The Third Alley was noticeably sparser, and the flowers were no longer casually displayed in shop fronts, but replaced by panoramic, three-dimensional images. Only true masterpieces warranted a spot here, each one immensely valuable, naturally forbidden from being left exposed on the roadside.

Dressed in his public school uniform, Zhong Yun was a stark contrast among the surrounding adults, all clad in designer brands. Ignoring the strange glances cast his way, he walked directly to the largest flower shop and lifted his foot to step inside.

"Hold it right there." A tall, stout security guard shifted his stance, blocking his path and leveling a look down at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

Zhong Yun frowned. "I want to buy some flowers."

"Buy flowers?" The guard smirked derisively. "Little boy, you're in the wrong place. You should be in the First Alley."

Zhong Yun raised an eyebrow, his tone chillingly calm. "Is this how 'Fairy Garden' treats its customers?"

"Hmph, this little brat is putting on airs. Don't cause trouble, scram." The guard felt slighted by a mere child and immediately bristled, waving his hand to usher him away.

Under normal circumstances, he would never treat a customer this way, but today a guest of extraordinary status was expected, and the manager had given explicit orders to keep out any unnecessary riffraff. He was merely carrying out the manager's instructions faithfully.

Standing guard every day, he had seen countless people come and go, honing his judgment to a razor's edge. He could tell from the child's attire that he was no rich young master, thus categorizing him instantly as the riffraff to be dismissed without ceremony.

Anger flared in Zhong Yun’s chest. He fixed the guard with a cold stare. "I'm telling you, if you don't let me in today, you will deeply regret it."

The guard felt a flicker of unease from the threat and scrutinized Zhong Yun again, wondering if he had misjudged him. Yet, looking him up and down, he could discern nothing special.

Besides, the words were already spoken. If he let himself be intimidated by a child's harsh words, how could he keep his job?

"Bold words. Threatening me? Keep this up and I’ll teach you a lesson."

Though furious at the guard's prejudice, Zhong Yun didn't wish to invite unnecessary complications. What bad luck. Fine. We’ll take this one step at a time, wait and see. Then we’ll see who ends up begging whom.

With a cold smile, he turned to leave, just as a clear voice cut in from beside him. "Is this truly how 'Fairy Garden' treats its patrons?"

Hearing that voice, Zhong Yun’s heart lurched. His entire body involuntarily stiffened for half a second before he quickly regained control.

The same words, spoken by two different people, yielded drastically different results. Hearing someone speak up for him, the guard turned around in a fury, but the moment he clearly saw who was speaking, his imposing demeanor immediately crumbled. The anger vanished without a trace, replaced by a smile that seemed like a mask changing instantly. "Miss Liu, I am merely following orders." His voice bordered on obsequious.

A faint, elegant fragrance drifted into Zhong Yun’s nostrils, followed by the sight of straight hair, like a cascade of black water, and below that, an immaculately clean white top.

Liu Yunqi didn't want to waste time arguing with a mere security guard. "This is my classmate; I intend to go in with him."

The guard broke into a grin, bowing deeply. "Ah, Miss Liu's classmate! My deepest apologies for the offense, please forgive me, forgive me."

Seeing the guard’s groveling attempt to curry favor, Zhong Yun disdained to argue with him, deciding to grant face for his classmate. However, the experience gave him a tangible understanding of the power wielded by status.

"Come on, Zhong Yun, let's go in," Liu Yunqi turned, an elegant smile gracing her lips—neither overly warm nor cold, showing excellent breeding.

Finally seeing that flawless face, beautiful, refined... every adjective describing beauty in the world seemed insufficient when applied to her.

Zhong Yun was momentarily lost in thought, murmuring, "Oh, alright."

Liu Yunqi was used to such reactions and paid it no mind, sweeping past the guard into the entrance. Zhong Yun followed, sighing inwardly. No wonder 'I' had been utterly captivated by her before; there really was a woman in this world whose beauty was this mesmerizing.

The guard watched where they disappeared, spitting onto the ground with lingering malice. "The Liu family princess is so noble, eh? Doesn't matter, she'll still end up beneath a man one day."

"Zhong Yun, thank you for earlier," inside, Zhong Yun adjusted his composure and remembered he needed to thank her.

Liu Yunqi shook her head. "It's nothing. We're classmates; of course, we help each other." Then, with slight curiosity, she asked, "Are you interested in floriculture too?"

As Zhong Yun was about to answer, a staff member approached, cutting off his words. "Miss Liu, what can we help you with?" Judging by the eager deference, Liu Yunqi was clearly a frequent visitor here.

As for Zhong Yun, he was completely overlooked.

Liu Yunqi frowned almost imperceptibly and declined, "No need. I'm just showing my classmate around."

The attendant dared not argue further, offering a stiff bow before retreating sullenly.

Because of that gesture, Zhong Yun stared at Liu Yunqi for a full three seconds.

"What is it?" Liu Yunqi became slightly uncomfortable under his gaze, reaching up to touch her face, thinking there might be something on it.

"Thank you."

Zhong Yun withdrew his gaze and continued, "I came here to get my flower appraised. Do you know where I can do that?"

Liu Yunqi’s interest piqued upon hearing this. "Did you grow it yourself? What variety is it?"

"It's a Zimulan."

"Zimulan? That’s notoriously difficult to cultivate. Is it blooming?" Liu Yunqi was now much more engaged.

Zhong Yun scratched his head, slightly annoyed. "It bloomed, but... it’s a bit different. I distinctly bought Zimulan seeds."

Liu Yunqi’s curiosity was thoroughly ignited. "May I see it?"

The Zimulan, known academically as Orchis Duplex, was a relatively rare orchid, infamous for its difficulty. As its name suggested, the Zimulan always produced two flowers of equal size and identical shape upon blooming: one purple and one white. They mirrored each other, living and dying together, like twin destinies.

The two found a secluded spot. Zhong Yun placed the box he was carrying onto a table. This container could simulate a space suitable for the flower's growth, designed to prevent damage during transport.

Liu Yunqi felt a faint stir of anticipation; she had never seen a successful Zimulan bloom before, though she held little hope that this obscure classmate could achieve it.

Zhong Yun pressed a button, and the box slowly opened, revealing the true spectacle within.

"Heavens, what is this..." Liu Yunqi gasped, her beautiful eyes wide to their limit, hands flying to cover her mouth in utter shock.

Zhong Yun’s lips curled into a smile as he savored her uncharacteristic display of surprise. Such moments were rare; at school, Liu Yunqi was always the picture of elegant refinement.

This was exactly the effect he had intended. How could a flower cultivated using the secret arts of Jialan Star be ordinary?

There, nestled among several tender green leaves on a white porcelain pot, stood seven flower buds waiting to unfurl. Each bud was a different color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

Zhong Yun feigned dejection. "Did I ruin this flower? I checked online, and I don't think Zimulan is supposed to look like this."

"Ruined?"

Liu Yunqi was just recovering from her shock when she heard his dismayed words. Good heavens, such an unparalleled masterpiece had been grown by this amateur? That was simply unfair.