The Magic Pen – Li Mingyuan, Yang Fuyu

Tong Zifu was informed by her superiors to take on an additional project, but she already had many projects on her hands. Due to excessive fatigue, she fainted while standing. Wen Jingzhan went to the temple to pray for blessings, but was told that praying couldn't be taken lightly because the lord's spies were constantly watching him. He sincerely prayed and hoped to pass the assessment. After finishing his prayers, he accidentally threw a silver coin that hit Tong Zifu, who had traveled through time.

Tong Zifu saw the handsome man in front of her, the character from her painting. She guessed that she had crossed over to the country of Beiyue and was driven out by the Daoist. If she angered the artist, she would never become an artist again and would have no future. She murmured quietly to herself that she was an artist but didn't see any prospects. The Daoist exposed her lie, saying that artists in Beiyue had high status. Wen Jingzhan mistakenly thought that Tong Zifu was his father's spy and that his father wanted him to give up joining the military and instead become an artist to serve the people.

Tong Zifu arrived at the Yuelu Painting Garden, where everyone came to admire the master's masterpiece before he came out of seclusion. When he revealed a painting with two fish that didn't look like fish and a dragon that didn't look like a dragon, the crowd ignorantly applauded and praised his masterpiece. Tong Zifu stood at the back, watching the painting burn and sneered. Wen Jingzhan asked her for her opinion on the painting, and at this moment, Tong Zifu covered her face with a vase, hoping not to be recognized. Wen Jingzhan approached her directly and discovered that this woman was the spy he had seen at the temple.

Wen Jingzhan asked the other senior disciples to leave and inquired if Tong Zifu had really come to learn painting. Tong Zifu praised him as the top disciple of the academy, stating that only a painter with a pure heart could freely roam in the realm of ink and wash like his "Dragon Embarking on the Sea" painting. She showered him with all sorts of flattering words about his artwork. However, as she continued speaking, Tong Zifu felt increasingly uncomfortable, and Wen Jingzhan also sensed the insincerity in her words. Ming Yang went to close the door, and Tong Zifu was left alone to have a conversation.

The other senior disciples were calculating how much silver Wen Jingzhan could earn from the praises he received that day. When the master arrived and was asked about Wen Jingzhan's whereabouts, the other disciples said he was in seclusion, practicing his painting. Tong Zifu thought that Wen Jingzhan wanted to talk to her privately to plot against her, so she considered using the vase to strike him. But just then, Wen Jingzhan turned around, so Tong Zifu had to lie, claiming that she was feeling tired and just resting her head against the vase.

Tong Zifu insisted that she had come to learn painting, but she felt that Wen Jingzhan didn't believe her. Wen Jingzhan believed she was there to supervise him, and he feared that their agreement for him to join the military might be canceled. So he decided to keep her there and find a way to handle the situation after successfully becoming a painter. Tong Zifu wanted to demonstrate her painting skills, but she didn't want to stand out too much to avoid jealousy. Therefore, she casually painted a few strokes, but Wen Jingzhan saw through her actions and demanded that she stay in the painting garden for three months. Tong Zifu was intimidated by Wen Jingzhan's skills and obediently agreed to stay. However, the expensive tuition fee troubled her, so she resolved to earn money by painting.

Tong Zifu arrived at the main street, and Wen Jingzhan secretly followed her to see who she was meeting. Tong Zifu asked a painting vendor if they buy paintings because she had many of them. From a distance, Wen Jingzhan mistakenly thought she was trying to mislead him into believing that the vendor was her contact.

Tong Zifu didn't have money to buy painting paper, so she had to lie to the vendor, claiming that her painting paper was expensive and that she wanted to try it first. If it worked well, she would buy it at a higher price. However, the vendor exposed her trick on the spot.

Tong Zifu said that if she earned money in a fifty-fifty split, the old her who was driven out said that even one cent was hard to come by. She happened to find a penny on the ground, but a beggar snatched it before she could. Tong Zifu searched everywhere for money, with Wen Jingzhan following closely behind, and people thought they were searching for some treasure, so they joined in.

Tong Zifu arrived at the Painting Immortal Palace, but the money from the incense burner had already been taken to the merit box by the caretaker. She was figuring out how to find another penny. Wen Jingzhan mistakenly thought they were meeting here.

Tong Zifu noticed some clothes drying in the courtyard and decided to change into them to take the money from the merit box. During the change, Wen Jingzhan mistakenly thought she was secretly meeting his father inside. He quietly entered the room but was noticed by Tong Zifu, who grabbed a broom and swung it at the intruder. To her surprise, it was Wen Jingzhan. In the process, she lost her balance and ended up falling into Wen Jingzhan's arms, and he hurriedly caught her.

Tong Zifu questioned why Wen Jingzhan appeared in the Painting Immortal Palace. Was he a voyeur here while painting? Wen Jingzhan told her to watch her mouth and pointed out that she was the one sneaking into the room suspiciously. Now she was falsely accusing him. He asked her what she was doing here. Tong Zifu stammered and said she was here to find inspiration. No one would believe such a reason. Wen Jingzhan, as a spy for his father, would never lie. Since she refused to tell the truth, he threatened to take her to the government office.

Tong Zifu had no choice but to confess that she had too many debts and wanted to earn money by selling paintings. However, she couldn't even afford a piece of paper, so she decided to dress as a caretaker and take money from the merit box.

Wen Jingzhan didn't believe her and wanted to search her. Tong Zifu, thinking that if she was caught, she would rather fight back and expose him as a thief. They argued inside the room, while the master was outside looking for his clothes. A person who had prayed for blessings informed him that a girl claimed to be a newcomer and was asking about offering money. She had headed towards his cloth shop. Wen Jingzhan and Tong Zifu heard that someone was coming to catch them, so they escaped through the window.

Wen Jingzhan went to a shop to buy painting paper for her, and as soon as the shop owner saw her, he immediately changed his attitude and flattered her. Wen Jingzhan bought a lot of paper and stationery for her and specifically instructed Ming Yang to deliver it to her room. Ming Yang looked at all the stationery and wondered why they were purchased when no one wanted them even for five taels of silver. Wen Jingzhan then realized he had been tricked out of a whole ingot of silver by the shop owner. There was a gang of bandits targeting artists, and the imperial court had posted a reward for anyone providing clues.

Tong Zifu was focused on painting in her room when suddenly her brush broke. Wen Jingzhan knew that a gang of bandits was causing trouble and suspected that the kidnapped master might be the famous artist Zhao, who had just arrived in the capital and was supposed to give a lecture at the painting garden. So, Wen Jingzhan decided to find the bandits and asked Ming Yang to supervise Tong Zifu. He warned that although she spent all day painting in her room, she should not let her guard down. If his father found out that his painting skills were not good, he would be angry and disapprove of him joining the military.

Tong Zifu went to Wen Jingzhan's room to steal a brush. Wen Jingzhan had just changed into his night clothes and was about to leave when he noticed Tong Zifu sneaking into his room. He quickly hid in the painting studio, pretending to be painting, to avoid being discovered in his night clothes. Tong Zifu went inside and found Wen Jingzhan painting behind a folding screen. She got scared and hid under the table. Both of them were hiding something from each other, waiting for the other to leave or fall asleep.

Two hours passed, and Tong Zifu's legs felt numb, so she left. Wen Jingzhan no longer needed to pretend to paint and just went out. When Tong Zifu encountered a night patrol, she got scared and returned to Wen Jingzhan's room. There, she encountered a masked figure and screamed loudly. Wen Jingzhan questioned her and learned that she wasn't there to supervise his painting. Due to her scream, her true identity was exposed. Meanwhile, the night patrol outside the room overheard the conversation. Tong Zifu was pushed out of the room and accidentally knocked down two senior disciples. From inside the room, they heard Wen Jingzhan saying that he wasn't interested in romantic relationships between men and women.

Tong Zifu dreamt that her artwork sold well, and she woke up with joy. However, upon waking up, she realized it was just a dream and felt a bit disappointed. She overheard her fellow disciples outside the room discussing how they learned about the intricacies of painting and the importance of marketing from a master's lecture. Tong Zifu also wanted to attend the lecture, but Wen Jingzhan, who happened to pass by, stopped her, not allowing her to go. She was planning to repay Wen Jingzhan with the money from selling her paintings. Wen Jingzhan secretly told her that the master's lecture was boring and even involved some scolding, but Tong Zifu didn't care and believed that the master's unique personality was to be expected.

Wen Jingzhan secretly went outside the room and followed the bandits in the distance. The bandits had been squatting in the corner of the wall, waiting for Master Zhao to come out. One of the bandits said that this was his usual route, and they would definitely catch him. At that moment, the third bandit fell into a drowsy sleep, and the leader asked him to stay alert; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain it to the boss. Wen Jingzhan accidentally broke a tree branch, drawing the bandits' attention. The third bandit went to investigate and got knocked out by Wen Jingzhan.

Meanwhile, Master Zhao was giving a lecture at the academy, completely ignoring male scholars but showing particular favor to female scholars. When the lecture was over, Master Zhao noticed Tong Zifu, who had arrived late, and left the lecture hall with her. Wen Jingzhan changed into the bandit's clothes, but the other two bandits didn't notice that the third one was a fake. When the bandits saw Master Zhao, they immediately put a sack over his head and were about to knock out Tong Zifu when Wen Jingzhan intervened. He held Tong Zifu while the other two bandits carried Master Zhao away. In the forest, Wen Jingzhan left marks along the way, and when Tong Zifu woke up, she picked up a nearby stone and threw it at him.

Tong Zifu's attempt to attack the bandits failed, and she was caught by Wen Jingzhan again and tied up with Master Zhao. She was determined to take revenge on them. Wen Jingzhan asked when the boss would arrive, as waiting around wasn't a solution. At this point, the second bandit agreed with the third's suggestion, but the leader insisted on following the rules of the underworld. Master Zhao asked who they were. The leader said they wanted him to paint and warned him to be obedient, threatening to cut out his tongue. Master Zhao replied that he had faced much bigger threats and couldn't be frightened by mere words. Then the bandits took out a knife, and Master Zhao pretended to faint.

Seeing the situation, Tong Zifu also pretended to pass out. The leader suggested abandoning Tong Zifu since they only needed Master Zhao. Wen Jingzhan thought that if he fought them, he wouldn't be able to protect Tong Zifu. So, he lied, saying that the girl was just pretending and playing tricks. He offered to take her to the mountains alone and kill her there. To save herself, Tong Zifu falsely claimed to be Master Zhao's disciple, saying she knew all his painting techniques, and begged them not to kill her.

Ming Yang led the constables and followed Wen Jingzhan's marks to rescue Master Zhao. Tong Zifu used the pretext of drawing for them to turn around and escape. On their way, they encountered the constables, and Tong Zifu pointed in the direction where the bandits were. The constables went to apprehend the bandits. Meanwhile, the bandits still had their backs turned, thinking that Tong Zifu was drawing for them. Little did they know that she had already escaped, and they were surrounded by the constables.

The constables surrounded the three bandits, and the leader finally realized that they had been fooled by Tong Zifu. They blamed each other for the failure. At this moment, Wen Jingzhan, disguised as the third bandit, suggested they inform their boss and not fall into a trap. The leader instructed the other two to stall the constables while he went to the "Dafu Inn." To find the mastermind behind the operation, Wen Jingzhan knocked them unconscious and headed to the inn alone. The constables then arrested the two remaining bandits.

Wen Jingzhan returned with serious injuries. He didn't expect the bandit leader to have some martial arts skills. He gave the reward money to Ming Yang, instructing everyone to keep it a secret. Wen Jingzhan had been wounded in the chest by a knife. When Tong Zifu knocked on the door, he mistook her for Ming Yang coming with water and opened the door, revealing his wound. To his surprise, he saw Tong Zifu standing there. Seeing his injury and the jade pendant, Tong Zifu mistakenly thought he was the spy for the bandits and got scared, running back to her room. She had wanted to grab her bag and escape but was worried about Master Zhao's safety, so she decided to paint Wen Jingzhan's portrait instead.

The constables reported the successful capture of the bandits to Wen Lao Ye, praising Wen Jingzhan's intelligence and wit for catching the bandits. As he was injured, they gifted him medicinal herbs as a token of appreciation. Upon learning that his son, Wen Jingzhan, had deceived him and embarked on a dangerous adventure, Wen Lao Ye ordered him to return home. Wen Jingzhan, while burning his paintings, reminisced about the moments he had with Tong Zifu, and a smile appeared on his face. Tong Zifu went to the Painting Immortal Palace and learned from the master that the Wen family was a local wealthy family, providing her a way to earn money.

Lady Wen looked at the paintings sent from various places and expressed that they were not top-notch. She didn't accept just any paintings and turned to Tong Zifu, asking if she had any paintings. Tong Zifu took out her painting and handed it to Lady Wen, who immediately showed delight upon seeing it. Tong Zifu took this opportunity to raise the stakes and claimed that she obtained this painting from a master. Since she believed it was destined to be with Lady Wen, any price would be acceptable.

Wen Master scolded Wen Jingzhan for hiding from home and not attending classes, instead going to catch bandits. Wen Jingzhan defended himself, stating that as long as he could become a painter, it didn't matter whether he attended classes or not. He hoped his father would keep his promise and agree to let him join the military.

Wen Master had taken a second wife, hoping for peace in the household, while Wen Jingzhan's aspiration was to seek justice and help those in need. Tong Zifu's painting was appreciated by the second wife, who rewarded her with fifty taels as painting fees. Wen Jingzhan witnessed this scene and confirmed that she was a spy for Wen Master. He decided to drive her away, but he knew there would be other spies even if she left. So, he resolved to persuade Tong Zifu to change sides.

Wen Jingzhan specially bought various brushes and inkstones for Tong Zifu, trying to be attentive without any specific reason. Tong Zifu questioned his actions, and Wen Jingzhan defended her in front of other fellow students, saying that new students deserved special care. Later, he went to her room, slowly approached her, and pinned her against the wall, gently assuring her that he would always treat her well.

Wen Jingzhan directly pinned Tong Zifu against the wall, telling her that he would always treat her well as long as she didn't reveal certain things. Tong Zifu thought that what he didn't want her to talk about was related to the bandits, but Wen Jingzhan mistakenly believed that she was moved by his actions. Taking advantage of the situation, he tried to win her over.

After a short moment, Wen Jingzhan went to his room and took out his beloved calligraphy tools to give them to Tong Zifu as a gift. He wanted to strengthen their relationship and asked her to call him "Brother Wen" to make it less formal. Tong Zifu couldn't help but burst into laughter and sprayed him with a mouthful of drink, feeling apologetic, she toasted him as a gesture of apology.

Master Zhao arrived at the house, and Mr. Wen specially asked Lady Wen to select the finest gifts to present to him, hoping that he would take good care of Wen Jingzhan. Lady Wen brought out the painting "Golden Rooster" that Tong Zifu had just presented. Mr. Wen showed his fondness for the painting, and Lady Wen gifted it to him, which he accepted and left.

As Wen Jingzhan and Tong Zifu drank more, Tong Zifu suggested playing "Truth or Dare" to make the drinking more enjoyable. In the first round, Tong Zifu won and proposed going to the rooftop of the "Painting Immortal Pavilion" to continue drinking. Wen Jingzhan tried to resist going, but Tong Zifu dragged him along. Once on the rooftop, Wen Jingzhan unexpectedly carried Tong Zifu in his arms and flew up there.