Before this ranking list came out, even if these people doubted whether they could make the cut, they would not question who the seeded players1 were this year.
Yet somehow, so bizarrely—
The first place was not Xie Jinyun. Not Xu Yajun either.
In fact, neither of them even made it into the first grade winners.
After stunned stillness upon squeezing up front to see the list, the crowd reacted like a pot of oil met by a drop of water.
“Who exactly is this Bai Jian? Has anyone even heard of him before?”
“A dark horse snatched first place?”
“What on earth did he write?!”
“The judging for this Lanting Exhibit will truly go down in history! It’s enough to be recorded in the annals of calligraphy!”
“Can it be three days later already?!”
“……”
At times like this, no one doubted the standard of this first place winner.
After all, in the second grade winners were Xie Jinyun – the next Chairman successor, and Xu Yajun – the current Chairman’s disciple.
Who would dare rig things at an event held by the Central Book Association?
To outrank and cut apart these two beneath the rays of their brilliance this year, seizing first place.
What could anyone say in the face of such ability?
Having been shoved from shock, Deputy Chairman Qian was squeezed back outside again.
“Deputy Chairman,” the group from Beicheng hurriedly gathered around him. “How was it? We heard the final list this year is quite bizarre?”
Anxious to know if he made it into the third grade winners, Chou Boqing2 asked, “Did you see the list of names, Deputy Chairman?”
“This year’s exhibit result will definitely explode,” said the Nancheng Administrator also squeezed outside. Noticing Jian Rong only made third place, he asked, “Just who on earth snatched first place? Old Qian, have you ever heard of him before?”
“Oh…” After a dazed moment shaking his sight back into focus, Deputy Chairman Qian looked once more at the sign-in ledger. Distractedly stating, “It’s…Chou Boqing and Xu Hao, you both made the cut-off. Jian Rong took third place.”
Hearing this news, Chou Boqing and Jian Rong exchanged confused looks as disappointment sank their heads down.
The dark eyes instantly hollowed out.
“Don’t feel disheartened,” said the Nancheng Administrator shaking his head. His own student had only gotten an honourable mention: “The prizes this time were too irregular with an abnormal dark horse appearance…Not just you, Jian Rong, even Xie Jinyun and Xu Yajun only took second place.”
Jian Rong’s originally crestfallen heart instantly revived. “They only got second place too?!”
His cry spoke for everyone present.
The boy still squatting beside quickly pulled out his phone and messaged Bailian: ?Yo bro, super regret you left early! Do you know a freak appeared out of nowhere for this year’s Lanting Exhibit?! Even suppressing Xie Jinyun down to second place!?
His cold female buddy did not reply.
The hottest news about this year’s Lanting Competition wasn’t Xie Jinyun and Xu Yajun failing to clinch first place. It was them being shoved down into the second grade winners!
Deputy Chairman Qian looked towards the Nancheng Administrator and waved the sign-in ledger in his hand. “That…unique first place winner seems to be from our Beicheng. The girl who left after just ten minutes that day…”
His voice clearly wasn’t loud at all.
Yet centered on Deputy Chairman Qian, within a two meter radius, the crowd gradually quieted down.
The boy about to madly message Bailian halted his finger on the screen, “Huh?”
Chou Boqing also reflexively lifted his head. “Deputy Chairman, who did you say?”
“Bailian.”
Chou Boqing felt his brain explode with a “zing”.
Currently every Beicheng member floated about in some semi-crazed state. A first grade winner who moreover trampled over the Xie Jinyun-Xu Yajun double stars3. This could be said to be the most glorious moment for the Beicheng Calligraphers Association across its many years!
Deputy Chairman Qian promptly whipped out his phone. Grinning so wide he couldn’t rein it in, he reported the news to their home association members via WeChat group.
Usually prudent and aloof towards others, Deputy Chairman Qian now beamed brighter than money itself.
Next he called up Chou Xuezheng.
Just where on earth did this girl pop out from?!
**
Bailian did not get to experience any of the shockwaves her Lanting prize caused.
By the time Chou Xuezheng called her, she was in biology class.
Only after class ended did she see Chou Xuezheng’s nineteen missed calls from twenty minutes ago. Taking her phone with her to the bathroom, Bailian called him back.
After cooling down for twenty minutes, Chou Xuezheng’s emotions had stabilized.
“Why didn’t you pick up?”
Without rushing, Bailian shut the stall door and raised a brow, “Shouldn’t I be in class?”
Chou Xuezheng pondered silently for a while before airily stating, “You placed first. The sole first grade winner.”
“Oh,” Bailian casually acknowledged, then remembering something else, stood up straighter: “Then can I apply to join the Association? What’s the application process and where do I submit it?”
On the other end of the call, question marks practically popped out atop Chou Xuezheng’s head.
Hold up. How can you be so nonchalant about overthrowing and seizing first place?
That was his thought, so he also just asked outright.
“My calligraphy isn’t even considered that good,” said Bailian after a moment of silence. Lifting her head, she smiled quite casually, “It’s because you all lack the imperial examination system now. Ballpoint pens have basically replaced writing brushes.”
Thus, it was inevitable for calligraphy to decline.
She had used brushes and blades as weapons since birth. For a competition aimed at youth and where her opponents used hard nib pens for years,
If Bailian lost to them in calligraphy, she felt Teacher might directly crawl out of his grave in the dead of night to chase her out the sect as his disciple.
“Just got lucky. If we have to compete in ballpoint pen calligraphy, I definitely can’t match up to them,” switching hands holding her phone, Bailian looped back to her initial question, “So which association do I submit my application to join?”
Chou Xuezheng was truly out of patience.
When you ask how her writing looked, she asks you about applying for the Association.
When you tell her to collect her award, she says she has class but also asks how many resources you could allocate.
You inform her reporters want interviews, yet she remarks how embarrassing she’d feel getting dragged to face her teacher and follows up by inquiring roughly how long it takes the Association to approve applications on average.
You relay that the Central Branch has extended an invitation for her to join. She says great, once the Xiangcheng branch is set up she can just enter that one.
Hanging up the call, Chou Xuezheng suddenly recalled how Bailian who was just going to leave his office that day seemed to only have lingered due to overhearing him say ‘apply for the Association’.
He sat at his desk lost in thought for a long time.
**
After school dismissal,
Unable to find Principal Lu, Bailian went to the print shop to collect the association application report Chou Xuezheng sent her. Feeling lazy summoning Jiang He over, she stood waiting outside at the entrance, speed reading guidelines at a rate of ten lines per second.
When Jiang Fuli caught sight of her, she was leaning casually against the wall with her blue and white uniform unbuttoned, revealing the snowy white top inside. One hand holding her bookbag while the other clutched a stack of papers as she lazed upon the stone bench, lazily flipping through the documents in hand.
Quite eye-catching amidst the crowds for her good looks.
Sensing someone approach, Bailian faintly lifted her eyes. She saw Jiang Fuli together with the Jiang He she had forgotten about.
Blinking once, her demeanor unchanged, she said, “I was just about to call asking where you were.”
Jiang Fuli: “……” eyes her phone still not taken out
He didn’t puncture through her excuse.
“You’re applying for the Association?” With one glance, he recognized the printouts in Bailian’s hands.
Roughly grasping the key points after a cursory sweep.
He hadn’t slept last night and took a nap only after returning in the morning. Having just woken up not long ago, his temperament now appeared much softer. Eyes like a phoenix narrowed slender and sharp, his handsome visage seemed veiled behind undried mist, a momentary glimpse of moonlight upon the snow.
Chilly and gentle.
Still single-handedly turning another page, Bailian nodded lazily. “Yeah, but Teacher Chou said due to formalities, an answer will probably come down after about a week…”
She estimated the timeframe.
A heavy burden with long road ahead.
“Mm,” Jiang Fuli withdrew his gaze. “Have you submitted your application?”
Reaching the last page, Bailian elegantly pincered the edges of the A4 printout between slim fingers and raised a brow. “Put it in this afternoon.”
Jiang Fuli sank into contemplation.
Ji Heng would be going out for Xu En’s dinner party tonight. Bailian stored away the A4 pages and headed off with Jiang Fuli to freeload a meal from Chi Lu.
Lacking Bailian, Jiang He, and Jiang Fuli’s memory capacity, Chi Yundai went over the single sheet of paper Jiang Fuli gave him in great detail.
Yes. A single sheet.
Not exaggerating at all.
Chi Yundai hazily realized there sure existed so many types of dishes in this world.
He dared not complain about Jiang Fuli. Of this crowd, only Bailian looked the most amiable to chat with. “If I was this picky as a kid, my mum would have asked if I wanted a slap or her cooking.”
Bailian proved highly skilled at removing psychological barriers within the shortest time upon deciding to become more familiar with someone. Even Chi Yundai practically poured out his heart and guts to her now.
The sort police most dreaded.
Storing her A4 copies properly, Bailian brought out an exam paper to practice questions. Casting a glance at that extensive dish order list, she courteously remarked, “Young Master Jiang really does have a finicky appetite.”
Chi Yundai however wanted to laugh.
Young Master Jiang? Young Master Bird was more like it!
Not daring to directly call Jiang He that to his face, Chi Yundai took his knives back to the kitchen.
And secretly burst into chuckles.
Only after leaving, catching sight of Bailian starting to work out formulas behind her A4 papers left him somewhat astonished – How could this high school student Miss Bai resemble those ancients so much? Even basic jotting held an air of reverence.
Just listing out some formulas yet she did it with such care.
**
Chou Xuezheng taught Bailian this very morning how to help apply for Xiangcheng’s new Calligraphers Association.
The name “Bai Jian” currently burned at the Central Branch. Chou Xuezheng estimated they would receive approved acceptance within a week next, since such bureaucratic screening progressed through layer upon layer.
Yet never did he anticipate…
Mere hours after submission in the morning, by the time the staff clocked off work at six in the evening, it was actually already approved.
The documents and allocated funds dropped straight into the Culture and Tourism Bureau stunned even the Director speechless.
Even given Bailian’s presence, this was still absurdly FAST.
Even a freaking rocket wasn’t this quick!
Naturally construction of an association venue in Xiangcheng could not escape Ren Qian’s notice. As evening neared seven o’clock, Ren Qian, Chou Xuezheng, and the Culture and Tourism Bureau Director gathered inside the Bureau conference room.
To meet with Chou Xuezheng today,
Ren Qian specially brought along Ren Wanxuan, planning to find an opportunity for Chou Xuezheng to put in a recommendation for her in next year’s roster of names.
This time Chou Xuezheng did not refuse.
“I really never imagined this,” said Ren Qian excitedly pouring over the printouts of approved notices and documentation. His elation matched no less than the other two men’s. “For Xiangcheng to truly be getting its own Calligraphers Association. Have you picked a location yet?”
Hosting a Calligraphers Association represented acknowledgement of Xiangcheng culture.
Not to mention the Central Branch would allocate a portion of its members to be stationed at the new venue. This was tremendous news for Xiangcheng.
Ren Qian understood the general impetus likely stemmed from Chou Boqing receiving third place. But due to the recommendation quota matter that had Ren Wanxuan stewing sourly as of late, not one soul in the entire Ren house dared mention the Lanting Exhibit.
Thus Ren Qian pretended to not know at all about Chou Boqing participating this time.
“This is Director Xu who was just transferred today to help us set up the Calligraphers Association. I wonder if we might be graced by a few esteemed masters getting stationed down here,” said the Bureau Director passing the paperwork to Director Xu. “It’d be best if we could have teachers from Jiangjing come over…”
Chou Xuezheng nodded slightly towards Director Xu before considering the Director’s words.
“You’re thinking too far ahead,” said Chou Xuezheng who was familiar with the association system and knew some unspoken rules. “For anyone else coming to Xiangcheng from other places, it would be a demotion. Most people try to avoid getting demoted. So we have to carefully deliberate over the initial team members…”
Locals strove to test out of Xiangcheng however possible.
What prestigious teacher would willingly want to come here?
“Miss Wanxuan,” Chou Xuezheng gazed solemnly at Ren Wanxuan next. “I plan to list you and your senior brother among the first batch of Xiangcheng’s founding team members.”
Reaching the Central Branch and Beicheng Associations required meeting qualifying standards.
But the newly established Xiangcheng naturally could not attract too large a membership initially.
To contribute towards Xiangcheng’s Calligraphers Association, Chou Xuezheng submitted his resignation request to Beicheng at noon today. If things went smoothly, he would be able to transfer over before the Xiangcheng branch’s doors opened.
“Teacher, I understand,” said Ren Wanxuan halting briefly before bowing her head.
While the three men continued discussing association matters, Ren Wanxuan had supplementary classes to return for. She bid Director Xu currently surveying potential locations goodbye and exited alongside him.
“Director Xu,” said Ren Wanxuan accompanying him into the elevator. Eyeing the information materials in his hands, she wondered aloud, “May I take a look at the initial team member list?”
Somewhat curious just how many members made up the founding batch.
As Ren Qian’s sole granddaughter and Chou Xuezheng’s disciple, she was a seeded player among aspirants who could test out into Jiangjing University in the future. Director Xu thoroughly investigated Ren family details before getting promoted to his position.
He never imagined Ren Wanxuan would actively chat with him.
Director Xu hastily handed over his documents to Ren Wanxuan, “Miss Ren, please feel free.”
Accepting the information, Ren Wanxuan first came across several candidate locations under consideration for housing the Association. Flipping straight to the last page past the detailed plans outlined in the middle sections,
It held the preliminary team’s founding members.
As she expected, less than ten names. Apart from Chou Boqing she barely recognized anyone.
Right as she returned the papers to Director Xu, a detail caught the corner of Ren Wanxuan’s eye in passing. She impulsively snatched them back again!
Her abrupt motion startled Director Xu badly. He subconsciously looked towards Ren Wanxuan.
Head lowered, eyelashes veiled whatever lay beneath the bleakness while the corridor lighting shone down casting an extremely aloof air about Ren Wanxuan’s entirety. She turned to the final page of listed names.
And found one name amongst the founding team roster—
Bailian.
“Who decided these placements?” asked Ren Wanxuan as her fingertip traced over the name. She stared at Director Xu.
Only responsible for getting the Association Project underway, Director Xu assumed Ren Wanxuan felt dissatisfied over the paltry number. Unable to help sighing, he said, “It can’t be helped. Our Director scraped together this bunch so far.”
A predictable situation in Ren Wanxuan’s eyes.
She nodded and touched a finger to the last name on the list. “Remove her.”
- Seeded players (????): Refers to players predicted and acknowledged to be the top contenders expected to win the competition. ↩︎
- T/N: This is translated as ‘Qiu’ in previous chapters (i.e., Qiu Boqing / Qiu Xuezheng), my apologies for the mistranslation. ↩︎
- Double stars (??): Metaphor referring to two stellar individuals. Here indicating Xie Jinyun and Xu Yajun. ↩︎
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