Chapter 24: Flying Flowers (Three in One)

Night falls in this small town on the edge of the Huaihe River, and the shops on the roadside light up with colorful lights, bringing some warmth to the night of the first lunar month.

On weekends, people come and go on the roadside, and there is a constant flow of people on the road. After Li Zhuangsheng and Qin Luanyu drove around the county town, they decided to visit the ancient streets.

Unfortunately, it was the evening rush hour in this small town, and even the Ferrari could only get stuck in the traffic, slowly moving at every intersection.

Qin Luanyu, who was bored, suddenly folded the roof of the car, and the Ferrari turned into a convertible in the blink of an eye.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing!" Li Zhuangsheng quickly covered his face, "Hurry up and put the roof down!"

"Wealth does not return to its hometown, but it is like walking at night in brocade clothes. I will bring you a lot of scenery. Do you want to change seats?" Qin Luanyu said with a smile.

Li Zhuangsheng was speechless and choked up: "Forgive me, heroine. I told my boss that I had a cold, so I can only ask for leave on Friday! If someone were to photograph me instead of recuperating at home, I went for a ride in a Ferrari with a beautiful woman. I'll go back How do you explain it!"

Qin Luanyu glanced angrily, but still raised the roof of the car: "You are really worthless. Don't you have any vanity? Don't you want to take the opportunity to show off?"

"It's not my car, what's there to wear?" Li Zhuangsheng felt relieved when he saw the roof of the car coming back, and then swore viciously, "When I have the money to buy one, I will drive it on the street every day!"

"Hmph, I don't believe it." Qin Luanyu raised her lips, "You wouldn't buy a luxury car if you had money."

"You know me so well? I tell you, when I have money, I will not only buy a Ferrari, but also a Lamborghini, McLaren, Aston Martin and Bugatti!"

Qin Luanyu grinned and said: "Then I wish you to become a platinum god as soon as possible and make gold every day."

Listening to Qin Luanyu's teasing tone, Li Zhuangsheng pretended to be dissatisfied: "Why, you look down on me, can't I ascend to the Tao and achieve the platinum status?"

Qin Luanyu immediately complimented: "Yes, yes, of course you can. You are my most beloved author. I believe you when you say you want to become a contemporary Lu Xun!"

"You obviously don't believe it. Just wait for me. I will become a great god in three years and become platinum in five years!"

"Okay, okay, when you become platinum, I will give you a reward of one million yuan, RMB!"

"Then give it to me privately, otherwise I will be heartbroken if the platform withdraws half a million!"

"Haha, not only will I reward you on the platform, but I will also reward you using my iPhone!"

"Stop it, it's more uncomfortable for that guy Cook to make money than for me to lose money!"

During the banter, the two of them arrived in the north of the city without realizing it.

"Please park the car here. It's hard to park in front." Li Zhuangsheng pointed to an empty space on the roadside. "It's not far ahead. Let's walk there."

Qin Luanyu saw through the other person's thoughts at a glance: "You are afraid of being too high-profile."

Li Zhuangsheng kept silent and Qin Luanyu didn't hesitate. He listened to Li Zhuangsheng's words and stopped on the side of the road.

After the car stopped, Li Zhuangsheng got out of the car, held on to the lamppost and took a deep breath.

"what happened?"

Qin Luanyu patted Li Zhuangsheng's back gently with concern.

"I feel a little motion sick after sitting in the car for a long time..." Li Zhuangsheng waved his hand, "I'll be fine in a while. Let's go."

At this time, a shocked voice sounded from behind the two people:
"Eh—Li Zhuangsheng?"

Li Zhuangsheng looked back. The visitors, a man and a woman, looked familiar, as if they had seen them somewhere.

"Excuse me, are you..."

"Our Xingpeng alumnus is from the class next to you in your senior year of high school!" The boy smiled stiffly and pointed at the beautiful woman with a luxury car beside him, "This, this...is yours?"

Li Zhuangsheng was slightly startled and waved his hand hurriedly: "No, no, it's not mine. This car belongs to my friend. She is my friend and came to me from Hangzhou to play."

"Oh, oh... Then you can get along well!"

The boy's face became a little normal, but the awe in his eyes remained. What kind of person can have a beautiful friend who drives a Ferrari and who comes all the way from the next provincial capital alone?
I don’t believe you when you say that the relationship between you two is innocent. At least the woman must have impure intentions!
I remember he was quite honest when he was in high school, but now... his rank is so high?
"Hey, I remember you weren't with..."

The boy suddenly remembered the rumors that Li Zhuangsheng and Hu Mengdie were getting married, and the words in his heart almost blurted out. But halfway through the words, his reason regained the high ground and he forgot what to say next.

He seemed to shudder.

He knew that there was already a sadly thick barrier between them.

"Haha, you are indeed the school idol..." The boy paused and gave an ambiguous smile.

At home, Hu Mengdie's red flag does not fall, while outside, the long-legged rich woman's colorful flag is fluttering. No wonder I heard that Zhang Qixiang wants to be his driver!
Seeing the naughty look in his eyes, even Li Zhuangsheng knew there was a misunderstanding. He quickly pressed the other party's shoulders and defended himself: "You misunderstood, she is really just my friend!"

"I know, I know! I won't say anything nonsense!"

The boy promised with a smile, with an ambiguous "I understand, I understand" expression in his eyes.

Li Zhuangsheng felt powerless, you know what a hammer you are!
"Then I won't disturb you, let's go first."

The boy didn't wait for Li Zhuangsheng to explain, pulled up the female companion beside him, glanced at Qin Luanyu's legs, and left quickly.

"What a man's transformation... Bah, you scumbag!"

The boy whispered to himself.

What a fucking scumbag, so fucking envious.

"You look down on me so much."

After watching the two of them walk away, Qin Luanyu kicked Li Zhuangsheng in the leg.

"Oh... no, I don't want there to be any misunderstanding between you and people like me."

"Who are you?"

"Ordinary people, aren't I afraid that you will feel uncomfortable?"

Qin Luanyu's face turned pale, and she made a sound and muttered: "Just pass it on... Anyway, no one here knows me, so I don't care."

"Okay, let's go. Not far ahead is the old street. Do you see, there are people there..."

The old street in the north of the city has a name, Huangpai Street, which is the oldest street in the county. It is said that it was the seat of the county government in the Qing Dynasty and was once the economic and cultural center of the county... Of course, the old street has long since lost its splendor. For a long time, it was just a tomb that lingered on as a remnant of time.

However, the authorities have invested in renovations over the years, and the old street is now open as a tourist attraction, which can be regarded as the old tree blooming.

"Is this a food court?"

Qin Luanyu followed Li Zhuangsheng for a stroll in the alley, stepping on the uneven bluestone bricks and browsing the brightly lit shops and bustling tourists.

There was a roar of people and endless fireworks.

"Yes, isn't it the same across the country? Transform some old alleys into food streets..." Li Zhuangsheng said, "Let me know what you want to eat. I'll treat you tonight, so don't compete with me."

"Okay, if you want to invite me, just invite me." Qin Luanyu said it didn't matter, with a smile on her face, "Hey, look, there's a beautiful woman in front of me!"

Li Zhuangsheng subconsciously followed Qin Luanyu's gaze and saw several girls wearing Hanfu.

After just one glance, Li Zhuangsheng looked back with lack of interest.

"Not really a beauty," Li Zhuangsheng said in a low voice.

"How can it not be considered as such? It's because your standards are too high!"

"They are not as good-looking as you." Li Zhuangsheng retorted.

"Really?" Hearing what she wanted to hear, Qin Luanyu's mouth gradually broke into a smile, and she poked Li Zhuangsheng, "Hey, don't compare me to others, that standard is too high!"

That's true, Li Zhuangsheng thought. He had recently come into contact with beauties like Li Xiuyu, Hu Mengdie, Hu Mengke, and Qin Luanyu, and before he knew it, his definition of the word "beauty" had become a little vague.

"The clothes they wear are quite nice," said Li Zhuangsheng.

"You mean Hanfu? I've also been interested in Hanfu recently... but I used to wear JK."

"Do you wear JK too?"

"Why, your sister is wearing it too?"

Qin Luanyu took out her cell phone, opened the photo album and handed it to Li Zhuangsheng.

The album is full of photos of Qin Luanyu wearing various JKs, full of vigor and spirit... and perfect long legs. Even with the original camera, she is much more beautiful than those welfare girls on the Internet who use full filters and stretch their legs.

Li Zhuangsheng blushed a little. Although he liked to look at it, loved to look at it, and wanted to look at it more, he felt that it was not polite to look at such private photos in front of the woman. But the woman herself didn't say anything, so he could only comfort himself by saying that he shouldn't be too self-conscious.

He suddenly thought of Hu Mengke, who also liked to wear JK. When he first met her, she was also youthful and energetic. Coincidentally, the two were about the same age, but had different fates.

"It looks pretty..." said Li Zhuangsheng.

The lights on the roadside reflected Qin Luanyu's face, as delicate as a peach blossom.

She patted Li Zhuangsheng on the back and said deliberately, "You are a great writer, but these are the only words you know to praise a girl? Give me something more literary!"

"As graceful as a startled swan, as graceful as a swimming dragon?"

"Can you please stop being so tacky? It's too common."

"Her shoulders are as sharp as a knife, her waist is as white as a willow. Her neck is long and slender, and her white skin is exposed. Her beauty is unmatched, and even makeup cannot cover it."

"Isn't this from The Goddess of Luo River?"

"Looking back, she left behind a radiant look, and whistling with a breath as clear as an orchid."

"Don't just pick on Cao Zhi."

"When it first comes, it shines like the sun shining on the roof beams. When it moves a little further, it shines like the bright moon."

"Well, that's a good sentence. Anything else?"

"With the divine teachings from the womb, the Lipu was born with night light. With the beautiful natural beauty, the colorful clouds hold the morning sun."

"I haven't heard of this. Have some more."

"As bright as the moonlight at night shining on the jade forest, as brilliant as the morning glow reflecting on the pearl pond."

"Where did you see these unpopular sentences? Aren't they all the same? Change it up, I want poetry!"

"The woman beside the wine shop is like the moon, with white wrists as white as frost and snow."

"Zhuo Wenjun...Sima Xiangru is a scumbag."

"The charming eyes closed with shyness, and the red lips opened with smile." "The poetry of the Southern Dynasties is a bit frivolous."

"It is a wonder that flowers bloom with the help of water, and the water becomes its bones and jade becomes its skin."

"That's right, too. I am as beautiful as a flower!"

"I live in a forest of ice and snow, not mixed with peach and plum blossoms."

"You've found a coincidence. Don't mention poems about flowers anymore! As a 'Platinum' writer at Qidian, do you have such a small reserve of poems?"

"Where I walk, the flowers are fragrant, and when I sit down, I am full of beauty."

"Sounds a bit familiar... huh? You're asking for a fight, who do you say is Pan Jinlian?"

Qin Luanyu frowned slightly at first, but suddenly met Li Zhuangsheng's smiling expression. She immediately remembered the source and couldn't help but punch him in shame and anger.

Li Zhuangsheng laughed and cried out: "It's unfair! That was used to describe Meng Yulou, not Pan Jinlian!"

Qin Luanyu glared at Li Zhuangsheng and threatened him, "You little pervert, you secretly read the Golden Lotus and teased me with the perverted poems in it. If this happened in ancient times, I would drag you into the government office and spank you!"

"If you haven't read it, how do you know it's from Jin Ping Mei?"

Li Zhuangsheng thought to himself, if I get spanked, then you, who ran thousands of miles to see a man, shouldn't you be thrown into a pig cage?
"Stop changing the subject. If you don't treat me to a bowl of wontons tonight, I'm going to report you for secretly peeking at the little uncle!"

Qin Luanyu pointed fiercely at the wonton shop nearby.

Just invite me, since I said I would invite you anyway.

They entered the shop and ordered two servings of wontons. There was an empty seat, so they sat down and waited.

Qin Luanyu was chatting with Li Zhuangsheng when she suddenly remembered the classmate Li Zhuangsheng had just met. She looked Li Zhuangsheng up and down with a strange expression: "Oh, by the way, that guy just said you are the school idol?"

Li Zhuangsheng's expression changed slightly, and he coughed unnaturally: "He's talking about the school hunk..."

Qin Luanyu's eyes widened, and her voice could not help but rise a few degrees: "Isn't it the same? You are actually the most handsome boy in your school?"

Seeing their shocked faces, Li Zhuangsheng sighed helplessly and explained awkwardly: "I am the school hunk's brother, so they call me school hunk brother for short..."

“Pfft…Hahahahahahahahaha!”

Qin Luanyu was stunned for a moment, then slapped her thigh and laughed out loud without caring about her image.

She held onto the table and laughed so hard that she started to choke. She pointed at Li Zhuangsheng, but then she lay back on the table and cried out "ouch, ouch" again, her eyes and brows full of smiles.

"That's too much..."

Li Zhuangsheng's mouth twitched slightly. Is it so funny? Is it so funny? Do I want to be called that?

"Sorry, hahahahahahaha..." After laughing for an unknown amount of time, Qin Luanyu struggled to stand up, "Hahaha, school hunk, do you have a photo of my brother? Let me see how handsome he is."

"Oh no, I don't have a younger brother, the school hunk is my sister..." Li Zhuangsheng sighed resignedly.

"Is this true? Is my sister so handsome?" Qin Luanyu's eyes widened in surprise. "No wonder you are obsessed with your sister!"

Li Zhuangsheng reminded him unhappily: "She is older than you, you should call her sister."

"Tsk, that's not necessarily true..."

"What do you mean by not certain?"

"Where's my sister's photo? Let me see it!"

"No."

"You really are a sister-con!"

Qin Luanyu pointed at Li Zhuangsheng and cursed angrily, but Li Zhuangsheng pretended not to hear.

He couldn't remember when he became a "sister control" in the readers' minds. He only remembered that when he wrote a sister character in the early days, it was very popular, so he made up some sister control jokes in the group, implying that he was a sister control to cater to the readers' imagination, and over time, the word spread among readers.

Many authors would intentionally create their own personas in the early days to match their books that suddenly became popular, in order to increase the stickiness of their fans. Li Zhuangsheng even pretended to be a loser virgin in order to get along with his readers... Oh, there's no need to pretend, he has been a loser virgin for a long time.

Of course, these methods are actually useless. For the author, the only important thing is the quality of the novel itself. Messing with the character setting will only leave a black history for oneself.

When Li Zhuangsheng first started learning, he met an author who created an image for himself as "a single young woman raising a first-grade daughter alone", which was truly amazing.

"Oh, yes, yes, I'm a sister-con, so I won't show it to you."

Li Zhuangsheng said lazily.

I am a sister complex? How could I be a sister complex? Who could control a sister like Li Xiuyu who is not cute at all!
The reason why I didn't introduce Li Xiuyu to Qin Luanyu was entirely for Qin Luanyu's sake. What if she also fell in love with Li Xiuyu, wouldn't she really become an ATM for that scumbag woman?
It is better to have less trouble than more. Qin Luanyu is obviously a young lady from an extraordinary family.

"Stingy... Never mind, let's play a game!"

Qin Luanyu pouted but didn't worry about it too much. She cleared her throat and her eyes flickered, revealing a bit of cunningness that showed she was eager to try.

"what game?"

"Flying Flowers, let's play the simplest one. Each of us will say one sentence, as long as it contains the word 'flower'. Whoever loses must agree to a condition of the other party."

Li Zhuangsheng became a little more interested: "Okay, you go first and I go first?"

"Wait a minute, let's add one more rule. If someone has used a sentence in a poem first, then it is her exclusive right and no one else can use it."

"Okay." Li Zhuangsheng said he didn't care. "Then I'll go first. The flowers are sparse and the sky is light. Clouds come and go, and there are a few branches of snow."

Qin Luanyu: "Last year at this same time, the faces of the people and the peach blossoms reflected each other's redness."

Li Zhuangsheng: "Last year at this time, the east gate was east, and the fresh makeup reflected the red peach blossoms."

Qin Luanyu: "The flowers in the hall intoxicate three thousand guests, and the frost of the sword chills fourteen states."

Li Zhuangsheng: "In the past, the red powder shone on the flowing water, today the moss covers the fallen flowers."

Qin Luanyu: "Spring City is full of flying flowers, and the imperial willows are leaning in the east wind during the Cold Food Festival."

Li Zhuangsheng: "I see the graceful figure of the elder again, the graceful flowers and branches, I am so greedy that I forget my aging face."

Qin Luanyu: "Flowers wither and fly all over the sky, who will pity them when their redness and fragrance fade away?"

"Ok?"

Li Zhuangsheng was stunned.

"what happened?"

Qin Luanyu puffed out her chest.

"That's a little inappropriate. There are so many words with flowers in the Song of Flower Burial..."

"Please let me go, otherwise how can I beat you!"

Li Zhuangsheng lowered his head helplessly: "…the flowers and grass of the Wu Palace buried the secluded paths, and the clothing and hats of the Jin Dynasty became ancient hills."

"Holding the flower hoe, I walked out of the embroidered curtain, reluctant to step on the fallen flowers again and again."

……

Li Zhuangsheng: "People are quiet, people are quiet, the wind moves the shadows of the flowers in the garden."

Qin Luanyu: "When spring is over, the beauty grows old, and the flowers fall and the people die without knowing it."

Li Zhuangsheng: "Spring is coming to an end in the lonely empty courtyard, pear blossoms cover the ground but the door is not open."

The "Song of Burying Flowers" has finally come to an end! Li Zhuangsheng sighed inwardly.

Unexpectedly, Qin Luanyu continued calmly: "Outside the peach blossom curtain, the east wind is soft, inside the peach blossom curtain, the morning makeup is lazy."

"No, you..."

Do you want face?

Li Zhuangsheng couldn't hold it anymore. He just finished reciting "Song of Burying Flowers" and now it's "Song of Peach Blossoms"?
When Qin Luanyu just mentioned the rules, his mind instantly thought of the two long poems about flowers in "Dream of Red Mansions". He had memorized them when he was in junior high school, but he felt that this was a bit cheating, like cheating... Unexpectedly, Qin Luanyu didn't have the slightest psychological burden!
Qin Luanyu blinked, with an innocent look on her face: "I also have a poem called Peach Blossom Cottage, so, do you want to use this one?"

Li Zhuangsheng took a deep breath and said angrily, "I won't be as shameless as you! It's the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, and I meet you again in the season of falling flowers!"

Qin Luanyu: "There is a Peach Blossom Temple in Peach Blossom Valley, and under the Peach Blossom Temple there is a Peach Blossom Fairy."

Li Zhuangsheng's face trembled slightly. Okay, okay, this is how we play it, right?
"The flowers are falling, the flowers are falling..."

Li Zhuangsheng stopped talking before he finished speaking.

Qin Luanyu asked curiously: "What's next?"

Li Zhuangsheng sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed his face: "Forget it, I can't remember... You win. Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

There was no need to compete with each other. The other party obviously wanted to win, so let her win. Li Zhuangsheng thought to himself that the purpose of today was to play with her, and her happiness was the most important thing.

"Really? I won? Don't regret it!" Qin Luanyu clenched her hands in surprise, her cheeks flushed.

"Really, really, just tell me. As long as I can do it, and it's not murder or arson or any other crime...oh, asking me to update my novel ten times a day is not in this category. I really can't do that."

Li Zhuangsheng felt amused. Qin Luanyu looked more and more like a student of her age. The queen-like image she had when they first met was gradually fading away, revealing her true appearance.

Qin Luanyu opened her mouth immediately, but stopped before she could speak. She slowly closed her mouth, lowered her head, and gently placed her clenched fist on her leg.

"Huh...huh..."

She took a few deep breaths, her eyes gradually became firm, and then she coughed loudly, as if to give herself courage.

"Actually, it's not a big deal, I just want to ask you for a favor. I have a friend who was originally planning to go to Disney with her boyfriend, but unfortunately they just broke up recently... But she has already bought two tickets, and they are the kind of fast pass tickets, so you don't have to queue up, and she also booked meals and hotels... Ah, the hotel has double beds, not just one bed... Anyway, it cost tens of thousands of dollars, and she said she would give it to me anyway because I won't use it... I don't care, and I don't really want to go, but my friend forced it on me... It would be a waste if I don't go, tens of thousands of dollars is still money, right... But I think it would be boring for me to go alone, because she has other things to do recently... Anyway, anyway, you see, you haven't been there either, and you don't have to work on the weekends tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, right? You are quite free to take leave, why don't you..."

Qin Luanyu stammered as she spoke, her face flushed red. At the end, she stole a glance at the other person's expression, but saw that Li Zhuangsheng was not listening to her, but staring blankly at the outside of the store.

She subconsciously followed Li Zhuangsheng's line of sight, and saw a beautiful woman as bright as the moon at the end of his gaze.

The next moment, the woman walked into the wonton shop and tilted her head towards Li Zhuangsheng.

"husband?"

(End of this chapter)