Chapter 3: My Longing for You Is Like a Deer Yearning for the Stream

To be honest, Lin Shenlu was drawn to this girl.

Though autumn had arrived, the warmth in Dali still lingered. She stood in the distance, graceful in figure, exuding an unmistakable aura that could not be concealed.

Lin Shenlu walked toward her slowly, gently extending a phone.

“This must be yours, right?” Lin Shenlu smiled warmly, his presence warmer than the sun.

“Thank you.” The girl nodded politely, her face composed but expressionless.

It seemed the distant Erhai Lake held more allure than any conversation.

A brief silence fell between them, the kind that made Lin Shenlu feel that any topic would be out of place.

“I’m Lin Shenlu… I remember your surname is An, isn’t it?” He finally broke the quiet.

She turned her head and said, “An Muxi.”

“Hm? An Muxi? Like that yogurt brand? In that case, I must be Telunsu!” Lin Shenlu chuckled.

“It’s ‘Muxi’ as in ‘the deer yearning for the stream’…”

An Muxi’s voice remained cool and clear, her gaze quietly resting on the blue expanse of Erhai.

“I yearn for you… as the deer longs for the stream… Is that the line?” Lin Shenlu suddenly recalled the biblical verse.

“In that case, we must have some fated connection. I am that deer…” Lin Shenlu grinned. “A connection like this is worth a meal, don’t you think?”

His tentative words did not seem to disturb An Muxi.

She smiled faintly without a word, her attention still devoted to Erhai.

At that moment, the lake rippled gently under the breeze, the two of them standing quietly on the shore, looking out at the crystal blue water. The intoxicating hues reflected the white clouds and the distant mountains.

Before them, Erhai lay as still as a maiden—gentle and pure. Time may have carried away the charms and romance of the ancient Nanzhao Kingdom, but it could never erode Erhai’s pristine beauty.

Trying to ease the awkwardness, Lin Shenlu spoke to himself, “If Dali lacked the enchanting Erhai, it would lose half its allure… I forgot to introduce myself. I’m a travel blogger. What I most hope to see here are the vibrant, colorful clouds—that’s why this place is called the South of the Colorful Clouds.”

At last, An Muxi turned, as if she’d taken in enough of the scenery—or perhaps she’d simply heard his words.

“Come on, I’ll buy you dinner,” she said with a smile.

Lin Shenlu was momentarily stunned.

That smile—truly captivating.

“Wait!” he called, catching up and draping his jacket over her shoulders. “The wind’s cold by the lake…” He tried to sound nonchalant.

An Muxi didn’t refuse or say anything.

Lin Shenlu walked beside her, continuing to talk. The few words exchanged were mostly his; An Muxi rarely replied.

They crossed to the other side of the road, where An Muxi stopped.

At the perfect S-bend in the road stood a singular inn—a white, irregular building circled by stone and wooden fencing, blending seamlessly into the beautiful landscape.

Erduo.

The Dali Erduo Boutique Resort Inn.

A standout among the trendy guesthouses of Panxi Village.

White walls with black window frames and transparent floor-to-ceiling glass. Even from outside, it looked a place of comfort.

Staying here must be the pinnacle of indulgence.

“I’m staying here. The reviews say the restaurant’s food is excellent. What would you like to eat?” An Muxi spoke the longest sentence she’d uttered since they’d met.

“What a coincidence… I’m staying here, too.” Lin Shenlu nodded, feigning seriousness.

An Muxi lowered her head, smiling, hands in her pockets as she walked inside.

Lin Shenlu kept up, saying, “This season in Dali, you must try the fresh matsutake mushrooms. That’s the first dish on my culinary checklist… In fact, I hope to cook matsutake for you myself one of these days. Back in Chengdu, I’m known as the Culinary Vault of China!”

Sensing An Muxi’s interest in food, he continued, “Matsutake mushrooms have such a distinctive aroma and smooth texture—so flavorful that they need no seasoning, their fragrance will fill the house…”

While Lin Shenlu talked on, An Muxi had already found a seat.

“So… let’s order,” she said.

“All right.”

…

When it came to local specialties, Lin Shenlu had his own ideas. Beyond being a gourmet traveler, he also wrote for Lonely Planet. He preferred to cook the local dishes himself, bringing out the best in every ingredient.

That way, his articles would be all the more professional.

Eating ready-made dishes lacked excitement; real anticipation came from preparing them himself.

He ordered a simple selection: matsutake soup, sautéed Potamogeton crispus, steam-pot chicken, and rose rice pudding.

They sat quietly, waiting for the food.

Lin Shenlu looked at An Muxi.

She was fascinating. Since retrieving her phone, she hadn’t glanced at its screen even once.

Now, it lay quietly on the table as she tilted her head, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows. The scenery seemed to draw her in far more than he did, leaving Lin Shenlu only with a profile that was at once unfamiliar and familiar.

He sighed inwardly.

All his life, he’d been praised as a handsome boy, receiving love letters from girls even in school. After entering the workforce, he was always the face of the company.

Yet in An Muxi’s eyes, he seemed invisible.

Not even a glimmer of attraction?

Lin Shenlu sighed.

The air was filled with a gentle quiet, broken only by the soft chime of the bell at the entrance swaying in the breeze.

The blue-faced phone on the table suddenly lit up.

A niche melody began to play, haunting and unique. Lin Shenlu listened closely, but couldn’t place the tune.

Of course, An Muxi, absorbed by the scenery, didn’t turn her head. She simply reached out to silence the phone, letting the screen glow.

“Aren’t you going to answer?” Lin Shenlu asked, curious.

An Muxi blinked, as if agreeing with him.

Lin Shenlu nodded, picked up the phone, and hung up the call.

Noting her surprise, he smiled, “If you don’t want to answer, be decisive. Let them know where you stand!”

For the first time, Lin Shenlu saw something in An Muxi’s eyes besides calm indifference.

But soon she accepted the call’s abrupt end, making no move to reclaim the phone, once again gazing out the window.

“I think I understand how you left your phone on the plane…” Lin Shenlu said with a smile.

An Muxi turned, her eyes questioning.

After a long moment, she asked, “Why?”

“Because you don’t need it. Most people, the moment they land, immediately switch off flight mode to check for messages—because their hearts are occupied, because someone waits for them. But you… you don’t. You don’t even want to answer the phone. So, if it’s not in your heart, it’s easy to forget.” Lin Shenlu pulled out his own phone, pausing a second before continuing, “Look at me—mine’s still on flight mode!”