For the first time, Zhan Lingfeng realized how despicable he could be!
Gu Nanyan was right; he added her on WeChat to berate her, to vent his anger on her.
He thought she was cunning, insidious, and deceitful, causing trouble in the Zhan family.
He thought she was a bad woman.
As the heir of the top aristocratic family, Zhan Lingfeng carried an innate pride and arrogance. He looked down on others and was lavished with admiration. He unconsciously felt that women were there to attach themselves to him, and he considered Gu Nanyan a bad person.
But today, Gu Nanyan's words woke him up.
He was wrong, completely wrong.
He had never even met Gu Nanyan or understood her, so why did he hastily judge her as vile?
He didn't understand what had happened and didn't know what was going on in his family, so why did he conclude that Gu Nanyan was stirring up trouble?
In all his life, Zhan Lingfeng had never been scolded like this, nor had any woman called him a scumbag.
But Zhan Lingfeng felt that Gu Nanyan was right to scold him.
She was correct; he was indeed despicable.
Zhan Lingfeng gripped his phone and typed an apology word by word: "I'm sorry."
When Gu Nanyan saw Zhan Lingfeng's apology, she raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
He actually apologized, so there was still hope for him.
As the Elder Princess of Great Qi, Gu Nanyan knew well the art of managing people. For those who acknowledged their mistakes, she had to give praise.
So Gu Nanyan replied: "One is not esteemed for being flawless, but for their ability to correct their flaws. You've done well, better than I expected."
Zhan Lingfeng was looking down, reflecting on whether he had been too arrogant.
Then he saw Gu Nanyan's reply.
Zhan Lingfeng couldn't help but smile.
The corners of his lips curved up, his smile like the radiance of March, bright and noble, illuminating his whole being.
Zhan Yi happened to walk in and was stunned to see his master smiling so brilliantly.
It seemed like a very, very long time since he had seen his master smile so openly.
Zhan Yi couldn't help but ask, "Master Zhan, did Jia He reply to you?"
Zhan Lingfeng knew Zhan Yi had misunderstood, but he didn't explain. Instead, he went along with Zhan Yi's assumption and nodded, "She replied."
"Wow!"
Zhan Yi was delighted, wanting to ask what Jia He said. He also wanted to add Jia He on WeChat, but he refrained out of respect for Zhan Lingfeng.
Thinking about how his master had smiled so happily because of Jia He's reply...
Zhan Yi couldn't help but say, "It would be great if Jia He were your wife."
She sings so well and can make Master Zhan so happy. She would surely be a perfect match for Master Zhan, much better than that Gu Nanyan.
"Don't talk nonsense. I just like Jia He's songs; I'm her fan."
Zhan Lingfeng told Zhan Yi not to say such things carelessly, lest it affect Jia He's reputation. He simply enjoyed Jia He's songs and appreciated her talent; it had nothing to do with romance. Moreover, he had never even seen Jia He's face and didn't know what she looked like.
She could be a child or an elderly person.
It would be disrespectful to Jia He to assume romantic implications when he knew nothing about her.
When Gu Nanyan replied to Zhan Lingfeng's WeChat message, Zhan Yiran was watching nearby.
Previously, Zhan Yiran had always felt that in this marriage, Elder Sister-in-law was the weaker party and should try to make Elder Brother like her.
But after seeing the WeChat exchange between Gu Nanyan and Elder Brother Zhan Lingfeng, Zhan Yiran was utterly convinced.
Elder Sister-in-law was truly formidable!
She could make Elder Brother apologize and submit to her.
Zhan Yiran wanted to give her a thumbs up.
At this moment, she finally believed that it wasn't Elder Brother choosing Elder Sister-in-law, but Elder Sister-in-law choosing Elder Brother.
If Elder Brother didn't make an effort, Elder Sister-in-law might really not want him.
As a good younger sister, Zhan Yiran felt she should do something to remind Elder Brother.
So she turned around and secretly sent Zhan Lingfeng a WeChat message:
"Elder Brother, you should show yourself off more, let Elder Sister-in-law see your good qualities. Don't you have a six-pack? Lift up your shirt and let Elder Sister-in-law see. Expose your arms and legs more often."
Zhan Lingfeng was looking at some documents when he saw this message from his younger sister.
He frowned in displeasure.
What kind of younger sister was this? This couldn't be allowed!
Zhan Lingfeng furrowed his brow and replied, "I heard you dropped out of school again. What new mischief are you up to?"
Zhan Yiran was most afraid of Elder Brother asking about her studies. She had always struggled with academics and been scolded by Elder Brother frequently, so whenever he asked about her studies, she became fearful, a conditioned response.
Zhan Yiran hurriedly shrank her neck and turned off her phone.
In her heart, she thought Elder Brother was being unreasonable. She was just trying to give him a helpful reminder, but not only did he not appreciate it, he also brought up her shortcomings.
Hmph, let Elder Sister-in-law abandon him and see how he cries!
Although she cursed Elder Brother in her heart, Zhan Yiran did become anxious.
She really should take action; she still wanted to get into the Capital Academy of Fine Arts, so she couldn't keep neglecting her studies like this.
Zhan Yiran urgently sought out Gu Nanyan, "Elder Sister-in-law, I want to study Chinese painting. Can you teach me?"
Gu Nanyan nodded, "I can teach you painting, but you should also hire a professional tutor."
Gu Nanyan understood the principle of specialization. Although she could paint, it didn't mean she could teach others.
Moreover, this era was different from Great Qi, and there were established processes for getting into art schools. Gu Nanyan didn't understand these, so it was best to find a professional tutor for comprehensive guidance.
Zhan Yiran knew this reasoning. "Don't worry, Elder Sister-in-law, I'll hire a professional tutor. But I hope you can provide some pointers if I have any questions."
After getting Gu Nanyan's affirmative reply, Zhan Yiran got to work.
Every day, she studied Chinese painting with her tutor. She had some basic drawing skills, as children from such prominent families were exposed to various art forms from a young age, though not at a professional level, just an introduction.
Zhan Yiran had done some sketching but was new to Chinese painting, so she felt somewhat awkward when painting.
She felt so disheartened.
Carrying her painting of a wild duck, she went to find Gu Nanyan, "Elder Sister-in-law, look at the duck I painted. Doesn't it look ugly? I've painted several, but they're always missing something."
Gu Nanyan was eating fruit.
In this era, material conditions were far better than in Great Qi. Even as the Elder Princess of Great Qi, there were many fruits she had never seen before.
Durian, pineapple, dragon fruit... all unheard of.
And the fruits now tasted even better.
As Zhan Yiran approached, Gu Nanyan pushed the fruit platter aside. She was very restrained in her eating habits; no matter how novel or delightful the food, she would never overindulge.
This self-discipline was ingrained in her very being.
Gu Nanyan took Zhan Yiran's painting and placed it on the table. She carefully pointed out the areas that needed improvement and picked up a writing brush, adding a few strokes to the original painting.
What had previously looked like a drab, almost bald duck suddenly came alive and appeared adorable, its two little webbed feet paddling playfully in the water.
Zhan Yiran's eyes lit up as she watched, too excited to speak.
How cute!
She had no idea that Chinese ink painting could capture such endearing charm.
Zhan Yiran cradled the painting, unable to let it go.
She would record all of this, using it as motivation to spur herself on. One day, she too would become as masterful as her elder sister-in-law.
