Back in his seat, Chen Yang was still somewhat dazed. Fang Hongda's earlier words had left him somewhat disoriented.
Chen Yang didn't believe that a provincial party secretary would be mistaken, but he couldn't figure out which of his old acquaintances he resembled so much.
Chen Yang first ruled out any connection to his past life. After so much time, he understood that this world was completely different from his previous one, though very similar, fundamentally different. In this world, the Fang family, a prominent political family in China, had no third-generation descendant like Chen Yang.
Then it could only be related to the original owner of this body, that poor guy from a small mountain town. A resemblance usually stemmed from the parents. In this life, Chen Yang's father had died early, and aside from going to university in Beijing, he spent most of his time in Nanpu. His father's relatives and friends were almost all from Nanpu, so he shouldn't have had any connection with Fang Hongda.
"Then Mother..."
A thought flashed through Chen Yang's mind, as if he had grasped something. Just then, someone tapped Chen Yang's shoulder, abruptly interrupting his train of thought.
"Chen Yang, there were so many people earlier, I didn't have a chance to come over. Congratulations!" Leng Junfei, holding a wine glass, personally came to Chen Yang's seat and said happily.
Qiankun Culture was the main sponsor of this competition, and as the president of Qiankun Group, Leng Junfei was naturally among the invited guests. However, as the president of a giant listed company, many people came to the banquet to try and build relationships. Businessmen value harmony for profit and didn't want to offend anyone, so although he had wanted to come and congratulate Chen Yang for a long time, he had kept putting it off until now.
"Thank you, Mr. Leng!" Chen Yang said with a smile. "Mr. Leng's personal visit to Rongcheng this time wasn't just for attending this calligraphy and painting competition, was it?"
Leng Junfei paused for a moment, then asked:
"How did you know?"
"Let me guess! Mr. Leng is probably here to request a piece of calligraphy! And..." Chen Yang laughed, "If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Leng is probably here to request a piece of calligraphy for Chairman Ning!"
Leng Junfei was greatly surprised and said:
"You're really a god! That's right, Chairman Ning had urgent business in the US yesterday. Upon learning that Master Baiyan was coming to Rongcheng, he called me overnight, instructing me to spare no expense to obtain an authentic work by the master."
After saying that, Leng Junfei pressed on, "How exactly did you guess that?"
Chen Yang laughed heartily, raised his wine glass, and lightly clinked it against Leng Junfei's. After taking a sip of red wine, he spoke:
"It's simple! Normally, in the eyes of a CEO like you, today's event would be utterly insignificant. Sending any subordinate would be a great favor to the publicity department. Your personal visit must have a reason!"
Chen Yang paused, then continued:
"And I happened to see a calligraphy work in the Baiyan style at Chairman Ning's house. Although it was done by a woman, it showed promise and had a certain charm. This calligraphy was hanging prominently in the living room, and Chairman Ning clearly admired it greatly. Putting all this together, isn't President Leng's purpose for this trip obvious?"
If Ning Kuncheng were here, he would be astonished. Chen Yang was referring to the calligraphy that Ning Kuncheng had been so captivated by when they arrived at the seaside villa. But Chen Yang hadn't even examined it closely that day, yet he could determine it was a copy, and by a woman no less—this was simply astonishing. Leng Junfei wasn't present that day and didn't know the specifics. Hearing this, he wasn't too surprised. He nodded, his expression somewhat somber:
"That was my sister-in-law's last work. She loved calligraphy, especially the works of Master Bai Yan. Her greatest wish was to own an authentic piece by him. The calligraphy in Chairman Ning's living room is one of her most cherished copies. After she passed away, Chairman Ning would look at that calligraphy every day. He had a deep affection for her! So he wanted Master Bai Yan to write a piece for her, but he hadn't found a good opportunity. If Chairman Ning hadn't been in the US this time, he probably would have come here in person!"
Speaking of which... Leng Junfei couldn't help but smile wryly, then continued, "But how easy is it to ask Master Baiyan for calligraphy! Businessmen like us might seem respectable to most, but in the eyes of a great artist like Master Baiyan, we're still not up to par! Besides, Chairman Ning wants Master Baiyan to specify in the inscription that it's for his sister-in-law… writing calligraphy for the deceased is a bit unlucky. I guess I'll likely be disappointed this time!"
Chen Yang suddenly understood. Initially, he thought Ning Kuncheng was just being pretentious and didn't intend to get involved. But after hearing Leng Junfei's explanation of the reasons, Chen Yang was deeply moved by Ning Kuncheng's kindness and loyalty. Since Leng Junfei was asking for calligraphy to fulfill Ning Qiaoqian's mother's last wish, Chen Yang couldn't stand idly by.
Thinking of this, Chen Yang said to Leng Junfei:
"Mr. Leng, write down Auntie's name for me. This matter… I'll figure something out!"
"You figure something out? No way!" Leng Junfei was taken aback at first, but then understood Chen Yang's idea and immediately waved his hands, saying, "Although Master Baiyan is your teacher, he just accepted you as his disciple today. It's not good for you to ask him for calligraphy so soon, especially for an outsider. It will make the master misunderstand you!"
Although Leng Junfei had no way to get calligraphy, upon hearing that Chen Yang wanted to help, he still firmly refused, his affection for Chen Yang evident.
Chen Yang smiled and said confidently, "Don't worry! I have a way! This matter is settled. Mr. Leng, give me your contact information and wait for my news at the hotel!"
Chen Yang's tone was calm, but it carried an unyielding firmness. Leng Junfei knew immediately that Chen Yang's mind was made up. Reluctantly, he took out his business card, wrote Ning Qiaoqian's mother's name on the back, and handed it to Chen Yang. He was filled with remorse; he regretted telling Chen Yang about this matter. If it affected Chen Yang's standing in Master Baiyan's eyes, Leng Junfei would feel guilty for the rest of his life.
...
Master Baiyan left early, before the banquet ended. After all, he was advanced in years and exhausted from the afternoon's activities; sitting any longer would be too much for his body. A car from the Provincial Propaganda Department took him back to the Provincial Party Committee Guesthouse, where his disciple Chen Yang naturally served him.
The car stopped in front of a small building nestled among the trees. This was Building No. 1 of the Provincial Party Committee Guesthouse, not open to the public except when central leaders came to inspect. Arranging for Master Baiyan to stay here was, of course, personally instructed by Fang Hongda.
Chen Yang helped Master Bai Yan out of the car. Master Bai Yan affectionately patted Chen Yang's head and said with a smile,
"No need, no need! This old man isn't so useless that he needs help!"
The two entered the house one after the other. The first floor was a high-ceilinged hall, decorated in a simple yet grand Chinese style. The hall was brightly lit under the glow of antique palace lanterns. A man was sitting in the reception area drinking tea. Upon seeing Master Bai Yan, he immediately stood up.
Master Bai Yan also greeted him with a smile from afar, his voice full of energy:
"Little Yan! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!"
Only then did Chen Yang recognize the person and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise,
"Professor Yan!"
Chen Yang never expected that the person waiting for Master Bai Yan in the hall was actually his international law professor, Professor Yan Jun. Professor Yan first greeted Master Bai Yan respectfully, then smiled and said to Chen Yang:
"Xiao Fang, congratulations! Your performance this afternoon was outstanding. No wonder Master Bai was impressed!"
"So Professor Yan was also here this afternoon. No wonder his class was rescheduled!" Chen Yang thought to himself, while humbly replying:
"Professor Yan, you flatter me!"
The three exchanged a few pleasantries and then took the elevator together to Master Bai Yan's room on the top floor. This was the most luxurious suite in Building One, usually reserved for visits by high-ranking national leaders, demonstrating Fang Hongda's respect for Master Bai Yan.
Upon entering, Master Bai Yan and Professor Yan Yan took their seats as host and guest, while Chen Yang busied himself making tea and peeling fruit for them. In his previous life in Beijing, Chen Yang often served Old Master Fang, so he was quite adept at these tasks. After chatting for a while, Master Baiyan took the initiative and said,
"Young Yan! I promised to write you a piece of calligraphy when we were in Beijing last time, but I've been too busy with other matters to do so. Now that you're here, please fulfill that promise!"
Professor Yan was overjoyed. Actually, he had intended to do this during his visit to Master Baiyan, but he had been too shy to ask. Since Master Baiyan had brought it up, Professor Yan naturally thanked him profusely.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yang immediately began preparations. The suite had a dedicated study, fully equipped with the Four Treasures of the Study. In no time, Chen Yang had prepared the ink, arranged the paper and brushes, and left the study to invite Master Baiyan.
Master Baiyan said,
"My seal box is in the drawer of my bedside table. Go get it for me."
Chen Yang took the seal box to the study and asked softly,
"Teacher, is it the 'Baiyan Shanren' seal?"
In his previous life, Chen Yang followed the master for many years and knew his habits very well. Master Baiyan was particular about the seals he used when writing calligraphy. He usually only used the "Baiyan Shanren" seal when requesting calligraphy, hence Chen Yang's question.
Master Baiyan looked at Chen Yang with some surprise and said with a smile,
"Take out 'Yiran Zide' as well!"
Chen Yang nodded in agreement, glancing enviously at Professor Yan. The "Yiran Zide" seal was carved by the master himself, and he rarely used it unless someone he was extremely close to requested calligraphy. Therefore, works by Master Baiyan bearing this seal are significantly more valuable.