Chapter 83: The Untouchable Flower

It was the middle of the day, and the road bustled with people coming and going.

Out of nowhere, a big yellow dog darted out from the roadside, sniffing the scent of the meat bun in Xia Sili’s hand. With a wild wag of its tail, it leaped straight toward her, snatched the remaining half of the meat bun in a swift and ferocious move, and bolted away.

“Ah!”

Before Xia Sili could react, her vision blurred, and her legs wobbled. The bun in her hand was gone. Gone!

The dog ran off triumphantly with the bun, wagging its tail as if showing off, and even turned back smugly to glance at her.

The man beside her turned his head and quickly strode over.

This was the first time in her life that Xia Sili had ever had food snatched right out of her hand by a dog.

She had a habit of saving the best bite for last.

Standing frozen in place, her fair cheeks flushed with shock and dismay, she kept her hand raised in the posture of holding the bun. The wind tousled her beautiful long hair cascading over her shoulders.

She looked like a child who had just been robbed of candy—utterly frustrated, pitiful, and inexplicably adorable.

Jiang Cheng thought she had been frightened by the dog. He walked over to shield her, his chest swelling with warmth and tenderness.

In a soft, soothing voice, he said, “Sili, don’t be afraid. As long as I’m here, no dog will dare bully you.”

But in his heart, he thought: Look at her—my little wife couldn’t even outmatch a dog.

And she claims she doesn’t need me.

She looked so aggrieved.

He had never seen her like this before.

What to do?

He suddenly had the urge to tease her, just like that dog had done.

In the end, Xia Sili shared another bun with the man, splitting it in half.

Jiang Cheng’s face remained stoic, but he ate quickly, finishing his portion in just a couple of bites. He looked at her and remarked, “Hmm, this bun is pretty good.”

Xia Sili ate slowly, clutching her half tightly.

Why was this man suddenly so cheerful? Even his eyebrows were raised, as if all his sulking had vanished.

Was he secretly happy about her bun being snatched by a dog?

She chewed gloomily, convinced that this roasted bun in her hand didn’t taste as fresh and fragrant as the first one straight out of the oven.

The last bite was always the best!

That dog was too much of a dog!

Sigh.

After finishing their food, the two walked along the street for a while. Xia Sili bought some red sugar twists and egg cakes to take back home.

There were plenty of snacks along this street, and she took note of the shops lining the road. Almost none of the storefronts were vacant, indicating that this area had an excellent location.

After walking a couple of streets, Xia Sili asked a passerby for directions and finally found a store with a bold sign in bright red script:

Xinhua Bookstore

Not far across from the bookstore was a barber shop.

She glanced at Jiang Cheng’s dark, slightly overgrown hair that was nearly brushing his eyelashes. Handing him the bags, she said, “Go get a haircut. I’ll browse the bookstore. Whoever finishes first can come find the other.”

“Oh.” The man hesitated but nodded good-naturedly.

The midday weather had cleared, and soft sunlight filtered through the gaps in the street trees, scattering light patterns over his face.

As Xia Sili walked a few steps away, she thought she heard him muttering to himself in a low voice.

“My wife won’t run away.”

“She couldn’t even outrun a dog.”

“I’ll be quick.”

When she turned her head, she saw him striding purposefully toward the barber shop, carrying the bags with an air of determination.

Her lips involuntarily curved into a faint smile.

The atmosphere inside the Xinhua Bookstore was completely different.

Books were neatly arranged on the shelves, filling the walls, and the air carried the faint scent of fresh paper and ink.

The uniformed staff, wearing glasses, stood at the wide counter with an aloof expression, keeping a cold distance between customers and the shelves.

In this era, buying books was still a bit of a luxury, especially in a formal bookstore like Xinhua.

You couldn’t browse books freely here. You had to ask the staff to fetch them for you, and after two or three requests, they often began to show impatience.

Their gaze would turn judgmental as they coldly asked, “Are you buying or not?”

The store was quiet, with only a few customers. The clean and bright floor amplified every step, forcing visitors to tread lightly.

Xia Sili wandered around but didn’t see any study materials for high school exams. She decided to ask the staff.

A middle-aged male clerk glanced at her, lifted an eyelid, and lazily gestured toward a corner without saying much.

She went over to check the shelves but only found books like “Comprehensive Knowledge Compendium”—nothing close to what she was looking for.

As she was about to inquire further, a small hidden door near the bookshelves opened, and someone emerged.

The door, concealed behind the shelves, was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

A young woman stepped out, dressed in a white wool coat. She had delicate features, long hair draped over her shoulders, and a few books cradled in her arms.

Among them were Mathematics Reference, English Grammar Handbook, and what appeared to be two Chinese novel collections.

The young woman walked straight past Xia Sili to the counter, where the staff immediately greeted her with a warm smile.

With courteous attention, they carefully packed her books.

Xia Sili glanced at the still-open hidden door. She peered inside and glimpsed more shelves. Curious, she lifted her leg to step in.

The clerk’s sharp gaze shot over, and he barked, “Hey! What are you doing? Get out of there!”

“What kind of place is this? A bookstore isn’t supposed to restrict access, is it?”

The clerk hurriedly finished packing the young woman’s books and handed them to her with exaggerated care. Then he marched over to Xia Sili, pointing forcefully at her and snapping, “This isn’t a place you can enter. Leave.”

“I’m here to buy books. Why can’t I go in?” Xia Sili asked with a frown.

“If you’re buying books, you can stay out here.” The clerk slammed the door shut, speaking curtly and coldly.

He gave her a once-over, seemingly concluding from her simple attire that she was just an ordinary young girl, not worth further explanation.

Xia Sili looked at the door—it seemed like an employee area.

She had heard rumors that bookstores in this era sometimes had “special channels” for selling exclusive books, accessible only to select individuals.

She hadn’t expected to encounter it herself today.

Honestly, she wasn’t overly offended by the practice, given the times, but the clerk’s arrogant attitude was grating.

She smiled faintly, her tone calm: “Got it. You really embody the spirit of books—you’ve brought Pavlov’s dog and a chameleon to life. Impressive.”

With that, she left.

The clerk stood there, processing her words, glaring at her retreating figure.

What did she mean by that?

The young girl holding a book stood at the entrance of the bookstore and also overheard Xia Li’s words. She turned her head slightly, glanced at her, and gave a barely perceptible smile. However, her gaze still carried a hint of condescension as it flitted indifferently away from Xia Li.

A young woman in a cashmere coat, clutching a book, walked out without paying much attention to the minor commotion inside the bookstore. To her, such occurrences were commonplace and unremarkable.

In today’s society, even buying a book often required insider connections. Not everyone was fortunate enough to have access. Envy was inevitable, just like the young girl inside who appeared to be about her age. Such people were unworthy of further attention.

She made her way to a modern, stylishly decorated café nearby.

The café was situated near a residential compound for state officials, boasting a pleasant environment. It wasn’t crowded; only a couple of tables were occupied—one by people in suits discussing business, and another by young couples chatting quietly as if on a date.

“Wanran.” The young woman’s lips curved into a smile as her eyes lit up upon spotting a peer dressed in a red plaid coat seated by the window. She called out to her in greeting.

Song Wanran waved, pushing a steaming cup of coffee toward her. As her lifelong best friend took the seat across from her, Song Wanran asked gently with a smile:

“Where’s Qingqu Ge again? I haven’t seen him in ages.”

Song Wanran’s delicate face remained composed as she replied, “Oh, him? He’s busy. Lately, he’s been tied up with organizing the pilot investment program for the model county reform. He’s practically living at the office and barely comes home.”

The woman in the white cashmere coat looked a little disappointed. She smiled, half-complaining, “I thought so. He used to treasure you, his little sister, the most. He always tagged along when we went out. Now it feels strange without him.”

Song Wanran chuckled softly, taking a sip of her coffee, though a trace of disapproval lingered in her heart.

The girl sitting across from her was Feng Qianru, her childhood playmate. They had grown up together in the residential compound for government officials.

Qianru was good at almost everything—poised and sociable. However…

Her attitude toward Song Wanran’s cousin, Song Qingqu, was somewhat ambiguous.

In the past, Song Qingqu had always treated Feng Qianru well, and both families had strongly encouraged a match between them. At one point, Song Wanran had even thought her childhood friend would eventually become her sister-in-law.

But unexpectedly, while Qianru seemed to depend on Qingqu, always calling him “Qingqu Ge” with fondness, she avoided making any commitments whenever Song Wanran tried to help her cousin express his feelings. She would ambiguously deflect, saying she wasn’t ready to consider such things.

Song Wanran couldn’t make sense of their situation, nor did she care to.

Luckily, her cousin seemed to have come to his senses recently. After battling a severe bout of gastritis, he had finally recovered. Lately, he’d been so busy with work that he no longer doted on Qianru, which was a relief.

After all, if Qingqu continued to pursue her unrequitedly, it wouldn’t end well.

Song Wanran took another sip of coffee, then glanced at the stack of reference books Qianru had brought. She asked, “Qianru, are you really planning to retake the college entrance exam? Your father arranged a position for you at the bank. Isn’t the job pretty relaxed?”

Feng Qianru shook her head with a wry smile. “It is relaxed, but it’s boring. I don’t really need the money, so while I’m still young, I might as well give it another shot.”

“Now that high school has returned to the three-year system and college admission rates have increased over the past two years, I think I have a good chance.”

Besides, her father had recently pulled some strings to get her tutored by a well-known teacher in the city, someone reputed to have participated in drafting last year’s provincial exam questions. Qianru felt confident, though she saw no need to share this detail with Song Wanran.

Song Wanran set down her coffee cup and smiled. “Well, I wish you all the best next year.”

Feng Qianru smiled gracefully, half-joking, “I was even thinking of asking Qingqu Ge to help me with English. But he’s so busy, I’d feel bad disturbing him.”

“Nonsense. If my brother has time, he’ll definitely help you.”

When they left the café, Song Wanran parted ways with her friend at the intersection.

Her father was on duty at the hospital today, so she had to deliver dumplings to him.

As the bus rolled along, passing bright red banners promoting the county’s investment drive, Song Wanran stared silently out the window, taking in the familiar scenery without a word.

When the bus announced her stop, she snapped out of her thoughts and quickly got off.

The bus doors were crowded, with people pushing to board before others could disembark. Holding the food container, Song Wanran stumbled slightly and almost fell as she exited.

“Be careful!” A steady hand caught her just in time.

She looked up to see a refined and handsome young man wearing thin-rimmed glasses. His fair complexion and elegant demeanor immediately caught her attention.

Retracting her hand, Song Wanran said curtly, “Thank you.”

The young man smiled politely and nodded. “You’re welcome.”

She returned the nod and carried the container toward the hospital entrance.

Wei Tianhong lingered two steps behind, adjusting his glasses as a glint of admiration flickered in his eyes.

The young woman in the red plaid coat had a tall and graceful figure, her high ponytail swinging as she walked. Her stylish attire exuded freshness and modernity.

Yet her face bore an air of cold indifference, as if nothing in the world could capture her attention.

To Wei Tianhong, she radiated the aura of someone from a well-bred, prominent family—a classic “high mountain flower,” as the phrase went.

He watched her retreating figure, fiery red against the sunlight, and couldn’t help but smile faintly before shaking his head and following her.

Coincidentally, he was also heading to the hospital that day to visit his elder sister, who had recently given birth.