Chapter 84: He Said He’s Waiting for You (Updated for Natural Blossom)

But only later did I realize that, at some point without my noticing, certain things had subtly changed. I started thinking about you, longing to see you. I don’t even know when it began, but I made a habit of adjusting the pleated blinds to just the right spot, so that whenever I wanted to see you, I could simply glance up and catch sight of you without you noticing. When you read documents, you like to chew on the end of your pen, lost in thought. When you browse the web, you rest your chin in your hand, your eyes shining with intensity. Your water cup is always placed to your left, a little further from the computer. You never drink coffee, only plain water.

Ye Linglan was a little surprised, but Mo Zhicheng gazed at her intently and continued, “You also keep a small cactus on your desk, in a purple porcelain flowerpot. The pot is decorated with white floral patterns and engraved with flowing script that reads, ‘I wish to know you and be with you, so that our bond may endure forever.’”

Ye Linglan was shaken, his words pressing her into silence. Yet he did not give her a chance to speak, simply continuing, “I don’t know if you chose that flowerpot deliberately or by coincidence, but regardless, there’s no need for me to explain the meaning behind those words—you know very well what they signify.”

He was right. She had loved that verse, which was why she bought the pot. Whenever she felt exhausted, she would prop her forehead in her hand and, looking up, see those words. It was a line from a Han Dynasty love poem, meaning—I want to know you, share my heart with you, to love you; through this life and beyond, never diminishing! The poem’s closing lines—“When mountains crumble and the heavens unite, only then would I part from you”—had once moved her deeply with their fierce resolve.

Looking into his deep, obsidian eyes, she remained silent for a moment. Then Linglan lowered her gaze, closed the ornate gift box, and quietly placed it before him. She said softly, “Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Mo, but I am not blessed enough to accept.”

He fell into silence.

Linglan rose slowly, bowed politely in thanks and farewell. “Mr. Mo, do you remember what I once told you? I wish you to soon find the woman who will forever remain in your heart. That wish remains unchanged.”

Mo Zhicheng looked at her quietly. “Did I frighten you with my sudden actions?” He curled his lips faintly. “I also remember telling you that I would shed my cold façade. If you need time, I’ll give it to you. Go home and rest. I won’t disturb you these next few days; I’ll give you peace and quiet.”

“Thank you.” Her departing figure was resolute. Mo Zhicheng watched her walk away, growing smaller until she vanished from his sight.

—

When Linglan left Mo Zhicheng’s office, she was met with astonished glances from outside. When she looked over, the eyes in the cubicles quickly darted away and everyone bowed their heads, busying themselves with their work. Ye Linglan was at a loss for what to do.

—How dare you touch my woman?

The man’s voice still echoed faintly in her ears.

Now, the entire company knew about her and Mo Zhicheng, and rumors were bound to spread. At this thought, she hurriedly quickened her steps and left Tiancheng.

She had rejected him completely, thinking that a proud man like Mo Zhicheng would let things end here. He had also promised to give her space, and indeed, he had not contacted her these past days. Yet every evening at dusk, he still appeared at the usual time—driving himself, without a chauffeur.

Ye Linglan ignored him and never went downstairs to meet him. Mo Zhicheng would simply lean against the hood of his car, lighting a cigarette in the cold wind, the ember flickering in and out of view as he breathed.

Linglan watched from her window. Her phone buzzed constantly in her pocket. Snapping out of her reverie, she saw a message from “ind.” She let the curtain fall and turned to check it: “Log on to MSN.”

Afraid he might have important news, she immediately turned on her computer and, on a whim, deleted her phone’s text messages. She clicked on ind’s icon and typed: I’m here!

ind: It’s been a while since you’ve reached out.

Linglan paused, realizing that Brother Yuchen had kept her secret, and she felt a bit relieved. Wondering how to reply, she typed: I was busy with Mo Zhicheng’s birthday celebration recently.

ind: Did you give him a gift too?

There were many layers of meaning in that question. He was probing for an answer, anxious and yet afraid to be disappointed.

Linglan didn’t read too much into it and replied casually: A bouquet of lilies of the valley.

ind: Why lilies of the valley, of all flowers?

Linglan was taken aback. If Ye Shenghan hadn’t asked, she wouldn’t have thought about why she chose lilies of the valley. As she was pondering this, the doorbell rang, sharp and insistent, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced at the door, suddenly wary—who could it be at this hour?

She quickly deleted her chat records and closed MSN. Opening the door, she found a strange woman holding a large bouquet of lilies of the valley. “Are you Miss Ye?”

“Yes, and you are?” Linglan frowned in puzzlement.

“These are for you.” The woman handed her the bouquet.

Linglan was even more confused. “I’m sorry, who sent these?”

“The gentleman didn’t leave his name. He only asked us to deliver them to you and to pass along a message.”

“What message?”

“He said he’ll wait for you.”

Linglan’s heart skipped—she knew at once who had sent them. She couldn’t accept, so she refused to sign for them. But the delivery person insisted their job was only to deliver the flowers to her; taking them back was not an option, and they couldn’t explain to their boss otherwise. With nothing more to say, Ye Linglan managed a small smile. “Thank you for your trouble.”

After closing the door, she placed the bouquet in a purple, round-mouthed vase—the glass was exquisite and clearly valuable. To throw it away would be wasteful, and it wasn’t in her nature to destroy something beautiful. So she set the bouquet in a corner of the living room.

Linglan quietly peeked out from behind the curtain. Mo Zhicheng was still outside. She sighed softly, exasperated—what exactly did he want from her? Only then did she remember Ye Shao was still waiting.

She quickly logged on to MSN, only to find several messages from ind.

ind: ?
ind: ?
ind: ?

Ye Linglan stared at the screen, not realizing that on the other end, a man was anxiously waiting for her reply, his chin propped in his hand, brow furrowed. Why wasn’t she answering? The clock on the wall ticked indifferently, so out of tune with his agitated heartbeat. He pressed on: Why lilies of the valley, of all flowers?

Still no response. What was his Linglan thinking? He looked at her profile photo—a picture of her at eight years old, chosen because it wouldn’t be recognized by others. Her delicate features were still visible through the childish roundness. Time had passed, but her sweet smile remained unchanged. Did anyone ever tell her that her smile could warm others, touching the softest part of the heart? For her, his contact name was “Warmth.”

Warmth: You know I like lilies of the valley, so I didn’t think too much about it.

Ye Shenghan paused, then another message arrived.

Warmth: Ye Shao, is something wrong?

Ye Shenghan gave a wry smile. Yes, something was wrong with him. He couldn’t quite name the feeling—a trace of bitterness, as if his heart was slowly being torn apart.

Linglan noticed the long silence in the chat window and glanced at the bouquet in her living room.

ind: Let’s find a time to meet.

Linglan touched the corner of her lips. She still had a faint scar on her face, so she replied: When I have some free time, I’ll contact you.

ind: All right.

After closing the chat, Ye Linglan let her exhausted body sink into the bed, closing her eyes in thought.

Only after returning to work did Ye Linglan learn that Jiang Min had been summarily dismissed by Mo Zhicheng, banned from working in any position within Tiancheng. For Jiang Min, this was a harsh punishment. Linglan remembered her saying that working at Tiancheng was her dream, and now that dream was shattered.

This storm and Jiang Min’s punishment served as a warning to all. Everyone now regarded Ye Linglan with a certain awe.

During the day at Tiancheng, that man did not use his position to force her, yet every evening his car would appear at its usual spot. He gave her space, but the boundary remained unbroken.

From that day on, she received a bouquet of lilies of the valley every day. Her living room was soon filled with them—a sea of white blossoms, lush green leaves brimming with life.

What on earth did he want?

Linglan glanced unconsciously out the window, but tonight, he was nowhere to be seen below. She stared at the empty space in front of the building, then remembered Ye Shao was waiting for her reply. She arranged to meet Ye Shenghan at their usual KTV. Nighttime entertainment venues were noisy and discreet.

She texted Ye Shenghan: See you at “Blossoms in Splendor” in twenty minutes.

ind: Okay, I’ll wait for you!

Looking at her reflection, Linglan saw lingering fatigue in her cheeks. She dabbed on some concealer to cover the shadows under her eyes and applied a touch of daisy perfume. After a bit of preparation, she left the house.

Pulling her coat tighter, she had only taken a few steps when a sudden force yanked her back. Startled, she turned to find a pair of arms wrapping around her from behind, and a man’s low voice in her ear: “Where are you going?”

The familiar voice brought her up short. Wasn’t he supposed to be gone? She realized he had parked the Bentley where she couldn’t see it from her window. Sensing her confusion, he said, “If I hadn’t done this, would you have come down?” Mo Zhicheng chuckled softly, his breath tinged with the faint scent of wine.

Linglan frowned—had he been drinking? She glanced at him; he was nuzzled against her neck, inhaling, then he frowned and asked, “You put on perfume? I don’t like it! I prefer your natural scent—go wash it off!”

With that, he took her by the wrist and bundled her into the Bentley, sliding in beside her and fastening her seatbelt before she could protest.

“Mr. Mo, you’ve been drinking,” Linglan said anxiously. “You can’t drive under the influence—you must follow traffic laws.” In truth, she was trying to get to “Blossoms in Splendor.”