re already married.” The man’s thin lips pressed into a straight line as he rubbed his temples. “Do you know what marriage means?”
It meant he could legally possess the young man, moving against him while kissing the corners of his eyes, which would be red from crying.
But he had always thought his little one was still young and was afraid of scaring him, so he wanted to take things slowly. He never expected that in the end, the boy would still be afraid of him, afraid of his approach and touch.
“Do you want… a divorce then?”
Ji Wei lowered his head.
He suddenly remembered the first time he saw Lu Shenxing. It was on a hospital television, where the air was thick with the smell of disinfectant.
He was twelve years old that year and had grown accustomed to not speaking all day. It wasn’t that he couldn’t speak; he just didn’t want to.
He just wanted to stay quietly in his own world.
His world was different from the outside world. Although it lacked warmth, a brilliant sun always hung in the sky. There was no darkness, only light.
But his classmates started looking at him with increasing fear, as if he were some kind of monster. His father would secretly wipe away tears behind his back, and even his mother, who rarely came home more than once a year, took a long leave of absence to take him to a hospital in Beijing for treatment.
Only then did he learn that he was… sick.
“It should be autism.” The doctor wrote in the medical record on his computer. “This child has a relative deficiency of serotonin, which gives him great artistic talent, but also makes his inner world very sensitive. Why didn’t you discover it sooner…”
He didn’t understand any of this back then.
He just felt very frustrated.
Why couldn’t he just stay in his own world? The outside world was dim and gray, and the end of the road was overgrown with weeds that threatened to blot out the sky.
Until Lu Shenxing appeared, and the heavens broke open with light.
With a deafening roar—
The decaying world began to collapse, the weeds stopped spreading, and all things began to grow.
He saw that the outside world had water droplets falling from high cliffs, flocks of crows suddenly swooping across the sky, and the lifeblood of mountains and rivers pulsing faintly beneath the earth.
He tried to step out of his own world, cautiously chasing that light.
The first time he interacted with friends from the fandom…
The first time he learned to post on Weibo…
The first time he went to a movie theater to watch Lu Shenxing’s film…
…
He lived like a normal person.
He had grown used to looking up at that light with a kind of complete adoration. When that light was just a stone’s throw away, even if it approached unintentionally, his first reaction wasn’t the excitement he expected, but fear.
Fear of turning into a monster again.
Fear that Lu Shenxing would find out he was a monster.
“Remember this,” the man’s voice came from above his head, devoid of any emotion, sounding somewhat cold. “If you’re afraid, then don’t get drunk in front of other men.”
The man skipped right over the topic of “divorce.” His lips were pressed tightly together, and his expression, while still gentle, was gentle in a way that made his thoughts unreadable. It was tinged with a hint of distance that instilled an inexplicable fear from the bottom of one’s heart.
Lu Shenxing seemed angry.
Was it because he said he was afraid of him?
Ji Wei, a beat too slow, wanted to explain, but he didn’t know how to start. His lips moved but then closed again, his shoulders trembling slightly. He could only silently watch Lu Shenxing turn and walk away.
Lu Shenxing’s gentleness was never without its sharp edges.
***
At nine o’clock, the livestream officially began.
Qi Ke opened the website to record the data. As expected, Lu Shenxing’s stream had the highest popularity.
But to his surprise, Ji Wei had emerged as a dark horse. The number of viewers in his stream room had risen from 87 during the first episode to 730,000, almost on par with the Heavenly Queen, Su Wen.
Assistant Director Zheng walked over and frowned. “What time is it, and you’re still playing on your phone? Hurry up and follow the camera!”
Qi Ke respectfully handed him the phone. “Director Zheng, Director Zhang asked me to record the data. I noticed that Ji Wei’s popularity has skyrocketed. Should we consider opening another line to avoid network lag?”
Assistant Director Zheng glanced at the screen. “You want to open a new line for just 730,000 people? Wait until he’s as popular as Zhao Yue. How popular can a non-celebrity get?”
What he said wasn’t without reason.
It wasn’t uncommon for non-celebrities on variety shows to become popular, but their potential had a low ceiling. Their popularity rarely surpassed that of the show itself, and once the show ended, they would fade back into the crowd. Most were just a flash in the pan.
But Qi Ke felt that Ji Wei was different.
His popularity was growing too fast, and the rate of growth showed no signs of slowing down. He might just become a phenomenal success.
Ji Wei had no idea Qi Ke held him in such high regard. At nine o’clock, all the guests had gathered at the market in the center of the island. Just like last time, they handed over their phones and wallets.
The market had a strong Suihai flavor, with colorful ribbons tied everywhere, fluttering in the sea breeze.
Holding a megaphone, Director Zhang took out this episode’s task card. “Welcome everyone to the beautiful coastal city of Suihai. Here, we have the well-known ruins of a mirage city, the nationally and internationally famous Ganhuyu dried fish, and the Sui Brush craftsmanship, which has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage.”
“Today, your first task is to explore Suihai, form pairs, and find the ‘fishing boat’ artisan. Please begin!”
Before anyone could react, Du Ruosong enthusiastically put his arm around Ji Wei’s and lowered his voice. “How about we team up again this time?”
Unexpectedly, Lu Shenxing heard him and cast a cool glance their way.
Du Ruosong quickly let go of Ji Wei and coughed. “I was just bonding with Weiwei. Teaming up isn’t my decision to make; it’s still up to Weiwei.”
[Hahahahahaha, bonding, my ass. I can feel Du Ruosong’s strong desire to live.]
[This CP fan has bought Teacher Du a one-month Weibo membership. Please, Teacher Du, stay far away from the world of young people.]
[Is my focus really on the fact that Film Emperor Lu hasn’t said a single word to Weiwei since the show started?]
[Huh, you’re right.]
As soon as he finished speaking, the others also looked over at Ji Wei.
Zhao Yue was about to take out his signed poster.
Su Wen opened her bag, ready to pull out a collector’s edition CD.
But they were only halfway through their actions when they heard Old Sir Ma speak, and they silently put their hands back.
Old Sir Ma Liqing took out a small painting he had prepared from his backpack. “Weiwei, I wonder if you’ll like this painting. If you do, let’s team up and have a good chat.”
[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! A painting by Old Sir Ma Liqing? It must be worth over a million on the market, right?? I’m so jealous.]
[A million is a stretch, but one this size should be at least three to four hundred thousand.]
[Selling lemons cheap, three yuan each, ten for three!]
The entire place was in shock.
Ji Wei subconsciously looked toward Lu Shenxing. The man noticed his gaze and looked up at him.
Unexpectedly—
Their gazes collided in mid-air.
His breath caught, and his heart skipped a beat.
He couldn’t read the emotions in Lu Shenxing’s dark eyes; it was as if he was trying his best to restrain something. He thought the man must still be angry with him.
Ji Wei looked away.
“I’ll team up with Old Sir Ma.”
“But—”
But what?
Everyone waited for Ji Wei’s next sentence. Lu Shenxing’s gaze remained fixed on the young man, his lips pursed.
Ji Wei said, “But I can’t accept this painting. It’s too valuable.”
Old Sir Ma Liqing shook his head. “Why talk about money when it comes to paintings? I just paint for fun. I give them to whoever I like. You could say it’s priceless, or you could say it’s worthless.”
This was probably what they called the air of a great master.
Ji Wei sighed in admiration and accepted it.
The two chatted as they walked toward the beach.
He didn’t see Lu Shenxing lower his gaze and undo the second button of his shirt with one hand, his whole demeanor becoming surprisingly cold. Even Du Ruosong, who had been laughing and joking with him earlier, quietly distanced himself.
[What’s wrong with Film Emperor Lu?]
[Maybe it’s related to Sun Eater? I think it failed the second round of censorship review and can only be released overseas. I read reports that Film Emperor Lu worked really hard on this movie, even doing a scene where he was buried alive in the rain without a stunt double.]
[That would be frustrating. His only hope is to go for awards. I wonder if he has a shot at the three major European festivals next year.]
[A film industry professional went to a screening and said it’s a good film. Film Emperor Lu delivered a masterful performance. A nomination at the big three is a sure thing, but winning depends on the jury’s taste.]
Ji Wei and Old Sir Ma Liqing walked to the seaside. In recent years, Suihai’s economy had been mainly supported by tourism. The sea was calm and clear, without a single fishing boat in sight.
The beach was filled with laughing and playing tourists in swimsuits and beach shorts. Many vendors had set up stalls along the beach, and some were even selling calligraphy and telling fortunes, which was quite characteristic of Suihai.
He walked over to a small shop. The shop sold everything, from snacks and drinks to Suihai’s local specialties, such as vacuum-packed Ganhuyu dried fish, mirage city dolls, and Sui brushes and Xuan paper.
He politely asked the old man sitting on a deck chair, “Excuse me, is there a place where fishing boats dock in Suihai?”
It was the first time the shop’s owner had seen a TV show being filmed. He immediately got up from his chair, smoothed his hair, tugged at his old-man undershirt, and nervously grabbed him.
“Young comrade, is my image and temperament okay? Do I need to put on some makeup or lipstick or something?”
[Hahahaha, this old man is quite something. He knows he needs makeup for a TV show. He’s a refined gentleman himself.]
[Old Sir Ma Liqing is so cute, he even touched his own hair. Is he afraid of being outshone by the non-celebrity old man? Hmm?]
[That “hmm” was added with great flair.]
[I’m going to die laughing at you guys sooner or later.]
After Ji Wei assured the old man that his image and temperament were more than sufficient and that he didn’t need any makeup, the old man straightened up and answered his previous question. “Suihai doesn’t do fishing anymore, but there should still be a few fishing boats at the eastern dock.”
“Is the eastern dock far from here?”
Old Sir Ma Liqing asked with concern.
“This is the west side of Suihai. Of course it’s far to go to the east side. It’s a two or three-hour walk, and it takes an hour by bus.”
Ji Wei fell into thought.
Putting aside the fact that Old Sir Ma Liqing had trouble walking, the task information shouldn’t have been given so easily.
To ensure sufficient entertainment value, variety shows always design their tasks to be clever and convoluted. No one wants to watch a mundane variety show.
The bullet comments couldn’t understand Ji Wei’s hesitation.
[You’ve got the information, what are you waiting for? Weiwei, go take the bus! Du Ruosong and Zhao Yue’s team have already hitched a ride to the dock.]
[Yeah, just figure out how to find the person when you get to the dock. Thinking about it now is honestly useless.]
[As a lookism admirer, I think your standards are too high. Why not just enjoy his looks like I do! Every frame is wallpaper-worthy. Shoutout to the cameraman.]
[Emmmm, neutral netizens should probably go to Du Ruosong’s stream. I want to see the latest progress.]
Qi Ke noticed that the number of viewers in Ji Wei’s stream had suddenly dropped by a quarter. He glanced at the bullet comments and frowned.
Many people watched Ji Wei’s stream because he completed tasks the fastest. Now that his team was no longer the fastest, they naturally went to Du Ruosong’s stream.
Assistant Director Zheng caught a glimpse of his phone screen and said knowingly, “I told you, a non-celebrity is still a non-celebrity, no matter how popular. Can he ever be more popular than Zhao Yue? Hurry up and go help set up for Group B.”
How could Group B be short on manpower?
But Qi Ke didn’t dare to argue. He just said, “Yes,” and before leaving, he looked at the still-pensive Ji Wei and sighed.
Not long after he left, Ji Wei started to move.
“Sir, could I borrow a sheet of Xuan paper and a writing brush?”
The old man was still caught up in the excitement of being on the show. Without even asking when he would return them, he gave him a large stack of paper and a writing brush, and even threw in a felt mat.
“Thank you.”
Ji Wei walked to the nearby beach. Mimicking the others who were selling calligraphy, he picked up a branch and wrote two characters in the sand with flamboyant strokes.
—Selling Calligraphy.
[Selling calligraphy? To earn bus fare? But a bus ticket is only one yuan. He could totally borrow it from someone.]
[Maybe Weiwei is too embarrassed to borrow money.]
[What’s there to be embarrassed about? The production team will reimburse him later. It’s not like he’s borrowing and not returning it. Besides, it’s only one yuan. Honestly, the progress on this task is a bit slow. I see Du Ruosong’s stream popularity is about to catch up.]
[Can everyone just stop arguing? Can’t we just watch the stream quietly?]
[Heh, can’t mess with you guys, I’m out.]
The bullet comments were in a heated argument, but Ji Wei simply found a flat stone to use as a support. Xuan paper bleeds ink, so he spread the felt mat underneath.
He had never studied calligraphy.
He had just followed his grandfather to exhibitions and copied from calligraphic works as a child. Those characters seemed to be engraved in his mind; he could clearly remember the structure and arrangement of each one.
He lifted the brush and dipped it in ink.
However, after the argument, only half of the viewers remained in the stream room. They were all his supporters; the real neutral netizens had all gone to other streams.
[Is it just me, or have more than half the people left? It’s even lower than when the stream started.]
[Let them go, let them go. At least there won’t be any more arguments. A smaller crowd makes for a better atmosphere. This CP fan is looking forward to a Lu-Wei moment.]
[The point isn’t that people left! Isn’t the point that Weiwei knows calligraphy?!]
[I guessed he would know calligraphy. I feel like people who are good at traditional Chinese painting usually have good handwriting. Old Sir Ma Liqing’s small regular script is very impressive.]
However, neither the bullet comments nor the curious tourists who had stopped on the beach had high expectations for Ji Wei’s calligraphy.
Firstly, because Ji Wei was not very old, and secondly, because the noisy environment of the beach made it difficult to quiet one’s mind and write.
Ji Wei wrote quietly. A horizontal stroke ended with a hook, a left-falling stroke was as sharp as a dagger, a right-falling stroke had the force of a cutting knife, a vertical hook was long and slender, and a side-swept stroke was like an orchid or bamboo.
The previously calm bullet comments erupted.
[Ahhhhhhh, what style is this? It’s so beautiful! I suddenly want to learn calligraphy!]
[Slender Gold Style, he’s probably writing Emperor Huizong of Song’s Thick Fragrance Poem Calligraphy. This style has sharp lines and a bamboo-like elegance. It’s hard to even achieve a similar form after years of practice. Beginners are better off learning Ou or Liu style.]
[What kind of godly hands are these? I’m blown away by Ji Wei! I thought he was just good-looking, but I didn’t expect him to be so good at painting. And as if that wasn’t enough, now his handwriting is this beautiful too.]
[Holy crap, two hundred thousand people just flooded into the stream room. Did someone post on Weibo, or did the people who left come back?]
Someone had indeed posted on Weibo.
One of Ji Wei’s fans had submitted a clipped video to a calligraphy blogger, and it started as a niche discussion.
[Hand-grabbed Pancake]: Who is this! Who is this! Who is this! His writing is so godly! Just another day of lamenting my ugly handwriting.
[Mixed Grain Crepe]: This seems to be that non-celebrity guest from National Style. He looks really young, but I didn’t expect his handwriting to be so good.
[Spicy Potato]: I’m shocked. Is his stream’s popularity this low? I could watch him write all day.
It wasn’t until someone made a comparison image between the video and Emperor Huizong’s original work that people were astonished to find that the calligraphy was a perfect match! Even the differences were extremely subtle variations.
It was no exaggeration to say that Weibo exploded. “Ji Wei writes in Slender Gold Style” quickly shot to the top of the trending topics.
[Octopus Balls]: Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! The director of National Style is too good at picking people. What kind of powerhouses did he find?
[Spicy and Sour Noodles]: What’s even more terrifying is… he’s writing from memory.
[What to Eat Today]: Weiwei’s imitation ability is a bit too exaggerated. Last time it was the five-minute portrait sketch. Why do I feel like this is beyond the scope of a normal person?
[One Lu-Wei]: What’s not normal about it? The masters from the Central Academy of Fine Arts I know are also amazing. They can draw money that looks real. It’s just that they’re not as ferocious as Weiwei.
Because of the trending topic, the number of viewers in Ji Wei’s stream continued to grow, soon reaching a terrifying 1.2 million! It was even higher than the popularity of Su Wen’s stream.
Ji Wei knew none of this, and even if he did, he wouldn’t have cared. He just continued to write quietly.
All the tourists on the beach were drawn to him, and they all wanted to buy his calligraphy. The shop owner, feeling that Old Sir Ma Liqing was inexperienced, took the initiative to help collect money. The somewhat chaotic scene gradually became orderly.
Ji Wei wasn’t greedy. He charged two hundred yuan per piece and stopped after earning a thousand. He then stuffed five hundred yuan into the old man’s hand as payment for the paper and brush.
[The paper and brush couldn’t have cost five hundred, right? The paper quality doesn’t look high, its diffusion isn’t good, and a brush is at most fifty yuan. That’s a bit of a loss.]
[The old man helped sell the paintings, you know.]
[He just collected money, but the old man is still great. Weiwei is a little angel too. I want to visit Suihai someday, the scenery looks beautiful.]
After bidding farewell to the old man, Ji Wei and Old Sir Ma Liqing walked toward the inner part of the island. Old Sir Ma Liqing pointed to a bus stop ahead. “The bus is over there.”
Unexpectedly, Ji Wei shook his head.
He didn’t go to the bus stop.
Instead, he arrived in front of an internet cafe.
He looked up at the name of the internet cafe, Gathering Dragon Internet Cafe. Unlike the internet cafes in the city, this was a pure internet cafe, with all sorts of people inside. The moment he walked in, he was hit by the strong smell of smoke and alcohol.
[Wait! What’s going on? Shouldn’t they be taking the bus to the dock?]
[Coming over from Zhao Yue’s stream. They’re about to reach the dock. How come these guys haven’t even gotten on the bus yet?]
[It’s just a show anyway, no need to fight for first or second place. Look at Heavenly Queen Su and Film Emperor Lu, they’re slacking off, how come no one says anything about them?]
[I’m willing to watch whatever Weiwei does.]
Old Sir Ma Liqing was also clueless. He followed Ji Wei into the internet cafe in confusion. “What are we going to do next?”
“Look at a map.”
Ji Wei said succinctly.
He spent twenty yuan to buy an hour of computer time, logged onto a computer, and began searching for a map of Suihai.
Suihai was just an island in the Bohai Sea, not very large. Although it was called Suihai City, it was only the size of a single district.
“Then I’ll look with you.”
Old Sir Ma Liqing also put on the reading glasses hanging around his neck, looking full of energy. After a while, he suddenly turned to Ji Wei and asked, “By the way, what are we looking for?”
[Hahahahahahaha, the old sir is too cute. I always thought he was quite aloof, never smiling during events.]
[I’m a fan now!]
[He’s also really fun when he’s with Su Wen. Neither of them has any life experience. They just stood blankly at the subway entrance, not knowing how to ride it.]
“Looking for a landmark with ‘fishing boat’ in its name, from any year.”
Ji Wei replied.
But after searching through maps from 1946 to the current year, he couldn’t find any place with “fishing boat” in its name. His brows furrowed tightly, clearly in thought.
[A landmark with ‘fishing boat’ in it? This approach is a bit off, isn’t it? I’ve never seen a real shop called ‘Fishing Boat’.]
[+1, I’m afraid Ji Wei is going to be disappointed this time. As a Suihai local, I’ve never heard of any place called ‘Fishing Boat’.]
[Du Ruosong and Zhao Yue have already reached the dock. They should be the winners of this episode, right?]
[They’re already at the dock? Holy crap, that was fast!]
Perhaps he should change his approach.
Ji Wei switched his input method and typed the pinyin “YuChuan” into the latest version of the map.
When the director was announcing the task, he mentioned Suihai’s famous mirage city ruins and dried fish. So when he said the two words “YuChuan,” no one was confused; everyone assumed it meant “fishing boat” (yú chuán). But what if it wasn’t?
He pressed the spacebar.
A piece of information immediately popped up.
—Suihai Yu Chuan Studio.
He clicked on the detailed information and found that it was a shop specializing in selling Sui brushes, with a history of over fifty years. It had even been interviewed by CCTV.
After memorizing the map, Ji Wei turned off the computer.
[Holy crap, there really is a shop like that. I’m confused now, which approach is the right one?]
[Reporting from the front lines: Du Ruosong and his team took an hour-long car ride to the dock. There are four fishing boats docked there, but not a single person on them. They’re abandoned fishing boats.]
[The production team’s word trap is too cruel. Two grown men go through all that trouble only to find nothing. If it were me, I’d have a breakdown.]
Ji Wei led Old Sir Ma Liqing out of the internet cafe. It was almost noon. As they walked toward Yu Chuan Studio, they passed through the market and bought some local snacks along the way.
Old Sir Ma Liqing usually wasn’t very talkative, but when it came to food, he had a lot to say. He tasted a local specialty, fried noodles.
“These noodles are different from ordinary fried noodles. They have a crispy texture when you chew them. They’re fried with a lot of lard, and a spoonful of heated dark soy sauce is drizzled on top when they’re done. They must have added fish sauce too, giving it a unique flavor…”
Ji Wei loved listening to Old Sir Ma Liqing talk about food. Before they even reached Yu Chuan Studio, they had already spent half their money.
[Wuwuwu, this old-and-young pair is so harmonious. Whatever the old sir wants to eat, Weiwei buys it. I want a Weiwei like that too.]
[Welcome to the ‘A Bite of Huaxia’ livestream. Next door is the celebrity makeover reality show.]
[Hahahaha, don’t mention next door. The moment you do, I want to laugh. Du Ruosong and his team have been waiting hungrily by the roadside for half an hour for a car, but they haven’t gotten one yet.]
By the time they reached Yu Chuan Studio, they were both very full.
Seeing the cameras set up inside Yu Chuan Studio, Ji Wei knew he had come to the right place.
The studio was filled with a dazzling array of brushes. Besides Sui brushes, there were also Chuan brushes from Sichuan, Hu brushes from Huzhou in Zhejiang, and Taicang brushes from Henan.
A middle-aged man was wiping the tables and chairs in the studio. He wasn’t surprised to see them and asked calmly, “Do you know which four treasures the Four Treasures of the Study refer to?”
This question was too simple.
Ji Wei glanced at Old Sir Ma Liqing.
Old Sir Ma Liqing glanced at Ji Wei.
They were both trying to pass the question to the other.
The middle-aged man thought they didn’t know. He smiled faintly and was about to give the answer when he heard the young man’s clear voice, “Hu Brush, Hui Ink, Xuan Paper, and Duan Inkstone.”
He answered quite quickly.
The middle-aged man swallowed his words. He coughed and thought of another question. “Do you know the origin of the Hu Brush?”
Ji Wei answered without hesitation, “General Meng Tian of the Qin Dynasty once lived in Huzhou and improved the Shanlian Brush, using rabbit and sheep hair and inserting the tip into a tube. This is the origin of the Hu Brush. The Meng Gong Ancestral Hall still exists in Shanlian today.”
“The characteristics of the Taicang brush?”
“A sharp tip and strong ink absorption.”
“The sizes of writing brushes?”
“Zha brush, tidou, couplet brush, large regular script, inch-sized regular script, small regular script, and gui brush.”
…
The further they went, the slower the middle-aged man’s questioning became. He had an “I’m completely drained” expression on his face and was frequently signaling to the staff with his eyes.
But Ji Wei continued to answer unhurriedly.
[Oh, why are you even asking him? I still remember the terror of being dominated by Ji Wei in Luoshui Village. He answered hundreds of questions in half an hour.]
[Did the production team forget the lesson from the first episode?]
[No, they just underestimated the breadth of Ji Wei’s knowledge.]
[Maybe the production team never expected that someone like him would come on National Style instead of The Brain.]
The middle-aged man finally couldn’t hold on any longer and admitted defeat. “Forget it, I’ll just tell you the task directly. In the backyard, we have the masters of Yu Chuan Studio who make brushes. Your task this afternoon is to make an authentic Sui Brush.”
Ji Wei said thanks and went to the backyard with Old Sir Ma Liqing. A master in his forties was working at a water basin.
The selection of bristles for a writing brush is done in a water basin. First, the hair is plucked from the hide, then soaked in limewater. The final step is to select the hairs and arrange them with a bone comb.
“The main bristles are used for the core of the brush, so they need to be paired with some harder hairs. The secondary bristles are used for the outer layer, so it doesn’t matter much if they’re softer…” The master paused, using the work in his hands as an example, and began to teach them how to make the brush head.
The process wasn’t difficult, but it was tedious.
The two of them spent a full hour making the brush heads. By the time they left the backyard, ready to go to the mountain to cut bamboo for the brush handles, the other guests had just arrived.
The middle-aged man in the studio had gotten smarter. Fearing another Ji Wei, the task requirement was changed to writing a single acceptable large character.
The moment Du Ruosong saw Ji Wei, he waved enthusiastically. “Weiwei, come and teach me how to write. I’ve written three sheets, and they all say I’m not qualified.”
Ji Wei walked over to Du Ruosong’s table.
He didn’t know what the standard for “qualified” was, but Du Ruosong’s writing… was truly hard to look at. The strokes were crooked, and the brushwork lacked strength.
“Your posture for holding the brush is wrong. Your fingers need to be firm, the back of your hand rounded, and your palm vertical. This will give you a large enough range of motion. The suspended-wrist technique isn’t suitable for beginners. Try the supported-wrist technique…”
He picked up a brush to demonstrate for Du Ruosong and said softly, “And the most important thing is not to be nervous. Write slowly, and don’t panic.”
[OMG, I’m dying. Weiwei is so gentle. I want him to talk to me like that too.]
[Songsong is so good at acting cute. Film Emperor Lu on the side can only watch them interact.]
[I feel like Film Emperor Lu and Weiwei had a fight. They’re not talking to each other.]
[They’re probably avoiding suspicion. The CP fans have really gone too far. Joking around is fine, but I heard some CP fans even blocked them at the airport this morning to give them fanfiction. Film Emperor Lu is a straight man, he must be pretty angry.]
[+1, that’s too much.]
Ji Wei let Old Sir Ma Liqing go on ahead while he stayed behind to teach Du Ruosong.
After a continuous ten minutes of instruction, although Du Ruosong’s writing was still not good, it was much more stable than before. His strokes were now distinct.
Seeing that the character he submitted to the middle-aged man was deemed qualified, Ji Wei was relieved and started to walk out of the studio.
As he passed Lu Shenxing’s table, the man was writing with a suspended elbow, his gaze lowered. His thick eyelashes cast a small shadow, and from his angle, Ji Wei couldn’t see the man’s expression, only his sharply defined side profile.
Although he knew Lu Shenxing wouldn’t talk to him, Ji Wei felt inexplicably nervous as he approached, his breathing becoming cautious.
Just as he was about to step out of Yu Chuan Studio, he heard the man behind him say in a low voice, “Teach me.”
Ji Wei’s straight back trembled slightly.
This was the first thing Lu Shenxing had said to him since the recording began today.
[Didn’t Film Emperor Lu write just fine before? He seems to have learned Ouyang Xun’s style. You can tell he’s practiced for a long time.]
[Maybe he wants to strive for perfection?]
[Sigh, don’t try to guess Film Emperor Lu’s thoughts. You’ll never figure them out.]
[Ahhhhhhh, this CP fan is alive again! I’m going to post on Weibo. Sisters, come and get your fix!]
“Okay.”
Ji Wei’s heart pounded as he agreed.
He glanced at Lu Shenxing’s table. A new sheet of white paper was already spread on the felt mat. He asked, “You haven’t written before?”
Lu Shenxing said coolly, “I wasn’t satisfied with what I wrote, so I threw it away.”
Ji Wei was in a bit of a bind. He hadn’t seen Lu Shenxing’s writing, so he didn’t know whether to start from the basics or from somewhere else.
Lu Shenxing seemed to see his confusion. “I don’t know how to hold the brush.”
So he was a beginner just like Du Ruosong.
Ji Wei knew how to teach him now.
He picked up a brush and repeated what he had told Du Ruosong, then looked at Lu Shenxing encouragingly.
The man lowered his gaze. “I still don’t get it.”
Was his explanation too abstract?
Ji Wei thought for a moment and was about to explain in more detail when the man suddenly took his hand. The touch was extremely cold. He flinched and tried to pull back, but he was held fast. “Teach me again.”
He hadn’t said he wouldn’t teach him…
Ji Wei took a deep breath and, trembling, held Lu Shenxing’s hand in return.
His hand was warm, while Lu Shenxing’s was cold. When their hands were pressed tightly together, he had to control himself to keep from shaking.
He began to explain, hand over hand, “Press the brush handle against your body with the inside of your thumb. Press down on the handle from the outside with your index finger. Your middle finger should be right next to your index finger, hooking the handle.”
[OMG, I’m dying. Lu-Wei is so sweet today.]
[What kind of beautiful socialist brotherhood is this? Is Film Emperor Lu really a straight man? Why do I always feel like he’s so smooth? I don’t mean it in a bad way. Please, continue!]
[Writing fanfiction while watching the livestream. I feel like my life has reached its peak.]
[Hey, writer from the front, are you on Lofter? I have a group of friends who want to see the fanfic you’ve written.]
Although Lu Shenxing was much harder to teach than Du Ruosong, the characters he wrote were far better. While they lacked a bit of strength, there was a faint hint of inner structure.
After finishing a sheet of Lament for Chen Tao, Lu Shenxing picked up the paper, submitted it, and it was judged as qualified. Ji Wei breathed a sigh of relief and continued to walk out of the studio.
He didn’t hear the middle-aged man say to Lu Shenxing afterward, “This one isn’t as good as the one you wrote before. When I saw that one, although it was only half-finished, the strokes were strong and the brushwork was condensed. Calligraphy is something you have to practice a lot, otherwise your performance will be unstable.”
Lu Shenxing watched the young man’s departing back, then looked away and said slowly, “I think this one is better than before.”
The middle-aged man was speechless.
***
By the time Ji Wei reached the bamboo forest, Old Sir Ma Liqing had already been picking for half a day. The handles of Sui brushes are mostly made from the locally abundant brown bamboo, which is purplish-black in color, with straight stripes, and is smooth, thin, and tough.
The most basic requirement for a bamboo tube to be used as a brush handle is that it must be straight. The next is the selection of the pattern. Even on the same bamboo stalk, the patterns of different sections have subtle differences.
He wasn’t a perfectionist like Old Sir Ma Liqing. He found a section that caught his eye, picked up a machete, and swung, but didn’t cut through.
The blade was a bit dull.
Suddenly, he heard a sneer from behind him. “You can’t even cut such a thin piece of bamboo.”
That familiar tone…
He turned around, and sure enough, it was Zhao Yue.
Ji Wei was about to explain that it was the knife’s fault, but Zhao Yue handed him his own knife, its blade clearly sharper. He took Ji Wei’s original knife and left without a word.
Ji Wei was stunned for a moment, then called out “thank you” to Zhao Yue.
Zhao Yue’s footsteps paused for a moment without turning back, then he continued deeper into the bamboo forest.
But Ji Wei felt that he must have heard him.
He looked away.
Since he had switched to a better knife, the bamboo was easily cut. He cut the section he needed, and holding the small piece of bamboo tube, he returned to the brush studio. Under the master’s guidance, he completed the final step of brush making—attaching the brush head.
Normally, there would also be decorations for the writing brush, but Ji Wei liked it simple, with a kind of rustic beauty. He took the freshly made brush and walked over to the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man took the brush and looked at it with satisfaction, then told him the next task. “Suihai is an island, and all transportation relies on sea freight. You need to transport the finished brushes to the dock.”
Ji Wei nodded.
Just as he was about to leave, the middle-aged man called out to him, “Not one brush, but thirty baskets of brushes.”
Ji Wei stopped in his tracks. Following the middle-aged man’s gaze, he saw a temporary shed in the backyard providing shade. Under the shelves were dozens of baskets of packed writing brushes.
[So many brushes… Isn’t the production team being too harsh? Why is the task so heavy for the person who finished first?]
[Is there no task reward? I’m speechless. Making someone whose hands are for holding a brush and painting carry baskets?!]
[+1, I think this segment is poorly designed. We watch National Style to see the guests, not to see them get tortured.]
“Okay.”
Ji Wei nodded.
The money he had on hand was enough to hire a car. The only difficulty was moving the thirty baskets to the entrance of the brush studio.
He thought he had to move them quickly, otherwise, when Old Sir Ma Liqing returned, he would definitely insist on completing the task with him, and that would be a headache.
Qi Ke, who was following the cameraman, frowned. He looked back for Director Zhang, but he wasn’t there; he must have gone to the bamboo forest with Zhao Yue and the others.
He could only run to the camera van by the roadside to find Assistant Director Zheng. “Director Zheng, this segment was clearly supposed to be about choosing tasks on a first-come, first-served basis. How did it become an assigned task? And it’s the most tiring one! Was there a mistake?”
Assistant Director Zheng shot him a glare. “Who do you want to do this task? Film Emperor Lu, Heavenly Queen Su, or Zhao Yue? Let me tell you, Du Ruosong is a good friend of the station director.”
So the dirty work falls on the non-celebrity…
Qi Ke felt powerless. He tried to persuade him tactfully, “Group B is too short-staffed, and they’re rushing over here. The shed was built in a hurry. I think there’s a safety hazard…”
“Stop!”
Assistant Director Zheng interrupted him. “Are you the director or am I? Don’t think you’re some precious person just because Film Emperor Lu protected you once. Get back to where you belong.”
Qi Ke ignored Assistant Director Zheng’s words and walked toward the backyard.
“This Qi Ke is rebelling.”
Assistant Director Zheng said to the staff member next to him in disbelief.
***
Ji Wei stepped into the courtyard. Film Emperor Lu was selecting bristles under the guidance of the brush-making master. He lowered his gaze when he saw him arrive.
Ji Wei pursed his lips.
He walked toward the shed on the side. After reaching the deepest part, he bent down and tried to lift a basket full of writing brushes.
It was a bit heavy.
But it was manageable; he could hold it.
Ji Wei turned around, holding the bamboo basket, and was surprised to find Lu Shenxing standing behind him. The man’s clear, dark eyes were watching him quietly. He didn’t know how long he had been there, but it seemed like he had something to say.
Such a complicated gaze suddenly reminded Ji Wei of their unpleasant conversation that morning. He gave Lu Shenxing a slight nod and then walked past him, carrying the basket.
Suddenly, he heard a click. The next moment, his arm was pulled by the man, and he was forcefully confined in the man’s embrace. The force was so strong it was hard to breathe, as if the man wanted to crush him into his body.
And so, the bamboo basket in his hands fell with a crash.
Before he could react, he heard an even louder crash. The shed made of steel pipes suddenly collapsed, and both of them were buried under the pipes.
All of this happened in just a few seconds.
It was so fast that Ji Wei was a little bewildered.
It wasn’t until he saw the blood on his hands—drop after drop of red blood.
It wasn’t his blood; it was Lu Shenxing’s.
Lu Shenxing had shielded him, taking the full impact. He looked up. He had never seen Lu Shenxing look so vulnerable.
A pale, bloodless face appeared defenselessly before his eyes. The man’s forehead was beaded with fine sweat from the pain.
He didn’t even know if Lu Shenxing was conscious.
At the thought of this possibility, Ji Wei’s nose stung, and tears began to flow without him realizing. Then he heard the man whisper very, very softly in his ear, “Close your eyes.”
“Don’t be afraid.”