February eighth.
Zhang Suannai was still sleeping in when Ning Qing went out. Ning Qing glanced at her tightly shut door, pursed her lips, and said nothing. She took Xiaoxiao to the cafeteria, where they each had a bowl of Hot-and-Sour Rice Noodles, then timed their departure for the school gate.
Chen Shu arrived at the gate just then.
There were already jacarandas blooming outside the school.
But the weather had warmed later than usual this year, so the flowers had bloomed a little late too. Perhaps they would be at their most beautiful in a few more days. Only the jacarandas around the palace were tended by dedicated cultivators. Cold weather or warm, they always reached their peak in early February.
Chen Shu had brought each of the sisters a stuffed flatbread. Then he hailed a cab, and they headed for the palace.
They soon reached Chang'an Gate Station. From there, they had to walk.
The moment Chen Shu got out of the cab, he let out a wow.
The place had already become a world of jacarandas.
The tall trees were covered in clusters of blue-violet blossoms, dense upon dense. Flowers were all he could see; not a leaf was in sight. Thanks to careful tending, the jacarandas here were a purer blue than those anywhere else. Dreamlike was the only word for them.
"Don't just stand there."
Ning Qing gave him a push from behind.
Chen Shu took a few steps forward. Fully armed guards were keeping order nearby, while a little loudspeaker urged people not to linger.
It was still early, though, and there weren't many people.
In a little while, the place would surely be packed.
Whenever the jacarandas bloomed, Jade Capital became the most beautiful city in the world.
Every year at this time,