Proud Goddess Falls in Love with Me
Chapter 56 - 56 56 Master Lu_1

56: Chapter 56 Master Lu_1 56: Chapter 56 Master Lu_1 People brought in two tables, spread out rice paper, and placed brushes on them.

Gu Hongzhuang walked up to Lu Chuan, took a deep breath, and said, “This is pointless, let’s go.”

Lu Chuan smiled and said, “Sister Hong, trust me this once, just be prepared to become my fan.”

Gu Hongzhuang couldn’t help but laugh, her mood lightening somewhat, “I admit, I thought too highly of Wei Ziqian’s character, but his ability is undeniable, and what you are doing will only invite ridicule.”

Lu Chuan was earnest, “Even if it’s just to get you some payback, I won’t leave.”

Gu Hongzhuang’s gaze flickered as she stared at Lu Chuan for a long while before falling silent.

At that moment, Zhang Yuan came over and said with a sneer, “Kid, since you’ve agreed to compete with my master, we should bet on something; otherwise, the contest is meaningless.”

Lu Chuan nodded, “What do you want to bet on?”

Zhang Yuan said, “If you lose, you’ll kneel and bark like a dog in front of everyone!”

“Fine, if I win, just have your master give me his ID number,” Lu Chuan replied.

Zhang Yuan was puzzled, “Why do you want his ID number?”

Lu Chuan said indifferently, “That’s none of your concern.”

Zhang Yuan thought for a while, then said, “Fine, but you surely won’t win, so you’d better think about how to bark like a dog!”

Lu Chuan pursed his lips and walked over to one of the tables.

Wei Ziqian confidently looked at Lu Chuan and asked, “Kid, what do you want to write?”

Lu Chuan replied, “I’ll just write ‘Continuous Self-improvement’.”

Wei Ziqian burst into laughter, “I admire your courage, but courage alone makes a man nothing but a foolhardy youth!”

In recent times, his understanding of calligraphy had deepened, and now, having to write ‘Continuous Self-improvement’ again, he would only do it better!

Lu Chuan was unfazed and picked up the brush.

People all had looks of mockery.

“Pretentious, for all we know he could be some master!”

“Master Wei’s ‘Continuous Self-improvement’ has become a signature in the calligraphy field; he’s really overconfident!”

“This is good, having a contrast allows us to appreciate the profoundness in Master Wei’s work even more.”

…

Gu Hongzhuang sighed, “Is he just being impetuous, or does he truly have confidence in his own skills?”

“I’ve faced so much criticism over the years; what’s a little more humiliation to me?

Yet he takes this so seriously, such a foolish boy.”

Zhang Yuan shouted, “Ladies and gentlemen, please quiet down, the contest begins now!”

Immediately, everyone shut their mouths.

Wei Ziqian picked up his brush, looked disdainfully at Lu Chuan, and began to create.

His strokes were grand and powerful, controlled with extreme precision, which made everyone nod in approval.

“Master Wei is indeed Master Wei, the mere act of putting brush to paper is enough to show the work is of high quality.”

Lu Chuan also began to write.

His movements were fluid, his entire being emanating an aura that reached for the skies, as though the process of writing had itself become a part of the art; onlookers were enraptured.

Everyone wore expressions of shock; the entire hall was silent as a tomb, afraid that even the slightest noise might disrupt Lu Chuan’s creation.

Gu Hongzhuang’s gaze shifted from dejection to surprise, then from surprise to disbelief.

She watched Lu Chuan intently, her lips slightly moving, but in the end, she did not dare say a word to interrupt his creation.

Soon, both were finished with their works.

Wei Ziqian looked at his own piece with satisfaction, “The level of this piece has certainly increased from the last; it seems I, Wei Ziqian, will be acclaimed in the world of calligraphy once again.”

He glanced up and saw everyone held their breath, proudly thinking to himself, “They must be stunned by my new piece.”

That’s when Lu Chuan put down his brush.

It was as if everyone had been deprived of oxygen, breathing heavily.

Their gazes towards Lu Chuan had undergone a complete transformation, filled with excitement, shame, regret, and a spontaneously rising respect.

Wei Ziqian, without even glancing at Lu Chuan’s work, said proudly, “Ladies and gentlemen, make your choice.”

Zhang Yuan, pale-faced, approached and said, “Master…”

Wei Ziqian raised his hand, “Don’t speak, let me enjoy everyone’s admiration.”

The crowd instantly gathered around Lu Chuan’s table, reverently.

“Master, you are the true master indeed!”

“We were truly blind not to recognize you, Master, please don’t take it to heart!”

“I thought I had seen all of the top calligraphy in the world until I saw the Master’s work, and only then did I realize how myopic I was!”

…

Wei Ziqian’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he tugged at Zhang Yuan, asking, “What what what do they mean by this?”

Zhang Yuan, recalling Lu Chuan’s stunning writing process, said helplessly, “Master, you should see it for yourself.”

Wei Ziqian frowned, “No matter how I look at it, there’s no way this kid’s skill can surpass mine!”

He looked at the crowd and said coldly, “Gentlemen, what’s so good about the lousy characters he wrote?

My piece has surpassed my previous level, won’t you come and admire it?”

People made way for him.

A man said laughing, “Mr.

Wei, I’m afraid you’ve lost this contest, you should take a look at the Master’s work.”

Wei Ziqian’s eyes narrowed, the word ‘Mr.’ feeling like a thorn in his side.

He walked to Lu Chuan’s table and looked down at the piece on it.

When his gaze fell on the first character, he was completely stunned.

A vigorous and spirited atmosphere rushed towards him, engulfing him in a mood of high spirits and determination.

Seeing this calligraphy, he felt the true unyielding will, the momentum of not succumbing to despair, continuously self-improvement.

“How…

how is this possible!

There really exists such powerful and moving calligraphy in the world!”

Wei Ziqian staggered, nearly falling to the ground.

A look of dejection appeared on his face.

Lu Chuan’s characters had beaten him thoroughly, leaving him no strength to refute.

“I’ve lost…”

Wei Ziqian hung his head, all his earlier smugness gone.

Lu Chuan revealed a smile, “You’re too kind.”

Wei Ziqian abruptly raised his head, looking at Lu Chuan displeased, and said, “I admit your skill is indeed above mine, and at your age, to have achieved so much in calligraphy, you truly deserve the title of a prodigy.

But the words you used to slander me, to insult my reputation, these are not the acts of a true master.

You must apologize to me!”

Zhang Yuan chimed in, “That’s right, you must apologize!”

Many people nodded along; character was also an important criterion for judging a person.

Lu Chuan’s calligraphy skills were exceptionally high, but if he were to insult others at will, he wouldn’t deserve to be respected as a master.

Lu Chuan smiled and said, “Don’t be hasty.”

“According to the bet we made just now, you should tell me your national ID number.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Wei Ziqian.

Under pressure, Wei Ziqian had no choice but to tell Lu Chuan his national ID number.

“Just a national ID number, what’s giving it to him going to do?

Nowadays, you have to register your ID everywhere anyway.”

He glared at Lu Chuan and exclaimed, “I’ve fulfilled the bet, now it’s your turn to apologize to me!”

Lu Chuan ignored him and walked over to Gu Hongzhuang.

Gu Hongzhuang looked at Lu Chuan, flustered, “Lu Chuan, I’m sorry, I underestimated you, I didn’t expect…”

Lu Chuan cut her off, smiling, “Save your praises for later.

Sister Hong, let your people help me check Wei Ziqian’s hotel check-in records.”

He passed Wei Ziqian’s national ID number over to her.

Gu Hongzhuang was taken aback, “Why check this?”

Lu Chuan said, “To expose the true face of Wei Ziqian, this hypocrite.”

Gu Hongzhuang, filled with doubt, still did as Lu Chuan requested and had someone check Wei Ziqian’s check-in records.

With her connections, such a thing was a piece of cake.

Soon, Gu Hongzhuang received the check-in records.

Her beautiful eyes widened in shock at the content.

“He actually checked into a hotel with five different women within a month…”

Lu Chuan, smiling, took her phone and went to the art gallery’s office to find someone to help print the check-in records.

“What’s that kid up to?” Wei Ziqian frowned deeply.

Zhang Yuan said, “Who cares what he’s doing, as long as he doesn’t apologize today, this matter is not over!”

Lu Chuan came back, holding the printed check-in records, and distributed them to everyone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, these are the so-called Master Wei’s check-in records, take a look and you’ll know whether I should apologize to him.”

The crowd accepted them in surprise.

Someone exclaimed, “My God, Zhang Dandan, Song Miao, Liu Fanghua, I know them, they’re all Wei Ziqian’s fans, and Wei Ziqian…

he has checked into hotels with all of them!”

“Master Lu is right, Wei Ziqian really is such a person, to think I used to idolize him, he truly is the disgrace of the calligraphy world!”

Wei Ziqian’s face changed drastically, glaring at Lu Chuan in rage, “You bastard, how dare you check my check-in records!

This is an invasion of my privacy, this is illegal!”

He hurried to snatch the printouts from everyone’s hands.

After seeing the true face of Wei Ziqian, the crowd was outraged.

“You old lecher, you’re afraid of being investigated for your own misdeeds, yet you have the audacity to demand an apology from Master Lu, do you think you deserve it!”

“No wonder this old man always likes to interact with female fans, it turns out this was his intention, he’s really corrupting the morals of the calligraphy world!”

“Pretentious and hypocritical to the extreme, get out of the calligraphy world!”

“Get out of the calligraphy world!”

…

The crowd chased Wei Ziqian out of the art gallery and threw his works out as well.

Someone contacted the press, and once this story got out, Wei Ziqian’s works would be worthless.

The crowd returned to Lu Chuan.

“Master Lu, although you are still young, your skill, your character, you truly deserve the title of a master!”

“Exactly, compared to that old lecher Wei Ziqian, Master Lu is miles ahead!”

…

I do like hearing you tell the truth…

Lu Chuan couldn’t help but feel vain with a smile on his face.

Gu Hongzhuang came over, and seeing what her once idolized figure had become, she felt relieved.

She hooked her lips upward and said to Lu Chuan, “Thank you.”

Lu Chuan laughed heartily, “So, do you want to become my fan?”

Gu Hongzhuang’s gaze fell on the calligraphy, and she said with a smile, “If you give me this piece…”

At that moment, a middle-aged man in a suit and with tears in his eyes stepped forward, “Master Lu, your four characters have cleared the confusion in my heart, may I buy them?

I offer ten million!”