The Glamorous Comeback of the Ousted Heiress

Chapter 730: 289 The Old Ancestor Leading Their Cause Returns (Second Update)_2

He had played mahjong with Ji Heng a couple days ago, probing for information in a roundabout way.

But he didn’t get any news about Bai Lian and her mastery of the Liang style.

“You needn’t worry too much,” Lao Hu said, choosing his words to comfort, “Miss Bai always has her own way of thinking. Plus, our foreign friends don’t understand our characters. At most, it’s the fans of the Liang style who might have a few more things to say.”

Director Jian also considered that Bai Lian was not a person to act impulsively, especially because…

He had been wondering for a long time whether Bai Lian could use the spear, so could she possibly master the Liang style calligraphy?

That’s why he didn’t reject her when he first saw Bai Lian’s name.

**

The immense indoor plaza of Cultural Square.

The floor inside the plaza was entirely covered with a red carpet, hosting countless small exhibition stands for calligraphy and paintings, and the central sunken stage area was where the opening ceremony would take place.

All around the stage, fresh peonies and plum blossoms were set up, with pink and red peonies blooming in a gorgeous display of cold elegance and nobility.

There were journalists packed on both sides.

Only four rows of seating, ten in each row, were for foreign guests and VIPs.

Of the Beicheng Writers’ Association, only Zhou Wennan had the privilege to sit in the back row to spectate, while other Beicheng folks, like the journalists, stood around the perimeter.

The Jian family members naturally did the same.

But—

The Jian family members, with their sharp eyes, spotted a young man sitting next to Zhou Wennan in the back row.

“Master,” the old man who followed Jian Zhonghai whispered in shock, “how is young master Jian Zhe sitting there?”

The eyes of the Jian family were all fixed on the central exhibition stage.

At the old man’s mention, they then noticed that the label stuck behind the first seat from the left in the back row bore just two characters—

Jian Zhe.

From the beginning with Director Shu to the present, the Jian family members were becoming desperately curious to know why this was happening.

To be seated here, one must be a master in the field of calligraphy, or someone with significant influence among calligraphers. Jian Zhe… he had no relation to any of this, right?

Old Master Chen was seated in the center of the first row, with orderly media taking photos and filming the entire event.

Bodyguards stood at the sides of the first row.

Outside the cordon, police with weapons were maintaining order.

With Old Master Chen personally attending today, the number of reporters coming and going was double that of yesterday.

**

Backstage.

The green room was heated.

Bai Lian took off her overcoat, wearing only a white dress with tea-colored flowers.

In the waiting room before going on stage, as Bai Lian entered, Cai Xin was already seated inside. Upon hearing the door open, he didn’t look up, sitting on the sofa, toying with a wolf hair brush as if no one had come in.

It was Cai Xin, whom she would be performing with on stage, Bai Lian had heard about him from Jian Zhe.

Bai Lian’s etiquette was meant only for those who deserved it, and she paid him no mind, taking a seat on the other side, pulling out her cellphone and leisurely browsing through academic papers.

Just before it was time to take the stage, Cai Xin stepped out for a moment.

When he returned, the program responsible person smiled at them reassuringly, “Cai, Ms. Bai, it’s your turn. Don’t be nervous.”

Bai Lian dusted off her sleeves, standing up at a leisurely pace.

Across from her, Cai Xin looked up and glanced at her.

**

Outside, on the central stage.

The host introduced Bai Lian and Cai Xin, and then translated everything into two languages.

When Mu Yining arrived, Dong Xiaobai and several others were looking for seats in the front rows. Fortunately, a few people from the Calligraphy Association who knew Dong Xiaobai and Ren Wanxuan gave up their seats for them to view the ceremony.

They even asked why Ren Wanxuan wasn’t on stage.

Beside Dong Xiaobai, Mu Yining, surrounded by dense crowds of journalists and listening to the clear voices of a few young people, wondered, “There won’t be any problems, right?”

“I’ve spoken to Minister Cai,” Dong Xiaobai comforted her, “Don’t worry.”

Mu Yining’s gaze fell on the center of the first row, on the man seated furthest to the right, wearing a duckbill cap, his back straight and posture relaxed, her own anxiety gradually subsiding, “It should be alright.”

On stage, a writing desk and the Four Treasures of the Study were all neatly arranged.

The host announced enthusiastically, “Next up, our two young representatives!”

Scattered applause rose, with quite a many fans in the audience shouting the names “Cai Xin” and “Xu Yajun,” and occasionally, the name of the budding talent in the calligraphy world, Ren Wanxuan, though not often.

The girl in white ascended the stage.

The live broadcast camera first gave her a close-up.

The girl’s delicate face had no bad angle on the official broadcast, very beautiful to look at.

But this group of calligraphy enthusiasts had never seen her before.

[Who is this?]

[Heard she’s a new member of the Calligraphy Association, something Ren, who is this Bai Lian?]

[Isn’t this the young lady from Jiang University who went viral in that video? Did she walk onto the wrong set?]