Chapter 132: Exploring the Ancient City

Early morning.

Fang Xing, his hair a bird's nest, brushed his teeth with a disposable toothbrush and toothpaste from the hotel.

Just then, the doorbell rang: *ding-dong, ding-dong.*

Still holding the toothbrush, he went to open the door. As soon as it swung open, Qiao Yinghong gave him two thumbs up and praised, "Great performance."

"How did you get here, Sister Hong?" Fang Xing turned and headed back to the bathroom to finish brushing.

Qiao Yinghong walked into the suite, tidied up the trash on the coffee table, and said loudly, "With a performance that good, you're the double-crown winner of this season, so naturally, I have to come and talk to the production team. We aren't trainees anymore; there's a lot we can negotiate now."

Because his personal studio had only been open for a short while, many things had yet to be put on the right track, making Qiao Yinghong incredibly busy during this period. When they came to Xiangjiang to record *Singing Voice*, it was Guo Keda who had accompanied him.

"I have a flight back to Donghai tonight. Are you coming with me, Sister Hong, or are you staying?" Fang Xing asked, leaning against the door frame after rinsing his mouth.

"I'll stay here for two more days. You go back and prepare well for the next competition song. Have you decided what to sing?" Qiao Yinghong asked casually.

"No, I have decision paralysis," Fang Xing replied offhandedly.

To others, this answer meant he couldn't think of a suitable song. However, Fang Xing’s real meaning was that there were too many songs, making it too difficult to choose.

After finishing with the coffee table, Qiao Yinghong turned around and said, "The reason I came this time is that I also want to talk to the production team about the replacement singers. I want to secure a spot for Caiwei. Since she sang 'Painted Heart,' her career has been steadily rising. If she can get on *Singing Voice*, she might be able to break into the top tier."

Fang Xing nodded. "That sounds good. With her ability, there’s no problem with her joining *Singing Voice*."

Qiao Yinghong added, "However, the replacement singers for this season are basically finalized. It might be hard to negotiate."

Fang Xing thought for a moment and asked, "So, what are you implying, Sister Hong?"

Qiao Yinghong was blunt. "I was thinking, if you are willing to help Caiwei produce the songs she’ll sing on *Singing Voice*, and use that as a bargaining chip with the production team, it might just work."

The replacement singers for this season were indeed "basically finalized." "Basically finalized" meant not yet completely set in stone. Sometimes a singer's schedule might conflict, leading to adjustments. It was common for singers who couldn't make the schedule work for one season to join in the next. Sometimes a singer would back out at the last minute, forcing the production team to find a replacement urgently. Or, if special circumstances arose during recording that affected the show's ratings, temporary changes would be made. Therefore, as long as the recording hadn't happened, anything was possible.

Fang Xing wasn't against the proposal, but he didn't agree immediately either.

Qiao Yinghong added, "Caiwei said that for all your future songs, she won't take any profit sharing, and she said she'd be your 'singing tool' for life. The songs performed on *Singing Voice* would all be signed under the studio's name."

Normally, a top-tier singer's profit share for songs would be around 10%. Since Li Caiwei was already a quasi-top-tier singer, offering to take no share was a sign of great sincerity. Fang Xing did indeed need a female singer to perform female-vocal tracks, and Li Caiwei was a perfect fit in every aspect. He really should help with this.

"Alright. If she can join *Singing Voice*, I'll take care of all her competition songs on the show," Fang Xing agreed.

Qiao Yinghong was even surprised to hear this. "Really? Then I’ll go talk to the production team. Just on your word alone, I think Zheng Tao will agree."

"Sure, let’s go with that," Fang Xing nodded.

...

Fang Xing had a flight back to Donghai that evening, so he still had the whole day. Since he had finally made it to Xiangjiang and had the time, he naturally wanted to go out and have some fun.

Fang Xing changed his clothes, put on sunglasses and a hat, and went down to the floor where the Dongyin First Symphony Orchestra was staying to knock on the door of Lu Xiang'er and her roommate.

Sounds of chaos erupted from inside the room. A few minutes later, the door finally opened.

Fang Xing glanced into the room; it had clearly been tidied up, but it was still a mess.

"Stop looking, stop looking. Ning Xiaoyun isn't up yet. Why are you knocking so early?" Lu Xiang'er, wearing pajamas, leaned against the door and yawned.

"Let's go! A one-day tour of Xiangjiang," Fang Xing said, pointing his thumb toward the exit.

"Huh?" Lu Xiang'er looked surprised.

"You guys have a flight tonight, right?" Fang Xing asked.

"Yes, we're leaving in the evening."

"So you were planning to hole up in the hotel all day?"

At that moment, Ning Xiaoyun rolled over and said, "Xiangxiang, let's go. Otherwise, if we spend the whole day playing games in the hotel, what's the difference from being at home?"

"Alright then, wait for us a moment," Lu Xiang'er said, moving to close the door again.

"Is 'a moment' an hour? Or two hours?" Fang Xing knew all too well what a girl's "a moment" meant.

"I'm just going to wash my face," Lu Xiang'er muttered.

Ning Xiaoyun sat up, her hair a bird's nest, and added, "And then apply toner, then lotion, then a layer of sunscreen, a layer of primer, and then foundation..."

Lu Xiang'er rolled her eyes and corrected her, "Just washing my face."

"I'll wait in the hotel restaurant."

Fang Xing went down to the hotel restaurant, ordered breakfast, and began to eat while scrolling through his phone. The hotel's breakfast was a buffet, and the variety was quite complete. After finishing his noodles, he could even have some fruit.

Just as he finished the noodles and was using a fork to pick up a piece of fruit, Lu Xiang'er and Ning Xiaoyun appeared before him. They had changed clothes and put on sun hats; their faces had only simple skincare, with little to no makeup.

Fang Xing checked the time—it had only been ten minutes. He deliberately put on a look of surprise and said, "So fast? That doesn't seem right."

Ning Xiaoyun elbowed Lu Xiang'er and complained, "I told you we should have worn makeup! You were the one in a rush; we should have at least sprayed sunscreen."

"Spraying sunscreen isn't as good as physical sun protection. I'll just wear a hat," Lu Xiang'er said, pressing down on her straw hat.

"Eat breakfast first. It's a buffet; just take whatever you want," Fang Xing pointed to the chairs in front of them.

The two girls put their bags on the seats and went to get food together. They didn't even grab things separately. Ning Xiaoyun was in charge of holding the plate and directing Lu Xiang'er: "Get a piece of cake, and sushi—the one with the cheese. And egg tarts, get two more. That, that one, shrimp dumplings, and soup dumplings."

Lu Xiang'er frowned as she picked them up, then emphasized, "You're eating all of this."

"What? I’m getting this for both of us," Ning Xiaoyun corrected.

"I don't care. You're the one who wanted it. I’ll eat at most one egg tart and a soup dumpling," Lu Xiang'er said, pointing at the tart with the tongs.

Ning Xiaoyun shook her head and said nonchalantly, "Doesn't matter, if we can't finish it, we'll let him eat it."

After she said that, she ran to another table and said, "There's salad dressing here. Come over and mix a bowl of salad, put lots of sauce. Watermelon, watermelon, cantaloupe, and bananas... Oh, and pineapple buns, the crust looks really crispy. Take two, take two."

Before long, the two girls had piled the table full of plates. Fang Xing's mouth twitched. "Are you planning to take this to go?"

Ning Xiaoyun asked curiously, "Can you take things to go here?"

Lu Xiang'er couldn't help but reach out to grab her head, saying angrily, "When have you ever seen a buffet you can pack up?"

Ning Xiaoyun waved her hand, looking relaxed. "Don't worry, there are three of us; we can finish it."

Fang Xing said speechlessly, "You just said you were getting food for two people."

"Not important, not important. Let's eat first. If it's not enough, we'll get more." Ning Xiaoyun picked up a fork, speared a shrimp dumpling, and shoved it into her mouth.

Lu Xiang'er pinched her under the table and whispered, "Be a little more refined."

Ning Xiaoyun retorted, "When have we ever been refined while eating?"

"No way, I'm very refined," Lu Xiang'er quickly stuffed her mouth with an egg tart.

Fang Xing had only eaten a bowl of noodles earlier—and since the buffet bowls were quite small, he still had an appetite—so he picked up a fork and started eating from their plates.

After breakfast, Ning Xiaoyun held her stomach and said, "I can't do it. I'm too full. I'm going back to the room to lie down."

"What?" Lu Xiang'er widened her eyes.

"You guys go. I'm not going. It's hot out; why walk the streets when you can lie down and enjoy the AC?" Ning Xiaoyun said, walking into the elevator on her own.

Fang Xing looked at the weather outside. Actually, it was already late October, and it wasn't very hot.

"Shall we go?" Fang Xing asked.

"Where?" Lu Xiang'er had already prepared herself mentally to go out today and didn't want to back out.

"Up to you. Phoenix Ancient Town or Furong Town?" Fang Xing suggested.

"I've heard classmates talk about Phoenix Ancient Town before. I'd like to see it," Lu Xiang'er said, suddenly interested.

"Let's go then."

The two set off, taking a tourist bus to Phoenix Ancient Town. Once the bus started moving, they realized that the trip to Phoenix Ancient Town was over 400 kilometers and would take six hours. By the time they arrived, it was already the afternoon.

Stepping off the bus, they watched the sun beginning to dip toward the west and stood there in a daze for a while.

Lu Xiang'er asked, "Should we still go in?"

"We're already here," Fang Xing said, striding forward.

"True, we're already here. Let's go see the Tuojiang Jumping Stones first."

Lu Xiang'er thought that since they were here, they should at least check out the famous photo spots. Phoenix Ancient Town was located in the southwest of the autonomous prefecture, covering an area of about 10 square kilometers, and was first built during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. The town featured bluestone streets, riverside wooden stilt houses, the Chaoyang Palace, the Heavenly King Temple, the Dacheng Hall, and the Longevity Palace, all exuding the charm of an ancient city.

Because she had sat on the bus for six hours, and besides sleeping, Lu Xiang'er had spent the entire time flipping through travel guides on her phone, she had already mapped out the route to all the photo spots.

"Hurry up, let's go to the Tuojiang Jumping Stones first. You have to help me take pictures later."

They entered through the North Gate tower and walked along the riverbank, soon arriving at the first spot: the Tuojiang Jumping Stones.

The Tuojiang Jumping Stones were two rows of square stone blocks standing in the river, forming a unique path connecting the two banks of the Tuojiang River. Although they connected the banks and acted like a bridge, they weren't one. To get to the other side, one had to jump from block to block, hence the name "Jumping Stones." Standing on the stones, the clear Tuojiang River flowed beneath one's feet. If you missed a step, you'd fall into the water, making the process quite exciting.

When they arrived, several couples were there taking wedding photos. The photographers stood on the bank or on a nearby wooden bridge, while the brides and grooms stood on the stones, their wedding dresses spread out over the river, drifting with the current.

*Click! Click!*

The photographers pressed their shutters, capturing the happy moments of the newlyweds.

At first, Lu Xiang'er wanted to stand on the stones, but when she saw others taking wedding photos, she leaned against the bank and watched, chin in hand. The jumping stones consisted of two rows: one slightly higher and one lower. Lu Xiang'er stood on the bank, lifting her feet repeatedly but unable to step out.

Fang Xing stepped onto the lower row of stones, turned back, and reached out. "Hold my hand."

Lu Xiang'er reached out, took his hand, and finally dared to step onto the first stone. Standing there, feeling the cool river breeze and watching the clear water beneath her feet, her mood immediately relaxed.

Fang Xing stood on the lower stones, holding Lu Xiang'er's hand as they walked forward. Lu Xiang'er was on the higher row; their heights were just right. At first, she was a bit scared, but after passing a few stones, she became familiar with it and began to speed up.

Fang Xing pulled her onto the lower stones, and they sat down, taking off their shoes to dip their feet into the river. Lu Xiang'er splashed the water with her white, delicate feet, laughing happily as she created a spray of droplets. Seeing her so joyful, Fang Xing reached out to press on her shoulder and gave a gentle push.

"Ah!" Lu Xiang'er screamed in fright.

Fang Xing held her shoulder, making sure she wouldn't fall. Lu Xiang'er turned back, angry and embarrassed, and hit him. "I almost fell!"

Fang Xing let her punch him twice and said, "I wouldn't let you fall."

Lu Xiang'er stood up holding her shoes, walking barefoot along the stones, grumbling, "You're terrible. You just like to bully me. I'm angry."

Fang Xing stood behind her, picked up his SLR camera, and took a few shots of her back. She was holding her shoes in both hands, arms spread to balance herself, with water droplets dripping from the shoes. Fang Xing captured the moment the droplets fell, along with her hair blowing in the wind and mist—the scene was natural and beautiful.

After crossing the Jumping Stones, Lu Xiang'er sat by the river and sulked for a while. Fang Xing handed her a bottle of water and some bread. "What's the next spot?"

Lu Xiang'er tore open the bread and took a fierce bite, as if she were biting Fang Xing. While drinking water, she mumbled, "The Stilt Houses. It should be over there." She pointed in one direction, then felt it was wrong and pointed to another.

Fang Xing took her backpack, slung it over his shoulder, pulled out a tissue to help her wipe her feet, and said, "Let's go. Otherwise, the sun will set."

Lu Xiang'er put on her shoes and stood up, following the map on her phone to find the next spot. Fang Xing simply stopped a tourist and asked, immediately finding the location of the stilt houses.

They headed toward the stilt house complex. The houses stood by the Tuojiang River like a row of graceful young girls. The complex was one of the ancient buildings in Phoenix Ancient Town with the strongest Miao style.

This time, Lu Xiang'er wanted to take photos seriously. She stood in front of the stilt houses, shoved her phone into Fang Xing's hand, and emphasized that he must use the camera mode she had set up. Fang Xing glanced at her settings: soft light, high brightness, and a bit of "beauty filter." The filter wasn't strong, but it still made the light and scenery look unnatural. Fang Xing’s aesthetic was natural; any distorted photo was a poor-quality product. So, after taking photos with her phone, he picked up his camera and took a few more in his own style.

Later, at the stilt house spot, staff were renting out Miao ethnic costumes. Lu Xiang'er excitedly changed into the clothes and headdress and continued taking photos. When Fang Xing saw her in the Miao attire, he was almost stunned.

In fact, Fang Xing had been a player of the *Legend of Sword and Fairy* game, and as a middle schooler, he had been deeply moved by its story. Seeing Lu Xiang'er in the Miao costume, something deep within him began to stir. Because of his past life's experiences, Fang Xing had thought it would be hard for him to be moved by such innocent feelings again.

After Lu Xiang'er finished dressing up, she turned around, shook the ornaments on her body, and they made a *jingle-jingle* sound. She smiled and asked, "Does it look good?"

Fang Xing didn't speak; he just raised his camera and quickly snapped the picture.

Next, the two visited the other two famous spots in Phoenix Ancient Town: the Wind and Rain Bridge and the East Gate. This time, Fang Xing was relatively silent. He stood at the sites, gazing into the distance at the river scenery, feeling the traces left by these ancient buildings over the years. When Lu Xiang'er asked for photos, Fang Xing just took a couple of quick shots for her.

Seemingly sensitive, Lu Xiang'er noticed Fang Xing's strange mood in the second half of the trip, so she leaned in and asked, "What's wrong? Are you tired?"

"No, I'm just feeling the scenery here. It's enough to have seen it; there's no need to take it away with us," Fang Xing replied.

"Speaking like that suddenly makes you seem very strange," Lu Xiang'er frowned, reaching out to pull down Fang Xing's mask to curiously observe his expression.

By the time they finished visiting the spots in Phoenix Ancient Town, the sun had set. A red sun slowly sank into the river. They stood on the town tower, watching the sunset.

Lu Xiang'er remembered the important thing: "If we rush back now, can we still make the flight?"

"It'll be tough," Fang Xing answered.

"Then what do we do?" Lu Xiang'er began to worry.

"We have to reschedule," Fang Xing said.

"It's all your fault, insisting on going out to play without checking any guides first," Lu Xiang'er muttered, looking conflicted.

"I think we need to find a place to stay quickly, or we'll be sleeping on the streets tonight," Fang Xing reminded her.

"Haha, do you think I'm as silly as you? I already booked a guesthouse on the app this morning," Lu Xiang'er said with a smug expression, turning to walk away.

The guesthouse Lu Xiang'er booked was in a great environment. Moreover, the area where the guesthouses were concentrated was fully booked; if they hadn't booked a room in the morning, they wouldn't have found one at all.

After dinner, the tourists gathered in the restaurant next to the guesthouse, starting their evening activities—singing and dancing—making for a very lively scene.