No...
The young man tapped his head.
That wasn't what he wanted to ask.
Plum blossoms were very beautiful, that was true.
But...
"Eldest Brother Xiao."
The young man took a deep breath.
It had been a long time since he'd asked a question so boldly.
He wasn't used to it.
Especially now that his earlier excitement had begun to fade.
"It..."
"When I first saw it..."
"It wasn't... blooming..."
"It seemed..."
Looking at Eldest Brother Xiao's unchanged expression, he grew even less certain.
"Did I see it wrong?"
"Eldest Brother Xiao..."
"You saw it before it bloomed?"
Xiao Xiao smiled.
There was a smile in his eyes, too.
Not because of the young man, but because of Plum Blossom Woman.
Plum Blossom Woman had just made a little mistake.
The changing seasons didn't affect her very much.
Whenever she wished, the plum blossoms could bloom without ever fading.
Spring, summer, fall, or winter.
To avoid trouble, whenever strangers came into the courtyard, she would put away the blooming plum blossoms.
But that was only necessary in spring, summer, and fall.
Winter was the season when plum blossoms naturally bloomed.
There was no need to hide them.
But when she saw the stranger behind Lord Xiao Xiao just now, Plum Blossom Woman had instinctively put away the blossoms.
She'd forgotten that it was winter, when plum blossoms were in bloom.
As it happened, this time Lord Xiao Xiao had brought someone to see the plum blossoms.
A rare look of chagrin appeared on Plum Blossom Woman's face.
"...Yeah..."
The young man answered without much conviction.
His voice rose slightly at the end.
"You didn't see it wrong."
Xiao Xiao's words left the young man stunned.
Huh?
Huh?!
The young man finally reacted.
"Then—"
His voice was