Washington State.

The plane was still circling over the city.

But Lin Rui had already developed a sense of absurdity and strangeness.

Stepping out of the airport, Lin Rui finally realized the source of the absurdity in his heart.

It is the style of this land and water.

This is the scenery that is still vivid in my mind.

It's not just a small area; everywhere you look, there are bizarre things!

There were no towering buildings as I had imagined, nor traffic jams caused by traffic lights.

It felt like stepping back hundreds of years, a bustling, antique scene.

Like the misty, rainy Jiangnan region, a paradise on earth, even the air becomes refreshingly intoxicating.

Being there gives one the illusion of being in another world.

At a glance, one can see people everywhere wearing feather fans and silk turbans, dressed in simple clothes and with hairpins.

Along the way, the car seemed out of place.

Along the way, there were more horse-drawn carriages, which Lin Rui had never experienced before.

A carriage slowly drove up and stopped beside the two of them.

The curtain was lifted, revealing a pale face.

Upon seeing this person, Chen Bin's expression turned serious: "Mr. Situ."

The newcomer coughed, covering his mouth, and slowly stepped down from the carriage: "The timing is perfect."

This was Lin Rui's first time getting up close to a carriage, and he looked around like a curious child.

He also tried to touch the horse's head. The horse was quite docile and seemed to be used to being petted by humans. It even tilted its head and rubbed against Lin Rui's palm as if enjoying it.

Looking at Lin Rui, Situ Changqing coughed slightly: "This boy is simple-minded, which is truly rare in this bustling society."

"Has Godfather arrived yet?"

Chen Bin was also looking at Lin Rui.

"No."

"I've been in Washington state for the past few days, taking care of some trivial matters."

"Knowing that you were coming today, I thought I'd come and pick you up."

"While you're at it, I'll also meet him."

A faint smile appeared on Situ Changqing's face.

"Did you have fun?"

Seeing Lin Rui approach, Situ Changqing smiled and said, "If you really like it, I'll have Chen Bin go to the horse farm later and pick out a Ferghana horse for you."

"Thank you, Uncle Situ."

Lin Rui's eyes immediately lit up.

"Don't thank me yet, there are conditions."

"Then I don't want it."

Situ Changqing was about to continue speaking when he didn't expect Lin Rui to refuse so decisively.

This made him ponder the next part for quite a while, but he just couldn't get it right.

He wasn't bothered by the thought of being tired; he simply waved his feather fan and asked, "Do I really have to refuse to have a meal with my uncle?"

"It's that simple?"

Faced with Lin Rui's question, Situ Changqing simply smiled and nodded.

Lin Rui, however, did not believe it.

Chen Bin had mentioned to him that the man in front of him was Li Donglai's top strategist.

He's the kind of expert who can calculate ten steps away the moment he lifts his leg.

To put it nicely, he is a wise man.

To put it bluntly, he's a complete schemer.

Of course, Lin Rui knew that Situ Changqing wouldn't scheme against him, so he simply nodded and said, "Okay."

After strolling around for about half an hour, the carriage stopped at a restaurant nestled against the mountain and beside the water.

Outside the restaurant, cars and people were coming and going.

As soon as I stepped off the carriage, the hotel staff expertly led it to the stable.

The exterior of the restaurant is decorated in a classic style.

But inside, it's a completely different world.

luxury!

luxury!

Lin Rui noticed that a business license was hanging on the wall near the reception desk, which clearly stated "Li's Group".

Is this restaurant owned by Li Donglai?

At the main gate.

A group of people gathered in twos and threes, pointing and commenting on a piece of Xuan paper hanging in front of them.

It looks like the first line of a couplet.

However, the content left Lin Rui somewhat confused.

[He Shengping dances with phoenix spirit amidst the bright moon and lanterns]

The signature was also added below.

He Zhongting.

Situ Changqing didn't seem to be in a hurry to enter, but stood aside with a carefree smile.

"He Zhongting is extremely talented, but unfortunately he is too obsessed with calligraphy and painting, and has gone astray."

"Of course, his brushstrokes are unique and worthy of a master calligrapher."

Many people turned away upon hearing this assessment.

Upon seeing that it was Situ Changqing, they all bowed and greeted him as "Master Situ".

If anyone else dared to comment on He Zhongting in public like that, they would definitely be subjected to verbal attacks.

But Situ Changqing had already made a name for himself in the literary world of Huazhou.

He is qualified to evaluate He Zhongting.

"Mr. Situ, what does this sentence mean?"

Some scholars asked curiously.

"This is a poem with repeated characters in a circular pattern."

Situ Changqing pointed to the calligraphy in front of him, waved his feather fan lightly, and spoke in a clear and melodious voice.

"He Shengping under the bright full moon"

The full moon and the bright lamp are imbued with spirit.

The bright lamp illuminates the spirit, and the phoenix dances.

The phoenix dances to celebrate peace and prosperity.

The scholars and writers present were taken aback at first, then gave a thumbs up.

"good!"

"What a beautiful poem!"

"With the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering approaching, Mr. He Zhongting's words are meant to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and to celebrate the world."

…

The intellectuals present took out their phones to take pictures and posted them on Weibo.

Soon, their little circle became lively.

Ignoring these people, Situ Changqing led Lin Rui and Chen Bin into the restaurant.

The No. 1 VIP Box.

The variety of dishes is undeniable.

Abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, fish maw, and specialty side dishes were quickly laid out on the table.

Lin Rui has always been open to all kinds of delicious food, so he immediately picked up his chopsticks.

Situ Changqing and Chen Bin, on the other hand, only took a small sip.

Chen Bin had already figured out Situ Changqing's intention in bringing the two of them to the restaurant, but he didn't point it out.

Slow down, slow down.

"Don't worry, no one's going to take it from you."

"Don't choke."

"Would you like to order a few more dishes?"

Situ Changqing looked at Lin Rui and found him more and more pleasing to the eye.

In his view, this young man was simple-minded and had a pure heart.

He even considered taking on apprentices.

But thinking of Lin Rui's talent, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh slightly.

Chen Bin glanced at Situ Changqing and guessed that the other party had developed a sense of appreciation for talent.

"I wonder what kind of extraordinary master could have trained such a virtuous and talented student."

Whether it was Situ Changqing or Chen Bin, they both had this thought when they looked at Lin Rui.

"Are you full?"

I'm full.

Lin Rui wiped his mouth; this meal was truly satisfying.

He secretly wondered if he should go back and write down a few more recipes for Li Mubai's kitchen.

I was just thinking about it.

Situ Changqing suddenly smiled and said, "Lin Rui, what do you think of that reduplicated poem at the door?"

how?

Not bad.

"Would you like to compose a poem?"

Seeing Situ Changqing's meaningful smile, Lin Rui was speechless.

So all that going through all that trouble was just to get him to write a poem?

You should have said so earlier.

"Pen…"

Just as Lin Rui was about to shout something, Chen Bin got up early and pushed over a movable wooden table not far away.

The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were placed on top.

He glanced at the smiling Situ Changqing.

Then he glanced at Chen Bin, who was waiting patiently for a good quote.

Lin Rui couldn't help but make a side-by-side comparison.

The two creatures in front of me, one big and one small, are foxes, the kind that are not very likable.

With a flourish of his brush, Lin Rui left a line of elegant, flowing regular script characters on the spread-out Xuan paper.

—Returning from flower viewing, the horse flew swiftly; the effects of the wine wore off slightly as dusk fell.

Upon seeing these words, Situ Changqing's smile deepened.

Clapping gently.

Soon, two waiters pushed open the door and came in.

“Remove He Zhongting’s poem and replace it with this one.”

“Send someone to tell him that if he is not satisfied, he can try again according to the rules.”

"Of course, we have to ask him for the money we owe for the drinks."