Chapter 7.1

With a gloomy expression, Jiang Yu followed him out the door.

Once outside, as Jiang Zhe closed the door, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you looking down on me?”

The man turned back, giving her a glance before denying it.

“No.”

Jiang Yu muttered to herself, “I feel like you’re looking down on me for not being able to grow flowers.”

Jiang Zhe: …

He repeated his earlier words.

“No,” his voice was calm and unruffled.

Perhaps because he had denied it twice, Jiang Yu genuinely began to believe him, feeling a bit more at ease as she asked, “Really? Are you sure?”

Her eyes sparkled brightly, resembling a treasure trove filled with precious gems.

Jiang Zhe managed to squeeze out a sound from his throat.

“Mm.”

He didn’t actually look down on her, but he honestly believed she couldn’t keep flowers alive. Yet, seeing her radiant eyes, he went against his better judgment and told a small lie to reassure her.

Jiang Zhe’s expression remained unchanged as he said this, making it impossible for Jiang Yu to detect any signs of deceit. Thus, she easily accepted his words.

Feeling happy, she dropped the earlier topic and asked, “So, what flowers are we going to buy?”

“What kind do you want?”

As they entered the elevator, there were hardly any people inside, just the two of them. With just the two of them, Jiang Zhe felt the atmosphere was less tense.

Jiang Yu hadn’t really thought it through. She just felt that having some flowers would make the balcony more interesting. As for which flowers, she replied, “Let’s go take a look first. If we find something we like, we can buy it.”

After saying that, she glanced at Jiang Zhe for his reaction, but he maintained his usual calm demeanor, showing little to no emotion, leaving her uncertain about his thoughts.

Soon enough, Jiang Yu realized he had no objections.

“That’s fine.”

During their ride, another person entered the elevator, and Jiang Yu clearly noticed Jiang Zhe tense up. His expression quickly turned colder, radiating an aura that screamed ‘stay away.’

The newcomer instinctively stepped back. When Jiang Yu noticed Jiang Zhe’s reaction, she was taken aback. After they exited the elevator and found themselves in a less crowded area, she suddenly had a hunch and asked, “Jiang Zhe, you’re not socially anxious, are you? You looked quite tense when there was someone else in the elevator.”

He looked somewhat stern, seemingly more nervous than usual. Even though he had an exceptionally handsome face, people around them still hesitated to approach.

Jiang Zhe was momentarily taken aback by Jiang Yu’s words. Logically, he should have honestly told her the truth, but he felt that admitting to social anxiety would only invite ridicule. His family wouldn’t understand why a grown man like him would have such issues.

Maybe it was pride or something else, but he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to admit his shortcomings and denied it. “No, I just don’t like being around too many strangers.”

He hoped she hadn’t noticed how he nervously swallowed when seeing other people.

Jiang Yu’s understanding of social anxiety came from what she had read online. She didn’t think there was anything shameful about it, so she accepted his explanation and looked at his pale face with newfound clarity.

“Oh, so that’s how it is.”

She decided not to dwell on the subject and instead expressed her annoyance. “Why does it feel like my clothes have shrunk? Am I gaining weight?”

Girls who care about their appearance are always sensitive about weight changes.

Jiang Zhe was well aware of the cause behind her feelings, so he softly said, “I’m sorry.”

Jiang Yu knew it was due to her pregnancy, but she felt confused and dissatisfied.

“Why do people have to get pregnant and have kids? Not only does it ruin your figure, but there are also various aftereffects after giving birth.”

Although she was currently carrying a child, it was still the original owner’s child with Jiang Zhe. Since she inherited the original owner’s feelings, she had some emotional attachment, but it wasn’t enough to face the numerous challenges of giving birth.

As the source of her pregnancy, Jiang Zhe couldn’t say a word in response to her complaints. It was also this guilt that had led him to endure all her previous outbursts.

He was even somewhat worried that Jiang Yu, who was overly concerned about her body, might suddenly revert to her former irritable self.

In the end, she didn’t disappoint him. She simply complained a little before quickly shifting to another topic.

However, what she said casually weighed heavily on Jiang Zhe’s mind.

Before long, they arrived at the flower market.

The flower market was filled with a variety of flowers: orchids, chrysanthemums of different colors, roses, phalaenopsis, azaleas, and many other flowers Jiang Yu couldn’t even name.

Jiang Yu didn’t have much knowledge about the value of flowers; her only requirement was that they needed to be pretty. Since she wouldn’t be the one primarily taking care of them, she decided to ask Jiang Zhe for his opinion.

“What flowers do you think are good?”

Jiang Zhe, who disliked crowded places, had specifically chosen a shop with fewer customers. Upon hearing Jiang Yu’s question, he glanced at the flowers displayed and replied, “Buy whatever you want to plant.”

Jiang Yu hesitantly said, “If we’re raising flowers, they should definitely be beautiful ones.”

Then she turned to the shopkeeper and asked, “Boss, which of these flowers is the easiest to take care of?”

The owner was a plump middle-aged woman, with a bag slung over her waist. When she saw Jiang Yu asking, she quickly smiled and said, “All of these flowers are quite easy to care for.”

“If you’re a beginner, you might want to try chrysanthemums or roses. They come in many colors and look great.”

Jiang Yu pointed at a pot of red roses and asked, “What kind of flower is this?”

“Corolla.”

Although she didn’t fully understand the name of the rose variety, it didn’t dampen her enthusiasm for choosing flowers. After glancing at Jiang Zhe, she asked, “How about buying this one?”

“Sure.” For him, it didn’t matter if it was one pot or two,  caring for them would be the same either way.

At first, Jiang Yu was a bit hesitant while picking flowers, but when Jiang Zhe said it was all fine, she took the opportunity to buy the flowers she liked without hesitation. After confirming with the shop owner, she playfully turned to him and asked, “What do you think of this flower?”

His response was always the same.

“Sure.”

So, as they browsed, they ended up buying over ten pots of flowers.

After placing the flowers in the trunk, Jiang Yu happily settled into the passenger seat, turning to look at him, her smile barely contained.

“Are we going home now?”

She was quite pleased with her choice of flowers and was eager to arrange them on the balcony to admire them.

However, Jiang Zhe had other plans. He replied with a question, “Didn’t you say your clothes feel small?”

Jiang Yu had only made a passing comment, never expecting him to actually remember it.

“Yeah, but I can go out and buy some more in a few days. It’s not all of them, just some.”