Chapter 14 It’s Normal for Online Writers to Search for Some Strange Things

In the afternoon, West Lake was drenched by torrential rain, coming and going in a rush.

Finally, the weather had turned comfortably cool.

Walking on the stone-paved path, now scrubbed clean and gleaming from the rain and looking into the distance between the hills and the lake, one could see the clouds and mist swirling.

The Leifeng Tower was faintly visible.

Willow trees along the lakeside and lotus flowers in the water reflected each other from a distance, with pavilions and cooling corridors, wooden bridges, and small boats-everywhere you looked, there was a picturesque scene.

The beauty of West Lake was encapsulated in the line from the poem, “No matter what kind of scenery, it can captivate and impress people.” And it was impossible to tire of its sight.

“Is West Lake the first free 5A-grade scenic area?”

Qian Quan and Ding Linlang strolled leisurely under the shade of trees along Beishan Street, engaging in a casual conversation.

“Yes, starting from October 1, 2002, it became free, relinquishing approximately over 26,000,000 in ticket revenue,” Ding Linlang had evidently done some research, “Considering maintenance, cleaning, and management costs, it amounted to investing 5 or 6 millions annually.”

“But this decision brought immeasurable economic and social benefits to the entire city of Hangzhou. It could be considered a textbook-level business model.

“Yes. West Lake has seized the right time, geographical advantage, and human touch, especially with its cultural significance. It’s in a league, far ahead of similar scenic spots, making this model very hard to replicate.”

“That’s true.”

The two of them continued chatting as they walked to Yang Gong causeway.

Qian Quan suggested, “Why don’t we take a boat ride to see the three pools mirroring the moon?”

Following their plan, the main focus of the first day was to explore West Lake. They visited several of the Ten Scenes of West Lake and only returned after watching the West Lake Musical Fountain performance.

On the second day, they would visit Lingyin Temple, then proceed to Hefang Street and Southern Song Imperial Street for some shopping and dining.

The third day was reserved for visiting Song Cheng and watching the performance of

The Romance Of The Song Dynasty

.

Now, they were on a rowing boat, leisurely drifting towards the lake’s center.

Sharing the boat with them was a couple, busy taking sweet selfies as if no one else was around.

Qian Quan didn’t want to be so close to such a public display of affection. He raised his phone and cautiously moved it closer to Ding Linlang.

His childhood friend didn’t disappoint him. Ding Linlang smiled sweetly, cooperatively leaning in.historical

The two took an intimate selfie with their faces almost touching, seemingly natural.

There was something Qian Quan had never told Ding Linlang – he really liked her scent. It always reminded him of a distant morning on the first day of the Lunar New Year when the sky was filled with snow.

They played at the three pools mirroring the moon until 5 o’clock, then took a boat back to another dock.

Qian Quan and Ding Linlang continued walking toward Lakeside Third Park.

They were aiming to catch the 7 o’clock musical fountain performance.

The viewing spot was already crowded when they reached the musical fountain area. A foreign tourist approached Qian Quan and Ding Linlang, asking when the performance would start.

Qian Quan showcased his foreign language skills briefly.

But honestly, the first lines that came to Qian Quan’s mind when he saw foreigners were: “Hello, thank you, goodbye.”

At 7 o’clock, with a reminder from the staff, the renowned 126-meter-long West Lake Musical Fountain began to exhibit its breathtaking beauty to the tune of

Once in a Millennium

.

How to describe it?

Swaying? Elegant? A wonder?

The Ten Scenes of West Lake might have varying interpretations, but the West Lake Musical Fountain was not to be missed.

It was Qian Quan’s current thoughts. He was still a bit unsatisfied even after the performance of three songs.

However, his stomach started protesting at this point.

“Let’s go eat,” Ding Linlang said, also feeling hungry.

The first day of their West Lake tour was drawing to a close.

Ding Linlang chose a restaurant called “White Deer” on a review website, and they took a taxi there.

Night had fallen, and colorful lights had already illuminated this globally renowned historical city.

The car drove through the city’s towering skyscrapers, weaving through the intertwining lights and shadows.

Qian Quan looked out of the car window, colorful hues flashing before his eyes.

Emerald green, tender yellow, soft blue, deep purple, rosy pink – those were neon lights from street lamps, car headlights, billboards, and construction site searchlights, mingling and flickering in the night sky, painting Hangzhou’s night with a vibrant flow of colors.

No wonder people didn’t want to leave when they arrived in big cities. Being immersed in it, it was inevitable to experience a sense of enchantment with the prosperous and glamorous scene before their eyes.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at White Deer.

At this time, the restaurant was still about 70% full, proving its reputation as a “queue restaurant” was well-deserved.

Ding Linlang had ordered a set meal for two online: Hangzhou-style Spicy Sautéed Beef with Peppers, Grilled Sauce-covered Perch, Blanched vegetables, two portions of rice, and two cups of iced orange tea.

After taking their seats, they also ordered ice cream for dessert.

Both Qian Quan and Ding Linlang were fans of sweets, belonging to the kind of people who could finish a bowl of white rice mixed with sugar without needing any other dishes.

By the time they finished their meal, it was almost 9 o’clock.

They had already walked close to 20,000 steps, so they didn’t want to continue wandering. They took the subway back to their accommodation, dragging their tired bodies along.

Qian Quan’s phone had taken too many photos and videos and automatically shut down. He went to charge his phone while Ding Linlang went to freshen up.

“I’ll use your phone to check tomorrow’s route and guide,” Qian Quan said as he took Ding Linlang’s phone.

“Okay.”

Qian Quan and Ding Linlang knew each other’s phone passwords but never snooped through each other’s phones.

Qian Quan opened the search bar and was about to type when he suddenly saw a search history below.

“Is the safe period really safe?”

Qian Quan’s hand trembled, almost causing him to drop the phone.

“Why would she search for this? What does she want to do?”

Countless unprecedented thoughts exploded in his mind at that moment.

“Is she planning to take advantage of these three days to get me? Is she preparing to make a move on me during these nights?”

“I consider her a good buddy, yet she wants to treat me like this?”

“But if she strongly insists, how can I refuse? Harming my buddy would be disloyal behavior.”

“Confused, so confused, Ding Linlang, why did you push me into such a dilemma? The teachings of our elders are still in my ears!”

“If we really do something so inappropriate, how can we continue being friends?”

“And stepping back, the safe period, it’s not safe at all!”

For a moment, Qian Quan’s thoughts were chaotic, filled with distractions. Eventually, he decided to watch and wait, to act when the time was right.

He ignored that particular search history and continued searching for tomorrow’s travel routes and guides.

Twenty minutes later, Ding Linlang emerged from her washing, dressed in a light blue-gray round-neck short-sleeved cotton home sleep dress.

The hem of the sleep dress reached just above her knees, and her pair of snow-white, well-proportioned long legs were even more eye-catching than usual.

“You go wash up,” Ding Linlang casually said, “I’ll get back to writing web novels.”

A thought sparked in Qian Quan’s mind, suggesting that things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

Was she suggesting I shower while she writes her web novel? Was this some kind of hint? What was she planning to do after finishing her writing?

“I’ll use the bathroom first.”

Qian Quan unplugged his phone, which was already at a 30% charge. He decided to go to the bathroom to calm down and think of a foolproof plan that would prompt her to halt immediately without causing any harm.

After sitting on the toilet for a while and calming his emotions, he habitually opened the latest chapter of Ding Linlang’s ongoing novel. Then, he stumbled upon a truth that made his scalp tingle with embarrassment.

Ding Linlang searched for that “safe period” because she had written a plot in her novel where the female protagonist had a sexual relationship with the male protagonist during the safe period and accidentally became pregnant!

She was just trying to understand a new piece of information and hadn’t thought of anything else!

Qian Quan first chuckled in disbelief, then started to mock himself internally.

Qian Quan, what on earth were you overthinking?

She was a web novelist!

It was perfectly normal to look up all sorts of weird things!

D*mn!

With that burden lifted, Qian Quan quickly finished washing up. He planned to sleep early tonight and rest well.

At 10 p.m., they bid each other good night and went to their respective beds.

The two beds were about two meters apart, but they both had curtains, ensuring privacy.

After a while, Qian Quan was drowsy and almost falling asleep when he suddenly heard Ding Linlang calling his name.

“Qian Quan..”

Qian Quan was taken aback and hurriedly responded, “What’s wrong?”

No answer.

After waiting for a moment, there was no more sound from the other side, clearly indicating that she had fallen asleep again.

It turned out to be sleep-talking.

Qian Quan turned over and fell asleep as well.

..

That night, West Lake was tranquil.

And they each had a dream.