In order to escape from the worries of the world, a painter left the city in early spring and went into the mountains to stay temporarily in a hot spring house called Nagujing.
In the middle of the night on the first day of his stay, the painter was awakened by a burst of singing. He stood up and looked around, and saw a woman vaguely appearing in the attic outside the house like a phantom, and then disappeared again. The next day, he got up early and took a bath, wondering whether what he saw and heard last night was a dream, but he saw the "phantom" walking towards him serving tea. It turns out that this graceful "phantom" is the daughter of the master of this family. She appears in front of the artist's eyes like a fairy in the painting, showing a hazy and mysterious beauty.
Afterwards, the painter went to a nearby barbershop for a shave. The owner of the barbershop said that the hot spring master's daughter, a girl named Namei, was divorced and had a "crazy" temper, and asked him not to get too close. A young monk who came to the barber shop to have his head shaved retorted that Namei was a very wise adult. The beauty that everyone talks about, the beauty that seems absurd and simple in speech, has become an otherworldly and "inhuman" existence in the artist's mind. The artist feels that every move she makes is like the person in the painting, and imagines that if he develops feelings for her, can this feeling be called "inhuman"?
Reader comments
Moreover, the painter's feelings for Na Mei in the story are also very interesting. He is struggling with whether this feeling is "inhumane". It feels like he is exploring a different kind of love. Some plots in the book also left a deep impression on me, such as Na Mei appearing in the attic like a phantom, and everyone's different evaluations of Na Mei, which are very picturesque. Overall, this is a book well worth reading.
Moreover, the painter's feelings for Na Mei in the story are also very interesting. He is struggling with whether this feeling is "inhumane". It feels like he is exploring a different kind of love. Some plots in the book also left a deep impression on me, such as Na Mei appearing in the attic like a phantom, and everyone's different evaluations of Na Mei, which are very picturesque. Overall, this is a book well worth reading.