Chapter 46: Words Left Unspoken Amidst the Evening Breeze

Time passed by, minute by minute.

Suddenly, Lin Shenlu slapped his forehead. He already had her phone number—why not add her on WeChat?

He opened WeChat and entered An Muxi’s phone number. Sure enough, it was really her. The profile picture was that same cool, intellectual, elegant goddess.

He clicked to add her as a friend.

Nothing. Like a pebble thrown into the sea.

It didn’t matter. Lin Shenlu continued to wait for a text message.

Finally, after more than ten minutes, his phone lit up.

A single character appeared on the screen: “Okay.”

Lin Shenlu was so excited he almost snapped his fingers. At last, he was in touch with An Muxi once again. This time, he was determined to find her.

…

Another ten minutes later, An Muxi accepted his WeChat friend request.

Her WeChat name was poetic: “A Word Short of the Evening Breeze.” Of course, Lin Shenlu’s username was just as striking—“The Girl Abductor.”

An Muxi sent a dazed emoji first, then tagged him.

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: What kind of awful name is that?

The Girl Abductor: Then help me pick a new one.

The Girl Abductor: And send me your location while you’re at it. I’ll head your way, and you can think.

…

Lin Shenlu dashed down from Santorini Ideal Town with the speed of a thunderbolt.

An Muxi wasn’t far from him—or rather, not far at heart, though the distance by road was considerable.

He realized that if he went in a straight line, she was just across Erhai Lake on the opposite shore. At this hour, how wonderful it would be if an old boatman could ferry him across. Otherwise, speeding around half the lake would take him some time.

No more thinking! He got in the car.

…

To circle half of Erhai Lake and reach An Muxi’s location would take about an hour and a half—assuming Lin Shenlu drove at top speed.

An Muxi, however, was in no rush. She messaged him to drive safely.

Lin Shenlu resisted the urge to check his phone, focusing instead on the road, wanting nothing more than to see her as soon—and as safely—as possible.

…

Around eleven at night, Lin Shenlu let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow. He’d arrived five minutes earlier than expected.

Luckily, he’d had Ye Yaochen fill up the gas tank during the day, or he might have run out partway.

He checked his phone. An Muxi had sent more than a dozen messages—all from an hour ago. When he didn’t reply, she stopped, probably not wanting to distract him while he was driving.

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: No need to hurry. Take your time.

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: I’m having coffee.

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: Want to join me for a cup?

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: I’ve thought and thought but can’t come up with a name for you.

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: Never mind, just keep your old name.

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: It suits you.

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: After all, you’ve already abducted me!

…

The Girl Abductor: I’m here. Where are you?

…

A Word Short of the Evening Breeze: I see your car. The Sky Cat Café is behind you—I’m on the second floor.

Lin Shenlu locked his car, turned on his heel to get his bearings, and bounded upstairs.

Deep breath, quick and shallow.

Deep breath, tight and fast.

Deep breath, whoosh, whoosh…

On the second floor, Lin Shenlu scanned the room and finally caught sight of An Muxi by the window at a table he recognized.

That cool, beautiful woman set her coffee down gently and looked up, seeing him ascending the stairs.

An Muxi stood, watching Lin Shenlu approach with an expressionless face.

“Lu’er…” she began softly, but as he drew near, he suddenly swept her into a warm embrace.

He held her tight.

Lin Shenlu buried his face in her hair, breathing in the gentle, warm fragrance he knew so well.

It was a scent he’d always remembered.

An Muxi was momentarily stunned by the hug, her hands hovering awkwardly in the air.

Three seconds.

Two seconds.

One second.

She closed her eyes and smiled.

There was such a sense of security in his arms; she felt no resistance at all. Her body, too, had never rejected this man.

An Muxi opened her eyes, a trace of tenderness shining within them. In a soft voice, she said, “That’s enough, Lu’er, everyone’s watching… Come, sit down.”

As she spoke, she gently patted his broad, solid back.

Lin Shenlu let go of her, and they looked at each other.

“It’s so wonderful to see you again,” he said.

“It is,” she replied.

…

Once they sat down, Lin Shenlu took the seat beside An Muxi, though his place had originally been across from her. He insisted on sitting close.

An Muxi leaned gently against him, sipping her coffee with a tender smile.

“How did you get my contact info?” Lin Shenlu asked with curiosity.

“Of course I had it… I asked Gu Moning for it. We’re in touch too,” An Muxi replied.

“Oh, right, we all had to register our details for pandemic prevention before checking in. Our numbers were saved—I don’t know why I never looked for yours. If I’d taken note, I’d have messaged you long ago and wouldn’t have had to wait all these days,” Lin Shenlu said.

An Muxi lowered her head, silent. It seemed that since seeing Lin Shenlu again, all the unhappiness of the past days had vanished.

“Do you know how much I missed you these days?” Lin Shenlu turned to look at her.

“I know. You missed me so much you went and built a wishing pool for someone else…” she teased softly.

“Huh?” Lin Shenlu was genuinely startled, suddenly at a loss for words.

“How did you… know?” he ventured.

“Why wouldn’t I check Douyin? Am I some hermit in the mountains? My feed was flooded with your wishing pool drift bottles—I almost couldn’t scroll past them…” An Muxi huffed softly.

“Haha, no, no, I was just helping a friend set up a check-in spot. It was also something I needed to do for myself—to let go of a regret,” Lin Shenlu hurried to explain.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to explain… I think it’s wonderful,” An Muxi replied gently.

She didn’t mention the story of Hailan Whale or Lin Shenlu’s fated name, nor did he.

The two simply leaned quietly against each other, savoring the rare warmth of a night together.

“Actually, after I left, I kept thinking about you in secret. I thought time would help me forget, that you would forget me too… But I found that time couldn’t erase you at all. I didn’t know if you still remembered me… so I wanted to send you a message, just to see if you still did…” An Muxi confessed softly.

“I know. I’ve always been thinking of you. I knew you wouldn’t forget me. I think about you every day!” Lin Shenlu leaned into her, and the two of them swayed gently to the music of the café.

“So, will you be my girlfriend today?” Lin Shenlu gathered his courage and asked.