The entire hall fell silent.
Everyone was staring at Old Man Li. Their gazes were filled with disbelief.
In their impressions, Old Man Li was a very calm person!
Ever since the establishment of the country until now, he had experienced too many storms and seen many things. He naturally comprehended more things compared to others. His mental state was also one that would remain unflustered despite great waves.
At the very least, everyone on the scene today had never seen Old Man Li acting like this before. He had always been calm and tranquil as he dealt with things.
But today…
What was going on?
What was going on exactly?
What had happened for him to feel so shocked?
At this moment, Old Man Li’s chest continued to heave as he panted. His face was in shades of green and red, there was a ruddy glow on his forehead. Even his hands were trembling; no one knew whether he was feeling joy or unhappiness…
“Scram!”
“I’m very healthy!”
A few medical staff thought that Old Man Li was suffering from a heart attack. They were so frightened that they immediately rushed over. However, Old Man Li furiously shouted at them. His voice was filled with vigor, causing all the medical staff to retreat due to fear.
Only after they retreated did they heave a sigh of relief.
Such an aura and given his appearance, it naturally wasn’t a heart attack.
But what was wrong with him?
Why did he seem so crude?
“Old Li, what’s going on? Is there a need…?”
“Look at this!”
“The words are crude and ugly, can it be that you are angered by the words? That shouldn’t be the case…wait…what! These two poems? Wait…these two poems are classic poems, I…”
“Let me take a look. What’s going on exactly? Ah…? This poem!”
“Am I dreaming?”
A piece of normal size xuan paper was passed around by the old men. Everywhere it was passed to, the person reading it would widen their eyes as though they were struck by lightning. In fact, even if they didn’t stutter, they became mute.
When the paper was passed to Chen Xi, the first thing Chen Xi saw was those ugly words…
She immediately felt speechless. But after reading the poem, her beautiful eyes instantly narrowed and then widened.
When she saw the signature, it was as though she had seen a ghost. She turned and looked at Lu Yuan who was seated at the 4th row. For a time, she didn’t know how to describe the shocking waves in her heart!
This man…
This man…
Is actually so…
………
“Are they looking at me…?”
“Brother, your…your words… cough, cough. These judges have very high requirements for everything. This is especially so for the appearance of one’s written words. Earlier, I roughly glanced over at your calligraphy, and I think…”
“Could it be that my ugly-looking words have enraged them? Is there a need for them to be so angry?” Lu Yuan opened his mouth wide. The expressions of the judges grew increasingly complex. Lu Yuan thought that they wanted to devour him whole.
“Brother, I think you don’t know Old Master Li’s temper, right? The two things he’s most fond of are words and poems… I remember there was a year where a gifted scholar was chased away by the Old Master because his handwriting was too ugly! This matter was reported on the news, and that gifted scholar lost all face.”
“What? Chased away? So exaggerated?”
“Yes! Old Master also said on the spot that the man didn’t respect the Poetry Exchange and was masquerading as a gifted scholar!”
“What!”
Lu Yuan looked around, staring at the bizarre looks of everyone. After that, he gulped his saliva and suddenly felt that his back was perspiring with cold sweat.
Could it be I…
“Brother, if I didn’t guess wrongly, you wrote two poems earlier, right?” Xu Xiaonian glanced at the expressions of the judges which grew increasingly weird. After that, he also felt nervous randomly for some reason. His voice when speaking to Lu Yuan grew much softer.
“Yeah, I wrote two poems. This, this…” Lu Yuan was frivolous and forgetful. He had never known what the word ‘nervous’ meant. But now after listening to Xu Xiaonian, in addition to the ugly calligraphy he wrote, he couldn’t help but keep taking deep breaths. He was now incomparably nervous.
When he inclined his head again, he noticed Old Master Li’s gaze.
Old Master Li’s eyes were bloodshot. His wrinkles gradually deepened, and his expression became incomparably incomprehensible.
Lu Yuan suddenly felt scared for some reason.
How shameful would that be if he was to be chased away in public?
He might as well…
Just leave…
“Brother, you…are awesome…You should just pray for your fortune!” Xu Xiaonian couldn’t help but pity this new friend after noting the strange atmosphere in the area.
He felt that this friend was extremely unlucky.
“When will they give the scores?”
“Most probably an hour later.”
“Aiyo, I have a stomach ache now, it’s so painful… I’m going to the toilet now. Help me tell them that my stomach ache is so bad that I have diarrhea for the last three days!” Lu Yuan suddenly clutched his stomach and ruthlessly squeezed out a few tears. Taking the opportunity that no one on the stage was looking at him, he hurriedly walked toward the exit.
“Brother, this idea isn’t bad… Don’t worry, I will lie to them for you!” Xu Xiaonian nodded as he stared at Lu Yuan’s departing back. He couldn’t help but give a thumbs up for Lu Yuan, impressed by Lu Yuan’s acting skills.
Lu Yuan lowered his head and reached the exit. He heaved a sigh of relief when he thought back to the atmosphere earlier.
It was better for him to leave on his own accord, right?
“Hi, you can’t enter and leave casually…”
“Ah? If I exit now, I won’t come back again…”
“Won’t come back again? But the Poetry Exchange isn’t concluded yet…”
“I have something on; hence, I need to leave in advance. Can I trouble you to open the door?”
“Leave in advance? Alright then.”
The security guard cast a strange look at this young man.
He knew who this young man was. This young man was the only one who entered the Poetry Exchange with two entry passes. This was truly an extremely unique occurrence.
For others, it was already very impressive for them to have one entry pass. Yet, this young man had two. This was simply incredible.
When the security guard saw that Lu Yuan’s expression was a little anxious, he helped him open the door.
After the door opened, Lu Yuan hurriedly walked toward the direction of the car.
“A`Yuan? Why…why did you come out? Are you eliminated already? This shouldn’t be the case…”
“No…I have something on.”
“Ah? What do you have on?”
“Don’t ask. I’m sorry, I gotta make a move first.”
“???”
Li Dongqiang stared at Lu Yuan who was leaving hurriedly. After that, he felt a little dumbfounded. What was going on?
Other than being chased away, he hadn’t heard of a case where one would leave the Poetry Exchange in advance?
Or could it be that Lu Yuan was chased away?
After Li Dongqiang stared at Lu Yuan, his own expression became one of sympathy.
Being chased out…
This was… too unbearable.
………
“Just a single poem would be outstanding enough, but this little fellow actually wrote two poems in one go. He is truly overflowing with talent!”
“Yeah, I really wish to see him now!”
“9.6! These two poems, regardless of their artistic mood, tonal patterns, or rhyming, are all top-rated. In fact, they are even ranked at the top of all poems I’ve ever seen. If it wasn’t for his words being too ugly, I even want to give him 9.9!”
“Yeah, I’ll give 9.5. The poems are not bad, but the words are too ugly. It’s very hard to imagine someone who could write such poems to have such ugly-looking handwriting.”
“Right. I will give 9.6. I want to put these two poems into my book, and they will be respectively placed on the first and last page, reminding everyone about the effort of farmers. It isn’t easy to till the land!”
“I suggest placing them into the Mandarin Pavilion. I feel that both of these poems can be ranked first!”
“Mandarin Pavilion? I think so too. Alright then, let’s announce the result of the first round.”
“Mn!”
A few minutes later.
“The victors of the first round are the two poems with the same name [Sympathy for Peasants]. They have a comprehensive score of 9.6! Author: Lu Yuan!”
“Kacha, kacha, kacha!”
All the light, all the cameras, turned and focused on Lu Yuan’s seat.
Everyone widened their eyes as they searched for Lu Yuan…
They felt that this name was very unfamiliar and couldn’t recall who it was for a moment…
But when they saw Lu Yuan’s seat, they discovered that it was empty…
“That…that…Brother Lu Yuan said he had a stomachache and has left in advance…” Xu Xiaonian trembled as he stood up and spoke.
“What!”
Old Master Chen’s incomparably agitated face suddenly turned gloomy as he hurriedly took out his phone.
That rascal!
What was he doing exactly!
Why was he always so unreliable?
………
“What? Old Master, I have something on… Hence, I left in advance.”
“I really do have something on. I have a stomachache and a movie that I’m still filming. I…”
“WHAT?!”
“You say that I got first place?”
“Nothing, nothing. I’m coming back right now, I’m coming back right now…”
“I have to come back no matter what? Good, good!”
“My stomach suddenly feels more comfortable now.”
………
“A`Yuan, you…”
“Let me pass, I have to enter…”
“Didn’t you…”
“Sorry, I don’t have time to explain. Let me pass, I’m going in to get a reward.”
“????” Li Dongqiang was dumbfounded when he saw that Lu Yuan had returned.
Going in to get a reward?
What’s the meaning of this?