If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Before Xi Lingxian could say anything, Grand Commandant Wang walked out of the flower hall.

Dressed in a black casual robe, without a crown, and with his hair tied up only with a jade hairpin, he looked much more refined and approachable. He stood with his hands behind his back under the corridor, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the crowd, lingering for a moment on Xi Lingxian, before walking over.

"The Xi family girl."

Xi Lingxian was stunned for a moment.

The head of the Langya Wang clan, a figure whom even the emperor had to give way to in the court, was usually very dignified and rarely got close to people. Today, however, he was so approachable that she was somewhat flattered.

She gave a slight bow, her voice steady: "Greetings, Grand Commandant."

Grand Commandant Wang walked up to her, looked her up and down, his expression gentle, revealing the loving kindness of an elder looking at a younger generation.

"I heard about what happened that day. Are you feeling any better?"

Xi Lingxian's fingers tightened slightly inside her sleeve.

She bowed slightly, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. I'm much better now."

Grand Commandant Wang nodded, his expression relaxing slightly: "The person who harmed you has been punished. You can rest assured now."

"If anyone bullies you again, just come and tell your uncle, and he will stand up for you."

Xi Lingxian was inwardly groaning.

It's one thing for the son to be abnormal, but the father is also different from the one in his previous life!

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle."

A moment of silence fell over the surroundings as several heads of prominent families, their advisors, and officials' wives looked at each other in silence.

The girl from the Xi family must be quite something to be able to win over Grand Commandant Wang with such gentleness and kindness.

Xie Wanyi hadn't put down her pen yet; she stood there frozen.

She looked at Grand Commandant Wang and heard him speak in a gentle, almost loving tone that she had never heard before. Unconsciously, she gripped the pen tightly, her knuckles turning white.

In terms of seniority, Grand Commandant Wang was her uncle-in-law.

But from childhood to adulthood, she had never seen him show such gentleness and kindness.

The person who would only nod slightly and never give Xi Lingxian a second glance was now speaking to her as if she were coaxing her own child.

On what grounds?

Xie Wanyun stood to the side, watching her cousin's barely concealed smile, gently tugged at her sleeve, and whispered something.

Xie Wanyi didn't hear clearly, nor did she want to hear clearly.

Grand Commandant Wang led the heads of the various families and elders to the inner courtyard for tea.

She took a deep breath, held it in her chest, and put on a smile again.

She glanced at the calligraphy she had written on the table, then at Xi Lingxian's empty hand. "Lingxian, we agreed that everyone present today would write a piece of calligraphy for each other to appreciate."

Xie Wanyi's supporters chimed in with their own words.

Wang Shuyuan: "Yes, Miss Xi, Sister Xie has already written one, why don't you write one too?"

"That's right, it's just a game between girls. Even if you don't write it well, none of us will laugh at you."

Xi Lingxian's head was buzzing. "Miss Xie, if you want to write, I won't mind if you finish writing on all those sheets of Xuan paper. Don't drag me into this. I don't think we have any relationship."

Xie Wanyun's expression changed. "Miss Xi, my sister meant well. She had no ill intentions. Why are you..."

"I have my own brain to tell whether she meant me any harm or not; I don't need anyone else to figure it out for me," she said coldly. "Besides, you're not me, so how could you possibly sense whether she meant me any harm?"

Xie Wanyi's expression remained unchanged. "Sister Lingxian, you still have a misunderstanding about me. It seems that things were not explained clearly before."

"My sisters and I often write and appreciate calligraphy together, which is a very common thing for us. I didn't realize that it had a malicious meaning to my sister. It's all my fault."

"It was my fault for not understanding the situation. I suppose that's true. I heard that my sister Lingxian is of a cheerful disposition and doesn't like these literary pursuits. I was making things difficult for her."

Wang Shuyuan, like a fool, chimed in, "Look at you, not only are you disrespectful, but you also say such awful things. Even Sister Wanyi is speaking up for you. Why are you so unlikeable?"

"Does it matter whether you like it or not?" she retorted coldly. "Why should I lower myself to please you?"

"Miss Xie, I don't understand why you always like to compete with me. You say I'm illiterate, and I'll say you're weak and frail. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Why do you have to compare your strengths with others' weaknesses? What kind of person with a lowly heart likes to do that?"

Xie Wanyi's lips trembled, and a fierce glint suddenly rose in her beautiful eyes.

Wang Shuhui and Wang Shuyuan were both stunned by these words.

Wang Jue arrived at some unknown time.

He stood at the back of the crowd, dressed in a dark casual suit, his whole body blending into the shadows under the corridor. It was unclear how long he had stood there, watching.

"It's so lively here," his voice wasn't loud, but it drew everyone's attention. "What are they talking about?"

The women's eyes suddenly lit up.

Wang Jue's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Xi Lingxian.

When Xi Lingxian saw him approaching, she instinctively took a step back.

Xie Wanyi's eyes lit up, and her voice was as soft as honey, "My cousin is here. Today is a rare occasion to appreciate calligraphy, so I thought we'd all have a chance to try it out."

As she spoke, she glanced at Xi Lingxian, her eyes conveying a perfectly measured hint of embarrassment, "But perhaps the Xi family's younger sister has some misunderstanding about us, she doesn't want to play with us, and she refuses to write no matter what."

Xi Lingxian's temples throbbed.

She really wanted to punch each of those guys to death!

"So many people are forcing a girl to write," he said slowly, "If word gets out, it will make it seem like our Langya Prince's Mansion is being unhospitable."

The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

Xi Lingxian glanced at Wang Jue, then at Xie Wanyi's face, which was alternating between pale and flushed, and suddenly felt like sighing.

Can't these two just leave her alone and stop harming each other?

"And who says she can't write?"

"I have seen Miss Xi's calligraphy. It is written with the style of a master."

Just then, Grand Commandant Wang and the others came out after drinking tea, intending to join in the ink painting fun. Upon hearing Wang Jue's words, Xi Jian felt inexplicably embarrassed, not to mention anyone else.

His daughter is good at everything, but her handwriting is really not worthy of this praise.

Wang Jia Erlang probably said this because he had never seen his daughter's handwriting.

Xie Wanyi's smile completely vanished. She gripped the handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning white, and her lips trembled slightly.

He's seen it. When did he see it?

How could he have seen Xi Lingxian's handwriting before?

Could it be... that they have been in contact privately?

This thought, like a venomous snake, crawled out from the darkest corner of her heart, flicking its tongue and coiling around her, making it hard for her to breathe.

The whispers around us rose like a tide.

Xi Lingxian ignored those gazes. Looking at Wang Jue's calm and composed face, she wished she could tear him apart.

Grand Commandant Wang walked over unhurriedly, his hands behind his back, his gaze falling on Xi Lingxian, a rare smile playing on his lips.

"Xi family girl," his voice carried an undeniable air of authority, "I didn't realize you were such a hidden master. Just now I was wondering if any of these young people who came today were actually hidden experts."

"Since Erlang says you write well, then write a couple of words for us old folks to see."

Several courtiers gathered around him, all showing curiosity about Xi Lingxian, the woman who had caused the Wang family to lose their lives for.

Xi Jian's expression was complicated.

Xi Rui: "Qingyu, you're joking. How could I not know my sister's handwriting? She's good at everything, but she's been very lazy when it comes to calligraphy since she was little. Even her teacher can't do anything about it. It's better not to show it to everyone and let them laugh at her."

Grand Commandant Wang waved his hand, his gaze falling on Xi Lingxian.

"It's alright. Today's tasting event is meant for everyone to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Whether it's good or bad doesn't matter. If it's good—" He paused, his smile deepening, "I'll give you some pointers to help you refine it. If it's not good, I'll give you even more pointers."

Xi Lingxian took a deep breath.

There's no escaping it today.

She picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and made the first stroke on the paper.

The people around suddenly fell silent.

Xie Wanyi stood in front of the crowd, her eyes fixed on Xi Lingxian's pen tip.

She didn't believe that the daughter of a military general, who had been practicing martial arts since childhood, could write anything good.

Wang Jue stood to the side, watching her put pen to paper.

Her wrist sank slightly; that was something he had taught her.

When you start writing, you must be firm and composed; only then will your characters have substance.

He taught her for two years, and she practiced for two years, going from crooked and wobbly to upright and proper, from weak and limp to strong and resilient.

He remembered the way she looked up at him and smiled when she first wrote a decent "永" (yong, meaning eternal), her cheeks puffed out and her eyes bright.

He was "coerced" into giving her a couple of compliments, and she was satisfied. She lowered her head and continued writing, and as she wrote, she began to resemble him.

His fingers tightened and then loosened inside his sleeve.

Noticing countless gazes around her, Xi Lingxian closed her eyes, wishing she could skin Wang Jue alive.

Knowing that so many people were watching, and that she was too proud to embarrass herself on purpose, they dared to ask her to write.

Fifteen-year-old Xi Lingxian indeed had terrible handwriting, it was unbearable to look at;

But now she has been reborn and has lived another life.

In her previous life, she married Wang Jue for more than three years, and for two of those years she was forced by him to practice calligraphy.

The pen moved slowly across the paper, each stroke precise and straight.

Her wrist was very steady, as if an invisible hand was supporting it and guiding it.

His hands were warm, with thin calluses on his palms. He held her hand and taught her stroke by stroke: the horizontal strokes should be flat, the vertical strokes should be straight, the left-falling strokes should have a sharp point, and the right-falling strokes should be controlled.

She studied for a long time, learning all his brushstrokes, all his style, and all his horizontal, vertical, and diagonal strokes.

Xi Lingxian carefully controlled herself, making sure that her pen didn't reveal anything related to Wang Jue.

Since her rebirth, she has also practiced other fonts. With the foundation from her previous life, she has been able to learn anything smoothly in this life.

Others probably wouldn't be able to tell... right?

The words "Treading the wind and embracing the moon with ease" lay upright on the rice paper, the strokes vigorous and the style dignified.

Grand Commandant Wang looked down and remained silent for a long time.

His gaze shifted from the words to Xi Lingxian's face, then to Wang Jue's face, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"Not bad, Xi girl, you really are a hidden talent."

She smiled and said, "Uncle, you flatter me."

Xi Jian stared at his daughter in astonishment.

I always felt that my daughter's calligraphy style and spirit were somewhat familiar.

Xie Wanyi stood there, the handkerchief in her hand clenched so tightly it was unrecognizable.

Xi Lingxian raised her head and met Wang Jue's gaze.

I really wanted to smash that pen in his face.