Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 250 A Girl's Thoughts

Before obtaining conclusive evidence of Lin Keke's death, Wu Zhiyuan did not believe deep down that she was really dead.

Just like Su Taohong, almost everyone thought she was dead, even Sang Chenglong, who hired the killer, thought she was dead, but she was not.

After Su Taohong "came back to life," she used various excuses to find Wu Zhiyuan.

However, Wu Zhiyuan was as hard-hearted as iron and resolutely kept his distance from her.

Over time, Su Taohong realized she was making a fool of herself and stopped looking for Wu Zhiyuan.

Wu Zhiyuan did everything he could to find Su Taohong and prevent her from losing her life in the cellar; he had done more than enough.

……

That night, Wu Zhiyuan lay on his bed in the dormitory, reminiscing about the past.

The phone rang.

Upon closer inspection, it was a call from Xu Yunxi.

"Hehe, Zhiyuan, guess what I'm doing?"

"They're calling me!"

"clever."

"Yunxi, is there something you need?"

"Can't I contact you if there's nothing wrong? You never contact me!"

"Yunxi, I'm too busy."

"Excuse me! Are you dating anyone?"

"No, Yunxi, why are you suddenly asking me this question?"

"Because we've been drawing portraits lately, many students are looking for models, and some have even found their boyfriends."

My roommates were just making a fuss, asking me why I didn't contact you.

"Yunxi, does your roommate know me?"

"Of course I know. They're just making a fuss about me dating and introducing me to guys, but I'm not interested in them."

Xu Yunxi almost said that she only cared about Wu Zhiyuan.

As someone with experience, how could Wu Zhiyuan not understand Xu Yunxi's implied meaning?

"Oh, I see. Your roommate is just concerned about you. It's good to make more friends in college."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I used you as a shield!"

I told them that I have a brother named Zhiyuan. Although it was made up, it worked quite well, and they stopped bothering me for the time being.

By the way, Zhiyuan, my roommates heard about the beautiful scenery of Qingshan Gorge from me, and they're planning to go there together during the summer vacation.

"Okay. However, Qingshan Gorge is an undeveloped scenic spot with many safety hazards, so please be careful."

"Brother Zhiyuan, you're still here, aren't you? With you as our guide, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Sure, come on over. No matter how busy I am, I'll make time to be with you."

I was thinking, you can use your paintbrushes to depict the beautiful scenery of Qingshan Gorge.

Capturing the waterfalls, streams, and clouds hidden deep in the mountains on paper is also a form of publicity for Qingshan Gorge.

So, there really is a paradise on earth, hidden deep in the mountains.

"Great, that's exactly what we were thinking. Brother Zhiyuan, it seems we're on the same wavelength."

By the way, I have a question for you. My roommate asked me one today, but I got it wrong.

"You've answered all the questions wrong, so I'm afraid I can't answer them either."

"Give it a try! The hearts of parents are full of love and concern for their children." This line of poetry is known to every household, from children to the elderly.

Here's the question: Who is the author of this poem?

Wu Zhiyuan thought for a moment: "This question is a bit tricky. My first thought was Du Fu? Or Bai Juyi? I always felt it was the work of some Tang Dynasty poet."

Xu Yunxi's cheerful laughter came from the other end of the phone: "Wrong, wrong! I guessed Du Fu too, and my roommate laughed at me so hard!"

"Yunxi, how about I give you a hint?"

"Okay. The author is from the Qing Dynasty, not the Tang Dynasty."

"Nalan Rongruo?"

What famous lines did Nalan Rongruo write?

"There are many more, such as, if life were only as beautiful as the first time we met; for example, at the time, we thought it was just an ordinary thing; and for example, I am a melancholy traveler in this world."

"Brother Zhiyuan, congratulations on answering incorrectly. I'll give you another chance."

"Then I'll guess Tsangyang Gyatso."

"Brother Zhiyuan, actually, I also really like the poems of Tsangyang Gyatso. Let me recite one of his poems."

"Okay, I'm all ears."

Xu Yunxi began her recitation, her voice full of emotion:

That day, I closed my eyes in the incense-filled temple and suddenly heard the true words you were chanting.

That month, I turned all the prayer wheels, not for salvation, but only to touch your fingertips;

That year, I prostrated myself on the mountain road, not to pay homage, but only to feel your warmth;

In that lifetime, I circled mountains, rivers, and stupas, not for the sake of the next life, but only to meet you along the way...

Wu Zhiyuan listened quietly. He had read Cangyang Gyatso's poems before, but hearing Xu Yunxi recite them, they had a unique purity and melancholy that came with youth.

Xu Yunxi's work goes far beyond simply sharing poetry.

It was clearly a grand yet silent confession wrapped in recitation and words!

She was subtly telling him that her "traveling through mountains and rivers," her "not for the sake of the next life," and all her expectations and endeavors might have only one goal: to see him.

Two figures seemed to appear before Wu Zhiyuan's eyes. One gradually faded away, revealing Lin Keke's desperate and reluctant face as she turned back.

Another image that is becoming increasingly clear is Xu Yunxi standing in front of the easel, painting with great care.

Xu Yunxi asked, "Brother Zhiyuan? Is it because I didn't study well?"

"No, it was read very well, with a lot of emotion, I was completely immersed in it."

Tsangyang Gyatso's poems are truly moving. You like him very much?

"Yes, his poems always seem to be talking about Buddhism, and also about the truest emotions in the world. That contradictory yet unified feeling is particularly touching."

It's like knowing that some roads are difficult and some waits are hopeless, but still being willing to walk on wholeheartedly, waiting for that little bit of possibility of "meeting along the way".

"We've gone off-topic, Zhiyuan! You still haven't told me the answer to that question!"

"If it's from the Qing Dynasty, and it's neither Nalan Rongruo nor Tsangyang Gyatso, then who is it? It couldn't be Emperor Kangxi or Emperor Qianlong, could it?"

"You wouldn't guess, would you!" Xu Yunxi deliberately dragged out her words, revealing the answer slowly and deliberately, "It's—Empress Dowager Cixi!"

"Empress Dowager Cixi?" Wu Zhiyuan was genuinely taken aback; this answer was too unexpected. "It really is something I didn't expect."

I never imagined she could write such tender sentences.

Perhaps this is the only contribution the Empress Dowager left to posterity.

"Indeed! The full poem is: The love of parents in this world is the truest, their tears and blood are poured into their children. They exhaust their strength for their children, how pitiful are the hearts of parents everywhere."

Isn't she completely different from the stern Empress Dowager I imagined?

"That's true. It seems that even the toughest person has a soft side."

"Exactly!" Xu Yunxi echoed, then suddenly changed the subject, her laughter tinged with slyness, "Alright, Zhiyuan, you've made three mistakes in a row, it's time to accept your punishment!"

"Accept punishment? There was no mention of accepting punishment for a wrong answer?"

Xu Yunxi argued, "When I called for the start of the quiz, I implicitly agreed that I would be punished if I answered incorrectly!"

"Zhiyuan, you didn't object at the time, so that means you tacitly approved!"

Wu Zhiyuan was amused by Xu Yunxi's self-righteous attitude and deliberately teased her, "Oh? There are such unfair terms? How come I didn't know?"

"It's not too late to know now! Besides, this punishment isn't meant to make things difficult for you; you promised me before!"

Wu Zhiyuan feigned ignorance, knowing full well what was going on: "What did I promise you before?"

"A human body model!"

"Can I not take my clothes off?"

"Did I say I wouldn't take off my clothes? If I don't take off my clothes, how can I draw the lines of the shoulders and neck and the layers of light and shadow?"

In sketching, you need to capture the texture of the human body. If the clothes are completely hidden by the folds of the fabric, the figures will look stiff.