There was no more fighting on the second floor, but people who had previously dispersed gradually gathered again. Despite the crowd, it wasn’t noisy—in fact, it was quieter than before. Some people were just passing by, glanced over, and then stopped.

Most people sat at their tables, eating their meals, but occasionally called over shop assistants. Instead of ordering food or wine, they asked: “How’s it progressing?”

The shop assistant enthusiastically replied: “Fifty moves now.”

“Only fifty moves? That’s too slow,” a customer stroked his beard and shook his head. “It seems their chess skills aren’t very good.”

The shop assistant smiled: “It’s the fifty moves of the third game.”

The customer was surprised: “So fast?” But he still shook his head, “Still shows their chess skills aren’t much.”

A customer nearby was more forgiving and said with a smile: “One is seventeen or eighteen, the other only thirteen or fourteen. How good could their chess skills be?”

It was good enough that the two were competing to determine a winner.

He asked the shop assistant: “Who’s doing better?”

The shop assistant excitedly held up three fingers: “Miss Chu won all three games.”

…

…

Chu Zhao looked at Chu Ke across from her and impatiently asked: “Do you want to continue playing?”

Across from her, Chu Ke was practically pressed against the chessboard. Two young men beside him were giving him advice in low voices, but what difference did that make? Chu Zhao’s victory was already certain; no amount of guidance could save the situation.

Chu Ke raised his hand and threw the chess piece onto the board, then lifted his head with a livid expression.

When had this damned girl learned to play chess? Wasn’t she supposed to know nothing? She had been hiding her abilities all along.

“There’s nothing special about knowing how to play chess worth hiding,” Chu Zhao collected the chess pieces and said indifferently. “It’s just a pastime.”

Seeing her irritating manner, Chu Ke slammed his fist on the table several times: “Let’s compare calligraphy! Chess is just a leisure activity. I’ve spent my time studying.”

Girls might play chess to pass their idle time, but scholars didn’t have that kind of time. Being slightly inferior in chess skills was understandable.

Chu Zhao smiled: “Fine by me. I don’t need to rely on studying for my livelihood, so calligraphy is also just a pastime for me.”

Liang Qiang laughed from the side: “Then let’s see your skills.”

Other young people also chimed in. After the chess match, everyone looked at Chu Zhao differently. Although Chu Ke’s chess skills were indeed terrible, this girl did have some ability; she wasn’t just someone who could only hit people, curse, and be fierce and crude.

Seeing the changed looks in the eyes of the young men who had previously only flattered him, Chu Ke pounded the table more angrily: “Hurry up and clear the table!”

The young men laughed as they moved the chessboard away and set out the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones that the shop had already sent over. Chu Zhao didn’t say much, just sat properly, adjusted her sleeves, picked up the brush, and began to write.

Seeing the girl’s serene expression, the young men stopped their joking and grew even quieter than during the chess match.

…

…

“It’s so quiet,” Qi Leyun said, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at the corridor pillar across from her. Though the seats there were full, she couldn’t hear the Third Young Master Xie’s laughter or conversation.

The Third Young Master Xie was truly a quiet person.

She couldn’t help but glance down, her expression somewhat annoyed.

“Why is it so quiet over at Chu Zhao’s side, too? Has she left?”

Although the girls no longer cared about that side, their maids were still gathering information, ready to report Chu Zhao’s humiliation at any moment to make their young mistresses happy.

However, that hadn’t happened yet.

One maid said: “She hasn’t left. Chu Zhao is now comparing calligraphy with Young Master Chu Ke.”

Qi Leyun and the other girls all turned to look at the maid, their expressions surprised and amused.

“What calligraphy skills could Chu Zhao possibly have? It would be good enough if she could write characters correctly.”

“Didn’t we make her write characters before? Remember how ridiculous her writing was?”

“Although Chu Ke is just average, how could she possibly compare to him?”

“If it were Chu Tang competing with Chu Ke, that would make more sense.”

But someone thought of something else and called a maid to ask: “Weren’t they playing chess earlier? Who won?”

That’s right, there was that too. The girls also fixed their gaze on the question.

The maid timidly held up three fingers: “Three games, Miss Chu won them all.”

The girls exclaimed in surprise.

“Is Chu Ke’s chess that bad?”

“How embarrassing.”

“Chu Ke has always been mediocre. In the Chu family, only Chu Tang is the most accomplished.”

“He’s brought complete shame to the Chu family, losing to Chu Zhao.”

“Wait, aren’t they both from the Chu family?”

The girls started chattering excitedly. Qi Leyun withdrew half her attention from the corridor pillar where Third Young Master Xie was and instructed her maid, “Go keep an eye on them and see what kind of mess Chu Zhao writes.”

…

…

More people gathered around, and it wasn’t as quiet as before. With some maids squeezing through, who didn’t understand much, constantly asking others, “How is the writing?”

Others watched the girl sitting properly and writing, nodding: “Her small, regular script is acceptable. She has studied diligently.”

Just acceptable? The maids breathed a sigh of relief. They stood on tiptoe to see Chu Zhao finish one sheet and set it aside. The characters on it were neat and graceful, but indeed nothing extraordinary, similar to what their young mistresses wrote.

“Oh!” someone nearby suddenly exclaimed. “She’s switched to another style.”

Others noticed too and couldn’t help pressing forward. The people in front were unhappy about being squeezed: “Don’t push!” “You’re stepping on my foot!”

The scene became slightly chaotic.

Chu Ke couldn’t help but look up, only then realizing how many people had gathered. Looking across at Chu Zhao, she had already finished one sheet and was concentrating on writing the second one—

Calligraphy wasn’t about who wrote faster!

Chu Ke inwardly cursed and gripped his brush, increasing his speed. More discussions reached his ears, and all he heard were references to “this girl, this girl.”

“This girl’s running script shows quite a foundation.”

“This girl is young, but her brush technique is vigorous. She has put in effort.”

“Oh! This girl has changed styles again—it’s cursive script!”

…

…

“I don’t believe it! What cursive script could she possibly know?” Qi Leyun stood up abruptly, glanced at the corridor pillar—the pillar wouldn’t run away temporarily—and withdrew the remaining half of her attention, pushing her maid aside. “I’m going to take a look!”

The girls who had been holding back their curiosity also got up one after another. The group clattered down the stairs, their pearl and jade ornaments and brocade clothes immediately becoming a spectacle.

More gazes turned toward them, then followed them to the second floor.

Deng Yi shook his wine pot, which was already empty. He raised his hand to call a shop assistant. The shop assistants were all watching the second floor, pointing and whispering. Deng Yi called twice before a shop assistant came over.

“Another pot of wine,” he said, pointing to the empty seat across from him. “The bill is on this person.”

…

…

After finishing four sheets of paper, Chu Zhao looked at Chu Ke, who was still writing furiously, and reminded him: “Brother, calligraphy isn’t about who writes more.”

Chu Ke looked up. Somehow his hair had become disheveled again, and with his bruised face, he looked even more miserable.

He looked around, and the gazes finally fell on him.

“Brother Ke,” one of his companions pointed somewhat awkwardly at his paper. “You wrote this character wrong.”

That was because he finished the stroke too quickly. Chu Ke angrily slapped his brush on the table and reached out: “Let me see!”

Chu Zhao’s completed works were no longer on the table but were being passed around and viewed by the people around them.

Only his six or seven scattered sheets remained on the table. The onlookers had no interest in picking them up to look, merely bending down to glance—

This was too much of a humiliation!

Liang Qiang wasn’t so cruel. He snatched a sheet from someone else’s hands and passed it to Chu Ke: “Look, your sister can write cursive script just like you.”

Chu Ke stared at the paper that was almost slapped in his face, with its bold and elegant characters that made his eyes hurt.

The damned girl hadn’t made a single mistake.