I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Fortunately, Xiao Mingyuan comes from a wealthy family and has seen the world.

After the initial tension subsided, he calmed down, turned to look at Xu Qing's actions, and then looked out the window.

At that moment, I felt a little smug.

Su Man's question hit the nail on the head.

Fortunately, I did some design work in the car beforehand.

But then I saw him straighten his back, his eyes glazed over, gazing into the distance.

With its chubby body and that gazing-in-the-distant pose, it looks exactly like a pufferfish trying hard to strike a pose.

Fortunately, he looked serious, so no one could tell anything was wrong.

He slowed his speech, as if lost in memories.

"I stood on the corridor of Zhuangyuan Tower and saw the misty waves of Hengyang Island in the distance... I remembered going with my father to do business by ferry. At that time, I looked at the boats on the river, the river was vast and the misty waves were boundless."

Recalling those events, a few thoughts suddenly popped into my head... Without thinking much about them, I wrote them down.

Seeing his actions, Xu Qing couldn't help but give him a thumbs up in her heart.

Fatty Xiao is definitely a natural actor; in a short time, he perfectly captured the feeling of being pretentious.

The middle-aged scholar exclaimed, "Such verses, written without much thought... Young Master Xiao's talent is truly extraordinary."

Xiao Mingyuan replied without batting an eye, "Oh, it's nothing, just a coincidence."

Chen Shijin stood to the side with a cold face, holding back for a long time, before finally unable to hold back and speaking.

"Brother Xiao, to be honest, the imagery and allusions in this poem are completely different from your usual style... It's like you're from another world. May I ask... Did you really write this?"

Xiao Mingyuan's heart tightened, but he had expected this moment, so he frowned and spoke with a hint of impatience.

"Brother Chen, do you not believe me?"

Chen Shijin chuckled: "Of course I believe it, but it just seems strange."

Su Man glanced at Chen Shijin, her tone indifferent.

"Young Master Chen, you are a guest, but any questioning must be based on evidence. If you have evidence, present it; if not, today we will only look at the poem."

Chen Shijin was momentarily speechless, but he refused to give up.

"I'm just worried that Young Master Xiao might be deceived... If someone writes it for him and fools both Brother Xiao and Miss Su, wouldn't that damage the reputation of Zhuangyuanlou?"

As he said this, his gaze was fixed on Xiao Mingyuan.

Xiao Mingyuan was on edge.

He resisted the urge to look at Xu Qing, her words flashing through his mind...

"If anyone has any doubts, just bring out the second one."

He took a breath and continued to showcase his acting skills.

A look of grievance, as if she had been wronged, appeared on her face.

"Since Brother Chen puts it that way..."

He slowly pulled out a second piece of paper from his pocket, but instead of unfolding it, he held it in his hand and looked at Su Man.

"Miss Su, I didn't originally plan to present this poem today. I was thinking of presenting it one poem at a time in several sessions, so as not to give the impression that I was eager for quick success."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Chen Shijin.

"But since some people doubt me, then I might as well..."

He unfolded the paper and laid it on the table.

"From the high tower, one can see the vast river and sky, a lone sail drifting on the current. The long wind whips up waves that swallow a thousand miles, its magnificent spirit soaring to the clouds and defying the nine provinces."

The private room quieted down.

The middle-aged scholar was the first to lose his temper. He stood up abruptly, took two steps forward, pointed at the four lines with his finger, and after trembling for a long time, finally uttered a sentence.

"This...this one is completely different from the previous one. The previous one was about homesickness and nostalgia, but this one..."

The white-bearded old man picked up the conversation, "This one is magnificent and heroic. It encompasses thousands of miles and reigns supreme over the nine provinces... Its grandeur is comparable to any frontier poem!"

Xu Qing also applauded, inwardly marveling: Putting aside everything else, Xiao Mingyuan's acting skills are absolutely top-notch. He'd only given him a few instructions, and he'd designed something this good. In later generations, he'd be a potential movie star.

Chen Shijin's sarcastic expression finally crumbled.

He stared at the four lines of poetry, reading them over and over again three times. He moved his lips, but in the end, he couldn't utter a single word.

Su Man also stood up.

She didn't look at the poem, but instead looked out the second-floor window at the distant river... On the river, a lone sail was slowly moving in the sunset.

She gazed at it for a long time, then softly uttered, "A lone sail drifts with the current, this line..."

She didn't continue.

Xiao Mingyuan was overjoyed, but on his face he looked like he had suffered a great injustice, and he very restrainedly cupped his hands in greeting.

"I, Xiao Pangzi, am unworthy of your praise. After writing these two poems, I read them over and over again. To be honest... even I don't think they look like my own writing. But I picked up the pen, I dipped the ink, and I wrote the words. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

The middle-aged scholar quickly waved his hand: "Young Master Xiao, you misunderstand! I was merely amazed by the exquisite beauty of the poem, not doubting it at all! Your talent is truly a blessing to Songlin Academy!"

The white-bearded old man nodded: "I have seen many talented people in the Jiangnan region, but it is truly rare to find someone like you, young master, who can produce poems with two completely different moods—nostalgia and heroic spirit—on the same day. Your future is limitless."

Chen Shijin stood there, his face turning pale and then red, before finally letting out a dry laugh.

"Brother Xiao... I apologize for my rudeness." After saying that, he cupped his hands in greeting and made an excuse to slip away.

As he came downstairs, Zhou Kang was waiting at the top of the stairs: "How was it? Did Fatty Xiao reveal his true colors?"

Chen Shijin's face darkened: "I think it's you who's revealing your true colors? Your writing is on a completely different level!"

Zhou Kang: "Huh? How come he suddenly knows how to write poetry?"

"How would I know!" Chen Shijin flung his sleeves and walked away.

Chen Shijin took a few steps away. Suddenly, he turned back and asked again.

"Has Xiao Mingyuan been acting strangely lately?"

Zhou Kang blurted out, "What could be wrong with him? Of course not..."

He paused abruptly as he spoke, touching his forehead.

"Wait, it seems there is some truth to it, but it's not a big deal. It's just that he had contact with a poor scholar named Xu Qing, who was also a good-for-nothing."

Zhou Kang curled his lip in disdain.

Chen Shijin frowned. "Xu Qing? That name sounds familiar. Isn't he Song Yao's fiancé?"

He waved to Zhou Kang, "You go first."

After Zhou Kang's figure disappeared, Chen Shijin gave instructions to his attendants.

"Go to the accounting office and get one hundred taels of silver. Have someone give it to Xu Danian. Hurry up and ruin Xu Qing's family, and get Song Yao for me. It's been so long, why isn't he dead yet? And now he's getting in my way!"

"Yes..." The attendant accepted the order and left.