Chapter 23: In the Depths of the Forest, One Sees the Deer; In the Vastness of the Sea, One Sees the Whale

After passing by many hotels, Lin Shenlu finally reached the highest point. In strict terms, Ideal Land was not just a Santorini-style resort town; it was also a perfect haven for photography enthusiasts. Even if you didn’t stay overnight, simply taking a stroll around the area was free of charge.

As a result, Lin Shenlu was in exceptionally high spirits throughout the walk. Yet now, his gaze was drawn to a particular hotel. From where he stood, the entire building resembled a blue-and-white terraced salt field. Layer upon layer of circular white structures enclosed sapphire pools, cascading from the mountaintop downwards over five or six levels. The pools didn’t end at the edges of the buildings but instead extended right into the interiors—was this the so-called cave pool he’d read about in travel blogs?

Continuing along the side, curious to see just how deep the pool ran, Lin Shenlu’s attention was suddenly caught by a different scene. This was the side facing Erhai Lake. From this elevation, the topmost terrace stretched forward, and the infinity pool seemed to merge seamlessly with the lake’s surface. In the back half of the pool, a stone platform lay submerged beneath the water, with gentle streams flowing across it. On either side, baby’s breath bloomed, not in dense bouquets like those found in florists, but as tiny white blossoms scattered among lush green leaves.

The clusters of baby’s breath on both sides extended forward, creating a dreamy path reminiscent of the road leading to a castle. At the edge of the stone platform, where the water shimmered most enchantingly, a white rose arbor formed an archway. Green vines stretched over the platform, and the white roses bloomed in extraordinary beauty. From the top of the arch, two sturdy vines hung down, suspending a wooden plank—a swing, seemingly reaching out to the sky and sea.

In this afternoon light, the sun shone on the turquoise sea and sky, and on the swing that rose from the sea of flowers. The location could not have been chosen more perfectly. It felt as if, with a single leap from the swing, one could dive into the sea or soar into the heavens.

Lin Shenlu had seen countless hotels along the way, most styled in the tropical Santorini or Mediterranean fashion, almost indistinguishable from one another. Yet this one stood apart, both in its overall design and in its exquisite details, striking a deep chord in Lin Shenlu’s heart. What was this place called? He was filled with curiosity.

Just as he was about to look for the entrance, something else caught his eye—a woman in a flowing white dress appeared in his line of sight. Sunlight illuminated her gown. A gentle breeze stirred her skirt and hair as she walked gracefully through the flowers and stepped onto the stone platform. Her reflection danced on the water, which slowly dampened the hem of her dress. Delicately, she caressed the vines and then sat down on the swing’s wooden seat. Her slender waist was silhouetted by the light; the trailing skirt fluttered in the breeze, though its tip was anchored by the moist surface of the pool.

She grasped the vines with both hands, nudged the stone with her toes, and her whole figure soared outward—toward the sky, toward Erhai Lake, toward the rippling water, toward the sunlight of the afternoon. In that instant, her long skirt flew with her, making her seem like a fairy among the blossoms.

Lin Shenlu was utterly entranced. The backdrop was blue sky and white clouds, pierced by sunbeams streaming through the mountains, the lake reflecting the mountains and sunset in its shimmering light. Amid a profusion of flowers, a celestial maiden seemed to fly.

Lost in the moment, he watched as her figure swung back, her skirt trailing, swaying above the water. What kind of enchanted scene was this? What manner of ethereal girl?

The only regret was that Lin Shenlu never saw her face. He knew then and there that he must stay in this inn. For the sake of this beauty, for the sake of this unforgettable scene. Surely, anything written here would be beautiful; every photo taken would be mesmerizing.

What was the name of this scenic hotel? Where was its entrance? Lin Shenlu began to walk downhill, determined to discover what other surprises this unique place held.

After a while, he finally found the entrance. What caught his attention first was a statue of a deer at the door—a large deer, seemingly carved from a tree root, its antlers twisting in natural, unrefined forms. The artist had left them as they were, intricate and wild, and for beauty’s sake, a multicolored rose had been sculpted to grow from the deer's back. The rose’s vine coiled around the antlers, several blossoms blooming atop them, a blend of reality and fantasy, all for the sake of beauty.

Even more remarkable, at the tip of the antlers, the rose vine continued to climb upward, where a giant whale was suspended above the entrance. The blue whale was entwined with the ascending rose, as though it swam among sea plants. The two animals—deer below and whale above—seemed to gaze at each other across the doorway, the roses flourishing wildly around the entrance.

On the other side, an irregular wooden sign stood, inscribed with several lines:

“When the forest is deep, you see the deer;
When the sea is blue, you see the whale.
When you awake from a dream, you see me.
Whale & Deer Resort Hotel.”

So this hotel was called Whale & Deer… Was it coincidence—or fate? Or perhaps a destiny written in the stars?

Lin Shenlu gently stroked the carved antlers of the deer by the door, the rose’s thorns grazing his fingers. He stepped inside.

Through the white courtyard, past the infinity pool, he walked amid a profusion of little daisies blooming at his feet. Everything felt so comfortable, so free. The vast blue pool seemed to merge with the ocean itself. By its edge, a blue deer bowed its head to drink, while a whale’s body leapt above the water, as if about to soar across the pool. The whole courtyard was enveloped in the spirit of the whale.

Lin Shenlu walked on, admiring every step, until he entered the first-floor reception hall.

“Hello, would you like to check in?” the young woman at the front desk asked with a smile.

Lin Shenlu nodded.

“May I have your name, sir? I’ll register your health information…” she continued.

“My surname is Lin… Lin Shenlu,” he replied, still marveling at the strange coincidence.

To his surprise, the young woman looked up at him with a hint of exasperation, then called upstairs, “Boss! We have another Lin Shenlu down here!”

Lin Shenlu was baffled—another one?

“Sir, this trick is too old… Our boss is famous for her beauty—everyone on the internet knows about Hailan Whale, the beautiful owner. But you can’t keep doing this. In the past three or four years, we’ve had at least twenty or thirty Lin Shenlus check in!”