Spring Festival Couplets

Chapter 67

Gu Ran gently picked up a calligraphy brush, dipped the tip in the ink, and held it suspended over the red paper.

A long time passed...

Still no movement.

"What are you... dawdling for?"

The young girl quietly watching beside him couldn't hold back anymore. She reached out, poked him in the lower back, and asked speechlessly.

Feeling a tickle at his waist, Gu Ran's hand jerked. A drop of ink instantly fell from the suspended brush tip, hitting the red paper and blooming into a dark stain.

"Obviously, you just ruined my creative mood."

Since the red paper was ruined, Gu Ran simply turned his head and shamelessly decided to give up.

Ye Zhenzhen: "???"

What the heck?

He was brewing his creative mood just now?

Are you sure he didn't just forget how to write traditional characters?

Rolling her beautiful eyes, she shot a glare at her unyielding younger brother.

Then, picking up a pen, she quickly scribbled a line on a piece of white paper next to them.

"Diligence is the path through the mountain of books; hard work is the boat across the boundless sea of learning!"

"Here, just copy this!"

Tossing the pen aside casually, the girl crossed her arms and looked at the boy beside her with amusement.

Gu Ran: "..."

Noticing Ye Zhenzhen's gaze, he felt insulted.

Who says he doesn't know how to write?

For a scholar, how could it be called not knowing?!

It's called... having a rough understanding, but not yet mastering it...

He picked up the brush again and began brewing his mood for the second time, only to be interrupted by the girl.

"Hurry up! Uncle Gu told us to paste the couplets outside the door, and you've been dawdling in here for half an hour!"

As she spoke, she stretched out her small foot, clad in a black cotton sock, and gave the dawdling Gu Ran a light kick.

As for why she wasn't wearing pure, innocent white ones, it was because today was the New Year, and one had to be a bit more particular about traditions, otherwise Ye Shulian would keep nagging her.

"Don't move, you're disturbing my creation."

Unmoved, Gu Ran continued to brew his mood. Just as the girl was about to lose her temper again, he finally brought the brush down.

The large, flamboyant characters were practically cursive, making the girl's mouth twitch uncontrollably.

With handwriting this terrible, what was there to even brew?!

He really didn't care about wasting time. Wouldn't it be better to spend this half hour doing a couple of practice test papers!

Ye Zhenzhen felt she must be crazy to let him fool around like this.

"How is it? Looks good, right?"

Gu Ran gently set the brush down, nodded in gratification, and admired his masterpiece.

The more he looked at it, the more satisfied he felt.

Ye Zhenzhen: "..."

I wouldn't dare say anything; as long as you think it's good.

"Tsk, truly excellent!"

Gu Ran nodded again, lifting the two pieces of calligraphy to examine them repeatedly.

At this, the girl rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the heavens. She genuinely couldn't think of where to even begin roasting him.

The thickness of this guy's skin and his aesthetic taste left her utterly speechless.

"Ye Zhenzhen, I'll give this to you as a New Year's gift. Hang my masterpiece in your room."

Ye Zhenzhen: "???"

As his words fell, the girl's eyes widened instantly, filled with astonishment!

Give it to her?

"Thank you so much..."

Ye Zhenzhen wore a polite smile, gritting her teeth as she forced a fake smile.

Hearing her words, Gu Ran waved his hands repeatedly. "You're too polite, too polite."

Ye Zhenzhen: "..."

Seriously, can't he tell sarcasm when he hears it?

"Shameless bastard!"

She frowned, kicked the boy in front of her again, and spat, "Did you think that was a compliment?!"

Hearing this, Gu Ran nodded. He held up the two pieces of calligraphy, blew on them to dry the ink, and then pondered for a moment before giving a serious analysis.

He slowly nodded and said, "I get it. You used the formal 'you' just now. If you break apart the Chinese character for the formal 'you', it's the character for 'you' placed above the character for 'heart'. So, what your sentence really means is that you hold me in your heart."

Ye Zhenzhen: "..."

Could this be... the legendary application of learned knowledge?

She rolled her eyes speechlessly, not wanting to waste any more breath on this idiot.

Was this how he used the language reading comprehension skills she taught him?

Great, just great!

"Why are you glaring at me? Here, take it, go back to your room and hang it up."

Gu Ran showed not the slightest hint of embarrassment; rather, he was extremely sincere.

"I don't want it."

Hearing this, the girl instantly shook her head like a rattle-drum.

Seeing this, Gu Ran curled his lips and didn't say anything more. Carrying the two pieces of calligraphy, he walked out of the room.

Watching him leave, Ye Zhenzhen didn't follow. Instead, she made a face at his back, then walked over to the desk and tentatively picked up the calligraphy brush.

Recalling how Gu Ran held the brush, she clumsily gripped it. As if writing with a fountain pen, she slowly wrote out a spring couplet, stroke by stroke.

"In studying, always guard against self-deception; in diligence, there must be no idle time!"

Finishing the last stroke, she looked at the handwriting that resembled an elementary schooler's and gave a slight nod. Then she realized—wasn't this exactly how Gu Ran acted just now?

With handwriting that terrible, he could still nod his head and express complete satisfaction.

Looking at her own writing, she blushed for a moment. It was even worse than that guy's...

Just as the embarrassed girl was about to destroy the evidence, Gu Ran walked back into the room empty-handed. Seeing her actions, he paused and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

Swish!

The red paper in her hands was tightly crumpled. Ye Zhenzhen immediately turned her back, crushing it into a paper ball and hiding it in her palm.

"N-nothing."

She wore an innocent and natural expression on her face, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Gu Ran: "..."

He raised an eyebrow and asked softly, "Really?"

"R-really!"

Ye Zhenzhen nodded solemnly, an unnatural look on her pretty face that practically had "I am acting suspicious" written all over it.

Gu Ran couldn't be bothered to expose this girl who was burying her head in the sand. He walked back to the desk, picked up his pen, and said, "I pasted that couplet in your room. No need to thank me."

Ye Zhenzhen: "???"

Is he a dog?!

With handwriting like that, he actually had the nerve to paste it up?

Why didn't he paste it in his own room?!

For a moment, she really wanted to take out the couplet in her hand and paste it right at the head of this guy's bed.

But ultimately, she still cared about her dignity as an older sister and didn't want to completely lose face...

After pondering for a moment, the girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, "U-um, do you have a calligraphy pen? I'll write a piece for you!"

A calligraphy pen?

Gu Ran's hand, holding the brush, paused. He turned to look at her in surprise, the skepticism in his eyes completely undisguised.

Ye Zhenzhen: "???"

Seriously, where did he get the confidence to mock her?!

Did he really think his own handwriting was beautiful?!!!

"H-hurry up and go get it!"

Kicking him in the calf, a slight flush of embarrassment crept onto the girl's face.

"Are you... sure?"

"...It's the New Year, don't force me to bite you!"

Gu Ran: "..."

Just talk normally, why get so anxious all the time?

Always resorting to hands—ah, no, teeth—how presumptuous...

"What weird things are you thinking about now?"

Right when his imagination started running wild, the girl across from him immediately and sharply detected the shift in his gaze.

Gu Ran: "???"

Are you a radar detector?!

The moment he thought of something bad, she sounded the alarm?!