Chapter 131: Romantic People, A Romantic World

"Muxi, help me hang that up!" Lin Shenlu said softly.

"Oh." An Muxi nodded and tapped the screen to hang up.

Lin Shenlu was stunned. Is An Muxi really such a bold person? He looked at her with surprise.

An Muxi smiled and said, "Why are you looking at me? Wasn't it you who taught me back in Dali... that if you don't want to answer, you just hang up to let them know your stance?"

Lin Shenlu nodded. That was fair enough.

After being hung up on, He Ku'er did not call again. The Cyber Tank that had been following Lin Shenlu suddenly accelerated, surging forward in a burst of speed. Within seconds, it had vanished from Lin Shenlu’s sight.

"That kid probably just wanted to tell me she was heading out first..."

"Hmm, and how did you get her WeChat? Didn't we just meet?" An Muxi tilted her head, watching him with a playful smile.

"This... well, you know, my WeChat doesn't require verification; anyone can add me directly. She probably got my contact from her cousin," Lin Shenlu said, feeling a bit awkward.

That was the truth. Lin Shenlu had never really formed the habit of verifying friend requests; he just accepted whoever added him.

"I'll change that for you later. Letting just anyone add you—how boring are you?" An Muxi gave a light huff, pulled a pair of sunglasses from her bag to put on, and reclined her seat. She rested her legs on the center console, settling into a comfortable position for the journey ahead.

Setting out from Chengdu, taking National Highway 318 is usually the most convenient route. But to take 315, one must first travel from Chengdu to Xining. The distance from Chengdu to Xining is nearly a thousand kilometers, and even for Lin Shenlu, it would take over a dozen hours to drive.

"We probably won't make it to Xining today. I’m planning to stop in Lanzhou and take you to have a bowl of authentic Lanzhou beef noodles!" Lin Shenlu said with a chuckle.

An Muxi looked at the beautiful scenery outside the window and nodded slightly.

"That’s fine. We weren't in a hurry to get anywhere anyway. Wherever we go is where we’re meant to be, and any road we take should be treated as a happy journey." An Muxi was in a wonderful mood. Ever since she took leave from her company, this felt like the true journey she had been looking forward to.

"Muxi, this time I can fulfill the promise I made to you—about the real Mirror of the Sky, about the true Chaka Salt Lake." Lin Shenlu was also quite excited. "This stretch of no-man's-land forgotten by God, the most beautiful paradise on earth—we will embrace it all!" The more he thought about it, the happier he felt.

***

An Muxi had fallen asleep. The scenery on the highway really wasn't much to look at, save for the pleasant sunshine.

After she fell asleep, Lin Shenlu began to slowly pick up speed. Who said a camper van couldn't go fast? Ever since He Ku'er mocked him for not being able to keep up with her Cyber Tank, Lin Shenlu had been nursing a grudge.

Of course, when they reached a rest area, Lin Shenlu chose to pull over and wake An Muxi, suggesting she move to the living quarters in the back so she could sleep more comfortably. After all, the driver’s cabin and the living area of the camper were separate, though they could still chat through the small partition window. Closing that window meant Lin Shenlu could smoke as much as he wanted. After all, smoking while driving was the ultimate pleasure.

An Muxi was indeed tired. She had been busy running around for Su Bao'er these past few days and hadn't rested well since returning from Dongji Island. Yesterday, she had spent the day moving things into the vehicle. She was truly exhausted.

Lying on the bed in the back, An Muxi tapped her phone, connecting it via Bluetooth to the floating lyric speaker sitting on the table beside her. She played a song. Perhaps the main reason she loved this speaker Lin Shenlu had given her was the way it displayed the lyrics—it was simply mesmerizing.

An Muxi’s playlist was filled with the most obscure folk songs. She loved these lyrics; they went straight to the heart, and the speaker displayed them perfectly. It was a very comforting sensation. As the high-quality sound filled the room, the speaker began to scroll through the lyrics. An Muxi closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep to the music.

*"I want to die in the night of the ancient city,*
*Die by the seaside as the sun goes down,*
*Thinking of the gentle, kind, stubborn, lonely you.*
*How magnificent that is.*
*You are a flower of March blooming in September,*
*Few people know how to appreciate your beauty.*
*I am a wandering, stubborn, foolish, lonely dog,*
*Who caught your scent,*
*And became obsessed with you.*
*I want to hold your hand and sit in the ancient city, watching the night fall, dying together.*
*I want to embrace you by the sea, watching the sunset fade, dying together.*
*I want to strum my guitar and sing songs, looking back on the past, staring into your eyes, dying together.*
*How I miss you, how I miss you so very much.*
*To die in a romantic world.*
*But you...*
*...But you,*
*Are a flower of March blooming in September..."*

An Muxi was fast asleep.

Lin Shenlu cracked the window slightly so the smoke could drift out. He pressed harder on the accelerator. Wearing his sunglasses, he enjoyed the comfortable journey. He tapped his Bluetooth controls; he knew An Muxi must be listening to music in the back, and he wanted to do the same.

He put out his cigarette in the ashtray beside him. It was a little gift An Muxi had given him yesterday—a car ashtray featuring a giant panda head. Lin Shenlu loved these little moments of warmth and surprise. As it happened, he was the same kind of person.

He opened the window a bit wider and stuck his hand out into the wind. According to some famous scientific experiment, when a car exceeds 150 km/h, the sensation of the wind against one's hand can simulate a certain "D-cup" feeling. Lin Shenlu had never believed it—after all, that wasn't so easy to achieve.

Well... Lin Shenlu realized he was wrong. He pressed the accelerator even further. The sensation was quite something. Wait... the navigation system warned him he was speeding. Lin Shenlu sheepishly pulled his hand back, smoothed out his windblown hair, and rolled up the window.

As he continued forward, his phone rang again. A quick glance showed it was another voice message from He Ku'er. What was with this girl? Calling him over and over? This time, Lin Shenlu tapped to answer.

"Hey, what's up?" Lin Shenlu asked.

"Little Deer, why did you hang up on me just now?" He Ku'er asked with a sharp tone.

"First, I was driving and accidentally knocked it off. Second, 'Little Deer' is not what you get to call me, understand?" Lin Shenlu certainly wasn't going to indulge her.

"Pfft, my sister calls you that; I saw it in her contacts... Then what should I call you? Uncle Deer? Daddy Lin?" He Ku'er asked with a laugh.

Lin Shenlu shook his head helplessly. "Daddy"... he’d pass on that.