Chapter 19 Flowers sway and dance gracefully
Zhu Xu rarely indulged in superstition, so he consulted a fortune teller to choose an auspicious day for his business opening.
The shop has been almost completely tidied up. The decor is somewhat retro, with warm-toned LED strips and wall lamps, and the soft furnishings are mainly made of rattan and linen.
To the right of the entrance is a window overlooking the sea. Below the window is a custom-made L-shaped double-layer display shelf, now tightly filled with flower buckets; only the next step is to add the flowers.
On the day the goods arrived, Zheng Zhi came to help.
He didn't come alone; a girl was with him.
Zhu Xu thought the face looked familiar at first glance, but it took him a while to realize that the person was the tattoo artist who had tattooed him, and also He Yanzhou's sister.
She was wearing an oversized hooded sweatshirt, with bare legs underneath, and an exaggerated pair of platform boots.
Although the temperature is warming up, the wind at the seaside is anything but gentle.
Zhu Xu looked cold, smiled first, then turned around and silently closed the door tightly.
"Sister, do you still remember me?" she asked first.
Zhu Xu nodded: "I really like the design you tattooed for me."
"Let me formally introduce myself, my name is He Xi." She extended her hand.
"Zhu Xu." Zhu Xu also reached out and shook hands with her.
"Sister Xu." She immediately changed her address, her face beaming with smiles. You could tell she was an outgoing and sociable girl. She added, "Actually, I'm He Yanzhou's sister. My brother probably didn't tell you."
Although Zhu Xu was aware of the situation, her relationship with He Yanzhou was not suitable to be made public, so she didn't know how to answer for a moment and could only say "Oh" first.
Zheng Zhi chimed in, "She's going to school soon and she's been bored these past few days. She knew I was here to help you out, so she wanted to join in the fun." He scratched his head, as if explaining something, "It just happened to be a coincidence; I didn't specifically ask her out."
Zhu Xu didn't pay much attention and invited them to sit down.
Space was limited in the flower shop, so only a recliner was placed in the corner. The chair had three adjustable angles, was soft and comfortable to sit on, and was made of high-quality leather. It was the most expensive piece of furniture there, and Zhu Xu hesitated for a long time before deciding to buy it.
He Xi sat on the recliner for a while, then suddenly remembered: "Your pattern hasn't faded, has it?"
Zhu Xu: "I didn't pay much attention."
"show me."
Just then, Zheng Zhi went out to move a package. Zhu Xu walked over, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his cardigan, pulled the collar down to his shoulder, and showed it to He Xi.
The peony branch was unrestrained and lively, and the lines and color transitions were handled very well, with only a little fading near the scar.
He Xi said, "Come to my place sometime, and I'll touch up the color for you."
"You're going to a lot of trouble."
She leaned back in her recliner and waved her hand generously: "My brother's friend is my friend too."
Zhu Xu smiled and remained silent for a moment.
Within fifteen minutes, all the delivery boxes were moved in.
Some of them were ordered by Zhu Xu through the mini-program, while the rest came from the local wholesale market.
Since the flower shop was in its initial stage, she first selected some common flowers, such as roses, chamomile, lilies, sunflowers, and some varieties with a long flowering period and that are not delicate, such as bellflowers and Chinese privet.
Unpack them one by one, trim and revive the flowers.
Zheng Zhi couldn't do this kind of meticulous work, so he stood aside and chatted with him.
He Xi also helped out.
Zhu Xu tried to persuade her twice, but couldn't resist her good intentions, so he stopped talking.
The three of them chatted and laughed, and time flew by.
Before leaving, Zhu Xu went to the storage room to get a paper bag. When he came out, he saw that they had already gotten into the car and were about to leave.
She pushed open the door and chased after him, knocking on the car window.
When Zheng Zhi saw her follow him out, he lowered the window.
Zhu Xu handed over what he was holding: "Thank you for your help these past few days. I picked out a gift, I don't know if it suits your taste, just don't mind it."
Zheng Zhi glanced down at the bag and was taken aback. Although he was a rather rough person, he had been working with He Yanzhou for a long time and knew a bit about various brands, big and small.
It should be a watch. While this brand isn't outrageously expensive, it's still quite valuable.
He was extremely humbled and said, "That's too kind of you. It's nothing at all, really no need."
"Please accept it, otherwise I'll feel bad about it."
Zheng Zhi laughed: "If President He knew, he would definitely tear me apart."
"It has nothing to do with him, I'm thanking you."
"No need to thank me. It was just a job that President He assigned to me. How could I accept a gift? If you want to thank someone, thank President He. He was originally scheduled to come back this Friday, but he was suddenly... Hey, hey..." He said as he rolled up the car window. He stopped talking and instinctively reached for the bag she threw in through the gap. He fumbled for a moment, but finally caught it.
Zhu Xu turned and left, thinking that this person had a very tough appearance and was somewhat long-winded when he spoke.
/
After several days of anxiety, the opening day finally arrived.
Jiang Rao made a special trip from Lincheng to support her.
Thanks to the initial advertising investment that secured a batch of orders, coupled with some on-site promotions today, customers have been coming in droves.
The shop only quieted down in the afternoon.
Jiang Rao picked up the crushed leaves and wrapping paper from the ground: "How long will it take you to break even?"
"Six months if things go well."
Jiang Rao said, "Today was pretty good."
"This doesn't mean anything. Small orders don't make money; we'll have to think of other ways later." Zhu Xuzheng was ordering food on his phone: "Beef noodles or pork chop rice?"
"Big pork chop rice, please."
Zhu Xu ordered two servings of pork chop rice and some side dishes, and also ordered milk tea from another shop: "Stay here for a couple more days, I'll treat you to a nice meal tonight."
"We'll talk about it next time. The younger one needs me, and the older one needs someone to watch him while he does his homework."
Zhu Xu asked in surprise, "So you're leaving right after you finish eating?"
"More or less." Zhu Xu didn't say anything, opened his phone to check the food delivery speed, and booked Jiang Rao's return flight three hours later.
It's very convenient to take a taxi to the airport from here, and you won't be too rushed if you don't take time to eat.
The two tidied up the shop briefly, and the takeout they ordered arrived.
After unpacking all the takeout containers on the counter, we were all a bit hungry, so we each buried our heads in our food and ate for a while.
Jiang Rao, with her mouth full of rice, turned to look out the window: "You chose a really good spot. Just looking at the scenery outside the window makes me feel good."
Zhu Xu complained, "The rent is really expensive."
"It's a good location and has a good environment, so it's to be expected."
Zhu Xu nodded: "I hope this is a good start. When summer vacation comes, you can bring your two children here to play, and stay as long as you like."
"I'll definitely come again, just don't mind the kids being noisy." She remembered, "I forgot to ask, where do you live?"
"A rented house nearby."
The two talked for a while and then almost finished their meal.
Zhu Xu called a car to take her away and returned to the store. Just as he was about to clean up the food containers on the table, he heard the welcome bell ring twice and someone pushed the door open and came in.
Zhu Xu turned around.
The person who arrived was dressed in a business suit, with a neat low ponytail parted to the side. Two workers followed behind him, carrying a large cardboard box that seemed to be quite heavy.
The other person smiled and asked first, "Miss Zhu, right?"
Zhu Xu nodded: "And you are?"
"I'm Mr. He's secretary, here to deliver a congratulatory gift for your opening." She looked around: "Excuse me, where should I put it first?"
Zhu Xu subconsciously pointed to a spot, stepped back a few paces, and made way for his master.
She confirmed, "It's... He Yanzhou?"
"Yes."
Zhu Xu was slightly surprised. She hadn't been in contact with He Yanzhou for more than three weeks, and those three words, which seemed like a curse, had gradually lost their effect. More than one Friday had passed.
Judging from Zheng Zhi's words, he must have been temporarily held up by something.
To Zhu Xu's surprise, even though Bei Dao was no longer there, he still thoughtfully sent a gift today.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Zhu Xu thanked him and said, "Thank you for your trouble. Please come in and sit for a while."
"No, thank you." The other person asked, "Do you have flowers that I can order?"
"……some."
Do you offer delivery service?
Zhu Xu said, "In the early stages, it depends on the situation, but delivery will definitely be possible later."
"Mr. He instructed me to order two bouquets of flowers from you every month to his office in Building A. If you're busy, I can come and pick them up." She took out her phone to pay: "I'll order for a year first. Could you please calculate the price?"
Zhu Xu was stunned for a moment, his mind racing: "Which kind do you want?"
"It's up to you to decide."
Zhu Xu said, "Then let's settle the accounts at the end of the year. I will send two bunches over every month, depending on the season, so the price is hard to calculate."
She found a reasonable excuse not to pay the fees, and after a few back-and-forth exchanges, the other party finally gave in.
During the conversation, the two technicians also unpacked and installed the equipment.
Zhu Xu saw the group out, then returned to examine the gifts they had brought, and was greatly impressed.
She had only noticed that it was a phonograph, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a hand-cranked machine with a wooden cabinet, a large swan-neck horn, and was about 80% new. The lower right corner of the record had the words "1907" and "Victor" printed on it.
It is an item that exudes a strong sense of age.
Zhu Xu gently brushed the edge of the trumpet with his fingertips, feeling a surge of indescribable emotions.
Another week passed, and the flower shop finally started operating smoothly, which slightly eased her anxiety.
The returns weren't as optimistic as expected, but that's in line with the saying that everything is difficult at the beginning.
Starting the day before yesterday, the weather turned precipitously warm, as if it were skipping spring and going straight into the height of summer.
Zhu Xu changed into a light shirt and opened the door facing the sea. A cool breeze rustled the flowers under the windowsill. The remaining evening sunlight slanted in, casting rich outlines on the walls.
Zhu Xu tucked a stray hair behind her ear, moved a few buckets of flowers away, and went to the workbench to trim the rotten roots.
The inner door of the hotel was not equipped with a bell, and she was so focused on what she was doing that she was completely unaware of the commotion on the other side.
He Yanzhou stood at the door, remaining silent for a moment.
It's been a long time since we last met on New Year's Eve.
His flight landed this morning, and after taking care of some things, he thought he'd come and visit her.
He Yanzhou glanced around the small flower shop, his gaze finally settling on Zhu Xu. She was wearing an apricot-colored linen dress, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and her face was completely free of makeup, a very comfortable outfit.
The setting sun was intense at this time.
A touch of warm orange hue graced the sides of her face and the tip of her nose. Surrounded by flowers, the room was vibrant with life, and she exuded a healthy, radiant beauty.
A breeze blew in through the door, causing the flowers to sway and dance.
She turned to face that direction, raising her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair from her forehead.
He Yanzhou's eyes flickered slightly, and unfamiliar words such as "flower branches trembling" and "swaying gracefully" came to mind.
For a moment I didn't know whether these eight characters were more suitable for describing flowers or people.
He took a step forward, but halfway there, Zhu Xu noticed him, looked up, and was clearly taken aback.
"You didn't even know we moved this flower shop," He Yanzhou joked.
Zhu Xu said, "You walk too lightly."
He Yanzhou did not respond.
Zhu Xu watched him walk up to him, and had to raise his gaze slightly: "When did you get back?"
"This morning."
Zhu Xu nodded, and as stray hairs fell down, she raised her hand to tuck them behind her ear.
He Yanzhou, hands in his trouser pockets, asked, "How's business?"
"It's acceptable for now."
"This house is nicely decorated."
Zhu Xu said, "I also want to thank you. Zheng Zhi has helped me a lot."
He Yanzhou glanced at her and replied, "You're welcome." He gestured with his chin towards the opposite side, "Did you hear that?"
Zhu Xu followed his gaze to the cabinet opposite, where the phonograph had never been moved since it was installed.
She said, "Not yet."
He Yanzhou walked over there, took out a record from the lower drawer, placed it on the turntable, and then took out a new stylus from a small box. He bent down slightly to change it: "I thought this thing would match your decor, so I brought it over."
He straightened up, turned the crank on the right side of the case, and manually wound the cable.
Zhu Xu belatedly realized: "How did you know what this place was decorated like?"
He Yanzhou's hands didn't stop, turning and turning, the ancient machine emitting a "click-clack" sound as the strings were tightened, which was actually quite pleasant to the ear.
He said, "I passed by this door once before the Lunar New Year. It was too late and you weren't there. I just peeked through the glass door."
Zhu Xu couldn't help but recall that period when they had lost contact, and he had thought that after that night, they would have no connection whatsoever.
She pursed her lips slightly, looked at him, and saw him lift the stylus and gently place it on the record.
Amidst a hissing noise, music slowly began to play.
The analog signal from the phonograph is much closer to the scene, and the sound from a hundred years ago makes you feel as if you are there.
He Yanzhou leaned back against the side cabinet, looked up and explained, "It's a jazz piece from World War II."
Zhu Xu nodded.
The music has a cheerful rhythm, which overlaps with the background noise, like a lively black and white silent film.
They hadn't spoken for a long time and seemed to be engrossed in their conversation.
The sound of waves could be faintly heard, and there was a very faint salty smell in the air.
He Yanzhou crossed his arms, and at one moment, his gaze shifted from the window to Zhu Xu. She noticed as well and subconsciously looked at him.
Neither of them spoke, and their eyes met directly without any attempt to conceal their gazes.
As if the atmosphere had a hypnotic effect, Zhu Xu briefly let down her guard, her mind so simple that she had no calculations or thoughts. Finally, after being stared at for a long time, she couldn't help but suddenly smile.
He Yanzhou couldn't help but smile silently and relax his shoulders.
Zhu Xu brushed his hair aside, his gaze falling on his white shirt.
Before he knew it, the sun had sunk below the horizon, its rich orange light permeating the room, while the strongest beam fell upon his shoulders.
A ray of sunset, a jazz tune, faded walls, an old gramophone, and a man sculpted by God. The scene before me resembles an old photograph.
Before she could even look at his face, he had already let go of her arm and started walking towards her.
Zhu Xu felt a little uneasy.
He Yanzhou stood in front of her, with the control panel between them.
He picked up a pen cap from the table, raised his hand, and tucked away the stray strand of hair she had styled countless times.
Zhu Xu suddenly looked up.
"Don't move," He Yanzhou whispered a reminder.
She stood there, still surprised that he remembered, wanting to ask something but unable to find the words.
"What's wrong?" He Yanzhou put down his hand, and seeing that she seemed hesitant to speak, he asked with a smile, "You used to use it like this, right?"
Zhu Xu touched her temples, her fingers pointing upwards, and then touched the pen cap. Before she could answer, she noticed a glimpse of a watch peeking out from his cuff. It was a tungsten steel watch with a dark blue dial, a simple and versatile style. It was a thank-you gift she had given to Zheng Zhi a few days ago. Who would have thought that he would be so honest as to report everything to her and hand it over to her?
Even more unexpectedly, He Yanzhou was actually wearing it on his wrist. This kind of watch seemed out of place for his status.
Zhu Xu's heart skipped a beat.
He Yanzhou noticed her gaze and deliberately turned on his watch: "How much?"
Zhu Xu glanced at him and told the truth: "More than five thousand."
"That's enough to hire several workers. You've lost money on this deal."
The music playing on the phonograph stopped abruptly.
The room fell silent. After a moment of silence, Zhu Xu said, "Actually, you don't need to go to so much trouble. I would feel bad accepting your help again."
He Yanzhou said with a hint of sarcasm, "So what do you want? To go straight to bed with me when we meet?"
Zhu Xu's cheeks flushed; he was quite improper in private.
She was annoyed that he was being too blatant, and she looked up at him with some anger.
Her expression amused He Yanzhou: "What are you looking at? Did I say something wrong?" After a pause, he said slowly and deliberately: "You're afraid of trouble, and you want our relationship to be simple and pure. You are you, and I am me. We can be intimate, but let's not get entangled?"
He hit the nail on the head; that's exactly what Zhu Xu was thinking. She longed for simple happiness. Over the years, she had almost exhausted her emotional reserves, and she was both afraid and lacked the energy to do much more.
Zhu Xu nodded: "Is that alright?"
"no."
Zhu Xu looked up and met his gaze.
He Yanzhou said indifferently, "Am I a machine? Can I just have whatever I want?"
He remained standing on the other side of the workbench, picked up a tulip from the table, and twirled it between his two fingers. The stem, which was already somewhat bent, was now even more unable to support the flower head.
Zhu Xu rescued the flower from his hands, snipped off the rotten roots with scissors with a "snap," and threw it into the flower bucket next to him: "Don't men all like directness?"
"Who said that?"
Zhu Xu remained silent.
He Yanzhou put his hands back in his trouser pockets: "Let's have a meal and chat, so we can get into the mood early." He smiled faintly: "You also want a good experience, don't you?"
Zhu Xu's heart trembled, as if countless little figures were dancing on it. She suddenly felt hot, even though she was only covered by a very thin piece of clothing.
He can stir people's hearts with just a few words.
His body's actual reaction seemed to validate the rationality of his statement.
He Yanzhou looked at her silently for a while, then his voice suddenly softened: "It's nothing to me, you don't need to worry about it." Knowing what she wanted to hear, he had to say against his will: "Relax, Zhu Xu, this is just a relationship, it doesn't mean anything. I am me, and you are still you."
There was a pile of withered leaves and rotten roots on the table.
A bucket of tulips, after being trimmed, seemed to have been revitalized, becoming even more beautiful.
Zhu Xu picked up the transparent flower bucket, walked around him, and placed it on the shelf by the door.
As night falls, the orange hue on the horizon is slowly fading.
She reached out and turned on the main light and a few floor lamps by the door, then closed the door behind her. Turning back to look at him, she said, "Thank you for the gramophone. I really like it."
"If you like it, that's fine."
Zhu Xu bit his lip slightly: "Do you have time tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner."
He Yanzhou thought she was like a well-behaved child who listened to her teacher, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. He said, "I still have some things to take care of. I'll call you later."
The flower shop usually closes at nine o'clock.
That day, He Yanzhou called around 8 a.m. to ask her when would be a convenient time to leave.
Zhu Xu closed the door early and waited for him by the roadside on the other side of the sea.
The temperature was still a bit low in the evening. She was wearing a long cardigan with the two sides gathered in front of her chest, and her hands were slightly cool.
His car pulled up, and Zhu Xu got into the passenger seat.
"What would you like to eat?" He Yanzhou asked first.
"You choose, this time it's really on me."
"Okay." He Yanzhou smiled, casually placing his hands on the top of the steering wheel.
During this season, all the well-known restaurants and food stalls in the North Island are packed with people, even at night.
Out of consideration for her, we didn't choose any high-end places, but just strolled around the streets and eventually found a Chinese restaurant in an inconspicuous location.
There weren't many people inside, and the environment was nice.
I sat down in a corner seat, and the waiter handed me the menu.
He Yanzhou gestured for him to proceed, and the man then moved the menu to Zhu Xu.
Zhu Xu was already starving, but looking at the pictures printed on the menu, she suddenly felt a surge of appetite. She ordered one meat dish and one vegetable dish, intending to turn the menu towards He Yanzhou's side.
He pressed a button, flipped through two pages backwards, and quickly added two dishes and a vegetable soup.
"Your eyesight is amazing. You can see such tiny print, and even upside down," Zhu Xu exclaimed.
"The picture I'm looking at."
Zhu Xu: “....”
He Yanzhou chuckled lightly in a good mood.
Before we'd even exchanged a few words, the dishes were almost all ready.
Zhu Xu ordered rice and ate most of the bowl with the dishes before his stomach felt full. He glanced up and saw He Yanzhou staring at the vase on the table.
He raised his chin: "What flower?"
Oncidium.
Inside a glass Guanyin vase were two small pink flowers, one with a few blossoms and the other with a dozen or so. They were as small and delicate as fingernails, and the petals resembled the fluttering skirts of dancers.
He Yanzhou: "It smells quite good."
Zhu Xu nodded: "The taste is very mild, with a faint creamy aroma."
Two flowers had fallen onto the table at some point. Zhu Xu put down his chopsticks, picked them up, removed the withered outer petals, and dropped them into the water through the bottle opening.
The underwater branches intertwined, one flower fell to the bottom of the bottle, and another just happened to be hanging on the branch.
The Guanyin vase was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and incredibly transparent, with specks of pink in the water serving as the finishing touch.
He Yanzhou looked at the flowers, then went to look at Zhu Xu.
She smiled, seemingly realizing she had made a fool of herself earlier, her smile tinged with shyness.
He Yanzhou held his breath for a moment, and suddenly realized that something, for no reason at all—whether it was a smile, a gesture, or something else—could stir his heart without him even realizing it.
He lowered his head without making a sound, took a sip of soup with his spoon, and asked, "What kind of flower do you like?"
Zhu Xu said: "Wind bell flower."
"It's very good?"
She said, "They're very easy to raise."
He Yanzhou smiled and said, "This is the first time I've heard that being easy to raise is a reason for liking someone."
Zhu Xu added: "It's also very good-looking."
"What does it look like?"
Zhu Xu searched on his phone and showed it to him. It was a cluster of milky white flowers, with many small, delicate blossoms hanging down, shaped like bells.
“It’s very cute,” He Yanzhou said.
This was the first time Zhu Xu had heard such an evaluation.
Bellflowers symbolize blessings from afar, because when a gentle breeze comes, they sway like bells, tenderly conveying love. They are free and dreamy, and after he described them, the flowers did indeed look rather plump and cute.
Zhu Xu put away her phone and asked him, "And what about you? What kind of flowers do you like?"
He Yanzhou said, "I only recognize roses."
"It must be because you've given them away a lot of times." She meant to make a joke, but then she saw him look at her meaningfully, a smile playing on his lips.
Zhu Xu stopped talking immediately and ate his meal quietly.
In the blink of an eye, I noticed that he had a good appetite. He ate two small bowls of rice with some vegetables, and there wasn't much vegetable soup left.
Both of them worked very hard and didn't waste any time.
Zhu Xu gradually found that being with him was much more relaxed and comfortable, and the initial sense of restraint was gone.
After the meal, when they went to pay the bill, He Yanzhou waited quietly behind her with his hands in his pockets. Only after she paid did they go out together.
It wasn't far from where Zhu Xu lived. She gave him an address, and He Yanzhou made a U-turn at the intersection ahead and drove onto the coastal highway.
He vaguely knew the neighborhood Zhu Xu was talking about; it was probably an old residential area. He had only passed by it before, but he frowned inwardly as he drove in.
The buildings on both sides were low and dilapidated, with many dark windows. There were no streetlights on either side of the road, and the road below was uneven, with some sections deep and others shallow.
Zhu Xu pointed to the intersection ahead: "Just stop there, the car can't go any further."
He Yanzhou asked, "How much longer do we have to walk?"
"Just go along the path ahead and you'll get there."
He glanced ahead and said, "This place isn't very good."
"I've gotten used to it, it's nothing." After a moment of silence in the car, Zhu Xu glanced at him and said, "I'm leaving, take care on the road."
He Yanzhou didn't speak, but turned to look at her. With a "click," the passenger seatbelt popped open. She tried to pull her hand away, but he suddenly grabbed it.
His hands were warm and dry, his palms pressed against the back of her hands, completely enveloping them.
He rubbed his thumb against the outside of her little finger: "Just like that, you're leaving?"
The car was so quiet you could almost hear your own heartbeat.
"Yes." Her voice became inexplicably light, and only after she finished speaking did she realize how soft and unfamiliar it was.
He Yanzhou's gaze darkened slightly. "It's for you."
They both understood, without saying a word, that this night should not be too ordinary.
Zhu Xu replied, "Next time."
"It seems like someone is criticizing me for not being direct enough." He slipped his four fingers together through the gap between her thumb and forefinger, his fingertips gently tracing the lines on her palm.
Zhu Xu felt a little itchy, so she squeezed his hand tightly.
The car was dimly lit, but her eyes shone brightly: "So I got a lecture from President He and I don't dare to be impatient anymore."
He Yanzhou gave a very light hum: "What a good student."
"You may have forgotten, but I was very obedient when I was in school."
He Yanzhou looked at her for a while, actually in a very good mood, so much so that his smile reached his eyes. He even somewhat enjoyed her little trick of playing hard to get, finding it more interesting than being straightforward.
He Yanzhou didn't say anything more, but finally gently massaged her hand before letting her go.
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