Chapter 25: Gentle Evening Breeze, Stars Strewn Across the Milky Way

“We have quite a few different types of rooms here. What price range are you looking for, Mr. Lin?” the young woman continued to ask.

“I’d like the one near the water swings, please. The view is better there,” Lin Shenlu replied.

“Let me check… No problem, Mr. Lin. That’s a Scenic King Room, Cloud Suite, 1998… Five hundred deposit. Will you be using card or cash?”

…

Despite calling several times, the young woman failed to bring down the so-called proprietress.

Lin Shenlu felt a slight tinge of disappointment.

After all, before this, he’d only glimpsed her distant silhouette, and what he’d just seen was only on video.

Who could say what the famed “most beautiful woman in Santorini Ideal Land” actually looked like in person? Especially now, when filters could achieve anything.

…

As Lin Shenlu ascended the stairs and finally opened the door to his room, he found himself thoroughly awestruck.

This top-floor room, seemingly nestled among the clouds, was, indeed, cave-like in design.

Stepping inside felt like entering an actual cavern.

Everything was pure white—no speck of any other hue. The ceiling, the walls, the floor…all were pristine, without a single harsh corner between the walls. Every surface was soft and rounded.

A white bed, white bathroom, white bathrobes and pajamas and pillows…

Such a romantic, immaculate, dreamlike place—it felt like a labyrinth.

The interior was complex and winding. Enter one opening, and you’d find a tea room with a Zen-like ambiance: the floor paved with white pebbles, a white straw mat beside a white tea table.

Another entrance led to a white massage tub…

The space must have spanned sixty or seventy square meters.

In a world where most inns and hotels average twenty-square-meter king rooms, this suite offered a wholly unique experience.

Wait—what was inside that other cave?

Lin Shenlu’s eyes lit up. He stripped off his clothes and trousers, tossing aside his bag and socks. Picking up a white towel from the rack, he dove forward in one swift motion.

He plunged straight into the azure pool within the cave.

So the legendary cave pool was truly his to enjoy.

White ceilings, white walls, blue water—everything made him feel as though he were vacationing in tropical Morocco.

The indoor space was vast.

Above him, the rounded ceiling was uneven, as if hewn from real rock.

It felt as if the entire cave had formed naturally.

Lin Shenlu swam forward—seven or eight meters—before reaching the edge.

But the edge was merely an opening: beyond it, a sprawling infinity pool awaited, all his own.

Sky, clouds, water… sunset, mountains, people…

Everything belonged to him alone.

Gazing out, Lin Shenlu watched as the infinity pool merged seamlessly with Erhai Lake.

It was as if, with a single leap, he could swim the lake itself.

Perfect.

On a white stone table nearby sat a wooden tray, heaped with sliced fruit, tea cakes, a selection of nuts, fruit salad, and a pot of floral tea.

The service was truly worth every penny.

Lin Shenlu quietly rested his arms on the pool’s edge, tilting his head back to savor this rare moment of tranquility.

To be honest, staying here was worth every bit.

…

At dusk, Lin Shenlu changed his clothes, carrying his laptop outside.

His room was on the top floor, and from his vantage point, each level below him extended into blue pools, terraced like white fields, every one filled with the same brilliant water. The largest courtyard below was a common area.

Besides the massive pool, there were several peaceful spots to sit and enjoy tea.

Lately, Lin Shenlu’s mind had been brimming with thoughts he needed to pour out onto the page.

If he waited a few days, the inspiration might vanish.

Settling gently beside a table suited for his computer, Lin Shenlu opened his laptop to begin writing.

The subject: the first issue, first edition of “Lonely Planet”—his journey through Yunnan.

…

“I am by nature romantic and free, never fond of constraint. My only ambition is to live a life of freedom…”

Lin Shenlu typed quietly.

“In this lonely world, there will always be cities that make you feel a little less alone…”

“On that bright, sunny afternoon, I arrived in Yunnan…”

…

Just as Lin Shenlu was pouring all his emotions into words, a gentle piano melody began to drift into his ears—soft, beautiful notes.

Who was it?

Who was playing the piano at dusk, as the sun set?

As the lively, lilting prelude danced in the air, a lovely voice began to sing…

“The evening breeze is as gentle as ever
I walk alone, slowly
At the fork in the road
Gazing at the Milky Way and stars
Back then, you smiled and greeted me
‘Shall we piece together the future?’
Back then, you held my hand
And promised a journey around the world
Back then, the warmth in your palm was just right
The evening breeze so gentle, your company enough
Time is a thief
Stealing everything between us without mercy
Leaving no warmth, only an ordinary future
You said even apart, we can remain close
But now I’m left alone with memories
Yet I can still recall your smile…”

What a tender voice…

Lin Shenlu let his fingers fall softly from the keyboard, surrendering the silence to the song.

He was afraid even the clatter of keys might disturb the healing beauty of this melody.

“The evening breeze is as gentle as ever
I walk alone, slowly
At the fork in the road
Gazing at the Milky Way and stars
There’s never been a reason

To seek excuses to escape the chaos
It’s just another kind of closeness
After you and I parted ways
Memories remain
Back then, you smiled and greeted me
‘Shall we piece together the future?’
Back then, you held my hand
And promised a journey around the world
Back then, the warmth in your palm was just right
The evening breeze so gentle, your company enough
Time is a thief
Stealing everything between us without mercy
Leaving no warmth, only an ordinary future
You said even apart, we can remain close
But now I’m left alone with memories
Yet I can still recall your smile…”

The girl singing must have been gentle to her very core; otherwise, how could she sing this comforting song so deeply, so touchingly?

In that moment, all the unease and restlessness in Lin Shenlu’s heart was soothed away by the song.

“The evening breeze is as gentle as ever
I walk alone, slowly
At the fork in the road
Gazing at the Milky Way and stars
There’s never been a reason
To seek excuses to escape the chaos
It’s just another kind of closeness
After you and I parted ways
Memories remain
The evening breeze is as gentle as ever
I walk alone, slowly
At the fork in the road
Gazing at the Milky Way and stars
There’s never been a reason
To seek excuses to escape the chaos
It’s just another kind of closeness
After you and I parted ways
Memories remain…”

Lin Shenlu listened quietly to the song.

The voice was flawless.

That gentle tone seemed to heal every stray thought in his heart.

Who was singing?

When the song finally ended, Lin Shenlu looked up, searching for the source of the voice.

There, beside the vast pool, atop the water, stood a white piano—and a figure in a flowing white dress.