Don't give up on me
The day before International Women's Day, Yu Ran helped pack the flowers and deliver them as agreed.
Jiang Liu's beloved car was dispatched personally. The two connected several newspapers end to end, forming a long paper tube, which they placed over the flowers. They used cable ties to tie cardboard around the newspapers to prevent them from being squeezed or deformed.
Unexpectedly, the navigation went from the asphalt road into the residential streets and alleys, and the destination was obviously far from the private villas, exhibition halls and conference venues that Yu Ran had imagined, which were worthy of the style of this work.
After getting off the bus, he was dumbfounded. The destination was a flower shop?
"Is this a branch of Jiang Liu's studio? Or is it a place where fellow florists exchange ideas and skills?" Yu Ran wondered. The former didn't fit Jiang Liu's claim of "almost going bankrupt." And the latter, if there truly were florists of Jiang Liu's caliber, why would they willingly commit themselves to a shop like this, one that was unworthy of their status?
"It's absolutely beyond one's ability to make money with such specifications and models alone." Yu Ran thought silently.
It was time to move the flower pots. Yu Ran had been thinking of moving them inside; he'd already set his sights on the bottom shelf of the small antique display case, figuring the height was just right, though the depth wasn't enough. Jiang Liu, however, stopped at a small round wrought iron table by the door to check that its legs were secure.
Yu Ran put it down hesitantly.
"This place is good and conspicuous." Jiang Liu patted the dust off his hands.
At this time, a girl wearing an apron came out. It was obvious that she was so busy taking care of the flowers that she had no time to take care of her hair. Jiang Liu, who also had long hair, made her want to emulate him. She scooped up the black hair with her bare hands and splashed it on her chest, bringing out the fragrance of grass and wood.
"Teacher Jiang, thank you so much!" the girl said emotionally, clasping her hands together as if praying.
Jiang Liu stepped aside, willingly comparing himself to the curtain, and invited the finale person behind the curtain to come out:
"If I have to thank you, it's you... Um, you two don't know each other yet, let me introduce you, this is Brother Yu Ran. Yu Ran, this is Qi Zhen, he has been helping out in my studio."
It’s a good thing that Jiang Liu wasn’t actually hosting the show, otherwise this kind of jam would have been fatal.
Yu Ran quickly withdrew his gaze from Jiang Liu's face and turned to the girl, "Hello, Qi Zhen, my name is Yu Ran."
Qi Zhen raised his thin eyebrows high, trying his best to leave room for his wide-open eyes. A sweet smile appeared on his face subconsciously. Perhaps the strange color that flashed by was just an illusion?
"Oh——Brother Yu Ran, hello, thank you for your help!!!"
Yu Ran resisted her brilliant smile, trying not to be led astray. He had only lost his memory, not been a fool. He still retained the delicate sensitivity of a novelist—it was impossible for him not to notice the strangeness between the master and the apprentice.
At the same time, with Qi Zhen's appearance, Yu Ran automatically solved a mystery: that day in the flower market, when Granny Chen mentioned "the girl who was with you...", she was not referring to Jiang Liu's girlfriend, but Qi Zhen, an employee who came to the flower market to inspect and study together.
It was Grandma Chen's eagerness to gossip that made the listeners suspicious.
After a pause in his turbulent thoughts, Yu Ran noticed that Qi Zhen had been flirting with a middle-aged woman behind a beaded curtain. Their facial expressions, flickering under the pearlescent light, were strikingly similar. A mother and daughter.
Seeing this, Jiang Liu immediately grabbed Yu Ran's arm and leaned close to his ear. His breath was as sweet as orchid, and it was even more itchy than the strands of hair. It was both "annoying" and frightening. As if it wasn't enough, he drilled deep into the ear canal: "Yu Ran, cooperate with me in acting..."
"Hmm, hmm." Yu Ran responded awkwardly from the back of his throat, and he even felt that the sound was too hot and greasy.
Jiang Liu instantly put up his guard and paced back and forth in the cramped shop with his hands behind his back, knocking on the wooden floor. Finally, he raised his voice and shouted:
"Is Ms. Wang here?"
Yu Ran played the role according to his personal understanding. He was not annoying even though he was just bullying others. He used a polite yet urging voice:
"Teacher Jiang came to visit specially today."
The bead curtain moved, and the aging beauty behind the curtain had no time to be surprised. She only wanted to smooth out her clothes that were wrinkled by the apron she had just put on.
"Oh, is it really Teacher Jiang? This... is a poor hospitality... Please forgive me!"
It can be heard that when she asked "Really?" she was obviously asking whether something was true or not.
Yu Ran looked at Jiang Liu at the right time to create the illusion that the three people present were waiting for him to speak, and from the perspective of other people's psychology, to establish Jiang Liu's authority.
Jiang Liu was particularly happy to notice Yu Ran's progress. His tone was unconsciously cheerful, and he seemed approachable and unassuming. He said:
"Ms. Wang Mingxia, I'm deeply impressed to hear that you've combined Chinese flower art with psychological therapy to help many young people alleviate depression! As the president of the Xiangze Flower Art Association, I wholeheartedly support your good deeds and am willing to provide financial support in any way possible to help you realize your dream of great love!"
Jiang Liu took out a postcard from the inside pocket of his vest and handed it solemnly to the woman.
Yu Ran was quietly breaking down the rhetoric. If put into human terms, it would be easy to understand. Jiang Liu, as the president, was encouraging Ms. Wang to continue her good deeds. The purpose was to help more depressed teenagers and children get out of the haze while inheriting and integrating the good deeds into daily life.
As for Jiang Liu's masterpiece, it is a token of trust, a stabilizing force, partly to encourage Ms. Wang to pursue her dreams, and partly to use her own works to attract customers - after all, long-term dreams and current food and clothing must be taken into account.
Yu Ran took a closer look. He saw a metal plaque had been placed on the base of the flowerpot, bearing the unmistakable name of Jiang Liu. He could barely make out the bold, freehand strokes of the character "Liu." As for the surname "Jiang," it was sketched with two casual strokes, blending seamlessly into the overall style.
The few of them chatted happily. Yu Ran always kept his duty in mind and pretended to listen while paying attention to the time. He whispered to Jiang Liu or exchanged glances from time to time. This successfully fooled Ms. Wang and she politely declined her offer to treat him to a meal.
Jiang Liu was used to driving with Yu Ran alone, and when they were about to leave, he subconsciously let the boss drive, which almost exposed his identity. Yu Ran stepped forward, opened the passenger door and invited his boss to get in, successfully saving the situation and acting until the last moment.
On the way back.
Yu Ran waited patiently for Jiang Liu to tell the story. Jiang Liu first affirmed Yu Ran's acting skills, and then slowly restored the truth of the matter while chatting and joking.
"Qi Zhen's mother is a veteran teacher, very prestigious at a key city school. Two years ago, when she was rejecting a parent who was trying to get a backdoor, she observed that the child had a serious mental illness. After kindly offering some advice, the enraged parent falsely accused her of corruption and bribery, and even fabricated a psychological diagnosis, saying she had unreasonably concluded that the child had mental problems... In short..."
Jiang Liu was choked by the air and found it difficult to continue.
No one could have imagined that behind the heartwarming dream-chasing story, there lay such a tragic turn of events.
Yu Ran must have understood Jiang Liu's reluctance to speak out, and subsequently the school chose to sacrifice Wang Mingxia to save the king in order to calm the situation.
As for how this woman stubbornly fought against injustice, it is sure to bring out a lot of sadness and tears.
"It's not over yet." Jiang Liu paused for a long time, and when he spoke, his voice became smoother, ready to give another long speech. Yu Ran pricked up his ears nervously.
"Qi Zhen learned a lot from me in the past. She is now a senior and very busy with internships. Fortunately, the internship company is not far away, so it is convenient for her to take care of her mother who is experiencing emotional fluctuations."
"The family used their savings to open a small flower shop, hoping that Ms. Wang could make use of her remaining energy and contribute to her old age. Unexpectedly, the other party's parents repeatedly sent people to disrupt the business, until..."
Yu Ran could hear the sobs in his voice, but he still maintained the tacit understanding from their acting and responded at the right moment: "Until you found them a new address? Here?"
"Well, secretly. Ms. Wang is too strong-willed. I'm afraid she'd feel bad if I did it openly."
Jiang Liu was feeling a bit down. When he was piecing together the memories, he suddenly caught a glimpse of joy.
"Thankfully, Ms. Wang was incredibly determined. She found self-healing through flower arrangement, and her own experiences inspired her to gradually develop the flower therapy project. The initial pilot study was conducted on her students, and the results were very positive."
Wang Mingxia has been teaching for more than 30 years and has many students all over the world. A large number of experimental subjects have continuously helped her improve her experimental data and continuously increased her confidence.
"It sounds like there will be a good outcome later." Yu Ran smiled knowingly.
"In fact, the fact that her initial assessment of the child was contradicted by the diagnosis report became a knot in her heart. She was always worried that what she was working on was unconventional and unorthodox."
Therefore, she needs a professional like Jiang Liu to come forward and affirm her!
Yu Ranzhen's opinion of Jiang Liu has changed a little.
"Then...how much do you charge for this order?" Yu Ran asked with no ulterior motive, but unfortunately ignited Jiang Liu's anger.
"Tsk, you still think I love money?" Jiang Liu glared at the other person angrily, turned his face away to breathe, and the white pearl on his left earlobe made his heart look even colder.
I feel depressed and regretful.
"I'm sorry!" This time it was heartbreaking.
"I'm sorry, I said the wrong thing, I didn't mean that..." This time I regretted it so much.
"How can you make me feel better? You don't have to forgive me..." This time he sounded pitiful.
Yu Ran tried his best to talk but to little avail, so he finally asked desperately, "Do I disgust you?"
"Heh." Jiang Liu was not polite, and the tone was full of contempt.
"That……"
"Are you going to give up on me?" Yu Ran actually managed to utter such a sentence.
That's too much. Jiang Liu didn't point it out, but instead tensed his body like a steel plate.
"How about this, please be merciful and give me a hand—" Yu Ran tried to pull his wrist.
Jiang Liu was still trying to resist at first, but maybe because he felt comfortable with the compliment of "please be merciful", his wrist gradually softened and he let Yu Ran hold it.
Jiang Liu turned around and saw with his own eyes that Yu Ran was guiding his hand to the tip of his nose.
"Pull it." Yu Ran said.
Jiang Liu refused and just pressed his nose.
Different actions but same effect. As he moved, Yu Ran suddenly started to make faces, pout and suck in his cheeks. His whole head sank down along with his shoulders, and then he shook his body dejectedly.
"Okay, you've made me angry, so don't be angry anymore." Yu Ran said weakly.
After saying that, he observed Jiang Liu's expression. Was it because he was too handsome that his show of humor didn't work well? Jiang Liu didn't seem very happy, but rather looked stunned.
"Jiang Liu?"
Jiang Liu was delayed in receiving what he was saying. He forgot to blink until tears welled up in his eyes. Fang then asked, word by word, "Who else have you done this to? My sister? Someone else...?"
Yu Ran couldn't remember and still tried to recall, "No."
"Don't you feel disgusted trying to coax a man?" Jiang Liu responded quickly, completely different from any emotion he showed today.
The answer that flashed through Yu Ran's mind at this moment was "You are a little different", which he felt was a little bit against his will and more weird and corny, but he finally suppressed it, "After all, it was me who made you angry, so I should just comfort you." He changed to a very businesslike tone.
The two looked at each other in silence...
The manifestation of everything is delayed, and that sentence is no exception. It was many years later when Yu Ran realized the price of not speaking out.
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