It Cannot Be His Article

Soon, Deng Zixin emerged after changing her clothes, looking sharp and cool in black leather boots, black shorts, and a black leather jacket, with a red GUCCI bag slung over her shoulder.

Closing the door and heading downstairs, Deng Zixin pulled open the garage door to reveal a brand-new white Audi R8 parked inside, gleaming brightly.

Chen Zhao clicked his tongue in secret; it seemed Deng Zixin had swapped cars again. Every few weeks or a month, her ride would change, and none of the cars she drove were worth less than a million. Chen Zhao suspected that besides being a landlady, she was moonlighting as a 4S dealership owner, or perhaps had a boyfriend who was one.

He got into the car and buckled his seatbelt.

"You're in for a treat tonight; my dad is hosting you for dinner at Qilin Mansion." Deng Zixin put on her sunglasses and slammed her foot on the gas, the car roaring to life.

Qilin Mansion.

This was a high-end restaurant located by the river, a postmodern structure of glass and gray concrete, with lush sweet osmanthus trees planted in the front and back. The parking lot was filled with nothing but luxury cars; because the average bill at this restaurant exceeded ten thousand, ordinary people simply couldn't get in.

On the east side of the restaurant was the Coral Hall private room.

This was a rather upscale room, and it was called the Coral Hall because a half-meter-tall coral tree, air-freighted from the Great Barrier Reef, stood on the dining table. This single piece of coral was worth a small sports car.

Deng Tiejun sat at the table in a white tai chi suit, sporting a long beard and looking every bit the refined, otherworldly sage.

Beside Deng Tiejun were two elderly men wearing glasses and dressed in simple, modest clothing, looking like professors or old scholars.

"Old Deng, why hasn't that author Chen Zhao arrived yet?" one of the old men asked.

"Don't be impatient, Old Mu. He should be here soon. It's not even dinner time yet, is it?" Deng Tiejun laughed.

"Even if Chen Zhao doesn't know that it's actually the two of us who want to see him, he shouldn't be this late just to meet you, right? For a junior to keep a calligraphy and painting master like Deng Tiejun waiting here—what kind of behavior is that!" The other old man also frowned, his expression quite displeased.

"Old Ma, why are you getting worked up too? You can't blame Mr. Chen for this; it's my daughter's doing, after all, since Mr. Chen is riding in her car." Deng Tiejun brushed it off. "You've both watched my girl grow up; you know how she is. When has she ever been punctual?"

The two old men, addressed as Old Mu and Old Ma, sighed. It was true; they had watched Deng Zixin grow up, and she was practically half a daughter to them. They were helpless against her habit of being late.

They had no choice but to wait.

A few minutes later, the door was suddenly pushed open with a bang. Deng Zixin strode in, full of energy, with Chen Zhao following behind.

"Finally here!" Seeing his daughter, Deng Tiejun broke into a smile as happy as a child's.

Chen Zhao felt a bit flustered. He had expected only one old man to be waiting, so a simple "Uncle Deng" would have sufficed. He hadn't expected there to be three of them, so how should he address them?

Fortunately, Deng Zixin stepped in to introduce them. "This is my dad, Deng Tiejun, the calligrapher and painter, as you know."

Chen Zhao quickly said, "Hello, Uncle Deng!"

"This is my dad's friend, Mu Tianque. He's an expert in ancient artifacts and researches all kinds of antiques. He has a very famous reputation in the country. He used to work at Peking University and the Palace Museum, but now he's retired and runs an antique exchange, helping others authenticate items." Deng Zixin pointed to the old man beside him.

Chen Zhao thought to himself that this name sounded like some sect patriarch from a fantasy novel, so he quickly said, "Hello, Uncle Mu!"

"This is my dad's friend, Ma Qingtian. He's a historian and a man of letters. He used to be a professor at Wuhan University and Fudan University, and he's retired now too," Deng Zixin introduced the last one.

Chen Zhao: "Hello, Uncle Ma!"

Mu Tianque and Ma Qingtian both nodded, smiling kindly. "Hello, young man."

Deng Tiejun looked at the door and then at his daughter. "Hasn't Mr. Chen Zhao arrived yet? This handsome young man... is he Mr. Chen's son?"

Mu Tianque and Ma Qingtian also asked curiously, "That's right, where is Mr. Chen?"

Deng Zixin was stunned. She poked Chen Zhao. "Isn't this him?"

The three old men were all stunned, looking at Chen Zhao and then at Deng Zixin, seemingly unable to process the situation.

All three old men were deeply learned in traditional culture. They had seen the essay Exhortation to Learning written in classical Chinese in the newspaper and were convinced it must be the work of an expert in ancient culture. Hearing that Deng Zixin knew the author, they had eagerly suggested a dinner to befriend a brilliant mind and discuss academic issues.

All three had subconsciously assumed that anyone capable of writing an essay like Exhortation to Learning must be a middle-aged or elderly scholar. Now, seeing no such scholar, but only a high school senior, they all assumed he must be Chen Zhao's son, tagging along for a free meal.

Deng Zixin rubbed her temples, seemingly having a headache over the three old men's denseness. "I told you, this handsome young man is Chen Zhao! The article you saw in the Baicheng Times was written by him! Chen Zhao is him, and he is Chen Zhao, understand?"

The three old men were taken aback, their faces filled with disbelief. This young man was actually the author of Exhortation to Learning?

So young?

How could this be!

It was simply preposterous!

"Nonsense! How could an article like Exhortation to Learning be written by a mere child!" Mu Tianque was the first to get angry.

"Zixin, stop joking around with us old bones. Hasn't Mr. Chen arrived yet?" Ma Qingtian asked.

"My dear girl, if you were asked to bring Mr. Chen, you must ensure he gets here. Did he go to the restroom or to park the car? Go wait for him! If we let him find his own way in, wouldn't that be poor hospitality?" Deng Tiejun also frowned.

Deng Zixin felt helpless and pulled a chair out for Chen Zhao. "Sit down."

Then, Deng Zixin pulled up a chair for herself, sat down carelessly, and snapped her fingers. A waiter immediately approached.

"Everyone is here. Bring out the food," Deng Zixin said.

The waiter immediately went off to have the food served.

Chen Zhao saw the three old men staring at him with suspicious eyes and knew they still didn't believe him. He offered a polite, apologetic smile. "Three uncles, that Exhortation to Learning is indeed my humble work. It wasn't written in one go, but rather a piece that I spent a long time revising and polishing. I usually enjoy writing in classical Chinese, and it just so happened that this article fit the exam topic, so after I wrote it, my teacher took it to be published."

Chen Zhao lied; after all, for a classic like Exhortation to Learning to be written in one breath was unrealistic, so he claimed it was a work polished over a long period.

However, after Chen Zhao finished his explanation, the three old men's brows furrowed even deeper.

Clearly, they still didn't believe that Chen Zhao had written the article.

"Chen Zhao, tell us the truth. Who actually wrote this article?" Mu Tianque demanded sternly.