Chapter 41: Folded White Paper, Stories in a Bottle

Ye Yaochen placed his story into a bottle while carefully watching the shape of the wishing pool not far away.

“Hey, brother, you didn’t name the male lead of all eleven stories the same, did you?” Lin Shenlu said with a laugh.

“Nonsense. Even though I’m the protagonist in all eleven stories, I still need to consider the reader’s experience, so even the writing style is different in each one, alright?” At this, Ye Yaochen turned to glance at Hailan Whale.

He continued, “Don’t worry. Since you’re the narrator… I wouldn’t put you in a tough spot.”

“Alright, I’m going live now, you two keep at it…” Hailan Whale now kept a respectful distance from Ye Yaochen.

Ye Yaochen, the indefatigable warrior…

When Hailan Whale realized that the eleven stories Ye Yaochen had written were based on his own experiences from just the past two weeks, Hailan Whale admitted she was a little startled.

…

The next day.

After a quiet day of waiting, the wishing pool was finally complete, and its interior had dried out.

“Ready to add water!” Lin Shenlu called.

The plumbing had been modified perfectly yesterday, allowing water to flow directly from the adjacent swimming pool inlet. As the sluice was pulled, a stream of crystal-clear water surged from the highest point of the wishing pool, splitting into eight smooth arcs that fell into the second tier…

The second tier’s streams divided further, cascading into the third tier…

Once the third tier filled, the pure water flowed into the vast pool at the base.

As the pool filled, the circulation system was activated. Water coursed through the wishing pool, establishing a flawless cycle.

At this moment, Hailan Whale was awestruck.

It was so beautiful…

The overall appearance of the wishing pool was stunning beyond words.

At the very top, where the water spouted, was none other than an adorable azure whale, spraying water from a hole on its back.

The three-tiered wishing pool was crowned by this whale, while at the base of the vast pool stood a deer.

Each tier’s tray was shaped by intertwining antlers, spiraling up to the whale at the top, forming a perfect whole.

Once the water began to flow, the wishing pool transformed into something truly dreamlike.

Surrounded by fresh flowers, not far away at the edge of the large swimming pool, there was also a whale emerging from the water, and a deer bowing its head to drink…

Every element was so fitting.

Hailan Whale could hardly believe her eyes.

It had only been two days… yet Lin Shenlu had really finished the wishing pool.

The largest tier could easily hold thousands of bottles.

Now, under the shimmering blue light, the wishing pool was the most dazzling sight in the courtyard.

As the water grew more forceful, droplets sprayed everywhere. In the mist, under the sunlight, a faint rainbow shimmered…

This scene was magical.

Ye Yaochen stood by, deep in thought.

“Boss Hai, it’d be best if you hired a curvaceous, fair-skinned, pretty girl, maybe dressed in a bikini, or even with a mermaid tail—have her sit by the pool every day, legs in the water. When you stream, her sole job would be fishing out the bottles!” Ye Yaochen congratulated himself on his brilliant idea.

“Not bad, that’s actually a good thought,” Lin Shenlu nodded in agreement.

“Xiao Ai!” Hailan Whale thought for a moment, then suddenly called out.

A girl dashed over from the crowd.

She was truly well-endowed.

Hailan Whale asked Lin Shenlu and Ye Yaochen, “How about her? Curvaceous, fair-skinned, and pretty… just as you asked.”

Lin Shenlu took a closer look—wasn’t this the assistant who’d always accompanied Hailan Whale during her streams?

Ye Yaochen’s eyes lit up.

How had he not noticed this girl before? She more than checked the ‘curvaceous’ box.

What was that saying again?

A woman whose toes are hidden from view when she looks down is truly a rare beauty…

Xiao Ai probably couldn’t even lower her head, and if she tried, something else would block her chin…

As for her skin tone, Ye Yaochen didn’t dare judge.

After all, unless he’d seen her in bed at night, he could never be sure if a girl was truly fair-skinned or not.

“This young lady seems unfamiliar?” Ye Yaochen’s gaze roamed over Xiao Ai.

“Xiao Ai is my streaming assistant. She’s been with me for over a year now. She’s not around during the day—only comes by at night when I stream,” Hailan Whale explained.

“Xiao Ai, here’s your chance—can you handle it? Got a bikini?” Hailan Whale asked.

Xiao Ai shook her head.

“What now? I do have a bikini, but there’s no way it’ll fit you,” Hailan Whale muttered, blushing a little.

“It’s fine… as long as it’s not too small, she can squeeze into it! That’s the effect we’re going for. There’s no time to buy a new one now, so just make do for the shoot!” Ye Yaochen stroked his chin.

“It’s true, we don’t have time to get a new one. Still, it’s a great idea, but if your assistant Xiao Ai appears on camera, she might just catch fire herself… Would she agree?” Lin Shenlu was curious.

Of course, the question was aimed at Hailan Whale.

In the influencer world, it wasn’t uncommon for assistants to become stars and go out on their own.

Hailan Whale nodded and looked at Xiao Ai.

“This could be your big break. You’ve been with me so long—today, I’ll double your base salary. From now on, you’ll appear on camera every day. After we see the results, I’ll help you set up your own account… The rest we’ll discuss separately. How about it, Xiao Ai?” Hailan Whale, a seasoned streamer, handled it with perfect tact.

“Really? Sister Whale? That’s fantastic! I’ll do whatever you say!” Xiao Ai jumped for joy.

Her leap made Ye Yaochen dizzy for a moment.

“Don’t jump, don’t jump—go get changed. There’s still daylight, and soon we’ll have to turn on the lights! Bro, you handle getting everyone to put their bottles in. I’ll go brief Xiao Ai…” Ye Yaochen shot Lin Shenlu a look.

Lin Shenlu understood at once.

“Alright, here’s the plan: have the cameraman capture footage, and make sure all the guests who brought bottles, and those who came with flyers, are recorded… Once Xiao Ai’s changed, Ye Yaochen will set her position. The final shot should be the moment the lights come on, filmed from three angles! I’m sure that will capture the sense of awe I’m feeling. That’s the perfect update for today’s video… then tonight’s live stream can follow our usual process…” Lin Shenlu instructed, just waiting for that perfect moment.

This was the first seed he’d planted on his journey.

He hoped that in the future, whenever someone came here—whether to fish out a bottle or place one in the pool—even if they just said, “How beautiful,” and carried that feeling in their hearts, a little of his own hope would be present too.

…

Everything was ready.

Hailan Whale held her precious Abbey Truth Beer bottle, which contained her story.

Lin Shenlu stood behind the crowd, as hotel guests and curious visitors gathered around the wishing pool, bottles in hand.

Everyone was waiting for the moment to place their bottles together.

Lin Shenlu sat quietly on a wicker chair at the side, smoking peacefully.

On the table lay a transparent bottle.

Inside was a neatly folded piece of paper.

That was Lin Shenlu’s story.