Chapter 110 The Fragrance of Flowers If she could, she would drown in his tranquility...
The return journey took twice as long as the outward journey.
On the sparsely populated pedestrian path, their shadows were stretched long by the streetlights.
Passing by a flower shop, Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but slow down and take a second look.
Night had fallen, and several promotional flower buckets were displayed outside the quaint little shop, with signs saying "One dollar per stem." The multi-headed roses, resembling colorful bubbles, huddled together, not as vibrant and full as they had been in the morning, but still lively and pleasing to the eye.
"Want to go in and take a look?"
Her lingering gaze was interrupted by the man who suddenly spoke, and she turned her head in surprise.
Under the streetlights, half of He Ming's face was hidden in the shadows, making it difficult to see clearly.
"It's getting late..." Zhu Liushuang hesitated, walking slowly forward. "There's nothing much to see, let's just go back!"
The seat next to her remained empty for several seconds before she realized that He Ming hadn't followed.
"Senior?" She turned around to look for him.
The man standing by the flower bucket turned around upon hearing this: "Liu Shuang, come here."
Their gazes locked, and he casually raised his arm and beckoned to her with his finger.
The action wasn't frivolous, but to her, it was extremely seductive.
He led her step by step toward him.
"Does the senior like these multi-headed roses?"
He Ming gave an irrelevant answer: "I remember there are two empty vases at home, it's a waste to keep them hidden away."
Zhu Liushuang was pondering the meaning behind his words, and before she could organize her thoughts, she heard him say, "I don't know much about flowers... You girls probably know more about them? Why don't you go in and help pick out a couple of bouquets?"
He... doesn't know anything about flowers?
She had previously listened to He Ming's radio program, where he spoke knowledgeably about plants from various regions, leading her to believe that he had an extreme fondness for flowers and plants.
Isn't this excuse a bit clumsy? It's completely unlike his usual style.
Zhu Liushuang lowered her head and kicked the stone slab, unable to suppress a chuckle to herself.
Of course, she wouldn't be foolish enough to expose him, and gently replied, "Okay!"
"Ding-a-ling—" The wind chimes at the door swayed in the air as the two of them pushed open the glass door together.
Unlike the freezing weather outside, the interior felt like a different season. The air was warm and fragrant, and the shop was surrounded by all sorts of flowers, some vibrant, some delicate…
"Welcome, please feel free to browse around..."
The owner, a young woman, was standing behind the counter, deftly tying a bouquet of champagne roses. As customers entered, her hands continued working, but her eyes quickly scanned their faces, scrutinizing them closely.
The two stood in front of the flowerpot, not reacting for a long time. The shop owner smiled and said, "If you're a handsome guy looking to give your girlfriend flowers, roses are the most suitable. Today, champagne roses are on special; buy ten and get two free..."
The shop owner assumed they were a couple and took the opportunity to sell them roses. Zhu Liushuang felt her ears burning and didn't know where to look.
Just then, the man behind her leaned closer, lowered his head slightly, and reminded her, "You don't need to specifically pick the discounted items; just choose whatever you think looks good."
The warm breath gently caressed my earlobes, like a willow branch tickling me, making my ears feel even hotter.
She chooses whatever she thinks looks good. That sounds... a bit different from how she said it before entering the store.
Didn't I ask her to help me pick out two bouquets to decorate the house?
Now it sounds like he's trying to find a way to send her flowers.
Besides the rich floral fragrance, her nostrils were also filled with a faint, refreshing scent—his own aroma. Zhu Liushuang lowered her eyes, took a deep breath, and barely managed to calm herself.
After wrapping the flowers for the previous customer, the owner came over to them and enthusiastically introduced the other types of flowers in the shop.
Zhu Liushuang listened patiently, her gaze wandering back and forth across the flower stand. The unique daffodils, the vibrant Christmas roses, the elegant tulips… she swept her eyes over them one by one, finally settling her gaze on a quiet corner.
A bunch of freshly cut wintersweet blossoms sits in a white flowerpot placed on the floor. Their branches are ancient and vigorous, adorned with pale yellow stamens, half open and half still budding. Next to the wintersweet is a low table, on which sit hyacinths. Their pale blue flower spikes are full and lovely, creating a charming contrast with the wintersweet.
"How are they?" Zhu Liushuang asked, pointing to a corner that caught her eye.
He Ming's gaze followed and swept over.
"Put the wintersweet in the living room, and the hyacinths on the kitchen island..." she continued.
The man didn't question her taste at all, and turned to signal the shopkeeper to wrap up the wintersweet and hyacinth.
"You have excellent taste, beautiful lady. The hyacinths in our shop are air-freighted from the Netherlands. Each plant only grows one flower stalk, and the flowers are large, making them especially popular with customers..." The owner smiled as he picked out some for them and then turned to the counter to wrap the flowers.
Zhu Liushuang pursed her lips shyly. She didn't know the difference between the hyacinths imported from the Netherlands and those directly shipped from Yun City. What caught her eye at first glance was actually the winter plum blossom, and only then did she realize that the hyacinths next to the winter plum blossom also had their own unique charm.
While I was waiting at the counter watching the owner wrap flowers, someone else pushed the door open and came in.
I heard a couple whispering behind me.
"Honey, look how pretty these wintersweet blossoms are! Shall we buy some to take home?"
"What's so special about winter plum blossoms? They're everywhere in the countryside..."
Zhu Liushuang remained silent, pretending not to hear.
When it came time to pay, He Ming took out his phone and scanned the code to pay. This time, she didn't rush to pay or insist on splitting the bill with him as she usually did. After all, he had already seriously discussed the money issue with her.
She will learn to get used to it.
I'm used to his willingness to give me whatever he can.
Stepping out of the flower shop, the warmth was instantly swept away by the night breeze, but the faint fragrance of flowers still lingered in the air.
Zhu Liushuang held the hyacinths in her hands, walking slowly.
He Ming walked beside her, holding La Mei in one arm and carrying a takeout box in the other, keeping pace with her.
The car was parked in a temporary parking space on the side of the road. The two walked to the car and got in.
She fastened her seatbelt and sat up straight in the passenger seat. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her knees; the bouquet of winter plum blossoms in the man's hand had landed on her lap.
The engine hummed softly, the car started slowly, and then quietly drove into the night.
The carriage was enclosed, and waves of fragrance wafted in, lingering around Zhu Liushuang's nose. She stared blankly at the bunch of winter plum blossoms, lost in thought.
"Why did you think of buying wintersweet?" A deep voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of inquiry and curiosity.
"Does the senior think winter plum blossoms are tacky?" Zhu Liushuang asked wistfully, the whispers from the flower shop still ringing in her ears.
“No, that’s not it.” He Ming paused and said, “Almost every household in the countryside of Gucheng grows a few wintersweet trees…”
“Yes, it’s nothing special.” His words were like a key, gently prying open the depths of her memory. Memories of wintersweet flashed through her mind in a jumble, and when she spoke again, Zhu Liushuang’s voice was tinged with bitterness, “In the small courtyard of my grandparents’ hometown, there was a wintersweet tree, taller than the house. It is said that it was planted the year my mother was born. From as far back as I can remember, every winter, my grandfather would bring a ladder and cut a few bunches of wintersweet in full bloom for my grandmother to plant. The courtyard and the house were filled with the fragrance of wintersweet.”
Outside the window, the shadows of the trees swayed gently. As Zhu Liushuang spoke, her eyes welled up with tears: "When I was little, I was naughty and would secretly climb trees behind my grandfather's back. One winter, in order to help the neighbor's little sister pick a sprig of winter plum that she liked, I climbed to a high place to show off. When I came down, I didn't hold on properly and fell straight to the ground, crying loudly in pain."
Upon hearing this, the person in the driver's seat seemed to chuckle lightly: "A little girl like this, she can even climb trees."
Her eyes unfocused, Zhu Liushuang stared blankly at the dark night, as if looking back at her childhood self. She couldn't help but sigh, "Yes, I was such a mischievous child..."
However, that was all before her father passed away. She learned to climb trees from him, Zhu Liushuang thought to herself.
"So now... is this wintersweet tree still there?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Liushuang seemed to snap out of a dream, her voice lowered, filled with undisguised disappointment.
"It's gone. After my grandfather passed away, the wintersweet tree suddenly started to grow mold spots. Spraying pesticides and pruning dead branches didn't help. Until my grandmother passed away, it completely withered and died... I often think that trees also have a spirit. It probably knew that the person who accompanied it day and night was gone, so it no longer had any attachment to this world..."
She recounted her past to him in fits and starts, as if explaining why she chose winter plum blossoms, and also as reminiscing about that warm yet sad childhood.
After he finished speaking, the carriage was quiet for a while.
Zhu Liushuang forced back her tears, not daring to look up.
After a long time, long enough that she held back all her tears.
The man beside her turned off the engine and turned to look at her.
The carriage was dimly lit, and He Ming's deep eyes gazed at her quietly, with a hint of emotion in them.
“There’s a wintersweet tree in my grandfather’s backyard. It’s been planted for over twenty years and it blooms continuously… Shall I take you back to see it during the New Year’s holiday?” His voice wasn’t loud, but every word struck her heart.
Suddenly, Zhu Liushuang's heart skipped a beat, and then she started dancing wildly out of control.
If she could, she would drown in his calm tenderness.
————
As the year draws to a close, in addition to Taobao's year-end sales, December also features a holiday that young people love – Christmas.
But for most people in Gucheng, Christmas that year was extremely nerve-wracking.
That evening, the two of them had dinner together at home.
After the meal, He Ming was in charge of cleaning the kitchen, while Zhu Liushuang was in charge of clearing the table.
She wiped the table carefully twice, then suddenly remembered that she hadn't taken the clothes out of the washing machine to dry, so she hurriedly ran to the balcony. Opening the door, she took out the clothes that had been sitting in the washing machine for a long time, one by one, and neatly hung them on the clothes rack.
The view from the West Balcony is exceptionally beautiful; during the day, one can gaze at the distant green mountains. Even in the darkest night, the shimmering light on the lake's surface can be faintly seen. Zhu Liushuang was in a good mood, standing on tiptoe and humming a tuneless song.
She was hanging the clothes halfway up when she suddenly heard a series of footsteps behind her. Her back stiffened, and her hand, which was holding a lace bra, froze in mid-air.
"Liu Shuang, have you seen my shoe polish and brush?" The man's voice came from afar.
Zhu Liushuang turned around in surprise and saw He Ming standing a few steps away from her, carrying a pair of dark brown leather shoes.
"Wh...what shoe polish?" she asked hesitantly. "Isn't there any on the master bedroom balcony?"
"I couldn't find it, so I came here..." The man looked straight at her, clearly having noticed the underwear in her hand, and a stunned expression appeared on his face.
Stared at by his dark eyes for a moment, Zhu Liushuang felt a pang of panic. The pale yellow lace bra she was holding suddenly seemed to have a mind of its own. It broke free from her fingers, leaped through the air in an ambiguous arc, and then floated gently down to her feet.
"Yours..." The man hesitated, then turned and hurried away as if fleeing. "I'll go see if it's in the storage room..."
Time seemed to freeze the moment he uttered the word "you," and Zhu Liushuang stood frozen in place, her face flushed red.
Since they started living together, they've always hung their clothes to dry separately. The west-facing balcony is implicitly hers, while the master bedroom balcony is He Ming's territory. Furthermore, their different schedules mean they rarely have such awkward encounters.
With a few quick blinks, Zhu Liushuang bent down to pick up a thin piece of fabric at her feet.
Speaking of which, this light yellow lace lingerie was a gift from Tian Xingyu, and it came with a matching pair of lace panties in the same color, adorned with small bows.
When her friend sent her a package, she casually included a card.
The moment she finished reading the card, she felt both shy and embarrassed, her face turning red all the way down to her neck.
[Shuangshuang, your battle armor is ready! I wish you success in winning over Senior He soon!]
Dead memories resurfaced in her mind, and Zhu Liushuang pressed her bra against her chest, clutching it tightly.
After this awkward little incident, the two deliberately avoided each other for the next half hour.
He Ming brought the coffee into the study.
Zhu Liushuang took a shower early and went into the second bedroom.
It was hot in the room, and her hair was only half-dry. The laptop on the table was open, playing Professor Fu Fu's accounting lecture. She had been listening to the chapter on "Consolidated Financial Statements" for several days, and while listening, she felt she understood it completely, but when she tried to do the exercises, she found herself completely lost.
"Why do income statement items in consolidated financial statement adjustment and elimination entries need to be rolled over..." The video was played at double speed, and the lecturer spoke like a machine gun.
Zhu Liushuang twirled her pen in frustration, thinking to herself: I don't understand at all! Can't you speak like a human being?
But if she didn't understand this part, she would feel really uncomfortable.
A certain thought stirred in her mind, and she picked up her phone and brought up her WeChat chat with He Ming.
After struggling internally for a long time, Zhu Liushuang mustered up the courage to send him a message.
[Senior, are you busy? There's a point I don't understand about, it's about consolidated financial statements. /crying]
A minute later, the phone on the table lit up.
"Come to the study." The man said succinctly.
Zhu Liushuang rubbed her cheeks, picked up her exercise book and pen, and slowly shuffled to the study door in her slippers.
"Knock knock knock—" Fingertips nervously knocked on the door.
A man's voice drifted in: "Please come in."
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Author's note: I'm a fickle woman [Milk Tea]. I got tired of the cover and switched back to the original one.
Ugh, grading papers lately is driving me crazy! I can't wait for final exams! [shrug]
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