Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Contrary to the legendary image of being impulsive, spoiled, and ferocious, Wu Yaozu's fountain pen handwriting is breathtaking.

Just like his paintings, it is stunning.

There is no trace of malice in his writing.

It's hard to imagine that he would lose control and stab Xia Lin in public, a violent offender guilty of intentional assault.

Regardless of the reasons behind the incident, Lu Mingzhu has never agreed with the victim-blaming theory. The victim's mistakes can be addressed in numerous ways, but physical harm should never be the response.

That is not venting anger, but a lose-lose situation.

Harming someone, or even killing them, will not let oneself escape; at best, imprisonment; at worst, a death sentence.

It readily brings to Lu Mingzhu's mind the beautiful girl who was disfigured by sulfuric acid.

Because she turned down the advances of a wealthy heir, she was disfigured.

Even with millions in compensation, her once-beautiful face can never be restored, while the perpetrator, upon release, continues to live without consequence.

Unlike Xia Lin, she was completely innocent.

Xia Lin was involved with Wu Yaozu and several wealthy merchants, but the girl had done nothing to provoke the wealthy heir; it was a completely unjust tragedy.

Fortunately, Xia Lin did not lose her life and was willing to accept money for reconciliation afterward. Otherwise, regardless of Wu Yaozu's artistic talent, Lu Mingzhu would not dare to use him, fearing a repeat of violent behavior.

Here's hoping he can truly reform!

Lu Mingzhu continued to read the letter.

Wu Yaozu's language was both refined and modest, expressing his excitement when he first saw "The Swordsman" in the Hong Kong Daily, his eagerness for each new chapter, his admiration for the author Zhi Wei, and his love for the Golden Phoenix, admiring her chivalry, tenderness, and generosity, filling several pages with his thoughts.

He also mentioned that he had done something wrong and deeply regretted it.

He had shamed his mother and drained her finances, subjecting her to criticism for her actions to get him out of prison.

Though some misguided friends praised him afterward, encouraging his 'manly' retaliation and vengeance, he was deeply remorseful. He should have broken up with her, not lashed out over her spending his money,

and ultimately stabbed her.

More or less, Wu Yaozu still complained in the letter: "I took one of the large white pearls my mother bought and had it set into a ring to give to her, simply because she envied her peers' pearl rings, rendering my mother's pearl set incomplete. And then she ended up with an old man!"

Lu Mingzhu was too embarrassed to tell him in her reply that the old man was her own father, and those pearls were also bought from her, so she continued reading the content.

Wu Yaozu shyly asked Zhi Wei to critique his illustrations and his comic strips at the end.

If Zhi Wei agreed, he would pay 50% of the royalties to Zhi Wei after the comic strips were published, as a gesture of his intention to use "The Swordsman" to create the comic strips.

He also hoped to have Zhi Wei personally inscribe the title for the comic strips.

Inscribe the title?

Lu Mingzhu fell silent.

Her own calligraphy was terrible; she often wrote simplified characters when learning calligraphy as a child and gave up midway due to heavy academic workload. If she had been someone who specialized in calligraphy and only wrote traditional characters, she might not have discovered that she was semi-illiterate due to traditional characters.

She was only able to write Spring Festival couplets to make a fool of herself during the Spring Festival thanks to her original body.

For some reason, when Lu Mingzhu first transmigrated, she felt a disconnect from the talents of her original body, making it difficult to master them. Most of the time, she relied on what she had learned before her transmigration. But as time passed, she gradually merged the two, effectively mastering the talents of her original body. She could now pick up a brush and write beautiful calligraphy, identical to the handwriting of her original body.

Lu Mingzhu felt like she hit the jackpot.

Compared to material possessions, talents that require diligent practice are far more precious.

One needs talent and dedication to achieve something.

She thought she could even play the *pipa* if she tried.

Lu Mingzhu decided to secretly give it a try when she had the chance.

When she left Shanghai, she brought a few *pipas* from her original body, which she had hidden in her space and later retrieved, pretending they were packed in her luggage. Fortunately, no one questioned it.

After reading letters from two other readers, Li Ke and Zhang Hui, Lu Mingzhu began to look at the comic strips.

Unlike illustrations, comic strips are a different kind of brilliance.

Bright colors, lively characters, and captions full of life.

After finishing, Lu Mingzhu felt a lingering sense of enjoyment and wrote back to them, first to Zhang Baozhu, then to Li Ke and Zhang Hui.

In their letters, both Li Ke and Zhang Hui urged Zhi Wei to give Wu Yaozu a chance.

The mistake was made and couldn’t be undone, but they hoped Wu Yaozu could turn over a new leaf to avoid self-destruction. If he remained unhappy, he might vent his anger on innocent people, harming both others and himself.

Li Ke said amusingly, "I implore Mr. Zhi Wei to save a misguided young man, preventing him from drowning in pain and making further mistakes. A small act of kindness from Mr. Zhi Wei could result in one less villain in society and one more talented individual, a painter who could shine brightly in the art world."

They were truly good friends, committed to helping him reform instead of letting him spiral into darkness.

With friends like these, what more could Wu Yaozu want in life?

Lu Mingzhu told them that she had already recommended to the newspaper and the publishing house to use Mr. Wu's illustrations and agreed to let him create the comic strip for "The Swordsman." The publishing house would contact him accordingly.

When replying to Wu Yaozu, Lu Mingzhu specially inscribed the title for the comic strip cover.

Lu Mingzhu took out the Four Treasures of the Study and wrote several versions, with the large characters reading "The Swordsman" and the small characters signed "Zhi Wei." She picked the one she liked best and finally stamped it with her personal seal.

The seals were gifts from Xie Junhao, and there were two of them.

One was made of *Tianhuang stone*, engraved with "Zhi Wei," and the other was made of *chicken blood stone*, engraved with "Great Wind."

After returning from the capital, Xie Junhao gave her and Xie Junyao many gifts. The seals were two of the gifts she received, both crafted by Old Master Qi, which made Lu Mingzhu ecstatic at the time!

Now she had a total of three seals.

Once the ink dried, Lu Mingzhu folded it, placed it in a large envelope, and packed it with the illustrations and the original comic strip manuscript.

She didn’t want to give out her real address, so she asked Ah Rong and Hong Jie, "Can I get a dedicated mailbox?"

"Of course!" Ah Rong replied without hesitation. "Mr. He rents a dedicated mailbox annually. It’s cheaper to pick it up yourself, but more expensive for home delivery. Plus, the user’s address is strictly confidential."

Lu Mingzhu said happily, "Then I’ll head to the post office to rent a dedicated mailbox."

Great!

It’s better than writing down my home address.

If I had known earlier, I would have done this from the beginning. If Editor Wang wanted to meet, we could have met outside, so he wouldn’t have known my identity.

Regret comes too late.

With the letters and package in hand, Lu Mingzhu went to the nearest post office, rented a personal mailbox, and opted for home delivery. She then added the mailbox number to the sender's address on both the envelopes and the package before sending them out.

At the same time, she sent separate letters to Editor Wang and He Long, letting them know the new contact details.

Once done, Lu Mingzhu stepped outside, ready to head home, and happened to see He Yun's car parked at the entrance. He wore a light blue Tang suit adorned with floral patterns, sitting in the car with the window open for air.

The bodyguards stepped out, likely to collect mail or something from the post office.

"Godfather," Lu Mingzhu greeted him as she approached.

He Yun seemed a bit surprised. "Are you here to pick something up or send a letter?"

Lu Mingzhu smiled. "Just renting a mailbox to stay in touch with newspapers, publishers, and readers."

Thinking of her novel being published and on the market, He Yun nodded. "The novel is well written. I specifically had someone buy a few sets to keep in the study. Do you have plans for the next one?"

Lu Mingzhu was a bit embarrassed. "Godfather, you’ve read it?"

After her fiancé and father, was her godfather now a reader too? Was it really not just friendly support?

He Yun chuckled lightly. "It’s very well written. Keep up the good work."

"Once I finish my next book, I’ll be sure to get everyone’s feedback," Lu Mingzhu said, just as the bodyguard collecting the mail emerged from the post office.

"Mingzhu, shall we go back together?" He Yun asked her.

Lu Mingzhu originally had no plans to go out, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Sure, let the car I came in relax on the way back."

She naturally took a seat in the back.

He Yun noticed her casual attire, with only a simple high ponytail and no makeup on her face, making her skin appear even fairer and her eyes clearer. Apart from a ring, there was no sign of any luxurious accessories. "Didn’t you like the jewelry I gave you earlier? I don’t see you wearing it."

Lu Mingzhu smiled and said, "It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just stored it away, worried that wearing too much would make me look like a newly rich."

The gemstones were too large—great for collecting but a bit much to wear every day.

However, she still liked big gemstones.

They’re just incredibly expensive.

He Yun said, "You don’t need to worry about what others think. Life is only a few decades, and in the end, no matter what, you won’t gain unanimous approval. If you dress plainly, some will praise your frugality, while others will call you shabby. If you dress extravagantly, some will admire your wealth, while others will call you tacky. It’s better to just do what you like."

Lu Mingzhu nodded while listening, "You’re right, Godfather—I’ll remember that!"

As for whether she would follow it or not, it would depend on her mood.

She was never that obedient.

As they neared the doorstep, Lu Mingzhu’s eyes suddenly sparkled.

He Yun looked out the window and saw Xie Junyao standing at the door, eagerly looking into the distance, holding a bouquet of flowers of various kinds, making everything around seem dull in comparison.

It had been nearly a month since they last met, and he was still as handsome as ever, but his demeanor had changed somewhat.

He had become more composed.

"Uncle, I’m heading in now. Would you like to join me for some tea?" Lu Mingzhu asked eagerly.

"I don’t want to disturb you," Mr. He replied.

"See you later, Uncle," Lu Mingzhu said as she got out of the car. She quickly jumped in front of Xie Junyao and preemptively said, "So, Young Mr. Xie, you’ve finally figured out where I live, huh?"

"I’ve always known. I just got back and didn’t even unpack yet. I came straight to find you, but you weren’t here," Xie Junyao replied, handing her the bouquet. He then looked up and met Mr. He's gaze, nodding respectfully with a calm demeanor, a change from his usual liveliness. He lowered his head and asked Lu Mingzhu, who was buried in the flowers, "Didn’t you ask Mr. He to come in for tea?"

"I did, but Uncle said he didn’t want to interrupt our date," Lu Mingzhu replied, looking up with a radiant smile.

Xie Junyao nodded with a soft look in his eyes.

After watching Mr. He’s car drive off, they walked into the house hand in hand.

Seeing a pile of gifts, Lu Mingzhu was even happier. "Did you break the bank buying all this in Shanghai?"

"No, last year’s dividends were pretty good," Xie Junyao replied, watching her place the bouquet on the sofa and start unwrapping the gifts. "What did you do to keep busy while I was gone?"

Lu Mingzhu thought for a moment and answered, "I finished the scripts for both parts of 'The Swordsman' and also wrote one for 'Yang Guifei.'"

It was obvious her fiancé had a big impact on her career.

Beauty sure is distracting!

Lu Mingzhu mentally scolded herself.

Xie Junyao was momentarily stunned. "You wrote three movie scripts all at once? That’s amazing!"

"I can do even more," Lu Mingzhu said proudly.

"Then let me give you a gift, alright?" Xie Junyao offered. "I’m sure you’ll love it."

Just as Lu Mingzhu was about to ask what the gift was, she suddenly remembered something. "Hold on, I’ve got a small but meaningful gift for you too. Let me grab it."

Xie Junyao was pleasantly surprised. "What is it?"

Without answering, Lu Mingzhu went upstairs and returned with a wrapped gift, handing it to him.

"Compared to your generosity, I’m being pretty cheap. I didn’t spend a dime," Lu Mingzhu said with a laugh. "Go ahead, open it and see what you think."

Xie Junyao gently pulled the ribbon, and the wrapping came undone.

Inside the box was a set of books with a rich, inky smell. On the cover were two bold characters: 'Blade,' and below that, 'Author Zhi Wei.'

Then, Xie Junyao noticed a line written in fountain pen: 'To my beloved Mr. Xie Junyao.'

It was signed by Zhi Wei, complete with her seal.

"'The Swordsman' is out?" Xie Junyao was overjoyed. "You’ve been so productive while I was gone!"

Lu Mingzhu smiled. "This is a unique signed copy."

She leaned closer to Xie Junyao, looking at the book together with him, and promised, "From now on, every time I publish a book, whether it's the first edition or a reprint, I'll give you a signed copy, okay?"

"Deal!" Xie Junyao loved this unique gift. "I'll treasure it and keep it as a family heirloom."

Lu Mingzhu blinked.

Have her books reached the level of family heirlooms yet?

Even though she knew they hadn’t, she was still very happy.

Xie Junyao took the gift and said, "I also have a gift for you, and I'm sure you'll like it."

Lu Mingzhu was full of curiosity, "Isn't it among these gifts?"

She pointed to the pile of gifts on the floor.

Xie Junyao shook his head, "I’ll keep it under wraps for now. I'll take you to see it once it's ready."

Lu Mingzhu was immediately filled with boundless anticipation.

The next day, Xie Junyao didn’t take her to see the gift he’d prepared. Instead, her letters were delivered to Wu Yaozu, Li Ke, Zhang Hui, and Zhang Baozhu.

When Wu Yaozu saw the bulky package, he was really bummed out, thinking his painting had been returned.

Mrs. Wu couldn’t bear to see her son like this and stepped up.

When she opened the package, a large envelope fell out. She picked it up and cried out in surprise, "Yaozu, Zhi Wei has replied to you! Look, here's his signature!"

Wu Yaozu rushed over to her side right away.

He grabbed the envelope excitedly and opened it, first seeing a folded piece of calligraphy. "Mom, mom, Zhi Wei has inscribed the cover for my comic! Does this mean he’s on board with publishing it? It's true! He agreed and even left a dedicated email address."

After reading the letter, he was over the moon like a kid.

Mrs. Wu, though, was nearly in tears, her voice trembling with emotion, "Thank you, Zhi Wei, for giving him this opportunity."

Her son could get a fresh start.

Everything that happened is water under the bridge now. May the future bring honesty, integrity, and respect for the law, without causing harm to others or oneself.