ebookland Chapter 741 Nanxing is right
Chapter 741 Nanxing is right
Ignoring the "unhealthy trend" stirred up by Sang Biao in the live stream and the noise from the crowd, Lin Bufan decisively shut down the live stream. He carefully wrapped the two wooden carvings—"Quiet Moon" and "Flowing Wind"—in red cloth, and then, amidst the regretful, amazed, and unwilling gazes of the collectors and tourists, he easily hoisted one in each hand onto his shoulder, as if they were not priceless works of art, but two bundles of firewood.
"Alright, everyone, the excitement's over, go home!" Lin Bufan waved to the crowd still gathered around the wood carving workshop, his tone relaxed, but he didn't stop walking, heading straight towards the Windy Courtyard.
Several persistent buyers tried to follow and chat, but Lin Bufan swept them away with a smiling glance, his eyes clearly saying, "Follow me again and you'll face the consequences." The men immediately stopped in their tracks, and could only watch helplessly as he carried his "treasure" further and further away.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long shadow of his, which blended with the outline of the wooden carving on his shoulder, creating a peculiar silhouette.
As Lin Bufan approached the Windy Courtyard, he saw several figures standing at the gate. Chen Nanxing was eagerly anticipating the event, her face filled with barely suppressed excitement and curiosity; Xu Hongdou stood beside her, her expression as calm as ever, but a hint of barely perceptible expectation flickered in her eyes; Nana, Hu Youyu, and even Ma Qiushan were also there, clearly having witnessed everything that had just happened in the wood carving workshop through the live stream.
"He's back! He's back!" Chen Nanxing was the first to greet him, his eyes fixed intently on the wooden carving on Lin Bufan's shoulder, his voice full of excitement: "Let me see! I wasn't satisfied with just watching it on the live stream, does that expression really change? It's amazing!"
Lin Bufan smiled and carefully placed the two wooden sculptures in the center of the courtyard, then lifted the red cloth.
"Here you are the actual item. Please take a look."
In the center of the courtyard, two life-sized wooden sculptures stand quietly. The warm luster of the camphor wood flows in the twilight, perfectly capturing the elegance of "Quiet Moon" and the dynamism of "Flowing Wind," making it even more breathtaking than what you see on the live stream.
Chen Nanxing and Xu Hongdou stared at the wooden carving that resembled their own faces, their expressions subtly changing. Xu Hongdou tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips; Chen Nanxing blinked and gently touched "his" cheek.
"How was it?" Lin Bufan raised an eyebrow smugly. "Were you impressed by my skills?"
Hu Youyu leaned closer to examine it closely, clicking his tongue in amazement: "You know what, it really does look like it. But..." He stroked his chin, his gaze shifting back and forth between the real person and the wooden carving: "Why do I think this wooden carving is even more beautiful than the real person?"
"Hu Youyu!" Chen Nanxing immediately glared at Hu Youyu.
"I'm praising Mr. Lin's excellent craftsmanship!" Hu Youyu quickly raised his hands in surrender: "To be able to sculpt you even more beautifully than the real people, this skill is absolutely amazing!"
Nana smiled and smoothed things over: "They're both beautiful. The real person looks lifelike, and the wood carving is incredibly expressive."
Ma Qiushan, holding his prayer beads, rarely spoke up to comment: "It is both in form and spirit, reaching a state of perfection. What is even more remarkable is this spiritual charm... Mr. Lin is indeed an extraordinary person."
Xu Hongdou walked around the two wooden sculptures twice and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Lin Bufan, you better tell the truth! The live stream said that the statues would have different expressions depending on the person's mood. Is that real or some kind of high-tech special effect you used? We were all stunned when we saw it on our phones. It felt so unbelievable!"
Lin Bufan chuckled and patted the "Quiet Moon" statue beside him: "Whether it's special effects or not, the real thing is right in front of you now. Why don't you see it for yourselves and feel it?"
"That's right!" Xu Hongdou's eyes lit up, and she immediately moved closer to the "Quiet Moon" statue modeled after herself, holding her breath and staring at it intently.
With her taking the lead, Chen Nanxing, Nana, Hu Youyu, and even Ma Qiushan, who had been very calm, all turned their gazes toward the two wooden sculptures with a bit of curiosity and began to observe them carefully.
Not long after, Chen Nanxing exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! It really is! I feel... she's really smiling at me, smiling so happily!" She excitedly pointed to the "Flowing Wind" statue, her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement.
Nana nodded, her gaze gently falling on the "Quiet Moon" statue, and said softly, "The 'Quiet Moon' I saw felt... very gentle and tolerant, like an older sister."
Hu Youyu scratched his head, staring at "Liufeng" with a strange expression: "That's weird, why do I feel like the way she looks at me... is a little disgusted? Like the way my high school homeroom teacher looked at me when I was causing trouble..." His words made everyone laugh.
Ma Qiushan, holding his prayer beads, nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of understanding: "Appearance arises from the mind, and circumstances change with the mind. This thing is truly mysterious; what one sees is what one thinks, and what one feels is what one contemplates. Excellent."
Xu Hongdou didn't speak, but the gentle smile that unconsciously appeared on her lips as she gazed at the "Quiet Moon" statue indicated that she was feeling tranquility and peace.
The amazing feeling brought about by this firsthand experience made everyone feel very curious. Chen Nanxing seemed to remember something, suddenly turned his head, looked at Lin Bufan slyly, and asked, "By the way, Bufan, you still haven't told me! When you looked at them, what was their reaction to you? What were you thinking at the time? Were they smiling at you very brightly?"
Lin Bufan's smile froze for a moment, the scene of those two "heartless" statues glaring at him in the wood carving workshop flashing through his mind. He coughed twice, quickly adjusting his expression, puffed out his chest, and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Of course! When my creations see their creator, they will certainly show them boundless respect and admiration! They must have a warm, radiant smile, as bright as a flower! What else could they be?"
"Really?" Chen Nanxing narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking Lin Bufan up and down, clearly not quite believing it: "Why do I feel... you looked a little guilty just now? You wouldn't have... had some ulterior motives while looking at them, and then they rejected you, would you?"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Lin Bufan immediately retorted loudly, his expression serious and righteous: "I, Lin Bufan, have always acted with integrity and uprightness, my heart as pure as crystal! I have the purest appreciation and love for art and my works! How could I possibly have any bad thoughts? This is a serious slander against my character and artistic integrity!"
He spoke with such conviction, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Hu Youyu, who was watching the commotion from the sidelines, chimed in, "President Lin, words are no proof! Why don't you show us your warm smile in front of everyone now?"
Lin Bufan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly: "Ahem... Well... the effect requires a calm mind to appear. Right now, with so many people talking and the energy field unstable, it's hard to see clearly! Yes, that's it! Alright, alright, we've finished looking at this. Shouldn't we eat? I haven't eaten all day, I'm starving!"
As the last rays of the setting sun completely disappeared behind the mountains, night quietly fell, and warm lights illuminated the courtyard. Filled with awe and curiosity about the two wondrous wooden carvings, the group moved to the dining room to enjoy dinner. The aroma of the food mingled with the cool evening air, creating a cozy atmosphere.
Sitting around the dining table, Chen Nanxing shoveled rice into his bowl, his eyes occasionally glancing at the two wooden carvings in the yard. Finally, he couldn't help but nudge Lin Bufan with his elbow and whispered, "Hey, Bufan, those people in the live stream have been pushing these wooden carvings up to hundreds of millions... You just... gave them to us like that?"
Xu Hongdou also glanced sideways, and although she didn't speak, her eyes revealed the same question.
Upon hearing this, Lin Bufan showed an extremely surprised expression, as if he had heard something out of the blue: "Give you a gift? Who said we were going to give you a gift?"
Everyone in the restaurant, including Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing, was stunned. Given Lin Bufan's pace of giving away a small wooden carving every day for the past few days, they naturally assumed these two life-size statues were also "gifts." Moreover, the statues were clearly sculpted in their likeness; by all accounts, they should have been gifts for the recipients themselves. This sudden denial caught everyone off guard, their faces filled with confusion.
Seeing the confused expressions on everyone's faces, Lin Bufan seemed to realize their thoughts. He slapped his forehead as if in sudden enlightenment, then gave them a "you've misunderstood" look and slowly explained:
"Huh? You thought this was a gift for you? It's a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding!"
Here's what happened. You see, I'm staying in room number 5. The bed is too big. When I sleep alone on it, I toss and turn, always feeling empty and uneasy, without a sense of security! You can't understand the feeling of sleeping alone through the long night!
So, I put some effort into carving these two treasures. I sleep with one on each side at night, Jingyue on my left and Liufeng on my right. It makes me feel so secure and at peace, like I'm overflowing with safety! Don't you think my idea is brilliant?
These absurd remarks left everyone in the courtyard speechless.
Xu Hongdou looked at the statue that looked exactly like herself, then at Lin Bufan with his "perverted" smile, and then, thinking that Lin Bufan might do something strange to the statue, she suddenly shuddered!
"No, no! Lin Bufan, you can't sleep with it in your arms!"
Lin Bufan blinked, looking innocent, and asked, "Why not? I carved the wood myself, and I sleep with it by myself. What's wrong with that?"
"You..." Xu Hongdou was taken aback by Lin Bufan's knowing question, so she took a deep breath and tried to keep her tone calm as she tried to reason with him: "You are violating my portrait rights! You sculpted a statue that looks exactly like me without my permission, which is wrong in itself, not to mention that you want to sleep with it, which is even more wrong!"
Lin Bufan smirked smugly and slowly wagged his finger: "Hongdou, have you forgotten something important?"
Xu Hongdou frowned, thinking carefully. An important thing? What important thing could there be? Could it be that love agreement? But even if it was that agreement, it didn't include this!
Seeing that Xu Hongdou still hadn't figured it out, Lin Bufan's smile widened: "Who said that the 'Quiet Moon' I sculpted must be based on your appearance? Have you forgotten our good friend Rose? Is there a problem with me sculpting Rose?"
Xu Hongdou was speechless for a moment. Oh right, how could she forget about the roses? In that case, can it still be considered an infringement of portrait rights?
Unable to find a point of rebuttal, Xu Hongdou nudged Chen Nanxing beside her with her elbow, signaling her to continue—it's impossible for both statues to have "stand-ins," right?
Chen Nanxing, who had been lost in thought ever since hearing Lin Bufan say he wanted to sleep with the statue, was immediately interrupted by Xu Hongdou's bump and said subconsciously, "Hongdou is right. Sleeping with a wooden carving is nowhere near as comfortable as sleeping with Hongdou."
Xu Hongdou, who had been standing with her arms crossed, waiting to see how Lin Bufan would argue, was completely dumbfounded—Is that what I meant? Please, there's a limit to how outrageous things can be!
Chen Nanxing's startling words caused a moment of silence at the dining table. Nana's chopsticks, which were picking up food, stopped in mid-air. Hu Youyu opened his mouth wide, and even Ma Qiushan's fingers, which were twirling prayer beads, paused.
All eyes turned to Chen Nanxing!
It wasn't until then that Chen Nanxing finally came to his senses and realized that he had inadvertently revealed his true feelings!
After scanning the crowd, Chen Nanxing's gaze finally settled on Xu Hongdou, who looked utterly incredulous. He then said rather guiltily, "Dou'er, if I said I was possessed by a ghost just now, would you believe me?"
Xu Hongdou smiled gently, almost dangerously, and said softly, "Oh? Possessed by a ghost? Do you think... I'd believe that?"
Chen Nanxing keenly sensed a hint of danger and instantly sprang up from his chair, backing away while forcing a dry laugh: "Um... Hongdou, let me explain, I really did just now..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xu Hongdou had already stood up and walked towards her unhurriedly.
Upon seeing this, Chen Nanxing screamed, turned around and ran out of the restaurant. Xu Hongdou did not hesitate and immediately chased after her.
……
In the end, after Chen Nanxing's persistent pleading, jokes, and "deep reflection," the two wooden sculptures named "Quiet Moon" and "Flowing Wind" were carefully moved into Room 6 and placed in a corner of the room.
……
The next day, the sun shone brightly through the window of Room 5. Without the pressure of "working" at the wood carving workshop, and without Chen Nanxing's "human alarm clock" service, Lin Bufan fell into a rare deep sleep, sleeping until the sun was high in the sky before waking up naturally.
Looking at the empty bed, where Chen Nanxing was no longer present, Lin Bufan couldn't help but sigh – Nanxing was right, those two pieces of broken wood are nothing compared to the comfort of hugging a real person!