Stumping Everyone

Liu Jiawen announced, "Now that both have matched each other's couplets, this round is a draw. Let's move on to the second round."

Zhuang Yuyan and Yan Jingkui stepped forward again to write the upper couplet. The first round was just the appetizer; now it was time for the main course.

Zhuang Yuyan wrote, ""On wings like the Roc, soaring miles high, beyond worry and strife, fleeting like dreams 'neath the sky."

Yan Jingkui wrote, "A pavilion stands, inviting, under the moon's bright gaze, a perfect spot for verses penned in its luminous phase."

After hanging the couplets, a brief silence fell over the crowd – these couplets were significantly more challenging than the first ones.

Zhuang Yuyan courteously said, "Please."

Yan Jingkui replied just as politely, "Please."

Though their exchange was brief, the underlying competitive tension was evident.