Chapter 14: By the Shores of Erhai, Amidst Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon

Under the veil of night, amidst drifting clouds and the gentle sea breeze, the shores of Erhai were adorned with the lights of fishing homes. After dinner, Gu Mo Ning led Xu Xu away to rest, while An Mu Xi stayed with Lin Shen Lu to watch the sea.

The drizzle had ceased—abruptly, leaving the night clear and thorough. At this moment, the evening was tranquil and pleasant. The pitch-black sky resembled a vast curtain, studded with countless twinkling stars. A bright moon hung overhead, the clouds slowly dissipating. Erhai reflected the moonlight, scattered with shimmering starlight. Across the glittering waves, the bright points on the water formed a continuous expanse. Perhaps this was the true “sea of stars.” The beauty here was at its peak, and so too was the sense of comfort.

“At night, Erhai's waters mirror the moon, the moonlight flows like water—people call it ‘Erhai Moon.’ It’s one of Dali’s four great scenic wonders,” Lin Shen Lu mused aloud to An Mu Xi by his side.

An Mu Xi gazed upon the scene, feeling a profound sense of relaxation that seemed to flow from her eyes straight into her soul.

“How many people truly come to Dali to appreciate the night and witness the Erhai Moon?” An Mu Xi wondered.

“Not many. Erhai is not everyone’s Erhai, and the Erhai Moon is cherished in the hearts of only a few,” Lin Shen Lu answered quietly.

Both were captivated by the scenery, and said no more for a long time.

After a while, An Mu Xi’s curiosity surfaced. “Besides Erhai Moon, what are the other three wonders of Dali?”

“Xiaguan Wind, Shangguan Flowers, Cangshan Snow, Erhai Moon—the Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon,” Lin Shen Lu replied. He paused, then continued, “Xiaguan refers to Longwei Pass in the south of Dali City, famed for its pleasant winds. Shangguan is Shimen Pass in the north, where blossoms bloom in profusion. Cangshan is the Diancang Mountain, its summit perpetually snow-capped. Erhai is the lake before us, its waters shining under the moon. These four rare and beautiful sceneries are Dali’s finest—the legendary Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon.”

“What a phrase, ‘Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon’—such splendid vistas, stretching from south to north, day to night, myriad scenes all before us,” An Mu Xi nodded in admiration.

“Sadly, not everyone who comes to Dali gets to appreciate these marvels. Eighty percent of visitors merely post a ‘Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon’ moment on social media, climb Cangshan, and glance at Erhai, but hardly anyone visits Xiaguan or Shangguan... Few truly understand what Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon means,” Lin Shen Lu said with a smile.

An Mu Xi nodded; had Lin Shen Lu not explained, she would have been no different. To step out on such a night and savor the so-called Erhai Moon seemed like fate itself.

“Most people spend their nights here drinking, singing, chasing fleeting encounters, and vanish into the late hours... Once, Yunnan was famed as the city of the most beautiful scenery; now it’s become something else entirely...” Lin Shen Lu sighed.

“Mind your words...” An Mu Xi blushed in the darkness. This mischievous fellow was so blunt—he could at least call it ‘the city of romance’ like Lijiang.

“I’m just speaking honestly. Sometimes, imperfection is a blessing,” Lin Shen Lu turned to look at An Mu Xi.

“Hmm?” An Mu Xi was puzzled.

“It’s like that with many things. Dali, Lijiang, Xishuangbanna, Shangri-La... Nowadays, these places aren’t as pure as they were a decade ago. But so what? We must learn to accept it. Just as with our encounter—why, in this vast city, did the two of us cross paths?” Lin Shen Lu asked.

An Mu Xi was silent, unsure.

Seeing her thoughtful, Lin Shen Lu continued, “Let me ask you, Mu Xi: Encounters aren’t perfect. Life isn’t a novel—there’s no love at first sight, no flawless meetings, no mutual affection leading to lifelong companionship. We simply met, traveled together, ate together, stayed at the same place. This is Dali—a place where you can freely express your feelings and emotions!” He paused, then added, “But reality isn’t as passionate or complex as fiction. I’m a simple person; I appreciate all things imperfect...” Watching An Mu Xi, who seemed lost in thought, Lin Shen Lu went on, “So, every encounter is fate, every possession is luck. What does imperfection matter? Everything has cracks—that’s where the light gets in.”

He finished with a deep breath, and An Mu Xi’s gaze flickered.

It was half past ten at night...

Lin Shen Lu’s emotions had reached their peak, and An Mu Xi seemed swept up in the same exhilaration.

In the quiet, enveloped by the mood, An Mu Xi’s phone rang.

It was the song Lin Shen Lu had heard earlier that day.

“I want to hold your hand, take off your shoes, and run along this deserted shoreline. We run and run, escape and escape, the seawater soaking our feet. You stop, turn around, and gently kiss my lips. Then we disappear together into this night…”

Somehow, like Lin Shen Lu, An Mu Xi had switched her phone off airplane mode.

Yet she still didn’t answer the call, simply letting the song play on by the quiet shores of Erhai.

“I want to hold your hand… take off your shoes…” Lin Shen Lu suddenly began to sing along.

An Mu Xi was startled.

“Run along this deserted shoreline…”

She burst out laughing, gently silencing the call, folding her arms and tilting her head to watch Lin Shen Lu singing alone—a comically absurd sight.

“We run and run… hmm? Where’s the accompaniment gone?” Lin Shen Lu stopped, puzzled.

“Lin Shen Lu, you’re crazy. I can’t stay with you; I’m afraid you’ll infect me,” An Mu Xi stepped back.

“Hey, why are you insulting me?” Lin Shen Lu stepped forward, trying to grab her hand.

As their hands touched, both were momentarily lost in thought.

“Well, the first line is out—let’s take off our shoes and run along this deserted shoreline!” Lin Shen Lu laughed.

An Mu Xi gently withdrew her hand, regaining her composure.

“Run? This isn’t a shoreline, it’s a lake—Erhai is a lake, didn’t you know?” she turned back to the scenery.

Lin Shen Lu chuckled, “Alright, next time we go somewhere by the sea—Qingdao, Sanya, the Maldives, Bali—then I’ll take off your shoes and run with you!”

“We’ll see if we both happen to want to see the sea, take the same flight, and sit side by side,” An Mu Xi breathed deep.

Then she turned, asking, “How do you know that song?”

Lin Shen Lu smiled and faced her in the moonlight.

An Mu Xi’s figure was truly tall.

Lin Shen Lu was almost eye to eye with her.

“Did we not drink beer together, watch the sea, feel the breeze, and disappear into that night?”

An Mu Xi laughed.