Chapter 2
Chapter 2
I rented a small one-bedroom apartment in the faculty housing complex.
After moving the flowers into the living room and snapping a few photos, I started unpacking them.
999 roses! And they were the Ecuador variety, too.
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.
If I sell them for 9.9 yuan a stem, I’m going to make a killing.
In the past, I used to scavenge discarded flowers during holidays to sell. Since I still had plenty of wrapping paper left at home, I worked tirelessly, staying up all night to wrap the bouquets until dawn.
Last night, I posted a pre-order notice on the Confession Wall: “Chi Ye’s Choice.”
By the time I opened my eyes, 666 roses had already been sold out.
I didn’t have any classes today, so I hired a few helpers to deliver the flowers for me. After accounting for damaged ones, I had 200 stems left.
So, starting in the afternoon, I staked out the little woods on campus where the most couples hang out.
I set up my sign: “Hand-picked by campus heartthrob Chi Ye. Honest prices, no deception.”
I was halfway through my stock and about to move to a new spot when I stood up and saw the man himself.
Oh boy.
Caught red-handed at the scene of the crime.
Our eyes met. Chi Ye stared at my flowers, gritting his teeth. “Didn’t you say you’d treat these flowers as well as you love me?”
“Selling them… that’s your way of treating them well?”
“Um, I can explain.”
Think, brain, think!
The Danmaku rushed to the rescue: [Cry! Right now! Act aggrieved!]
[No, no, no! You should take the initiative and turn the tables!]
[Forget it, let me do it. The most important thing is to make him believe you love him. Play the emotional card.]
There was no time to think. I decided to use all of it.
First, I squeezed out a few tears, then clutched my chest, feigning a broken heart. “Do you know why I’m selling these flowers? Because every time I look at them, I think of you.”
“Have you ever tried staring at the belongings of the person you love until dawn? Chi Ye, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Rather than surrounding myself with things that remind me of someone I can’t have, I’d rather turn away and leave with my heart in pieces. After all, it’s not like you like me back.”
Chi Ye visibly froze. His eyes held three parts regret, three parts self-reproach, and four parts hesitation.
But he snapped back to reality in an instant. “So while you were ‘staring blankly’ at them, you still had time to post on your Moments and the Confession Wall?”
Crap!
I was so excited wrapping flowers yesterday that I forgot to block him from seeing my posts.
[That’s a bit too realistic.]
[It’s over! Chi Ye is actually smart!]
[What do we do, Strategist? I’m pacing in circles here! Chi Ye’s birthday is coming up, and we can make a huge haul then. Lin Ran must get an invite!]
My mind raced.
I reached up to wipe away the forced tears and looked away from him. “I just wanted to sell the flowers quickly so I could buy you a birthday present.”
Chi Ye was stunned. The sharp edge in his eyes gradually dissipated.
He bought it.
Finally, he sighed helplessly. “Why must you go to such lengths?”
[Chi Ye: It’s all my fault for being too charming. Lin Ran is hopelessly in love with me.]
[He looks like he’s frowning, but the corners of his mouth are actually twitching upward.]
[Strike while the iron is hot! Say you want to go to his birthday party!]
[Wait! That’s too aggressive. Little Sister, you need to retreat to advance right now!]
[Tsk, tsk, tsk. Playing hard to get-this move is brilliant.]
I packed up my flowers and said flatly, “Isn’t it normal to want to prepare a surprise for the person you like?”
Then, I walked right past him and left.
[Free giveaway: What is Chi Ye thinking as he stares at Lin Ran’s retreating back?]
[He’s definitely thinking she must be so devastated that she doesn’t dare shed another tear in front of him.]
[Wait, girl, why didn’t you wait to see what Chi Ye would say before leaving?]
I obviously couldn’t wait.
If I stayed any longer and missed the Valentine’s Day rush, I wouldn’t be able to sell these flowers!