Chapter 14

Yu Xuanwei called for a car, and the driver was a young man with dark skin and a short stature. As soon as he saw them, he smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. “Hello, esteemed guests!”

Wu Qingluan looked at the youthful face before her and frowned, “Are you even an adult?”

The driver burst into laughter, patting his lean chest. “Miss, I’m already 180 years old!”

Wu Qingluan: …

The driver glanced at Yu Xuanwei, and his playful demeanor faded. He took out his driver’s license from his floral-patterned shorts’ pocket. “It’s true.”

Wu Qingluan looked at the license, and it indeed stated that the driver, named Miaoji, was thirty years old. “Miaoji?” She was truly amazed. There was someone with the last name “Miao”?

“I’m from an ethnic minority,” Miaoji explained with a wink.

So adorable! Wu Qingluan felt like she was being charmed by a cute little kitten.

Yu Xuanwei blocked her view and frowned, “Are we going or not?”

Miaoji quickly opened the car door. “Let’s go, let’s go.”

Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of Dove’s Milk Cafe.

Wu Qingluan got out of the car and looked at the upscale cafe with its retro green and dark gold color scheme. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were buying coffee for the triplets. After all, kids couldn’t drink coffee.

She turned to look at Yu Xuanwei and found that he had given something round to Miaoji. Miaoji’s initially guarded expression turned into gratitude, and he nodded and bowed as he escorted them into the cafe.

Wu Qingluan couldn’t resist asking, “What did you give him?”

“I gave him some pills I concocted.”

Wu Qingluan was surprised, “Is this okay? Aren’t pills poisonous? You shouldn’t give people things to eat randomly.”

“Who told you that pills are poisonous? I’m a master alchemist, one pill is enough to extend his life.”

Well… how should she put it? Wu Qingluan had to admit that Yu Xuanwei was truly a practitioner of the Dao, and he sincerely believed in the path he followed.

Thinking about historical figures who met untimely ends from consuming random pills, Wu Qingluan could only silently pray that Miaoji had merely accepted the pills as a gesture of goodwill.

Yu Xuanwei brought her to the counter, “Two cups of coffee, for takeaway.”

“Sure thing.” Behind the counter, there was only a chubby owner wearing a dark green apron. He smiled and looked at Wu Qingluan, “We have fresh and hot Dove’s Milk today, would you like some?”

“Sure.”

Yu Xuanwei frowned, “She doesn’t need it.”

Wu Qingluan: …

Yu Xuanwei thought for a moment and provided a reason, “Dove’s Milk has too many calories; it can make you gain weight.”

Wu Qingluan: Thank you.

Five minutes later, with the takeaway coffees in hand, Yu Xuanwei led Wu Qingluan towards the back yard, saying, “There’s a back door that leads to an ancient street. Let’s go there to pick gifts for them.”

“Alright.”

The back door had a quaint and unique style, with two young gatekeepers. When they saw the two approaching, their gaze first landed on the coffee in Yu Xuanwei’s hands before they respectfully bowed and opened the door for them.

As the door swung open, a lively atmosphere hit them, in stark contrast to the serene coffee shop.

Once outside, Wu Qingluan was surprised to find herself on a crowded alleyway, flanked by tightly-packed shops on both sides.

All these shops seemed to be haphazardly constructed, creating a twisted and winding appearance in the otherwise straight alley.

Yu Xuanwei held Wu Qingluan’s hand and said, “Stay close to me.”

Everything around her was so novel, and Wu Qingluan couldn’t take it all in at once. She followed Yu Xuanwei through the crowd and asked, “What is this place? I’ve never seen it before.”

“It’s an old street in Qiongzhou. Some people call it Lao Ge Xiang. Here, you can find many things that are not available outside, but some can be dangerous. Don’t touch anything indiscriminately.”

Wu Qingluan wondered if this was a black market or something like that in Qiongzhou. She was excited because she had never been to such a place before.

The two of them squeezed through the crowd together, browsing and selecting items for the whole afternoon. Wu Qingluan’s eyes were exhausted from all the choices. She found it fascinating, and she was sure the triplets would love this and that. Unfortunately, Yu Xuanwei didn’t allow her to spoil them and only permitted her to buy one item.

In the end, Yu Xuanwei made the decisions. He bought a large, pure white egg for the eldest, a finely crafted set of building blocks for the second, and colorful ice skates for the youngest.

The other two items were fine, but Wu Qingluan was suspicious about the origin of the giant egg. She held it in her arms; it was bigger than a basketball, with a flawless, radiant white shell that gleamed in the sunlight.

Yu Xuanwei had chosen it from a blind box egg shop, named so because the shopkeeper didn’t disclose the species of the egg until it hatched, just like opening a blind box.

With such a large egg, the only thing Wu Qingluan could think of was an ostrich egg. However, this egg was a perfect sphere, unlike the ostrich eggs she had seen in documentaries.

This egg wasn’t cheap, and if it weren’t for the fact that it felt warm in her hands, Wu Qingluan might have suspected it was a fake. She felt that the shopkeeper of the blind box egg shop was smiling with some hidden agenda. It wasn’t just the shopkeeper; the other vendors here were all rather peculiar.

Yu Xuanwei wasn’t concerned at all. “No problem. The items here are all certified by the state and can legally circulate.”

Seeing his unwavering confidence, Wu Qingluan felt reassured. Even though there was no evidence, Yu Xuanwei exuded an aura of knowledge. His every movement and word were convincing, as if he possessed the confidence of a prodigious scholar.

Over the years, Wu Qingluan had been busy with her acting career and had little time to study or travel. Although she had obtained a master’s degree, she was well aware of her own limitations.

Back in the day, her high school exam scores had ranked among the top in the entire Chongqing Province, far exceeding the admission thresholds of various prestigious universities in Huaguo. If it weren’t for her grandmother’s serious illness and the urgent need for money…

Wu Qingluan shook her head lightly. Everything was fine now, and there was nothing to regret.

As they passed by a small cart filled with flowers, Wu Qingluan caught a particularly pleasant and sweet fragrance, immediately drawing her attention.

The vendor emerged from the cart, a pot of flowers on his head, and asked, “Lovely miss, which bouquet do you like?”

Wu Qingluan hesitated; she wasn’t knowledgeable about flowers. Most of the flowers she received were roses. “I’m just drawn to the sweet scent…”

She circled the small cart, smelling the flowers, and eventually found a bunch of pure white flowers in a corner. They resembled lilies, with long stems adorned by a string of small white blossoms, emitting a delicate and sweet fragrance.

“What’s the price for this one?” she inquired.

The vendor grinned suggestively, “Miss has a keen eye; this is called ‘Love’s Essence.’ Only those in love can smell its fragrance.”

Wu Qingluan felt a slight tremor in her heart.

The vendor handed her the bouquet and whispered, “It’s true, only those with someone they love in their hearts can smell it. Quite magical, isn’t it?”

Surprisingly, Wu Qingluan hesitated. “I was just asking, you don’t have to…”

A slender hand reached out, offering a banknote to the vendor. “No need for change, wrap it up.”

“Alright!”

Taking the large egg from Wu Qingluan, Yu Xuanwei handed her the bouquet. She couldn’t look into his eyes, and when they had walked a distance away, she pinched one of the small flowers. “Sellers are willing to say anything to make a sale, right? Can you smell it?”

Yu Xuanwei nodded, “It’s very sweet.”

Wu Qingluan placed the bouquet under her nose and took a deep breath, “Indeed, it’s very sweet and fragrant!” She held the flower up to Yu Xuanwei, “Take a sniff…”

Unexpectedly, Yu Xuanwei abruptly took two steps back, his expression appearing extremely restrained.

Wu Qingluan was taken aback and quickly pulled the flower back, “Sorry, I didn’t know you didn’t like this scent.”

“No, it’s not that. I have pollen allergies.”

“In that case, should I…” Wu Qingluan was already searching for a trash bin.

“If you like it, you can keep it,” Yu Xuanwei said, “Just avoid prolonged contact.”

Wu Qingluan nodded thoughtfully.

By the time they returned home, it was already late at night, and Grandma Zhou and the triplets had gone to bed.

Wu Qingluan first checked on Grandma Zhou and then went upstairs with Yu Xuanwei to see the triplets. She placed their gifts by their bedside. Afterward, she noticed that Yu Xuanwei had returned to his own bedroom.

Before she could feel too pleased, she heard him say, “I’ll go after I finish showering.” Well, it seemed like he was planning to stay in her room again.

Wu Qingluan knew that refusing was futile, so she shrugged and went downstairs first.

When Yu Xuanwei came over, Wu Qingluan was already lying in bed, but she occupied the center of the bed, clearly showing her lack of welcome.

On the bedside table were the newly bought flowers, and the pollen had scattered all over.

Seeing him, Wu Qingluan sat up and looked at him provocatively.

Yu Xuanwei stepped onto the bed, even though there was pollen everywhere.

Wu Qingluan was shocked. “Aren’t you allergic?”

Yu Xuanwei chuckled softly. “So what? You think I wouldn’t dare to come over?”

Wu Qingluan huffed. “You trickster.” She shuffled deeper into the bed, pulled the covers over her head, and said, “I’m going to sleep, I’m so tired.”

Yu Xuanwei turned off the light and lay down beside her.

The room was quiet, and the sweet fragrance of the Love Silk flowers lingered in the air. The scent from the pollen became even stronger.

Yu Xuanwei sighed. She really couldn’t resist teasing him. He embraced Wu Qingluan from behind. “I’m feeling hot now. Can you help me?”

Wu Qingluan was on her guard, and when he got closer, she immediately became tense. “Help what? Get away from me! You…”

She didn’t dare to move any further.

Yu Xuanwei buried his head in her neck, his breathing growing heavier.

Love Silk flowers, she really knew how to choose. These flowers were known to enhance emotions, and she had the audacity to place them by the bedside. She had sparked this fire, and she needed to take responsibility for extinguishing it!

He had restrained himself for too long. Tonight, he wanted to enjoy a little sweetness.