17 beginning

On a more serious note, Xu Wenqi was not as stupid as he originally believed. While Shen Yue thought she would contact the mastermind behind her as soon as possible, he was not surprised to find out that she had not yet done so.

'After all, the snake hiding in the grass won't easily be drawn out,' sinisterly thought Shen Yue.

Shen Yue had the patience of a saint and he was willing to wait however long it took for his opponent to make the first move. He did not want to accidentally startle the snake by making a grand move on the chessboard. In this cruel game of life, he was determined to win regardless of how heavy the price he had to pay was.

The afternoon sun's golden rays flooded the top office floor, passing through the transparent glass window and landing on the cold man's profile. While its bright rays caressed his sharp cheeks gently with lingering warmth, there was no such temperature reflected in the man's dark cynical eyes.

___

Despite eating her fill, several dishes still lay on Xu Wenqi's wooden table. She decided to take some back to Shen Yue's house as an offering to the big demon. Packing up some fresh dishes at the request of Xu Wenqi, the waiter returned back with paper bags and the check. Xu Wenqi's eyes bulged when she received the check. The total figure printed neatly on the white receipt nearly caused her to faint. Fortunately, the original owner's wallet was stocked with black and platinum credit cards. Xu Wenqi silently lit a candle in her heart for the original owner's money while passing over one of the cards gracefully.

Leaving the restaurant, Xu Wenqi was revitalized to shop again. Being attracted by gorgeous window displays of various clothing stores, Xu Wenqi couldn't resist entering them and buying all types of items. By the time she realized it was evening, her slender arms were struggling to carry the large shopping bags. In the end, she had bought everything but a gift for Shen Yue.

'Blame me ah! I came here to buy something for Shen Yue and ended up buying everything for myself,' cried Xu Wenqi.

Arriving at a mall bench, she quickly put down all her bags to search for a plant shop on her phone. Fortunately, the nearest one was ten minutes away by car. Exiting the mall, Xu Wenqi noticed the indigo sky and decided to hurry home after buying Shen Yue a gift. Taking a taxi to the small shop, she pulled the door and was greeted by a friendly middle-aged aunt wearing a florist apron. The shop was decorated simply with its potted plants and exquisitely wrapped bouquets arranged neatly on the flower racks. The shop was packed with a variety of colors, from pale cream acacias to marsh-rosemary statices. The bright flowers and leafy plants emitted a fragrant scent unique to nature, tinging the air with a strong floral aroma.

"Hello, are you looking for a specific plant, flower, or custom bouquet?" asked the shopkeeper with a standard smile.

"No, I'm not sure exactly what type of plant I want," replied Xu Wenqi uncertainly. "I want to buy this for a...uhm...friend."

'Can I even be called friends with Shen Yue?' questioned Xu Wenqi. 'Forget it, let's just take this gift to level up our friendship then.'

"Oh, may I ask what's the occasion?"

"I want to send a simple gift that's meaningful."

"Ah, what about a jade plant? It represents prosperity, wealth, and friendship. It also has Feng Shui properties and is very good for purifying the air," suggested the shopkeeper.

While the symbolism of the jade plant was appropriate, the thick bulbous appearance of its leaves didn't appeal too much to Xu Wenqi.

"Oh, that's not bad. Is there anything else?"

"There's also a Calathea orbifolia plant, and it means to 'turn over a new leaf' or the start of a new beginning," recommended the shopkeeper.

The pale silver-green markings and pronounced dark veins on the grown leaves of the Calathea plant was quite pleasing to the eye as it elicited an exotic, tropical feel to the viewer.

'A new beginning...together?'

Xu Wenqi was startled at her own thoughts for a moment.

'Why does that sound so wrong? I meant as friends ah! Friends!' justified Xu Wenqi internally as she brushed off the shock impact of her earlier thought.

Noticing the hint of interest displayed on Xu Wenqi's face, the shopkeeper quickly offered, "If you would like, there are also baby Calathea plants that have not fully grown."

Bringing out a cute tiny potted Calathea plant that had just sprouted its leaves, the shopkeeper encouraged Xu Wenqi to buy it. In fact, Xu Wenqi did not need any persuasion; she was already seven points likely to buy it when she saw its elegant appearance. She thought both the look and meaning for the plant were very suitable for Shen Yue and imagining him holding a baby one was simply too exciting of a scene.

'A big man like him holding a cute small sprouting plant in his large hand...'

Xu Wenqi really couldn't imagine it...so she readily purchased the lovely baby plant. Just picturing him with it was enough to make her laugh for several days.