"Son, remember to finish the local specialty I sent you within a month. It won't taste as good after a month. Let me know when you've finished it."
The phone rang with Shang Shujue's concerned chatter. Shang Linyu sat beside him, fiddling with a flowerpot, preparing to plant a newly arrived tulip bulb. A smile played on his lips, and his eyes were filled with happiness.
"I'll send you more. Don't starve yourself while you're working there all by yourself. If you really don't feel like cooking, just go to your brother's house. His cooking skills are almost as good as your Uncle Song's."
"Also, don't always stay in the shop alone. When you have free time, go for a walk in the nearby scenic spots, accompany your sister Linyi shopping, or help her carry things."
"Always being alone is going to drive you crazy, don't you hear me? Why aren't you talking to your dad?"
Shang Shujue talked on and on, while Shang Linyu didn't say a word or even show his face.
Shang Shujue knew that this brat was probably fiddling with his beloved flowers, but he wanted to let him know that he cared about his attitude and response, so he had to ask.
"Dad, I'm planting tulips." Sure enough, after hearing the question, Shang Linyu took out his phone and took pictures of his face, the flowerpot, and the tulip bulbs in front of him.
"Look, it's a double-petaled variety. When it fully blooms, it looks just like a hibiscus. It's a new variety, and it's very beautiful."
"Oh~ does it look like this after it blooms? Hahaha, is it still a tulip after it's all burst open?"
"Of course! I love how it blooms naturally, so free and unrestrained."
"Hahaha... Yeah, kid, haven't you been eating properly lately? Look at your face in the mirror, you're even thinner than last month, you've lost a lot of weight."
Shang Shujue chatted with Shang Linyu about flowers, then couldn't help but focus on his face, which resembled hers by about 50%. She couldn't help but frown, thinking he looked thinner.
"When your Uncle Song and I get back from our trip, if you're still chubby and healthy, even if you're twenty-seven or twenty-eight, I'll still beat you up..."
Hearing Shang Shujue's words, Shang Linyu couldn't help but smile foolishly twice. "No way! You're just imagining things because you haven't seen me in a long time. I eat properly every day."
"My brother has delicious food delivered to him every day, so he's never hungry. How could he possibly lose weight? You're mistaken."
"Really?" Shang Shujue remained skeptical, but after looking closely at his face, she felt relieved. "He seems plausible. Okay, Dad won't nag you anymore."
"Oh, right, I bought you some clothes and pants. They should arrive today. Try them on, and let me know if they don't fit, and I'll get you a better pair."
Shang Linyu paused, blinked involuntarily, and looked slightly troubled. "Dad, I already have so many clothes, I don't even have enough to wear when I work at the flower shop, why are you buying more?"
"Dad can't buy it if he wants to. There are some left for your brother and sister. Have them come over and pick them out together. You can wear them when you're working too. They won't look new after wearing them a few times."
"Okay, have fun, Dad. Bye-bye."
"Um."
Shang Linyu hung up the phone and was about to continue planting the tulips when he heard the doorbell ring.
He reflexively looked up and saw that it was the girl who often came to buy flowers. He paused unconsciously. The girl's name was Bai Yingying, and she was a student at a nearby university.
She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she was pretty and had a charming smile with her eyes crinkling and her expression lively.
She seemed to have deliberately worn light makeup today, with her eyebrows shaped and light-colored lipstick applied, paired with a bright orange fitted tulle dress. She looked radiant and beautiful.
She's dressed so beautifully today, where is she going? Shang Linyu looked at the pretty girl who looked completely different from usual and couldn't help but wonder.
"Boss, I'm back again. Are you happy to welcome me?"
After Bai Yingying entered, her bright, beautiful almond-shaped eyes scanned the store. When she saw him, she paused for a moment, her ear tips turning slightly red. She then placed her hands behind her back, looking lively and adorable.
"Welcome, welcome..." Shang Linyu felt a moment of nervousness when he saw her, but he quickly suppressed it, reflexively dusting himself off as he stood up. "What kind of flowers would you like today?"
Bai Yingying smiled at Shang Linyu again, then turned to look at the cut flowers beside her, before pointing to the sunflowers in the small blue bucket.
"I'll take this one today. I plan to use it to confess my feelings. Please make it look nice, boss."
Shang Linyu stared at the beautifully blooming sunflowers, her movements freezing for a moment. She has someone she likes? No wonder she's dressed so beautifully today? How jealous...
Shang Linyu didn't know what he was feeling at that moment. He only felt a tightness in his chest. It took him a long time to find his voice, control his expression, turn around and pretend to be busy, but he almost ground his back teeth to powder.
"Okay, I'll pick out some more flowers to match. Please sit down and wait a moment, it'll be ready soon."
"Okay, thank you."
Shang Linyu felt a little jealous, but when dealing with her beloved flowers, she still took them out gently, patiently trimmed, arranged, and packaged them.
Bai Yingying sat on the sofa watching Shang Linyu's hand movements, and thought his fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, very beautiful, and her ears couldn't help but turn red again.
She looked down at her phone. Her three roommates were chattering and cheering her on in the group chat, saying they were waiting for her at the coffee shop across the street. She instinctively looked over and saw the three of them waving at her in a funny way. She blushed instantly.
Oh dear, why did those three follow me? What if I confess my feelings and get rejected? How embarrassing...
Bai Yingying looked away from her phone, took a deep breath, and exhaled. She looked at Shang Linyu, her eyes flickering slightly, her initial hesitation fading, and she became more determined.
Shang Linyu was unaware of Bai Yingying's thoughts. He pursed his lips and silently wrapped up the six sunflowers.
The packaging is very simple, with wrapping paper featuring eucalyptus leaves and khaki English lettering, giving it a retro yet elegant feel.