After Being Blackened All Over the Internet, I Ruled the Military Variety Shows
Chapter 293: Itchy Heart, Learning Characters from Whom

Chapter 293: Chapter 293: Itchy Heart, Learning Characters from Whom

"The seven guests are currently in the studio learning to make brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Are the judges ready? If you’re ready, we will switch on the cameras."

As soon as Xu Qingmei sat down and turned her eyes to the side, preparing to greet them, she was interrupted by the staff, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face.

But before she could speak, Li Wanxuan, sitting in the middle, nodded with a smile, "Turn it on, let’s see how well these young ones are learning."

As the words fell, the huge LCD screen, originally turned off, lit up suddenly in front of the five people, splitting into four sections, corresponding to the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone areas.

"Do these kids know the judges are observing them now?"

The PD in charge here, seeing that the question came from Elder Shi, dared not delay for a moment and quickly shook his head in reply, "They don’t know. Elder Shi, in this episode of the ’Calligraphy and Painting Chapter,’ the state between the judges and guests in front of the camera is non-interference. The guests only need to demonstrate the inheritance of calligraphy and painting, and the judges only need to critique the guests’ performances."

"That’s good, much more authentic this way,"

"Elder Shi is right."

Shen Yunqing adjusted his glasses on his nose, his gaze sweeping across the four split screens, quickly spotting the figure working diligently with their back to the camera in the ink-making area. A smile unknowingly appeared on his lips.

After a while, he shifted his gaze to the paper-making area in the lower left corner and glanced at Shen Huchen, who was focused on making a fan.

Before entering this room, Xu Qingmei had planned to observe Jiang Lingxi’s performance on camera carefully.

But now, someone else has piqued her interest even more.

Picking up the tablet on the table in front of her, she seemed to watch the LCD screen like everyone else, but her attention and peripheral vision fell on the tablet in her hand.

Besides the guests’ information, the tablet also contained the judges’ profiles.

Having finished reading Shen Yunqing’s profile, Xu Qingmei became even more intrigued.

To think he actually works at a museum.

She has admired men from various professions but has never tried the scholar type.

Especially one with such outstanding looks and temperament beside her.

It’s really hard not to feel tempted!

Turning off the tablet, she looked again at Jing Huai, who was learning to make brushes from the master craftsman on the screen.

Although it was still the same face she had previously admired, the classical aura she liked still there, not to mention the addition of the traditional environment.

But now, no matter how she looked at it, there was something oddly bland about it.

Li Wanxuan sat on the other side of Xu Qingmei, and even without paying special attention, she could sense the little star’s distraction beside her.

Unable to hold back a cold snicker in her heart, she wished she could swap Mr. Shen with this big star.

Setting aside her dissatisfaction, after focusing attentively on the performances of the seven guests on screen, she touched the mic on her collar, "Su Yi, the girl painting ’Mian Sheng,’ it looks like the inkstone she’s trying to restore isn’t easy to fix, can she finish it today?"

The two judges sitting on her other side cooperated, speaking, "Compared to others, her task is indeed more difficult."

Li Wanxuan looked at the camera, "What if it’s not completed?"

The PD’s voice came from off-camera with a hint of regret, "Then it will simply be considered a task failure."

Xu Qingmei glanced at the girl sitting cross-legged on the ground, earnestly piecing together fragments without concern for her image,

while the other three screens showed two guests each, only this split-screen had just Su Yi.

She thought to herself: Overestimating oneself!

Yet on her face, there was a touch of regret, "I see other areas are nearly done; it’s really a pity for this Su Yi girl."

Just as everyone doubted Su Yi could complete the task, the final judging voice sounded, "Restoration is a skill honed with practice. The hardest part is the beginning; once you learn how to restore, it’s just a continuous repetition of that process. Why not hold on to some hope?"

Li Wanxuan immediately looked past Xu Qingmei at Shen Yunqing, realizing the truth in those words, she was about to speak.

"Mr. Shen is indeed someone who works at a museum. Speaking of restoration, we are novices, but you are an expert. So I’ll join Mr. Shen in hoping this Su Yi girl will surprise us in the end!"

Li Wanxuan couldn’t help but raise her hand to pinch her brow.

Although Xu Qingmei’s words conveyed similar thoughts to what she initially intended to say, after hearing it now, there was just something awkward about it.

Elder Shi had been keeping an eye on his wife’s side, and seeing her pinching her brow, he knew she was a bit impatient now.

Taking advantage of the fact that they were not on camera, he frowned and glared at Xu Qingmei.

Showing respect for the elderly, speaking first before a senior, is that how respect works?

Listening to the subtle flattery by his ear, Shen Yunqing didn’t turn his head in the slightest, staying focused on the screen, smoothly changing the subject, "Shen Huchen’s fan is done."

Prompted by his reminder, everyone shifted their attention back to the split screens.

"Looks like this young man is the fastest. Wait, why is he heading to the brush-making area?"

"Borrowed a brush, could it be he plans to write or paint on the fan?"

"And now he’s going to the ink-making area with the brush, indeed seems like that’s his plan."

*

Jiang Lingxi looked at Shen Huchen, who came in holding a fan in one hand and a brush in the other.

Her hands kept working on the ink block, yet she had the spare energy to chit-chat, "Your fan is done?"

The young boy wore a small, barely suppressed look of pride on his face, trying hard to be modest, he nodded, "It’s done, but I plan to write a few words on the fan to make it even more perfect."

Qian Yaya lifted her head in a weary manner and looked at the fan in Shen Huchen’s hand, her little face showing regret, "You were so fast, if I had known, if I had known, I would have picked this too!"

After saying this, she looked at her own ink block, her eyes filled with hope, she looked to the master helping Shen Huchen with the ink, "Master..."

Jiang Lingxi sitting right next to her took one glance and concluded, "Not yet."

"Huh?" Qian Yaya couldn’t help but wail, "I think it’s almost there."

After handing ink to Shen Huchen, the master walked over, looked at the ink blocks in front of the two of them, and shook his head, "Neither is ready."

Jiang Lingxi wasn’t surprised by this judgment; she knew she hadn’t reached the necessary skill level yet.

She switched hands and continued hammering.

Qian Yaya released the hammer and shook her arms vigorously, unwilling to give up, "Then how much longer do you think I need to hammer?"

"At least three thousand strokes." The master extended three fingers, paused, and continued ruthlessly, "Little Jiang is about a thousand strokes away, as for you, two thousand more."

Qian Yaya felt a wave of darkness slide over her vision, nearly planting her face into the ink block.

It amused the judges who were observing their performances.

After borrowing the brush and ink, Shen Huchen originally planned to return to the paper fan area to write, but considering there was a chatty Lu Sen over there once they got familiar, he hesitated and decided to drag a chair to stay in the ink-making area.

Finding a clean inkstone on the table, he dripped water to grind the ink, once prepared, he dipped his brush in the ink and briskly wrote some calligraphy on the fan.

Jiang Lingxi only casually glanced over, but upon seeing the large, still wet calligraphy on the gold-flecked fan, her eyes paused slightly.

"Who taught you this calligraphy?"

"My cousin taught me."

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