Chapter 85: So Spoiled

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Zhou Linghuai said in an elegant voice, “Why are you distracted?”

Yu Youyao immediately snapped out of her daze and sat up straight. “Cousin, let’s begin!”

“Relax your body a little. Don’t make your arms so stiff. Your fingers will naturally tighten.” Zhou Linghuai gently supported her waist and then her arm, helping her adjust into a more natural posture.

Yu Youyao followed her cousin’s instructions and adjusted herself, almost leaning into Zhou Linghuai’s arms behind her without realizing it. “Is this okay?”

Zhou Linghuai nodded. He held her hand and led her to slowly grind the ink. He even instructed, “You have to control the strength of your hands properly. This way, you have to be careful with your strength. It’s suitable for you to be slow and fast. You can’t be anxious, and you have to be steady.”

There was a faint fragrance of ink and pine on her cousin’s body. It seeped into her mind, like pine trees in the snow, exuding a cold and refreshing aura.

His breath was slowly by her ear, and it was slightly warm and moist. Yu Youyao felt a little itchy and couldn’t help but tilt her head. Then, she heard her cousin’s calm voice. “Be serious. Don’t move around too much. Be careful not to break the inkstone.”

Yu Youyao did not dare to move anymore, but after a while, she could not help but tilt her head slightly.

The side of her cousin’s face was by her neck, as strong and warm as carved jade. His long and narrow eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing a hint of coldness. His dark eyes were lowered, revealing an unfathomable depth from the gaps of his eyes. His slightly pursed lips were thin and pale, making him look even colder.

Sensing that the person in his arms was distracted again, Zhou Linghuai felt a little helpless. “What are you thinking about again?”

“Cousin is so handsome!” Yu Youyao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Zhou Linghuai’s expression froze, and he let go of her hand.

Only then did Yu Youyao realize that she had probably said what she was thinking earlier. She couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her hand. Her eyes widened as she looked at her cousin with clear and innocent eyes.

Zhou Linghuai couldn’t help but curl his lips and knock on her little head. “What are you talking about? Did you remember the method and rhythm of grinding the ink?”

“I remember, I remember,” Yu Youyao said as she hugged her cousin’s arm and pouted. “But I don’t remember clearly. Cousin, teach me again. I’ll definitely remember it more clearly the next time.”

How was this remembering? This was clearly cheating!

However, when Zhou Linghuai saw the little girl pouting and acting like a spoiled child, he immediately had no choice but to hold her hand. “Then I’ll teach you again. Don’t let your mind wander again this time.”

“Got it, got it.” Yu Youyao nodded vigorously, and couldn’t help but turn to look at her cousin.

Her cousin raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze focused intently on their intertwined hands. Her cousin’s hands were large, with well-defined knuckles. They were as long and slender as jade, and wrapped around her small ones. The thin calluses on his palms gently caressed the backs of her hands as he led her through the grinding process, explaining the details and rhythms that needed to be noted when grinding.

She liked being close to her cousin like this!

Yu Youyao felt very relieved. She couldn’t help but wonder if her second sister, Yu Shuangbai, was usually this close to her eldest brother.

Yu Youyao, who was letting her imagination run wild, sensed that her cousin was looking down at her. Startled, she quickly composed herself and did not dare to be distracted anymore.

A trace of a smile appeared in Zhou Linghuai’s dark eyes. He taught her to grind the ink three more times before letting go of her hand. “Try it yourself.”

Yu Youyao straightened her posture and slowly grounded it according to her cousin’s instructions.

Zhou Linghuai nodded. “Promising.”

After learning how to grind ink, Zhou Linghuai began to guide her on how to write. “I noticed that you used to practice Hairpin Flower Small Script. The handwriting of Hairpin Flower Small Script needs to be gentle, beautiful, and elegant. It doesn’t have a high requirement for wrist strength. Ordinary women from noble families don’t have good wrist strength, so it can also save wrist strength and speed up the writing. However, Cousin, your handwriting is slightly stronger, so it’s not suitable.”

Upon hearing her cousin’s words, Yu Youyao understood why she had always felt that writing was awkward when she was practicing calligraphy previously. It was because she was not suitable to write small calligraphy characters.

Zhou Linghuai glanced at the little girl’s slender wrist. He really hadn’t expected that such a slender wrist would contain such flexibility and strength that was stronger than many men. “I usually write Wang Xizhi’s script. In the future, you can learn it from me. With your talent, you’ll be able to master it in less than a month.”

So soon? Yu Youyao’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Zhou Linghuai nodded slightly. “The premise is that you have to practice well and not slack off for even a day.”

Yu Youyao nodded vigorously and boasted to her cousin, “Cousin, don’t worry. I’ll definitely practice my calligraphy well and not embarrass you.” Then, she stuck out her tongue at her cousin and said mischievously, “Mr. Zhou, please enlighten me!”

Zhou Linghuai couldn’t help but laugh at the little girl’s delicate appearance. “I’ll spread a new piece of paper.”

“Yes!” Yu Youyao blinked and replaced the messy paper on the table with another one. With her cousin teaching her how to write, she didn’t seem to dislike it so much anymore.

Zhou Linghuai helped her pick another one. “This is called the Seven Wolves and Three Sheep, and it is both strong and soft. It’s most suitable for beginners. The one you picked previously was Seven Purple Three Sheep and was seven parts purple rabbit fur and three parts wool. It was a little too soft.”

Yu Youyao nodded and held the brush in her hand.

Zhou Linghuai helped her adjust the way she held the brush and asked her to write in ink. The tip of the pen was slightly harder, and it was indeed easier to control than before.

Seeing that she was using it appropriately, Zhou Linghuai held her hand and guided her to write. “Scholarly writing is suitable for men and women. There’s no need to be reserved and rigid when writing…”

After writing a few words, Yu Youyao gradually got the hang of it.

Zhou Linghuai let go of her hand and let her write on her own. “…Write long strokes, long strokes, needle points, and other sharp strokes. When you put away the brush, it has to be sharp and full of strength and momentum. Don’t exhaust yourself…”

When the piece of paper was full, Yu Youyao finally stopped writing. The words looked quite ugly, but at least the handwriting was neat and tidy, unlike before when it was messy.

Rubbing her sore wrist, Yu Youyao said happily, “Cousin, look, I’m done.”

The corners of Zhou Linghuai’s mouth curled up slightly. “It’s much better than before, but you have to remember not to be greedy for improvement in the future.”

Encouraged, Yu Youyao felt like she had been injected with ecstasy. “Then I’ll practice a little longer. Cousin, don’t worry about me. Go practice your calligraphy on your own!”

Zhou Linghuai looked at the little girl’s excited expression and couldn’t help but smile again. He looked at the little girl’s lowered eyebrows. Her curved eyebrows were very detailed, and they were as dark as ink. There seemed to be smoke in them, and when he looked at them carefully, they looked like layers of mist. From afar, they looked like layers of mountain mist, gathering the beauty of the mountains and rivers.