In Yangcheng, evening fell a little earlier than it had the past few days.
The wind chime at the flower shop's entrance tinkled as the wind blew. Jiang Yixia was trimming a bundle of lilies with her head down, the scissors going SNIP, SNIP, as flower stems fell to the floor.
She glanced up at the shop across the street. The lights of the pastry shop were on, and through the glass, she could see Lu Fan sitting behind the counter, holding his phone and looking at something.
She paid it no mind and went back to trimming her flowers.
The lilies were a new arrival, with large heads and thick petals. Their fragrance was so strong it was almost overpowering.
She trimmed them meticulously, cutting each stem at an angle so it could properly absorb water.
After snipping a dozen or so stems, she glanced across the street again.
This time, things were different.
At some point, Lu Fan had returned.
He was back in the pastry shop, sitting in the back room.
