The Twilight Does Not Stain the Rose - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Daylily (I)

The following day, the sky was high and the air was crisp. Jiang Muchen arrived at “Today is Good” before eight o’clock, but to her surprise, Zhuang Baiwei was already at the shop.

When they met, Zhuang Baiwei was even more taken aback. “Muchen, do you intend to keep the same business hours as the shop?”

The person before her nodded and replied, “Since I’m here to observe, I might as well observe the full cycle.”

At this, Zhuang Baiwei fell into silent thought for a moment before asking, “Are you still suffering from insomnia?”

This question made Jiang Muchen freeze slightly, then she shook her head to explain: “It’s been much better since the hospital. I’ve been sleeping on time every day, don’t worry.” As if fearing Zhuang Baiwei wouldn’t believe her, she added, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask my mother.”

Zhuang Baiwei was momentarily speechless, then said between laughter and tears, “I suppose I could.”

Seeing Jiang Muchen smile as well, she continued, “I just wanted to check on your health. It wouldn’t do if you collapsed before finding your inspiration. Anyway,” she nodded, “if you feel fine, then so be it. If you get tired or want to slack off, it’s okay to come in later.”

A car turned into the intersection and parked in front of the flower shop. This was followed by a flurry of hurried footsteps and then Zhou Xiaofeng’s exclamation: “Weiwei-jie, why are you so early today?”

She ran closer quickly, glancing at her phone. “7:58. I’m not late, is my phone broken?”

Zhuang Baiwei gave a helpless smile and patted her shoulder. “I came early because I have things to do. Let’s unload the flowers first.”

The group quickly moved today’s flower order from the car. Jiang Muchen put in the most effort, leaving the others staring in stunned silence. Noticing their surprised and envious gazes, Jiang Muchen pursed her lips shyly. “I was born with quite a lot of strength.”

“That’s great,” Zhou Xiaotong couldn’t help but sigh. “I’m so jealous…”

Zhou Xiaofeng counted the number of flowers on the ground. “Huh? The count seems wrong.”

“Missing some?!” Zhou Xiaotong lowered her head to re-check.

“No,” Zhou Xiaofeng walked over to a bucket of orange flowers. “There are extra. These look like—”

At that moment, Zhuang Baiwei spoke: “Those are Daylilies. I prepared them for the two of you. You both have tomorrow off.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Zhou sisters froze. Zhou Xiaotong was the first to react, her eyes reddening as she said, “Thank you, Weiwei-jie…”

Zhuang Baiwei’s lips curled into a slight, somewhat heavy smile. She patted the two younger girls on their shoulders. “It’s what I should do.” After that, she clapped her hands together. “Alright, hurry up and organize them. Since the two of you won’t be here tomorrow, the flower appointments will have to be paused.”

She pointed at the circles of flowers on the ground, wearing a troubled expression. “I don’t know the first thing about arranging these.”

Zhou Xiaofeng immediately laughed, a tiny sparkle of a tear at the corner of her eye. “Don’t worry, Weiwei-jie. Mission accepted.”

To the side, Jiang Muchen watched their interaction quietly. Although she didn’t know what tomorrow was, she understood it must be a very important day, so she didn’t voice any curiosity.

It wasn’t a very busy day. At lunch, everyone sat together at a table outside the coffee shop to eat. Madam Zhuang had prepared an exceptionally feast-like lunch today, and Zhuang Baiwei shared it generously.

Jiang Feifei praised the food while eating: “Madam Zhuang’s cooking is getting better and better. I remember eating one of Weiwei’s lunchboxes in tenth grade—heavens, that taste…”

Recalling the past, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Zhuang Baiwei shook her head helplessly. “The housekeeper was busy that day. Madam Zhuang only made that ‘love lunch’ to keep me from starving to death, okay?” She threw a mock glare. “Careful, or I’ll tattle to Madam Zhuang—”

“No, no, no,” Jiang Feifei clasped her hands in a plea for mercy. “I was wrong. Madam Zhuang is the greatest!”

“Oh?” Zhou Xiaofeng wasn’t very familiar with the details of Zhuang Baiwei’s family. She asked curiously, “Did Auntie learn to cook later on?”

Zhuang Baiwei nodded. “She was busy with work before, so she felt she had neglected my sister and me. Five years ago, when my sister formally took over the winery, she simply retired and went to culinary school. Now she sends meals to my sister every day at a fixed time.”

“I only got to benefit from my sister’s luck because I left the industry. But now—” She looked toward Jiang Muchen. “I’m benefiting from Muchen’s luck too.”

Suddenly called out, Jiang Muchen stopped chewing, her eyes widening. She said in a muffled voice, “Is this a bit too much trouble for Auntie?”

Everyone at the table laughed. Jiang Feifei then said, “Madam Zhuang loves well-behaved and cute girls like you, so she does it quite willingly.”

“Don’t worry,” Zhuang Baiwei comforted her. “Ever since I took her traveling for a year last year, she’s become even more of a homebody. Madam Zhuang is very competitive; from her work down to her square dancing, she takes everything seriously. She can’t stay idle at her core. If you really feel bad,” she thought for a moment, “just praise her often and give her positive feedback.”

Just as she spoke, Zhuang Baiwei pulled out her phone. “Hello? Yes, just bring it over directly.”

It appeared to be a delivery.

Sure enough, not long after, a small courier cart arrived at the tea shop. Zhuang Baiwei stood up. “I’ve finished eating anyway. You guys remember to finish the rest.” She ran toward the tea shop. “Yes, just move them inside the tea shop!”

The courier began moving items. Seeing the size of the packages, Jiang Feifei thought for a moment and said, “It’s probably the hanging art.”

Zhou Xiaotong was confused. “What hanging art?”

Jiang Feifei explained, “She said they are decorations for the coffee shop and the second floor. Weiwei seems to want to build up the shop’s social media accounts. She plans to take the photos and videos herself, write the copy, and run the business daily.”

Zhou Xiaofeng let out an “Ah.” “Is it because of my WeChat post the other day?”

The post of Zhuang Baiwei’s handwritten letter that day had indeed gained a lot of traction, and the customer who pre-ordered flowers had recommended many new clients.

Jiang Feifei shrugged. “Probably.” She laughed, sounding slightly dismissive yet full of pride. “Weiwei and Madam Zhuang are actually the same. Though she says she has no dreams and wants to be a big salted fish, she is actually serious about everything. If you really let her just wing something, she simply can’t do it.”

“Sigh,” Zhou Xiaotong lamented. “No wonder Weiwei-jie became a rich woman sitting on a mountain of gold at such a young age.” At this, she asked again, “Does Weiwei-jie have an investment in that drama that’s a big hit lately?”

Zhou Xiaofeng nodded, her words full of admiration. “Yes. So Weiwei-jie’s success is the result of being at the right place at the right time with the right people.”

The other two young girls who had been eating silently couldn’t help but gasp. “That’s so impressive.”

In the distance, a pair of girls walked toward them. Judging by their pace, they were heading for the coffee shop. Jiang Feifei hurriedly finished her last bite of food, tidied up briefly, and headed into the shop.

By now, everyone had almost finished eating. Jiang Muchen spoke up: “You all go get busy; I’ll handle the cleaning.” After all, everyone in the shop was busy while she was the only “Mascot.” It was only right for her to contribute a small amount of effort.

Zhuang Baiwei hadn’t come out since entering the tea shop. Jiang Muchen cleared the tableware, gathered the food scraps into a trash bag, tied it tight, and carefully wiped the table clean.

The trash can was at the intersection. She walked over quickly, but as she tossed the bag, she spotted an unfamiliar stray kitten behind the bin. It looked like it was preparing to rummage through the trash. The kitten looked only two or three months old; its tiny, frail body was shivering in the wind, looking extremely pitiful.

Likely hearing the movement, the kitten lifted its head. The moment it made eye contact with her, it opened its mouth and let out a meow. Despite its frail appearance, its voice was surprisingly strong.

The person and the cat stared at each other. For some reason, Jiang Muchen felt a sense of spiritual connection. She spoke softly to the kitten: “You’re in luck. There’s a soft-hearted god here. I’ll take you to her.”

“Meow~”

Zhuang Baiwei had finished unwrapping the cardboard packaging of the hanging art and was checking the frames for flaws when she suddenly heard a crisp kitten meow. She turned around instantly and was momentarily stunned by the scene before her.

At the door, Jiang Muchen was cradling a kitten in one hand. Because her back was to the sun, the light diffused around her silhouette, making her look quite sacred.

Jiang Muchen reached out. “I found an unfamiliar kitten.”

It was a little calico with a black nose, looking less than three months old. It was indeed a first-time visitor. Zhuang Baiwei reached out to gently scratch its chin; the kitten began to purr, clearly loving it.

She smiled and turned to get some cat food. “Eat first, then I’ll take you to the hospital. Luckily I bought cat treats (puree sticks), otherwise it might not be able to chew the dry food.”

Zhuang Baiwei brought the treat. Perhaps it was starving, as the little calico tilted its head up and licked frantically, afraid of missing a single drop. “The weather has turned cold recently; we might have to raise it for a while.”

The treat was finished quickly, but the little calico was still very hungry, meowing incessantly. Zhuang Baiwei could only pour some cat food and soak it in water. The little calico scrambled to the ground and began to eat ravenously.

The sight of the kitten eating heartily was truly adorable. Zhuang Baiwei took out her camera and recorded several video clips. After playing them back once, she smiled and approached Jiang Muchen. “Muchen, look. Under the sun, the kitten’s fur looks golden.”

The two of them were standing quite close. Jiang Muchen involuntarily held her breath. Beneath her gaze were Zhuang Baiwei’s light-colored pupils, the gentle curve of her eyes, and the kitten in the camera looking like a fluffy dandelion. For a moment, she couldn’t tell who she was looking at, only saying subconsciously, “It’s beautiful.”

Having said that, she shifted her gaze, clumsily crashing into the blinding sun overhead.

Zhuang Baiwei crouched down again, gently stroking the top of the kitten’s head. “Eat well, grow up well.”

Jiang Muchen watched silently, her hands curling at her sides. Flecks of light flashed in her mind; she wanted to draw again.

In the afternoon, after the little calico returned from its check-up, the coffee shop was much quieter. The only customer was sitting outside the shop, sunbathing. Zhuang Baiwei seized the time to start arranging the art on the walls.

She was highly skilled, measuring for positioning, hammering nails, and hanging the frames in one smooth motion. The coffee shop had a minimalist modern style, and with the brightly colored botanical prints, the interior suddenly felt much warmer.

With the hanging finished, Zhuang Baiwei began filming. Jiang Muchen observed her movements and realized they weren’t haphazard; it was as if a script already existed in her mind. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was the skill of an actress—to be seemingly capable of anything.

“Mom—I told you, I don’t want a blind date!”

A suppressed shout suddenly came from nearby. Jiang Muchen turned at the sound and saw the only customer outside the shop turn and walk away toward the river. The customer was emotional, and her voice carried on the wind into her ears.

“What’s wrong with her?” Zhuang Baiwei had walked over to her side at some unknown point. Jiang Muchen snapped back to reality and said, “It seems she’s being pressured into marriage by her mother. She’s breaking down.”

Zhuang Baiwei frowned slightly, then set down her camera. “Keep an eye on her, just in case she gets too emotional and accidentally—” She emphasized, “But don’t act rashly yourself.”

With that, she walked toward the flower shop. When she returned, she held an orange-red flower in her hand. Jiang Muchen remembered it—it was the Daylily she had seen this morning.

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