After abandoning his wife and children, Bo Xilai coaxed and begged her to reconcile.

Professor Wu nodded, looking at the group of students with a pleased expression, clearly very satisfied with them.

He looked at Lou Yin with gentle eyes, his tone carrying a hint of approval: "You've been abroad for so long, yet you haven't lost any of your traditional cultural knowledge."

Lou Yin smiled, half-jokingly and half-seriously replying, "Of course. The things passed down from our ancestors are the most captivating. How could we bear to part with them?"

"So, Junior Brother Lou, you're not planning to leave this time you've returned to China? I heard that the research institute in Beicheng offered you a job, but you still resolutely went abroad. Why was that?"

Back then, Lou Yin had two excellent opportunities—inheriting his family's vast fortune or entering a national-level research institute. Either path was an easy road that most people could only dream of, but he gave them both up and went abroad instead.

Lou Yin glanced at Song Jinye subconsciously, but quickly looked away, his tone casual: "Why else? I just want to take advantage of my youth and go out and explore."

"Really? You haven't met anyone you're attracted to while you've been abroad all these years? Still single?" The senior student teased, holding a teacup. "Professor Wu isn't just our academic mentor; he's always been concerned about our marriage prospects. Look at all of us in this room, most of us have kids who're old enough to run errands, and now only you and your junior sister are still single. Professor Wu, tell me, aren't you worried about them too?"

Professor Wu nodded. "That's true. One must be diligent in academic pursuits, but personal life matters are also of utmost importance."

Song Jin raised an eyebrow, blinked, and a sly smile curved her lips: "Professor Wu, I've been married for a long time, and I have a three-year-old daughter. I've already finished my task of finding a spouse. You can worry about it for Brother Lou."

Lou Yin glanced at her reproachfully, both amused and exasperated: "So you just handed in your paper and ran away, leaving me all alone to be watched by the entire sect and pressured to get married? Junior Sister, that's so unfair of you."

"Junior Sister, that was an invalid answer. We can give you another chance. Right, Senior Brother Lou?" Someone gave Lou Yin a mischievous wink.

"No need. Thank you." Song Jin shook her head vigorously, her refusal quite clear.

Everyone burst into laughter, and Professor Wu's smile never faded as he watched the noisy commotion.

He held up two fingers and pointed at Lou Yin and Song Jinye from a distance, his tone slightly mischievous: "You two are the easiest to manage, and you two are also the most troublesome."

After the laughter subsided, someone noticed a desk in the corner of the bookstore and had a sudden inspiration: "As everyone knows, Professor Wu is not only devoted to research but also passionate about calligraphy. I heard that Junior Brother Lou and Junior Sister Lou have also received guidance from Professor Wu in their calligraphy. Why don't you two write a 'longevity' character right here and now as a memento for Professor Wu? It would also allow us to appreciate the talent of you two outstanding students from his school."

Song Jin pursed her lips, looking a little embarrassed, and softly declined, "I haven't practiced calligraphy in a long time, so I won't embarrass myself in front of the teacher."

"It's alright, just consider it joining in the fun," Professor Wu encouraged, his refined expression full of indulgence. In his mind, there was nothing that Song Jinye, this genius student, couldn't do.

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of people rushed to the desk, some laying out felt mats, others looking for paperweights, giving Song Jin no chance to dodge. In no time, the brush and ink were ready.

"Then... shall I make a fool of myself?"

"Write it down." Professor Wu's eyes filled with anticipation.

With the help of several classmates, he stood up and slowly walked to the desk, watching with great interest as the two men wielded their brushes.

"How about this, Senior Brother Lou writes the first line, and Junior Sister writes the second line, so we can make a birthday couplet to represent the wishes of all of us, what do you think?" someone suggested.

"Great idea, let's do it!" Everyone agreed.

"Then I'll offer my humble opinion as a starting point. Please forgive me if my writing is not good." Lou Yin walked to the desk, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and with a light turn of his wrist, the brush tip moved steadily and neatly across the gold-flecked red paper. The seven characters "持恆治学怀高义" (Upholding perseverance in learning and cherishing lofty ideals) were written in one breath without the slightest pause.

"Good! Good! Good! Junior Brother Lou, you've been secretly practicing every day behind our backs, haven't you?"

Professor Wu watched him write, paused for a moment, then glanced at Song Jinye, as if he understood something.

After Song Jin finished reading the first line of the couplet he had written, the worry that had been hanging over her subsided, and her expression relaxed a bit: "So, Senior Brother Lou, you also practice Zhao Mengfu's running script? I was secretly sweating just now, afraid that you would start by writing the running script of the Sage of Calligraphy or the cursive script of the Sage of Cursive Script, then our birthday couplet would seem inexplicable."

"Junior Sister, you're absolutely right. Junior Brother Lou has been practicing the 'Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion' all along, but I didn't expect his running script of Zhao Mengfu to have such a strong style, right, Professor Wu?"

Professor Wu stared at those words and nodded meaningfully. "When did you learn this?" he asked Lou Yin.

"I practiced it when I was bored." Lou Yin touched his nose, feeling embarrassed that he had been seen through.

Professor Wu glanced at him and joked, "Looks like you had a lot of free time abroad."

Lou Yin stepped aside to give his seat to Song Jinye: "Junior sister, it's your turn."

After Song Jin stood still, he thought for a moment before picking up his pen and following the strokes of the pen, writing down each character one by one: "Nourish virtue and enjoy longevity"—seven characters in one go.

"Teacher, I hope you will be kind with your words." Song Jin also spoke with shame, as she had indeed neglected to practice calligraphy over the years.

"Yes, it is a bit scattered. But it doesn't matter, we're not professional calligraphers. Compared to others, you're already one of the best among amateurs. I had you learn calligraphy and different things so that you wouldn't narrow your research focus. Learning seemingly unrelated things allows us to approach our research questions from different perspectives and angles." Professor Wu genuinely felt that Song Jin had already done more than enough.

Once the ink had dried slightly, Professor Wu had someone pick up the couplet.

He took out his reading glasses and scanned the characters up and down several times. "Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy is rounded and elegant, but the structure is square, emphasizing the ultimate moderation and harmony. Every stroke is precise and measured, not a bit more or less is acceptable, leaving no room for shortcuts. Lou Yin's basic skills are very solid. It may seem unsharp, but in fact, his skill is evident everywhere. However, Xiao Ye's calligraphy has its own charm. Although he has not practiced much, the form is loose but the spirit is cohesive. It has an understated and unpretentious beauty, low-key and restrained yet with its own aura."

"Teacher, you're making me blush with your praise." Song Jin smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling.

"What's there to be embarrassed about? You're so outstanding, shouldn't you let people praise you?"

Professor Wu's exaggerated tone made everyone burst into laughter.