'A Phidia youth is he, a Candleholder sworn Joyous Le is his name, but joyous he is not Inexperienced he is and unrefined in skill He strives for victory, boasting some mettle still At Yumen he lost against sly foe, at Dahuang he fumbled and stumbled so In martial skill he lost to a child, in mahjong hands he lost to a god Young and naive in worldly ways, maturity he fakes to mask his disgrace He knows feats of strength, but not diligent toil His endless presence makes my blood boil An inflexible rod, dull of wit and talent, the most stubborn of fools An ignorant young lout, unsuited for this task, return him whence he came, says I' After three months of Zuo Le following and recording her every move, Nian finally lost her temper, so to speak. She took the notebook he used specifically to record the day-to-day activities of her and her siblings, and left this 'poem of judgment' on it. Dusk played along with Nian for once, attaching a rather seriously-drawn portrait to accompany it. 'This poem is far too harsh. Lord Zuo may not have known the differences between the five grains during his time in Dahuang, but he is a down-to-earth, diligent, and eager-to-learn child. This 'most stubborn of fools' part should be 'kindest of souls' instead.' After reading the poem, Shu gave her own opinion on the matter. 'The portrait is actually rather fitting, though 'tis a bit stiff and lacking in life. Allow me to make some changes.' Ling picked up a brush, and added her own personal flair to the painting. Chongyue happened to walk past, and simply shook his head and sighed before giving his younger sisters a scolding, though the corners of his mouth could be clearly seen creasing upwards. Zuo Le himself did eventually see the portrait and poem, but unfortunately, Nian did not have the chance to see the young Candleholder flustered. 'So this is how others see me.' Zuo Le scrutinized the portrait for a long while, before finally showing a smile of relief. 'Your words ring true, and I shall take them to heart as I strive to correct myself. My thanks to you, Nian, for reminding me of my flaws.' He carefully stowed away the portrait, and turned to Nian to thank her. 'But regardless, your mahjong earnings this month have exceeded the stipulated amount, which I must report truthfully to the Sui Regulator.'