Chapter 158: The Gap

Tonight in Zhezhou was destined to be a night of full-flowing poetry and wine reflecting the moon. Yet, no matter how boisterous, lively, or filled with laughter the night might be, it seemed to have nothing to do with Chen Jianchen.

Though physically present at the banquet, his mind had long since flown away who knows where. When it was their turn for the Minghua Academy to take up the drinking game, Xiao Hanfeng simply stepped forward, mumbled a few faltering words, and suffered a defeat, resulting in a penalty of three cups of wine for each.

Among the student representatives from the twenty academies present, Minghua Academy was far from the only one unable to answer the drinking game; several others were eliminated in the very first round. In the end, just as anticipated beforehand, only the representatives from the Imperial Academy, Yuelu Academy, Kaitai Academy, Shuntian Academy, and Shiguduo Academy remained in the contest, pushing the competition to a white-hot and fierce intensity.

Yet what did this have to do with Chen Jianchen?

His attention was currently focused entirely on a plate of fried crabs before him, tackling them one by one, finishing each before moving on to the next.

"Bravo!"

The near-thunderous cheers erupting from time to time sounded thoroughly out of place to his ears. Having finally finished off the last crab, Chen Jianchen gave a satisfied burp, wiped his hands, and turned his head just in time to hear Zheng Shuliang loudly and triumphantly declare, "Thank you for conceding!"

Hearing those three words, Chen Jianchen knew immediately that the student representative of the Imperial Academy had had the last laugh.

This outcome came as no surprise at all.

Although the saying went that "since ancient times, great noble houses produce many prodigal sons," Zheng Shuliang's existence clearly demonstrated another truth: the rich and handsome could also be talented.

Xiao Hanfeng, by his side, had clearly been observing the performance of others all along. At this moment, he let out a melancholy sigh, full of desolation, and said, "Turns out there really is a gap between people; 'there are heavens beyond the heavens, and men beyond men'—this saying does not deceive me."

Chen Jianchen chuckled softly, "Hanfeng, you needn't belittle yourself so. We each have our own strengths. If they were to compete with you in painting erotic art, who could possibly surpass you?"

Unexpectedly, Xiao Hanfeng turned very serious. He picked up a pair of chopsticks, gripped each end with both hands, and said with resolute determination, "Senior Liuxian, tonight I, Xiao Hanfeng, swear to the heavens that from this day forth, I shall never draw erotic art again. I must apply myself diligently to my studies, for that is the proper path."

Well...

He exerted force with both hands, attempting to snap the chopsticks. To his surprise, the chopsticks were made of black gold sandalwood, which was exceptionally hard. He strained repeatedly yet failed to break them, turning his aged-looking face entirely red from holding his breath.

Seeing this, Chen Jianchen could not help but laugh inwardly.

With no other choice, Xiao Hanfeng handed the chopsticks over and said with a sheepish face, "Please, Senior, help me break the chopsticks to seal my vow." In his heart, however, he thought that since he himself could not snap them, Chen Jianchen surely wouldn't be able to either.

Chen Jianchen took the chopsticks, glanced at him with a half-smile, gripped both ends, and applied a slight force. With a sharp snap, the hard chopsticks broke clean in two.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Hanfeng was profoundly shocked and could not help casting a few extra glances at Chen Jianchen's hands. They were plainly fair and clean hands with slender fingers, the very hands used to hold a writing brush. How on earth did he possess such immense strength that he could snap the chopsticks with a single motion?

"Senior Liuxian, you...?"

Chen Jianchen calmly replied, "As you said yourself, there is a gap between people."

Hearing this, Xiao Hanfeng broke out in a cold sweat, speechless.

With the drinking game concluded and the moon hanging high in the center of the sky, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill. The banquet was dismissed, and they began their return to Kaitai Academy.

Back in the courtyard, Academic Inspector Gu specifically summoned Chen Jianchen and Xiao Hanfeng to his room for a lecture: "Your performance tonight was witnessed by me in full. Although your skills fell short of others and the gap was so vast, it still left me deeply disappointed."

Seeing that Chen Jianchen kept his lips tightly pressed together with no intention of chiming in, Xiao Hanfeng had no choice but to brace himself and say, "Reporting to the Inspector, reciting drinking game verses is not what we students excel at..."

Before he could finish, he was immediately interrupted by Academic Inspector Gu: "You needn't say any more. I understand. Coming from impoverished backgrounds, how many banquets could you have possibly experienced? It is no surprise that you lack practice in this regard. However, you need not lose heart. I have already inquired about the upcoming talent competition; it does not include drinking games. Instead, it is divided into three main parts: the first is 'Current-Style Essays,' the second is 'Poetry and Verses,' and the third is 'Calligraphy.' These three components all represent foundational skills, and precisely because they are foundational, one's true caliber is revealed. Therefore, you still have a certain chance."

Having said this, he cast a glance at Chen Jianchen, sighing inwardly. While exchanging toasts at Moon-Plucking Tower earlier that evening, the organizers of Kaitai Academy had announced the examination content for the talent competition and its relevant rules. Upon hearing them, a glimmer of hope had spontaneously risen in Gu's heart. As long as the subjects were not overly obscure and esoteric, Chen Jianchen and Xiao Hanfeng would not lose too miserably and could at least preserve a shred of dignity.

As for Chen Jianchen, Gu knew that his poem "Dusk" was indeed a fine piece, fitting the time and setting, and more importantly, it was said to have been composed on the spot. From a single spot one may judge the leopard; this showed that Chen Jianchen possessed genuine poetic talent.

Aside from poetic talent, Gu also knew that Chen Jianchen ran a calligraphy shop named "Liaozhai" in Jiangzhou, where he wrote and sold his own works. Naturally, his attainments in calligraphy could not be too poor.

Having poetic talent and mastery in calligraphy meant he possessed two major competitive conditions. It was only a pity that Chen Jianchen's current-style essays were truly nothing to write home about, having nearly failed the annual examinations last year. This single shortcoming alone dragged his overall strength down by several tiers. If Chen Jianchen's eight-legged essays possessed a decent level of competence, one wouldn't dare say he could compete for the top ten, but at least he could maintain a position within the middle tier.

As for Xiao Hanfeng, being a newly enrolled student with little to commend him, there was simply nothing worth mentioning.

After the lecture, Chen Jianchen and Xiao Hanfeng withdrew. With nothing to say to one another, they simply exchanged a goodnight and thought it best to turn in early.

Back in his room, Chen Jianchen read a volume of books and practiced calligraphy for a while before lying down on the bed. Yet he felt no drowsiness—his mind was preoccupied with the outcome ofYingning's errand.

Yingning had gone to Jinhua to deliver a letter to Nie Xiaoqian, and he had no idea how it had turned out.

Ever since their parting in Jiangzhou, perhaps due to the great distance, Chen Jianchen and Nie Xiaoqian had lost touch, with no letters passing between them. On several occasions, Chen Jianchen had wanted to pick up his brush to write to her, but once the paper was laid out, the ink ground, and the brush lifted, he found himself at a loss for words, only to dejectedly put the brush down again.

In the final analysis, nothing had ever truly happened between him and Nie Xiaoqian, making it difficult to define their relationship, and he never knew what to write in a letter anyway.

He only hoped that no harm had come to her.

Puff!

Just as his thoughts were drifting boundlessly, a figure lightly leaped in through the window. In the illumination of the moonlight shining inside, it was clearly none other than Yingning, dressed in the attire of a young pageboy.

Chen Jianchen had not mentioned Yingning's solitary trip to Jinhua to a second person, merely claiming that his pageboy felt a bit unwell and was resting in his room.

"Yingning, you're back."

Chen Jianchen was not surprised that the little female fox spirit had made the round trip in a single day.

"Yes, Young Master, I am back."

Yingning sat down, took a large gulp of water, and before Chen Jianchen could ask, volunteered, "However, Young Master, I wasn't able to deliver the letter to Sister Xiaoqian."

Chen Jianchen paused in surprise, "Why?"

Yingning replied, "Because Sister Xiaoqian isn't in Jinhua at all. She is right here in Zhezhou."

Nie Xiaoqian was right inside Zhezhou Prefecture?

This reality caught Chen Jianchen entirely off guard, instantly bringing to mind a line of poetry: *Having searched for her thousands of times in the crowd, suddenly turning back, there she stood in the dim lamplight...*