Shen Rong will get married on the sixth day of next month. The third day is the old lady's birthday, so the dowry can be sent along with the birthday celebration.

But she hadn't decided what to give the old lady for her birthday yet.

Shen Wan sat down and drank tea while thinking.

Thinking of something, Shen Wan quickly put down her teacup, got up, and went to her study.

Xie Jingyan was sitting there reading a book when he saw Shen Wan come in. He raised an eyebrow. He thought she wouldn't come unless he sent a maid to invite her. She was quite obedient.

Xie Jingyan's lips curled up slightly as Shen Wan stepped forward, saying with a hint of flattery, "Can you do me a favor?"

Xie Jingyan, "..."

I was too happy too soon.

Xie Jingyan shifted his gaze from the military treatise to Shen Wan's face. "What do you need my help with?"

Shen Wan said, "Your handwriting is beautiful, can you write a character for me?"

Xie Jingyan put down the book. "What words?"

Shen Wan then said, "Madam's birthday is approaching, and I'm preparing to write a painting of a hundred longevity characters. Could you help me write the largest 'longevity' character in the middle?"

She had originally planned to embroider a "Hundred Longevity Characters" picture with gold thread, but now that the original was ruined and there wasn't enough time, she decided to write a "Hundred Longevity Characters" picture instead. This would not only save her money and effort, but also leave the people in the Marquis's mansion with no grounds for complaint. It couldn't be that the one embroidered with gold thread was considered sincere, while the one she and Xie Jingyan wrote was considered insincere.

Shen Wan looked at Xie Jingyan with anticipation.

How could Xie Jingyan refuse such a small matter? She had just praised his handwriting. He said, "It is only right that we prepare birthday gifts together for the old lady's birthday."

Does this mean they've agreed?

Shen Wan was overjoyed, but fearing that Xie Jingyan might change his mind, she quickly prepared paper and pen.

Xie Jingyan picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and with a flourish, wrote the character "寿" (longevity) in the very center, its powerful momentum overwhelming.

Looking at the calligraphy, Shen Wan felt that her idea wasn't very good; Xie Jingyan's calligraphy should be very valuable...

Once the ink had dried, Shen Wan took the paper, went back inside, and wrote ninety-nine different "longevity" characters.

Shen Wan spread the paper on the table. Looking at Xie Jingyan's handwriting, Yinshuang and Haitang praised it highly.

Shen Wan also thought the birthday gift was so wonderfully prepared that she almost didn't want to give it to the old lady.

After admiring the calligraphy for a while, Shen Wan picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and began writing the character "寿" (longevity) based on the previous "Hundred Longevity Characters" painting. However, after writing only eighteen characters, her hand wobbled when she wrote the nineteenth, and she didn't write the left-falling stroke properly. She quickly tried to fix it, but the more she tried, the uglier it became.

Shen Wan's heart was bleeding.

It's one thing if her own writing is ruined, but there's another one she begged for.

Silver Frost also asked, "What should we do?"

What else could we do but ask Xie Jingyan for help again?

Shen Wan steeled herself and walked to the study door, but hesitated to go in.

Xie Jingyan noticed and, curious about what was making Shen Wan linger, said, "Come in."

Shen Wan hid the paper behind her back before going inside.

Xie Jingyan looked at her. "Did you need something from me?"

"Yes, there's something I need to do..."

Xie Jingyan asked, "What is it?"

Shen Wan was so embarrassed that her voice became hoarse, "I ruined the Hundred Longevity Scroll, could you write another one for me?"

Xie Jingyan, "..."

He thought it was something difficult, but it's just this?

Something flashed in Xie Jingyan's eyes as if he had thought of something, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "I can write it for you again, but can you guarantee that it won't be ruined this time?"

She didn't want to write something that was scrapped, she was very careful, but it still turned out to be scrapped.

From what I heard, he meant he would give her another chance; if she still failed, he wouldn't help her write it anymore.

Shen Wan said decisively, "I will be careful this time."

If all else fails, she can simply choose a different birthday gift.

Xie Jingyan saw through Shen Wan's thoughts and said, "I'll teach you how to write."

Shen Wan, “…???”

Should I teach her to write?

It's not like she can't write.

Shen Wan asked curiously, "How are you going to teach me to write?"

Xie Jingyan didn't say anything, only said, "Come here."

Shen Wan walked over as if possessed. Xie Jingyan gave her his seat. Shen Wan laid out the paper, picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and was about to hand it to Xie Jingyan when suddenly her hand was grabbed. She didn't know when Xie Jingyan had stood up and was standing right behind her, so close that he was almost touching her back.

As she got too close, Shen Wan's ears burned, and she quickly said, "Your leg..."

Xie Jingyan braced his left hand on the desk, "I can manage to write just a few words."

"But--"

Don't get distracted.

How could she not be distracted in this position? His breath was all on her neck, tickling and tingling.

Shen Wan steadied herself and let Xie Jingyan hold her hand as he wrote on the paper. After writing the largest character for "longevity," they switched to a different brush and continued.

After writing ten "longevity" characters in one go, Xie Jingyan could no longer stand and sat in his wheelchair, saying, "If you can write ten at a time, and twice a day, come find me then."

It was already incredibly embarrassing the first time, and now I have to go through nine more times...

Why did she choose to prepare the Hundred Longevity Scroll with him? It was something that could have been done by spending a little money. Shen Wan regretted it so much. Could she say she wouldn't write it and could choose a different birthday gift?

Unfortunately, Shen Wan had the will but not the courage. She didn't even dare to look back at Xie Jingyan and walked away.

Shen Wan was determined not to contact Xie Jingyan and let the matter of jointly writing the Hundred Longevity Paintings fall through. Shen Wan had a good plan, but usually, apart from occasionally asking her to accompany him to stroll in the garden or spend most of his time reading in the study, she had to stay in the study with him. Although she didn't have to do anything most of the time, Xie Jingyan would often think of this matter while reading.

Four days passed, and only ten more "longevity" characters remained to be written.

Thankfully, there are only ten left...

Xie Jingyan urged Shen Wan to write the first ninety "longevity" characters, but Shen Wan was the one who couldn't wait to write the last ten.

The next day, after breakfast, Xie Jingyan saw that the weather was nice and asked Shen Wan to push him to the garden for a walk. Shen Wan said, "The old lady's birthday is in a few days. The mounting will take time. Why don't we finish writing the last ten 'longevity' characters first, and then I'll push you to the garden?"

Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan with a smile, "So eager?"

Shen Wan pushed the wheelchair directly to the study, tidied the desk, placed the "Hundred Longevity" painting on it, and then ground the ink, completing the task in one go.

After she finished her work, there was someone behind her. Even though it had happened many times before, Shen Wan was still not used to it. Fortunately, this was the last time.

Once you've written the last ten "寿" characters, you're all done.

Xie Jingyan held her hand and wrote with great strokes. Shen Wan didn't exert any force. In Shen Wan's opinion, it was no different from Xie Jingyan writing by himself. It just sounded better if the two of them wrote it together.

After writing the last character for "longevity," Shen Wan breathed a long sigh of relief, finally feeling that she was done.

Xie Jingyan couldn't stand up and sat in his wheelchair. Shen Wan rolled up the Hundred Longevity Painting, but when she turned around, she didn't notice Xie Jingyan behind her. She tripped and accidentally sat directly in his lap.

It was awkward enough to sit on someone's lap, but what was even more awkward was that the back of her head bumped into their nose.

Xie Jingyan gasped in pain, "You can't be so ungrateful."