Chapter 102: A Thousand Words, None Compare to My Desire

“Is your old pocket watch still ticking? Can you still wear those old leather shoes? Here’s a pack of Future brand cigarettes—don’t you want to try one...”
...
“Wear new clothes, get a fresh haircut... relax a little...”
...
“I guess the sunshine will be good early tomorrow morning... I’ll clean myself up, sell off all the old and broken things...”
...

The rendition by Now Boy instantly lifted An Muxi’s spirits. This was truly the best gift Lin Shenlu had given her—one she cherished deeply. She gently pressed the button to turn it off. The lyrics on the transparent glass vanished, replaced by a floating sequence of dates. The aesthetics were simply stunning.

An Muxi took a deep breath; she knew she should break free from these restless, old ways of living. She should venture into a new world, see everything with clarity! Sleep well, rest well. Tomorrow, she would buy a new outfit, change her hairstyle, and head to a distant place... to look for that person!

Such a huge event had unfolded online—it wasn’t right to let him hide alone in the mountains. She would seek refuge herself... and, as a bonus, stay at the Sea Blue Whale inn for free! That was settled.

February 11, 2022, 2:30 PM, flight from Chengdu to Wenzhou... destination, Lishui.

...

Night had fallen; the sunset’s afterglow had long vanished, the last gleam hiding beyond the mountains. In the courtyard of the Whale Deer Inn, spotlights shone through gaps in the aged wooden floorboards, illuminating the yard. The courtyard was breathtakingly beautiful.

With only the spotlights on, one could still gaze up through the skylight at a sky full of stars. Designer Lu Chaoxi truly delivered on her promise.

On the courtyard walls hung old window frames, genuinely reclaimed from ancient villages.

The entrance featured a wooden door with intricate hollow patterns, carrying a century of history. Even the washbasin on one side of the courtyard was crafted from a water trough more than a hundred years old. Everything in this courtyard had been replaced.

The place exuded a profound sense of history and an unmistakable air of refinement.

“Xiao Luzi... that old chair you’re sitting on—Qing Dynasty. I paid fifty thousand to get it back,” Sea Blue Whale said, her cheeks flushed with a rosy tint as she pointed at the chair beneath Lin Shenlu.

Lu Chaoxi was indeed resourceful, collecting whatever treasures she could find. After all, Sea Blue Whale was truly wealthy.

“And those two ‘double happiness’ jars over there... I’m not sure if they’re real or fake, but I spent thirty to forty thousand on them,” Sea Blue Whale confessed, slightly tipsy.

Lin Shenlu sighed quietly. The inn’s value was far greater than its material worth. Roughly calculating since leasing this old house, Sea Blue Whale’s expenses must have amounted to hundreds of thousands.

After proudly introducing several costly items, Sea Blue Whale looked at Lin Shenlu with a touch of grievance.

“You know... I spent so much money to give you a home in Lishui... and you don’t appreciate it... and you... you make me drink!” Sea Blue Whale lifted a bottle of wine and handed it to Lin Shenlu.

Lin Shenlu silently took the bottle and drank it down in one gulp.

“That’s better... behave yourself, listen to your sister, and I’ll like you more,” Sea Blue Whale said, tilting her head with eyes closed, her flushed face tinged with a shy glow.

Lin Shenlu confirmed he wasn’t drunk. Sea Blue Whale was probably just a bit tipsy. Well, “tipsy” was putting it mildly.

“Stop drinking, you’re drunk,” Lin Shenlu said. If she kept going, how would he get her home? The mountain roads were treacherous!

“I’m not drunk... Xiao Luzi, drink with me...” Sea Blue Whale poured more wine quickly, knocking back all the bottles on the table one after another.

Under the spotlights, the vermilion mark on her pale, lotus-like arm was vivid and striking.

Lin Shenlu admitted that the vermilion tattoo—the “mantis mark”—was one of the few things he’d seen many times yet never could look away from. Despite his extensive experience, he was still captivated by that crimson mark.

It was increasingly tantalizing, especially on a beautiful woman whose skin was as white as milk and as tender as tofu.

The mantis mark sparked the imagination. She claimed to be a pure virgin... but that was uncertain.

She said nothing; that single streak of crimson was enough to enchant the eyes.

Lin Shenlu swallowed lightly, his mouth going dry. He took a sip of wine.

“I know, Xiao Luzi, you don’t like me... you like Sister An... but I... how many times have I told myself to stay away from you, you bastard... but... but... boohoo...” Sea Blue Whale choked up.

Her words seemed meant for herself but were more like tears shed for Lin Shenlu.

“But... I just can’t help thinking about you... why... why must I, Sea Blue Whale, the chosen one, have Lin Shenlu like someone else... isn’t destiny supposed to be supreme?” She abruptly downed more than half a bottle.

“Lin Shenlu... have you really... never liked me even a little?” Sea Blue Whale set down the bottle, swaying slightly as she asked.

She was truly drunk. Too drunk. The last time she drank this much, she’d passed out from alcohol poisoning in her room.

This girl, whenever troubled, drowned her sorrows in wine. She clearly couldn’t handle the amount but kept drinking anyway.

“Enough, stop drinking. If you keep going, the inn won’t be open tomorrow,” Lin Shenlu said rationally.

“What inn... without you by my side... a hundred inns wouldn’t mean a thing...”

“Lin Shenlu... you haven’t answered me... have you ever liked me...” Sea Blue Whale persisted.

Lin Shenlu was silent for a moment, then gently nodded.

He couldn’t deny his true feelings. But his principles told him he mustn’t.

As if satisfied, Sea Blue Whale nodded too.

“I knew it... Xiao Luzi, if you dared say you never liked me... I wouldn’t have lived... I still have my charm...”

“I like you... what does that have to do with anything?” Lin Shenlu added.

Sea Blue Whale snorted softly. “You do, you do... I’m done drinking... I’m sleepy... help me upstairs...”

“You...” Lin Shenlu was speechless. Was she really going to stay here overnight?

But if he didn’t stay, she wouldn’t be able to get home in this state, and he couldn’t bear to leave a drunken girl alone here!

Sighing, Lin Shenlu gently lifted the limp Sea Blue Whale.

Her soft body pressed against his, the scent of wine and innocence overwhelming his slightly intoxicated senses.

Supporting her wouldn’t do—he’d have to carry her.

Lin Shenlu cradled Sea Blue Whale in his arms; her hands wrapped around his neck.

The heat and warmth at his neck surged through him again.

Sea Blue Whale tilted her head slightly, strands of fragrant sweat-dampened hair brushing against Lin Shenlu’s ear.

A tender breath escaped her lips.

So close—just millimeters apart—Sea Blue Whale whispered softly by his ear:

“Lin Shenlu, have you ever been with a woman?”

Lin Shenlu broke out in a cold sweat...

He was overwhelmed.

“I want to.”