141: Chapter 141 A Trip to West Lake

The car drove for about a hundred kilometers along the highway, gradually approaching the edge of West Lake. The trees along the road grew increasingly dense. Through the car window, one could vaguely see a corner of the lake surface, where the sparkling light shattered into pieces under the sun, blindingly bright, yet making one unable to look away.

Zhou Waner pressed her face close to the car window, her eyes bright. "The weather is really nice today."

Hu Tian looked down at the lake surface and gave a hum of agreement.

"Can't you say something else?"

"The scenery of the lake and mountains makes the trip worthwhile."

Zhou Waner turned her head, stared at him for two seconds, and then burst into a chuckle. "Fine, as long as you are satisfied, old man."

The car stopped near the Broken Bridge. The two of them got out and stepped onto the winding path along the dike.

At this time, there weren't many tourists, just scattered groups here and there. There were young couples pushing strollers, children supporting elderly parents as they walked slowly, and photography enthusiasts carrying cameras to snap pictures everywhere.

A gentle breeze blew from the lake, carrying a hint of moisture, brushing the willow branches on the shore so they swayed lightly.

Zhou Waner walked on the dike, occasionally stopping to look at the lake view, occasionally bending down to examine the wildflowers by the roadside. Hu Tian followed half a step behind her, unhurried. Sometimes she stopped, and he stopped too. The distance between the two of them was always maintained, neither too far nor too close, with a tacit understanding as if they had walked this path many times before.

Walking to the middle of the Broken Bridge, Zhou Waner leaned on the railing and looked down. The lake water was clear and transparent, and one could see water plants swaying gently with the current. A few fish swam out from the shadows, flashed in the sunlight, and then dove back in, disappearing from sight.

"Do you know about the 'Broken Bridge' not actually being broken?"

She turned her head to ask Hu Tian.

"I do. When it snows, the snow at both ends of the bridge melts faster than in the middle. From a distance, it looks like it's broken, which is why it's called the Broken Bridge."

"Right,"

Zhou Waner looked back at the lake. "When I came here for the first time as a child, my grandfather told me this. He said the name sounds sad, but in reality, it isn't broken."

Hu Tian didn't speak, just turned his head to look at her, his gaze calm.

Zhou Waner didn't notice and continued speaking to herself, "Later, when I grew up, I felt that this kind of name was actually interesting. It's clearly complete, yet it's called broken, which just makes people remember it all the more."

The wind came from the lake, blowing up a few loose strands of hair from her forehead. She raised her hand to tuck them away. Her profile was clear in the sunlight, and her earring swayed gently.

Hu Tian withdrew his gaze and looked back at the distant lake surface. The reflection of the Mid-Lake Pavilion rippled in the water, slowly deforming with the waves and then slowly returning to its original shape.

The two stood on the Broken Bridge for a while, then continued walking inward along the dike. They passed the Su Causeway, took a detour around the Flower Harbor Park, and looked at the schools of koi in the water. Zhou Waner squatted down and reached out to tease them; a few fish swam over and then scattered. Her smile was relaxed.

It was past five o'clock in the evening, and the sun was leaning west. The surface of the lake was gradually plated with a layer of orange-gold. The clouds on the horizon were dyed bright red, and their reflections fell into the lake, setting the water surface ablaze with a flowing, warm color.

The two returned to the entrance of Louwailou Restaurant. The window seat Hu Tian had booked in advance was ready. A waiter led them inside, and they sat by the window overlooking the lake. Outside the window was the lake view; the setting sun illuminated the lake surface, making it golden and layered. The shadows of the distant mountains were outlined by the orange light, quiet as a painting.

Zhou Waner took the menu and flipped through it. She ordered West Lake Vinegar Fish, Beggar's Chicken, and a dish of Dongpo Pork, then told Hu Tian to add whatever he liked. He added the Sister Song Fish Soup. The two of them ordered a few dishes together and returned the menu to the waiter.

Before the dishes were served, Zhou Waner rested her chin on her hand and looked out the window. A tourist boat slowly rowed across the lake; it had red lanterns hanging from the bow, which lit up bit by bit in the twilight, reflecting in the water and dragging out a long red reflection.

She watched for a long time without speaking.

Hu Tian didn't rush her either; he just poured her tea and pushed it to her side.

Zhou Waner came back to her senses, looked down at the teacup, picked it up, and took a sip. The light and shadow on her profile softened bit by bit as the twilight outside the window changed.

The dishes were served one after another. The sweet and sour aroma of the West Lake Vinegar Fish spread throughout the small private room. The two sat opposite each other and ate this dinner quietly.

Outside the window, the night of West Lake gradually fell. The lights on the lake grew brighter, covering the entire water surface with flowing light.

After the meal, the two didn't rush to leave. Hu Tian paid the bill, and a waiter led them to the second floor of Louwailou Restaurant.

The staircase was an old-fashioned wooden structure that creaked slightly when stepped on. The paint on the railing had seen better days; it felt smooth to the touch, exuding the warmth polished by time.

The second floor was much quieter than the floor below. Several horseshoe chairs were placed by the window. The window shutters were half-open, and the night breeze drifted in from West Lake, carrying the scent of moisture and plants, causing the lights to sway slightly.

Zhou Waner walked slowly, looking at the things on the wall as she went.

The four walls upstairs were covered with calligraphy and paintings—some framed, some written directly on the wall. There was running script, cursive script, and regular script, in large and small characters, with dates ranging from the Ming to the Qing dynasties. They were densely arranged, yet it didn't feel chaotic; instead, there was a sense of gravitas where time layered upon time.

She stopped in front of a piece of running script and tilted her head to look for a while. "This calligraphy is written really well. It has strength, but it's not stiff. Look at the endings of these few characters; it's like they were just casually flicked, yet every stroke is steady."

Hu Tian followed up and looked where she was looking. "It's from the mid-Qing Dynasty. This person wasn't very famous, but their wrist strength was indeed good."

Zhou Waner turned to look at him. "You understand calligraphy too?"

"Just the basics. I've seen a lot, so my eye for it has improved a bit, but I can't explain any grand theories."

The two looked at the works on the wall one by one. On one wall, there was a poem written in neat characters, praising West Lake. Zhou Waner read a few lines out loud in a low voice, pausing in the middle. "This line is superb: 'Half the lake is misty water, half the lake is sorrow.' I wonder what kind of mood this person was in when they wrote it."

Hu Tian listened to her read quietly without replying, just walking beside her, his gaze sweeping along the line of characters.

The lighting upstairs was warm, making those old characters and paintings feel even more aged. Zhou Waner stood under the light, her profile visible as she looked at the calligraphy. Her hair hung down, and her earring caught the light with a warm glow. Hu Tian glanced at her, then withdrew his gaze.

The two wandered around the second floor for nearly half an hour, looking over most of the items on the four walls. Zhou Waner was still not satisfied, so she walked to the window, leaned on the railing, and looked at West Lake at night. The lake surface was dense with reflections of lights, and tourist boats moved slowly. In the distance, Gemstone Hill sank into the night, and only its outline could be seen.

"I've been to Hangzhou so many times, but this is the first time I've actually taken the time to seriously look at the upstairs and downstairs like this."

She said softly, her tone sounding as if she were talking to herself.

When they went downstairs, quite a few people had gathered in the square outside.

A street performer had set up a speaker and was sitting on the steps at the edge of the square, holding a guitar. The lights shone down, illuminating him clearly. He was singing an old song; the lyrics were simple, but his voice was clean, his enunciation clear, and his emotions not excessive, just right, carrying that touch of sadness within a restrained measure.

Zhou Waner stopped and listened intently for a few seconds. "I like this song."

"I know."

She tilted her head to look at him. "How did you know?"

Hu Tian didn't explain, just sat down on a stone pier nearby and gestured for her to sit too. "Let's listen until it's finished before we go."

Zhou Waner thought for a moment and sat down beside him. The two sat with a little distance between them, listening together as the performer finished one song and sang another. Scattered tourists stood in the square; some stopped to watch, some dropped a few coins and walked away, and some couples leaned together, whispering to each other under the cover of the singing.

When the performer reached the third song, he switched to a love song. The melody was slow, and the lyrics were lingering, incorporating the moonlight, the lake water, and the silhouettes of people. Zhou Waner listened with her arms crossed, not speaking, her eyes looking ahead, her expression very calm. Only the earrings on her earlobes swayed gently with her subtle breathing.

Hu Tian watched the lake surface, the night breeze blowing up the collar of his shirt slightly. He didn't move, just sat there, side-by-side with her, as quiet as two stones. But that quietness wasn't cold; it was another kind of temperature that was hard to describe.

After that love song finished, the performer stopped to drink some water. Zhou Waner let out a light breath. "Let's go."

Her voice was very soft, not as if she were speaking to Hu Tian, but more as if she were speaking to herself.

The two walked slowly along the lake for nearly twenty minutes. Before they knew it, it was past eleven o'clock at night. The people by the lake gradually thinned out. The tourist boats were docked at the shore, their lights still on, their reflections on the water dragged out long, adorning the entire lake into a flowing night painting.

Hu Tian had already checked several hotels by the lake on his phone in advance and chose a five-star one facing West Lake. Entering from the entrance, the lobby was high-ceilinged, and the decoration followed a Jiangnan style—grey walls and white beams, with a few ink paintings hanging on the walls and light-colored stone flooring. Behind the reception desk was an entire floor-to-ceiling glass wall facing West Lake. The night view of the lake unfolded quietly behind the glass, with the reflections of lights and water overlapping like an unframed painting.

West Lake Starlight Hotel.

The two took the elevator upstairs. The corridor lighting was soft, and their footsteps made no sound on the corridor carpet. Hu Tian took the key card to the room door, swiped it, and pushed the door open.

Hu Tian pushed the door open. The lights in the room were sensor-activated and turned on automatically when someone entered. The light wasn't bright, just enough to see the outlines clearly.

He walked to the window and reached out to pull open the curtains.

Outside the glass, West Lake was right there. The surface of the lake at night was as quiet as a polished, dark stone slab. The reflections of lights from near and far fell onto the water surface, rippling out in circles. The outline of Gemstone Hill sank into the night, with only the Baochu Pagoda at the top emitting a few faint lights, like a lamp forgotten there—aloof, yet not cold.

Zhou Waner stood behind him, looking at the glass without speaking.

Looking out from this angle, the entire West Lake was almost laid out before her eyes. The lake surface and the horizon merged into one, making it indistinguishable where the water ended and the night began. Occasionally, the taillight of a tourist boat would move slowly from the distance like a firefly, dragging a thin trail of light.

"It's better looking than that painting upstairs."

Zhou Waner said softly.

Hu Tian didn't reply, turning instead to the balcony door and sliding it open. The night breeze squeezed in through the opening, carrying the unique, moist chill of the lake water—not cold, just damp, as if the air were filled with moisture.

There were two dark rattan chairs on the balcony with a low table in between. He pulled out a chair and sat down on one. Zhou Waner looked, then sat down on the other. The two sat side-by-side, facing West Lake, just sitting there.

The wind blew up a strand of Zhou Waner's hair. She pressed it down with her hand, but it wouldn't stay, so she left it loose, hanging by her ear. Her earring swayed gently in the night breeze.