“Lin Yingzhou?” The name sounded familiar to Shen Yusi. “You know him?”
“Of course I do. He’s from the Psychology Department in our Medical School. Remember the ‘untouchable’ I was just telling you about? That’s him.”
Shen Yusi murmured, “What a coincidence.”
She had been wondering earlier why Lin Yingzhou was wearing a white coat at the university hospital. So he had a real reason to be there.
“What’s a coincidence?”
Explaining the wheelchair situation was complicated and embarrassing, so Shen Yusi skipped it. “Nothing. Can you ask your boyfriend if Lin Yingzhou will be teaching, or is he just doing publicity?”
“He’ll definitely be teaching.”
“What class?”
“Class B.”
“Huh?” Shen Yusi was genuinely puzzled. “How do you know everything?”
Xie Sheng hummed twice, looking like she had it all under control.
“Back when the first calligraphy class was being advertised, people heard Lin Yingzhou would be teaching. You have no idea how many freshmen in our college started practicing their writing just to get into Class B so he could guide them hand-in-hand. My roommate is one of them. It’s hard not to know.”
Shen Yusi raised an eyebrow, instantly latching onto a key phrase. “Hand… in hand?”
She tilted her head, thinking of the hand he had rested on the wheelchair armrest not long ago.
Hand in hand. Hehe.
Xie Sheng was speechless. “Is that your only takeaway from that… I was exaggerating. There definitely won’t be any hand-in-hand guidance. But there will be face-to-face instruction.”
If he looked that good, face-to-face was fine too.
Shen Yusi crossed her legs. “Alright. I’m informing you now: a new freshman will be starting her arduous calligraphy journey.”
Xie Sheng sighed. “He’s way harder to crack than anyone you’ve dealt with before.”
“What do you mean?” Hard to crack? That piqued Shen Yusi’s interest.
“I had a senior once tell me about him. Her exact words were, ‘He’s different from other cold guys. The surface snow seems like it can be melted by the sun. It seems soft. But once the sun melts that snow, what’s underneath is a sheet of solid steel with no gaps.'”
Shen Yusi understood. “On the surface he looks cold, but when you talk to him, he’s not that cold. But trying to get any closer is impossible, right?”
“That’s it exactly. The seniors say he’s a nice guy, but there’s a barrier between him and everyone.” Xie Sheng said. “But this is just my feeling, don’t take it as fact… I think his coldness is bone-deep. The warmth is just an act.”
Xie Sheng suddenly stood up and gestured profoundly. “So, no one can get into his heart. No one.”
“Oh, really?” Shen Yusi was unimpressed. “Then I guess I’ll be the first.”
Xie Sheng was stunned. “Damn. That was a cool line.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” Shen Yusi pointed a finger. “Go get me a glass of water.”
“Fucking… you’re unbelievable!”
Shen Yusi took a sip of water and smacked her lips. “But I’m a bit curious, though. Why can Lin Yingzhou, a med student, be a teacher in the calligraphy class? Is he that good?”
“Supposedly he’s the youngest winner of the Lanting Award. Also, your dean is his grandfather. He’s been getting a masterclass in art since he was a kid. How could he not be good?”
Shen Yusi asked instinctively. “Then his grandfather was okay with him not going to art school?”
“Probably not. But who knows why he chose psychology?”
Wait…
Shen Yusi repeated what Xie Sheng had just said in her head.
Lin Yingzhou’s grandfather was Dean Lin Yunzhi?
The signature on that freehand painting half a month ago was…
Lin Yingzhou?!
No wonder his name had sounded familiar. That painting was his.
Seeing her frozen, Xie Sheng waved a hand in front of her face. “What’s up?”
Shen Yusi snapped back to reality and let out a light laugh. “Xie Sheng, I’m starting to feel like Lin Yingzhou and I have some kind of fate. Just you wait and see.”
Xie Sheng sighed. “Uh… how did you figure that out?”
Shen Yusi curled her lips into a confident smile. “Hmph. Woman’s intuition.”
Xie Sheng: “…Ha, well, good luck with that.”
Shen Yusi was bursting with confidence. “I’ll send you a picture of some calligraphy I did. Get Su Ze to tell me what class I could get into with this level. I need to know what I’m up against.”
“Fine.”
After Xie Sheng left, Shen Yusi dug through her phone’s gallery, which was full of selfies and art projects, to find a piece of calligraphy she had written a year ago.
She admired it carefully.
Then nodded approvingly.
A masterpiece, undoubtedly.
It took over ten minutes for Xie Sheng to reply: 【He said your calligraphy would probably be in class D or E, based on his year’s standards.】
Shen Yusi nearly rolled off the sofa: 【Impossible!】
She had studied calligraphy for years as a kid. How could she only be at the class D or E level?
Xie Sheng was reluctant to burst her bubble: 【You have to remember who you’re up against. And who sets the standards.】
Her handwriting was undoubtedly beautiful by an ordinary person’s standards. But this was Yun University, a top-tier domestic school. It was full of talented people. Who didn’t know a bit of calligraphy?
It was going to be a long road.
Going from class D/E to class B in a short time with pure hard work was impossible.
But a golden opportunity like the free calligraphy class was right in front of her. It would be a shame to let it go.
After thinking it over, she thought of one person with an incredibly wide network.
Yu Shushu, who had worked in television for decades, climbed from the bottom to editor-in-chief, and interviewed countless masters.
After understanding the test structure, Shen Yusi calculated. She could probably pass the Regular script test on her own, making it to the second round of Running script. If she could pass the Running script test and make it to the Cursive script test, she was guaranteed a spot in Class B.
The problem was her Running script was only average. She would need to focus purely on it for the remaining time. Since her leg was injured and she couldn’t go out, she also didn’t want to study with someone too old because of the generation gap.
So, Shen Yusi’s request was simple. She needed a calligraphy teacher under forty who was professional, had good availability, and could teach online.
“Why online teaching? Can’t you go out?” asked Yu Shushu.
No wonder she was a journalist. She was great at getting to the heart of things.
Shen Yusi, of course, didn’t tell her she had a sprained ankle. “There’s a lot going on with the start of the semester. I don’t have time to go out for lessons.”
Yu Shushu didn’t overthink it. “Alright. I’ll find someone for you.”
–
The recruitment for the free calligraphy class lasted about a week, specifically for Yun University’s new freshmen.
Since the first class was a huge success, the school was paying close attention to this year’s event.
They specially selected a few excellent students from the Yun University Calligraphy Association to form a team and handle the logistics.
The main road near the sports complex was lined with booths for various campus activities, looking like a night market. The calligraphy class’s booth was right in the center.
When Lin Yingzhou arrived, the other members had already finished their preparations and were chatting.
“A few days ago, during freshman registration, a girl got hit by a car. Then Xia Xifan carried her to the hospital. That video went viral.”
“Oh, I heard about that! She’s supposed to be from our Art School.”
“Really? Was she pretty? Just from the back, I could tell she was gorgeous.”
“Yeah, she asked me for a form. I thought she was a celebrity.”
A nearby boy snorted dismissively. “So gossipy. Is that all you think about?”
Fang Chuning shot him a cold look. “So what? Are you suggesting we talk about you instead? Is there anything interesting to discuss about you?”
Li Yan was furious. “You!”
Both were vice-presidents of the Yun University Calligraphy Association and never got along, but they were always stuck working together.
Just as a fight was about to break out, and the others were deciding whether to break it up or enjoy the show, someone called out…
“President, you’re here?” someone called out, and the tension dissipated. Everyone greeted Lin Yingzhou.
“Mm. I had some stuff to take care of at the school. I’m late.” Lin Yingzhou went to his seat, pulled out a sheet of paper, and laid it flat on the desk.
“No problem. We’re early.” Fang Chuning asked, “What are you writing today?”
“The Red Cliffs Oath.”
Lin Yingzhou was the president of the Yun University Calligraphy Association. He had only run for the position intending to go through the motions and resign, but he unexpectedly won with the most votes. He was usually too busy to deal with the association’s matters. He wanted to resign, but the teacher kept pushing him to stay.
He reluctantly stayed on as a figurehead president. He had authority, but the day-to-day operations were handled by Fang Chuning and Li Yan.
For this calligraphy class promotion, Lin Yingzhou was tasked with sitting in his spot, copying a famous piece of calligraphy, and acting as a live advertisement.
The freshmen’s morning military training ended just in time for lunch. The path near the sports complex was soon flooded with students.
It was even livelier than registration day. The calligraphy booth’s tent was swamped.
The sticky heat was trapped inside, and the noise was deafening.
Lin Yingzhou’s expression remained calm. He focused on his writing, oblivious to the looks and chatter around him, letting himself and his work be admired.
After writing the last line, “Unaware that the east is already showing signs of light,” Lin Yingzhou didn’t even add his signature. He put down his brush, stood up, and said to Fang Chuning, “I’m leaving. You all carry on.”
Fang Chuning was surprised. He hadn’t expected him to leave so early. “Ah… okay.”
The others who were signing up, watching, or just gawking were also confused by Lin Yingzhou’s departure.
“Why is he leaving? I wasn’t done looking.”
“He didn’t leave this early last time…”
Someone directly asked the person in charge, “Senior, will he be here again tomorrow?”
“Yeah, his calligraphy is so beautiful. It makes me want to sign up.”
A friend teased, “Are you talking about his calligraphy or his face?”
She playfully protested, “Can’t it be both?”
“Probably.” Fang Chuning couldn’t make any promises. With the heavy workload in the Medical School’s third year, Lin Yingzhou wasn’t even supposed to be helping with the promotion this year. It was a huge help that he could come at all.
“Alright.”
After packing up, Fang Chuning picked up the completed Red Cliffs Oath and slowly looked over each character.
The other members also gathered to admire the work done under the gaze of the crowd.
“The structure, the brushwork, the composition… it’s hard to believe it was written under those conditions.”
Everyone present was among the top calligraphy students. They were future leaders in the field. But looking at Lin Yingzhou’s work, they still felt inferior.
Someone couldn’t help but sigh, “That’s some talent. No wonder he’s the youngest Lanting winner. It’s a waste he didn’t choose our major.”
The driver was waiting at the school gate. “Young Master, where to?”
“Back to the old house. Grandfather is home today.”
The ornate iron gate slowly creaked open in the blazing sun. The butler came to greet him.
“The old master is in the study. He said to go see him first when you get back. He has something to discuss.”
A sliver of warm yellow light spilled from the study door. Lin Yingzhou gently knocked. Inside, a teacup clinked softly. “Come in.”
Lin Yingzhou pushed the door open.
In the Lin family, the study was several times larger than any of the bedrooms.
A six-meter bookshelf made from a single slab of golden nanmu wood had developed an amber patina over the years. The scrolls and books displayed on it were stacked like mountain ranges.
Lin Yingzhou’s shadow fell on a landscape painting, his tall figure forming a subtle double image of the perilous peaks in the artwork.
“Grandfather.”
Lin Yunzhi put down the text he was reading and nodded slightly. “Mm. I haven’t seen you in a while. What have you been busy with?”
Lin Yingzhou replied, “Student council and the public service class promotion. Also some things with the Medical School.”
Lin Yunzhi nodded, took off his reading glasses. “Is Dr. An’s method working?”
“A little.”
At least, he no longer had a stress reaction to seeing small patches of red in daily life. But if it was big and moving, he still had to avoid it immediately.
Lin Yunzhi seemed thoughtful. He was silent for a long moment before asking, “That’s good. Will you be fully recovered by next year?”
“I don’t know.”
After over a decade of trying so many methods, this was the only significant progress. The new therapy had only been going on for a month. It wouldn’t be that fast.
Besides, with psychological issues, the time for recovery was always unknown.
Or maybe he would never recover.
Grandfather and grandson remained silent. A wisp of agarwood incense drifted slowly, soothing and elegant, but it couldn’t lighten the mood in the study.
Lin Yunzhi changed the subject. “By the way, do you remember the TV station editor-in-chief, Yu Shushu, who came to do an interview?”
“I remember.”
Lin Yunzhi tapped his fingers on the desk. “She has a niece who wants to learn calligraphy. You can teach her.”
Seeing no resistance on Lin Yingzhou’s face, he added, “She likes your paintings very much.”