Feast of Flowers

The man seemed ill-tempered and unconcerned about others' opinions, standing by the roadside hurling insults without hesitation.

“That idiot, besides money and a face, what’s so great about him?”

Hua Jin stood silently in a corner, thinking that someone with both money and looks was actually quite remarkable.

The man in the leather jacket continued his rant. Hua Jin leaned against the wall, listening quietly. After a busy day, standing quietly in a corner listening to someone curse seemed to lighten her mood. More importantly, the man cursed with style and vigor, as if he could beat the person to death if they dared to appear before him.

“Yo, isn’t this Chen’s second son?” A red sports car stopped under the streetlight, tracing an elegant arc.

Recognizing the person inside, Chen Sen’s jaw dropped. “Mr… Mr. Pei?” He gave a dry laugh. “I’m… admiring the moon here.”

“Oh?” Pei Yan glanced at the pitch-black sky. “It seems your eyesight is quite good.”

Chen Sen looked up, realizing there was no moon tonight. The atmosphere turned awkward.

“It’s quite hot tonight. You’re even sweating?” Pei Yan got out of the car, casually tossed his suit jacket inside, walked over to Chen Sen, and patted his shoulder. “Hmm?”

“No… no.” Chen Sen forced a smile. “Why is Mr. Pei here?”

“The road on the right is congested, so of course I had to take a different route. This road has fewer pedestrians, and I don’t like speeding, so with a slower speed, wouldn't I see you at a glance?” Pei Yan spoke as if he hadn't noticed Chen Sen’s discomfort. “Shall I join you in admiring the moon?”

“No need, no need. You’re a busy man; how can you accompany me in such a trivial matter?” Hearing the word "speeding," Chen Sen's facial muscles twitched. His younger brother had been hospitalized due to a speeding accident. Pei Yan deliberately bringing this up was clearly mocking his brother. However, with a major project of his family relying on Pei Yan’s investment, he could only endure the humiliation despite his extreme displeasure.

“Someone like me, with nothing to do but spend money, how busy can I be? Don’t you think so?” Pei Yan crossed his arms and said lazily, “Admiring the moon seems quite nice.”

Chen Sen chuckled dryly, unsure how to respond. All he could think about was whether Pei Yan had heard his earlier rant. Pei Yan's silence and inaction only amplified his unease.

A few months ago, Pei Yan was still calling someone his brother. Who knew that the next day, he would halt all cooperation with that person's family? The family was baffled and pleaded with many people to apologize. In the end, this great lord said the reason for the falling out was that he couldn't stand the other party littering.

This reason was so perfunctory that it left people speechless. Everyone knew it was just an excuse. But since then, almost no one dared to litter in Pei Yan's presence.

The circle of wealthy people was large, and there were many with eccentric personalities, but few were as peculiar as Pei Yan.

Normal people acted predictably, while eccentrics often did things that were baffling. Best not to provoke them.

Hua Jin thought that this scene was the legendary face-off: the insulter encountering the insulted. All the ranting and anger vanished, replaced by flattery and politeness.

She hadn't realized that someone with such a bad temper could also be two-faced.

“Hey, you…” Pei Yan suddenly turned around, meeting Hua Jin’s eyes. He walked towards her. “It’s almost dawn. What are you doing standing here?”

Hua Jin pointed at the sky: “Watching for the moon to come out.”

Pei Yan: "…"

The conversation, before it even began, died. After three seconds of silent eye contact, Hua Jin shifted her feet. “Then I won’t disturb you. You can chat.”

Pei Yan watched her blinking eyes. Her dark pupils reflected the streetlight, like a lake reflecting moonlight.

“Wait.” Pei Yan stopped her. “You’re so young. Don’t wander around outside so late. Protect yourself. You can be careless about many things, but you only have one life.”

After a brief pause, Hua Jin gave Pei Yan a bright smile. “Thank you for the reminder, handsome.”

Pei Yan lifted his chin. “Then let’s go.”

“Go where?” Hua Jin took several steps back, clutching her chest. “I’m a decent person.”

“Crazy.” Pei Yan looked at her, perplexed. “I’ll take you home.”

“Thank you for your kindness, but no need. I’ve called a car.” Hua Jin raised her phone. A driver had already accepted her ride request on the app.

Pei Yan nodded stiffly, turning to leave. After taking a few steps, someone tugged on the back of his shirt. He turned to look at the woman behind him. She released the two fingers that had been holding the hem of his shirt.

“Just talk. Don’t pull on me.” Pei Yan stepped back.

“Sorry, my hand slipped.” Hua Jin rubbed her hands and whispered, “Since you’re so good-looking, I’ll tell you something.”

“What is it?” Pei Yan rolled up his sleeves, not looking at Hua Jin, his attitude somewhat cold.

“Your friend was just cursing someone named Pei Yan by the roadside.” Hua Jin waved her hand. “That’s all. My ride is here. Bye.”

The woman’s retreating figure was elegant. Her pace was unhurried, like a proud peacock, a very flamboyant one. Because only flamboyant peacocks were so… appreciative of beauty.

“Mr. Pei, is that lady your friend?” Chen Sen approached Pei Yan, a fawning smile on his face. “She’s really beautiful.”

“Beautiful?” Pei Yan recalled those sparkling eyes, his tone indifferent. “Just so-so. Not as eye-catching as you on the street.”

Chen Sen: ?

“After all, there aren’t many people like you who curse loudly in the streets.” Pei Yan dropped this line and turned towards his car.

Chen Sen’s heart tightened. He hurried after Pei Yan. “Mr. Pei, let me explain.”

Pei Yan ignored him, opened the car door, and sat inside. Chen Sen leaned against the car door. “Mr. Pei, Mr. Pei…”

“Don’t worry. Your grandfather is a good man. I won’t bother with such a small matter.” Pei Yan glanced at Chen Sen’s hand gripping the car door. “Let go.”

Chen Sen quickly retracted his hand.

Pei Yan scoffed, rolled up the window, and blasted Chen Sen with exhaust fumes as he drove away.

He enjoyed seeing people who clearly disliked him but couldn't do anything about it.

Lying in her comfortable bed, Hua Jin stretched luxuriously. It was past one in the morning, but she couldn’t sleep. She checked the weather forecast for the next two days on her phone. No wonder her knees ached so badly today; it was going to rain.

She opened Weibo. Before she could refresh, countless notifications froze her phone. Startled, she jumped out of bed, restarting her phone while racking her brain to remember if she had recently posted anything controversial on Weibo.

It seemed that besides posting embroidery pictures, she hadn’t done anything else, right?

After restarting her phone, she nervously opened Weibo. Her last post had thousands of comments. Confused, she wondered who had bought her comments without leaving their name.

Clicking on the comments, she found they were all praising her skills or her kindness.

Being praised by so many people was certainly gratifying, but… why did they all call her "Master"? Was there some misunderstanding?

What had happened in these few short days?

A knock came at the door. Hua Jin frowned. Who would be looking for her so late?

“Hua Jin, are you there?” It was Qin Jie’s voice.

Hua Jin put down her phone, peeked through the crack in the door, and opened it. “Qin Jie, you’re still awake so late?”

“I had some things to do today, so I went to bed late.” Qin Jie was wearing a coat, which looked like outerwear. She peered inside. “Can I come in?”

“Please come in.” Hua Jin let Qin Jie in and poured her a glass of water.

Qin Jie talked about work and the weather before finally getting to the point. “You’re twenty-four now, right?”

Hua Jin stopped peeling the fruit and looked up at Qin Jie.

“It’s not easy for you to be out here on your own. Have you thought about finding someone to take care of you?” Qin Jie brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re beautiful and skilled. If you’re looking for a boyfriend, I’m sure there would be a line of people willing to date you.”

Hua Jin placed the peeled apple on a plate, wiped the fruit knife, and smiled politely. “Qin Jie, you’re joking. I have no car, no house. What do I have to offer in a relationship?”

“You don’t have them, but the boy does, isn’t that enough?” Qin Jie said. “There’s a young man from my family, a university graduate. His family is local, his parents are kind and hardworking, and he works at a big company. I heard his monthly salary is at least twenty or thirty thousand. He came to my place a few days ago and happened to see your picture. He kept asking me for your contact information. I thought since you didn't know about this, I wanted to discuss it with you first. I didn’t expect you to come back so late. I hope I didn’t disturb your sleep.”

“Qin Jie, I’m not looking for a relationship right now.” Hua Jin placed the fruit in front of Qin Jie. “Please thank him for his kindness.” Just based on her looks, without even knowing her personality, he wanted to be set up with her. How long could such a superficial relationship last?

“Young people have more in common to talk about. Even if you don’t become lovers, adding each other as friends is good.” Seeing Hua Jin’s lack of response, Qin Jie continued to persuade. “He keeps coming to me, and I’m getting a headache.”

“Don’t think I’m being harsh, but there are so many young people out there who want to find a partner with local household registration. You…”

Qin Jie wanted to say, you’re a girl from a small town, with no money and no diploma. Even if you’re pretty, marrying a local with a car and a house is considered marrying up. But seeing Hua Jin’s downcast eyes and silence, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Author's Note:

Mr. Pei, a five-virtue, four-beauty upstanding youth of high society.

ʕ◉ᴥ◉ʔ

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