Under the scorching sun, between the shaded trees, a breeze gently passed through. Not long after a black car drove off, a white car slowly pulled up. The door opened, and Qiu Pei stepped out dressed in trousers. The driver got out to hold an umbrella for her.
Her makeup was exquisite, though she coughed lightly twice and slowly walked up the steps. Arriving in front of Fu Li’an’s grave, she saw the “Mermaid Princess” roses and caught a faint scent of cigars in the air.
Qiu Pei placed the flowers in her arms beside the mermaid roses. Looking at the photo of the man on the gravestone, she said,
“Looks like our son was here… and he brought Wen Yang too.”
She found a place to sit down.
The driver worried about her getting her clothes dirty and quickly brought tissues to place underneath her. She waved him off, her eyes fixed on Fu Li’an’s face.
“My son won’t let me come back. I had to sneak back.”
“I guessed he’d probably come in the morning, so I made sure to miss him.”
“I had a serious illness recently. If I’d stopped treatment, I might’ve come down to join you. I even considered it, but our son wouldn’t allow it. He confided in me… he has a girlfriend now.”
“I was really surprised. Ever since you passed, our son’s lived like an ascetic monk, seemingly with no desires. All his focus was on propping up that useless heir of the Qiu family. He never made any plans for himself. The old lady was so anxious that the day after his divorce, she pulled out a whole list of eligible women and forced him to renovate the Washington residence.”
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“Wow, you’re wearing heels too?”
She glanced down at Wen Yang’s black stilettos. Paired with the cinched waist of her dress, Wen Yang looked elegant and radiant. Sitting in a chair, Wen Yang softly said,
“I went to visit Fu Xingzhou’s father today.”
Yu Qing blinked, about to ask where his dad was… then remembered she’d heard before that Fu Xingzhou’s father had passed away years ago. She immediately understood and said, “You look great. Very fitting.”
Wen Yang smiled faintly, then showed her the back of her heel. “Almost bled.”
Yu Qing looked down and said, “You’ve got bandages on already.”
Wen Yang blushed.
She didn’t have the nerve to say that Fu Xingzhou had put them on for her in the car—kneeling down, gently holding her foot, peeling and sticking them on with care. The placement was perfect. And the long staircase truly had taken a toll; she hadn’t worn heels in a while. When they returned to the car, her heel had slipped out of her shoe. He noticed and pulled out two skin-toned bandages from somewhere, applying them carefully to both feet.
Wen Yang murmured, “I was already bleeding before the bandages.”
Yu Qing leaned on the table and said, “Of course you were. You rarely wear heels. But back in college, when you danced, you were solid as a rock. And you mastered walking in heels in just two months. I knew back then my bestie wasn’t ordinary.”
Wen Yang nudged her.
Yu Qing laughed, and after a moment, grew serious. “So what exactly did that mistress Li Man say to you yesterday?”
Wen Yang paused.
She had actually forgotten about Li Man’s words after Fu Xingzhou talked about marriage last night. She opened her laptop, looked at Yu Qing, and briefly recounted what Li Man had said.
After hearing it, Yu Qing nearly slapped the table.
“She really thinks your place is a garbage dump or what?”
Then she quickly added, “I mean the post-affair version of Cheng Yanyu is trash—not who he was before.”
Wen Yang chuckled, taking her hand and replying, “It’s fine. Honestly, I’m doing much better today. I was just really shaken yesterday. I couldn’t understand what she said.”
And it wasn’t just Wen Yang—Yu Qing had also been stunned. She couldn’t believe someone could be so shameless. But judging by Wen Yang’s current state, it seemed that Fu Xingzhou had comforted her well.
Yu Qing said, “Trash like that gets what’s coming. Don’t let her words affect you. With values that warped, she’s not going far.”
Wen Yang nodded with a smile.
She really did feel much better. She opened her design software.
What mattered most now was the flower house competition.
As her nerves settled and she began to sketch, her movements grew smooth and natural. She glanced at Yu Qing, who was already working on the exterior design. Together, they’d taken the first step.
—
After 8 p.m.
Wen Yang returned home. Fu Xingzhou was drinking coffee while on a call. Wen Yang put down her laptop and ran over, throwing her arms around his neck. Fu Xingzhou was slightly startled, put down the coffee, ended the call, and wrapped one arm around her waist. Looking down, he asked, “Hm?”
Wen Yang looked up and smiled. “Yu Qing and I started sketching the design!”
“Yeah?” he raised a brow. “Let me see.”
Wen Yang nodded and started to pull away from his embrace, but his arm was firm as a rock. She paused and looked up—Fu Xingzhou smiled and lowered his head, kissing her lips.
Hard to resist when she throws herself into his arms.
Wen Yang hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him back deeply.
After a while—
They sat on the sofa. Wen Yang opened her laptop and nestled into his arms to show him. Fu Xingzhou looked down. Yu Qing was designing a split-level concept, while Wen Yang focused on the interior, which emphasized functionality. Of course, women loved beauty and all kinds of flowers. This flower house in Nancheng was meant to become a landmark and a popular photo spot.
So Wen Yang’s plan included aesthetic design, furniture placement, flower care, and lighting considerations. Naturally, she couldn’t finish it all in one afternoon. Though she loved flowers and knew many types, she still had to study and adapt to the real-world context. So she had only sketched a small section.
She said, “Yu Qing wants to do a split-level. The staircase design is important, so I plan to place the wisteria there.”
Fu Xingzhou replied in a low voice, “Good idea. Great spot for photos, and easy to maintain.”
Wisteria was the city flower of Nancheng, so it had to be included. Placing it by the stairs would create a strong visual impression as soon as someone walked in. Wen Yang smiled with her eyes, and then continued sharing more design ideas with him—some a bit far-fetched, perhaps not realistic, but she still said them aloud. Fu Xingzhou listened attentively and didn’t interrupt or dismiss anything.
It was good that she was willing to share.
Better than keeping it bottled up and getting stuck.
After she was done—
Fu Xingzhou wrapped an arm around her waist and asked gently,
“Are you free tomorrow night?”
Wen Yang looked up into his eyes. “What’s up?”
Fu Xingzhou said, “Qingyang is planning a celebration party. We’re inviting your studio team too. Want to come?”
Wen Yang’s eyes lit up. “Did the sales do well?”
He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, looking down with a smile. “Yeah.”
Wen Yang gasped. “Wow! Sure, I’m in!”
“Jiang Yue will pick you up tomorrow night.”
“Okay!”
—
The next day.
Wen Yang returned to the studio and announced the news to everyone, inviting them and asking if they were free and wanted to attend.
Everyone was eating breakfast, and upon hearing the news, they all raised their hands.
“Of course! If there’s fun to be had, we’re in!”
“Whoa, does this mean Qingyang’s sales are killing it? It’s only been out for a short time and we’re already having a celebration party?” Tao Li said, biting on her chopsticks.
Yu Qing tore open her bread, leaned forward, and said, “You couldn’t even get your hands on it—what do you think that says about the sales?”
Tao Li chuckled. “True that. So, should we all get dolled up this afternoon?”
Yu Qing replied, “Absolutely. Put on your best outfit—who knows, maybe there’ll be some handsome execs from Qingyang. You might even swap WeChats and ditch the single life.”
Hearing that…
Tao Li, thinking of Wen Yang’s boyfriend Fu Zong and anyone connected to him, immediately got excited. Wen Yang smiled at their antics and sat down in front of her computer.
Around 4:30 PM, Wen Yang was dragged by Yu Qing and Tao Li to touch up her makeup. Wen Yang had only applied light makeup in the morning, so she just freshened up her lipstick. Yu Qing and Tao Li, on the other hand, started completely over.
Wen Yang watched them with a smile, even handing them eyebrow pencils.
The celebration party was being held in Qingyang’s back garden. Wen Yang had visited before—it was a perfect setting for gatherings. Around 5 PM, Jiang Yue drove up outside.
Wen Yang led Yu Qing and Tao Li downstairs. They were worried Fu Xingzhou might be in the car, so Yu Qing dragged Tao Li to take her tiny Mini Cooper instead. Watching their car speed off, Wen Yang was slightly amused.
Jiang Yue smiled and said, “Miss Wen, please get in. Also, President Fu had something come up last minute—he said for you to enjoy yourself first.”
Wen Yang responded with an “Oh.” She understood—if he had been free, Jiang Yue wouldn’t be the one picking her up. She got in with a smile and said, “Secretary Jiang, thank you for the trouble.”
“No trouble at all.”
Jiang Yue closed the car door.
Wen Yang placed her laptop on the armrest. The black car started moving. Jiang Lang was driving another car with the other colleagues. The studio was small—three cars were enough.
Everyone had been so busy lately, it was rare to have a chance to relax—so everyone went.
Plus, everyone figured with Wen Yang’s boyfriend being that level of bigshot, any celebration party he organized wouldn’t be simple. They had to go experience it.
They didn’t know how Yu Qing drove, but she actually arrived faster than Jiang Yue. When Wen Yang got out, Yu Qing had just parked and was holding Tao Li’s arm. Seeing Wen Yang get out alone, she waved enthusiastically.
Wen Yang smiled and walked over. Yu Qing immediately grabbed her arm and asked:
“Where’s your husband?”
Wen Yang gave her a side glance, her cheeks slightly hot, but she didn’t bother to correct her. “He’s busy tonight.”
“Oooh! Then we can really let loose. Hahaha!”
Which made sense—why would President Fu show up to something like this? Being around them little nobodies would be awkward. Better he didn’t come—the pressure would be too much. Wen Yang saw how happy she looked, pinched her lightly, and walked in with the two of them.
Tonight, Qingyang truly looked different—beautifully decorated, filled with many types of South City flowers. Once they stepped into the back garden, it looked even better. Colorful balloons were everywhere, and there was a long buffet table filled with food.
There were cakes, cookies, juice, alcohol—extravagant and luxurious.
Tao Li’s eyes sparkled. “Waaah!”
Yu Qing cursed in awe. “This is a celebration party? It’s like a dream! And how did they get these lights to look so good?”
As everyone was admiring the scene…
They suddenly realized something felt off—it looked more like a proposal setup, especially the floral path under Wen Yang’s feet. With a snap, all the lights along the path lit up.
Yu Qing and Tao Li instinctively stepped away from the flower path.
Wen Yang froze slightly and looked up—
Fu Xingzhou, dressed in a sharp suit and holding a bouquet, was walking steadily toward her.
His steps were firm, eyes deep as ink. When he reached her, Wen Yang’s heart was pounding. He handed her the bouquet. She took it and instinctively hugged it tightly.
Fu Xingzhou looked into her eyes, took out a ring, held her hand, and knelt on one knee. Looking up at her, eyes filled with tenderness, he said:
“There are so many things I want to say, but I don’t know where to start. Thank you for appearing in my life. You are a gift.”
“I know you’re not afraid of marrying me—but I still want to formally propose.”
“Wen Yang, will you marry me?”
Waaaah—!
Cheering erupted behind them.
Among the voices were Lu Zhan and Fu Bin, both dressed sharply in suits, here as witnesses to the moment.
Sansukini: So sweet.
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