Chapter 29: Every Stroke
Yan Ke's calligraphy room at school is not big, but it is decorated very elegantly.
There is a long mahogany desk, a celadon brush washer, and several landscape paintings with distant artistic conception hanging on the wall, with the unique scent of ink and rice paper floating in the air.
Dusk gradually deepens outside the window, and the cool autumn evening breeze blows the bamboo curtains.
Pei Heng sat behind the table, picked up his brush and dipped it in ink, and the tip of the brush fell on the snow-white rice paper, leaving an ink mark.
Shen Shi stood aside, holding the piece of fine pine soot ink in his hand, grinding it in circles on the inkstone.
The ink block rubs against the inkstone, making a subtle and even rustling sound. The ink spreads in the clear water, and its color is black and shiny.
Pei Heng wrote with great concentration, but his handwriting seemed a little unfamiliar. After writing two lines, he frowned and put down his pen in dissatisfaction.
Chen Shi watched him start to write, but his pen power was not honed over the years, and it was not as smooth and powerful as in his previous life.
Seeing Pei Heng put down his pen, Shen Shi asked gently, "How about taking a look at the calligraphy first?"
Pei Heng hummed, frowned as he flipped through the calligraphy copybook Yan Yan had given him, then raised his eyes to look at Shen Shi, "Can you write?"
He remembered that Shen Shi's calligraphy was very beautiful.
Shen Shi nodded, put down the ink block, took the brush, and added the two words "Pei Heng" after the two lines of poetry he had just written.
The ink spread across the paper.
The two characters were written in an elegant and handsome manner, with a strong sense of style. Upon closer inspection, they were surprisingly similar to Pei Heng's handwriting just now, but with a more restrained edge at the turning points, making it unique.
Pei Heng was a little surprised. "You write so well, why don't you participate in the competition?"
Shen Shi smiled when he heard this, put down his pen, squatted down beside Pei Heng's legs, and looked at him with his head slightly tilted up. "My calligraphy was taught by Ah Heng."
He held Pei Heng's fingers, which were still stained with ink, and gently stroked them with his fingertips, with an indescribable intimacy.
"I taught you every stroke for six months."
Pei Heng curled up his fingers and wrapped Chen Shi's fingers in his palm. Several images suddenly flashed through his mind.
He looked out the window, and the scenery changed from the campus walls and buildings to the quaint eaves.
Inside the window.
The noble little prince was surrounding his thin and frail little study partner, who was clearly half a year older than him, in front of the desk.
Pei Heng held Shen Shi's hand and led him to write stroke by stroke, muttering to himself, "Keep your wrist steady, pause here... Yes, that's it!"
After writing for a while, the little prince felt very tired.
He let go of her hand, took a plate of exquisite pastries in his own hand, sat on the small stool beside her, stuffed his cheeks, and gave unclear instructions.
"Write it yourself!"
Shen Shi pursed his lips, picked up the pen very seriously, and wrote two lines neatly on the paper.
The little prince leaned over to take a look, and the pastry crumbs in his mouth suddenly spat out. He was filled with shock and his tone was extremely exaggerated.
“Chen Shi!… You are so amazing!”
Shen Shi looked at his own handwriting, which was neat but far from beautiful, and then looked at the Crown Prince's handwriting, which was already beginning to show its style and was elegant and lively, and his face flushed slightly.
He always felt that His Highness was deliberately making fun of him.
Pei Heng, however, came over in a few steps, pointed at his calligraphy, and said seriously, "Look, look! Your handwriting is so... um... ugly, and yet the teacher always praises you for your knowledge, intelligence, and extraordinary talent."
"He must want you to practice calligraphy well so that you can pass the imperial examination and become a great civil servant!"
Shen Shi was stunned for a moment, then shook his head vigorously, put down his pen, picked up the clean silk handkerchief beside him, stood on tiptoe, and carefully wiped the pastry crumbs from the corner of the little prince's mouth.
His voice was childish, but his tone was serious. "Your Highness, I learned to read and write, and I wanted to pass the imperial examinations so that I could stand by your side and assist you."
The light and shadow flow, and the picture disappears in an instant.
Pei Heng came back to his senses and withdrew his gaze from the distance. The Shen Shi in front of him had gentle eyes and a faint smile.
Looking at the elegant handwriting on the rice paper again, Pei Heng had a sudden realization.
He is the one who is able to teach Shen Shi to this level.
Pei Heng put down the copybook and decided not to look at it anymore. He used his ink-soaked fingertips to lightly stroke Chen Shi's hair.
"Chen Shi, I'm tired of writing."
It was completely dark outside the window, with only the dim light from the street lamps downstairs remaining.
Shen Shi saw that there was indeed some fatigue between his brows, and felt distressed.
He let go of Pei Heng's hand, stood up, closed the book on the table and put it away, then walked behind Pei Heng and gently pressed on his temples.
"Let's take a break."
The pressure from the fingertips was soothing, and Pei Heng squinted his eyes comfortably, nodding seriously when he heard the words.
Even though it was only less than seven pages, it was still hard work for Xiao Pei.
There is a small tea-drinking area in the corner of the calligraphy room, with a comfortable single sofa.
Pei Heng lay lazily on the sofa.
As soon as he sat down, he saw Shen Shi squatting next to his legs out of habit. With a thought, he grabbed Shen Shi's wrist.
Chen Shi was caught off guard and was pulled forward, stumbling a step. His center of balance was unstable and he fell into his arms.
Pei Heng leaned back against the soft sofa, put his arms around Chen Shi's waist, pulled him into his arms, and closed his eyes again.
"Just stay like this." Pei Heng said, feeling a little sleepy. "No more talking."
Chen Shi's eyes curved with a smile that he couldn't hide. He sat more steadily, with his cheek resting on Pei Heng's neck.
The skin there was warm and he could feel the steady beating of his pulse. Shen Shi rubbed it lovingly and let out a satisfied hum.
Seeing that Pei Heng closed his eyes and did not object, Shen Shi became bolder. He raised his head slightly and planted soft kisses on the side of Pei Heng's neck.
At the same time, he did not stop pressing his fingers on Pei Heng's solar plexus, circling them with his fingertips, bringing a soothing tingling sensation.
Pei Heng felt extremely comfortable having his fur stroked. He felt lazy all over and didn't have the strength to push the person away. He even hugged the person tighter.
Chen Shi felt the tacit consent and gradually became no longer satisfied with lingering kisses on the side of the neck, and tentatively moved upwards.
Warm breaths intertwined, and the pervasive scent of ink seemed to be infected by the charming atmosphere, becoming ambiguous.
When they were about to kiss each other on the lips, the sound of two or three people talking was heard outside the door, followed by a knock on the door.
"Is this the place? Professor Yan's calligraphy room..."
"That's right, Brother Sun, it's right here."
Shen Shi's brows furrowed, and he looked out with his narrow black eyes, revealing a bit of coldness.
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