Later, the gloomy days came to an end. After finishing the college entrance exam, she chose a university far away from Pucheng. It was truly distant—round-trip plane tickets cost over a thousand.
It was like cutting off her own retreat.
She didn’t miss home and gradually moved away from the material comforts her parents provided. She had two hands and could occasionally paint and enter competitions—at least for now, she could support herself.
But every time she witnessed the wonderful love stories of people like her, the fear and sorrow buried deep in her heart would surge forth.
Just like the lyrics of the song she loved:
“The sun still burns the dusk with its own hands,
Inferiority always kills in the dead of night.
…
It’s a pity the one I hate didn’t die,
And the one I love is impossible.
…”
In Dorm 316.
The two lights in the room were off. Yun Hui sat at her desk, burying her head in her hands.
The wind from the window blew into the room, carrying the scent of the evening as it drifted over Yun Hui’s hands.
Under the glow of a fill light, she carefully examined the ring.
The band was made of white gold. Though slender, its circular body was adorned with intricate patterns, like vines of a plant freely growing across it.
At the center of the ring was a carving of a flower blooming in two directions. At the “heart” of the flower was a tiny red crystal. She couldn’t tell what it was, but under the light, it refracted multiple beams.
“Quite beautiful,” Yun Hui murmured, her round eyes fixed on the ring. Beside her, her phone displayed a photoshopped picture of Yin Han Sou.
“I originally wanted to give this to you, but you didn’t look for me today. As punishment, I’ll draw pig eyes on you!” Yun Hui pointed at Yin Han Sou on her phone.
After a moment, she changed her mind. “Forget it, who told you to have such beautiful eyes… and lips too… I’ll draw a pig tail on you first! But there won’t be a next time—tomorrow I’ll really draw something else on you!”
With that, she pulled her legs onto the chair and rested her head on her knees. “I’m not happy right now. Can’t you come find me? I don’t even know what you’re doing…”
She wanted to lean into Yin Han Sou’s embrace. She’d do anything, as long as she was in her arms.
Even if it was just to cry a little.
Ding-ding-ding!
An incoming call notification showed it was from Meng Yao.
“What’s up, Meng Yao?”
The other end was noisy. “Yun Hui, Yun Hui! Are you free? I have something urgent!”
Yun Hui glanced around. “I’m free.”
“Great! Could you buy a bouquet of flowers for me? I need it urgently, hehehe!”
“What are you up to, Meng Yao?” Yun Hui slipped on her slippers and looked toward the sports field, which was still crowded.
Upbeat music came from the other end. “We’re singing karaoke! Yun Hui, could you bring me a bunch of flowers? I’ll send you the addresses.”
Yun Hui frowned. “KTV isn’t a good place.”
“Alright, thanks a lot!”
Beep-beep-beep…
Yun Hui opened her phone and checked the two addresses Meng Yao had sent—one was a flower shop, the other the KTV she was at.
The flower shop was called “Unopened Love Letter.”
She looked at the flower shop’s address. “52 Art Street?”
Yun Hui gathered her emotions, put on a faint smile, and left the dorm.
A white car passed by just as she stepped out.
She hailed a taxi and rode for about ten minutes before arriving at the flower shop Meng Yao had mentioned.
“Thanks, driver!” Yun Hui closed the car door.
As the car drove away, the street was enveloped in the quiet unique to the evening.
She walked past a corner, and a gentle uphill slope came into view.
The warm, dim light cast a cozy and tranquil ambiance over the street. At the end of the sloping road stood several connected English-style buildings, each with its own garden.
Along the slope, two rows of art shops lined the street, each adopting the English architectural style. Distinctive brick-and-stone houses stood side by side, their interiors displaying carefully curated artworks—antique oil paintings, handmade crafts, photography, and more—all exuding a strong cultural atmosphere. Particularly eye-catching were the shop decorations: antique wall clocks, exquisite carvings, and classical calligraphy and paintings adorned the walls, while golden lighting and warm-toned illumination made the space feel even more inviting.
Yun Hui followed the address and found the flower shop named “Unopened Love Letters.”
Inside, an elegant and poised older sister sat at the counter, recording the flowering periods and costs provided by external suppliers.
From a nearby music store, the gentle melody of a piano drifted over, like lingering mist in the twilight, gradually spreading and lingering in Yun Hui’s ears.
“This place is so beautiful…” Yun Hui marveled as she looked around.
“Little sister, are you here to buy flowers?”
The older sister in the shop stood up and looked toward Yun Hui.
Yun Hui lowered her head and stepped into the flower shop. “My friend wants to buy flowers… to give to her partner.”
“I understand. Young couples these days all seek romance. Come with me.”
The shop owner led Yun Hui to a special display cabinet filled with a dazzling array of “gardens.”
“What kind of flowers does your friend want to pick? Or what kind of blessing does she want to convey?”
Yun Hui shook her head. “I don’t know…”
The owner smiled gently. “How about a bouquet of baby’s breath? It usually only blooms from June to August, but with mature cultivation techniques now, it can be grown across seasons.”
She pointed to the bouquet at the top of the cabinet. Wrapped in floral paper, the delicate petals curled outward slightly, like tiny blue stars blooming in the air—small yet abundant.
“The language of baby’s breath is longing, thoughtfulness, care—and pure love.” The owner carefully took down the bouquet of bluish-purple baby’s breath and placed it in Yun Hui’s arms. “What do you think?”
Yun Hui blushed. “I feel like they… aren’t pure at all!”
“You can also give it to someone you want to give it to.”
Someone I want to give it to… Yin Han Sou…
I want to give it to my sister!
Yun Hui hugged the baby’s breath tightly and continued, “Then… are there any other flowers? Something more passionate? My friend has a bold and straightforward personality!”
“If it’s passion you’re after, how about this bouquet of red roses?” The owner plucked one and handed it to Yun Hui.
In Yun Hui’s mind—red roses were just roses that bloomed more openly. Would Meng Yao even recognize what kind of flowers these were?
But this bouquet of red roses looked stunning against the floral paper, lush and vibrant.
“I… I’ll take both!”
Yun Hui struggled to pull her phone out of her bag, ready to scan the payment code. “I remember these kinds of flowers are really expensive!”
Seeing Yun Hui’s face flushed with embarrassment, the owner felt a warmth bloom in her heart. “I’ll give you these red roses as a gift.”
Yun Hui widened her round eyes. “Thank you, sister!”
“That’ll be 267, little sister.”
Yun Hui obediently scanned the code to pay, then left the shop with a large bouquet of flowers in her arms.
“Wait a moment, little sister.” The owner called out to her.
Yun Hui turned back. “What is it?”
The shopkeeper sister plucked a rose from another flower cabinet. She skillfully picked up a pair of scissors and trimmed the thorns from the stem, then tucked the rose behind Yun Hui’s ear. “This looks much better. Be happy every day, little sister!”
Through the reflection in the shop window, Yun Hui caught sight of the bright red bloom by her ear and smiled at the shopkeeper sister, her white canine teeth peeking out from beneath her upper lip. “Thank you, shopkeeper sister!”
“Hurry along now, don’t keep your friend waiting. Flowers have their blooming seasons, and so do people.”
Yun Hui hummed in agreement and stood up, heading down the slope.
The once gloomy Yun Hui had now lifted her spirits.
Along the way, even the exhaust fumes from passing cars smelled sweet.