The next morning, Lian Hua arrived at the shop earlier than usual, the city still wrapped in mist and the soft hum of street vendors beginning their day. She placed fresh water in the vases, straightened the chrysanthemums, and arranged the crimson lotuses with care.
The bell above the door jingled. She looked up, expecting the usual early customers.
It was him.
Zhen Wei stood there again, impeccably dressed, the same piercing gaze fixed on her. But this time, there was a small, almost imperceptible smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"I… didn't expect to see you again so soon," Lian Hua said, her voice steady despite the flutter in her chest.
"I happen to like consistency," he replied, stepping inside. His eyes roamed over the shop, lingering on her movements, on the way her fingers brushed the petals with care. "And I like seeing things done properly."
Lian Hua felt a strange heat in her cheeks. There was something unnerving about the way he watched—not just the flowers, but her.
"I'll make sure your lotuses are perfect then," she said, trying to keep the conversation polite.
For a long moment, he said nothing, simply observing. Then he leaned slightly closer. "You don't know how rare it is… to meet someone so… calm in a city like this," he murmured.
"Calm? I don't feel calm," she replied, a small laugh escaping her. "The city is noisy enough for the both of us."
He smiled again, sharper this time, almost predatory. "Perhaps. Or perhaps you just hide your chaos very well."
Before she could respond, a customer entered the shop, and Zhen Wei's attention shifted instantly, his dark eyes flicking toward the newcomer with a hint of… possessiveness?
Lian Hua noticed, and for the first time, she felt the weight of his gaze not just on her, but on the space around her.
When the customer left, he turned back to her, his expression unreadable. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and with that, he departed as suddenly as he had arrived, leaving behind only the faint scent of cologne and the lingering warmth of his presence.
Lian Hua shook her head, trying to convince herself she was imagining things. But as she arranged the flowers, a thought kept returning, unwelcome and persistent: this man… he isn't just a passerby. He's going to stay.