Before the quiz even started, Tianyun was already feeling a little flustered. Her fingernails unconsciously dug crescent-shaped marks into her palms. After all, she hadn't touched a paintbrush for several years, and this quiz was so difficult!
Several eunuchs filed in and pushed open all the carved windows, instantly brightening the room and dispelling the original gloom, ensuring that every corner could clearly see upwards.
Then a square wooden table was carried and placed at the front of the classroom. On the table was a slightly wrinkled tablecloth with vertical blue longevity patterns, and on top of the tablecloth was a vase with raised string patterns around its body. Several roses were inserted in the vase, blooming at different times, one of which was still just a small bud.
Unsurprisingly, this is today's test question.
Before the questions were set, Tianyun, who was feeling extremely anxious and tormented, let out a long sigh of relief. The gloom between his brows disappeared, and he had only one feeling in his heart.
That's it?
Although it was somewhat complicated, it wasn't as difficult as climbing to heaven; the girl at the table in front of me was probably exaggerating.
Just then, Xie Wuyun in the front seat turned her back, her face showing a look of wanting to cry but having no tears, her eyes filled with shocking panic, as if she was silently saying to Tianyun: I told you, how is the difficulty of this test any different from climbing to the sky?
Tianyun was somewhat amused and exasperated. Suddenly, he recalled the fear he felt in real life when he was dominated by a bunch of transparent glass objects in a sketching class, and he felt a sense of empathy for the experience.
The distribution of Xuan paper has begun. The instructor stands with his hands behind his back and loudly warns: "The paper for this quiz will be the same to prevent anyone from cheating or impersonating another. The quiz will end when the bell rings three times. You must stop writing and not move again. During this time, you must not look around, whisper, or move around at will, otherwise your performance will be considered invalid."
After he finished speaking, the entire classroom fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and an atmosphere of solemnity and authority filled the air.
However, this did not affect Tianyun. She took out the homemade charcoal pencil that she had prepared in advance, checked the proportions of the paper and the composition, and began to outline and draw details.
Only after finishing the drawing did I realize that only half of the sand in the hourglass had flowed away.
Since we have plenty of time, why not paint another portrait of the boy?
The day I drew it—
Xiao Ziwu stood by the wall, his feet covered with withered leaves. His thin white outfit was slightly tight around his neck, revealing his tall and well-proportioned figure. His large, well-defined hands held a long sword, and his thin lips were pressed together as he looked up at her with cold, clear eyes.
Tianyun quickly laid out the lines while recalling them. Fortunately, she had a good memory and could remember most of the details.
She seemed to be immersed in her own world, and only when she finally finished drawing did she realize that the atmosphere in the classroom had become tense.
Tianyun looked over there.
Mu Yaozhi, accompanied by a group of noble ladies, walked aggressively to Yu Shanlai's side, her arrogance undisguised.
"What good is coming back from so far away to take the test? I'm determined to get first place this time. If you know what's good for you, you shouldn't have come back to humiliate yourself."
However, Yu Shanlai deftly deflected her words, not responding to her response, and said with a soft smile, "It's good that Miss Mu is confident, but perhaps it's a bit premature, considering that everyone here has excellent painting skills."
She didn't mention herself, but instead praised everyone in the crowd, subtly portraying Mu Yaozhi as arrogant and making her the target of everyone's criticism. What excellent rhetoric!
What Mu Yaozhi disliked most was her hypocritical demeanor. The contempt in her tone was almost tangible, like a sharp blade piercing Yu Shanlai's most vulnerable spot.
"Some people are far too presumptuous, thinking that by doing a few insignificant things for His Highness they can covet positions that don't belong to them?"
Yu Shanlai clenched her hands, as if her secret thoughts had been exposed. She was flustered and didn't even realize that her nails were digging into her flesh.
"I...I never did these things...to ask Your Highness for anything!"
Mu Yaozhi played with the newly painted patterns on her nails, ignoring her helplessness, and leaned down to glance at her painting, saying, "Since Mr. Liu Wu passed away, you have made even less progress. You dare to submit such a messy color scheme so carelessly. If Mr. Liu Wu knew in the afterlife, he would probably be so angry that he would come back to life."
Yu Shanlai was furious. That vile woman!
On the surface, she appeared even more frail and helpless, her voice trembling as she said, "Miss Mu is right. It is Shan Lai's lack of skill that has disgraced my master's reputation. Miss Mu may humiliate me however you wish, but please do not humiliate my master like this, lest he not find peace even in the afterlife!"
The onlookers were clearly moved by the sobbing in her voice and began to whisper amongst themselves.
"Mu Yaozhi's words are a bit too much."
"They even bring up dead people to talk about; they're really something."
People tend to empathize more with the weaker party.
Upon hearing this, Tianyun knew that Yu Shanlai had a slight advantage in this battle.
As expected, Xiao Ziyan appeared.
He took Yu Shanlai's hand, who was still crying, and tenderly wiped away her tears. He then turned and looked at Mu Yaozhi with disapproval.
“Sister Yao, what you said was too hurtful. You should apologize to Shanlai.”
Perhaps it was his male chauvinism at work, but in front of everyone, he showed favoritism to Yu Shanlai, who was in a vulnerable position and had tears in her eyes.
Mu Yaozhi was already heartbroken by their intimate behavior this morning, which is why she lost her temper and went directly to Yu Shanlai to provoke him.
Now, his face was filled with disbelief. He pointed at himself and then at Yu Shanlai, his voice breaking: "You, make me, apologize to her?"
Seeing that she was being aggressive and now seemed aggrieved, Xiao Ziyan sighed and gently comforted her, saying, "You really shouldn't have brought up Mr. Liu Wu. Apologize, and we'll let it go."
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