Unbeknownst to Song Fanzhe, a pair of eyes were secretly watching him from a short distance away.

...

These past few days, I've been staying at home.

The servants would see Mr. Fan Ze standing outside the study window, talking to himself while looking at the red rose bush.

They felt that Mr. Fan Ze had been acting strangely these past few days.

He stopped growing other flowers and temporarily entrusted their care to the servants.

That evening, Song Fanze brought Chi Qiangwei into the house.

When Chi Qiangwei saw him, her petals trembled slightly.

Song Fanze smiled.

He raised his hand and gently rubbed her flower bud. The pond rose obediently pressed against his hand, its slender branches twining around his fingers.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

The pond rose was startled, and its branches immediately shrank back.

Song Fanze put his hands behind his back and said, "Come in."

The servant walked in, glanced at Song Fanze, and then looked at the red rose on the desk.

He had also heard that Mr. Fan Ze had been eating and living with this red rose these past few days.

Song Fanze: "Is there something you need?"

The servant handed him an invitation.

He said, "Mr. Fan Ze, the wedding invitation for Young Master Wang has arrived."

The girl that Young Master Wang married was a charming girl from town who had once been in love with Song Fanze.

However, Song Fanze had no interest in love; all he wanted to do was tend to the flowers and plants and do good deeds.

Heartbroken, the young lady turned around and married the young master Wang who had been pursuing her.

"Okay, I understand," Song Fanze said. "You can go now."

"Yes." The servant glanced at the red rose again out of the corner of his eye, then turned and left.

In the afternoon, Song Fanze received a letter from Miss Chu Chu.

In the letter, she mentioned that she was about to get married and wanted to invite him to the lake to see her one last time.

After Song Fanze received the letter.

Looking up at Chi Qiangwei, he asked, "Do you think I need to see her?"

The buds of the pond rose swayed.

What she actually said was: I don't know.

But what Song Fanze saw was: Don't go see them.

Song Fanze said, "I think so too."

After all, Miss Chuchu is about to get married, so it would be inappropriate for her to meet with an unmarried man.

Out of courtesy, he sent back a letter of rejection, expressing his apologies.

But the next day, Miss Chu Chu sent another letter.

In her letter, she said that she married Mr. Wang out of spite after he rejected her, and that she didn't like him at all.

After seeing this, Song Fanze felt guilty, but still refused to meet with her.

On the third day, Miss Chu Chu sent someone to deliver another letter to him.

She said that before they were even married, Young Master Wang went to a brothel to drink. She felt that Young Master Wang was not a good husband and regretted agreeing to the marriage.

Song Fanze still refused.

Chi Qiangwei, seeing that Miss Chuchu had come to deliver letters time and time again, felt sorry for her.

The weather is lovely today, sunny and bright.

A small patch of charred petal on the pond rose has yet to regain its luster.

Song Fanze laughed and said, "You've never been out before, have you? How about I take you out for a walk? While we're at it, I'll take you to the florist to see if this petal on your body can be healed."

Chi Qiangwei nodded, and the slender branches on her body slowly stretched out and wrapped around his fingers, expressing her happiness.

Seeing this, Song Fanze was also very happy, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

He took Chi Qiangwei out, but he didn't bring anyone from the mansion with him.

The servant was surprised, but said nothing.

The streets of Akashi Town are bustling with people and vehicles.

Shops line both sides of the street, displaying a dazzling array of goods, including clothing, shoes, hats, accessories, utensils, and more.

Vendors hawked their wares on the street, their loud voices attracting the attention of passersby.

Besides shops, there are also some small stalls on both sides of the street, selling snacks, trinkets, and handicrafts, which attract the attention of children.

The children were running and playing in the street, some chasing each other, playing games like darts.

A young man was strolling along the street.

He was carrying a cage covered with a cotton cloth.

Chi Qiangwei stayed inside, and a twig of hers slowly parted the cotton cloth in front of her, peeking out slightly.

She saw a bustling crowd outside, and the flower buds swayed excitedly.

Seeing her happy expression, Song Fanze couldn't help but smile.

"Mr. Fan Ze!"

Just then, a male voice came from behind.

Song Fanze turned his head and saw an old acquaintance.

"Mr. Fan Ze, it really is you!" Xia Liang looked surprised when he realized he hadn't mistaken him for someone else.

It's rare to see you out and about.

Song Fanze smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to them.

Xia Liang said, "Mr. Fan Ze, a new teahouse has opened nearby. Would you like to go and enjoy tea and recite poetry together?"

Song Fanze politely declined, saying, "No, I have other things to do."

Then, they turned their attention to the cage that Song Fanze was carrying.

"Mr. Fan Ze, what are you carrying?"

Some people were curious and wanted to check it out.

Song Fanze moved the cage back. "It's nothing. It's just a flower. I plan to take it to the florist on the street to see if its petals can recover."

As all of you gentlemen know, Song Fanze is very fond of growing flowers, so it is not surprising that he would bring flowers to the doctor.

Xia Liang said, "Alright then, we won't bother Mr. Fan Ze any longer. Let's get together again next time."

They bowed to Song Fanze and then left.

Song Fanze took her to the street florist's shop.

"Mr. Fan Ze, you're here again."

The gardener smiled when he saw him.

"Did you bring flowers again today?"

Song Fanze nodded, placed the cage on the table, and lifted the cotton cloth.

The gardener's eyes lit up with amazement when he saw a large, beautiful, bright red rose.

"This red rose is so beautiful!"

He had cultivated flowers all his life, but none of them were as beautiful and vibrant as this red rose.

"Mr. Fan Ze, how did you cultivate this?"

Song Fanze laughed and said, "I was lucky. When I saw her, she was almost withered. After taking good care of her for a few days, she came back to life."

"Mr. Fan Ze is indeed a lover of flowers," the gardener exclaimed.

"Huh, where am I?"

The gardener noticed a small, charred patch on one of the petals of the red rose.

Song Fanze said, "It was cold in winter, and I fell asleep. The charcoal fire accidentally caught fire."

The gardener had an "I see" look on his face. "There's no problem here, just keep tending to it."

Song Fanze got some medicine here, and then left with Chi Qiangwei.

In some corners of the street, a circus troupe was performing, attracting a large crowd of onlookers who applauded and cheered.

Song Fanze took her over to join in the fun.

Hearing the excitement and cheers, the slender branches of the pond rose peeked out again, unnoticed by the crowd.