Chapter 58: Photo
Lu Zhiyin and Zhu Qing built the castles in their hearts together, while Ouyang Qing molded wet sand with her hands nearby.
All three were novices, encountering many difficulties while shaping.
“Huff… ha… it’s quite difficult…”
Wiping her forehead with sand-covered hands, Lu Zhiyin looked at the shapeless creation before her, sighed, and gave a wry smile.
Having worked from morning till noon, the castles they, along with Zhu Qing, had shaped were less like castles and more like deformed hemispheres.
Although they had planned the itinerary for this trip in advance, they ultimately couldn’t prepare for everything they might need.
Without buckets and shovels, this was the best a beginner could do.
As for Ouyang Qing… Ouyang Qing’s progress was no better.
Lu Zhiyin looked at Ouyang Qing nearby. In front of Ouyang Qing was a compacted sand pile, clearly divided into two layers. Ouyang Qing had poked four small holes in the top layer with her fingers; Lu Zhiyin had no idea what Ouyang Qing was trying to create.
“I’m a bit tired, let’s leave it at this.”
Returning her gaze to the sand before her, Lu Zhiyin narrowed her eyes.
As noon arrived, the temperature rose quickly. Continuing to dig in the sand under the scorching sunlight was clearly not a wise option.
“Mhm. I don’t think we can make anything else. We should look up a tutorial beforehand next time.”
Looking at the indescribable sand pile, Zhu Qing also felt a bit awkward.
She was very intelligent in her studies, but she seemed to have no talent for playing.
Zhu Qing’s words made Lu Zhiyin a little sad; there wouldn’t be a next time.
“Let’s just wander around, then head back to the inn.”
Glancing at the dazzling sun on the horizon, Lu Zhiyin covered half her face with her hand.
“Okay.”
Zhu Qing nodded. She glanced at the shapeless sand pile, grabbed a handful of sand, rolled it into a small ball with her hand, and then threw the sandball at Lu Zhiyin.
“Ugh…”
Instinctively reaching out to block, the sandball hit Lu Zhiyin’s arm and then easily scattered.
“Ptooey, ptooey…”
Spitting out the stray grains of sand from her mouth, Lu Zhiyin looked at Zhu Qing, who was laughing heartily.
Mimicking Zhu Qing, she picked up a sandball and threw it at Zhu Qing.
“You can’t hit me.”
As if anticipating Lu Zhiyin’s reaction, Zhu Qing dodged.
Lu Zhiyin was a little annoyed. She made another sandball and threw it at Zhu Qing. Zhu Qing, in turn, began to run around the sand pile, using it as cover while occasionally grabbing handfuls of sand to throw at Lu Zhiyin.
Being attacked by sand one-sidedly, Lu Zhiyin was soon covered in sand, and a lot of grit got into her hair.
She became dusty and dirty, but she didn’t feel unhappy.
The chase with Zhu Qing made her feel joyful.
“Hey, watch this.”
Withstanding Zhu Qing’s attack, Lu Zhiyin made two sandballs and threw them simultaneously.
Zhu Qing dodged one but was hit by the other, right in the chest.
“Oof…”
However, the sound that reached Lu Zhiyin’s ears was not from Zhu Qing.
Not far away, Ouyang Qing stood up, covering her face and wiping the sand off.
“…”
Narrowing her eyes, Ouyang Qing’s face was covered in dark lines.
“…?”
Looking at Ouyang Qing, who had been accidentally hit, Lu Zhiyin became nervous.
She was afraid Ouyang Qing would blame Zhu Qing because of her.
However, Ouyang Qing’s reaction was beyond Lu Zhiyin’s expectation.
She didn’t scold Lu Zhiyin but, just like Lu Zhiyin and Zhu Qing, she threw sandballs at them.
Thus, a game between two became a game between three.
No matter how proud Ouyang Qing was, she couldn’t change the fact that she was still childlike. Honestly, she had been watching Lu Zhiyin and Zhu Qing play for a long time and had wanted to join in. She just lacked a good reason, and the pride of a deity prevented her from asking to join.
Being accidentally hit by Lu Zhiyin instead fulfilled her wish, giving her a reason to join this childish game.
The three chased each other on the beach, playing with sand. Lu Zhiyin was initially hesitant because of Ouyang Qing’s divine status. After being attacked from both sides by Zhu Qing and Ouyang Qing, she gradually let go.
In the end, all three became dusty and dirty, their clothes and hair full of sand.
Most of Lu Zhiyin and Zhu Qing’s shapeless sandcastle had disappeared, but Ouyang Qing’s strange creation remained intact.
While playing, Ouyang Qing deliberately stood in front of her creation, preventing the sand from passing through her and damaging what she had made.
“Ha… ha… ha… I surrender… I surrender.”
The game ended with Lu Zhiyin’s surrender.
She leaned against the ruins of the half-collapsed sandcastle, panting heavily.
In this game, she was the most miserable. Not only were her clothes and hair full of sand, but sand had also gotten inside her clothes.
The rough grit rubbing against her skin was torture.
“Hmph, you should have surrendered earlier.”
The first one to speak was not Zhu Qing, but Ouyang Qing. She stood in front of her peculiar creation, shaking off the sand from her clothes and hair.
“Heh…”
Zhu Qing shook her head, chuckled softly, and walked to Lu Zhiyin’s side, gently brushing the sand off her.
Unknowingly, it was already afternoon, and there were fewer people on the beach.
“It’s time to go back.”
Patting her clothes, Zhu Qing’s gaze lingered between Lu Zhiyin, who was leaning against the sandcastle, and the vast, azure sea in the distance.
“Mhm, before we go back, let’s take a photo. It’s my first time at the seaside, so we should have a memento.”
Her heart was still beating rapidly. The recent play had made her sweat a lot, and intense physical activity was still difficult for her.
This body was still too weak.
“Okay.”
Like Lu Zhiyin, Zhu Qing also wanted to leave a memento.
She took out her phone and leaned next to Lu Zhiyin.
On the phone screen, two tired girls were leaning against each other, smiling.
At the edge of the screen, a strand of golden hair caught Zhu Qing’s attention.
It was Ouyang Qing.
“…Tsk…”
After the play, Ouyang Qing didn’t think she would be forgiven. Therefore, she didn’t intend to show her face in Lu Zhiyin and Zhu Qing’s photo, but wisely moved aside, quietly watching the human figure she had sculpted.
Mhm… Ouyang Qing’s strangely shaped sand pile was actually a human figure. She wanted to sculpt Lu Zhiyin, but without divine power, her hands were too clumsy, so she didn’t succeed.
“Um, do you want to join us?”
Zhu Qing looked at Ouyang Qing, who was hiding far away.
She knew there was an irreconcilable conflict between Ouyang Qing and Lu Zhiyin, and she also knew that Lu Zhiyin detested Ouyang Qing.
However, the recent game gave Zhu Qing the illusion that she could interact normally with Ouyang Qing.
She thought that perhaps if she could get closer to the deity, it might make Lu Zhiyin’s life a little better.
With this thought, Zhu Qing proactively invited Ouyang Qing.
“Me? You must be kidding.”
Her words carried disbelief, but Ouyang Qing still silently stood behind Zhu Qing and Lu Zhiyin.
The small phone screen now showed a third person.
“…Let’s take it.”
Lu Zhiyin was a little displeased, but she didn’t say much.
Seeing that Lu Zhiyin’s emotions hadn’t escalated, Zhu Qing felt relieved and boldly pressed the shutter button.
With a crisp click, Lu Zhiyin’s displeasure, Zhu Qing’s worry, and Ouyang Qing’s seemingly dissatisfied but slightly upturned lips were all captured in the same photograph.
