Chapter 22 He Yanzhou: "How could I dare?"...

He Yanzhou and Zhu Xu arrived first, and the other party arrived a quarter of an hour later.

Zhu Xu looked up and saw a beautiful woman standing in front of the dining table. She wore a stylish white lantern-sleeved blouse and a long black A-line skirt, her hair in a low ponytail, and a pair of exaggerated silver diamond hoop earrings. She took off her sunglasses, stood there, and looked at He Yanzhou with a half-smile, without saying a word for a moment.

He Yanzhou also noticed her, a smile appearing on his lips. Without getting up, he gestured "please" to the person opposite him.

The woman raised her chin slightly, looking displeased: "Why are you getting less and less classy as you get older?" She pulled out a chair herself: "How about I enroll you in an etiquette class?"

He Yanzhou completely ignored that and handed over the menu: "Let's see what we want to eat."

The woman rolled her eyes at him, took the menu, and her gaze naturally fell on Zhu Xu sitting to the side: "And this is?"

He Yanzhou simply said, "Zhu Xu." He then leaned slightly towards Zhu Xu, his voice unconsciously softening a bit, and introduced him as, "Zhao Siqiao, a college classmate I mentioned before."

Zhao Siqiao, holding the menu, glanced up and looked at the two people opposite her, then secretly pursed her lips, her meaning unclear.

Zhu Xu looked at her and reached out his hand across the table: "Ms. Zhao, hello."

Zhao Siqiao immediately put down the menu, put on a smile, and leaned down to shake her hand: "Hello, you can just call me Siqiao."

The dining place was a quiet and elegant courtyard, with tall and airy halls and open windows.

A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo grove in the courtyard, accompanied by the ethereal sound of wind chimes in the distance.

Zhao Siqiao flipped through the menu: "Then I won't be polite?"

He Yanzhou said, "Do as you please."

She glanced up at him and said, "It's been so long since we last met. Can't you be a little more enthusiastic?" The first two times they had only met briefly for work, and this time they finally sat down to catch up.

He Yanzhou said, "How could I dare?"

This statement is subtle; it's unclear whether it's out of consideration for the person beside her, or out of fear of her male friend's partner.

Zhao Siqiao teased him with her eyes.

He Yanzhou smiled silently.

She said, "I'm divorced."

He Yanzhou asked, puzzled, "Oh?"

"This news has spread like wildfire among our classmates, so why are you still pretending?" She gestured to the waiter, ordered two dishes, and then handed the menu to He Yanzhou.

He Yanzhou didn't look at it, but handed it directly to Zhu Xu, who was standing to the side, and said, "I really didn't know, and I was wondering why you came back to China to develop your career."

Whether his words were true or false was not important. Zhao Siqiao took a sip of water: "I hope to have Mr. He's guidance in the future."

"You're welcome." He Yanzhou leaned back in his chair. "You look good. It seems you haven't been affected much, otherwise you wouldn't continue in this line of work."

"To make up for one's own unhappiness by witnessing the happiness of others."

Zhu Xu listened silently to their conversation. Although it was about very ordinary topics, it was clear that they had a good relationship. She looked through the menu and, having spent some time with He Yanzhou, had some understanding of his preferences. So she ordered a few dishes according to his tastes and then handed the menu back to the waiter.

Turning around, I heard someone across from me say, "This place is hard to find, but the environment is really nice, all greenery, it's quite comfortable." She asked, "What kind of bamboo is planted in the yard?"

He Yanzhou turned his head to look out the window, then turned the conversation to Zhu Xu: "What kind of bamboo?"

Zhu Xu said: "Purple bamboo."

Zhao Siqiao shifted his gaze to her: "Because the bamboo joints are purple?"

Zhu Xu nodded: "It has the meaning of purple aura coming from the east. The lower the temperature, the deeper the color of this kind of bamboo, turning it into a deep purple that is almost black. It is very glossy and looks quite profound and grand."

"I like the symbolism," Zhao Siqiao said with interest. "If we planted it in our own yard, would it be easy to grow?"

"Bamboo is easy to grow, but the key is to properly sparse the roots. You can build flower beds or use flower boxes. Bamboo has a well-developed root system and is very destructive; if it grows wildly, it will damage roads..."

He Yanzhou listened to the two chatting silently without interrupting.

Seeing that they had almost finished their conversation, he raised his chin and asked, "What about that pot? What kind of bamboo is it?"

Zhu Xu looked up, and Zhao Siqiao turned around, both looking at the ornamental plant on the flower stand in the corner.

Zhu Xu said, "It should be qin, si, and zhu."

Zhao Siqiao asked, "Isn't this type only suitable for indoor cultivation?"

"It can be outdoors, but I personally think it's not as grand as the purple bamboo."

We chatted for a while longer, until the waiter came to serve the food, at which point we had to stop talking. The dishes on the table looked and smelled delicious; I wondered how they tasted.

He Yanzhou poured tea for the two ladies and invited them to start eating.

Zhao Siqiao picked up a slice of crisp lotus root and suddenly asked, "What does Miss Zhu do for a living?"

"Just call me Zhu Xu," she replied. "I've worked in green landscape design for a few years and currently run a small flower shop."

Zhao Siqiao paused, instantly understanding He Yanzhou's purpose in inviting her. She couldn't help but curse him a hundred times in her heart, but her reaction was still quick enough. She happily said, "That's great. I wonder if you'd be interested in making some wedding bouquets, including bridal bouquets, aisle markers, flower walls, and the like."

Zhu Xu paused for a moment, then placed his chopsticks on the chopstick rest. The people around him didn't even bother to thread the needle; his wealth and status were the capital he had to negotiate all terms.

They understood each other implicitly, and Zhu Xu answered frankly, "Yes, I did."

"However... we need to see the work first."

“Of course,” Zhu Xu agreed. “I’ll go back and organize it, and send it to you to take a look first.”

The meal went fairly smoothly, and the two exchanged contact information before parting ways.

He Yanzhou dropped Zhu Xu off at the flower shop entrance. After getting out of the car, she casually closed the door, bent down, and waved to the people inside.

After accepting some things, she felt much more at ease when facing him.

He Yanzhou lowered the car window, rested his elbow on the windowsill, and leaned out slightly to look at her: "Let's go."

Zhu Xu nodded: "Drive carefully."

After returning home, she organized and uploaded the pictures of the bouquets she had made during this period, and also selected some of the more satisfactory works from her previous landscaping designs. She then sent them to Zhao Siqiao at a suitable time.

Zhao Siqiao: Okay, I'm not available right now, I'll check back later.

Zhu Xu sent an "OK" gesture.

Two days later, she received feedback from her, saying that some of the works were quite inspired, and that the choice of flowers and color combinations particularly appealed to her. Zhao Siqiao is a decisive person; although she was hesitant about collaborating with He Yanzhou, she wouldn't compromise if the work didn't meet her expectations. She genuinely liked the pieces, so they scheduled a time to discuss the specific details of the collaboration.

We met at a coffee shop on Friday night.

After we finished talking, since there was nothing urgent to discuss, we sat down and chatted for a while.

Zhao Siqiao sipped her coffee, then looked up and silently observed Zhu Xu, still very curious about her identity.

Zhu Xu wasn't oblivious; he briefly met her gaze, which contained scrutiny and disdain.

Zhu Xu looked back, said nothing, and smiled faintly.

Zhao Siqiao put down his cup: "Actually, plant landscaping has a good future, why did you stop?"

"It's for some personal reasons, so we'll have to hold off for now."

"Are you implying that you might return to this line of work in the future?"

Zhu Xu thought for two seconds, then nodded and said, "Probably. Fresh-cut flowers are worthless once they wither, just like vegetables. 'Beauty' is their value, but 'briefness' is also a drawback."

Zhao Siqiao laughed: "You're quite rational."

Zhu Xu smiled as well.

Zhao Siqiao asked, "How's the plant rental business?"

"It's not bad. Our largest customer base is shopping malls and companies, so the market demand is quite large. Costs are relatively low, and profit margins are relatively high..."

Zhao Siqiao had actually been observing this industry for a long time, and since he rarely met a professional, he asked a few more questions.

Finally, she extended an invitation: "When you're ready in the future, remember to call me."

"Okay." Zhu Xu took it as just a polite remark and didn't take it seriously.

It was getting late, and they had almost finished their coffee, so the two prepared to leave.

Zhao Siqiao pulled down her headband to fix her hair: "I'll treat you when I have time, remember to come." Then she asked, "When is He Yanzhou usually not too busy?"

This stumped Zhu Xu, who honestly replied, "I'm not quite sure; you might need to ask him."

Zhao Siqiao paused for a few seconds as she fiddled with her hair. "May I ask, you and he are...?"

Zhu Xu considered for a moment: "Friend."

Zhao Siqiao understood something; among all the relationships between men and women, this kind was the least stressful. It was at that moment that he inexplicably developed a liking for her.

He Yanzhou has high standards; apart from the woman he dated back then, he's never been seen behaving intimately with anyone. Women flock around him, but he remains indifferent. Now, this woman seems even more casual than him.

Looking at the person opposite me again, I noticed that she had beautiful features, a good figure, and spoke softly. Overall, she gave off a refreshing feeling, but she was also somewhat aloof and didn't talk much.

Zhao Siqiao stood up, tilted her head and smiled, "Then let's make another appointment."

"good."

The flower shop wasn't far from here, so Zhu Xu took a walk back.

It was already mid-July. After a day of sweltering heat, the evening sea breeze brought a touch of coolness.

A new tavern has opened next to the flower shop, with a tent camp style. There are several moon chairs and wooden tables in front of the door, with a hand-held lantern and a vase on the table. Small ambient lights are embedded in the floor, making people feel as if they are stepping into a galaxy when they walk in.

The tavern owner was a bearded man in his forties. He was very easy to get along with. Since he had occupied the space in front of the flower shop, he specially brought a gift to visit and offered to order flowers every day as compensation.

Zhu Xu didn't mind too much, which actually added to the lively atmosphere on her side.

She walked around the moon chair and pushed open the door to go inside.

Xiao Zhou was changing the water for the flowers when he saw a shadow flash in through the door. He quickly turned around and saw that it was Zhu Xu. He hurriedly went to greet him.

She winked and lowered her voice, "Sister Xu, it's for you."

Zhu Xu looked past her and saw He Yanzhou sitting on a recliner in the corner. He wasn't doing anything, just sitting with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees. He was fairly upright, but his eyes were closed, as if he were asleep.

She asked, "How long have you been here?"

"It's been about fifteen minutes," Xiao Zhou complained. "You're finally back. He said he'd wait for you here for a bit, but he's not very talkative. And coincidentally, no other customers have come in yet, so it's kind of awkward for me to be with him."

Zhu Xu patted her shoulder reassuringly: "Go ahead and get busy."

She walked over, and even though she walked very quietly, He Yanzhou noticed her immediately.

He opened his eyes, looked up, and asked, "You're back?"

"Asleep?"

"No." He straightened up and asked, "Have you eaten?"

"I just had a small cake at the coffee shop," she said, adding, "with Zhao Siqiao."

"How did the talks go?"

"It's fine." Zhu Xu didn't say much, put his handbag on the counter, and saw a takeout bag next to him with the words "a certain hotel" printed in the middle. It was a well-known business club in Beidao.

As he was looking at it, He Yanzhou said, "I was having dinner with some people, including a lady, and they ordered dessert. I thought it looked nice, so I shamelessly shared a piece with her. It tasted sweet and sour, a bit like that cake I had at your house." He couldn't remember the name of the raspberry, so he omitted it: "I guessed you might like it, so I had someone pack one up."

Zhu Xu felt as if something had gently pricked his heart, causing a strange, itchy, and uncomfortable sensation.

She asked, "Nobody laughed at you?"

"I wouldn't dare say it to your face, but who would know if I did it behind your back?" he said somewhat childishly, picking up the half-empty bottle of mineral water from the table and unscrewing the cap: "What a pity, you probably wouldn't be able to finish a second dessert."

Suddenly, Zhu Xu felt a pang of reluctance.

Even though the half-baked cheesecake had made her stomach bloated, she still felt she shouldn't refuse his kind offer.

"No way, how can I have too many desserts?" She opened the bag, inside was a square lychee and bayberry tart, with a thick layer of cream mixed with bayberry pieces, and a fresh, bright red bayberry and peeled lychee flesh embedded in the middle.

Zhu Xu cut off one half and left it for Xiao Zhou, while holding the other half in her hand and taking a sip to taste it. It was slightly sour at first, but the creamy flavor lingered on the palate, which suited her taste perfectly.

At this moment, Zhu Xu's psychological defenses were about to crumble. She slowly raised her eyes to look in his direction, and he quietly looked back at her. She then pretended to casually lower her gaze, preferring to believe that he was just putting on an act and there was no need to take it seriously.

"How is it?" He Yanzhou suddenly asked.

Zhu Xu laughed: "It's absolutely delicious."

Seeing her exaggerated words, He Yanzhou couldn't help but laugh.

She stood with her back bent, elbows propped on the counter, and ate slowly: "You came all this way just to deliver this?"

He Yanzhou glanced at the time by pulling up his sleeve, then stood up: "I have to go back to Lincheng. My return date is uncertain, but it will definitely take at least half a month."

Zhu Xu was taken aback, then nodded hesitantly. He had been unable to answer Zhao Siqiao just now, but now Zhao Siqiao had come specifically to inform him of the itinerary.

She asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Now."

Zhu Xu: "Okay."

He Yanzhou walked over and lowered his gaze to take a closer look at her.

There was a workbench between the two of them. The room was extremely quiet, and Xiao Zhou, who had been pacing back and forth just moments before, had disappeared.

Zhu Xu was holding a bayberry tart, a mouthful of cream just spreading in her mouth, when in the blink of an eye she saw him lean over, one hand supporting himself on the table, the other lifting her chin, and gently sucking on her lips for a few seconds.

A brief touch on the tongue, warm and soft.

Perhaps because they had never been intimate outside of their home, Zhu Xu's mind exploded, and his hair stood on end.

He Yanzhou remained calm, released her, and stepped back: "If you need anything, just call me. I usually answer."

Zhu Xu's fingernails dug into the cream, and it took him a while to finally utter an "Mmm".