A Sand Sculpture in the Red Dust - Chapter 16 PT1

Chapter 16 PT1 – “Can You Please Be My Nude Model?”

　　While Li Xiangfu was singing about friends walking together for life, Li Xichun was in a state of panic.

　　There was no airport in Cangyang, so it was too late to rush there now. Li Xichun was lost in thought for a long time, and called Li Anqing: “Li Xiangfu was tricked by Qin Jin to go to Cangyang, where are you now?”

　　”Linhai.”

　　Li Xichun’s eyes lit up: “I remember it only took a day by train to reach Cangyang from Linhai.”

　　”I’ll go over and take a look.” Li Anqing’s tone was still emotionless as usual, but when he was about to end the cash, he added: “Don’t be too nervous. A person with a net worth of hundreds of billions will not sacrifice himself to avenge his half brother.”

　　Whether there was any grudge or not is another matter.

　　Listening to the busy tone on the other end of the phone, Li Xichun rubbed her eyebrows.

　　Li Xichun was having a headache and hadn’t touched his phone the entire afternoon, let alone checked her Moments. However, there were many people who liked to check their Moments.

　　Liu Yucai had just finished reporting to Li Xiangfu and was playing with his phone in a good mood. When he saw the circle of friends that someone had posted a few minutes ago, he was stunned. His hand slipped and the phone hit his forehead, turning it red.

　　Ignoring the pain, he sat up and felt refreshed.

　　”What is going on?”

　　Li Xiangfu is with Qin Jin at this moment?

　　The conflict between the two parties is not an ordinary one and cannot be easily resolved with a smile.

　　Could it be that Qin Jin deliberately approached Li Xiangfu to create psychological pressure on the Li family? Or are the two families motivated by interests and preparing for some major cooperation?

　　Liu Yu was so excited that he couldn’t wait to take a screenshot and send it to his friends to gossip about this shocking news.

　　•|•

　　In the afternoon, Li Xiangfu didn’t see any stunning sights.

　　Li Xiangfu gradually became a little tired, and lay down on the bed trying to pass the time by sleeping. But soon, the train had a stand-off with another train, and it stopped for 20 minutes without moving. Without the humming sound lingering in his ears and the vibration during the journey, the sleepiness grew wings and flew away in an instant.

　　The contestants were almost all in one carriage. Apart from them, the other passengers were basically on short trips just for fun.

　　The further back you go, the quieter the carriages become.

　　The train ended up being an hour late, arriving in the afternoon of the third day.

　　Cangyang is indeed a major tourist province. Tourists dragging suitcases could be seen everywhere on the road.

　　The organisers had booked a hotel long before departure, and the judges told them they could take a taxi to visit nearby attractions tonight and set off together tomorrow. As for where to go and what the test questions are, it would be announced when the time came.

　　”It’s like the college entrance examination. It’s too mysterious.” One contestant couldn’t help but say.

　　This is the second time that Mo Yijing has been selected to participate in the competition. Upon hearing this, she said: “In previous years, there have been cases of ghostwriting. Some had the possible exam questions drawn in advance by someone else, and then they copied them.”

　　Zhou Panbai disagreed: “How can someone succeed in something that requires skills by copying? It sounds far-fetched.”

　　Mo Yijing shook her head: “There are always exceptions. That contestant had good skills, but lacked imagination. The event was held at the Mother and Child Temple, and the overall atmosphere created by his finished product was very clever. The trees were painted to intertwine, and from a distance the outline looks like the shadow of a mother holding a child.”

　　You Fang was the most curious and asked hurriedly, “How did they get discovered?”

　　”Afterwards, the profits were not evenly divided, and the accomplice reported it.”

　　That was not a romantic ending at all.

　　Li Xiangfu’s room was on the second floor, and most of the contestants lived on this floor.

　　As soon as he set down his luggage, someone knocked on the door.

　　”You Fang?” He was a little surprised to see the person coming.

　　You Fang was very enthusiastic: “Let’s go out to eat together? I’ll treat you.”

　　Not far from the hotel is a place called Xiongxing Street, which is a famous local snack street.

　　Li Xiangfu: “Just the two of us?”

　　”No, call other people to join us,” You Fang said with a smile, “Forget about the judges. It’s uncomfortable to be with them.”

　　Li Xiangfu didn’t really want to go, but You Fang was overly enthusiastic and said to himself, “You clean up first, I’ll go call the others.”

　　Then he went to knock on the door opposite.

　　Zhou Panbai and Mo Yijing agreed very straightforwardly. After inviting everyone one by one, when going downstairs, You Fang saw Li Xiangfu still standing at the door and called out, “Aren’t you coming with us?”

　　Li Xiangfu shook his head: “I think I’m a little carsick and I’m not feeling well.”

　　You Fang didn’t force it: “What do you want to eat? I’ll bring some back for you.”

　　”It’s okay. I’ll take a nap. If I’m hungry when I wake up, I’ll just make do with whatever I find.”

　　When they reached the door of the hotel, Zhou Panbai suddenly asked, “He stayed behind on purpose. Could it be that he wanted to say something to Qin Jin alone?”

　　The others were stunned for a moment, but You Fang was the first to react and smooth things over, saying, “What will he say? He’s just suffering from motion sickness.”

　　Zhou Panbai didn’t intend to set up a good person image, so he kicked a stone on the roadside and said bluntly: “Anyway, I think they know each other.”

　　He slept on the bed opposite Li Xiangfu on the train, and what he said was quite credible, which made many people worried.

　　The practice of pretending to build a plank road while secretly attacking Chencang is too common in today’s society.

　　Li Xiangfu didn’t know that he was being suspected of using unspoken rules in the minds of different people. He prepared to draw a sketch to practice his hand. He set up the drawing board and a few smooth lines were easily born under his pencil. Just when he was going to continue, there was another knock on the door.

　　He had no intention of getting up, and patiently held up the pen to determine the position of the facial features.

　　However, the person knocking on the door seemed to have no idea what restraint was.

　　Li Xiangfu put down his pencil and saw a magnified wrinkled face through the cat’s eye. The distance was so close that he could even see the fat on the cheeks clearly.

　　When he opened the door, his attitude was quite cold: “What’s the matter?”

　　Judge Fang smiled and said, “I noticed from the resume you submitted that although your painting skills are good, they lack something.”

　　He put himself in the shoes of a mentor and said meaningfully: “Under my guidance, I guarantee you will soar to the top in tomorrow’s competition.”

　　His words carried a very strong hint.

　　”I appreciate your kindness, but I want to rest early.”

　　After saying that, Li Xiangfu slammed the door shut without mercy, and Judge Fang’s nose was almost hit.

　　His face turned pale, and he came to his senses and spat at the door: “Don’t worry, you will regret it sooner or later.”

　　He secretly made up his mind and swore that as long as he was alive, Li Xiangfu would never be able to survive in this circle.

　　After being disturbed for no apparent reason, Li Xiangfu’s mood for painting was affected. He turned his pen and began to browse the information of the judges on the Internet. The father of this Judge Fang is an old artist. He didn’t know whether it is because of his father’s influence or because he is really talented, but he has been smooth sailing since he entered the circle and was also named the most promising new painter of the year.

　　Li Xiangfu looked at his published works and compared them carefully with his father’s paintings, and almost laughed out loud.

　　Although the style has been deliberately changed, some of the brushwork is difficult to hide, and these paintings are most likely painted by the same person.

　　Looking back at it, the last work published by Judge Fang was three years ago. After that, he went to various places to give lectures to make money. Three years ago was exactly the time when his father passed away.

　　After making sure that there was no misunderstanding in his judgment of this person, Li Xiangfu gradually came up with some ideas in his mind.

　　It rained heavily that night.

　　Rain in summer is a good thing, but it is another matter when you are out and about. Fortunately, after breakfast, there was only a drizzle, which did not affect their travel.

　　The judges were even busier than the contestants, arranging a bus to take them to their destination. On the way, the bus gradually left the crowded and noisy place and drove towards a muddy mountain road. The remote mountain stream inevitably made people feel a little uneasy.

　　You Fang was the first to ask: “Where are we going?”

　　As they approached the place, the judges stopped keeping them in suspense: “Tianxi Ancient Village.”

　　There are many scenic spots in Cangyang, and many did some research before coming here. However, since Tianxi Ancient Village is too unpopular, no one really pays attention to it, and some people have never even heard of this place.

　　Mo Yijing seemed to understand a little: “The houses there are very unique.”

　　Zhou Panbai had already searched the Internet with his mobile phone and pursed his lips: “It’s okay.”

　　Everyone was looking down at their phones and no one noticed the subtle changes in Li Xiangfu’s expression.

　　After going down a steep slope, the bus finally stopped after swaying dangerously. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as the ride was terrifying.

　　The name Tianxi Ancient Village sounds very primitive, but it is actually more modern than you might imagine. Apart from the architecture, other aspects are not much different from ordinary towns. Lightning and heavy rain is very common here, and almost every roof has a lightning rod installed.

　　All the buildings in the village adopt a through-beam structure, with patterns of Thor raising his hammer carved on the walls. There are two-story and three-story buildings.

　　The person who was responsible for receiving them was extremely enthusiastic, with his mustache trembling with laughter, and he also took the initiative to find a few people to help carry the luggage.

　　You Fang sighed: “This is the legendary simple folk customs, which can no longer be seen in big cities.”

　　Li Xiangfu thought for a moment, then walked over to the judges and asked, “How much does it cost here per day?”

　　”Food and lodging total three hundred per person per day.” The judge turned around and said, “The expenses will be reimbursed by the organizer.”

　　You Fang, who was about to say a few words of praise behind him, was moved to death when he heard the words. He quietly walked to the side, folded his arms and admired the scenery.

　　They were arranged to stay in different families, and after putting their luggage away, they gathered at the village chief’s house.

　　The competition is divided into two parts: painting at a designated location and free creation.

　　The first stage is the free creation phase, in which two contestants will compete against each other, and the winner will be eligible to enter the finals. It can be said that as long as you enter the finals, you can at least get a third prize.

　　”Drawing lots is a relatively fair method among unfair ones.” When everyone was gathered, Judge Fang smiled and brought out a bamboo tube: “Drawing lots to select the PK partner, everyone should have no objection, right?”

　　It was just a symbolic question, but his hands had already started shaking the bamboo tube, breaking it up and placing it on the table.

　　You Fang: “We draw the lots ourselves, or…”

　　Judge Fang: “Each judge will draw a group of contestants.”

　　Li Xiangfu noticed that when he spoke, Zhou Panbai’s mouth corners curved slightly.

　　Judge Zhao was about to step forward, but Judge Fang stopped him and said, “I’ll go first.”

　　Judge Zhao vaguely understood what he wanted to do, but did not try to stop him and stepped aside.

　　Judge Fang casually picked up two bamboo sticks and showed the red name on the bottom: “Zhou Panbai…”

　　Everyone subconsciously took a deep breath. Judge Fang looked around and finally fixed his gaze on one spot: “Li Xiangfu.”

　　The first group of PK players was born.

　　The judges drew lots one after another, and soon the list officially appeared:

　　You Fang and Mo Yijing.

　　Xia Ju and Yu Bin.

　　Chu Yang and Lin Yanshu.

　　Generally speaking, the field trip is more like a spontaneous trip. The free creation session will last until nine o’clock in the evening. During this period, the contestants need to hand in their mobile phones. In order to prevent emergencies where they cannot seek help, the judging panel will distribute old-fashioned mobile phones that cannot access the Internet, but making calls shouldn’t be an issue.

　　Because there is no limit to the subject matter, after identifying the competitors, everyone quickly started looking for inspiration.

　　Li Xiangfu didn’t walk too far. He stood under a big tree, rubbing his fingers gently on the bark, wondering what he was thinking.

　　”Are you worried about the game?” a voice came from behind.

　　Li Xiangfu turned around and Mo Yijing smiled at him.

　　”I am confident in my ability.” Li Xiangfu said lightly.

　　Mo Yijing: “But your opponent is Zhou Panbai.”

　　If one paid a little attention one could hear the hidden meaning in the words.

　　”He has been misleading people into thinking that you have an improper relationship with the sponsor, but in fact he has an unclear relationship with the judges.”

　　Li Xiangfu was really surprised that she came to him suddenly to tell him these things when they weren’t even friends.

　　”I just can’t stand his behavior.” Mo Yijing added in her heart, ‘I am very used to your appearance and temperament.’

　　Li Xiangfu is not a naive person, so he naturally felt that it was no coincidence that he and Zhou Panbai were grouped together. Zhou Panbai was weaker, and among all the contestants, he was the only one who had no experience of winning awards, so even if the judges gave him a low score, it would not easily arouse doubts.

　　”It’s okay,” Li Xiangfu said calmly, “He picked the wrong opponent.”

　　Mo Yijing reminded: “Sometimes strength alone is not enough.”

　　Li Xiangfu was also aware of this. It was impossible for the other judges to be completely unaware of the trickery between Zhou Panbai and Judge Fang, but it was just that the bottom line had not been touched yet, and they would not interfere too much unless it was the final evaluation.

　　His usefulness was gone after he retweeted a few Weibo posts about the competition.

　　While the two were talking, Zhou Panbai was in a secluded place with Judge Fang, avoiding the man’s dirty hands with fake smiles.

　　Judge Fang was unhappy because he didn’t get the upper hand. Zhou Panbai whispered in his ear to comfort him: “Tonight.”

　　Shirts can sometimes be a carrier of sexiness. Zhou Panbai always liked to wear his white shirts very wrinkled, with the top three buttons deliberately open to reveal his delicate collarbone.

　　Under normal circumstances, Judge Fang’s lower abdomen would have tightened, and he would have wanted to pounce on the person on the spot. However, looking at the creamy skin in front of him, he couldn’t help but think of Li Xiangfu.

　　Although both of them were wearing shirts, the other person always buttoned his shirts meticulously, with not much skin showing on his wrists. However, any unintentional movement was enough to arouse people’s endless imagination.

　　But he is not one to be fooled!

　　He swallowed his saliva, feeling unwilling. If he could spend a night with someone like that, even if it offended all the other judges and damaged his reputation, he would try his best to push the other person to the special prize.

　　Zhou Panbai had no idea that he was being compared or even disliked invisibly, and his fingers teased along Judge Fang’s spine all the way up.

　　With a tingling feeling, Judge Fang decided to appease the beauty in front of him first: “Your level can only get you the second prize at most. Once you have this stepping stone, I will introduce you to a master painter, and he will create momentum for you and push you out.”

　　Zhou Panbai’s eyes showed joy, and he didn’t care about the other person’s hands messing with his body.

　　With a bright vision for the future, Zhou Panbai’s inner pride was beyond words. He was jealous of Li Xiangfu for a simple reason: the other party’s fans on the social platform and his face, which he didn’t use to his advantage by clearly masking himself, always pretending to be noble.

　　Li Xiangfu had put so much effort into standing out from so many people and attracting the attention of this old pervert. Judge Fang took the initiative to extend an olive branch without even Li Xiangfu raising his finger.

　　Thinking of this, Zhou Panbai closed his eyes tightly, and when he opened his eyes again, the corners of his mouth curled up. After tomorrow, all the things that were in the way would be completely cleared away.

　　•|•

　　Li Xiangfu was not someone who would sit and wait for death. He wandered around and finally saw Qin Jin in a wasteland suitable for viewing the scenery. He said bluntly: “I need a fair battlefield.”

　　Qin Jin seemed to be responding to the rustling sound of the wind in front of him. He clapped his hands and said with a smile: “I thought you would handle this matter yourself.”

　　Li Xiangfu said nothing.

　　After the gust of wind blew away, Qin Jin spoke again: “I will go and remind Fang Yuanjian.”

　　His reminder was not just a few words, it almost determined the other party’s downfall.

　　”Anything else?” Qin Jin asked.

　　Li Xiangfu said seriously: “I won’t bother Mr. Qin to do anything special, I can take care of the rest.”

　　Qin Jin’s eyebrows twitched.

　　Li Xiangfu’s eyes were full of gentle smiles, but the light deep in his pupils was cold: “Treat others in their own way.”

　　Qin Jin easily heard the multiple meanings in the words. ‘That person’ did not only refer to Fang Yuanjian, but also included Zhou Panbai and several other judges who turned a blind eye.

　　He finally turned his head and stared at Li Xiangfu with interest. He probably didn’t expect that the other party had the character of vengeance.

　　”What do you want to do?”

　　The curve of Li Xiangfu’s mouth became more prominent: “Draw.”

　　Since he was here to compete, he naturally had to abide by the rules and regulations of the competition.

　　Within a quarter of an hour, Qin Jin witnessed him running back, panting, holding the drawing board.

　　Li Xiangfu stood on tiptoe and looked around, making sure no one was coming for the time being, and rubbed his hands: “Can you please be my nude model for once?”