Feast of Flowers

Sometimes, living in the same social circles, people are bound to be related in some way, whether through marriage or sworn siblinghood.

Pei Yan had a peculiar temperament and didn't enjoy socializing with his peers. He found business elites too serious and playboys too unrestrained, so he had few close friends within his circle.

Yang Shao was considered one of his friends. Their grandparents were cousins, so when Yang Shao shamelessly pleaded with him to bring an elderly embroidery master back to his hometown, he agreed.

He respected those who pursued their craft with dedication.

Parking at the agreed location, Pei Yan scanned the area and dialed Yang Shao's number. "Tell me what this embroidery master looks like. This place is swarming with people. How am I supposed to find her?"

"Add her on WeChat?" Pei Yan frowned, listening to Yang Shao's various promises on the other end. Sighing, he said, "Fine, fine. For Grandaunt's sake, I'll help you."

Scanning the QR code Yang Shao sent, Pei Yan noticed the embroiderer's profile picture was a character from a game. He chuckled, This elderly person is quite trendy.

The friend request was quickly accepted, and Pei Yan sent his location. An elderly person who uses a game character as a profile picture should be able to understand a location map, right?

A message arrived.

Fan Hua: Thank you. I'm wearing a long red dress and a beige shawl with red embroidery. I'll be there in five minutes.

A long red dress…

Pei Yan had a nagging feeling that something was amiss.

A few minutes later, he saw a young woman in a red dress, pulling a suitcase across the street. His eyebrows knitted together.

This is the elderly embroidery master Yang Shao was talking about?

Since when did the standard for "elderly" drop below thirty?

As Pei Yan looked at Hua Jin, she also spotted him. Among the crowd, exceptionally attractive people naturally stood out, drawing attention effortlessly.

Crossing the street, Hua Jin saw Pei Yan still looking at her. She raised her hand and smiled. "Hi, what a coincidence."

Pei Yan continued to look at her expressionlessly.

In such a public place, Hua Jin still cared about saving face. Seeing Pei Yan's impassive expression, she stopped paying attention to him and turned to continue searching for Dong Dong's cousin. Dong Dong had said her cousin was very handsome and easily recognizable in a crowd. However, with Pei Yan present, every other man she looked at paled in comparison.

"Where are you going?" Seeing Hua Jin continuing forward, Pei Yan opened the back door of his car. "Get in."

Hua Jin clutched her chest, looking at Pei Yan incredulously. "What do you think you're doing in broad daylight?"

"What could I possibly do to you?" Pei Yan rolled up his sleeves, walked over to her, took her suitcase, and placed it in the trunk. He patted his hands, brushing off nonexistent dust. "I'm here to pick you up."

Hua Jin blinked. So Dong Dong wasn't lying. Her cousin truly was someone you could spot instantly in a crowd.

Seeing Hua Jin still standing there, Pei Yan opened the driver's door and said languidly, "Get in. Even if something were to happen between us, I'd be the one at a disadvantage, not you. You should be worried about me, not yourself."

Hua Jin: "…"

Young man, although you're very handsome, talking like that will get you beaten up.

"Should I sit in the front or the back?"

She'd read online that the passenger seat was reserved for close relations. However, directly sitting in the back seemed disrespectful.

"Whatever you like." Pei Yan got into the car and fastened his seatbelt. "It's about a three-hour drive from Furong City to our destination. If you're tired, you can lean back and sleep for a while."

Hua Jin thought for a moment and opened the passenger door, settling into the seat.

Handsome people have perfect side profiles too. Hua Jin watched as Pei Yan set the navigation and asked softly, "Are you unfamiliar with the route?"

Pei Yan glanced at her coldly. "I prefer quiet women."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm afraid I wasn't born to be your type. Can't change my nature. Please bear with me." Hua Jin took out two lollipops from her handbag, then hesitated and put them back. "It's safer not to eat while driving, so I won't offer you one."

"Who needs it…" Pei Yan started the car and snorted.

After leaving Furong City via the ring road, Pei Yan noticed that the woman who claimed she couldn't change her nature had been unusually quiet. Glancing at her, he saw her staring out the window, lost in thought.

"Are you hungry? There are some snacks in the cooler. Let's take a break at the service area." Pei Yan pulled into the service area and retrieved some drinks and snacks for Hua Jin.

"Thank you." Hua Jin opened a can and leaned against the car door. The weather was beautiful, with a few white clouds drifting across the azure sky, lifting her spirits. She squinted, taking out her phone to capture the sky. Turning her head, she saw Pei Yan drinking water and instinctively pressed the shutter button.

The moment she pressed it, Pei Yan looked up at her, his clear eyes meeting hers.

"You took a sneaky picture of me?" Pei Yan looked at Hua Jin.

"It was a perfectly open and honest photo. How is that sneaky?" Hua Jin held out her phone. "Here, you can delete it."

"I knew you were coveting my face." Pei Yan scoffed. "Keep it as a memento. You'll never find a more handsome boyfriend than me anyway."

"That's not true. My first love was a hundred times more handsome than you." Hua Jin put her phone away. "Boys shouldn't be so narcissistic. It'll scare girls away."

"Who was your first love?" Pei Yan raised an eyebrow. "Tell me."

"My first love is known by everyone. He's a remarkable man with both beauty and strength. There's absolutely no one more handsome than him in the world." Hua Jin tapped on her phone and showed the screen to Pei Yan. "See for yourself."

Seeing the person on the screen, Pei Yan fell silent. It was Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

"See? I wasn't lying." Hua Jin put her phone away and tossed the snack wrappers and empty can into the trash. Turning back, she saw Pei Yan also walking towards the trash can. Halfway there, he noticed a discarded milk carton on the ground and picked it up to throw it away as well.

"So your favorite is a monkey, not a human." Pei Yan's expression was subtle. "You have unusual taste." Without waiting for Hua Jin's response, he strode to the sink and meticulously washed his hands several times.

Hua Jin stared at his back for a moment before getting back into the passenger seat.

Pei Yan's hometown was in Jiangjiu City, famous throughout the country for its fine wines. As soon as they passed the Jiangjiu toll station, it started to rain. Pei Yan had no choice but to take Hua Jin to a hotel to stay for the night, planning to continue to his hometown when the rain stopped the next day.

In the evening, Pei Yan woke up and knocked on Hua Jin's door, only to find she wasn't there.

He frowned, about to take out his phone to contact her when he saw Hua Jin stepping out of the elevator.

"You went out?" Pei Yan noticed mud stains on the hem of her white dress.

"Yes," Hua Jin nodded. "I went to the old street to inquire about embroidery styles from decades ago."

Pei Yan's gaze softened. "Go change your clothes. We'll eat downstairs in the restaurant."

"Give me a moment. I'll be right there." Hua Jin returned to her room and changed into a different outfit. Opening the door, she saw Pei Yan was still waiting for her in the corridor. She smiled and thanked him.

"You're running around for my Grandaunt. You don't need to thank me." Pei Yan put his hands in his pockets. "I just didn't expect you to be a Shu embroidery master."

"Surprised? Unexpected?" Hua Jin stepped into the elevator. "But the main reason I came to Sichuan province this time is for myself, so I still want to thank you."

"For yourself?" Pei Yan's expression remained unchanged, but he was inwardly surprised. Hadn't Yang Shao told him that the Shu embroidery master had come to Sichuan specifically to research and create a panda handkerchief that would meet Grandaunt's expectations?

"Yes." Hua Jin smiled. "Shu embroidery is not just handiwork; it's an art form. To improve one's embroidery skills, one must overcome countless challenges and integrate technique with artistic conception and color to create the finest and most exquisite works."

Pei Yan remained silent. He admired Hua Jin's spirit, but her words… he didn't quite understand.

They stayed at the hotel overnight. The next day, the rain not only persisted but intensified. After lunch, seeing Pei Yan's growing impatience, Hua Jin suggested, "I heard the oil-paper umbrellas here are beautiful. Since it's raining, let's go buy a couple to play with."

"No," Pei Yan refused without hesitation. "This isn't West Lake, and I'm not Xu Xian. What would I do with an oil-paper umbrella? Act out the Legend of the White Snake?"

"I just want to hold an oil-paper umbrella in the rain and find some artistic inspiration. Maybe I'll have a sudden epiphany." Hua Jin's expression was serious. "People like us, who pursue art, pay attention to artistic conception."

"Rephrase that in simpler terms, and I might consider your suggestion."

"The oil-paper umbrellas are pretty. I want to use one in the rain and take pictures for my WeChat Moments." Hua Jin said it all in one breath.

Pei Yan stared at Hua Jin silently for three seconds. "That's it?"

"That's it."

Pei Yan put down his chopsticks and stood up. "Let's go."

"Where to?"

"To accompany you in your artistic pursuit, to find your inspirational artistic conception." Pei Yan crossed his arms and looked at her sideways, his voice laced with sarcasm. "To wait for that flash of brilliance in your brain."

"As expected of the handsome and kind Mr. Pei." Hua Jin picked up her bag and followed him. "At this moment, you appear so tall, so magnificent, a full three meters and eighty centimeters. If you remember to use a beauty filter when you take my picture later, you'll be eight meters and eighty centimeters tall."

Pei Yan paused, turning to glance at Hua Jin.

Take pictures?

Him?

Why?!

Author's Note:

Art: Pfft! Shameless. What does this have to do with me?!

ʕ◉ᴥ◉ʔ

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