Chapter 4: Is Sun Wei good or bad?

  "Alas, I am thin and weak. In my youth, I suffered from poverty. My mother and brother raised me with kindness but without authority... Throughout my life, I have been mediocre. What can I do? I had ambitions but did not fulfill them. I was punished for my mistakes and reflected on them. My heart is filled with remorse. Perhaps in the future, I will be able to make up for it. Without fragrance or odor, I pick wild herbs on mountain paths. I scatter my hair on rocky cliffs. Forever I will sigh and sing long songs. Thus I cultivate my nature and nurture my life."

  In Zhou Heng's study, Shen Ao was reciting ancient poems word by word, with a piece of Shu paper under him. Shen Ao picked up his brush and dipped it in ink, but he didn't rush to write.

  Wu Saniu brought him pastries, while Chun'er gazed at Shen Ao with a pair of eyes, grinding her teeth as she recited poetry.

  "These days are spent comfortably, with red sleeves adding fragrance, haha, no wonder so many people in later generations fantasize about talented scholars and beautiful women, it turns out that being a talented scholar has so many benefits." Shen Ao felt extremely pleased in his heart, enjoying himself immensely.

  "Shen big brother, what poem are you reciting?" Chun'er's curious expression, her eyes always wide as if veiled with a layer of mist.

  "This is Ji Kang's poem of anxiety and indignation. The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, all abandoned the classics and esteemed Laozi and Zhuangzi, despised etiquette and law while upholding freedom and unrestraint. To portray such people, one must first understand their mindset, only then can one complete a piece with ease."

  Chun'er smiled and said: "Can Brother Shen really paint?"

  Shen Ao Hu said with a straight face: "If I couldn't paint, then there wouldn't be anyone in the world who could."

  Wu Sān ér muttered on the side: "You're good at talking big, I've known you for so long, but I haven't seen you paint yet."

  Actually, Wu Sanye was also worried about him. Haikou had already boasted that if he couldn't paint, Zhou Dashao would not let it go according to his meaning. Shen Ao didn't care about him, but suddenly got close to Chun'er, his nostrils slightly trembling, and actually went to smell Chun'er's body fragrance.

  "It's really delicious!"

  "Hey...... Brother Shen......" Chun'er muttered, unable to speak, her small face flushing bright red.

  Shen Ao smiled awkwardly: "I'm just drawing from life."

  "Drawing from life?" Chun'er thought Shen Ao was telling a pack of lies.

  "It's just that before painting, you need to understand the author's personality, and feel his character and brushwork. The person who painted this is called Sun Wei. Sun Wei is a bit...uninhibited, especially fond of beautiful women, haha, I'm also doing this to experience life and understand Sun Wei's preferences."

  Wu San'er on the side had already vomited blood: "Shen Da-ge, why don't you blush when telling lies."

  Shen Ao waved his hand: "San Er, go outside, I want to paint."

  "What does painting have to do with me?" Wu San'er said.

  Shen Ao threw down his brush: "Sun Wei does not like stinky men."

  "Is that so? Isn't Sun Wei himself a stinky man?" Wu San'er decided to fight to the end.

  "The more stinky a man is, the more he dislikes other stinky men. Same sex repels, opposite sex attracts. Do you understand? Get out, get out..."

  Wu San'er was at a loss and left the study in great frustration.

  "You're cheating me." Wu San'er left, Chun'er glared at Shen Ao, her lower lip almost bitten through.

  With an air of confidence and hands clasped behind his back, "Why would I deceive you? Simple imitations are full of flaws everywhere. But my imitation is different, it's about becoming Sun Wukong himself, switching roles and then using Sun Wukong's thoughts to comprehend the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest, and finally creating a masterpiece in one breath, this is the ultimate realm of imitation."

  "Alright, let you smell it one more time."

  Shen Ao threw down his brush, step by step urging: "Not enough, just smelling is not enough, it's best to hug. Sun Wei's paintings are all about embracing beauties. I want to use my heart to experience his feelings."

  Shen Ao shook his head with a mix of regret and annoyance: "A good girl like Chun'er, I wouldn't dare to defile her. Alas, this Sun Wei, his paintings are so good, but why is his character so poor? Forget it, I won't bother with him anymore."

  "But if I don't experience it myself, I won't be able to draw a good painting and can't give a satisfactory result to the young master, what a headache!"

  Chun'er hung her head low, unable to speak, and mustered up a lot of courage to say: "If this can make things right with Big Brother Shen, then Chun'er will let you hug her."

  Shen Ao said with a stern expression: "No, I would rather be beaten to death by Young Master than profane Miss Chun'er. Miss Chun'er is like a celestial being, and it's already an honor for me to catch a glimpse of her beauty and have a conversation with her. To go further and be intimate with her would truly be a crime punishable by death."

  Chun'er's tears were about to come out, and it turned out that she was so noble in Shen Ao's heart. But thinking again, if Shen Ao couldn't paint and provoked Young Master...

  Thinking of this, Chun'er's eyes turned red, and she trembled slightly as she leaned in close to Shen Ao, whispering softly: "Shen big brother, I...I..."

  "What's wrong with Chun'er?" Shen Ao picked up his pen again, looking very hesitant.

  Chun'er bit her lip, and her gentle body leaned in close, like a startled kitten clinging to Shen Ao's chest, her body still trembling with fear.

  "Wow, this isn't good." Shen Ao thought painfully and quickly cooperated with Chun Er, suddenly embracing her in his arms. The delicate body in his arms trembled all over, breathing rapidly at first, a bit awkward, but later completely merged with Shen Ao.

  "It smells even better." Shen Ao was intoxicated, taking a deep breath, feeling more and more pleased. He freed one hand to lift Chun'er's chin, lightly touching her cherry lips: "Haha, I've got inspiration."

  After hugging, Chun'er was already too shy to lift her head, and murmured: "Brother Shen, hurry up and paint."

  "Good." Shen Ao pinched his pen, as if he had suddenly become a different person. His wrist moved lightly and the tip of his pen danced on the snow-white Xuan paper, leaving a faint mark before quickly sketching out a lively drawing.

  Just now he was still in a casual manner, but at this moment he looked extremely serious, his wrist did not stop moving, his eyes were fixed on the pen tip as it moved, as if he had even forgotten to breathe.

  This earnestness made Xiang'er suddenly lose his spirit. He saw him fully focused, dipping in ink and continuously using the pen tip to outline the contours of Qi Xian on paper. His eyes shone brightly, concentrated and sharp. From time to time, his eyes sparkled with joy; from time to time, his eyebrows frowned in distress. Sometimes he held his hands, deep in thought, sometimes he unconsciously let out a bright laugh and continued to dot the ink.

  After half an hour, he let out a sigh of relief, put down his brush, and gently blew on the still-wet ink: "It's done." He shouted towards the outside of the study: "San'er, come in."

  Wu Saniu walked in and went over to Xiang'er to look at the painting. Indeed, a beautiful scroll appeared before their eyes. Xiang'er sincerely exclaimed: "Shen Gege's painting is really good."

  Wu Sān'ér furrowed her brow: "Shen Dàgē, this painting is slightly different from the one the county princess gave to Young Master."

  "Of course it's different, if it were exactly the same, that would be inferior. What I'm copying is not Sun Wei's painting, but the style of his painting - that kind of precise brushwork and elegant ink, majestic and free-spirited, with a high and refined tone, this is the ultimate realm of copying."

  Shen Ao picked up a pastry from the table and took a bite: "San Er, go call Young Master over, let him take a look."

  "Wu San'er grumbled: 'You call me in and then you tell me to go out.'"