Marrying My Bestie's Ferocious Brother - He Calls Me His Baby!-Chapter 283 - 282: Who Dares Touch My People? The National Studies Titan Issues a Public Warning, Shocking the Entire Audience!
Chen Jingyuan’s loud voice echoed throughout the main hall.
"Today, I, Chen Jingyuan, have found a soulmate!"
The words fell.
The room was silent.
A moment ago, the young scholar with a disdainful look suddenly became pale.
The teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a crash, shattering to pieces.
Yet he seemed unaware.
The elderly gentleman next to him gave him a push.
"Zhou Ping! Wasn’t it you who said he was just showing off?"
The young scholar called Zhou Ping jolted as if he had been scalded and sprang up from his chair.
He completely dared not look at Mr. Chen, only bowing deeply toward Lin Wan Yi.
A standard ninety-degree bow.
"Ms. Lin!"
His voice trembled, with a sobbing tone.
"I... I apologize for my ignorance and prejudice just now!"
"It was my fault!"
"I only saw the sheep’s weakness, but failed to see the gavel in your painting representing rules and order!"
"You painted not animals, but an ideal country!"
"It was my shallowness! I’m utterly clueless!"
He berated himself publicly.
This scene stunned everyone present.
Zhou Ping, who usually relied on his family background and held himself in high esteem in the circle, had never behaved like this!
Lin Wan Yi hadn’t spoken yet.
Gu Yanshen had already stood up, blocking in front of her.
He said nothing, merely standing like a mountain.
Zhou Ping bowed even lower, his head almost touching the ground.
Chen Jingyuan glanced at Gu Yanshen, said nothing, and instead laughed heartily.
He walked down from the main seat and personally helped Zhou Ping up.
"To acknowledge one’s mistakes and amend them is the greatest virtue."
"Sit down, today, we all should learn from Ms. Lin."
He turned around, facing everyone.
He pointed at the painting "Animal City."
"You said just now that rabbits are inherently timid and can’t be sentinels."
Mr. Chen’s voice dropped.
"But you forget that even the most timid creature can muster infinite courage when there’s a home to protect behind it!"
"You said that foxes are sly, only stealing chickens and going rogue."
"But you also forget that cunning and calculation, when used in building a home, become great wisdom!"
"We scholars, who have read sage books all our lives, are blinded by sectarian biases and prejudices!"
Mr. Chen slapped the table heavily.
"Ms. Lin’s painting represents character, and moreover, perspective!"
"She paints heroes, not questioning their origins!"
This set the entire hall into an uproar.
"Yes! Mr. Chen is right! It was my narrow-mindedness!"
"The sheep in the painting doesn’t represent weakness, but the warmth and justice of the law, impartial and unbiased!"
"And those bulky-looking black bears are the most reliable builders! This is about making the best use of everyone’s talents!"
"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"
The old scholars who were previously criticizing the painting now blushed one after another.
They scrambled to express their "insights," as if being late by one second would make them seem incompetent.
Lin Wan Yi stood quietly there.
Watching this group of cultural elites from Long Country argue passionately over her painting.
The posture of Gu Yanshen in front of her slightly relaxed.
Chen Jingyuan raised his hand and gently pressed it down.
The noisy main hall quieted down again.
Everyone looked at him.
Mr. Chen looked at Lin Wan Yi, his expression solemn.
"Ms. Lin."
"After today, ’Yiyi Painting Workshop’ will be a place of fond acquaintances for me, Chen Jingyuan, a venue for elegance."
His voice was soft, yet every word carried heavy weight.
"I want to see who dares to use mundane dirty tricks to touch it!"
He glanced around the room.
"Anyone who touches it shows no respect for me, Chen Jingyuan!"
"Is an enemy to all my acquaintances and disciples here!"
The entire room went silent.
That sentence was too weighty.
Heavy enough to crush any schemer in Beijing.
This was an amulet.
Given by Chen Jingyuan and the whole cultural circle of Long Country to Lin Wan Yi and "Yiyi Painting Workshop".
The salon ended when it was already late.
The guests slowly dispersed, each nodding politely to Lin Wan Yi as they passed by, no longer showing their earlier scrutiny.
Mr. Chen, however, kept Lin Wan Yi and Gu Yanshen behind.
He motioned for the middle-aged butler to present a heavy camphorwood box.
"Young friend Lin, it’s our first meeting, I have nothing good to give."
Mr. Chen opened the box.
Inside were not gold, silver, or jade artifacts, but sets of thread-bound ancient books wrapped in blue cloth.
"These are annotated editions of ’Classic of Mountains and Seas’ that I collected when I was young, solitary copies."
"I boldly made some of my own annotations on them. Take them home, browse them casually to relieve boredom."
Gu Yanshen stepped forward, solemnly accepting the box.
"Thank you, Mr. Chen."
"I should be the one thanking you." Mr. Chen looked at Lin Wan Yi, "Your words today have enlightened this old man."
On the way home.
The black car drove steadily.
Lin Wan Yi leaned against the seatback, watching the night scenery swiftly recede outside the window.
Everything that happened today felt like a dream.
"That Zhou Ping who stood up to apologize first just now."
Gu Yanshen suddenly spoke, his voice calm and unwavering.
"His father is Vice Minister Zhou of the Cultural Ministry."
Lin Wan Yi turned her head.
Gu Yanshen was also looking at her.
The dim light inside the car made his facial features appear particularly defined.
His meaning was clear.
Today, she not only conquered a group of old scholars.
Just then.
"Screech"
An ear-piercing emergency brake.
The car suddenly stopped by the roadside.
A figure rushed out of the darkness at the roadside, arms outstretched, desperately blocking the car’s path.
It was Gu Lan.
The driver broke into a cold sweat and poked his head out to yell.
Gu Yanshen had already pushed open the car door.
"Lanlan?"
Gu Lan clung to Gu Yanshen’s arm like grasping a lifeline.
She ran too fast, her hair disheveled, out of breath.
Her face was pale as a sheet.
"Brother! Sister-in-law!"
Seeing Lin Wan Yi in the car, her voice trembled uncontrollably.
"There’s... there’s big trouble!"
"Someone... someone went to the military district’s Commission for Discipline Inspection!"
Gu Lan panted, almost crying.
"They made a real-name accusation against our ’painting workshop’!"
"Saying you... saying you exploit paintings for profit!"
"Engaging in capitalist restoration!"
Gu Lan’s cries cut through the West Mountain night like a knife.
Lin Wan Yi’s heart sank heavily.
Gu Yanshen’s hand paused in mid-air as he pushed the car door, the surrounding pressure dropping to freezing point.
"Get in the car and talk." He pulled Gu Lan, who was barely able to stand, into the car.
The door closed with a thud, shutting out the exterior.
Inside the car, Gu Lan’s sobs were intermittent.
"Brother, sister-in-law... it’s over..."
"Someone wrote an anonymous letter and sent it directly to the military district’s Commission for Discipline Inspection!"
She pulled out a sweat-soaked note from her pocket, with words she copied from memory.
"The letter says... says sister-in-law’s ’painting workshop’ is typical of capitalist means!"
"Says sister-in-law uses paintings as a stepping stone, corrupting leaders and winning over hearts!"
Gu Lan’s voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Also says... bartering goods is tantamount to profiteering! It’s a poisonous weed digging at our roots!"
"Demanding... demanding the military district must thoroughly investigate! Give everyone an explanation!"
