Chapter Fifty-Six: These Flowers Suit You

Sheng Ming was a man of decisive action. Just as he had once traveled countless miles for that batch of antiques, he now moved swiftly for Xu Nuo’s sake. According to the clues provided by the butler, the person Xu Nuo relied on most in daily life was Gu Xingze—the very one Sheng Ming had always overlooked. Nearly every hour of the day, Gu Xingze’s actions revolved around Xu Nuo: preparing three meals, cleaning, tending the vegetable garden, patrolling the grounds, and chatting to keep her company.

Sheng Ming scoffed. “Whatever he can do, I can do even better.”

“Mr. Gu, to make amends for what happened, we’ll handle the cleaning for the next few days. Your injuries are serious, you need to rest,” the old butler said kindly, leading the servants to relieve Gu Xingze of his chores.

“Oh dear, you mustn’t get your wounds wet. Leave it to us...”

“Mr. Gu, be careful! It’s hard to manage with only one hand—let us help you.”

Xu Nuo soon noticed something was off. “This noodle soup... it doesn’t taste quite the same as before.”

“How is it?” Sheng Ming lifted his chin slightly, waiting for her reaction.

The old butler quickly explained, “We hired a special chef for you—he used to be the head chef at the Double Star Restaurant.”

“It’s all right,” Xu Nuo replied, glancing at Gu Xingze, who was still recovering from his injuries. A few meals from someone else wouldn’t hurt.

Her reaction was rather bland. Sheng Ming glanced at the butler, wondering if the information had been wrong. Didn’t Xu Nuo like tomato noodles?

The old butler sighed inwardly and tried again, calmly extolling the rarity of the fresh ingredients, the effort it took to source such noodles and vegetables. Yet to Xu Nuo, who had grown accustomed to the finest ingredients sent by her adoring fans, this bowl of noodles was just “all right.”

His carefully planned meal had failed to impress, but Sheng Ming was undeterred. He moved on to the next idea.

“The book says all girls love romance...”

In the distance, the flower fields swayed gently in the wind. Sheng Ming pressed his lips together in a smile.

“What surprise?” Xu Nuo looked suspiciously at Sheng Ming, who seemed bent on secrecy, and felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

“Close your eyes,” Sheng Ming instructed.

Xu Nuo watched him warily for a while before slowly closing her eyes—though she left a slight gap to peek through.

A heady floral fragrance swept over her. Before her eyes spread a radiant bouquet of golden-orange blossoms, vibrant and beautiful.

Her eyes widened. “What are these?”

“They’re for you. Keep them well. I picked them myself,” Sheng Ming declared, certain she’d be enchanted.

“Why did you pick the rapeseed flowers?” Xu Nuo took a deep breath, struggling to suppress her annoyance.

“Rapeseed flowers?” Sheng Ming looked at the bouquet, then at Xu Nuo’s expression, and pursed his lips.

“You picked them yourself?” she asked.

“...Yes.” Sheng Ming, though unfamiliar with rapeseed flowers, wasn’t so ignorant as to not know their purpose. He’d thought a handful of beautiful blossoms would make a romantic gift for Xu Nuo, but hadn’t realized these were not meant for such gestures.

The once orderly rapeseed field was now in disarray. Not only had Sheng Ming plucked a bouquet, but he’d also left a swath of the vegetable patch ravaged.

It was outrageous—Xu Nuo had watched those rapeseed flowers grow, watering and tending them daily, only to see them ruined.

She was furious. “If you wanted to pick flowers, why did you have to destroy the entire patch?”

Sheng Ming, for once, lost his usual confidence, looking both confused and frustrated. “...Because I wanted to choose only the best, the prettiest flowers for you.”

Xu Nuo almost laughed from sheer exasperation. “Do you really think rapeseed flowers are pretty?”

“They are, even if they’re just food.”

“And you’re beautiful, too. These flowers suit you.”