Xu Zifan asked Li Ping to prepare writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone in the study. He went back to his room to change into a silk jacket with a dark embroidered pattern. Then, he went to the study, rolled up his sleeves, and walked to the table. He said casually, "Li Ping, record a short video for me. I want to post it on Weibo."
Li Ping paused for a moment when he saw his clothes, but quickly replied when he heard his words, "Okay, young master, we can begin."
Xu Zifan skillfully picked up the brush, dipped it in the inkstone, and with an expression that was neither serious nor casual, wrote the four characters "海纳百川" (meaning "the sea accepts all rivers") on the paper in one go, exuding a unique style! Li Ping stared at Xu Zifan in surprise. He had been in the Xu family for so long and had never known that Xu Zifan could write calligraphy. However, Xu Zifan's grandfather loved calligraphy, so perhaps he had practiced it when he went to school.
Xu Zifan wrote down the date, took out his personal seal and stamped it on, then looked at his work with satisfaction and nodded, saying, "Frame this and hang it on the wall. I want to see it every day."
"Yes, young master!" Li Ping said, then remembered that he was recording. He quickly turned off the recording and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, young master, I was so surprised that I forgot to record."
"It's okay." Xu Zifan took his phone and watched the video. "It's very good. Send it to me, I'm going to post it on Weibo. By the way, frame this later and hang it on the living room wall. I'll need it for taking pictures later."
"Yes, young master." Li Ping couldn't understand what Xu Zifan was trying to do. He wrote a large character and wanted to hang it in the living room for a photo. The character was completely out of place in the living room; it would definitely be very conspicuous if it were hung up. However, after what had just happened, he realized that he didn't know Xu Zifan at all. Although he was the butler's son, he hadn't been a servant in the Xu family before. He had always been studying outside and had only met Xu Zifan once. After graduating from university, his father hoped that he could take over the butler's position, so he temporarily worked as a driver for the Xu family. At that time, Xu Zifan was already very playful and sometimes didn't even come home, so they had even less contact. He felt that from now on, he needed to get to know this young master again. Perhaps what he thought was just a superficial appearance; someone who could write such characters was definitely not a spoiled brat.
Xu Zifan went back to his room, took out his phone, and posted the video on Weibo without adding any text.
Since Xia Shuangshuang's response, everyone has been waiting for Xu Zifan's reaction. After all, judging from Xu Zifan's previous Weibo post, he seemed very dissatisfied with Xia Shuangshuang. Someone like him, when has he ever been splashed with water, and then the photos were circulated widely? How embarrassing! How could he not retaliate? However, Xia Shuangshuang's response made everyone feel that her actions were understandable, and they felt that the matter should be let go. They didn't want Xu Zifan to target her, so everyone was paying close attention to Xu Zifan's reaction.
As soon as Xu Zifan updated his Weibo, the number of reposts, comments, and likes skyrocketed, leaving everyone stunned. A young master Xu in Tang suits? What kind of style is this? It feels like someone has time-traveled! And what's with that beautiful handwriting? Is that really Xu Zifan? That arrogant, spoiled rich kid? After processing all this information, people started to wonder what he meant.
[The phrase "海纳百川" (meaning "the sea accepts all rivers") is clearly a response to Xia Shuangshuang, implying that he is magnanimous and won't hold a grudge against her.]
[Don't take it to heart my foot! Didn't you hear Xu Zifan say he wanted to frame the calligraphy and look at it every day? He must be angry to remind himself to be more magnanimous. Haha, Shuangshuang has already apologized, and he's still subtly criticizing her. A man with such a petty mind is doomed!]
[Xia Shuangshuang's fans, please get lost! Anyone would be angry in this situation. Zifan is already very magnanimous for not retaliating and for enduring it himself. Try that with anyone else, and they might have thrown it back on the spot.]
[Some even resorted to physical violence, not just splashing water back. Zifan hasn't done anything to wrong Xia Shuangshuang, so why should he tolerate it? I advise Xia Shuangshuang's fans to calm down. Zifan said that the ocean accepts all rivers, and we fans won't hold it against Xia Shuangshuang, but if you go too far, don't blame us for retaliating, haha.]
[I think Xu Zifan and Xia Shuangshuang are doing fine as they are; there's no need for them to argue anymore. Xia Shuangshuang apologized to Xu Zifan, and Xu Zifan generously forgave her. They're both living their own lives after the breakup, so why are the fans making such wild assumptions!]
Am I the only one who thinks Xu Zifan is kind of handsome?! Oh my god, I'm becoming a fan! His handwriting reflects his personality; if Xu Zifan can write such beautiful handwriting, he must be a really good person. I'm going to become a fan of Xu Zifan!
Seriously, this handwriting is amazing, even better than my teacher's. I always thought Xu Zifan was a good-for-nothing who only knew how to flaunt his wealth, but I was wrong. This video is a slap in the face to my inaccurate opinion. My view of Xu Zifan has changed.
[It's unbelievable that a rich kid can write calligraphy. I'm suddenly curious if he has any other skills? Or is it that we just don't know anything about him?]
[Do they really think rich kids are idiots? They have so many resources, they receive elite education from a young age, how bad can they be? Those rich kids who cause trouble everywhere are probably from nouveau riche families, how can they compare to the Xu family?]
[Don't criticize nouveau riche, but I agree with the elite education of the rich second generation. At least Xu Zifan in today's video definitely received an elite education. I'm curious to know what his real life is like.]
As Xu Zifan had hoped, public opinion shifted dramatically. Aside from a few Xia Shuangshuang fans who were still furious and continued to criticize him, everyone else was enthusiastically discussing whether Xu Zifan was a good-for-nothing or a sophisticated young master. The more mysterious someone becomes, the more curious others will be. What's so special about an ordinary rich kid who flaunts his wealth? At most, he's in the public eye, making him known to everyone. But what if he wasn't just a good-for-nothing who only knows how to flaunt his wealth?
The saying "handwriting reflects the person" is widely accepted, and people of all skill levels generally agree with this. Therefore, Xu Zifan's stunning calligraphy had a tremendous impact on the public.
The majority of them almost immediately overturned their previous impressions of Xu Zifan and rebuilt a positive image of him. Although this positive image is not yet complete, Xu Zifan has planted a seed in their hearts, and when faced with this incident again, people will definitely be more inclined to side with him.
Xu Zifan's Weibo follower count increases significantly every second, while the follower count that started growing after Xia Shuangshuang's response has stalled. It seems that those who sympathized with and agreed with her have suddenly been awakened and no longer feel the need to pay attention to her.
Xia Shuangshuang was furious at how things were developing. She had already humbled herself by recording an apology video, convincing herself it was for a better outcome. But what was the result? She had only gained a tiny bit of followers; this PR campaign had completely failed to achieve its intended effect. Was Xu Zifan her nemesis? How could he ruin two or three carefully planned schemes in a row? The first task the system gave her was to gain 100,000 followers, and she hadn't even completed it yet. What would the system think of her? Xia Shuangshuang suddenly realized that even being reborn didn't guarantee happiness every day; Xu Zifan had caused her so much trouble several times.
Fearing that Xia Shuangshuang might do something to worsen the situation, her agent called her and advised, "This matter is over. You and Xu Zifan have broken up now, and you'll each go your own way from now on, so don't let this ruin things. If Xu Zifan really retaliates against you, even ten of you wouldn't be able to handle it. Fortunately, he didn't say anything this time, and your image has been salvaged. The negotiations for the new drama are going smoothly, and you're about 80% sure you'll get the third female lead role. Prepare well these next few days and wait for the audition notification."
The agent said earnestly, "Shuangshuang, don't think about anything else. To be a star, you have to focus on your career. That's how you get ahead."
Xia Shuangshuang scoffed at her statement. What's the point of just working hard like that? In her past life, she struggled for twenty years, going from second-tier to third-tier and then to eighteenth-tier. So many female celebrities emerge every year; how can you possibly succeed without a powerful backer? Sooner or later, you'll be squeezed out. She won't be so foolish this time. She wants a sugar daddy, she wants to marry into a wealthy family, and she wants to reach the pinnacle of the entertainment industry—she can't do without any of them.
However, she didn't intend to tell her agent these things. She was already planning to change agents, and there was no need for an unimportant person to know her ambitions. She simply expressed her dissatisfaction coldly, "Why is it the third female lead? Didn't I say I wanted to fight for the female lead? I just broke up with Xu Zifan, and I've been trending on social media these past few days. My dramas and commercials are airing, and my popularity is approaching that of top-tier actresses. I can't even get a female lead role in a drama? Sister Xiao, you should still ask around for me. You have to try things to know if they'll work. You can't just play it safe."
Sister Xiao has been an agent for ten years and has seen it all. She could tell at a glance that Xia Shuangshuang was blaming her for not being dedicated enough. Thinking about how she had been so busy these past two days that she had forgotten to eat and had to take stomach medicine, she suddenly felt cold towards Xia Shuangshuang and said, "You can try if you want, but you only have a 20% chance of getting the lead role. If you don't even get the third lead role because of this, you'll have to consider other scripts."
After saying that, Sister Xiao hung up the phone. She couldn't control the artists' pride and arrogance. Let them try if they want. There are plenty of excellent actresses in such a grand palace drama. To demand only a 20% chance of success without seeking stability—she really doesn't know where their confidence comes from.
Xia Shuangshuang, of course, found her confidence in Xu Hao. Since she hadn't managed to cuckold Xu Zifan, she naturally wanted to gain something from other sources; otherwise, why seduce him? Sleeping with men was less appealing than going to a gigolo. She called Xu Hao, saying she missed him, and that it was a pity she couldn't see him these past few days due to her busy audition preparations. She even coaxed Xu Hao to wish her success in getting the lead role.
Who is Xu Hao? The president of such a large company, how could he not see through her little scheme? However, to him, a female lead in a TV series is no different from a piece of clothing or a handbag; if a woman wants something, he'll buy it for her, and his assistant can arrange it. Previously, he noticed online public opinion favoring Xu Zifan, and Xia Shuangshuang had publicly apologized, so he felt he had overestimated this woman and didn't intend to pay her any more attention. Who knew that he would then see the video of Xu Zifan showing off her calligraphy? He didn't like this feeling of being out of control.
The Xu family fortune was immense, and he didn't believe Xu Zifan was content to be a pampered playboy without any ambition for power. Could Xu Zifan be playing dumb? Was he hiding his true strength? The moment he received Xia Shuangshuang's call, he changed his mind, deciding to use her to provoke Xu Zifan. After all, his girlfriend had become his aunt; no one could remain calm then. He wanted to see if Xu Zifan was a tiger or a sick cat!