Chapter 31

In the small room next to the banquet hall, the decor was similar to that of a regular lounge, but more luxurious. High-end sofas were arranged around the walls, and a gray shag carpet covered the floor. In the center stood a deep red solid wood coffee table.

Liu Deyuan, dressed in a red Tang suit, poured tea into each cup with a purple clay teapot, then set it down and smiled, "Old Fang, Old Song, I didn't expect you two old guys to come."

The elder called Old Fang sipped the tea with relish, frowned, and said, "Old Liu, you're not being fair. We came all this way, and you serve us this stuff?"

"Drinking like a whale, even the best tea would be wasted on you," Liu Deyuan retorted without hesitation.

Old Song chuckled, "Not bad, not bad. You're an artist, so why don't you have a bit of the old gentleman's demeanor?"

"Old gentleman's demeanor, my ass. I'm just like this," Old Fang said irritably. "And I'm not an artist, I'm a master of calligraphy, a national treasure."

At this moment, Lu Fang pushed the door open.

"Father, Uncle Song, Uncle Fang, all the guests have arrived."

"Good, let's go out. By the way, has Xiaoli come?" Liu Deyuan, who had saved his granddaughter twice and admired his character, had long considered him part of the family.

Lu Fang smiled, "He's here, and he brought a gift."

Liu Deyuan frowned, "This kid, with his poor family background and recent injury, didn't need to spend so much. Find out how much it cost and find a way to pay him back."

Lu Fang's smile grew wider, "Father, he did bring a gift, but he said he didn't spend any money. He wrote a calligraphy scroll himself."

"Does he know calligraphy?"

Liu Deyuan was immediately surprised. A medical expert of his caliber also knew calligraphy.

He didn't think Lu Li's calligraphy skills were poor. After all, from his attitude towards medicine, Lu Li, though young, was steady and resilient, not the type to exaggerate.

Moreover, this was a birthday gift; if it were too poor, he wouldn't have the face to give it.

Thinking of this, Liu Deyuan suddenly became interested and instructed Lu Fang, "Don't rush out. Since Uncle Fang is here, bring Lu Li's calligraphy scroll. If it shows promise and Xiaoli likes it, we must help him achieve fame and success."

Old Fang stroked his beard, looking pleased, "Since you, Old Liu, have spoken, even taking him as a disciple would be no problem."

If calligraphy enthusiasts heard this, they would be so excited that they would beg to be his disciples.

This Old Fang, whose real name was Fang Gai, was a master calligrapher and the honorary chairman of the Chinese Calligraphers Association. Of course, this was just his current position; most people might value his other identity more—former Minister of Culture.

Lu Fang soon returned and placed the box containing the calligraphy scroll on the coffee table.

Seeing the mark on the box, Fang Gai was taken aback and exclaimed, "Isn't this the trademark of our Xibao Pavilion?"

Liu Deyuan glanced at him, "It's just a box, no need to make a fuss."

"You don't understand. This is a custom-made item from our Xibao Pavilion, quite expensive, and usually used to store valuable works by famous artists."

"Expensive?" Liu Deyuan was immediately displeased, "No way, Lu Li is my grandson. How much did it cost? You better tell me, or I won't let you off."

The old gentlemen bickered like children, and Lu Fang found it amusing. She casually opened the box and gently took out the scroll inside.

Seeing the scroll, Liu Deyuan was almost speechless, "This mounting technique clearly comes from Old Zheng, it must have cost a few thousand. This kid, really—"

Fang Gai and Old Song exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Especially Fang Gai, a professional, could see the sophistication of the mounting technique.

Under the expectant gazes of the three old gentlemen, Lu Fang unrolled the scroll, and a calligraphy piece with flying dragons and dancing phoenixes finally appeared.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

"Did Lu Li write this himself?"

Liu Deyuan stared at the calligraphy, dumbfounded.

He was a passionate collector and lover of calligraphy, practicing almost every day after retirement, but compared to Lu Li's work, his was simply not in the same league.

"Great! It already has nine-tenths of Fang Gang's spirit. Given time, his achievements will be boundless."

Old Song praised, then looked at Fang Gai, who suddenly froze.

Fang Gai looked as if he had seen a ghost, his lips trembling, his eyes full of disbelief. He reached out, touched the characters, examined the age of the rice paper, and studied the mounting technique, completely absorbed.

Liu Deyuan soon noticed Fang Gai's strange behavior and felt puzzled.

Fang Gai was the honorary chairman of the Calligraphers Association, with numerous masterpieces in his collection. Lu Li's calligraphy, though indeed at a master level, shouldn't have caused such a reaction!

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible."

Fang Gai muttered to himself, pacing back and forth, extremely agitated.

"Old Fang, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with Lu Li's calligraphy?" Liu Deyuan, unable to contain his curiosity, grabbed him and asked.

"It's not about the calligraphy, but something related to our Fang family." Fang Gai came to his senses, his face full of bitter laughter, "The matter is complicated, involving some secrets of our Fang family, which I cannot disclose."

After a moment's thought, he added, "Old Liu, I must return to my hometown immediately. I can't attend your birthday banquet. Please forgive me."

"So urgent?" Liu Deyuan asked in surprise.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. When I return, we'll drink until we're drunk," Fang Gai promised. He turned and left, calling on his phone as he went, "Xiao Liu, this is Fang Gai. Immediately buy a ticket from Haicheng to Jicheng and contact the manager of Haicheng Xibao Pavilion to meet me at the airport."

Fang Gai kept talking on the phone, not wasting a minute. Liu Deyuan and Old Song looked at each other, both surprised and helpless.

"What did you see in this calligraphy?"

"Nothing. It's a perfect imitation of Fang Gang's style and technique, but with some changes," Liu Deyuan mused.

Old Song was puzzled, "Strange. From Old Fang's reaction, he clearly saw something we didn't, but I can't figure it out."

"Never mind, the banquet is about to start. Don't keep everyone waiting."

Although Lu Fang was also curious, she knew little about calligraphy and was more proud of Lu Li.

A calligraphy scroll that made the chairman of the Calligraphers Association so shocked that he left his old friend's birthday banquet without attending must be truly outstanding.

Thinking of Fang Gai's reaction, Lu Fang shook her head with a smile and led the way out of the lounge.

***

Thank you to the book friend Third Party Fan Desa, who was the first to join the group and the first to tip the author. I bow in gratitude!

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