"This..." Bai Xiaoru hesitated. Her current residence was in the opposite direction from the Ji family's house. Wouldn't that mean that Brother Ziqian would have to travel a long way? "Let's not. It's fine if we squeeze in. Brother Ziqian, you go back first."
Ji Ziqian frowned, pulled the handbrake, took out the car key, got out of the car, and came to Bai Xiaoruo. "Xiaoruo, do you have a problem with me? If it's because of what I said last time that made you afraid of me, I apologize. I won't say those things again. I just want to take you home, is that not allowed?"
"No, I didn't mean that..." The bus had already arrived, and Ji Ziqian's car was clearly blocking the bus's path. The driver honked the horn several times, signaling Ji Ziqian to move his car as soon as possible.
Bai Xiaoruo knew that if she didn't get in the car with Ji Ziqian, he definitely wouldn't leave. In order not to obstruct traffic or bother others, she had no choice but to agree to let Ji Ziqian take her home.
After Ji Ziqian and Bai Xiaoruo got on the bus together, he simply drove the car a short distance forward so as not to block the bus lane, but he did not rush to drive away. He stopped the car again and thoughtfully helped Bai Xiaoruo fasten her seatbelt.
"Xiao Ruo, you forgot to fasten your seatbelt."
"Ah, I..."
They were so close that they could even smell the faint scent of gardenias on his clothes.
Ji Ziqian likes gardenias because he says they are pure white flowers, with small, delicate petals that are fresh and elegant without being gaudy, just like someone he likes.
At that time, Bai Xiaoruo was still very young and did not understand who Ji Ziqian was referring to. The Bai family's backyard was planted with many gardenias. Every year, a month before Ji Ziqian's birthday, she would go to great lengths to pick a basket of gardenias, dry them, and give them to Ji Ziqian as a gift.
This flavor had been with Ji Ziqian for many years and had become a tacit understanding between the two of them, something even Ji Shushu was unaware of.
Even though he's currently an intern and has to wear formal attire to work every day, Ji Ziqian never forgets to put two small gardenias in his suit pocket, as if Bai Xiaoruo is always by his side.
If Bai Xiaoruo still doesn't understand what Gardenia means to Ji Ziqian by now, then she's truly a fool.
Actually, the gardenia he described, the gardenia he loved, was none other than Bai Xiaoruo.
She lowered her eyes, unsure of what to say to Ji Ziqian. She had been so busy lately that she had almost forgotten that Ziqian's birthday was in just half a month, yet she hadn't even started making dried flowers.
In L City, a city already known for its cold winters, most gardenias wither away in winter. Without greenhouse cultivation, it's nearly impossible to find even a few plants, and there's simply not enough time.
"Brother Ziqian".
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"This year... for your birthday, I might not be able to send you dried flowers. I'm sorry... I forgot something so important, and now it's too late."
Seeing Bai Xiaoruo's guilty look, Ji Ziqian shook his head and reached out to touch the top of her head, "Silly girl."
Bai Xiaoruo looked up at Ji Ziqian, puzzled.
Yes, Brother Ziqian is right. I'm such a fool. I remember things every year, but this year... Ever since Xianmingyu entered my life, I've completely lost my mind. I can forget everything and always put him first and think about him.
"To me, dried flowers are just trivial things that I don't really need, but you are the best gift I could ever receive."
"ah?"
Bai Xiaoruo was momentarily stunned. Seriously? Did Ziqian want her to dress up as a gift and give it to him? Wouldn't that be strange?
Ji Ziqian explained, "Dried flowers don't matter, but you still have to give me my birthday present."
"Yes! Of course. What do you want, Brother Ziqian? As long as I can afford it, I will definitely give it to you." Bai Xiaoru's brain worked quickly, calculating how much money she had left in her savings. Subtracting the money from the Xuan family, the remaining money in her own wallet should be enough to buy Brother Ziqian a nice gift.
"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. I hope that on my birthday, you can spend the whole day with me and do anything with me, as long as it's not something unreasonable, okay?"
That day was a weekend. Normally, Bai Xiaoruo wouldn't need to go to school or have any extra classes, so she should be able to find the time.
Bai Xiaoruo thought about it carefully. Ziqian was her good friend, and he had taken care of her like an older brother all these years. She should help him fulfill his birthday wish. It was just spending a day with Ziqian, so there was nothing difficult about it.
"Brother Ziqian, I promise you, I will stay by your side all day long."
"Xiao Ruo, thank you. I'll pick you up then."
"good."
Ji Ziqian didn't expect Bai Xiaoruo to agree so readily. It was exactly what he planned. He would wait until his birthday, find a suitable opportunity, and sincerely express his feelings to her. He believed that Xiaoruo would definitely not refuse him again.
"Xiao Ruo, have you had dinner?"
"Not yet, I'm about to go back and do it."
There are still some ingredients in the refrigerator, enough to make a dinner.
Bai Xiaoruo didn't know if Xian Mingyu had returned yet, but she knew that the first one to complain about being hungry would definitely be that glutton, Xian Xingze.
"I know a pretty good new Chinese restaurant nearby. You don't need to go back to cook dinner; I'll treat you to dinner."
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