For the first time in her life, Gu Huaixiu felt like her eyes had been gouged out by a hawk.

She had misjudged. She had thought Zhang Tingyu was a gentle, refined young man, but who could have guessed he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

Would he even have the heart to strike a woman?

Gu Huaixiu wanted to argue, but upon seeing the ruler in his hand, she reluctantly swallowed her pride. She muttered under her breath, “Is hitting women supposed to be a talent?” while straightening her posture and standing tall again.

“Begin your stroke.”

Zhang Tingyu glanced at her, seemingly satisfied, and gave the command.

Gu Huaixiu felt so aggrieved that she wished she could draw a big turtle on Zhang Tingyu’s face. She raised her hand to grab the brush—

Smack!

There was another sharp sound.

Gu Huaixiu instinctively withdrew her hand, tears welling up as pain radiated across her right hand’s reddened surface. She could no longer hold back and glared angrily at Zhang Tingyu, “Why do you keep hitting me!?”

Zhang Tingyu, expression unchanged, calmly replied, “You don’t grab a brush; you hold it properly.”

“…” Gu Huaixiu was on the verge of breaking down. Clenching her right hand tightly within her sleeve, she rubbed it incessantly, trying to ease the pain.

Off to the side, Qingdai was slack-jawed. She had never witnessed such a scene. After all, which tutor at the Gu family had ever dared to lay a hand on their pampered young lady? By the time Zhang Tingyu had struck the first blow, Qingdai had been utterly frozen with fear.

It was only now that she regained her senses. She quickly stepped forward, shouting, “Second Young Master—”

“This is not a place for you to speak. Leave.” Zhang Tingyu didn’t even glance at her, his instruction directed towards Qingdai but his eyes still studying Gu Huaixiu. It was as if he was waiting for her next move.

Gu Huaixiu’s lips pressed together, and her gaze grew colder. She felt a relentless frustration welling inside her as she stared at Zhang Tingyu. She had never encountered such a man. She thought of reporting him to his father, Zhang Ying, but the conversation they’d had at the teahouse surfaced in her mind.

Doubt crept in, and Gu Huaixiu glanced at Qingdai, who was shrinking away as she left the room. She suspected Qingdai might betray her. Turning her gaze back to Zhang Tingyu, her eyes sharpened slightly. “Teacher, that day outside the teahouse, did you really not overhear anything?”

“No, I did not.”

Zhang Tingyu shook his head, but after a moment, he added, “For the third time, Miss, you ask the same thing. Surely you didn’t say anything inappropriate in the teahouse?”

Gu Huaixiu gritted her teeth. She thought to herself, This man is dangerous, calculating, and not a weak-willed opponent.

Surely he had overheard something, but now Gu Huaixiu wasn’t about to fall into his trap. His question was a clear snare, baiting her into revealing more. Admitting anything now would only provide evidence against herself. She was stuck; she couldn’t advance or retreat. What could she say?

Zhang Tingyu was one cunning adversary.

She mulled over her words, preparing to explain herself, but Zhang Tingyu, having already seen through her hesitation, didn’t let her speak more. “Begin your stroke.”

“…”

Her words caught in her throat. Before Gu Huaixiu could even respond, Zhang Tingyu had already shifted the conversation. It took her several moments to catch up.

Frozen in place momentarily, she finally snapped out of it when Zhang Tingyu repeated the command once more.

Not only was this man calculating, but his moods were unpredictable!

Only moments ago, he had set a trap for her, yet now he had turned the conversation completely. Already wary of his sharp intellect, Gu Huaixiu found him even more difficult to understand.

She didn’t dare to hesitate any longer. Fearful of being struck again, she carefully adjusted the sleeve on her right arm and lifted her brush.

Every movement was made with extreme caution. As she held the brush, she cast a wary glance at Zhang Tingyu out of the corner of her eye, though she couldn’t decipher his expression. At least, he wasn’t preparing to strike again—

Smack!

“When beginning your stroke, look straight ahead. Shifting your gaze and gawking around shows a lack of sincerity.” Zhang Tingyu delicately rubbed the smooth surface of the ruler in his hands, his lips barely curving upwards in a way that was almost indiscernible, making him even more difficult to read.

Gu Huaixiu’s eyes were swimming with tears, overwhelmed with grievance.

No matter how fast she recoiled, she couldn’t outmaneuver Zhang Tingyu’s ruler.

From childhood to adulthood, she had never suffered such injustice. Flower-like words could coax her whole family around her little finger, and even Gu Yaofang rarely got the upper hand in their exchanges. Yet today, she found herself scolded and punished by such a taciturn and cold tutor. Worse, no matter how sweet-talking she could be, none of it worked on him. She suspected Zhang Tingyu might even have dirt on her after overhearing some of her underhanded gossip. Now, she didn’t dare to fight back or snitch on him to his father.

Patience, she reminded herself, was the wisest course.

Taking a deep breath to calm her frustration, Gu Huaixiu kept silent and forced herself to pick up the brush again.

The rice paper had already been laid out before her, and never in her life had she written so painstakingly.

She had always hated calligraphy practice—holding brushes was uncomfortable; her nature was lazy, and she could often get away with slacking off. But today, she had been caught off guard and paid the price.

Gu Huaixiu had always been able to read, but writing was another matter. Her calligraphy? Well, let’s just call it unique.

The haphazard mess of her strokes reappeared on the rice paper.

Zhang Tingyu, ever diligent, had been watching her hand since she first lifted the brush.

The ruler in his hand moved occasionally, but upon seeing her trembling fingers, his brow furrowed.

Gu Huaixiu, sensing his growing displeasure from her peripheral vision, nearly dropped the brush from her trembling grip. Time passed, and yet, the expected ruler strike didn’t fall, and she finally let her guard down slightly.

Just then, Zhang Tingyu turned his gaze to Qingdai and instructed, “Go fetch a raw egg.”

Upon hearing this, both Gu Huaixiu and Qingdai turned pale. Gu Huaixiu opened her mouth to say “No!” but Zhang Tingyu’s calm, steady gaze immediately silenced her. Shutting her mouth awkwardly, she focused her eyes on the rice paper in front of her and secretly groaned, Heaven help me!

Writing while holding a raw egg—how many a scholar had shed blood and tears over such an exercise?

Behind every accomplished calligrapher, there were surely countless broken eggs.

Gu Huaixiu’s mouth tasted bitter, her heart felt bitter, and even her expression reflected nothing but bitterness.

She tried a different tack, hoping to endear herself to Zhang Tingyu: “Teacher, I heard my elder sister’s marriage to you has already been arranged.”

Zhang Tingyu set the ruler down on the desk and walked over to the table to pour himself a cup of tea. His tone was as mild as ever, “It seems you’re quite interested in these matters, Third Miss.”

Interested? Of course Gu Huaixiu was interested.

She had half a mind to say poor you, but, seeing that Zhang Tingyu seemed clueless about Gu Yaofang’s true nature, her schadenfreude surfaced anew. This unfortunate future brother-in-law of hers was really in for it; there was no telling when his doom would fall…

Gu Huaixiu’s expression subtly shifted. Glancing at the red marks on the back of her hand, her mind was already entertaining another thought.

If Gu Yaofang didn’t marry him, the relationship between the Zhang and Gu families might sour; but if she did… It would be even worse.

This “secret shame” was known to only a select few within the Gu household, herself included. Family scandals weren’t meant for the outside world.

If Zhang Tingyu genuinely married Gu Yaofang, who knew how long he’d end up wearing an ill-fitting green hat?

Despite these thoughts swirling in her mind, none of it showed on her face.

With an air of nonchalance, Gu Huaixiu said, “I was merely congratulating you, Teacher, on the upcoming happy occasion! As your little sister-in-law, surely there’ll be a big, generous red packet waiting for me! It’s your joy, but I’m happy, too.”

It was a statement of truth, yet also entirely meaningless.

“My elder sister is both talented and virtuous—skilled in each of the four arts—whether it’s chess, painting, or music, she is unparalleled. Even when the Crown Prince accompanied the Emperor on his southern tour two years ago, their praises for my father flowed, but, Teacher, I’m not sure if you’re aware? The talk of the town then wasn’t just my father’s brilliance, but my elder sister’s accomplished reputation. Many even compared her to Lady Cai Wenji herself.”

She spoke with an air of pride in her voice, making the comparison seem all the more legitimate.

At first, Zhang Tingyu didn’t think much of it, but upon closer examination, something felt off about her words. Reflecting on Gu Huaixiu, her innocent face gave no indication of any hidden agendas. She was the epitome of a simple-minded, stunningly beautiful woman—so, what hidden message could her words really hold?

Taking a slow sip of the fresh local tea from Anhui—a cup of Six Fortunes Green—Zhang Tingyu smiled faintly, “Indeed, there aren’t that many Cai Wenjis in the world.”

Gu Huaixiu’s brow arched slightly as she lowered her gaze, lips curving just a bit. “That’s because, Teacher, you’ve yet to meet my elder sister. Once you do, you’ll understand.”

Lady Cai, the daughter of Cai Yong, was an extraordinary talent, unmatched by most women throughout history. But Gu Huaixiu’s comparison of Gu Yaofang to Lady Cai wasn’t her own exaggeration; many had heaped such praise upon her sister. Although, this soon-to-be-husband of Gu Yaofang’s—Zhang Tingyu—casually dismissed it with, “There aren’t that many Cai Wenjis in the world.” Though it seemed like an off-hand remark, it carried a subtle meaning that only became more intriguing the more one thought about it.

Gu Huaixiu didn’t continue speaking, and neither did Zhang Tingyu.

Silently, they both waited. Before long, Qingdai returned, cradling a light brown egg in her hands.

Zhang Tingyu took the egg from her, his slender fingers turning it over twice. As he glanced sideways at Qingdai, she shrank in response, feeling as though he had seen right through her. She quickly lowered her head.

Watching the egg in his hand, Gu Huaixiu’s heart sank even further.

Sure enough, Zhang Tingyu carefully set it down on her desk and said, “It’s raw. Hold it while you write.”

It was raw. Hold it while you write?

With those few light words, this man was commanding her to grip a raw egg while practicing her calligraphy?

Gu Huaixiu’s beautiful face scrunched up in frustration. She struggled internally for several moments, all the while casting quick glances at the ruler lying on the table. Finally, she relented, placing the egg carefully in the palm of her right hand, picking up the brush in the other, and preparing herself to write.

Watching from the side, Qingdai broke out in a cold sweat, her eyes fixated on her mistress’s trembling wrist. She wished she could flee the room entirely.

That brief glance from Zhang Tingyu earlier had scared Qingdai so much she couldn’t even muster a subtle glance in exchange.

If the raw egg were to fall, it would shatter into a mess.

Gu Huaixiu had no time to worry about Qingdai’s expression at the moment. She was already too preoccupied with her own predicament.

Zhang Tingyu retrieved a pocket-sized Western watch from his robe, glanced at the time, and noted they had likely covered enough ground for their first session.

After about half an hour, he finally spoke. “That’s enough. You can stop.”

Gu Huaixiu felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly but carefully set the egg down, feeling as though the minutes and seconds had crawled by like years.

She exhaled deeply, her hands still trembling as she cradled the egg, utterly drained.

A barely detectable smile flickered in Zhang Tingyu’s eyes. Setting down his teacup, a sudden surge of benevolence prompted him to say, “That’s all for today, but I look forward to seeing continued diligence tomorrow. With such determination, you’re sure to succeed.”

Gu Huaixiu nearly choked in frustration. For a long while, she couldn’t think of anything to retort with, gripping the egg in her hand and imagining how satisfying it would be to hurl it at Zhang Tingyu’s head.

At the doorway, Zhang Tingyu paused and turned, as if suddenly remembering something. With a hint of goodwill, he said, “This egg was no doubt freshly boiled by the kitchen today. Heat it up at noon, and it’ll make a good snack. Third Miss, I take my leave.”

Raw egg… boiled egg?

Thinking back on her constant trepidation, terrified that the egg might slip from her hand and shatter, Gu Huaixiu nearly passed out from anger on the spot.

Qingdai, sounding timid and on the verge of tears, whispered, “Miss, I did ask the kitchen for a boiled egg, but when the Second Young Master looked at me like that, I just… I was too scared to say anything and forgot to tell you…”

Hearing this, Gu Huaixiu felt the world turning dark before her eyes.

Well, well, well! What a crafty Second Young Master you are! Serves you right that you’ll wear that green cap!