Chapter 36: Enchanting Night

Although Qiu Zhi really wanted to refuse Su Ziceng’s request, he had been taught to keep his promises since childhood, so despite having a million reluctances, he agreed to Su Ziceng’s request, which sounded rather "excessive." Afterwards, Qiu Zhi gentlemanly escorted Su Ziceng to the gate of Daoquan University. Along the way, countless glances converged on the two of them. After thoughtful deliberation and the nth time being awkwardly swept by ambiguous eyes, Su Ziceng and Qiu Zhi simultaneously said, "This is it." Both had commitments, and both were potential notables in their own city; it was better to keep a low profile privately. Watching Qiu Zhi hurry away hastily, Su Ziceng shook her head, unable to imagine that this same Qiu Zhi would one day dominate the stock market. She reminisced about what that young man had just mentioned about Mussen’s Blessing. According to Qiu Zhi, he received Mussen’s blessing a month later than she did, which was a week before the Eve Ball. Because the color of his White Ball attire from the Green Love did not match, he didn’t use it immediately. After wearing the Green Love, everything about his life went on normally without any apparent "blessed" effects. At this point, Qiu Zhi gave Su Ziceng a rueful look. If meeting Su Ziceng was one way of expressing "Mussen’s Blessing," then perhaps there was some change. After parting with Qiu Zhi, Su Ziceng thought to herself that this means Qiu Zhi didn’t encounter any unforeseen circumstances like she did. Su Ziceng walked past the artificial lake "West Lake." On the pebble-paved lake beach, the green waves of the day had turned pitch black under the night sky, washing by the shoreside clay. Being preoccupied, Su Ziceng walked slowly. By the time she reached Kelly Women’s College, it was already half past ten. At this time, either the Kelly female students were resting or engaging in pre-sleep prayers, making the surroundings very quiet. The path to the common dormitory at Kelly Women’s College was narrower than the main campus road. As she walked, she could occasionally hear the minute sound of wild grass being bent underfoot. Near the corner approaching the common apartment, one of the streetlights was broken and hadn’t been fixed yet. With the view a bit blurry, Su Ziceng could only rely on the moonlight to find her way when suddenly a crisp metal bell collision sound reached her ears. She stopped walking, thinking she accidentally dropped the keys from her pocket. As her hand instinctively reached into her shorts pocket, she realized she didn’t have any pockets on her. She had forgotten to bring her keys when she left home. Usually, there are guards by the door, and it took her a moment to adjust to that. By this time, Yang Wuxu was probably already asleep. As for her new roommate, Su Ziceng couldn’t say she liked her. Yang Wuxu was very cautious, even chewing her food carefully in front of her, fearing even the slightest unnecessary noise. Especially tonight, after learning about Su Ziceng’s acquaintances with other elite heirs like Hang Yishao, her gaze changed. "Every girl who leaves 'Admiration' takes away a gift," recalled Su Ziceng, remembering Sister Mu's words. Yang Wuxu left "Admiration" somewhat disheveled, but judging from her behavior today, she was a person who was prudent and knew how to read others’ expressions. Su Ziceng suddenly understood why she didn’t like Yang Wuxu—it was because she gave Su Ziceng a sense of familiarity, a sensation she had seen before in Chang Mei. Chang Mei was also a cautious person; she was originally a caretaker and close friend of Su Ziceng’s mother, Qiao Chu. Throughout the time when Qiao Chu was pregnant and until her death, she stayed close to Su Qingzhang. Her hostility towards Su Ziceng was well-hidden, appearing overly polite to Su Ziceng in front of others. To the extent that, in the eyes of Su Qingzhang and the others, it was the capricious Su Ziceng who harbored hostility against Chang Mei and her daughter. Su Ziceng thought sarcastically, if Chang Mei harbored no animosity towards her, why would Chang Chi continuously be at odds with her? It’s better not to trouble Yang Wuxu, Su Ziceng thought, and she turned to walk back. The night restrictions in the common dormitory were not strict, and all night security matters were managed by the external apartment dormitory administration. She would have to head back near the walls of Kelly Women’s College for the keys. The metallic sound rang out again; Su Ziceng now clearly identified its source—it came from several fiberglass-reinforced greenhouses next to the ordinary apartment. Although referred to as greenhouses, to align better with Kelly Women’s School’s noble image, these misnamed greenhouses, more accurately described as horticultural greenhouses, cultivate various flowers all year round, instead of greenhouse fruits and vegetables. Amid the hazy silhouettes of flowers, Su Ziceng saw that the light was still on in the third greenhouse, and the metallic sounds were indeed coming from inside. As she drew closer, the metallic sound was replaced by a ’sifting’ noise of sweeping; the door of the greenhouse was still open, emitting the distinctive scent of freshly pruned stems and leaves. Having just stepped outside the door, Su Ziceng heard a series of bell sounds, realizing that she had tripped over a thin red cord attached with dozens of silver-white bells. "Who’s there?" Su Ziceng heard a man’s voice that harmonized well with the quiet night. Peaceful and serene, the face that peeked out from the blooming roses captivated her momentarily. Still the vibrant rose red, and surrounded by dense green leaves, which, contrasted by the most striking green leaves from Pello, seemed somewhat less vibrant. "Pello?" Su Ziceng regained her breath; in the greenhouse, the moist scent of soil and freshly watered roses masked her slightly unnatural gaze. "You should call me teacher now," Pello said as he piled up the pruned flower leaves next to the flower bed. His sweeping movements were natural, and he seemed very familiar with the place, almost like a master florist. Kelly Women’s School really is extravagant to hire such a man to teach floristry. It’s normal for the school to teach things like flower arranging, Su Ziceng thought to herself. With someone like Pello, he should either be an artist or be counting rose petals with an orchid finger—that would be apt. "Do you teach gardening or flower arranging?" In the center of the greenhouse, there was a newly arranged pot of irises. Su Ziceng, who had never seen a formal greenhouse before, entered without invitation and wandered around. The Su Family’s garden was no small site either, but the flowers and trees trimmed there were all decent and valuable, like the clusters of pink roses imported from Bulgaria, meticulously calculated for how many flowers they bloom each year. From the outside, it looked very neat and exquisite, yet totally uninteresting, just like the rose bushes under Su Ziceng’s balcony, which would only bloom thirty-six roses each year, and any extra buds would be pruned off overly diligently by the gardener in spring. "A part," Pello cryptically replied without revealing his teaching content. "You will see me after a while." Su Ziceng didn’t catch the implication in his words. According to logic, one should meet every course instructor within a week at university, so why "after a while"? "I don’t do flower arranging," Su Ziceng shook her hand, "so you can’t be my teacher." Su Ziceng pulled a flower and held it under her nose, inhaling deeply—the pollen rushed into her nose, making it itch. Under the backdrop of roses, Su Ziceng’s skin appeared even finer and tenderly flushed. "You are a cruel person." Su Ziceng put down a few freshly cut roses, set her face sternly, and looked at Pello earnestly. Pello was stunned; did Su Ziceng know something?