Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Justifiably Expanding the Flower Room

"Let’s get to the hospital first. We’ll come back and settle the score with her later!" Song Yangming said through gritted teeth.

A moment ago, the intense pain in his hand, coupled with the terror of being paralyzed, had left him unable to think. Now that he’d calmed down, he felt the whole thing was bizarre.

’That Chi Wan has always been a crafty one. What if this is just another one of her tricks, something she cooked up just to scare me?’

Although a faint unease lingered in Song Yangming’s heart, he was even more unwilling to admit that, after what had just happened, he had actually begun to feel something akin to fear toward Chi Wan.

Song Yangming kept reassuring himself. ’Once I get to the hospital, I’ll figure out what Chi Wan did to me. I might even be able to get some leverage on her.’

Zhou Huaijin, who had witnessed the whole ordeal, hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "Is he... going to be okay?"

Song Yangming had looked truly terrifying just moments ago. Strangely, though, the moment he stepped out of Chi Wan’s yard, he seemed to recover and was able to walk on his own again.

This left Zhou Huaijin unable to tell if the man had been faking it.

Grandpa Zhou, seeing Chi Wan through rose-colored glasses, wasn’t worried at all. He chuckled and said, "Anyone can see that Wanwan isn’t the type to act recklessly. See? Isn’t that man walking just fine on his own now? But Wanwan, my dear, how on earth did you do that?"

Chi Wan had already come up with an explanation back when she was brazenly threatening Song Yangming right in front of the grandfather and grandson.

At his words, she patted her chest with a look of lingering fear. "I... I pricked a nerve with a fine needle dipped in Mandala juice. Huaijin, it’s a good thing you two were here today. Otherwise, I don’t know how badly they would have bullied me all alone."

Her frightened expression made it seem as if her earlier intimidation of Song Yangming had been a desperate bluff, making her look all the more pitiful.

Grandpa Zhou had a sudden realization. He felt a pang of sympathy that Chi Wan had to face such malice from her own family at such a young age, but he also felt a growing admiration for her composure under pressure.

They had only seen Song Yangming accosting Chi Wan earlier, not what had actually happened between them.

Worried that Chi Wan might get hurt, Zhou Huaijin had focused solely on separating them and hadn’t noticed her actions.

Now that he heard her explanation, Mr. Zhou Sr. found it perfectly reasonable. As for where the Mandala came from, or why a nice girl like Chi Wan would be carrying a needle—well, there was no need to get bogged down in trifles. It was clear the poor girl had put up a brave front and was now exhausted.

"You live up here on this mountain. What will you do if they come looking for you again? It’s not safe."

Mr. Zhou Sr. seemed to have forgotten the reason he’d hustled Zhou Huaijin over in the first place. Instead, he started to worry about Chi Wan’s predicament.

But Chi Wan just smiled, not explaining that the trio had already been added to the scent-based blacklist of the thorny hedge guarding the foot of the mountain. If they tried to come back, they wouldn’t find it so easy to get up the path.

She deftly changed the subject. "Don’t worry about me, I have ways of handling it. Grandpa Zhou, don’t you want to go see your Pure Crown Orchid?"

Mr. Zhou Sr. guessed she was saying this because she didn’t want to trouble him. He sighed softly, then shot Zhou Huaijin a look of exasperation before nodding. "Yes, yes, let’s go. I haven’t seen my orchid in a week. I’ve really missed it."

Zhou Huaijin, catching the inexplicable glare from his grandfather, had no way to defend himself. He could only follow obediently behind Chi Wan into her flower room.

This was an empty room Chi Wan had specifically asked to have set aside when Li Xingye was expanding the house. It was reserved exclusively for her orchids—even with Li Xingye’s superpower ensuring the flowers would be fine, she couldn’t just leave the Plain Crowned Cauldron Lotus sitting on the ground outside, could she?

If Mr. Zhou Sr. saw that, it would completely shatter his trust.

The pot with the lush Golden Silk Horse Tail had also been moved inside, of course.

Although the room only contained two potted plants, for an orchid fanatic like Mr. Zhou Sr., the sight of the Pure Crown Orchid alone was enough to capture his full attention.

He circled the flower several times, inspecting each leaf carefully before gazing rapturously at the delicate petals. Murmuring with admiration, he took photos of the orchid from every angle, only straightening up when he was finally satisfied.

He shook his head and sighed. "I may be an old man who loves orchids, but I have absolutely no talent for growing them. I came into possession of this Pure Crown Orchid from a friend by sheer coincidence, and I nearly ended up destroying it. Wanwan, you’ve done your grandpa a massive favor."

Listening from the side, Zhou Huaijin barely managed to stop himself from calling his grandfather out.

He looked at the earnest Mr. Zhou Sr., words catching in his throat. ’No talent? Is that all it is?’ he thought. ’Mr. Zhou Sr.’s fate is practically cosmically opposed to orchids.’

Orchids that thrived in anyone else’s care would inevitably meet with an accident, one way or another, the moment they were moved into his house.

It got to the point where Mr. Zhou Sr. no longer dared to care for the orchids himself, entrusting everything to his eldest grandson, who was supposedly more knowledgeable about plants.

No matter how many times Zhou Huaijin tried to explain that he studied agronomy, not horticulture, his grandfather wouldn’t listen. He wasn’t just given the plants; he’d get an earful if they didn’t do well. If it weren’t for that, Zhou Huaijin wouldn’t have been clutching at Chi Wan like a drowning man clutches a straw.

If Chi Wan knew that Mr. Zhou Sr. was fated to have a black thumb, she might have found they had even more to talk about.

After admiring the Pure Crown Orchid, Mr. Zhou Sr. turned his attention to the Golden Silk Horse Tail. He showed no disdain for its humbler price tag; on the contrary, he was even more impressed. "To grow this Golden Silk Horse Tail to this state must have taken a great deal of effort, no? I’ve met many orchid growers who are too mercenary, thinking only the most expensive flowers are the best.

"But what do the flowers know of the hierarchies people assign them? They just bloom. They bloom brilliantly, they bloom splendidly, and in doing so, make their time in this world worthwhile. Wanwan, my dear, the way you raise these orchids... now that is doing them justice."

Chi Wan was taken aback.

She could tell from his words that Mr. Zhou Sr. was a true flower lover. His praise, however, made Chi Wan—who considered herself a thoroughly pragmatic person—feel a little embarrassed.

She waved her hands. "Grandpa Zhou, you’re making me blush with all this praise. If you truly like it, I’ll give you this Golden Silk Horse Tail as well. I believe that when an orchid meets someone who truly appreciates it, it blooms all the more brilliantly."

Mr. Zhou Sr. was delighted, but he calmly refused. "This flower will grow best if it stays here with you."

He looked around the treehouse and nodded in approval. "This is a fine house, perfect for growing flowers. Are you planning to make this a dedicated flower room? Tell you what, I have a few other excellent orchids at my place. I’ll have Huaijin bring them over some other day. If you see any that are suitable, you can propagate them. Consider it a thank you for saving my flower."

Chi Wan blinked. ’Talk about a timely offer,’ she thought. She had just been wondering how she could justifiably expand her collection of orchids, and now the old man had handed her the perfect excuse.

If Mr. Zhou Sr. said the orchids were excellent, Chi Wan was naturally quite eager to see them.