Chapter 101: Sharing Fine Wine, Floating Lyrics

“I won’t say…”
“Don’t mess around. How many painters do you think will come here tomorrow?” Hailan Jing asked earnestly.
The closer the event drew, the more anxious she became.
“There should be at least fifty,” Lin Shenlu nodded to himself as he spoke.
“Hm? Why so precise?” Hailan Jing was curious about Lin Shenlu’s confidence in the number.
“Because our advertisement clearly states we’re leaving space for fifty paintings… If fewer than fifty people show up, wouldn’t that be embarrassing for us?” Lin Shenlu laughed.
“You…”
Hailan Jing had expected something serious from him.
But Lin Shenlu’s interruption eased her nerves.
The two of them stood before the inn, which had been renovated from an old house.
So many people had poured their efforts into this inn over the past days; without expectation and affection, no one could truly believe in it.
“No one has ever stayed in this inn before,” Hailan Jing leaned against Lin Shenlu’s side, gently touching his arm with her shoulder.
It was a warmth that came from a man’s presence.
Hailan Jing blushed slightly.
She didn’t know when it had started, but now, whenever she stood before Lin Shenlu, she would blush uncontrollably, feel feverish, and her heartbeat would quicken.
“What is it… Do you want to give it a try? Stay here tonight? Give this inn a beautiful beginning?” Lin Shenlu smiled.
“Who’s afraid?” Hailan Jing replied boldly, her beautiful eyes blinking playfully.
“Stop, you wish…”
…
Evening slowly approached; the orange romantic sky above cast a dreamy glow over the ancient inn.
A gentle breeze drifted from the woods, making the faces of the two standing out front feel refreshed.
Just as Hailan Jing had calmed her nerves, she wasn’t sure whether the growing heat between her and Lin Shenlu was due to the coming night, their closeness, or the urgency sparked by tomorrow’s grand opening.
Whatever the reasons, the mix of feelings left Hailan Jing feeling a little weak in her limbs.
“Little Deer…” she murmured softly.
“What the—what did you just call me?” Lin Shenlu was stunned.
“Oh, you’re so annoying…” Hailan Jing huffed, her adorable eyes glancing mischievously into the inn.
After a pause, she said in a low voice, “Lin Shenlu, have a drink with me…”
“No way, we’d have to walk all the way to the main street… Let’s just go home after we come down the hill,” Lin Shenlu shook his head.
“Hmph! I knew you’d say that… Luckily, I was prepared!” Hailan Jing gave Lin Shenlu a look for him to figure out on his own.
“Come on, let’s go inside. The drinks are ready…” Hailan Jing grabbed Lin Shenlu by the sleeve and pulled him toward the inn.
Lin Shenlu was completely confused… When had she prepared for this?
And what was this plan of hers?

“Even if we can’t spend the first night here, at least the first drink must be had in this place!” Hailan Jing whispered to herself.
Who knows what will happen if we drink too much…
…

Chengdu.

An Muxi, who had already taken three days off, was utterly bored.
Truly, she was bored to death.
Work was frustrating.
Her colleagues wouldn’t stop asking her about the story…
An Muxi had never imagined that a simple getaway to relax would turn her into the heroine of a tale—and now she was even trending toward internet stardom?
That was definitely not what she wanted.
An Muxi’s room was dark; she hadn’t turned on the lights.
In this pitch-black space, she immersed herself in solitude.
On the desk by the window sat a black wooden box.
It was a gift Lin Shenlu had mailed her a few days before—a speaker loaded with many songs.
Since unpacking it, the speaker had sat untouched on her desk.
An Muxi hadn’t been in the mood to turn it on.
But in this atmosphere, why not listen to some music?
She got up from bed and walked over to the speaker.
The reason she’d never tried it was because the speaker looked… odd.
To An Muxi, it was as if Lin Shenlu had sent her a fish tank.
The whole thing was transparent.
Aside from the top, bottom, and sides being made of black wood, the front and back panels were glass.
Sitting on the desk, An Muxi could see straight through the speaker to the wall behind.
How bizarre… Was this really a speaker?
Aside from the two symbolic speakers embedded in the front glass, An Muxi thought it could easily house a goldfish.
Its minimalist design gave no hint of what it was worth.
And since it was just for listening to music, a small speaker wouldn’t take up space and looked nice enough.
Square and compact, it was like a microwave? Or a toaster oven?
No point overthinking—she might as well see what music he’d loaded for her…
An Muxi gently turned on the speaker and pressed play.
From the glass-embedded speakers, the sound quality was astonishingly good!
In an instant, the once empty and cold room was filled with a melodious prelude.
This sound quality was a real treasure.

An Muxi’s eyes lit up.
The first song in the playlist began to play.
She sat quietly by the window and switched on her bedside lamp.
The faint light illuminated a corner of the desk.
An Muxi’s eyes widened.
What was happening?
What was she seeing?
The formerly transparent interior of the glass had darkened, and, floating inside, a line of words appeared.
She read them softly.
Yes… I see sunlight everywhere
Happiness floats in the sky above the city…
It was the very lyrics to the song.
But why were the lyrics floating inside the glass?
And as the next line was sung, the floating text shifted to the next lyric.
This surprise left An Muxi completely stunned.
What an incredible speaker!
Indeed, only this kind of minimalist design could pair with such an internal display.
Examining the outer shell, she realized it was metal with a wooden finish, blending sandblasted and anodized techniques, giving it a sophisticated surface texture.
Astonished, An Muxi searched for information about the speaker.
The transparent panel was no ordinary glass—it was AR-coated, offering a clarity as if it weren’t even there, and could display lyrics suspended in mid-air. How cool was that?
With FLAC lossless audio decoding, the pure sound could do justice to anything—from the raspy growl of Louis Armstrong to the heavenly highs of Celine Dion. This speaker could handle it all with ease.
An Muxi closed her eyes, listening to the pure, vivid music.
The speaker was beautiful—
And absolutely stunning.
It never occurred to An Muxi that the gift Lin Shenlu sent her would cost over four thousand yuan.
Such brilliance isn’t easily owned.
Yes, An Muxi loved it.
Thank you, Lin Shenlu, from afar.