Feast of Flowers

Having heard too many stories of morality being discarded for money, this ordinary story became touching.

In this long Weibo post, the blogger included a photo of the man's back and various items he had bought for his wife, including the dragon and phoenix quilt.

After seeing the photo of the dragon and phoenix quilt, some netizens raised doubts.

Doubting Netizen: This story is beautiful, but it seems embellished. Those unfamiliar with the craft might think such an embroidered quilt can be made in two or three days. Someone in my family is interested in embroidery, so I know a little about it. The dragons and phoenixes in the photo are elegant and lively, not something an ordinary embroiderer can create. Not to mention whether an embroiderer of this level would work overtime to embroider a quilt, even if they were willing, the price of this quilt wouldn't be affordable for a family like this.

Passerby Netizen A: To the friend who said the story is embellished, it seems you didn't read the article carefully. The blogger specifically mentioned in the article that the shop owner rushed to make the dragon and phoenix quilt for the couple and only charged a nominal fee.

Passerby Netizen B: To be honest, dragon and phoenix quilts have always struck me as old-fashioned, ugly, and outdated. But the dragon and phoenix quilt in the blogger's photo is not only not old-fashioned but also quite magnificent. It's kind of changed my perception.

Passerby Netizen C: Perhaps… this is the charm of traditional art?

Under this Weibo post, some lamented love, some revered responsibility, and some mentioned traditional culture and art. In modern society, with its fast pace of life and high pressure, many people maintain a serious and formal facade in reality, only to become relaxed and unrestrained online, gossiping without reservation.

They are moved by the love of others, but dare not easily give their own feelings.

Society is full of all kinds of people, some poor, some rich.

At a luxurious banquet, men and women in exquisite clothing mingled, seeking better means of cooperation. Doing business these days is not easy. Established companies have public recognition and occupy an advantageous position in the market, while new companies are springing up like mushrooms after rain, with ever-evolving sales tactics. Every holiday season, they must try their best to attract more consumers and guarantee sales.

Life in this world is never easy.

Lu Jia came with a friend. He had made his fortune in the scrap recycling business, then invested in real estate and earned a considerable amount of money. He then started his own company and became a proper boss. Some time ago, a failed investment cost him a lot of money.

"Brother, it's not that I don't want to help you, but your project requires a large investment with no guaranteed return." A business associate who used to call him brother immediately started complaining when he heard Lu Jia was seeking investment. "My small assets aren't enough to invest in this."

Hearing the rejection, Lu Jia drained his champagne glass and forced a smile. "I know, it's not easy for anyone."

Seeing Lu Jia like this, his associate felt a little guilty and pulled him aside, whispering, "Let me tell you something. I can't guarantee if it's true, but I heard that the famous Prodigal Son will also be attending this banquet. If he takes a liking to your project, any amount of money is just a word away."

"Prodigal Son?" Lu Jia gave a wry smile. "Where are there prodigal sons in the business world?"

In this arena of fame and fortune, who isn't trying to squeeze every last drop of profit?

Seeing Lu Jia's disbelief, his associate became anxious: "It's Pei Yan, the one who inherited a massive fortune."

As an ordinary businessman, Lu Jia wasn't very familiar with the top business circles. He had heard of Pei Yan and only knew that the man was fortunate, inheriting a fortune he couldn't spend in several lifetimes after his elders passed away.

Could it be that he was called the "Prodigal Son" because he was too rich?

As he was thinking, his associate tugged on his sleeve: "Here he comes, the Prodigal Pei is here."

Lu Jia looked over curiously and saw several men in suits surrounding a young man with a fair complexion and rosy lips. The young man walked with a somewhat lazy gait, but because of his long legs and outstanding appearance, he stood out among the other men like a crane among chickens.

"If you can curry favor with him tonight, your project will definitely be fine."

Hearing these words, Lu Jia took a few steps forward as if possessed.

"Mr. Pei, this is my daughter. She is quite knowledgeable about red wine. Why don't you let her introduce some to you…"

"No, thank you," Pei Yan interrupted. "I'm not interested in red wine."

The man who spoke looked slightly embarrassed. He turned to look at his daughter behind him and led her out of the crowd.

"Mr. Pei." Soon, a director holding a wine glass walked up to Pei Yan. "I didn't expect to have the honor of meeting you here today."

Pei Yan looked at him without speaking.

"These are the male and female leads of my new drama. They both admire you very much, so I brought them here to toast you." Seeing Pei Yan's lack of response, the director smiled ingratiatingly and gestured for the two actors who had come with him to offer a toast.

"I've seen this male lead before," Pei Yan said, taking a glass of wine from the waiter and taking a small sip. "The dog demon you played was very interesting."

The director and the actress glanced at the actor, only smiling and daring not to say anything. The dog demon was a role the actor played when he first debuted ten years ago. Not only were the costumes and makeup in the drama shoddy, but his image in it was also ugly. So, for years, anyone who mentioned this role in front of him would upset him. This was something many people in the industry knew.

"It's my honor to have Mr. Pei remember a role I played." The actor, who usually enjoyed throwing his weight around, not only didn't get angry but even gave a brilliant smile and drained his glass of wine.

A smile finally appeared on Pei Yan's face. He nodded to the director: "The casting is good. If you still need investment, you can contact my assistant."

"Thank you, Mr. Pei, thank you so much." The director thanked him repeatedly. He glanced sideways and saw the actress still staring at Pei Yan, so he quickly shielded her behind him. "I dare not take up too much of your time. Please, go ahead with your evening."

"Mm." Pei Yan nodded slightly, loosened his tie, which was a bit tight, and walked in another direction, surrounded by a group of people.

Those who couldn't squeeze in looked enviously at the director. Someone had actually secured investment from Prodigal Pei so quickly.

"Director, Mr. Pei just agreed to invest in us, and you let him go. Will Mr. Pei think we're burning bridges?" The actress came back to her senses and quickly complimented the director. "You're so amazing. Many people don't even have the face to speak to Mr. Pei."

"This one has a bit of a temper and isn't interested in the usual industry games. His behavior is like the weather in June, changing at a whim. Don't cause trouble for yourself." After saying this, the director patted the actor on the shoulder. "This is a rare opportunity. You need to know what to say and what not to say in front of the media from now on."

The actor nodded.

In the face of huge profits, even a hated past can become the most cherished and nostalgic memory.

Lu Jia finally believed that his friend hadn't lied to him. Since Pei Yan's appearance, people had been constantly surrounding him, and many couldn't even find a chance to speak to him.

After the banquet, Lu Jia walked out of the hotel dejectedly. He had gone through a lot of trouble to attend this banquet, but he had gained nothing.

The night breeze was gentle. As he walked towards the parking area, he heard a bang, seemingly coming from Parking Area B. After hesitating for a moment, he walked towards Area B and saw a sanitation worker in an orange vest lying on the ground. The cleaning cart had tipped over, but thankfully, there wasn't much trash inside.

Lu Jia didn't want to get involved, but when he first started out, relying on collecting garbage to survive, he once fainted from hunger on the roadside. It was a few sanitation workers who helped him up and gave him a full meal.

"Are you alright?" After righting the overturned cleaning cart, Lu Jia was worried that the sanitation worker had injured his bones, so he didn't dare move him. "Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

"No, no need." The sanitation worker, over fifty years old, waved his hands repeatedly. "I'm fine, I just accidentally fell." Seeing Lu Jia's elegant suit, the sanitation worker said, "The cleaning cart is very dirty; it will stain your clothes."

"What's the use of wearing nice clothes?" Lu Jia rolled up his sleeves, bent down to help the sanitation worker up, and helped him sweep up the garbage on the ground. "It's late. Be careful on your way back."

"Thank you, thank you." The sanitation worker thanked him profusely and took out a tissue from his pocket, wanting Lu Jia to wipe his hands clean.

"It's fine." Listening to the sanitation worker's continuous thanks, Lu Jia's mood suddenly brightened. So what if his company might go bankrupt? He had survived by collecting garbage back then; now that he had a house and a car, was he afraid he couldn't make it through?

"Hey." A bright red sports car stopped in front of him. The window rolled down, revealing a familiar face. "You've been circling around me all night. Do you want me to invest?"

Lu Jia looked at the person in disbelief: "Mr. Pei?"

Pei Yan raised an eyebrow, looking like he didn't want to talk much, and tossed him a business card: "Call this number tomorrow. Someone will discuss the cooperation with you."

Even after the bright red sports car had left, leaving Lu Jia with a face full of exhaust fumes, he still hadn't recovered.

Had Mr. Pei noticed him trying to squeeze in beside him at the banquet?

Asking him to discuss cooperation tomorrow meant… his company wouldn't go bankrupt?

These past few days, Hua Jin had been closing her shop an hour later than usual because she was working on custom-made koi embroidery pieces for a client. Tan Yuan wanted to stay with her, but Hua Jin was worried about Gao Yi and Uncle Tan, the elderly couple at home, so she let Tan Yuan go back first.

After checking the power supply, Hua Jin locked the shop door and heard someone cursing nearby.

"Pei Yan is such a damn jerk! My brother is hospitalized after a car accident, and he came to visit like some kind of big shot. I really don't know if he came to visit the injured or to watch the fun."

She looked towards the source of the sound. Under the streetlight, a man in a leather jacket was holding a mobile phone, his face full of anger and resentment.

Author's Note:

Prodigal Pei: Money is a worldly possession, spend it if you want to~

ʕ◉ᴥ◉ʔ

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