Actor: Thank you.

The next day, the calligraphy association called him and invited him to attend the quarterly symposium.

I'm too busy and don't have much time to write.

I haven't used a single piece of the commemorative Xuan paper I stockpiled before.

However, as a member of the calligraphy association, it's not acceptable for him to never show up.

I go there at least once or twice a year, just to attend meetings and pretend to be there.

They spout empty rhetoric like "encouraging young people to practice calligraphy and promote traditional culture."

In the internet age, especially the era of short videos, people no longer use pens. Almost everyone forgets how to write characters, yet they are encouraged to practice calligraphy...

It's become a niche hobby.

In earlier years, especially in ancient times, beautiful handwriting was a basic necessity for scholars.

Especially in scientific expeditions, poor handwriting is like being unattractive; no matter how cultured you are, you're destined to be eliminated.

It's not a necessity right now.

Besides, it's not appropriate for someone in the entertainment industry like me to promote calligraphy.

Many people in our line of work can't even recognize all the words in a script.

He has also seen scripts with pinyin marked in advance by the assistant.

I'm talking about Xun Ge...

Marking lines with pinyin is already considered good; later, Xun Ge went so far as to delete lines that were difficult to pronounce.

Moreover, Zhang Yuan was unwilling to use his celebrity status to attract fans to write his calligraphy.

Things are alright these days, but things will get different as time goes on.

Later on, when the celebrities played the games well, the audience gave them a thumbs up and exclaimed how awesome they were.

If you practice calligraphy all day long, people will just think you're an old fogey.

The biggest use of this thing nowadays, besides cultivating one's character, is within the system.

A group of veteran leaders are all calligraphy enthusiasts, a tradition passed down from the founding of the People's Republic of China!
Within the system, especially at the middle or upper levels, focusing on calligraphy as a hobby might be surprisingly effective for climbing the ranks.

Zhang Yuan, considering he was a director, agreed and even practiced for a whole day beforehand.

Even last-minute cramming can be effective, at least it makes you more skilled.

Looks like I'll have to find a few vice presidents or something to leech off.

The next day, we went there and had a meeting. We sat and talked for several hours, and everyone was all hypocritical.

Then came the practical exchange, where everyone exchanged calligraphy and took group photos.

Boring as always.

Normally, Zhang Yuan would find a chance to slip away early; as a director, he never bothered with important matters.

His most significant role in the calligraphy association was his photograph, which was displayed in the headquarters corridor.

But today was different, so he deliberately stayed a little longer.

Because I know someone there!
Teacher Pan Yueming also came; he is also a calligraphy enthusiast.

The two were old acquaintances, and as soon as they met, they started reminiscing about the past.

Speaking of the "Curse of the Golden Flower" crew, actress Pan Yueming lamented how quickly time flies. She noted that Zhang Yuan hadn't changed much, while she herself had gained weight and aged.

The other person talked about many small details from back then, and was a humble and meticulous person.

Zhang Yuan didn't remember many details; he only remembered that Pan Yueming came with Liu Tao and Chen Zihan back then.

He remembered many details about those two people, very clearly...

Teacher Pan practices Liu Gongquan's regular script, a style of regular script in the Liu Gongquan school.

The characters, though bold, possess a delicate and graceful quality; they are quite impressive.

It's far better than the "Jianghu style" of many celebrities.

It's called "Jianghu style," but it's really just random writing; most people call it "ugly calligraphy."

It's mainly ugly.

Of course, Teacher Pan's skill is not bad compared to that of a layman.

Compared to professionals, they have almost no internal strength.

"Hey bro, you're pretty good!"

Teacher Pan watched him write.

Zhang Yuan recently studied Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy.

He is considered one of the four great masters of regular script, along with Liu Gongquan, Yan Zhenqing, and Ouyang Xun.

In terms of standardization, none can surpass it.

Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy is so well-structured!
The rules have reached an unparalleled level of mastery.

When Dong Qichang was young, he looked at Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy and said that it was too rigid and not as free and easy as his own.

He was said to have become vulgar because of familiarity with the subject.

They thought he just practiced a lot and that his skills were all crafty.

In his later years.

Dong Qichang: Brother Zhao, I was ignorant when I was young, I was wrong.

Dong Qichang went from criticizing Zhao Mengfu to praising himself, and eventually became a well-known Zhao Mengfu fan.

Throughout five hundred years of history and ten thousand miles of geographical expanse, there is no book like this.

His calligraphy directly rivals that of Wang Xizhi.

After Wang Xizhi, Tang dynasty painters captured the form, Mi Fu captured the spirit, but only Zhao Mengfu captured both form and spirit.

These are things he said later.

They praised Zhao Mengfu as the best person after Wang Xizhi.

Because Zhao Mengfu was an extremely "diligent" person, the kind who swung his sword 10,000 times a day for 20 years.

Those who don't know anything about it or only have a superficial understanding will look at his moves and think, "Pshaw, it's just swinging a sword."

I can too.

A true expert would take a closer look and exclaim, "Holy crap, every swing of his sword carries a sword aura!"

Zhang Yuan specifically sought out this person's calligraphy to copy because it suited him.

When he first started out, he could be carefree, but now he needs to be more serious.

Whether in business or in professional endeavors, one must strive to be an outstanding entrepreneur and a model of integrity for the industry.

In terms of acting career, one should consider tempering one's brilliance and restraining one's performance, instead of letting loose as one did at the beginning.

He has gradually become the rule-maker, so naturally he needs to "follow the rules".

I've now gone from Linghu Chong to Zuo Lengchan, no, I mean Qiao Feng. In the future, I'll develop along the lines of Zhang Sanfeng, so I have to be upright and honorable.

"Just playing around, nothing to brag about." After finishing writing a piece, Zhang Yuan noticed that everyone else had a seal, but he didn't.

It seems I should learn from Emperor Qianlong and get myself some good stamps.

"I didn't expect someone so young to have such profound skills," Teacher Pan said, praising him.

"It's alright, I don't have time to practice. We can talk privately sometime when I'm free." He clasped his hands in thanks.

"Sigh." But Teacher Pan sighed softly, "I've had quite a bit of free time lately."

"I was thinking of traveling and enjoying the scenery, and taking a break."

"Not filming?"

"I've pushed away a lot of things, I just want to clear my head." This man, holding his thermos like an old cadre, took a sip.

Oh... Zhang Yuan didn't ask any more questions; he remembered.

He just got divorced!

No wonder this year is a big year for divorces, with a surge in divorces.

And whether it's a coincidence or a sign of things turning around, next year is a big year for weddings in the entertainment industry.

"What's wrong? You look like you're afraid to speak." Teacher Pan was easygoing and changed the subject herself: "Divorce doesn't mean you can't live together anymore."

"Look how scared you are. I don't care what others say."

"I'm still young, I haven't experienced much, and I don't understand," he chuckled in agreement.

Divorce itself isn't scary; what's scary is a messy, ugly divorce.

After their divorce, their son lived with Dong Jie.

This child is quite rare in the entertainment industry, a typical example of someone who inherited the best looks from both parents.

Moreover, it also concealed the two people's biggest drawback: their average height.

But...

Zhang Yuan has a soft heart sometimes. When the other party pretends to be indifferent, he is a decent person and someone who can make friends.

So he wanted to ask.

“I’ve seen a lot of negative comments about you online lately.”

"There are all kinds."

"I don't care." Teacher Pan lowered her head and didn't look at him.

If they truly didn't care, why would they be so subdued?

He said he turned down many roles, which isn't entirely true.

I really want to travel and relax, but the divorce has been a huge blow.

What's more troublesome is that many production teams rejected him!

The root of the problem lies with his ex-wife, Sister Dong.

Zhang Yuan would like to call Teacher Pan the second most miserable person of the year.

The most tragic figure was Yin Xiaotian, who was betrayed by the Backstabbing Cult.

These two unfortunate old men were both ruined by women.

And they're all lies!

Pan Yueming ranked second, mainly because Dong Jie had at least once been in love with him and had a child with him.

To be so cruel to the father of one's own child, one's former lover, Dong Jie is truly something else.

Zhang Yuan realized back then that this woman was definitely not the innocent, naive girl he portrayed on screen.

I don't know if they found the same teacher or the same publicity team as Yao Dazui.

Zhang Yuan was more inclined to believe that the other party would follow suit.

She portrayed her ex-husband as a villain who had started a relationship and then abandoned her. Because she knew exactly what kind of person Pan Yueming was, she had him completely under her thumb.

Good people will be robbed!

What do you think of these remarks?

"Do you need help with this?" Zhang Yuan offered.

"Never mind, let her go."

Pan Yueming felt that he could certainly step forward to "expose the fraud".

But if the couple takes their feud to the media and their relationship falls apart, the audience will enjoy watching, but what about their son?
The child is still young, and the parents are playing chess in public, or even going to court. How much psychological trauma will this leave on the child?

In addition, the child is with the other party, and if he were to have a fit, he doesn't know what his ex-wife would instill in their son.

Perhaps they portray themselves as a skinning, cannibalistic demon.

Zhang Yuan thought that Teacher Pan's acting skills were not bad, and his character was also good.

I'll help you deal with these troubles, and in return, you'll work for me—it's perfectly reasonable.

But the premise is that the other party is willing.

If someone isn't interested, forcing them won't work.

Just let things take their natural course.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "There are just too many inhuman things in our line of work."

Zhang Shaohan's parents are like that, and Pan Yueming's ex-wife is like that too.

It would be great if you two switched places!
With these kinds of stories playing out around him every day, how could he not be careful, suspicious, and paranoid?
In this line of work, you can't rely on family, women, or friends.

Only you can truly rely on yourself.

Zhang Yuan could understand that the other party was willing to silently endure it.

He also knew that Dong Jie wouldn't stop and would continue to write long posts on Weibo.

She elevates herself by belittling her ex-husband's reputation.

And then... he ruined his own life.

She accused Pan Yueming of not taking care of the children and treating her badly, but that was all.

You two are just talking about things; who knows what's really going on?

Then, Dong Jie came up with a "brilliant idea".

In order to make everyone question Teacher Pan's character and play the victim, Dong Jie accused Pan Yueming of hiring paparazzi to follow him.

This is a brilliant move.

The guilty party accuses the innocent first, and if a scandal breaks out later, well, I told you he'd get someone to follow me—it's all fake!

That's a plan that has been meticulously planned.

There was only one minor drawback, she said, was that Pan Yueming hired Zhuo Wei to work with him.

Zhuo Wei is already very famous; he's the most well-known paparazzi.

Including the paparazzi in the mix might be a warning.

One can be shrewd, but not too shrewd.

Being too shrewd, only thinking of oneself and not others, will lead to trouble.

Not everyone is Zhang Yuan, who can completely defeat the paparazzi king by cultivating the Great Luck Technique.

What do you mean by "settling accounts"?
Her Weibo post infuriated Zhuo Wei!

what?
They accused me of taking money to help your ex-husband stalk you.

How could I be wrongly accused?

Back then, Liu Xiaoqing had a very unpleasant experience after being secretly photographed by Zhuo Wei, but after getting to know him, Liu Xiaoqing said that Zhuo Wei was a person with "sentiments".

It's not that he's particularly noble, but rather a comparison with other figures.

Liu Xiaoqing later learned that the other party had a lot of juicy information, especially about her relationship, but the other party had not released it.

Because Qing Nai is very open about her extramarital affairs and doesn't hide them at all, Zhuo Wei has no interest in revealing this kind of information.

Zhuo Wei is the kind of person who loves to dig up things you're hiding that you don't want others to know!

Moreover, he rarely spreads rumors; he only reveals information when he has concrete evidence.

They're in it for the money, but they have high professional standards. As for professional ethics, let's not even talk about that; there's no ethics in their line of work.

Zhuo Weixin thought to herself, "I've never heard of such a request in my entire life."

Originally, I didn't care about Dong Jie's divorce case at all; I was just following Wang Fei's life after the divorce.

Since you specifically asked for my name, I'll grant your request!

They actually sent someone to follow up.

And once they started following him, they went all the way to Hainan and actually got some big footage.

That was the photo of her kissing the "ugly man" Wang Dazhi.

This was revealed by Zhuo Wei, but Dong Jie was the one who recruited the other party first!

This is what they mean by "Heaven's sins may be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins are unforgivable."

Originally, no one was targeting you, but you insisted on creating enemies for yourself.

Teacher Pan didn't need his help, so Zhang Yuan let things happen naturally.

"Hey!"

While Zhang Yuan was chatting with them, he received a phone call.

"Ok."

"Okay, I won't say anything, is that alright?"

He reluctantly put down his phone.

"What's wrong?" Teacher Pan asked, seeing how radiant he had been just moments before, and she was filled with envy.

This is the radiance of someone who has achieved great success in their career; he understands it.

But right now he looks disgusted.

"I'm planning to go to the Central Academy of Drama for classes."

He told the other person what had happened, and it was nice to have someone to listen to him.

They agreed that he didn't need to write a letter of understanding.

The head of the performing arts department and the head of the photography department almost got into a fight!

You forced our star students to vouch for your institute?
Pooh!
Have you no shame at all?
The matter escalated to the executive principal's office, where they started arguing and tearing each other apart.

An artist who knows martial arts is unstoppable.

The head of the performing arts department suffered a loss.

The photographer, after all, is physically stronger.

The principal also had a headache.

This celebrity student hasn't even enrolled in school yet, and he's already generated so much buzz.
Everyone, take a break!

The Chinese are moderates, and ultimately came up with a compromise solution.

The student was so stubborn that he really refused to come back, which is embarrassing for us.

No letter of understanding is needed; the school will handle it later. However, he is asked to remain silent about the proposed solution and not to offer any opinions or responses.

Knowing full well that he was going to make up a story, Zhang Yuan couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

What frustrated him most was that the condition for silence offered was guaranteed admission to graduate school...

He's so worried!

You guys have ruined the whole thing of getting into graduate school through the recommendation system.

If any problems arise and someone needs to silence the critics, they'll be guaranteed admission to graduate school.

He originally thought that the school was a quiet place where he could cleanse his mind from the troubles of the outside world.

Looking at you now, you're all doing just fine here, not much better than outside.

Do you think I need you to get a guaranteed admission to graduate school?

I can pass the exam myself!

He hated the other person's way of doing things, hated that everyone did it, and hated even more that he had to "go with the flow".

But these words had a different meaning to Pan Yueming.

OK!

He has courage and ideals!
They don't want guaranteed admission to graduate school; you have to take the entrance exam yourself.

Sure, he's someone important!
He was unaware that the term "guaranteed admission to graduate school" had become stigmatized; Zhang Yuan simply didn't want to add another stain to his reputation.

I can afford to buy it at the original price, why would I need a discount from you?

"Brother, you're a real man!" Teacher Pan patted him on the shoulder.

“You’re the real man,” Zhang Yuan said sincerely.

He can withstand his ex-wife's attacks without saying a word; his patience is no less than that of Jia Nailiang.

However, Jia Nailiang was only after money, while Teacher Pan was truly respectable.

After leaving the calligraphy association, Zhang Yuan turned on mobile games and QQ to relax.

Sometimes, the game world is purer.

drop by drop...

A new group message has arrived on QQ.

Zhang Yuan went online and greeted everyone.

When will the next update be?

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

A few seconds later, a message popped up.

Although words are not as direct as pictures, they can convey emotions more clearly.

But Zhang Yuan still sensed an incredibly heavy atmosphere from those words.

There will be no more updates.

"Wow!" He was overjoyed to see the reply.

Great, this game is doomed! (End of Chapter)