Chapter 33

Li Xu strode through the corridor, where a corner glass window was wide open, carrying snippets of conversation on the wind.

He stopped in his tracks. A few meters away in the glass conservatory, he could vaguely see two figures, one standing and one squatting, talking.

“Uncle Feng is a very skilled gardener. The flowers and plants he trims have distinctive shapes, as if they have their own personalities.” Wen Zhiling picked up the branches and leaves under the wrought iron railing. “He is also a very nice person. When he has free time, he will treat me to cookies. Uncle Feng’s wife makes delicious pancakes, filled with bacon and eggs, and spread with a layer of sweet and spicy sauce. I often dream about them in the middle of the night and then I can’t sleep because I’m hungry. Later, he also encouraged me to get a job. He even said that when I came of age, he would introduce me to work at his friend’s flower arrangement studio.”

Wen Zhiling stood up and lifted a wildly growing branch. "Look, this branch is taking away too much sunlight and nutrients. The weaker branches below won't get any light and will slowly die. And look at this one, it's growing in the wrong direction, it'll grow crooked and crooked."

Wen Zhiling whispered to Pope Lin Han, distinguishing between overgrown branches, diseased branches, and crossing branches. She gently told him, "Pruning isn't just about shaping it into the form you want; you have to find its original shape first."

Zong Linhan listened with great interest, without making a sound.

Wen Zhiling, who was repeatedly observed and confirmed before pruning, is just like the branches that, although deviating from the normal path, are growing vigorously, lively, strong, and full of vitality.

"I didn't expect we would win the volleyball match that day," Wen Zhiling suddenly changed the subject.

The silent plants, through pruning, gradually reveal their elegant forms.

Wen Zhiling lowered her eyes and gently trimmed the branches and leaves. "I was once scolded for messing up the garden, so I'm not very willing to tell others that I do. But the day you caught the ball that was missing, I realized that making mistakes isn't so terrible. I can remember many things that I don't want to think about."

She looked up and smiled. "It's such a pity that I have such happy memories, and I've forgotten them all because of one or two things."

Against the backdrop of wildly growing branches and leaves in the greenhouse, the freshly pruned branches drooped beside Wen Zhiling's cheeks. The girl skillfully trimmed the branches, the scissors snip-snip crisply and decisively.

Zong Linhan's heart felt like it had been gently bumped. He wanted to touch her face, but he held back and smiled, "There will be many more happy memories in the future."

Outside the glass greenhouse, Li Xu spotted the inward-facing camera at the door. He suppressed the urge to rush in and told himself to wait until the show was over, no, until his mother left.

After dinner, it was time for their usual heart-to-heart talk. Wen Zhiling and Zong Linhan extended the conversation to the topic of pruning branches and leaves. They politely said things like "I'm glad you told me" and "Thank you for listening," and then finished early, giving Zong Linhan time to go out and steal in the middle of the night.

To be honest, Wen Zhiling suspected that he was far beyond the capabilities of a normal human being. His ability to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously and maintain high energy levels, seemingly requiring no sleep, was both enviable and infuriating.

The following morning, a black sedan drove through the roundabout and stopped outside the villa.

The car door opened, and the director eagerly presented a large bouquet of roses. Lin Li was flattered and repeatedly said, "Thank you."

Time has been kind to her; even in her forties, she remains beautiful.

The director asked from the side, "Teacher Lin, do you have any expectations for this short trip of one day and one night?"

"Looking forward to it?" Lin Li said as she walked towards the villa, two small dimples appearing on her face. "Let's eat something good. My son can't cook, can he?"

The director asked, "The cooking is done in shifts. Are you looking forward to his cooking skills or worried about them?"

Lin Li looked troubled: "I'm looking forward to it, and he even studied cooking seriously before coming to the show, but if possible, please don't cook for me these next two days."

The director laughed out loud, thinking that Ms. Lin was truly witty, humorous, and approachable.

As agreed, the children were supposed to wait for her at the door. After waiting for a while and seeing no one, Lin Li walked towards the door. "Did they go out?"

Just as they were about to knock, the door was suddenly pushed open, cannons exploded on both sides, and colorful ribbons sprayed out.

Li Wan was the first to rush over, "Auntie! Why are you here? I'm so surprised!"

Lin Li joked, "What a surprise! Your acting is so fake."

“Teacher Lin!” Lu Siyi pulled out a vinyl record from behind her back. “I’ve always liked you, I don’t know if you remember…”

“I remember, of course I remember, you little girl from Star Girls,” Lin Li signed her autograph. “We’ve met before, and I saw you on TV later. You sang and danced well in the episode where you won the championship.”

Lu Siyi hugged the film, her eyes red, on the verge of tears.

Lin Li handed the pen to Lu Qin. The two weren't familiar with each other, so she nodded in greeting. Then her gaze shifted to Zong Linhan, "Linhan, I haven't seen you in a long time either. I ran into your mother at the mall the other day and asked her..."

She saw the little girl standing next to Zong Linhan.

Her hair had grown long, and unlike the slightly yellowish color it had when she was fifteen or sixteen due to malnutrition, it was now jet black. She had blossomed into a beautiful woman; her skin was porcelain white, and her eyes were bright and clear, just as I remembered.

This happened in less than a second. To outsiders, Lin Li seemed to finish the sentence almost without pausing: "I even asked her if you were really going to be on this variety show. I haven't tried your cooking yet—this must be your cousin, right? Zong Yue's older sister?"

"Hello, Teacher Lin," Wen Zhiling said.

"You look beautiful too," Lin Li said with a smile.

Li Xu bent down and picked up Lin Li's luggage. "I'll take it to the guest room first."

Li Wan clicked her tongue: "Why are you avoiding suspicion at this time? The whole country knows you're mother and son."

Lin Li smiled without saying a word, her gaze following Li Xu upstairs.

He appeared calm and collected, like an emotionless stone statue, walking through the world with composure, showing no joy at the arrival of his family, nor even a lingering glance at his old friends.

As soon as the scoring began, Lin Li recognized that the living room must have been decorated by Li Xu and Li Wan. "Did you spend all your money on decorative paintings? Can I take them with me?"

Amidst laughter, the group entered the kitchen. Lin Li circled the New Year's blessing calligraphy scrolls and asked, "Shouldn't this be Miss Lu?"

Lu Siyi blushed, "How did Teacher Lin figure that out?"

Lin Li pointed to a small note of blessing on the refrigerator, "This is the same one you just gave me."

Lu Siyi chuckled, "Then, since I'm a big fan, can you give me a high score?"

Lu Qin brought over a birdcage covered with a red cloth. As soon as the cloth was lifted, the bird opened its beak and chirped, "The song is beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!"

"How adorable!" Lin Li couldn't stop smiling as she listened to the birds chirping.

Li Wan crossed her arms and said, "So, what did you buy so mysteriously yesterday? Were you secretly trying to please my aunt? My aunt is fair and impartial, she'll definitely share some with the two of us, right, Auntie!"

The word "aunt" was emphasized heavily, conveying a sense of righteousness and a cunning that would stop at nothing to win.

Several staff members nearby were snickering.

"There's still one I haven't seen yet." Lin Li turned to Zong Linhan, her gaze flickering slightly before settling on Wen Zhiling's face. "Want me to take a look?"

The group went up to the second floor.

Ms. Lin responded to the two girls' previous hints with a lighthearted joke, "I'm a very demanding person. I only give scores if the performance is really good. I have to be fair, otherwise, after the show airs, no show will want to hire me anymore."

Wen Zhiling thought she wasn't nervous, but when she actually followed behind Ms. Lin, the path she was walking on wasn't a path at all; it was like walking barefoot on thorns.

Her heart was pounding in her throat.

Her reason thought she was healed, but her body recorded the damage more honestly than her memory.

As I climbed the stairs, the first thing that came to mind was the sound of criticism: how were these plants arranged? The hallway wasn't clean. These succulents were ugly, and the terracotta pots were unsightly...

Then, because of her, I gave her an extremely low score.

Zong Linhan can't get out, and neither can she. The search for the light circle has failed, and all the superpowered people in the world are doomed...

A cherry tomato was placed against her lips; the unexpected feeding caused Wen Zhiling to instinctively bite it.

Zong Linhan's fingers curled slightly, and with the act of feeding her, he brushed her jawline gently, as tenderly as a breeze caressing the surface of a lake, carrying a gentle and soothing meaning.

Wen Zhiling ate the cherry tomato with a sob, then looked down and saw Zong Linhan carrying a small plastic bag.

The bag was full of cherry tomatoes, washed clean and glistening with water.

Lu Siyi spotted some food and turned around to ask for some, saying, "Give me a few."

Lu Qin, unusually, also had a craving and reached out to ask for a few. The bag of cherry tomatoes was quickly divided up.

Several were forcibly stuffed into Wen Zhiling's hands.

She walked at the back of the group, making the most of her time to eat before entering the study.

The sweet and sour tomato juice spread between her lips and teeth, and the food diverted her attention. Miraculously, she seemed less nervous.

She remembered that someone had been standing next to her the whole time.