Standing Next To You-Chapter 453: Basket of Flowers

Bei Sangyun had no appetite these days.

The meal that Grandma Bei and Maid Ye Zhai had prepared looked delicious, but Bei Sangyun couldn’t taste anything at all. When she requested porridge at dinner, both women immediately knew—her illness had relapsed again.

In the past four years, Bei Sangyun’s illness had relapsed frequently. However, it remained within a tolerable range, usually resulting in a temporary loss of taste for a few days. The longest episode had lasted two weeks, but even then, she eventually recovered.

This was a significant improvement compared to her previous life. If events followed the same course as before, she would not only lose her sense of taste—her hands would begin to numb, and she’d experience paralysis for a day or two. Gradually, the period of her illness increased as time passed by, until she could no longer get up on her own. That incurable illness had driven her to madness, causing relentless pain both mentally and physically.

But now, she had people on her side. The only burden left was the emotional weight she carried—a sickness of the heart—and the occasional episodes of lost taste. With Grandma Bei and Maid Ye Zhai caring for her, she no longer found the illness to be much of a hassle. She could still force herself to eat, knowing she needed to stay healthy.

Yet today, perhaps because she had come to realize that things might never return to how they once were, and that she might be powerless to prevent the growing distance between her and Fei Chuan, her longing had become unbearable—leaving her appetite utterly diminished.

Grandma Bei made a nutritious bowl of porridge, which Bei Sangyun finished under her watchful, worried gaze before returning to her study to work.

While her thoughts drifted between work and Fei Chuan, a basket of flowers arrived at her residence.

The basket was unusual, filled with striking, vivid colors—both dark and bright flowers.

It contained flowers rarely used for gifting, such as black dahlias and snapdragons. These dark blooms were surrounded by foxgloves and yellow chrysanthemums, with thistles scattered throughout, contrasting sharply with the darker flowers. Dark foliage encircled the arrangement, lending it an air of mystery and danger.

The floral arrangement was beautiful in a haunting, almost perilous way.

There was no sender’s name, but the flowers had been carefully tended to and looked freshly picked. It was clear that the sender had a preference for dark blooms.

At first, Bei Sangyun assumed the flowers had been delivered to the wrong address. They asked the delivery driver to take them back, certain there had been a mistake.

However, the driver insisted this was the correct address. No matter how much they questioned him about the sender, he could only say that he’d been given the delivery instructions—nothing more.

Bei Sangyun frowned at the flowers. Only a few people knew her address, and she didn’t like the idea of accepting gifts from an unknown sender. So, she instructed Maid Ye Zhai to dispose of them however she saw fit.

Bei Sangyun soon forgot about the flowers. But strangely, the incident helped her refocus on her work.

The next day, however, another basket of flowers arrived.

This time, the arrangement was vastly different from the basket she had received yesterday. It was filled with bright, familiar flowers.

Peonies and red camellias were surrounded by blue irises and white daffodils. Yellow tulips added a touch of optimism, while hellebores were tucked in to soften the overall tone. It was truly beautiful to behold.

But Bei Sangyun just felt strange.

This couldn’t be a mistake or coincidence. Someone had deliberately sent them to her—but for what reason?

She stared at the flowers, feeling too drained to dwell on it. "Maid Ye Zhai, call the shop and ask who sent them."

When Maid Ye Zhai called, they received the same answer: the shop couldn’t disclose the sender’s information.

Once again, the flowers were discarded by Maid Ye Zhai.

But on the following day, yet another basket arrived.

Light-toned flowers like white lilies, blue delphiniums, lavender roses, and baby’s breath were artfully arranged in the basket. Ivy leaves were woven around it, adding a touch of charm.

This kind of gift would surely soften any girl’s heart—just not Bei Sangyun’s.

Frustrated, she called Zhong Cheng.

"Did you give my address to anyone?"

"What? Of course not, Boss. How could I?"

She believed him. Zhong Cheng wasn’t the type to get her information leaked. After a brief conversation about business matters with him, she ended the call.

There was only one person who came to mind—Jang Shin.

Ever since their meeting, the flowers had started arriving daily. He had mentioned wanting to meet her again while she was in the country, asking her to give him a chance.

Bei Sangyun picked up the phone again, this time calling the security guard.

"If any more flower deliveries come, turn them away. Don’t let them through."

With that, she hoped to send a clear message: she wasn’t interested in seeing Jang Shin again nor in building any kind of relationship with him.

The next day, another basket of flowers arrived.

It was similar to the previous day, filled with bright flowers exuding elegance—yet there was an underlying tension that Bei Sangyun subtly feel.

Gladiolus, red amaryllis, and orange lilies presented bold, contrasting colors—powerful and beautiful, but also ominous. Hibiscus blooms, anthuriums, and burgundy chrysanthemums added depth and intensity to the arrangement.

Though the selection was different with new blooms, just seeing the flowers gave Bei Sangyun a headache.

"Why is this here? I told the guard to turn away the delivery."

"Maybe this isn’t from the same sender," Maid Ye Zhai said, pulling an envelope from the basket. "There’s an envelope inside. I think this one is important."

Bei Sangyun’s eyes narrowed at the familiar red envelope with gold inscriptions. Wasn’t this a royal invitation to the Royal Banquet?

She opened it, and her suspicions were confirmed—it was indeed an invitation to the upcoming Royal Banquet, addressed specifically to her.