Shen Liubai and Gao Ruolan had been out of the flower shop for a while, but Lin Zhuyin remained in the same posture without moving.
She looked down at the thousand yuan Shen Liubai had given her, and tears could no longer be held back, falling drop by drop.
As her tears landed on the money, she felt as if all her strength had been drained. She slowly squatted on the ground, clutching her aching chest, and cried out in a release of emotion.
From the day she met Shen Liubai, she knew they could not be together forever.
For years, she simultaneously cherished Shen Liubai's affection and detested herself for being so engrossed in it.
She had also been conflicted, hesitating whether to seek revenge.
Every time the thought crossed her mind, she would have nightmares.
In her dreams, her parents, with blood streaming from their orifices and faces full of resentment, would question her: why hadn't she avenged them? Why had she married the son of their enemy?
She was driven almost mad by these two conflicting emotions.
Ultimately, she decided to set aside her personal feelings and avenge her parents.
She knew clearly that when everything erupted, she would divorce Shen Liubai.
Given Shen Liubai's personality, he would not keep her; on the contrary, he would let her go.
Everything was within her plans and expectations.
The only thing beyond her control was her feelings.
Shen Liubai had moved on from his failed marriage and met a new woman. This woman was quite beautiful and fit Shen Liubai's aesthetic perfectly.
Her personality was also good, and she smiled often.
Jian Mubai had once told her she should smile more, that he liked girls who smiled. Now, he had finally found the girl of his dreams.
It was good.
It was truly good.
Yet, why did her heart ache so much?
Was it because she had lost the man who adored her with all his heart and soul?
Shen Liubai… Shen Liubai…
He would marry that woman, have cute babies with her, and a happy family.
He would no longer be her Shen Liubai alone.
This was the very beginning of the evening's nightlife, with many people coming and going on the streets.
Gao Ruolan, holding the roses, hummed a happy tune, while Shen Liubai's face remained expressionless.
After walking a few steps, Gao Ruolan noticed Shen Liubai's unusual demeanor. She stopped and smiled at him, "Liubai, what's wrong?"
Shen Liubai looked at Gao Ruolan without speaking.
Gao Ruolan mistook this for an impending confession, and her cheeks blushed.
In truth, having lived abroad for so many years, she didn't care much about who confessed first. Shen Liubai's continued silence made her impatient. She then grasped Shen Liubai's arm, "Liubai, although we've only known each other for a few days, I really enjoy spending time with you, and I..."
"Ruolan, I'm sorry."
Before Gao Ruolan could finish her sentence, Shen Liubai's gentle interruption cut her off.
"Ah?"
Gao Ruolan was stunned. Wasn't he going to confess? Why was it turning into an apology?
"You are a good girl, and I feel comfortable being with you. It's just that… I already have someone in my heart. I cannot bring myself to be in contact with, spend time with, or even consider marriage with another woman when I still hold feelings for someone else."
Gao Ruolan's smile gradually faded.
"I will give my parents an explanation. I don't want you to misunderstand, and even more so, I don't want you to get too deeply involved. Therefore, I apologize."
Gao Ruolan felt a pang of unwillingness. "You don't like me?"
"I do like you, but only as a friend, not as a lover," Shen Liubai replied honestly.
"Do you know what roses symbolize? If you don't like me as a lover, why did you buy me roses?"
Gao Ruolan, having finally encountered such an exceptional man, was not about to give up easily.
Shen Liubai sighed softly. "I bought you flowers simply because you like flowers. It has nothing to do with whether they are roses or any other type of flower. If you interpret my buying you roses as a declaration of love, then I can only be a scoundrel and take them back."
Every word Shen Liubai spoke left Gao Ruolan unable to refute him. This man was intelligent and gentlemanly, good in every way, except that his heart already belonged to another woman.
Although Gao Ruolan found it a pity, she was not one to cling stubbornly.
Moreover, he had stated his intentions so clearly. If she were to persist, it would reflect poorly on her character.
She let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, so that you don't have to be a scoundrel, I will accept these flowers. Thank you for the flowers and your honesty."
In fact, it would have been easy for Shen Liubai to feign love for her. He could have used her to forget the person in his heart, but he chose not to.
"However, I am still quite hurt. Given how upset I am, would you answer one question for me?"
Shen Liubai breathed a sigh of relief; he had been worried Gao Ruolan might get angry.
"Yes, ask away."
"Is… the person in your heart your ex-wife?"
Shen Liubai's expression shifted slightly, and he pursed his lips without speaking.
Without a word, Gao Ruolan had her answer.
Gao Ruolan suddenly laughed. "Haha… I didn't expect you to be such a devoted man. I'm quite curious, what kind of person is your ex-wife? But… if you still love her, why don't you win her back?"
Before Shen Liubai could answer, she seemed to realize something and exclaimed, "That's right, your ex-wife deceived your feelings and almost ruined your family."
Shen Liubai: "...It wasn't that serious."
Gao Ruolan's smile was sly. "Since you don't think it was that serious, why are you still bothered?"
"I… Sigh, you wouldn't understand…"
Gao Ruolan shrugged. "I am not you, so of course, I wouldn't understand your feelings. But if it were me,哼, I would make her stay by my side forever, serving me like a slave."
Shen Liubai: "..."
In the evening, after Shen Liubai dropped Gao Ruolan home, he drove aimlessly. As he drove, he found himself unintentionally near Lin Zhuyin's flower shop.
An hour had passed, and Lin Zhuyin was still moving flower pots.
Shen Liubai's brows furrowed deeply. She didn't ask for help if she couldn't move them. If she continued like this, she might not finish until tomorrow.
At that moment, Shen Liubai spotted several delivery riders with no orders. He stopped his car and walked over.
Five minutes later.
As Lin Zhuyin wiped away her tears and huffed while moving flower pots, three delivery riders suddenly approached.
"Boss lady, we've been watching you from over there. You can't move them all by yourself, let us help you."
"Oh, that's too kind!"
"It's nothing, just a small favor. It's so late, the sooner you finish, the sooner you can go home."
The three men moved the flower pots in two minutes.
Lin Zhuyin didn't know how to thank them. They refused money, so she gave each of them a flower.
After accepting the flowers, they left with cheerful smiles.
Lin Zhuyin took a deep breath. See, even without love, the world was still beautiful.
Ten minutes later, Lin Zhuyin closed the flower shop and walked home.
She was too tired to notice a car following her until she safely reached her home.
Shen Liubai looked at the three roses on the passenger seat, his dark eyes flashing subtly.