Chapter 95: Soaking in the Hot Springs

No sooner had he spoken than a cry rose from ahead. A huge monkey had leaped straight onto a man’s shoulders and back, bent down, and thrown its arms around a young man’s neck. Afraid the monkey might tumble off, the tourist did not dare look up, and the two of them clung to each other in a most awkward embrace, both of them a sorry sight.

In the end, he could only meekly hand over his food as a peace offering. The monkey snatched it away, swallowed it in an instant, and tucked it into its crop.

Zhuang Chen stared in disbelief. Good heavens, who would have thought that thugs might know martial arts too?

Xia Long could not help laughing. “See what I mean? Crossing that bridge is practically a robbery by a whole troop of monkeys. You have to take a stick and knock them back. We can’t really fight them, though, or a whole crowd of monkeys will come over and challenge you one by one.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s you alone against more than a dozen monkeys.”

Feifei, terrified, clutched Zhuang Chen’s arm tightly. The group moved forward while dutifully paying their toll, and at last crossed the bridge in one piece. Beyond it was the guesthouse district, where a hot spring club stood with very high ratings online.

“Joyful and Limitless Lotus Stream?” Zhuang Chen looked at the sign. What a pretentious name.

Inside the round gate, what first caught the eye was the floral arrangement in pots scattered through every corner. The designs were inventive and unusual, each branch carefully trimmed so that every stem and leaf reached out with perfect restraint.

In front of the lobby ran a clear stream through the courtyard. Its gentle murmur, almost without one noticing, settled the mind amid worldly troubles. Unhurried, uncompetitive, it carried a stronger air of meditation.

Stepping lightly across the stone slabs, one found a corridor lined with bamboo screens beside a tea room. Guests lifted and set down their cups, exchanging only a few words. In the narrow gaps drifted a thread of tea fragrance, and with it a hint of ordinary life.

Turning off the stone path into the front hall, broad screens gave the public space clear layers without sacrificing openness, while flower branches cast graceful shadows upon the white panels.

Everywhere were exquisite floral displays. Feifei said quietly, “Online it says all these arrangements are by Master Lin Xueyun from Formosa. She has been invited to oversee floral presentations at the Taipei Palace Museum, Fo Guang Mountain, and the New York International Financial Center.”

After checking in, they learned that the deluxe room was priced at 1,999 a night. Deeper in was the rear courtyard: a Japanese-style garden with forty-eight rooms, each named after a Buddhist scripture or koan.

The rooms were called Rest, Mountain Woods, Azure Sky, Mist and Rain, Boundless Ease, Deep Forest, Unfettered, Peace Through All Things... Five of them were hot spring rooms, drawing on natural spring water from Qingyin Pavilion. Today they would stay in Mist and Rain.

Looking around, the guestrooms were spread among a row of old wooden houses and two renovated two-story buildings, forming a courtyard that felt empty, serene, and clean. The ground was covered with a layer of sand and gravel, dotted with rocks, grasses, and trees, giving it a distinct dry-garden character.

Inside the room, wood was the dominant element. The overall palette was simple and restrained, elegant to the extreme. The staff explained that even the drinking water was fresh mountain spring water collected each day, clear and sweet, provided for guests to drink or make tea.

Under the bedside lamp sat a coffee cup, pressed down on a welcome note from the inn: too often we do not belong to ourselves; in this moment, even if only for one night, spoil yourself without restraint and savor your time here.

The girl hurried happily to the private bath, looking down at the clear pool with delight. “I heard the hot spring water here is very special. Its technical name is radon spring water, and it can help with high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, chronic arthritis...”

Zhuang Chen nodded. Outside, he had noticed an open-air bath screened with bamboo blinds, which preserved privacy without keeping one from the close touch of nature.

A Goldilocks mattress, Kohler smart bathroom fixtures, a full set of Philips appliances, handmade tea utensils, famous teas from many mountains, illy drip coffee, and European-brand toiletries from Seven Plus...

Though it called itself a guesthouse, it was in no way inferior to a star-rated hotel. He had not expected to find such a thoughtful place hidden in the mountains.

They had climbed up exhausted and hungry, so food came first. Outside was the restaurant, called Cloud Embrace, specializing in Zen cuisine, which was rather unusual.

A server brought the menu and introduced it: “Our chef used to work at the Westin Hotel in Guangzhou. He has innovated Western cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine into a borderless set meal. We offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian set menus.”

Since they were here, trying the vegetarian course would not be a bad idea. Among the four small welcome dishes, the best was the sweet and sour radish, lightly tangy and spicy with a hint of sweetness afterward, quite appetizing.

The house specialty, Emei Sacred Spring Tofu, came with a sauce that balanced sweet and sour perfectly and melted in the mouth. The black-vinegar tea mushroom dish used finely shaved strands of mushrooms lightly stir-fried in oil, paired with dark vinegar to cut through the richness; fragrant, crisp, and delicious.

The signature item was the specially steamed egg strips, tender enough to seem to ooze water, the natural color of the egg mixed with the green of vegetable juice. The preparation was rather elaborate.

The specialty nine-compartment platter held egg dumplings, bacon rolls, roasted sweet potato, mushroom buns, red bean paste, Hami melon yogurt, and more.

After eating his fill and walking around, the whole hotel at first glance seemed drenched in a cool, minimalist island style. But once inside, one discovered a poetic neoclassical aesthetic.

Lighting was one of its strengths. White semi-transparent layered curtains did not truly block the light; rather, they traced the room’s quiet bearing and left a measure of sky light suspended beneath the ceiling.

Without realizing it, one’s gaze and footsteps were guided, one becoming aware of the proper distance between each area, of what should be viewed from afar and what should serve a practical purpose.

Screens with broad expanses of white space, the expressive simplicity of Chinese-style daybeds, the polished textures and contrasting colors of the cushions, the teasing charm and wit of the floral arrangements and potted landscapes...

A glass-walled room always seemed able to hold the rare sun, moon, and stars of the city. As dusk deepened and the damp evening air still held its vapor, accompanied by sweet Danish music, the atmosphere was indeed pleasant.

Back in the room, he stripped off and went straight into the hot spring. Closing his eyes, he felt the silky caress of the water over his body and could not help thinking that not every random pool of hot water deserved to be called a hot spring.

He suddenly remembered a line from Bai Juyi: in the early spring chill, the imperial bath was granted at the Huaqing hot springs, where the water was so smooth it washed the purest beauty.

The highly mineralized spring water, rich in trace elements and other minerals, brought with it an unprecedented slickness. Some springs were acidic and had an exfoliating effect; soak in them and the skin would grow smooth as silk.

Thin wisps of vapor drifted over the water’s surface now and then, sending up strands of warmth and filling the air with mistlike steam. The sound of water rang softly at his ears. Feifei, cheeks flushed, took off her robe and slowly nestled herself beside him...

He gave a low laugh and let the girl climb atop him herself, savoring the unprecedented thrill. Since the spring water contained so many minerals, perhaps it could even...