"What kind of nonsense poem is this? Completely incoherent garbage!" Wei Hai muttered under his breath before nudging Li Xunshan next to him. "Kid, have you thought of something to put that arrogant brat in his place?"
"A Talented Man and a Beautiful Woman… Why would Yue'er choose such a topic? Could it be that, in her heart, she sees herself and Sun Xuan…" Li Xunshan trailed off, but before he could finish, Wei Hai gave him a firm but not harsh slap on the shoulder.
"You idiot! And you're still thinking about that? What matters now is taking that pompous fool down!"
Hearing this, Li Xunshan forced a bitter smile. "Brother Wei, my mind is a complete mess. I can't come up with anything related to A Talented Man and a Beautiful Woman."
"This… this…" Wei Hai stammered, then let out a sigh and began sipping his tea gloomily.
"Use this." Gu Ning'an slipped a folded piece of paper into Li Xunshan's hand.
Instinctively, Li Xunshan read the content of the note silently.
After reading, he gasped. "A masterpiece! Mr. Gu… you truly are a man of great talent!"
"Then hurry up and recite it!" Wei Hai urged.
Li Xunshan barely lifted himself from his seat before sitting back down, clutching the note tightly. In a low voice, he said, "But I didn't write this… Doing so would be cheating…"
Wei Hai's eyes widened, and he nearly swung his arm to give Li Xunshan a hard slap.
To Wei Hai, this was no time for so-called scholarly integrity. They weren't here to win the championship honorably—they were here to cause a scene!
Mr. Gu had already handed him the "stick." Why couldn't this fool just take it and smash it across Sun Xuan's face?
"Mr. Li, haven't you noticed? This so-called poetry conference today is nothing more than a setup for Sun Xuan alone."
"Why do you think the lot conveniently picked Miss Ren Yue's topic?"
"And think about it—how could Sun Xuan compose such a polished poem in such a short time?"
"Finally, why does the crowd below always echo his words so enthusiastically?"
With that, Gu Ning'an smiled. "Sometimes, don't let yourself be too bound by worldly conventions. Follow your heart. If you want to act, then act. But if you really don't wish to vent your frustration now, don't regret it later…"
"The time for one cup of tea is almost up. Ten breaths remain!"
"Are there any other gentlemen in the audience who have composed their poems?"
"If not, once the gong sounds, no more entries will be allowed."
On stage, Manager Mo held a mallet in hand, smiling as he looked at the audience below.
While Gu Ning'an and the others were trying to "talk sense" into Li Xunshan, more than ten people had already stood up to recite their poems. However, most of their works were mediocre at best, and two of them didn't even adhere to proper tonal patterns before they started reciting.
"Six breaths remain!" Manager Mo announced again, counting down.
Whoosh!
Li Xunshan suddenly stood up with such force that his chair shook beneath him. "I… I've thought of something!"
Manager Mo smiled. "Please, young master, share your work!"
"I live at the head of the Xiangjiang River,
And you live at its tail.
Day after day, I think of you but cannot see you,
Though we drink from the same river's waters."
Li Xunshan's hoarse voice carried an unmistakable yearning for his beloved.
At that moment, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone was immersed in the unadorned, genuine emotions of the poem.
On the upper floor, Ren Yue rose from her seat for the first time. She walked to the railing and gazed at the masked Li Xunshan below.
"Young master, your poem truly captures the anguish of longing in this world." Her trembling voice carried a trace of sorrow, and a single tear slid from the corner of her eye, landing on the back of her hand and shattering into tiny droplets.
Li Xunshan raised his head slightly. Through the black veil, he could only faintly make out Ren Yue's figure. Suppressing his emotions, his already hoarse voice cracked further. "Thank you…"
This scene left Sun Xuan feeling utterly humiliated. He glanced toward Young Master Wang Liang in the opposite box and made a hand gesture.
Receiving the signal, Wang Liang nodded silently and quietly left the box.
On stage, Manager Mo first cast a glance in Sun Xuan's direction before turning to Li Xunshan. Bowing slightly, he said, "Sir, to compose such an extraordinary piece, you must truly be a rare talent. May I ask your name?"
Li Xunshan hesitated briefly before replying, "My humble surname is Li."
In the loft above, Ren Yue's eyes trembled, and just as she was about to speak, a mocking shout rose from below:
"Li! That poem isn't yours!"
"That's clearly a poem written by Young Master Sun! How could it possibly be yours?"
"Speak up! What despicable means did you use to steal this work?"
The words caused an uproar. The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, struggling to keep up with the sudden twist of events.
"Young Master Wang Liang, what's going on here? How did this suddenly become Young Master Sun's poem?"
"Exactly! Plagiarizing poetry is a grave offense. You'd better be careful with your words!"
Wang Liang ascended the stage and addressed the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, there's something you may not know. A few months ago, I was invited to Young Master Sun's residence for a gathering. During the festivities, overcome with emotion, he recited this very poem!"
"At the time, it wasn't just me who was present. Young Masters You Qiang and Jia Lianbo were also there!"
"We're all respected literati of Jiangling Prefecture. We would never tarnish our reputations by falsely accusing someone!"
As soon as Wang Liang finished, the two young men he had named quickly voiced their agreement, affirming that they had indeed heard Sun Xuan recite the poem months earlier.
Hearing this, Gu Ning'an smiled faintly. "Shameless nonsense. Don't argue just yet—let's see what more they can conjure up."
Gu Ning'an's words were like a calming balm, easing Li Xunshan's frazzled nerves.
After all, the poem wasn't his, and Gu Ning'an had never claimed it as his own either. A small part of Li Xunshan worried—what if, by some bizarre coincidence, the poem really did belong to Sun Xuan?
If that were true, he would be so embarrassed today he'd wish to disappear on the spot.
Meanwhile, many in the audience turned their eyes toward Sun Xuan on the second floor, eager to hear a definitive response from the man at the center of the controversy.
"Young Master Wang, accusing someone of plagiarism is a serious charge. After all, inspiration can sometimes strike in similar circumstances, leading to the expression of the same emotions."
"Let's not escalate matters unnecessarily, lest we tarnish someone's reputation unfairly."
"Young Master Sun is truly magnanimous!" Wang Liang sneered and then glared at Li Xunshan. "But for a disgraceful wretch who brings shame to the literary world, there's no need to show any leniency. Even if inspiration can overlap, it's impossible for the words to be identical!"
Sun Xuan let out a long sigh, adopting a reluctant demeanor, as if unwilling to dwell on the matter further.
Seeing this, murmurs of inquiry erupted from the audience.
"Young Master Sun, just tell us the truth!"
"Yes! All we need to know is whether this masterpiece of a poem is yours!"
"Ah…" Sun Xuan waved his hand, and a servant emerged from the main hall below, carrying an ornate redwood box.
When the servant opened the box before everyone, a scroll came into view…