Chapter 24 "Perhaps we can try a different approach..."

Two hours early, Zhu Xu inhaled the scents of several tulips, the color of Melbourne Midnight Blue. He also retrieved a blue hydrangea, carefully moistened it, and planned to deliver it to He Yanzhou's office.

I hadn't planned to put together a carefully chosen outfit, but I hesitated for a moment before leaving and ended up adding a few more white lisianthus stems.

The secretary invited her in directly and gently closed the door behind her.

He had been away from North Island for almost a month, and the bouquet of his beloved pets on his desk had withered.

Zhu Xu took it to the bathroom to throw it away and clean the vase. He then borrowed his desk to arrange the flowers again. This time, he chose mainly cool-toned flowers, with hydrangeas as the centerpiece. He also turned up the petals of the tulips to expose the stamens and interspersed them among the flowers. Finally, he added a few white lisianthus to neutralize the color scheme.

Zhu Xu placed the vase back in its original position, took two steps back, and still felt it was lacking; he should add some eucalyptus or sage for decoration.

But the overall effect is not bad, and it matches the style of this place quite well.

Zhu Xu took a sticky note from his desk and left a note: I hope you have time to see it bloom.

Cap the pen and place the note under the vase.

She didn't linger; after clearing the clutter from the table, she opened the door and left.

Zhao Siqiao invited her to go see the site. The couple's wedding was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Because the custom-made flower wall was large and difficult to move, it needed to be set up at the site a day in advance.

The location was in the banquet hall of Building A. Every time I passed by, the door was closed. I never expected it to be such a hidden gem.

The ceremonial platform sits atop a palatial staircase, flanked by connecting corridors on both sides, and spans two levels. The entire hall is pillarless, adorned with a golden dome and wall decorations, and crystal chandeliers and candlesticks are scattered throughout.

When all the lights are on, it's dreamy and luxurious.

"No wonder He Yanzhou is so rich!" Zhao Siqiao exclaimed. She walked to the side and ahead, the sound of her high heels echoing throughout the banquet hall: "I'm so afraid that he'll disregard our friendship and give such a good venue to someone else."

Zhu Xu didn't say anything.

Zhao Siqiao turned around: "Don't you believe me? With my current qualifications, he really has to consider it."

"Right?" Zhu Xu replied, turning around and taking a few steps in the opposite direction to see which location would be more convenient for moving materials.

Standing on the steps, Zhao Siqiao asked, "When do you plan to start working?"

"There are only a few of us, let's start once the flowers arrive."

The flowers arrived the following noon, nearly five thousand roselle roses. A truss was erected on the stage, secured in front with floral foam, wire, and bamboo skewers. She and Xiao Zhou spent the entire afternoon arranging them.

He Yanzhou arrived at Beidao at four o'clock in the evening. He went back to the hotel first. When he reached the elevator, he suddenly paused. The banquet hall doors were open, and the area near the stage was brightly lit.

He spotted a figure in the distance, sitting on a high stool.

Pale pink flowers cascade down like a waterfall, magnificent and dreamlike.

She was dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans, looking focused as she placed flowers one by one on the huge canvas in front of her.

He Yanzhou stood silently for a while, then took out his phone, snapped a picture of the scene before him, and went upstairs without disturbing her.

After a brief chat with the various departments, he returned to his office and immediately noticed the fresh flowers in the vase on his desk. The flowers had probably been there for quite some time; the petals were slightly wilted, but it didn't detract from their beauty.

He Yanzhou didn't recognize any of them, but he thought the combination of white and blue looked very pleasing to the eye.

He poured a glass of purified water into the vase, then turned his gaze to the note she had placed under the vase.

I took it out to look at it and couldn't help but smile in relief.

Her handwriting was delicate yet strong, with regular strokes and no deliberately elongated horizontal or vertical lines. If he hadn't seen this note, he would have almost forgotten that he had paid attention to her handwriting back in school.

He Yanzhou glanced at the time quickly, deciding to stop by her shop before heading to the drinking party.

Just then, Zhu Xu had changed out of his dirty clothes and was about to turn off the lights and go home when he turned around and saw him standing at the door. He was stunned for a long time and didn't know what to say.

I hadn't seen him for a month. He had just gotten a haircut and looked refreshed, but his eyes betrayed his exhaustion.

He had one hand in his pocket, and a bouquet of red roses in the other: "Are you closing up shop?"

"I'm tired today and want to go home and rest early."

"I'll give these to you first." He handed her the roses.

Zhu Xu accepted the roses with both hands: "I have red roses right here, Mr. He, you're wasting them."

"I bought it at the airport." He Yanzhou looked at her. Her face was fair and clean, as if she had just washed it with water and hadn't dried it. There were still water droplets on her forehead and cheeks.

He couldn't help but raise his hand and wipe her wet nose with his fingertip.

Zhu Xu unconsciously rubbed his nose with him, then looked up at the person in front of him: "Aren't you afraid I'll sell you off?"

"It's a gift for you, do whatever you want with it," he said with a smile.

Zhu Xu looked down at the flowers; they were a pair of Corollas, a deep blue-red color, with large, full blooms that were in full bloom.

I suddenly recalled his interpretation of the red rose—passionate and direct.

A heavy thud echoed in her heart. She remained silent, then suddenly realized that he probably only recognized roses, perhaps not even knowing the varieties or their meanings. Had she overinterpreted things?

Carola is beautiful, but the thorns on her stem are hard and dense, and she doesn't want to touch them easily.

Zhu Xu said, "It's so beautiful, thank you."

He Yanzhou noticed that her surprise didn't reach her eyes, but he still smiled and said to her, "I'm glad you like it."

He had something to do later, so he took a detour to drop her off outside the residential area, then turned around and drove away without stopping for a moment.

Zhu Xu took the bouquet of roses home, unwrapped it, and placed it in a glass vase.

The next day, she went to the ceremony venue and stood on the connecting corridor on the second floor, looking down at the distinguished guests.

The big screen played a loop of moments from the couple's love story, and amidst cheers from the crowd, flower petals, carrying blessings, fell from above.

The bride attended the event in her finest attire, adorned with jewels from head to toe.

As her partner placed the diamond ring on the girl's ring finger, she happily wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes. Applause erupted from below, and some of the spectators were also moved to tears.

Zhu Xu braced himself against the railing with both hands, his heart completely unmoved.

"What are you thinking about?" A deep voice suddenly came from behind.

Zhu Xu turned around and saw that it was He Yanzhou.

She straightened up: "I'm wondering if that girl will ever have the same smile on her face again."

He Yanzhou put his hands behind his back and glanced down: "No."

Zhu Xu paused slightly.

He said, "The probability of 'the same' is very low, unless you measure the curve of the smile with a ruler." The environment was noisy, so he leaned slightly closer to her, pressing down on one shoulder so she could hear him clearly.

Zhu Xu couldn't help but laugh: "Your answer is very rigorous."

He Yanzhou smiled and didn't say anything more.

With a loud "bang," the champagne in the newlyweds' hands sprayed everywhere, the water droplets like tiny diamonds scattered in all directions.

He Yanzhou leaned toward her again: "Every choice in life is a gamble, a win or a loss. Gamblers are never afraid of losing, yet they still enjoy it, as if they firmly believe they will win once or twice."

After a long silence, Zhu Xu turned to meet his gaze: "Not everyone is willing to be a gambler."

"Ordinary people need a chance to turn their lives around."

Zhu Xu didn't speak again; He Yanzhou knew everything about her past. Today was supposed to be someone else's show, but for some reason, she had taken the spotlight upon herself.

She tried her best to control her emotions and joined the applause from the crowd.

He Yanzhou: "I used to think that being single was a good way of life, until a married friend asked me if I was willing to always be the one who turns on the lights first when I get home." He paused, then turned to look at Zhu Xu: "Later I realized that I am a rather traditional person."

Zhu Xu didn't dare to ponder these words too closely, and jokingly teased him, "President He is very down-to-earth."

He Yanzhou had his hands in his pockets, his gaze lingering on her profile for a few seconds. The surroundings were still noisy, and there was some distance between them.

He Yanzhou said in a deep voice, "Perhaps we can try a different approach..."

A shadow flashed past the corner of her eye, and Zhu Xu subconsciously turned her head to see Zhao Siqiao standing in front of them. She didn't hear what it was, and she forgot to ask again.

Zhao Siqiao smiled and asked, "What are you talking about?"

She wore her hair in a low ponytail, with her lip makeup being the most prominent feature on her face. She wore a black cropped tank top made of suit fabric and straight-leg trousers of the same color, making her look bright and sexy.

Zhu Xu said to her, "Yesterday I felt the color of the flower wall was too harsh, but today with all the lights on, it's not so obvious."

"That's great." She glanced down sideways. "These flowers are so pink and delicate, what kind are they?"

"The Goddess of the Luo River".

She raised the corners of her lips and commented detachedly, "You've made this so dreamy, which girl wouldn't be confused?"

Zhu Xu smiled.

Zhao Siqiao then turned to the person standing to the side, "Is President He satisfied?"

"I don't care, your customer satisfaction is the most important thing."

Zhao Siqiao secretly pursed her lips, stood with the two of them for a while, and then prepared to leave. Before leaving, she asked Zhu Xu if she had time that evening, as she wanted to take her to a nice place.

Zhu Xu found her being mysterious: "Where?"

Zhao Siqiao leaned close to her ear and said, "There are private clubs with male models, the kind you can take away."

Zhu Xu raised an eyebrow: "You have this hobby?"

"Are you going or not?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it."

Zhao Siqiao raised his chin, turned around and left.

A few days later, He Yanzhou had some free time.

Zhu Xu temporarily entrusted the flower shop to Xiao Zhou and went to Ji Island with him.

Instead of disturbing Grandma Yuan at her house, we found a guesthouse with a wide view near the sea.

Jidao isn't a typical tourist destination; the accommodations are simple but clean. The rooms have a rustic, wood-themed style, with a large bed facing a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the sea. There's also a small window in the hallway, with steps leading down to a spacious rooftop. This side also faces the sea, with two old rattan chairs and a wooden table in the center, and barbecue equipment along the wall.

It was late at night, so I quickly washed up and went to bed.

Zhu Xu was extremely sleepy but couldn't close her eyes. The person next to her was breathing lightly and steadily, but it made her feel a little uncomfortable. In the past, they would always go their separate ways after an ending, and she had never tried lying side by side with him before.

She turned slightly to face outside, but even with her eyes open, she couldn't catch a glimpse of light.

The nights on Jidao Island are an endless darkness.

Feeling thirsty after lying in bed for a while, Zhu Xu tiptoed out of bed and, using the dim light from his phone screen, poured himself a glass of warm water.

She tiptoed back to the bed, still with her back to him, but felt the mattress suddenly collapse behind her and an arm wrap around her waist.

Zhu Xu held his breath.

"Can't sleep?" His voice was deep and magnetic, enough to bewitch anyone in the utter silence of darkness.

Did I wake you up?

"Hmm," he replied lazily. "Actually, I wasn't asleep. You kept tossing and turning, which annoyed me."

"..." Zhu Xu felt he was exaggerating: "I only turned around once."

"Not quite used to it?"

Zhu Xu did not deny it.

"Want to book another room?"

Zhu Xu didn't have that idea; given their current relationship, living separately would be too pretentious. However, he agreed verbally, "Okay, I'll go ask if there are any vacant rooms."

She made a move to get up, but an arm around her waist pulled her back, and she suddenly fell into his arms. He didn't speak, but raised his head and buried his face in her neck and shoulder, gently nuzzling her. After a moment, he slowly kissed her neck and shoulder.

Zhu Xu heard his own rapid, disordered breathing in the darkness. "Didn't you say you were tired from all the meetings today?"

"I'll hurry." He Yanzhou kissed her lightly, his hand reaching up through her silk nightgown.

Like a balloon, it's on the verge of exploding.

Zhu Xu frowned, placing her hand on the back of his, as if trying to stop him from doing something. Unexpectedly, he withdrew his hand and covered hers with his, pressing it against the thin fabric, and began to teach her.

Zhu Xu's mind exploded. The touch of his palm was too soft and strange. For him, this was simply insane.

He Yanzhou whispered in her ear, "Do you like it?"

"Like my ass." She swore, but her voice was too soft and had no intimidating power whatsoever.

He chuckled softly, still kissing her casually, without regard for where she was being kissed: "I like it very much."

Zhu Xu's head was spinning. Driven by some feeling, her body uncontrollably began to slowly respond, while she complained, "You... you have so many tricks up your sleeve, no bottom line, and you're a pervert in private." ...Her gentlemanly and upright demeanor in public was all an act. She didn't dare say the second half of the sentence.

"I'm innocent." His rebuttal lacked any sincerity, his voice still ringing in her ears: "When I was in school, I was good at moving the abacus beads quickly and accurately during abacus competitions."

Zhu Xu initially did not understand his meaning, only feeling that his hand was moving downwards.

A dozen seconds later, he trembled slightly and suddenly understood the meaning of those words, his breath almost stopping.

"Want to learn?" he asked, then stepped away to take her hand.

Zhu Xu was startled, but reacted quickly, turning around to face him and tilting her head back to reach his lips. She gently sucked and nibbled until his breathing became heavy, only then realizing she had escaped unscathed.

He Yanzhou took out one of the items from the box and handed it to her. He bought it at a convenience store when he arrived on the island.

He always had a clear goal, but the process was often repetitive and tedious. The phrase "hurry up" seems ambiguous; it's more accurate to refer to the action itself.

The wooden bed beneath me was probably quite old, its structure loose, and the creaking sound echoed through the darkness, so terrifying.

...

At dawn, the sun rose from the sea, and its intense light penetrated the glass, first falling on the foot of the bed, and then gradually creeping onto Zhu Xu's face.

She frowned and raised her hand to shield her eyes.

The sound of waves crashing against the shore filled my ears, and the French windows seemed not to be closed tightly, letting in a salty, astringent smell.

Zhu Xu opened his eyes and looked around; He Yanzhou was not in the room.

On the bedside table next to him were his watch and phone, and his white T-shirt that he had changed out of was draped over the pillow.

For some reason, Zhu Xu felt a pang of tenderness in his heart.

She stared in that direction for a while, then reached out to touch the spot where he had slept; there were some fine wrinkles that she couldn't smooth out.

After dawdling for a few more minutes, she picked up her nightgown from the floor and put it on. Looking at the wall next to the headboard, she saw a clear dent in the sunlight.

Zhu Xu pursed his lips, and for some reason, bent down and shook the wooden bed, which creaked.

"What are you checking?" He had come in at some point, carrying a tray in one hand and with the other in his pocket, leaning casually against the wall, looking at her with a half-smile.

Zhu Xu glanced back at him, expressionless: "The bed is about to fall apart. Remember to pay for it when you leave."

He teased her, "How am I going to explain this to my boss?"

"Just tell the truth."

He Yanzhou smiled and said, "Okay." He walked in straight, and as he passed by her, he reached out and cupped the back of her neck, then leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Good morning."

Zhu Xu: "Good morning."

He placed the tray on the table: "Go wash up, the porridge is still hot."

Zhu Xu turned around upon hearing this and saw two bowls of shrimp and vegetable porridge, a plate of scallion pancakes, and two fried eggs on the tray. A very ordinary Chinese breakfast.

She asked curiously, "Did you make this porridge?"

"I fried the eggs." He Yanzhou was using the downstairs owner's kitchen. He wasn't good at anything too complicated, but he could manage to fry eggs. "The porridge and pancakes are what the owner eats at home. He sent them to us to try."

Zhu Xu took a shower, then had breakfast with He Yanzhou and went downstairs for a walk.

The seawater was still a bit chilly in the early morning. Zhu Xu carried his slippers in his hand and walked barefoot on the wet, hard shallows. Occasionally, a wave would crash in, sending a chill straight to his heart.

Turning his head, He Yanzhou stood on the loose, dry sand, looking this way. He was wearing a light-colored short-sleeved T-shirt and casual pants, and his hair was unkempt, messy from the sea breeze.

The first time I saw him dressed so casually, he seemed much more approachable and gentle.

He remained silent. Zhu Xu was momentarily dazed. Was this still the same man who had been so lustful, so bold in his words, and so persistent in his demands of her last night?

Just as she was inwardly complaining, she suddenly saw him nod at her, signaling her to continue forward.

Zhu Xu snapped out of his daze and followed him.

The two walked separately, three or four meters apart, without exchanging a word.

Zhu Xu found this sense of ease exceptionally rare; there was no need to deliberately seek out topics, nor did he feel that the silence at this moment was a burden. Occasionally, she would see a pretty seashell, squat down to pick and choose, and he would stop as well, standing there patiently waiting for her.

As she stood up and moved forward again, she turned her head slightly and saw that he seemed to be spacing out, squinting as he looked away, lost in thought.

With his hands in his pockets, he stood exceptionally tall and upright. Bathed in sunlight, his sculpted face possessed a handsome quality that came with age.

"Hello," Zhu Xu reminded him.

He Yanzhou turned his gaze back and followed her pace.

They were already some distance from the guesthouse when a group of reefs suddenly appeared in front of them, forcing them to go around to the shore. After walking a few hundred meters further, a school appeared on the opposite side of the road.

With its white walls and red tiles, and simple furnishings, the house faces the sea and sunshine, making it an exceptional property.

“I went to middle school here,” He Yanzhou said.

Zhu Xu was genuinely envious: "That's so wonderful. Just looking at the scenery outside the window makes you feel great."

“It’s not unusual for kids who grow up on the island.”

That's true. Zhu Xu followed him across the road. Through the heavy iron gate, the teaching building looked like an empty box, with no students in sight.

"Summer vacation has started," Zhu Xu said.

"Let's go for a walk in the hills behind the school."

"Okay," Zhu Xu replied, but didn't move for a moment. She turned around, raised her hand to shield her forehead, and squinted at the azure sea. After a while, she turned back and realized that she had already distanced herself from He Yanzhou.

The road ahead is all uphill, with gentle slopes covered in lush vegetation on both sides.

She jogged a few steps to catch up: "I had a dream last night."

He Yanzhou looked at her: "What did you dream about?"

"I dreamt that the college entrance exam paper was two meters long, but I didn't have time to do a single question. I was stuck on writing my name, like I was trying to fix a bug. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't finish the two characters 'Zhu Xu'." Zhu Xu was a little annoyed: "I was busy for a long time, and I felt very tired in the dream."

He Yanzhou seemed to be touched, and shifted his gaze to the distance: "Most dreams reflect past regrets."

Zhu Xu disagreed: "I am very satisfied with my college entrance examination results."

How many points?

Zhu Xu reported his score and then asked him, "And yours?"

He Yanzhou said, "I don't want to discourage you."

Zhu Xu secretly pursed his lips, then suddenly remembered that He Yanzhou's name was indeed among the top ten in the grade during the midterm exam in his first year of high school.

Finding it increasingly difficult to walk, they saw He Yanzhou striding confidently without showing any signs of being out of breath.

He was already tall and had long legs, so one of his steps was equivalent to two of hers.

Zhu Xu slowed down and stopped trying to catch up.

He Yanzhou noticed that she hadn't followed, paused, and reached out his hand to her.

Zhu Xu paused, then handed his hand to him.

As I followed him up the hillside, remembering our earlier conversation, I asked, "And you, have you ever had any regretful dreams?"

He Yanzhou thought for a moment, feeling the warm and soft hand he was holding. He couldn't help but knead it a few times, and only replied, "I guess so."