Chu Qing-Yan.
This was her name.
She stared, slightly distracted. The words were free like the wind, so expressive yet containing a hidden restraint. The aroma of the ink made one tipsy, giving people a relaxed, bright and penetrating feeling. She had never known that such simple words could be written in such a way that would command the popular feeling and prompt everyone to look at it.
Xiao Xu didn't know about the admiration in her heart. He stretched out his hand to tap the paper, and unhurriedly said, "Your name."
Chu Qing-Yan unconsciously nodded her head.
"Learning to read, we'll start from your name. This hour, you'll just practice these three words first." Xiao Xu leaned to the side slightly, giving way for her to take his position.
Chu Qing-Yan nodded once again.
She grasped the brush and dipped it in ink. The hairs surrounding the bottom of the brush were plump and smooth, and the dense ink made it hard to separate the individual hairs.
She hadn't written using a brush for a long time, so her heart was uncertain of her own abilities. Her fingers trembled slightly, and a drop of concentrated ink dripped out, landed on the snow-white paper and spreading out on it.
Chu Qing-Yan subconsciously glanced at Xiao Xu who was observing her at the side. Seeing he didn't have any expression, she released a breath in relief. She immediately drained away the extra ink on the inkstone. Just now, she was too anxious and dampened the brush with too much ink.
Chu Qing-Yan boosted up her spirit before she once again leaned over to put pen to paper.
One brush, a somewhat stiff stroke. Turning the brush, with ink spreading thin lines everywhere. Chu Qing-Yan blushed with shame. She had really not written with a brush for many years. What she wrote, sure enough, was something that couldn't be shown to others.
Fortunately, Xiao Xu didn't say anything and let her continue to practice.
Chu Qing-Yan once again lowered her head to write. After she finished writing two full sheets' worth of words, she decided to change the paper.
She had just placed a new piece of paper on top, when the golden color projected by the sun under her sleeves was suddenly covered by a dark shadow. Chu Qing-Yan decided to look closer and saw that it was actually a person's shadow. She was just about to turn around when she saw that the black shadow had surrounded her entire person. The 'clean coldness carrying a trace of ink' fragrance momentarily assaulted her senses.
Chu Qing-Yan was immediately fixed in place, lowering her head to stare blankly as a long, slim, white hand passed by her waist to grip the hand she used to hold the brush. Afterwards, the other hand was casually placed on the table at her left side.
Chu Qing-Yan originally thought that people with his type of ice-cold temperament would definitely give off cold air from head to toe. She felt that his hand must also be like millennium-old ice. However, when his hand covered hers afterwards, she only felt a warmth like the warm sunlight of spring. She was slightly distracted.
Not right, not right, how could she be confused by his charm? Although she is a devotee of beauty, but she still had integrity okay?
She ought to be indignant, because right now, she was just being taken advantage of right?
Because Chu Qing-Yan's back was to Xiao Xu, he didn't see her varied guesses and her changing mood. After his hand wrapped around her smaller hand, Xiao Xu also stared blankly for quite a while. This was the first time he had gripped another person's hand. Having lived for twenty years, the most he had done was to write and hold a sword. Those things were ice-cold, completely lacking any sound; and only this soft warmth coming from his hand allowed him to feel something new and odd.
Her hand was very small, so small that his hand was able to wrap around hers, very meaty with short, slender joints. As if with just one light grasp. he would be able to see her crushed in his hand. So thin and weak, really made people take pity on her.
Xiao Xu's finger moved slightly, carrying her hand to rotate the brush on the white piece of paper.
Very quickly, Chu Qing-Yan was also attracted by his action. She knew he wanted to grip her hand to teach her to write. This kind of thing, her teacher had also done it before. It was a very trivial, common thing, but she didn't know why, when Xiao Xu's back view covered her whole body, she felt somewhat unnatural.
"Concentrate a bit." The clear, cold voice came from the side of her body, carried a touch of annoyance.
Chu Qing-Yan quivered, she could clearly feel the impatience in his tone. Chu Qing-Yan immediately concentrated her attention on the paper before her eyes.
Maybe she over-thought it, maybe Xiao Xu only took her as a student; on the contrary, she was being too sensitive.
Thinking of this, her entire person relaxed, no longer letting her imagination run wild.
He could clearly feel the stiff person under his body slowly relax. Xiao Xu's eyebrow rose, "The words you just wrote were too ugly. Taking it out would simply smear this king's reputation."
Hearing these words, Chu Qing-Yan covertly stuck out her tongue. Although what she wrote was ugly, from a beginner student's perspective, it would already be considered nice-looking okay? However, she hadn't forgotten that the person behind her was a person that pursued perfection. Moreover, as a proud and arrogant person occupying the leading position, he never had to take care of the process. He only needed to pay attention to the results. As a result, her written words not being able to enter his eyes was also very normal.
However truthfully speaking, her words written under his guidance, were indeed much nicer-looking. If it was not for her hand being too stiff, the words she wrote would also be partly as magnificent as the ones he wrote before.
After writing a few words while guiding her hand, Xiao Xu released her hand, letting her practice by herself.
"Pay attention to the feeling just now, the wrist moves while the arm doesn't move. When writing horizontal strokes, both ends must be thick and the center thin. When writing vertical strokes, fingers must not tremble. So crooked, do you think you are drawing a caterpillar?"
Xiao Xu's light reprimanding tone carried a trace of making a joke that even he himself didn't discover. His face unfolded and his eyes had a faint smiling expression.
Chu Qing-Yan herself did not see, she only felt that this person's requirement was really too high. If she was calculating based on being in this world, she would merely be a beginning student. Xiao Xu actually set such a high requirement for her.
"Your Highness, don't try to run before you can walk. Chu Qing-Yan has just started to learn, I need to be given some time to practice." Xiao Xu finished speaking and writing the three words, but when he once again tried to teach her to write, Chu Qing-Yan refused, immediately raising her head to retort.
When Xiao Xu heard this, he didn't get angry, rather, he took an indifferent glance at her, "Don't try to run before you can walk? You even understand this proverb, your usage was pretty good. However, did you ever hear of the saying that strict teachers raise brilliant students? This king is still a very patient person, as I have been your teacher for a day, you can only comply."
"Dictator! Tyrant!" Having heard what he said, Chu Qing-Yan pouted and blurted this out.
How could these words said in a low tone escape Xiao Xu's hearing? Xiao Xu's lips curved up slightly, "Today you must write a full twenty pages of words, otherwise, you'll have to think of another way to get dinner."
Again, it's dinner! Chu Qing-Yan was greatly angered. Did she look like someone who only thought about eating all day long?
However, she seemed to be a little bit hungry ah!!
Chu Qing-Yan took a glance at the table. There were still more than ten sheets, a long way to twenty sheets ah!
Really cheated her too much!
Successfully seeing Chu Qing-Yan's 'accepting defeat' expression, Xiao Xu's mood became extremely good. Then, he turned his body to grab her hand again, bringing her hand with the brush, stroke after stroke to write his name. The justification was that, in this world, it didn't matter if she didn't recognize any names, but she must be able to write his name. Wasn't it said that he was very autocratic and overbearing? Then, he'll interpret it to the greatest detail. He then let her practice by herself once again.
Chu Qing-Yan felt it was laughable. Although she was deeply angered, it was only anger. However, she had no choice but to admit that Xiao Xu really did write well, well enough to be someone's teacher. But to become his student, one's ability to resist mental pressure must be very strong.
With Xiao Xu's pointers from time to time, Chu Qing-Yan wrote very quickly, so Xiao Xu was somewhat satisfied and asked, "What words do you want to learn?"
Chu Qing-Yan slanted her head and thought carefully and said soon after, "Which word does His Highness want to teach?"
This tone of asking his opinion made Xiao Xu feel faintly cheerful. His lips smiled and didn't say anything, but used his actions to write down those words.
Chu Qing-Yan thought, this way, she could be considered having flattered him. However, when she saw those words, she couldn't restrain herself and the corner of her mouth twitched.