Chapter 129: We Are Not Fish
There were several times Xiaoxiao wanted to call Xi Mintang to pour out her heart; he had always been able to offer her guidance on past troubles. Yet, now that he was far away in Shanghai, she could only hold the phone and sigh, knowing that help from afar could not quench her immediate thirst. Besides, he had already left—what could he even do to help?
"Do you want to go for a walk?" Lin Shuo closed his book and flashed a brilliant smile at the dazed Xiaoxiao.
Xiaoxiao checked the time and frowned. "It's so late, where would we go?"
Lin Shuo grabbed his jacket and pulled her up with great enthusiasm. "You'll see when we get there."
They drove all the way up to West Mountain. Xiaoxiao leaned against the car window, looking left and right. Although she lived in Kunming, she rarely had the chance to visit West Mountain, let alone explore it at night—something she had never even considered.
As the car wound along the serpentine mountain road, Lin Shuo, hands on the steering wheel, suddenly asked, "Have you heard the legend of West Mountain?" Xiaoxiao shook her head. Lin Shuo kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, the headlights illuminating the path as it wound into the depths of the forest. "Legend has it that a lonely princess snuck out of the palace and fell in love with a commoner. When the king found out, he tried to stop them and sent men to kill the young man. The princess was consumed by grief; her tears turned into Dianchi Lake, and after she died, she transformed into this mountain, remaining by the side of the lake through the passage of countless autumns."
Because of its unique shape, West Mountain is known as the "Sleeping Beauty." At this moment, the fine ripples of Dianchi Lake reflected the full moon, and the lush trees swayed in the night breeze. West Mountain looked exactly like a graceful woman lying on her back above the lake, waiting through who knows how many spring and autumn cycles.
She recalled a poem her father had taught her in childhood, one that described this very mountain: "The white moon rises and falls with me; the blue sky drifts and sinks within the water. Leaning against the window until dawn, I forget that I am still in the southern lands."
Lin Shuo spoke again, "I don't know when it started, but another saying became popular: it’s said that lovers who visit West Mountain together are destined to break up, while friends who come here are destined to stay together." He asked her quite seriously, "Do you believe it?"
She curled her lip. She had heard this before and had indeed seen it come true for others. But talk is talk, and belief is belief; she didn't see any necessary connection.
They hiked up toward Longmen, the Dragon Gate. The terrain was treacherous, reaching toward the clouds above and overlooking sheer cliffs below. She didn't dare look down, clutching Lin Shuo's hand tightly. Lin Shuo dragged her along nonchalantly, though a subtle, faint smile played on his lips. Suddenly, she stumbled, her feet finding no purchase, and she lunged into Lin Shuo’s arms. Her heart leaped to her throat, her palms turning damp with cold sweat; she was thoroughly shaken.
"Are you alright?" Lin Shuo asked with genuine concern.
She let out a sigh and patted her chest. "I'm fine, I'm fine."
"It's better once you pass the Dragon Gate." Following the direction of his finger, she saw a narrow, archway-style wooden gate standing against the cliff. A sudden curiosity stirred within her. "Do you think a fish that leaps over the Dragon Gate can truly turn into a golden dragon?"
Lin Shuo led her forward slowly, countering with a challenging question of his own: "Then do you believe that West Mountain is truly the incarnation of a princess?"
She quickened her pace, pulling him through the gate, and then turned to look back at the archway with a mischievous smile. "Look, I’ve passed through, and I haven't changed at all."
Lin Shuo laughed at how cute she was. "We aren't fish, after all."
She suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. The cliffside was indeed the perfect viewing platform; from here, the glittering lights of Kunming and the magnificent expanse of Dianchi Lake were laid out before them. He held her close, gently stroking the back of her head. She said, "Actually, whether it's mountains or people, is there really much difference between being a fish or a dragon? Perhaps they don't even want to change. Maybe they want to stop, only to realize they can no longer hold on to anything."