This actually seemed like a good solution.
But Zhan Yiran still felt unsatisfied. She felt that the real culprit was Le Xuanji, and saw no reason to let her off the hook.
Lawyer Bian noticed Zhan Yiran's thoughts and cautioned, "Lady Zhan, Master Le is highly influential in the art world, and Lord Zhan greatly admires Master Le's works. If you wish to continue pursuing this matter, I must report it to Lord Zhan and seek his opinion."
Upon hearing Lawyer Bian mention her elder brother Zhan Lingfeng, Zhan Yiran immediately became silent.
Although still a student, Zhan Yiran was born into the prestigious Zhan family and had been immersed in the ways of the aristocracy since childhood. She knew that among powerful families, the younger generation could bicker and quarrel, but causing public disputes that affected family relations was absolutely forbidden.
For instance, she could berate Le Xuanji online.
But taking legal action with a lawyer's letter crossed the line, involving the elders of her family, which required caution.
At the end of the day, this was a matter of her own inadequacy - she simply had fewer online fans than Le Xuanji.
Hmph, since her family couldn't intervene, she would take matters into her own hands.
Zhan Yiran huffed angrily and went to find Gu Nanyan.
Gu Nanyan was in the study, reading a book.
After being reborn in the modern world, although she retained the memories of her previous life, everything in this world was still vague, unfamiliar, and strange to Gu Nanyan.
So Gu Nanyan voraciously read books, absorbing advanced knowledge.
Everything in this era was different from the Great Qi dynasty.
There was over a thousand years of technological development, and the rise and fall of several dynasties.
Through books, Gu Nanyan was learning about this world.
Zhan Yiran entered the study and stood there for quite some time, but Gu Nanyan didn't notice her.
Finally, unable to wait any longer, Zhan Yiran seized the opportunity when Gu Nanyan turned a page and interjected, "Sister-in-law, I need your help with something."
"Knock first."
Without raising her eyes from the book, Gu Nanyan exuded an aura of cold aloofness that kept others at a distance, noble and unapproachable.
Zhan Yiran froze in place, blinking her eyes and digging her nails into her palms to regain her senses.
How strange. For a moment, Gu Nanyan didn't seem like her sister-in-law, but rather a monarch seated on high, with a chilling and oppressive aura that made Zhan Yiran's heart race with trepidation.
Zhan Yiran shook her head, thinking that she must have been rattled by Le Xuanji's behavior, causing her to hallucinate.
Nevertheless, Gu Nanyan was right - she should have knocked, as barging in like that was indeed rude.
"Sorry, sister-in-law, I'll knock next time for sure."
Only after hearing Zhan Yiran's apology did Gu Nanyan raise her head and look at her. "Speak, what is it?"
Zhan Yiran quickly recounted the matter with Le Xuanji, then made her request, "Sister-in-law, I want you to paint an amazing painting that will thoroughly put Le Xuanji in her place."
In the previous video, Gu Nanyan had never fully completed a painting to showcase her full abilities, only modifying existing paintings.
Zhan Yiran wanted Gu Nanyan to paint a complete work that would blind those critics and leave Le Xuanji with no room to talk back.
Instead of agreeing, Gu Nanyan shook her head and walked to the desk, handing Zhan Yiran an inkstick.
Zhan Yiran instinctively began grinding the ink.
She felt very aggrieved, not understanding why Gu Nanyan wouldn't help, but as she ground the ink for a while, she suddenly gained an insight.
She understood Gu Nanyan's intention now. "Sister-in-law, I understand!
You're having me grind the ink to train my patience, to prevent me from acting rashly and focusing on short-term gains and losses. Life is long, and as long as I persevere and work hard, one day I'll surpass Le Xuanji."
"No." Gu Nanyan shook her head. "I'm telling you to quit dillydallying and grind the ink quickly. I need to paint a large work to slap those people silly!"
Zhan Yiran: "..."
"Why are you spacing out? Lay out the paper." Gu Nanyan instructed.
She was no longer the Princess of Zhenguo of the Great Qi dynasty, so she didn't need to restrain herself, plan meticulously, or suppress her emotions.
She was now Gu Nanyan, without a younger brother to care for or the responsibility of the nation on her shoulders. She could do as she pleased.
Heaven had given her a second chance, and she intended to live it to the fullest, unrestrained and carefree - only then would she not disappoint Heaven's grace.
The white xuan paper was laid out, the ink ground, and the various paints arranged.
Zhan Yiran rubbed her hands excitedly, standing by and waiting for Gu Nanyan to begin painting.
However, Gu Nanyan turned to her with a puzzled look. "Aren't you going to record with your phone?"
Zhan Yiran froze.
Gu Nanyan calmly rolled up her sleeves, her tone casual. "You silly girl, you need to be thorough. If you only film the painting, how can you prove that I painted it? If you want to strike back and slap her face, you need to be unexpected and flawless, leaving your opponent no escape and forcing her to admit defeat!
When you act, you must not give your opponent any loopholes to exploit!
Go, prepare two phones. One to film my hands, make it dramatic to blind them from the start.
The other phone to film me painting the entire process, as a backup plan in case it's needed."
Zhan Yiran's eyes sparkled as she listened, excitedly screaming, "Sister-in-law, you're so amazing! How did you think of all this? I didn't consider any of it."
"Because you're naive," Gu Nanyan said, patting Zhan Yiran's head. "Your nature is pure, and your living environment is simple, so of course you wouldn't think so much."
But Gu Nanyan couldn't afford such luxury - beset by troubles from all sides, she had to live in constant vigilance.
From the age of thirteen, she was no longer a child. She had to care for her younger brother and support the entire dynasty with her immature body.
In such an environment, she had to think more, consider more - the slightest misstep would plunge her into an abyss from which there was no return.
With the paper laid out, Gu Nanyan began painting.
Zhan Yiran had previously watched Gu Nanyan paint the Thousand Li River Landscape near the end, missing the full process.
This time, she watched the entire thing from start to finish, utterly awestruck.
For the first time, she witnessed someone paint so beautifully, as if in a single unbroken stream, uninhibited and unrestrained, requiring no deliberation as the artwork flowed directly from her mind.
After an hour, the Fenghuang Nirvana was complete.
Zhan Yiran remained stunned for a long while, gazing dazedly at the resplendent crimson phoenix on the painting, as if witnessing a true phoenix's rebirth.
Too astonishing!
Zhan Yiran clutched her chest, breathing rapidly.
After a long while, she finally regained her senses, excitedly grabbed her phone, and rushed back to her room to edit the video.
Speeding up, adding music, editing... A one-hour video, sped up to play in 3 minutes.
Zhan Yiran transmitted the video to Douyin right away, but just as she was about to publish it, she suddenly thought of something. She hurried to find Gu Nanyan.
"Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law, what should I write? Should I say something like 'Come see my elder sister's painting?' Or 'Your elder sister has arrived, stunning your eyes?'
No, no, those aren't powerful enough."
Gu Nanyan took her phone, typed two words "joke" on the short video, and tagged Le Xuanji.
At first Zhan Yiran was puzzled, but then she instantly understood.
Once this video was published, Le Xuanji would become the laughingstock.
How dare she say that Sister-in-law's painting was bad? Hmph, this time she would make Le Xuanji's face swell up, completely turning her into a joke.
Hahaha, Sister-in-law is so powerful!
