Chapter 56: Set on Me as a Grandson-in-Law

Grasping the bracelet, I silently chanted in my mind: "Summon Athena, Goddess of Wisdom." Responding to my call, Athena turned decisively into a beam of golden light that surged into my body, and my mind once again became completely clear and tranquil.

I took out a sheet of the paper, weighed it down, and picked up a small wolf-hair brush. Passing it gently over the inkstone, I pinched off the loose hairs at the tip, dipped it in a bit of clear water, and began splashing ink across the paper with fluid grace. The most crucial aspect of traditional ink painting is flowing execution—completing the stroke in a single breath without the slightest hesitation. With a soft flick, the tiger’s tail leaped onto the page. Most painters typically start with the tiger’s head to grasp the overall layout, but I didn’t do that. This surprised Professor Shuji greatly, and he couldn’t help but lean in to observe my technique closely.

The use of ink in ink painting is an art in itself: if the ink is too thick, it loses its spiritual charm; if it’s too faint, the form scatters. Professor Shuji, being an expert, naturally understood this, so seeing my absolute precision with the ink left him stunned once again. In just a short moment, a vivid, lifelike tiger king appeared on the paper. At this point, I didn’t rush to paint its eyes; instead, I switched to a large brush and began painting the surrounding mountains. The broad lines of the large brush, combined with the miraculous techniques of splashed ink and broken ink, made the misty high mountains seem far less mysterious, almost allowing one to faintly hear the echoes resounding through the ranges. Switching once again to a medium brush, I painted an ancient tree beside the fierce tiger. The inherent vigor of the medium brush made the rendered tree look lean, upright, and elegantly spirited. On a branch above, a bird was spreading its wings to take flight, making one feel as though the creature had just been startled.

Half an hour later, the entire painting was nearly complete, with only the final stroke remaining—the tiger’s eyes. By now, Professor Shuji’s mouth was hanging wide open. He truly hadn’t expected someone so young to possess such astonishing mastery over traditional ink painting. Shuyan was similarly rubbing her eyes, looking at me in disbelief. Though she didn’t know much about ink painting, seeing her grandfather’s reaction allowed her to guess the caliber of the artwork.

For this final stroke, I paused briefly and switched to an iron-nib brush. I studied the painting for five minutes before extending the brush toward the tiger’s head. With a stroke of divine inspiration, my wrist gave a soft flick, and a pair of domineering, majestic tiger eyes instantly sprang to life on the paper. Setting the brush down, I let out a long breath, and as my mind relaxed, I felt Athena depart. I smiled as I watched Professor Shuji, who was staring intently at the painting through a magnifying glass, waiting for him to come back to his senses.

"Brilliant! Absolute masterpiece! To think that in all my years, I, Shuji, would actually get to see such an extraordinary painting... I could die with no regrets now!" Professor Shuji muttered incessantly to himself as he gazed at the artwork.

Shuyan was just about to call out to her grandfather, but I stopped her, giving her a look not to disturb him. Shuyan nodded and stood beside me, waiting for her grandfather to snap out of his trance.

Finally, after greedily examining it for half an hour, Professor Shuji straightened his back. Excitedly looking at me, he said, "What a picture of a tiger descending the mountain! This is truly a legendary masterpiece—the spiritual charm within it is far beyond anything I could ever hope to reach! May I be so bold as to write an inscription on it?"

I smiled and nodded, gesturing for him to do as he pleased. Seeing me agree, Professor Shuji laughed happily like a child, his hand trembling slightly as he picked up the brush. As a connoisseur, he naturally knew what a grand honor it was to write an inscription on a masterwork—an opportunity usually reserved only for great literary figures passed down through history—so it was no wonder he was so thrilled. After pondering for a moment, Professor Shuji shook his head with a deep sigh and wrote on the top left corner: "Reflecting on my remaining years, to encounter such a fine work is enough—truly enough!" Finishing the line, he let out a long breath, opened the inkpad box beside him, pulled out his personal seal, and stamped his name onto the canvas.

Turning to me, Professor Shuji sighed deeply. "I honestly can’t find any words to do this painting justice. I feel truly ashamed, so I could only write these few lines. I hope you don’t mind! I’ll take it to be framed right away, and once it’s done, I’ll have it sent to you!" As he spoke, he looked back at the painting, reluctant to part with it.

How could I not see through the old gentleman’s thoughts by now? I quickly said, "Professor Shuji, this is just a quick doodle, hardly suitable for formal display. If you like it, please keep it here!"

"Really? Haha! I, an old man, have encountered many people giving me gifts throughout my life, but I’ve never accepted any. Yet I love this painting from Fuitsu far too much, so I’ll shamelessly accept it! A doodle? If this is a doodle, then what I paint must look like the scribbles of a three-year-old child! Haha..." Hearing that I was giving the painting to him, the old gentleman burst into joyful laughter.

Shuyan looked at me in complete disbelief and murmured, "Fuitsu, who on earth are you? Breaking world records in running, playing the zither so well that people lose themselves, and now casually producing a painting like this... I’m really starting to understand you less and less!"

Professor Shuji let out a hearty laugh, patted Shuyan on the shoulder, and said happily, "Mimi, Fuitsu is no ordinary figure! Take a look at this painting and you’ll understand. A tiger descending the mountain should be a hungry beast before a meal, fiercely baring its fangs. But the eyes of the tiger Fuitsu painted carry an aura of regal command and dominance over the entire world—as if everything in existence cannot escape its grasp! This shows that the person who painted this must possess a kingly pride in his heart! Mimi, you’ve certainly found the right man this time. In the future, this fine boyfriend of yours is bound to become a dragon among men. You must hold onto him tightly and not let him get away! Your grandfather supports you!"

Professor Shuji’s words made both Shuyan and me blush deeply. As for why Shuyan blushed, I didn’t know; I only knew my face was red out of embarrassment—I was nowhere near as grand as Professor Shuji made me out to be!

Afterward, Professor Shuji began chatting with me about ordinary family matters, asking about almost everything regarding my background. Before an elder, I didn’t dare be disrespectful, answering every question fully. Seeing that I had made her grandfather so happy, Shuyan joined in as well, and we chatted about anything and everything under the sun.

Who knows how much time passed before the housekeeper, Tsuijie, came upstairs to tell us that Shuyan’s father and mother had returned, bringing our conversation to a pause.

Professor Shuji stood up and joked, "Fuitsu, your father-in-law and mother-in-law are back! Let’s go downstairs and meet them!"

Unwilling to be teased by her grandfather, Shuyan pouted playfully. "Grandfather, what nonsense are you talking about? He’s just a boyfriend—it’s not like I’m definitely going to marry him! Father-in-law and mother-in-law? How embarrassing does that sound?"

Professor Shuji patted Shuyan’s head and said sternly, "You foolish girl, you really don’t know what’s good for you! I guarantee that if you let Fuitsu go, you’ll regret it!"

Seeing the situation, I quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Professor Shuji, Shuyan and I haven’t reached that stage yet. Let’s head downstairs to greet her parents first!"

Hearing me say this, Professor Shuji looked helplessly at Shuyan, then back at me, and declared, "Don’t blame an old man for being stubborn, but I will only recognize Fuitsu as my grandson-in-law! I won’t agree to anyone else!"

With things escalating to this point, I could only shrug helplessly at Shuyan. Shuyan glared at me, signaling me not to get any wild ideas, before turning to act spoiled toward Professor Shuji: "Alright, Grandfather! If you keep praising him like this, his ego is going to skyrocket! How am I supposed to manage him in the future?"

Shuyan’s words sounded overly intimate, and suspecting nothing else, Professor Shuji burst into a hearty laugh. "Good, good! Mimi already knows how to manage her man before marriage—your mother only learned that after getting married! Excellent, our Tanaka family is getting stronger with every generation! Let’s head downstairs!" With that, Professor Shuji led the way out.

Walking behind, I lowered my voice and whispered in Shuyan’s ear, "Playing along this far? Let’s see how you’re going to wrap this up later!"

Shuyan let out a soft huff through her nose and gave me a side-eye. "None of your business!" After saying that, she rushed ahead to support Professor Shuji as they headed down the stairs.