A Sand Sculpture in the Red Dust - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Li Xiangfu Returns

　　The bamboo forest is quiet and peaceful, and the direction of the wind seems to follow the sound of the piano. The baby bird shakes the feathers on its neck, and tries to spread its wings little by little, beginning its first flight in its life.

　　The song ends and the wind stops.

　　A voice commented: “Wonderful! High mountains and flowing water, the host’s achievements in playing the zither have reached perfection.”

　　Li Xiangfu smiled slightly: “Did I pass?”

　　”Not yet, but it was still excellent!” The system counted one by one: “In the past few years, the host has achieved titles like ‘No. 1 Chess Fanatic’, ‘Gluttonous Chef’, ‘House Managing Genius’, ‘Exquisite Craftsmanship’…”

　　Because it mumbled too much in one breath, and the mechanical voice was stuck for a moment: “And the title of ‘Heavenly Lute Master’, thus achieving the finishing the decathlon, and you have finally attained the targeted transformation.”

　　Li Xiangfu closed his eyes gently: “Finally…”

　　‘Finally I can go back!’

　　Twenty-three years, a full twenty-three years!

　　More than 20 years have passed since he traveled through time and space to the body of a recent stillborn baby. Li Xiangfu sighed, “When I go back, will I be directly entering middle age?”

　　The system responded in a businesslike manner: “The host’s age will return to the exact time when he crossed over, that is, at the age of twenty-four years and one month.”

　　”…The remaining part can be erased.”

　　Over the years, the system has always been harsh and cold to Li Xiangfu, and the same is true for itself.

　　”One more thing. My working life has come to an end. I only have 60 years left. I suggest that the host destroy me before leaving. The activation password for the destruction program is 13z2dft.”

　　Li Xiangfu was silent for a moment: “According to the original agreement, after the mission is completed, I have the right to deal with you in any way I want to.”

　　He stroked the strings of the guqin, raised his head and slowly said to the system: “Go back with me, transform into a human, and experience the rest of your life.”

　　‘-Stay.’

　　‘-Live for yourself once.’

　　This was the first time in its long life that the system heard someone speak to it in this way. It was so surprised that it was speechless.

　　Li Xiangfu smiled and said, “But you have to become a child and call me dad.” Fearing that the dog didn’t hear him clearly, he repeated a little slower, “Call me – dad – dad.”

　　Once upon a time, he cried and called the system “Daddy” during the hellish assessment. Now it is finally his turn to take the lead and sing “Daddy” to the host.

　　“…”

　　After a hearty laugh, Li Xiangfu picked up the pot of wine beside him and drank it all.

　　In the 25th year of Lihe, the once famous Master Xiangfu died of drunkenness in a bamboo forest.

　　There are many different opinions about his life. Those who like him describe him as a handsome man with extraordinary talent, while those who dislike him criticize him for being dissolute and frivolous. However, no matter who he is, his beauty and talent cannot be denied. From princes and nobles to businessmen, countless powerful people have been crazy about this man, Li Xiangfu, who is known as the most beautiful man in Lihe.

　　Unofficial history commented: He was a beautiful person, but his ways were wild.

　　•=|=•

　　Country Y.

　　It has been several days since Li Xiangfu traveled back through time, and everything is stuck at the point before he traveled through time: He had just received his graduation certificate not long ago.

　　He still retained all the skills and temperament that he acquired during his time travel… Fortunately, he had long hair before, so it wasn’t too obvious.

　　Li Xiangfu packed his luggage and glanced at the system over there: “Is it ready?”

　　The system had now turned into the appearance of a six-year-old child, with a cold expression on the baby face: “The fake information has been created. From today on, I am your adopted child.”

　　”Li Shasha.” Li Xiangfu glanced at the information he had prepared and frowned: “Forget about the name you chose.”

　　He checked his passport and put on his sunglasses: “Let’s go.”

　　It is summer now, and people at home and abroad have different aesthetic standards. However, even though Li Xiangfu’s face cannot be seen clearly, his outstanding temperament and flowing long black hair make him attract 100% of the attention on the street.

　　On the plane, a flight attendant took a second look at the handsome man.

　　In addition to his good looks, his attire was also very interesting, a shirt with black trousers. In the hot summer, most people would show a little bit of collarbone, but this man buttoned his shirt meticulously, even the top button was buttoned very rigorously.

　　Li Xiangfu: “White water.”

　　The flight attendant realized later that she had stood there dumbly a little longer, smiled apologetically, put down the paper cup and continued to walk to the next seat.

　　After a flight of more than ten hours, he arrived at his hometown in the afternoon. Looking through the window, the sky was gloomy and covered with dark clouds, as if a rainstorm would come at any time.

　　Li Xiangfu didn’t know what he was thinking about, and he pulled the corner of his mouth: “I wonder who will pick me up today.”

　　The news of his return had been passed back two days ago. In the season with the highest temperature, it must have brought nothing but irritation to people.

　　The system, that is, Li Shasha today, has only heard Li Xiangfu mention his past experience once. It is said that he was hated by everyone in the circle because of causing trouble in his early years. Because of his troublemaking, he was finally thrown abroad by his elders.

　　Its encounter with Li Xiangfu was somewhat destined. At that time, the system was in urgent need of completing its performance and cultivating a host who was good at all things. It so happened that Li Xiangfu was in a gunfight abroad and was fleeing for his life at that time. In order to survive, the two hit it off.

　　After becoming the host, Li Xiangfu was reborn in the country where women are superior, and he just returned to his original world a week ago.

　　Time can change many things, but it will not make an unpopular person become recognized.

　　After picking up the luggage, Li Xiangfu walked out holding Li Shasha’s hand.

　　There were many people waiting outside to meet the passengers. One of them was absent-mindedly holding a sign, secretly cursing his bad luck. This person was Zhao Kai, the secretary of Li Huaichen, the eldest son of the Li family, who was sent to pick someone up.

　　Li Xiangfu has a bad reputation, and he is well-known. Zhao Kai neither looks down on him nor wants to offend him, he has no choice but to do the work that his boss personally assigned to him.

　　While holding the sign, Zhao Kai stretched his neck impatiently to look for someone in the crowd, when suddenly his eyes lit up… a huge beauty!

　　He has broad shoulders, narrow hips and a thin waist. His black hair made his skin look even whiter. Of course, no one would mistake his gender. Not to mention his Adam’s apple, he is very skinny. Even his shirt cannot hide the smooth lines of his arm muscles.

　　Having been in the business world for a long time, Zhao Kai has seen everything. He does not discriminate between meat and vegetables. At this moment, he suddenly felt his heart pounding… Is this the legendary love at first sight?

　　Seems familiar but never seen before.

　　At this time, the long-haired man was standing in front of him.

　　As if he was in a movie, Zhao Kai whispered, “Have we met somewhere before?”

　　”Secretary Zhao,” Li Xiangfu took off his sunglasses and said calmly, “Long time no see. Did my elder brother ask you to come to get me?”

　　Elder brother?

　　Zhao Kai was stunned for a long time before he found his voice: “You are… Xiang Fu?”

　　It’s not his fault that he didn’t recognize him. Li Xiangfu went abroad four years ago and only texted his family during the Chinese New Year. Four years ago, Li Xiangfu got into a lot of trouble, and Zhao Kai helped him deal with it. Even at that time, the boy had long hair, but he liked to dye his hair in strange colors, and was often punished by school. He was just a non-mainstream gangster.

　　Not to mention his temperament, one could smell a gangster vibe from ten meters away.

　　But now…

　　Zhao Kai was surprised and asked, “Did you have plastic surgery?”

　　Li Xiangfu curled his lips slightly: “Where is the car?”

　　Zhao Kai realized that he asked something he shouldn’t have asked, and was about to drive, but suddenly he stopped.

　　Earlier, all his attention had been drawn to Li Xiangfu’s striking appearance, and only now did he notice that the young man was leading a child.

　　”This is……”

　　”Li Shasha.” Li Xiangfu said calmly, “My son.”

　　Li Shasha frowned and then looked grim.

　　Zhao Kai walked forward with his back to him, silently taking a breath. Li Xiangfu had just graduated from college, and this child looked to be six or seven years old. Didn’t that mean he hadn’t been an adult for long…

　　Everyone says that the young master of the Li family is stupid, but it turns out that he is the best at preparing for a rainy day. He made plans in secret before going abroad. There must be some hidden reason why he cooperated with the plan of studying abroad.

　　”I adopted him.” Li Xiangfu added.

　　Zhao Kai didn’t believe it. How could an adopted child look so alike? Look at the charm in their eyes and eyebrows, they are exactly the same.

　　His throat moved, Zhao Kai put away the sign, and almost stumbled as he walked out the door… He had suffered enough stimulation that day.

　　He came in his boss’s private car, which was low-key and luxurious, but the leather seats were not very suitable for summer.

　　Li Xiangfu fastened Li Shasha’s seat belt and said, “Let’s go.”

　　On the way, Zhao Kai kept peeking through the rearview mirror and confirmed the fact that the boy was really Li Xiangfu’s biological child. The so-called adoption was probably just a cover-up. When people get old, they develop an affection for the younger generation. When they developed feelings for each other, maybe the old man would get excited and really leave part of his property to his grandson.

　　The vibration of the cell phone interrupted Zhao Kai’s wandering thoughts.

　　Li Xiangfu answered the call and a familiar voice came from the other end.

　　”Xiang Fu, it’s me, Liu Yu. We heard that you’re back, so we organized a party.”

　　Li Xiangfu sneered, the welcoming ceremony was fake, most likely just to test and watch the show.

　　”I appreciate your kindness,” he leaned back in the leather seat, squinting his eyes, “I want to go home and clean up first.”

　　When he said the word “home”, he paused for a moment, feeling a little uncomfortable.

　　”It’s okay, I can go find you, it’s been a while since we last met.”

　　They were all some rich second-generations who were not serious, but they were afraid of the Li family’s elders. Li Xiangfu thought about it and understood. He said perfunctorily, “Whatever”, hung up the phone and asked, “Is my dad not here today?”

　　Zhao Kai nodded: “Sir is on vacation and will be back in two days.”

　　As for the rest, they had already bought their own houses and had their own careers. Except for Li Huaichen, they only came back two or three times a month at most.

　　”No wonder,” Li Xiangfu curled his lips, “My good friend would want to visit me.”

　　Hearing the sarcasm in his words, and not sure whether it was directed at his friends or family, Zhao Kai didn’t know how to respond. He put on some light music and concentrated on driving.

　　At a bar.

　　The weather was bad and it seemed like a downpour would begin at any moment, so the bar’s business was average.

　　In a private room, several young people gathered together. When they saw Liu Yu end the call, their thoughts and expressions varied.

　　”Is he really back?”

　　Liu Yu nodded, drooped his eyelids, lowered his head and stared at the ripples in the cup as if he didn’t care, thinking that he would give it a good try tonight.

　　What kind of personality does Li Xiangfu have now? Is he still as easy to manipulate and deceive as he was four years ago?

　　The person sitting opposite him was playing with his phone and said, “Based on the stupid things he did in the past, he won’t get much of the family property in the future. Now that Mr. Li is gone, if there is no one else in the Li family to host a welcoming banquet for him, then there will be no need for us to contact him in the future.”

　　In their eyes, Li Xiangfu is the epitome of stupidity. Moreover, because of what happened that year, this man is bound to have a lot of trouble in the future, so it is better to keep a distance from him.

　　Seeing that the time was almost up, Liu Yu stood up and prepared to leave.

　　A companion’s voice came from behind: “If you have any news, please tell us immediately in the group.”

　　Liu Yu turned his back to them and made an ‘ok’ gesture.

　　•=|=•

　　After arriving home, Zhao Kai helped carry the luggage in and reported the current situation to his boss.

　　Soon he received a text message:

　　[Don’t let him get into trouble.]

　　He could imagine his boss’s cold and serious face through just a few short words.

　　Zhao Kai sighed and put away his phone, knowing that he would have to start worrying about his job again.

　　That night, one of Li Xiangfu’s old friends came to the door with a smile on his face and many gifts in his hands.

　　In the business world, interests are everything. No matter how violently the young people quarrel, the elders will not break up. What’s more, the two sides have always maintained a plastic friendship and have not openly broken up.

　　When Liu Yu saw Li Xiangfu’s profile, he was stunned for a moment, wiped his eyes and looked at him for a long time, then blurted out “Fuck.”

　　”Xiang Fu?”

　　Li Xiangfu laughed: “What are you doing standing at the door? Come in quickly.”

　　People are most afraid of comparison. Standing in front of the cold white-skinned handsome guy, Liu Yu felt that he was half a head shorter than him.

　　Four years ago, Li Xiangfu had a non-mainstream style. His bangs were long enough to cover his eyes, and he liked to imitate others and wear frameless glasses. Normal people wouldn’t want to take a second look at him.

　　It is understandable that one’s appearance is concealed by hairstyle and glasses, and it is also understandable that one’s image improves and one becomes taller, but how does one’s temperament change?

　　”How have you been these past few years?” After his surprise passed, Liu Yu took the initiative to change the subject: “It’s so boring without you.”

　　Culture is profound and extensive, and the meaning of this sentence is completely different when the relationship is good or bad.

　　”It’s okay.” Li Xiangfu said lightly.

　　Liu Yu set the gifts down and looked around. Apart from Zhao Kai, he didn’t see anyone else.

　　Li Xiangfu knew what he was thinking and gave a clear answer: “Everyone is busy with work.”

　　Liu Yu echoed a few words, saying that his family was busy recently, but his smile was more contemptuous. While Li Xiangfu was pouring tea, he sent a message in the group:

　　[What a huge universe: let alone a welcoming banquet, there wasn’t even a hot meal on the table.]

　　[Orient Express: You can block him now.]

　　[What a huge universe: That’s not necessary. Anyway, let’s not contact each other anymore.]

　　[Dali King Kong: @What a huge universe, come back quickly, I ordered a bottle of good wine.]

　　•=|=•

　　Originally it was just a small group of five people, but everyone had other friends, and as time went by, the news spread like wildfire that no one in the Li family was willing to welcome Li Xiangfu’s return.

　　The common understanding is: there is no need to contact this person anymore.

　　When Li Xiangfu put down the cup of water, Liu Yu didn’t even touch it and stood up from the sofa: “It’s getting late, I’ll…”

　　Out of the corner of his eye he suddenly saw a child standing at the stairs, and he was stunned by the look on his face.

　　”This is……”

　　Zhao Kai, who had been silent the whole time, whispered, “An adopted child.”

　　Liu Yu looked at Li Shasha who was walking down, and then looked at Li Xiangfu. Wasn’t he lying with his eyes open? They were just cut from the same cloth.

　　When the system set itself to a human appearance, it referred to Li Xiangfu’s data, so others naturally thought they looked alike.

　　Li Shasha said coldly: “Hello, uncle.”

　　Liu Yu was so surprised that he forgot to correct the child to call him brother. He sat down again, his eyes occasionally glancing at the little kid next to him. This was what it meant to simplify things and return to the basics.

　　None of the Li family members are married. In a family like theirs, the older generation attaches great importance to the younger generations.

　　Even if Mr. Li disliked Li Xiangfu, he couldn’t dislike his own grandson. As long as this card was played well, maybe all the bad things in the past could be written off.

　　The group was still urging him to come back and play. Liu Yu swallowed his saliva and sat down again, silently replying:

　　[…The competition among high-end wealthy families often only requires the simplest way of fighting.]