In the northwest corner of Rongcheng University's campus, deep within a bamboo grove, stands a weathered two-story building, constructed in the 1950s or 60s. Its gray exterior and rigid architectural lines bear a distinct Russian influence, clearly a product of that particular era.
A simple plaque hangs above the building's entrance, bearing the words "Rongcheng University Calligraphy and Painting Society," the calligraphy itself bold and vigorous.
In a large room on the first floor, a dozen or so people sit scattered about, the atmosphere somewhat oppressive. A middle-aged man in his early forties sits in the center, wearing a white shirt. Slightly overweight, his severely balding head gleams under the lamplight, and behind his gold-rimmed glasses, a pair of small eyes blaze with anger.
The middle-aged man tapped his fingers on the table and said,
"I've gathered everyone here today for one thing: the Rongcheng City College and University Calligraphy and Painting Competition, which will be held early next month. The registration deadline is fast approaching, and I've heard from your club president that your enthusiasm for participating isn't very high. It's been over a month since we started collecting submissions, and only a handful have been handed in, and the quality is generally very poor—clearly just perfunctory work. This is outrageous!"
The middle-aged man slammed his hand heavily on the table, making a dull thud. The members of the calligraphy and painting club present couldn't help but tremble, their eyes filled with awe as they looked at him.
This was understandable. Most of the members of the calligraphy and painting club were students from the Art Department of Rongcheng University, and the man before them was Shen Tu Liang, the deputy director of the Art Department—their direct superior. Moreover, Shen Tu Liang was known for his petty nature; if someone dared to offend him and put a bad impression on him, they might face serious consequences at any time. In a corner of the room, a stunningly beautiful girl in a white t-shirt, light blue jeans, and a youthful ponytail seemed distracted. A hint of anxiety crossed her bright face, and her large, watery eyes kept glancing at the wall clock, making her appear quite distracted.
Shen Tu Liang continued:
"My purpose in coming here today is to urge everyone to complete their works as soon as possible. To truly showcase the strength of Rongcheng University, every member of the calligraphy and painting club must submit at least one piece for the competition. To ensure the quality of the entries, everyone will complete them here today. Whether it's calligraphy or painting, all works must be reviewed by me and confirmed to be of acceptable quality. You can leave whenever you're finished!"
Shen Tu Liang's words carried an undeniable air of authority. As soon as he finished speaking, the students couldn't help but murmur among themselves.
"No way! Isn't this forcing a duck onto a shelf?"
"Yeah! Artistic creation is all about inspiration. How can a bunch of people cooped up in a room possibly produce good work?"
"I had a movie date with my girlfriend tonight! I stood her up on our first date? I'll be kneeling on a keyboard when I get home!"
Seeing the students sighing and whispering, a handsome young man stood up and said loudly:
"Students! You all heard what Director Shen Tu said. I hope you all take it seriously. Every year, the calligraphy and painting competition is a battle between Rongcheng Normal University and our school. Last year, Rongcheng Normal University won the gold medal." "The department leaders are very angry and are taking this year's competition very seriously. We must turn things around in the competition and not let them down!"
At this moment, a petite girl with delicate features sitting next to the girl with the ponytail, her eyes shining, nudged the girl's shoulder and whispered:
"Su He! President Shen Tu is so handsome! He speaks with such a leadership style!"
Su He shook her head helplessly, somewhat unconvinced. This President Shen Tu Fan, relying on his uncle being the deputy director of the art department, became the president of the calligraphy and painting club. He was clearly just a young student, yet he spoke with the same old-fashioned air as his uncle, Shen Tu Liang. Su He really couldn't see anything handsome about him. Boys like Chen Yang were much more likable—genuine, sometimes a bit domineering, but very considerate, and always taking meticulous care of her.
"Fang Jing, please stop being so infatuated," Su He said helplessly, glancing at the girl beside her. Although Su He didn't think much of Shen Tu Fan, he was quite popular among the girls at Rong University. Tall, handsome, young, and wealthy, he also had an uncle who was the department head—all of which was enough to make many girls swoon.
Su He's roommate, Fang Jing, was one of them.
Initially, Su He couldn't resist Fang Jing's persistent pleading and was dragged into signing up for the calligraphy and painting club. Now, with this whole mess, Su He was a little annoyed.
A while ago, she had seen the notice posted by the calligraphy and painting club, asking everyone to submit their works for a calligraphy and painting competition. However, Su He was a law student, not a formally trained art student, and had only joined the club to accompany Fang Jing, who wanted to see handsome guys. Besides, such competitions were always voluntary, so Su He hadn't taken it seriously.
Yesterday, she received a last-minute notice that all members of the calligraphy and painting club would have a meeting this afternoon. Su He didn't think much of it and attended. Unexpectedly, Shen Tu Liang, the department head, actually came to the meeting and started assigning tasks. Thinking about having to go to work at the bar with Chen Yang that evening, and how he would inevitably have to make a wasted trip to the girls' dormitory to pick her up, Su He felt a surge of anxiety.
Fang Jing, however, didn't care at all about the assigned task. If she couldn't create a piece that Director Shen Tu was satisfied with, she'd just keep trying until she was satisfied. It was a good opportunity to spend more time with Senior Shen Tu—what a great thing!
While everyone was discussing it, Shen Tu Liang's imposing presence, along with Shen Tu Fan and his uncle's coordinated efforts, meant no one dared to raise any objections. Everyone found a place to rack their brains and prepare their artwork.
Shen Tu Fan glanced at a corner of the studio, saw Su He's bright and pretty face, and a hint of longing appeared in his eyes. He stood up, a graceful smile on his face, and walked towards Su He and Fang Jing.
Fang Jing excitedly grabbed Su He's arm, her eyes shining as she whispered, "Senior Shen Tu is here! Wow! His smile is so charming! Is he here to see us?"
Su He glanced at Shen Tu Fan, feeling a surge of annoyance. Even the smile on his face seemed irritating. Ever since Su He joined the calligraphy and painting club, Shen Tu Fan had frequently found various excuses to approach her, even using Fang Jing's infatuation with him to subtly inquire about Su He, which Su He found unbearable. If it weren't for Fang Jing's sake, Su He would have already left the club.
"Su He, Fang Jing!" Shen Tu Fan walked straight up to them and said, "Since you two aren't art majors, are you having any difficulties with your creative process? Do you need my help?"
Senior Shen Tu was actually offering to help her! Fang Jing was overjoyed, her eyes filled with fluttering red hearts. Just as she was about to reply, Su He spoke first:
"President, let's not trouble you. You have your own work to do too."
"It's no trouble at all!" Shen Tu Fan's face remained gentle with a smile. "My work is already finished. My uncle… oh! Director Shen Tu is very satisfied with my work. He said that based on past results, my piece has no problem winning an award; it's just a matter of whether I can compete for the gold medal!"
As he said this, although Shen Tu Fan tried his best to hide it, a hint of pride still showed.
"Wow! Senior, you're so amazing! You must give us some guidance!" This time, Fang Jing spoke up before Su He could even reply. Fang Jing had felt incredibly resentful when Su He had rejected Shen Tu Fan earlier. Despite her seemingly delicate appearance, Su He was quite opinionated. Although Fang Jing had already spoken, she shook her head slightly and said calmly, "I won't trouble you, President. Artistic creation requires inspiration, and outsiders can't help with that. I think I need some time alone to find inspiration. If President Shen Tu has time, perhaps you could guide Xiao Jing?"
Su He pointed to Fang Jing, then nodded slightly to Shen Tu Fan, stood up, and walked alone to another corner of the studio.
Shen Tu Fan felt a surge of anger, but he concealed it well. Turning around and seeing Fang Jing's expectant face, he forced a smile and said, "Fang Jing, think carefully about your creative ideas first. I'll take a look at your work once you have it!"
After saying that, Shen Tu Fan glanced at Su He's graceful back, couldn't help but swallow hard, and then walked straight back to his seat.
Su He frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and took out her phone to send a text message to Chen Yang. Su He didn't elaborate, only telling Chen Yang that she couldn't leave her calligraphy and painting club activity and her evening work schedule might be delayed.
Just as she placed her phone on the table, it vibrated again. Su He picked it up and saw it was Chen Yang calling back after seeing the text message. She quickly stood up, pressed the answer button, and walked towards the door. Shen Tu Liang, who was inspecting everyone's artwork inside, gave Su He an unfriendly look. Shen Tu Fan quickly interjected, "Uncle, Su He might have something urgent!"
Shen Tu Liang snorted coldly, remaining noncommittal.
"Chen Yang, I'm at the calligraphy and painting club!" Su He said softly.
"I wanted to ask when your activity will end? Do you need me to bring you some dinner?" Chen Yang asked with concern.
A shy, sweet feeling welled up in Su He's heart. Although they hadn't confessed their feelings, they both understood each other's emotions. Especially after being called out by Professor Yan in class yesterday, Chen Yang had become quite famous at Rong University. His amazing performance in class was secondary; what really mattered was that rumors about him and Su He had spread like wildfire, with several versions appearing overnight.
"Hmm, I don't know how long it will take here..." Su He hesitated for a moment, then briefly explained the situation to Chen Yang.
"Oh... I understand!" Chen Yang listened quietly for a few seconds, then hung up the phone.
Back in the studio, Su He was even more absent-minded, her mind filled with Chen Yang's image. Every second with Chen Yang was so joyful, but here it felt like torture.
After lost in thought for a while, Su He suddenly heard a loud engine roar outside. Looking out the window, she saw a flashy pink GTR sports car pull up in front of the building with a stylish drift.
To Su He's astonishment, Chen Yang opened the car door and stepped out with an air of nonchalance.