Chapter 21 She rode a wild horse, galloping through the darkness…
Both of them had taken a shower. Zhu Xu sat on the edge of the bed, slowly drying her damp hair. She felt completely exhausted and didn't want to move or speak.
He Yanzhou emerged from the bathroom a step behind her. The towel around his waist was new, and since there were no suitable slippers, he walked barefoot on the floor. From the bathroom to the bedside, there was a trail of dampness.
Zhu Xu stared blankly at the wet stains, becoming somewhat lazy as he dried his hair.
He Yanzhou stood by the bed, observing her dazed expression. Suddenly, he leaned over and pinched her chin: "Do you have any water?"
"It's in the refrigerator," Zhu Xu said. "There's also warm water in the kitchen; I'll pour it for you."
She tried to get up, but He Yanzhou patted her head and said, "Do it yourself."
He went to the kitchen, took two glasses from the cupboard, poured some warm water into each, and then turned back to the bedroom. The room had a simple layout, with a living room and a bedroom, both facing south, much like her house in Lincheng.
He Yanzhou, however, felt more comfortable staying in this place.
He handed the water glass to Zhu Xu, and watched as she gulped down more than half of it, as if she were extremely thirsty.
He Yanzhou smiled, sat down next to her, and looked at the unique flower arrangement on the windowsill.
Zhu Xu noticed his gaze and took the initiative to say, "Phalaenopsis orchid."
"It's beautiful." He Yanzhou didn't know anything about flower arranging, but he could tell that although the flowers in the vase were simple, the artistic conception was a perfect nine out of ten: "What kind of leaves are in the middle?"
"Ligustrum lucidum leaves".
The leaves of the water privet look somewhat similar to celery stalks from a distance; in layman's terms, it is cattail, a columnar aquatic plant.
Zhu Xu used a transparent cylindrical vase. The leaves of the water privet were neatly cut and tightly packed into the entire vase. A Phalaenopsis orchid drooped to the side, with only four flowers on it. The white petals and tender yellow stamens looked like butterflies fluttering their wings on the straight leaves.
He Yanzhou slowly sipped his water, then remembered something: "Does your flower shop only handle small orders?"
Zhu Xu said, "Of course not."
"What else?"
"Weddings, car shows, art salons, and the like."
He Yanzhou didn't beat around the bush: "The hotel is about to host a wedding banquet, and the person in charge of the wedding planning is my classmate. If needed, I can introduce you to the hotel."
Zhu Xu slowed down his hair drying, glanced at him, and remained silent for a moment.
He Yanzhou put down his water glass: "What are you thinking about?"
Zhu Xu smiled, as if mocking himself.
He Yanzhou instantly understood, feeling somewhat displeased: "I'm sorry, I didn't consider the occasion before speaking, and I didn't take your feelings into account. I've upset you." He propped himself up on the bed with both hands, tilted his head to look at her, and spoke in a lazy tone with a hint of mockery.
The distinctive physiological scent in the air hadn't yet dissipated, and his mention of it at this moment felt like a transaction. It was yet another reminder that her relationship with the man beside her wasn't healthy.
Zhu Xu hated himself for being too sensitive; his heart felt inexplicably blocked, unsure whether it was because of his pitiful pride or something else.
Her tone wasn't pleasant either: "Mr. He, you might as well just give me the money directly, so I don't have to put in any effort."
"Alright."
Zhu Xu suddenly looked at him, a smile on his face.
The bedroom light was not very bright, coming from the side and illuminating his slightly upturned lips and broad shoulders.
Although it was out of place, she still thought he was an extremely handsome man.
Zhu Xu turned his head away and remained silent.
He Yanzhou asked, "Don't you need this business?"
"……need."
Zhu Xu knew, of course, that his small amount was barely enough to make ends meet, and that "accumulating little by little" was just a way of comforting himself.
She had only recently arrived in the North Island and lacked resources.
He Yanzhou has a solid foundation and a powerful backer, which allows her to escape her current predicament and avoid many detours.
She then fell into self-loathing, wanting to achieve some kind of equality in the relationship without owing or losing anything, yet unable to refuse the benefits he brought her.
It's like... after you've been imprisoned, you're in a hurry to put up a memorial arch.
He Yanzhou: "Then what are you being awkward about?"
Zhu Xu didn't answer, but instead asked him, "Is it also a small matter for you?" Last time he sent Zheng Zhi to help, he also said it was a small matter and told her to relax and not feel burdened.
"Otherwise what?" He Yanzhou stood up, walked to the foot of the bed, bent down, picked up the rumpled shirt, and put it on.
Zhu Xu said, "That's quite a coincidence."
He Yanzhou lowered his head to button his shirt, then smiled and said, "The company's proposal was not my personal decision. I will not mix business with personal matters, nor will I do business specifically for anyone."
Zhu Xu's face flushed red and then turned pale. He quickly said, "You don't need to tell me, I know my own limitations."
He Yanzhou fell silent, raised his hand to smooth the fine wrinkles on her chest, wondering how she had managed to make them.
He fastened his cufflinks, removed the towel from his waist, picked up his trousers from the floor, and out of the corner of his eye saw her get up and walk towards the living room.
He Yanzhou paused, turned her head, and saw her cleaning the corridor with a broom.
Under the glow of the corridor lamps, the ground was covered in shimmering gold.
He had lost control earlier and released her hands, which were pinned to the cabinet door, so that he could use both hands to stabilize her waist. She then fell face down on the cabinet without any support.
That made things convenient for him.
She didn't know what possessed him, but the more she begged him, the more uncontrollable he became.
Zhu Xu lowered his eyes, the crystal shards were dazzling.
She silently gathered her hands together, the cool touch of the marble panel still feeling against her chest, the rubbing and chafing causing unbearable discomfort. Just moments before, she had pleaded with him, but he hadn't slowed down at all; instead, he had intensified his actions. In this matter, his gentlemanly manners had vanished, leaving only a man's terrifying desire to conquer.
In the nick of time, Zhu Xu frantically grabbed at the crystal ornament he was using to hang miscellaneous items and knocked it to the ground, where it shattered with a "crack".
Lost in thought, He Yanzhou appeared in front of her without her noticing, and tried to take the broom from her: "I'll do it."
Zhu Xu dodged to the side: "You're not wearing shoes, be careful not to prick your feet."
"It doesn't matter."
Zhu Xu said, "No need."
"Give me."
Zhu Xu didn't want to pay attention and turned his back to him. He knew that this sudden negative emotion was completely unfounded, and He Yanzhou was even more innocent. In the end, he was angry at himself for being hesitant and not living life to the fullest.
A few seconds later, a sigh came from behind. He Yanzhou pulled her into his arms from behind and reached out to take the broom from her hand.
He said softly, "Why not just accept our relationship openly? We're already entangled, why bother with all the fuss?"
Zhu Xu gripped the broom tighter, then released it after a moment.
He Yanzhou put it aside, lowered his eyes, and the overhead light shone on her profile, revealing her delicate earlobe amidst her soft black hair. He couldn't resist raising his hand to brush away a strand of hair, leaning closer to lightly kiss her ear, and said, "I saw that the flowers on your windowsill were pretty, and it reminded me of the hotel's recent plans, so I mentioned it. It has nothing to do with what we did before."
Zhu Xu felt the warm breath on his neck, silently adjusted his mood, pursed his lips, and remained silent for a moment.
He whispered in her ear, "Why wouldn't you make money? How can you be so foolish?"
After a while, Zhu Xu turned around with a smile on his face: "President He's words make sense."
Which sentence?
Zhu Xu looked up at him and said in a very soft voice, "Every single word."
The clock on the wall ticked silently; it was quiet all around, and it was already late at night.
He Yanzhou's hands were still wrapped around Zhu Xu's waist. He looked down at her half-dry long hair and fair face. She had just pursed her lips, which were rosy and glossy.
He Yanzhou raised his hand and used his fingertips to heavily wipe her lips, then lowered his head and kissed her.
Zhu Xu responded gently, placing his palm on his chest. After a moment's hesitation, he slowly moved his hand up to unbutton his collar.
Back in bed, neither of them had anything left on them, but unlike last time, they entangled and touched each other, but only kissed.
The moonlight, like a fine veil, streamed through the window and gently enveloped them.
Much later, Zhu Xu realized that something was wrong with him.
He was incredibly gentle, kissing her softly, unlike his previous deliberate approach.
Zhu Xu was somewhat frightened, thinking of the word "lingering affection," but he knew that this feeling was the last thing that should exist between them.
She abruptly stood up, shoved him down with extraordinary strength, and pulled him back down, ending the strange feeling that was spreading endlessly.
He Yanzhou frowned deeply, hissed inwardly, and looked up at the person above, raising an eyebrow involuntarily.
Like a knight, Zhu Xu rode a wild horse, her eyes blinded by the night, galloping recklessly across an unknown wilderness. She thought she had finally gained control, but the horse, finding its master neither wild enough nor docile, took over and went on a rampage.
Zhu Xu could barely sit still, covering his face with his hands, not wanting him to see the tears that were welling up in his eyes and becoming uncontrollable.
He Yanzhou, however, did not grant her wish. He easily pried her hands apart, but then froze for a moment. At that moment, her pitiful appearance, with her brows furrowed and her face full of tears, was imprinted on his heart.
After that, Zhu Xu did not contact He Yanzhou for many days.
The florist hired a young woman named Xiao Zhou as a shop assistant. She was skillful and meticulous, and after a few days of patient teaching, she had mastered the basic types of flowers and packaging techniques. However, her matching and aesthetic sense needed to be improved gradually and could not be achieved overnight.
Later, Xiao Zhou sweetly called Zhu Xu "teacher".
Zhu Xu felt unworthy of the title and corrected her several times, insisting that she change her address to "Sister Xu".
Zhu Xu returned to Lincheng twice during the trial. Liang Haiyang was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and received the compensation she deserved.
In court, Liang Haiyang sat in the defendant's dock with a smile on his face, accepting all the verdicts without taking his eyes off Zhu Xu.
Zhu Xu glanced in his direction briefly, and the instant their eyes met, she felt a chill run down her spine. The sinister and evil look in his eyes instantly pulled her back to the desperate days and nights she had endured.
He suddenly smiled at her, his lips twitching involuntarily.
Zhu Xu immediately turned his head away and stopped looking in his direction, but the discomfort of being stared at lingered until the dust settled.
After it was over, Zhu Xu quickly walked outside and stood on the steps. Suddenly, it started to rain, leaving spots on the cement ground that had been scorching hot all morning.
She looked up and took a deep breath; the wind carried the fresh, earthy smell of the earth.
Everything was in the past. When she woke up in the middle of the night, she no longer felt sorry for that woman who was dressed in rags and smoking at a breakfast stall in the early morning.
After staying in Lincheng for two days and only meeting Jiang Rao, Zhu Xu returned to Beidao.
Xiao Zhou had tidied the shop up neatly. A new batch of flowers had arrived, and she sat on a small stool arranging and sorting them. A box beside her held orange roses; she wasn't sure what variety they were and was about to search online when Zhu Xu walked in.
"Sister Xu!" she called out, holding up the flowers in her hand, and asked uncertainly, "Orange Barbie?"
Zhu Xu put down his handbag, walked over and glanced at it, then shook his head and said, "It's my darling."
Xiao Zhou was a little confused: "How do we distinguish them?"
"Barbie is a rich orange, the color is too bright and a bit too strong. Baby Lover is a softer and lighter orange, with wavy edges, thinner petals, and a more reserved bud, unlike Barbie which blooms so flamboyantly."
Xiao Zhou quickly searched for Barbie's appearance on her phone and found it to be exactly the same as Zhu Xu's description. There are many varieties of roses; the orange hues alone are dazzling.
She slumped her shoulders in frustration: "They all look pretty much the same, how can I remember them?"
Zhu Xu laughed and said, "You'll see its unique features if you look at it a few more times."
"I don't understand why roses have the most varieties of all flowers?"
"Because it symbolizes love and represents the transmission of emotions between men and women, and it also has the characteristic of blooming in multiple seasons and strong adaptability, flower growers are more willing to spend time cultivating and developing new varieties." Zhu Xu squatted down and looked at the quality of that bunch of precious lovers. Xiao Zhou immediately put down his phone, moved a small stool from behind him and handed it to her.
She added, "Whether or not pigment is used, and how much is used, will change the color of the flower."
Xiao Zhou suddenly realized: "Just like the blue rose, it's also dyed with pigment?"
"right."
Xiao Zhou nodded: "Sister Xu, which variety do you like?"
Zhu Xu said, "It's all fine. Actually, I'm indifferent to roses."
"So what kind of flower do you like?"
“Wind chimes…” Actually, Zhu Xu didn’t have any particular preference. She liked a bouquet of flowers that were blooming brightly as long as it brought her a good mood.
Bellflower was her go-to answer when she didn't want to think about it.
Zhu Xu paused, remembering that someone had asked her the same question before. She sat down and started arranging the flowers with Xiao Zhou: "Has anyone contacted me these past few days?"
Xiao Zhou shook his head.
Zhu Xu paused for a moment, not even noticing the fleeting sense of disappointment that crossed his mind.
After a while, Xiao Zhou exclaimed in surprise, "Oh no, a man came by a couple of days ago. He was tall and handsome, wearing a suit. He asked if you were here, and I said no. Then he asked where you were, and I said I went out and could pass on his message, but he left without saying anything."
Zhu Xu: "Oh."
Xiao Zhou held the bouquet of roses, looking them over from left to right: "The color of these flowers is quite eye-catching. Should I put them by the window?"
Zhu Xu said, "Please help me keep it in the water; someone has already booked it."
During her lunch break, she delivered the flowers to Building A.
She was about to drop it off and leave when the young woman at the front desk suddenly called out to her, "Mr. He instructed that you please take it to his office."
Zhu Xu hesitated for a moment: "Now?"
The little girl nodded.
Is he there?
“Yes,” she said. “I’ll take you there.”
Zhu Xu followed her through the spacious and bright office area. It was quiet during lunch break, and many workstations were empty. After walking through a long corridor, there was a row of floor-to-ceiling windows on the right, overlooking the sea. The vastness of the view was refreshing.
Zhu Xu looked away and took two steps to catch up.
It seems that the corridor has been used to separate the two areas. This side of the space is more spacious, and his office is at the end.
After passing through the secretary's office, the young girl greeted the people inside, and the secretary led Zhu Xu over.
The secretary knocked gently on the door, and after vaguely hearing a response from inside, she pushed the door open and gestured for the door to open.
Zhu Xu, holding the flowers, spotted the man sitting on his desk answering a phone call. He had one foot on the ground and the other slightly dangling, his back slightly hunched over due to his posture.
The white shirt he was wearing clung to his body, and from this angle, his waist looked slim and his legs long.
Zhu Xu did not move for a moment.
He Yanzhou was listening to the conversation on the other end of the line when his eyes turned over. Seeing that she was still at the door, he hooked his four fingers together, then turned his wrist down and pointed to the desk next to him, indicating that she should sit down on his side.
Zhu Xuyi did as he was told, and very gently placed the flowers on the table behind him.
His desk was tidy, with his notebook closed in the middle, a stack of documents and a pen holder on the right. Zhu Xu couldn't help but glance at it a few more times. There were no pens in the pen holder, only a pair of floral shears that he had taken from her.
She pursed her lips, turned her gaze, and saw a very thick book on the other side, titled "Quality Handbook of Chemical Materials for Fireworks and Firecrackers".
“Actually, we’re in the same industry.” His voice suddenly came.
Zhu Xu turned his head, unaware of when he had ended the call.
He Yanzhou turned slightly and sat casually at the table, on the same side as Zhu Xu but facing him.
He pointed his chin at the book: "Fireworks are also flowers. From design to production, to launch and then wither, their life trajectory is very similar to that of flowers."
Zhu Xu heard this interesting explanation for the first time, and said in more detail: "It also has similar meaning and value."
He Yanzhou smiled in agreement.
Zhu Xu looked up at him: "But after all, different professions are like different worlds. I don't understand the principles of fireworks manufacturing, and President He doesn't seem to know much about growing flowers either."
When she entered the room, she noticed that the wind chimes on the windowsill had withered, but their flowering period could have been longer.
He Yanzhou was also having a headache. It wasn't an easy task for him. The flower had awakened, the roots had been pruned, but he still hadn't seen it in full bloom.
He lowered his eyes and glanced at the bouquet she had just brought on the table: "What kind of flowers are these?"
"Multi-headed rose".
"This color is quite unusual." He Yanzhou paused for a moment, then asked, "Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Zhu?"
Hearing this address, Zhu Xu couldn't help but smile. She got up, asked for directions to the bathroom, threw away the withered wind chime, and washed the vase.
Still use deep water to awaken the flowers.
Zhu Xu poured a small bottle of liquid he had brought into the vase.
He Yanzhou: "What is this?"
"Flower reviving liquid." Zhu Xu unpacked the flowers, picked up the whole bunch by the stem, and paused slightly: "Did you get it on the table?"
He Yanzhou made a "please go ahead" gesture.
Zhu Xu then picked it upside down and gently shook the clustered flowers apart. Since she didn't have any thorn removers on hand, she took the scissors from the pen holder, intending to use the sharp blades to remove some of the excess leaves and thorns.
A few small green flower buds also fell on the table.
He Yanzhou: "Why was it cut off?"
"Removing less water can prolong the flowering period."
He Yanzhou understood, looked down at the flowers, and casually picked one up. Zhu Xu suddenly called out to stop him, "Careful!", but it was too late; his index finger was cut, and a drop of blood oozed out.
Zhu Xu quickly put down the scissors and pulled his hand up to his eyes: "Let me see."
He Yanzhou paused slightly, then looked up at her.
Zhu Xu's attention was focused on his hand, and she didn't notice for a moment. She took a tissue and, while squeezing and wiping away the beads of blood that kept oozing out, casually asked, "Does it hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt."
"Then squeeze in a bit more."
“What’s the big deal?” he said slowly and deliberately, his eyes lowered as he looked at her delicate hands, which appeared even smaller against his large ones. After a long pause, he slowly finished his sentence: “Why are you so nervous?”
Zhu Xu suddenly stopped, abruptly looking up to see his gaze fixed on their clasped hands, a faint smile playing on his lips. She suddenly realized how close they were; he was still leaning against his desk, and somehow she found herself standing between his slightly parted legs, her cheeks and stray hairs brushing against his breath.
Zhu Xu ignored the pounding of her heart, released his hand, and tried to appear as calm and natural as possible: "I brought the flowers. If I have to take you to the hospital for a tetanus shot for this reason, it would be a loss for me."
He Yanzhou just smiled silently and didn't argue with her.
Zhu Xu asked, "Do you have any Band-Aids?"
"Under the table, the second drawer on the right."
Zhu Xu walked around him to get a band-aid from the drawer opposite. A moment later, he came back, took his hand, and bandaged it for him.
After a brief silence, He Yanzhou suddenly asked, "When did you get back?"
"This morning."
"Where did you go?"
"I went back to Lincheng."
He Yanzhou nodded and didn't press her further about what she was going back to do. She probably didn't have any good memories of Lincheng.
He only asked, "Is everything going smoothly?"
Zhu Xu lowered his head, his gaze fixed on his hand: "Smoothly."
After she finished answering and He Yanzhou didn't say anything else, she put the tape on, but then she felt someone press down hard on her head. The sudden force made her feel strange and her nose tingled.
She took two steps back, continued trimming the flowers, placed them in a vase, and temporarily put it on the side in front of his desk.
Zhu Xu glanced at it silently, not finding it particularly beautiful. It was vibrant and bright, a round and plump shape that leaned towards feminine aesthetics, but it lacked a certain angularity and wasn't quite understated enough.
The layout here is simple with hard lines, and the person himself is also deep and low-key, so the combination doesn't seem harmonious.
She had just picked a bunch randomly, without paying attention to these details.
Zhu Xu glanced at He Yanzhou subconsciously, but his expression remained unchanged.
After sitting for a while, she got up to take her leave.
He Yanzhou glanced at the time: "Have you had lunch?"
"not yet."
"Let's go together." He casually picked up his phone, walked over, and patted her back. "I just happened to have an appointment with a friend, the one I mentioned before. I'll introduce you two."
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