Chapter 30 She Liked Peach Blossoms More
In the West Room at Pine Manor.
Finished
Zephyr was comfortably seated in an armchair, leisurely flipping through the pages of Sadie’s calligraphy.
Sadie stood with her hands behind her back in front of the desk, her gaze lowered to the tips of her embroidered shoes.
The scent of ink faintly lingered in the air, and the walls were adorned with two flower–patterned windows. As the first month of the year drew to a close, a peach blossom tree by the window hinted at the arrival of spring with its faintly sprouting green buds.
What should have been a perfect setting for reading had become unbearable for Sadie due to being alone with Zephyr. Time seemed to drag on endlessly, and she wished she could just get up and leave immediately.
After an unknown amount of time, Zephyr finally put down the stack of papers. “Your foundation is just too weak.”
Sadie bit her lip.
If her foundation was solid, would she even need his guidance?
“Calligraphy requires a balance of form and meaning. I noticed that your calligraphy, Miss Francis, is full of form but lacks substance. Upon closer inspection, it also lacks character,” Zephyr critiqued. “Words are to thought as flesh is to bone. If you truly wish to learn, perhaps you should start with painting.”
“Painting?”
Sadie suspected that Zephyr was trying to set her up.
“Sketch plum blossoms. For the next fortnight, you don’t need to practice your calligraphy, Instead, draw five plum blossoms each day.” After giving his instructions, Zephyr, not one for excess words, promptly took
his leave.
Sadie walked over to the desk, comparing her own calligraphy with that of Zephyr’s.
His calligraphy was at times as graceful as drifting clouds, and at others as robust as dragon bones. It held a myriad of emotions, truly a feast for the eyes.
“Painting plum blossoms…”
Sadie realized that Zephyr wanted her to learn from the resilience of the plum blossom.
By capturing the rugged resilience of the plum blossoms, she could then infuse that very spirit into her calligraphy.
However, the tree that Sadie liked the most wasn’t the plum blossom tree.
Sure, the plum blossom was popular, but she had a particular fondness for peach blossoms.
As spring began, peach blossoms were in full bloom, symbolizing a world filled with vibrant colors and new beginnings for all living things.
And she was going through a new beginning too.
Chapter 30 She Liked Peach Blossoms More
With this in mind, Sadie began to prepare her ink and paper. She started to sketch, capturing the delicate beauty of the peach blossom tree outside the window.
Zephyr had instructed Sadie to create five paintings every day.
Sadie sketched every peach blossom tree in Pine Manor, producing more than a dozen drawings daily before she would call it a day.
stacked on the desk, he couldn’t help but rates
Half a month later, Zephyr stepped into the West Room once again. Seeing the mountain of paintings
an eyebrow.
Sadie stood by the side. “Please review the
Zephyr methodically looked through the
“Lord Zephyr.”
one by one.
The young girl hadn’t slacked off, pouring her heart and soul into each and every painting.
Some depicted peach blossom trees partly hidden in the fog of dawn, while others portrayed the same trees in the cold rain. There were also pieces that seemed to have been created in the middle of the night upon waking. In these paintings, a lantern hanging beneath a window cast a warm, yellow glow on a young peach blossom tree that was faintly visible in the night, growing freely.
Zephyr held down those sheets of sketching paper and looked up.
Coincidentally, Sadie was standing just beneath the window.
The early spring light filtered in, illuminating the girl whose face was as lovely as a peach blossom. Even though she was clearly a delicate and dainty young lady, her eyes sparkled with a thirst for life, much like the peach blossoms she loved to draw.
He said, “You can start practicing your calligraphy now.”
Sadie was thrilled. She then heard Zephyr say, “I have quite a few calligraphy works from renowned artists in my study. You can go choose a few to study and ponder over every day. It will be greatly beneficial to you.”
This was the second time Sadie had entered Zéphyr’s study.
His study was solemn and simple, almost devoid of any antique treasures. Instead, it was filled with mountains of ancient books and various calligraphy and paintings.
Upon entering the inner room, she noticed a stand filled with seals on display.
There were all sorts of materials, from rose quartz, Spo
seemed they were all part of Zephyr’s collection.
quartz, and pagodite, to ematille and prasiolite. It
Zephyr had selected a few calligraphy books suitable for women to practice.
like
Catching a glimpse of Sadie’s gaze, he asked, “Do you like seals?”
Sadie replied softly, “Will I also have my own seal in the future?“.
Just like how Adonis and Daisy had.
If she had a personal seal engraved with her own name, she would keep it tucked away in her pouch. She could then use it to leave a small red mark in the corner of her work or to stamp on the books she’d
Chapter 30 She Liked Peach Blossoms More
purchased, marking them as her possessions.
Sadie had always thought that owning a seal was a rather sophisticated affair.
It wasn’t until she noticed the gaze from the side that she remembered she was in conversation with Zephyr.
Finished
This man has a kind face but a sinister heart. He seems warm as fire, but in the shadows, he’s as sharp as a knife. Who knows how he might ridicule me next if I answer him honestly?
She shifted her gaze away from those seals. “I’m just saying that for fun.”
She accepted the calligraphy scrolls from Zephyr’s hand, bowing respectfully and saying, “Thank you, Lord Zephyr. Once I’m done with them, I’ll return them to you in perfect condition.”
Zephyr watched her as she walked away.
The emerald green ribbon she had used to tie her hair swayed slightly as she walked.
Such a vibrant and brilliant hue gently drifted across his study.
It felt as if spring had once been there.
The young man absentmindedly ran his slender hand through his hair.
It was as if he wanted to capture this fleeting moment of spring.
While Sadie was deeply absorbed in practicing her calligraphy, at the Francis Estate-
Due to the modest size of the estate, the siblings shared a single study room.
Supporting her head with a hand, Daisy sat by the window, yet she had little interest in practicing her calligraphy.
After all, her calligraphy had always been exceptional. In her previous life, her work was chosen by the teacher to be displayed in the Sunlit Arcade, and it was likely that in this life, her work would be selected again.
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