Ruan Nian actually had a plan before coming here.
He wanted to find some white or yellow flowers to use as decorations, preferably ones that could climb along walls or supports, which would make the arrangement much more flexible.
Yet as soon as he stepped into the flower street, he instantly threw his original plan to the back of his mind.
A 3D simulated flower model and the real physical object were still quite different. Even if Ruan Nian had seen some of the flowers before, because of the different cultivation methods and pairing techniques, the flowers would present completely different growth states and visual effects.
Ruan Nian was like a child newly exposed to something fresh, wanting to get close, take a look, and touch almost any kind of flower.
The two of them started from the very first shop at the entrance of the flower street, looking through the small gardens one by one. The omega was completely immersed in it, while the alpha not only had zero complaints about this, but when encountering some special varieties, he would even gently touch the omega’s arm to signal him to look over.
Whenever Ruan Nian encountered ones that were suitable and that he liked, he would place an order without hesitation, communicating with the shopkeeper about some maintenance precautions and delivery times. Meanwhile, the alpha simply listened quietly, following closely behind to pay for him.
The two of them thus looked through the flower street shop by shop. Gradually, some shopkeepers began to chat in the flower street group chat.
[Shopkeeper A: An extraordinarily good-looking AO couple came today! They bought so many flowers from me.]
[Shopkeeper B: Ahhh, they came to my shop too! That omega is truly a great beauty! And the two of them are so sweet!]
[Shopkeeper C: Really! And that alpha spoils him too much! The beauty asked him if the flowers looked good, and he said they all looked good. But I noticed he wasn’t looking at the flowers at all! He was clearly looking at the person, right?!]
[Shopkeeper D: I want to see this with my own eyes! Will they come to my shop too? Looking forward to it!]
The two of them were completely unaware of the small commotion they had stirred up, but soon the omega sensed that something felt a bit off.
After walking out of a small courtyard, neighboring shopkeepers actually smiled and waved at them from their doorways, enthusiastically inviting them to come take a look at their own courtyards.
This made Ruan Nian feel somewhat flattered. He even began to wonder if he had bought too many flowers at other shops, making people think he was wealthy and extravagant.
Yet shouldn’t they know nothing about the specific details of each other’s orders?
Ruan Nian did not know that the romantic shopkeepers who loved flowers were simply enthusiastic about beautiful things.
After strolling through more than half of the entire flower street, Ruan Nian suddenly spotted a small courtyard situated at a corner.
This small courtyard was completely different from the others. It wasn’t an open-air or glass-enclosed open-air courtyard, but was instead enclosed tightly from top to bottom with black wooden planks.
Ruan Nian walked inside with some curiosity, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the world behind the small wooden door was a realm of its own:
Flowers of various colors were planted into semi-elliptical glass flower pots, suspended from the roof by thin ropes entwined with green vines. Light sources were placed at the bottom of the flower pots, the ceiling was painted black, and the indoor space formed a tiny river of stars composed of scattered floral lanterns.
Human romance could actually be this beautiful.
A brand-new inspiration welled up in Ruan Nian’s mind. He slowly walked into this special sea of lights, lowering his head from time to time to record his thoughts into the sketchbook he carried with him.
He walked very, very slowly. Mu Yan did not rush him, instead closely following behind the omega, gently brushing aside the floral lanterns ahead from time to time to prevent Ruan Nian from accidentally bumping his head.
The scene before their eyes was simply too wonderful. The beta shopkeeper in the corner couldn’t help but quietly pick up his smart brain to freeze this moment in time.
As his gaze unconsciously swept across a floral lantern right in the center of the river of stars, Ruan Nian’s eyes suddenly lit up slightly.
That floral lantern seemed even more brilliant than the surrounding ones: white five-petaled flowers, with pale yellow stamens at the center. Ruan Nian had never seen this kind of flower before, so he curiously stepped closer to observe it carefully.
Seeing that he was interested, the baby-faced male beta shopkeeper walked over and enthusiastically introduced it to him: “This is a Shier flower! Its place of origin is a planet that hasn’t been developed yet. There is a very beautiful legend about this kind of flower: it is said that an adventurer passing through here fell in love at first sight with a beautiful young maiden on the planet. The adventurer wanted to give up his exploration for the sake of the maiden, but the maiden was willing to give up her life to explore the unknown world together with him. So the two of them embarked on a romantic journey together, and wherever they went, flowers of this kind were left behind.
“This flower is a bit brighter than the others, you noticed that right? Actually, it’s because Shier flowers glow at night, just like the maiden in the night guiding the way for the adventurer.
“Its language of flowers is: unknown romance.”
After listening to the shopkeeper’s explanation, Ruan Nian felt that he had probably found the flower he wanted in the first place.
Ruan Nian excitedly tugged at Mu Yan’s sleeve: “Mu Yan! Doesn’t this story sound like your father and mother? How about we use it as the main flower for the greenhouse?”
Mu Yan was stunned, seemingly not expecting Ruan Nian to mention his father and mother.
His omega was always sensitive and delicate, bringing him all sorts of small surprises.
A softness flashed across the depths of the alpha’s eyes, and he smiled and consented: “Alright.”
When it was almost time to leave, Ruan Nian was still intently scribbling and painting in his sketchbook, while Mu Yan was paying the bill while virtually embracing him with his arm to prevent the omega from falling off the steps or bumping into anything.
The two of them interacted so naturally and warmly, not like a young couple just starting to date, nor like an old married couple of many years, but rather like a newlywed couple whose sweetness was just right: neither bland nor cloying.
The single beta shopkeeper felt somewhat envious, quietly giving this couple a small discount and sending along his sincere blessings: “Sir, you really spoil your omega so much! Are the two of you newlyweds? I hope the two of you can always stay happy!”
As soon as these words came out, both people present froze.
Heat rushed straight up from the top to the bottom of Ruan Nian’s body, and his face slowly turned red.
He and Mu Yan were not that kind of relationship at all!
Wait, no. They had obtained their marriage license, so looking at it this way, it didn’t seem wrong either.
The omega grew distinctly flustered, and a trace of awkwardness mixed into the previously harmonious and congenial atmosphere. The beta shopkeeper was somewhat at a loss: did he say something wrong?
Ruan Nian didn’t dare to look up at Mu Yan’s expression at all right now, and only heard the alpha calmly take over the conversation: “We will. Thank you.”
His open, natural, and matter-of-fact demeanor immediately set the slightly apprehensive beta at ease.
That’s right! They must be a newlywed couple without a doubt!
Ruan Nian really didn’t know how to face such a situation, so he could only manage a forced smile at the beta shopkeeper, hurriedly said “I’ll wait for you outside” to Mu Yan, and fled the scene in a flash.
This smile was automatically appended with a filter of shyness and happiness in the shopkeeper’s eyes. The beta couldn’t help sighing inwardly: the great beauty is truly so cute! This alpha is so lucky!
Watching the omega’s fleeing back, Mu Yan suddenly had some other thoughts in his mind.
He turned around to face the beta and said: “Sorry, there is one more thing I’d like to trouble you with.”
For some reason, the time Mu Yan took to settle the bill this time was a bit long.
The heat on Ruan Nian’s face had faded slightly, and just as he was striving to forget this small episode, Mu Yan finally walked out of the shop. But the alpha’s hands were holding something extra:
A bouquet of Shier flowers wrapped in silver paper.
While he was still in a daze, the alpha slowly walked up to him and handed the bouquet to him.
Ruan Nian stood frozen in place, at a loss.
After a moment, seeing that he didn’t take it, Mu Yan simply withdrew the sketchbook from his hands and then gently placed the bouquet into Ruan Nian’s embrace.
“The flowers are very nice, so I wanted to buy them for you.”
His voice was deep, and his gaze fixed upon him was a fraction softer than the autumn sunlight.
The little deer in Ruan Nian’s heart went crazy, crashing around wildly.
The heat that had slightly subsided on his face made a comeback, and even the tips of his ears burned hot.
The atmosphere between the two of them instantly turned somewhat subtle.
Ruan Nian silently accepted the flowers, yet did not speak, only lowering his head as he walked forward. A trace of disappointment flashed across the depths of Mu Yan’s eyes, but he didn’t say anything more either.
The two of them set off again, walking silently toward the end of the street. They didn’t enter any more shops, just aimlessly walking forward.
“That brooch, do you like it?”
“I like it very much. Thank you.” The omega paused for a moment before adding: “Uhm, a business trip is already very tiring, you don’t need to pick out gifts for me anymore.”
The omega was kind and considerate, but Mu Yan couldn’t feel happy. He pursed his lips and corrected him earnestly: “If you like it, it’s not tiring.”
Ruan Nian didn’t know how to respond, stammered for a good while, and then repeated what he had said before: “I like it very much.”
If you like the brooch, could you perhaps like me just a little bit too?
Mu Yan really wanted to ask that; the words rolled back and forth over and over in his heart, but after weighing them three times, he still pressed them down at the bottom of his heart.
He could sense the omega’s nervousness and unease.
He didn’t want to force him, nor did he dare to force him.
He had written or reviewed many contracts, mastering the subtle scale of advance and retreat to perfection. Yet in matters of the heart, he was forever caught in a dilemma.
He took a step back for fear that the omega would leave, and took a step forward for fear that he would flee.
He could only clumsily and slowly learn, understanding his every move, familiarizing himself with his every thought, waiting until he figured out the pattern, and then laying down an inescapable net so that the omega would willingly fall into his embrace.
Yet if things stopped right here, it would undoubtedly be far too full of reluctance and regret.
“Then, considering the gift and the flowers, can you forgive me and stop hiding from me, Niannian?”
The alpha quietly switched to an intimate form of address, finally tossing out the thoughts that had remained hidden for a long time.
His inner thoughts were exposed by him, and Ruan Nian wanted to deny it but was left speechless. After a long while, he responded tardily:
“Alright.”
The omega lowered his head, unconsciously fiddling with the white flowers in his embrace.
Unknown romance, was it?