Chapter 16: Sunrise Over Erhai, Gentle and Radiant

In the early morning, awakening amidst the immortal beauty of Cangshan and Erhai, the gentle hours shimmered with the delicate charm of early autumn.

Lin Shenlu opened her eyes before the sky was fully bright. It had been another wonderful night. Rubbing her tousled hair, she quietly switched on her computer and played a song.

“Good morning…
To this warm world
The gentle morning sun
A cozy breakfast
Good morning
To this lovely world
Chirping birds
And lovely you…”

The song was too short, containing only these few lines. Yet Lin Shenlu loved listening to it. On nearly every joyful morning, she started her day with this song on repeat as she washed up.

Soon enough, after freshening up, Lin Shenlu donned a hoodie and stepped outside. Before sunrise had fully claimed the sky, she called on An Muxi to join her for a morning run. She knocked softly on An Muxi’s door, leaning against the wall to wait.

“I’ll be ready in a moment,” came a quick response from inside. This girl really did wake up early. Lin Shenlu smiled, then took a small note from her pocket and stuck it to the doorframe.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” she said, turning to go, eager to breathe in the fresh air tinged with the scent of Erhai.

...

An Muxi had indeed risen early—truth be told, she’d barely slept the night before. Her mind had been a tangled mess, so confused she couldn’t even grasp her own thoughts. In the dark, she pulled aside the curtains, hoping the first ray of sunshine from Erhai would fall upon her.

Not long after she drifted off, she seemed to sense the dawn and heard, or thought she heard, the waves lapping against the rocks in the morning. An Muxi awoke. After a quick wash, she remembered Lin Shenlu’s invitation to join her for a morning run—a habit she’d never had.

So be it. She might as well go. After all, having come to Erhai, how could she not see the lake at dawn? Persuading herself, she changed clothes just as Lin Shenlu arrived to knock.

When she opened the door, she was startled by the note on the frame. But when she saw writing on it, she let out a relieved sigh. That girl was always up to these little tricks. She wasn’t some naïve child anymore, after all. What had she written?

Good morning, may you wake each day to warm sunlight and sweet breezes, and may all good things meet you.

An Muxi couldn’t help but smile, tearing the note off and placing it on her desk. That girl even wrote beautifully.

Time to go.

...

Lin Shenlu gazed in silence at the not-yet-bright sky and the quiet Erhai. The S-curve of Panxi Village truly deserved its fame; there were not only herself but also scattered others waiting here for the scenery. Taking out her phone, she captured the sunrise that hadn’t yet climbed the horizon. The mountain tops at the edge of the sky glowed with a hazy orange-red, painting the few streaks of cloud in extraordinary colors.

After snapping the picture, she wrote: The sunrise is especially gentle; romance is found everywhere in this world.

She posted it to her friends.

...

“The sunrise over Erhai is breathtaking,” came An Muxi’s voice from behind, though Lin Shenlu didn’t know when she’d arrived.

“It is,” Lin Shenlu replied, “The vastness of mountains and sea, the bustle of human life—none of it compares to the beauty of this moment.”

She glanced at the time; it was not yet seven. The sky was just turning light, the air refreshingly cool.

Yes, it suited An Muxi’s temperament—a cool soul belonged in a cool world.

“It must be about thirteen or fourteen degrees. Aren’t you cold?” Lin Shenlu asked.

An Muxi shook her head, grateful she’d brought practical clothes and shoes for running—or rather, for a walk.

This morning, An Muxi wore loose, not-too-thick clothes and trousers. Her figure was slender and elegant, every curve accentuated to perfection. Such a frame made anything look good. She simply didn’t have the habit of tying up her hair; it cascaded freely over her shoulders.

There was a hint of coolness and boldness in her appearance.

Lin Shenlu sighed, pulling a baseball cap from inside her hoodie and, after adjusting the strap, placed it directly on An Muxi’s head.

“Wear this, or your hair will be flying everywhere when you run...” Without waiting for a response, she fixed it on her.

An Muxi thought for a moment but didn’t object. She straightened the cap and smiled, “I’m surprised you even know the phrase ‘hair flying in the wind’.”

“Of course! First close encounter—no, intimate encounter—though I’m no ‘Bad Boy Cai’.”

“Hah, then you really are a rascal—Rascal Lu! Thanks,” An Muxi laughed.

Lin Shenlu hummed and added, “There’s another reason for the cap. It’s still chilly this morning, and I don’t want you catching a cold and being quarantined... and then passing it to me...”

She repeated An Muxi’s own words back to her, verbatim.

They joked around for a while. In the quiet world, not yet fully awake, the atmosphere began to change. The cold tide seemed to gather warmth; dawn was slowly arriving.

Under the sunlight, the azure Erhai stirred, the sunrise piercing through everything—clouds, mountains, lake, inn, and highway alike.

In an instant, warmth illuminated every face—bright and gentle.

“Let’s run!” Lin Shenlu opened her eyes and turned her sunlit face toward An Muxi.

An Muxi also lifted her head, eyes closed and lips curled in a faint smile toward the sunrise. The first beam of light touched her face as well. A woman who radiated brilliance herself, she looked utterly captivating in the sunlight. The distance in her features seemed to soften, suffused with a healing power.

Facing Erhai, as flowers bloom and wither, as all things awaken and insects and birds begin to sing, the scene seemed eternal—the radiant face everlasting.

...

An Muxi opened her eyes.

This must be the first time in many years she’d truly witnessed a sunrise. When was the last time? Probably when she was a child, schoolbag on her back, heading to class.

“Let’s run.”

...

“I’ve spent so long in Chengdu, my heart weighed down by worries like a heavy bag strapped to my back. This place is wonderful—it lets you put down all your burdens,” An Muxi said as, after running for a while, they slowed to a walk.

“It’s not so bad, really. Every city has its own charm. Before coming here, I thought Chengdu was too flashy. Every time I went to Taikoo Li, I felt less than alive... But Chengdu is one of the happiest and most laid-back cities. Compared to Shanghai or Guangzhou, it’s practically paradise,” Lin Shenlu replied with a smile.

After a pause, she continued, “So, I guess we’re just using Dali as a way to escape or to leave something behind, and that makes us feel at ease. After all, it’s a safe harbor—or, if you like, a land of gentleness.”