The morning passed quickly.
News of the campus calligraphy competition had already spread throughout the school.
The generous rewards had sparked heated discussions among teachers and students alike.
This year's competition would involve all grades, and all teachers and students were welcome to observe.
For the participants, it was a fantastic opportunity to gain recognition. Whether praised for their skill or criticized for their flaws, their efforts wouldn't go unnoticed.
Numerous posts about the campus calligraphy competition appeared on the forum.
"Who will win the Grand Prize in the Calligraphy Competition?"
"Analysis of the Contestants"
"Will it be a half-day holiday this afternoon?"
Students from all three grades actively participated in lively discussions on these threads.
"I vote for Yang Dong this time! He was the gold medalist in the last calligraphy competition. His brushwork is truly enviable."
"Speaking of which, the rewards weren't this generous last time. The first prize was just a backpack. I vote for Yang Dong too."
"If I had known, I should have signed up for a class to practice. Maybe I could have won first place too."
"Get real. Without at least ten years of practice, winning is impossible."
"Why are you all hyping up Yang Dong? What about our Goddess Shen?"
"The one above, who is Goddess Shen?"
"It's Shen Musi from Class 2-1. She didn't participate last time, otherwise, Yang Dong wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Keep dreaming. Have you ever seen Yang Dong's calligraphy? It's still displayed in the exhibition case at the school library."
"That's because you haven't seen our Goddess Shen's calligraphy. They're on different levels."
"The one above is an idiot, confirmed!"
...
Although Yang Dong wasn't particularly handsome, his calligraphy was exceptional!
This was a consensus among all teachers and students.
Therefore, when someone praised Shen Musi, whom most people didn't even know, they were naturally attacked.
Finally, the person left a message: "You'll all be proven wrong this afternoon!"
And then they disappeared.
The afternoon calligraphy competition finally began amidst great anticipation.
The venue was the large sports field.
Hundreds of tables were set up on the field. With nearly 1500 students in the school and 108 participants, the students jokingly referred to themselves as the "108 Heroes of the Second Middle School."
The principal himself was hosting the competition.
Principal Wu Zhixing, a middle-aged man in his forties, possessed an elegant and cultured demeanor, clearly indicating a scholarly background.
The four judges for this competition were reportedly invited teachers from the city's calligraphy association.
Among them was Qin Chuan, the vice president of the city's calligraphy association.
"First, I'd like to thank our esteemed teachers and students for their support of this calligraphy competition. This event is spearheaded by the City Calligraphy Association for a city-wide competition among primary and secondary schools. The first-place winner will represent our school in the city-level competition! I urge all participants to give their utmost effort and strive for excellence, showcasing the spirit of our Second Middle School!"
Wu Zhixing delivered an impassioned speech on the stage.
The audience responded with applause.
At the judges' table.
The judges were leisurely sipping tea and conversing.
"I wonder if this competition will bring forth any promising talents?"
"I'm not holding my breath. Did you forget the competition at First Middle School the other day? The first-place submission was barely satisfactory."
"It's not bad for high school students, though. After all, how good can high schoolers' calligraphy be?"
Just then.
The old man in the center snorted, "Ignorance!"
The expressions of the other three judges changed, and they quickly asked.
"Master Qin, what do you mean? Do you know something we don't?"
"Old Qin, don't keep us in suspense. If you know of any good talents, just tell us."
"Indeed, indeed!"
Qin Chuan took a sip of tea, stroked his mustache, and smiled, "Shen's granddaughter is at Second Middle School."
"Hiss~"
The other judges gasped in unison.
"President Shen's granddaughter is here? Then the championship is hers."
"Shen Musi is indeed remarkable. Her skill far surpasses that of high school students."
"No wonder you came along this time, Old Qin. I was wondering why a mere Second Middle School would interest you so much."
Suddenly, their anticipation for the competition grew.
It was Shen Musi!
President Shen's granddaughter.
Her talent in brushwork could only be described as genius!
The 108 wooden tables were already occupied by participants.
Each table was spaced at least four to five meters apart, thanks to the spacious venue.
Mid-Autumn Festival had passed, and the temperature had dropped significantly. Despite the bright sun, the temperature was around 25 degrees Celsius.
It was perfectly described as crisp autumn air.
Outside the competition area, simple ropes had been set up, with teachers on guard.
The remaining teachers and students stood outside the area to watch.
"Holy cow, look at the girl in the front row! Her white attire is like snow. She's stunning!"
"Let me see! Wow, we have a beauty of this caliber at our school? I had no idea."
"You're out of touch. That's Shen Musi, the undisputed goddess of the entire second year. I heard her brushwork is excellent."
"I don't care if her brushwork is good or not, her looks alone have me hooked!"
More than half of the gazes from outside the field were focused on the first table in the first row.
There stood a girl in a white Hanfu, exuding an aura of scholarly refinement. Her exquisite features were undeniably perfect. She looked as if she had stepped out of an ancient painting.
The participants around her were utterly captivated and lost in thought.
However, besides her scholarly air, Shen Musi also possessed a cool and aloof demeanor that kept people at a distance, so no one dared to approach her.
Her aura was too powerful!
The 108 tables were arranged in 12 rows, with nine tables in each row.
Wang Yue was positioned in the middle of the eighth row.
To his left and right were Yang Dong and Wan Mengdie, with Zhang Tao behind him.
"Wang Yue, are you nervous? I'm a bit nervous. When I get nervous, I feel like I have to pee."
Zhang Tao, standing behind, looked embarrassed.
He was starting to feel apprehensive. If he had known the scale of the event, he wouldn't have registered.
If his calligraphy turned out poorly, he would be utterly shamed in front of the entire school!
Just then, Zhang Tao noticed several staff members carrying cameras approaching. He quickly adjusted his expression and pretended to be nonchalant.
Soon, a large screen was erected on the field, displaying the competition area. It showed the expressions and states of the contestants.
Given the sheer number of students and teachers, it was impossible for everyone to crowd around the edge of the competition area to watch.
The students from Class 3-1, led by Zuo Yue, gathered together.
Upon seeing the screen, they all burst into laughter.
It was because the camera had just zoomed in on Zhang Tao.
It was evident that Zhang Tao was very nervous, his body tense, yet he was trying hard to appear calm. However, the occasional twitch of his eye and the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
"Hahaha, what is Zhang Tao doing? If he's so nervous, why participate?"
"Exactly. This kid is so embarrassing. I could already hear other classes asking which class he's from."
"In comparison, look how calm Yang Dong is."
"Wow, indeed. Yang Dong looks very composed."
"Not only that, but Wang Yue also looks very calm, not panicked at all."
"Wan Mengdie is still a bit nervous. I hope they all do their best."
Qiao Zixuan clenched her fists, feeling a bead of sweat on her brow. She stared at Wang Yue's fleeting image on the screen, thinking, "You must do your best!"
Under the large screen, the contestants were like exposed in a mirror of truth.
Who was nervous, who was calm, who was confident – it was all laid bare.
So far, Shen Musi in the front row was the most captivating.
All other contestants paled in comparison to her.
From her attire to her looks, no fault could be found.
Many began calling her by the nickname "Immortal in the Painting."
Next, Wang Yue also attracted many admirers.
Mainly because his looks were too striking.
Even though his image flashed by, many people started inquiring about Wang Yue's name.
Yang Yue was also in the crowd.
Her eyes lit up. Since adding Wang Yue as a friend, they hadn't had a proper conversation.
Seeing him again today at the campus calligraphy competition rekindled her affections.
"No matter what, I must win this guy over!"
As the live broadcast equipment was fully adjusted, including the commentators who had been hastily recruited.
Standing on the podium, Wu Zhixing uttered the words that set everyone's blood boiling: "I announce that the competition begins!"