A butterfly, urged by the spring, emerged early from its cocoon. It fluttered its wings and landed on the windowsill, coincidentally blocking a bit of sunlight above the girl's head.  

Its pure white wings lightly quivered and folded, making it appear as if it had landed right on the top of the girl's head.

Ji Xiao lowered her head, listening to Wei Qingyu's ambiguous words, and glanced at the two items placed on the table.  

The floral fragrance mingled with the scent of ink, drifting around the quiet room. The unwrapped fountain pen appeared somewhat sloppy.  

It had to be said, this bouquet—whether from its wrapping or the combination of flowers—was exquisitely elegant and beyond reproach.

The golden orange cardboard mirrored the color of Ji Xiao’s eyes. The blooming violets, just like her as an Alpha, exuded a proud arrogance.  

Every detail subtly hinted at the sender's admiration and understanding of Ji Xiao.  

However, this so-called brilliance and beauty merely served as a foil to the low-key black and gold fountain pen in sight.  

Ji Xiao did not even give it much thought. She simply reached out and picked up the pen placed in front of her. "Of course, I’ll take the pen."

"Really?" Wei Qingyu was a little surprised by Ji Xiao's decisiveness.  

"Really." Ji Xiao nodded.  

Why would someone who had to retrain herself to write after injuring her hand want flowers?  

Hearing this, Wei Qingyu glanced at the fountain pen in Ji Xiao's hand, a hint of a smile crossing her eyes.  

She picked up the flowers sent by Jin Nanfeng again, her movements now much gentler, as if pitying a loser, carefully smoothing out the wrapping she had crumpled earlier. "Then I’ll help you set these flowers aside."  

"Mm, thank you." Ji Xiao nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on the fountain pen Wei Qingyu had given her.

The golden nib was engraved with a beautiful floral pattern. The pure gold emitted an indescribable beauty under the light's refraction.  

The smooth metallic curves converged to a point at the nib. Through the light, faint ink stains could be seen in the crevices, as if this pen had not been specially made for her but had instead been treasured by someone else for a long time before being gifted to her.  

Ji Xiao carefully examined the engraving on the nib, recalling the flower she had seen in the bouquet. She asked uncertainly, "Is this a violet engraved on the nib?"  

Wei Qingyu slightly furrowed her brow upon hearing this. "Why do you think that?"

Ji Xiao was a little confused. "Weren’t they both given by the same person?"  

Wei Qingyu’s expression instantly darkened.  

The sharp scissors cut the violet branch she had just untied in half, and a few clear droplets of water slid down the drooping leaves, landing on the girl's fair hand.  

"No."  

"Then what is it?" Ji Xiao asked, puzzled.  

"It’s a Tumi flower*," Wei Qingyu replied, looking at the violet in her hand.

*a wildflower from the Rosaceae family, often symbolizes the end of a season or a beautiful yet fleeting moment, as it typically blooms later than other roses. Its blooming period is seen as the last in the cycle of spring flowers, making it a metaphor for endings, final beauty, or a new beginning. I wasn't sure about the English name, Baidu translates it as rose leaf raspberry, and Google translates it as Tea flower, Tea rose, or Rose lily.

Ji Xiao became even more puzzled upon hearing this. She looked at Wei Qingyu’s back and said, “How do you know? You didn’t even take a look.”  

“Because I’m the one who gave you this pen.”  

Wei Qingyu said as she turned to face Ji Xiao. The tranquility in her turquoise eyes hinted at an undercurrent of turbulent emotions.  

“Then…” Ji Xiao glanced at the flowers beside Wei Qingyu and suddenly had a foreboding feeling.

Sure enough, in the next second, Wei Qingyu uttered three words: “Jin Nanfeng.”  

“The flowers were sent by Jin Nanfeng.”  

Ji Xiao found it extremely strange and blurted out without thinking, “They were not for you?”  

When Wei Qingyu heard Ji Xiao's words, she could not help but frown.  

She glanced at the bouquet out of the corner of her eye and asked in a heavy tone, “Why would he give me flowers? I did not sit and chat with him for an entire night.”  

A chilly breeze blew past the villa, and a small butterfly flapped its wings as it flew across the study window.

A flicker of light flashed across Ji Xiao’s eyes. She looked at Wei Qingyu in front of her and could not help but pause for a moment.  

The faint bitterness on the tip of her tongue bloomed once again. Ji Xiao felt as if she had heard this familiar phrase not long ago.  

Only, the dry air made her suddenly realize that what tasted sour was not the pheromones but these words.  

Why did Wei Qingyu’s words sound sour?  

Could it be because of Jin Nanfeng?  

No way. That night, she did not give those two even a single chance to exchange a glance.  

Ji Xiao’s mind seemed to have realized something, and her heart thumped loudly.

An inexplicable sense of tension intertwined with the sudden traces of sweetness in her mind.  

Or...  

Was it because of her?  

But how could that be...  

Wei Qingyu looked at the somewhat dazed Ji Xiao and suddenly realized that her words earlier had been a little too disturbing.  

The tone of sarcasm had gone too far, unexpectedly turning into a feeling of jealousy.

She blinked unnaturally, turned her body slightly, and faced away from Ji Xiao. “You should try out this pen first and see if it is good to use.”  

Hearing this, Ji Xiao quickly returned to her senses and nodded. “Alright.”  

The sun gradually climbed up the sky, bringing warm sunlight. In the quiet study stood two people, each with their own thoughts.  

Ji Xiao looked at the delicate tea flower on the pen's nib, yet the image that appeared in her mind was of the little Wei Qingyu from a long time ago in that dream.  

“Do you know what flower this is?”  

“This is a Tumi flower.”

The white flower overlapped with its petals, curling and blooming like pure satin in Ji Xiao’s mind.  

Tumi flower…  

Did she really like Tumi flowers that much?  

Ji Xiao was lost in thought until a sudden sting in her fingers pulled her out from the whirlpool of memories.  

The sharp nib of the pen repeatedly scratched across her fingertip, leaving a deep red mark glaringly in her line of sight.  

Only then did Ji Xiao suddenly realize—there was no ink in the pen that Wei Qingyu gave her.

It was impossible for her to control the ink sac with one hand to absorb the ink, and then wipe the tip clean.  

Ji Xiao hesitated for a moment, looking at Wei Qingyu, who was focused on trimming the flowers, and called out, “Wei Qingyu.”  

Although the girl’s call was cautious, Wei Qingyu reacted like a startled cat, her straight shoulders trembling slightly.  

She hid the weakly grasped Violet flower bouquet behind her back and casually turned to Ji Xiao, saying, “What’s wrong?”

"Can you help me fill it with ink?" Ji Xiao said as she slightly raised her arm that hung around her neck, looking a bit embarrassed.  

The sunlight fell into Wei Qingyu's eyes, and a ripple of luck clearly flashed in the turquoise water.  

She looked at Ji Xiao, who stood behind the writing desk and reached out for help, and nodded, "Sure."  

However, Ji Xiao did not know that as Wei Qingyu walked towards her, the hand that hung by her side subtly opened a bit.  

The purple petals brushed against the girl's fair hand, and the violet she had picked from the vase was quietly thrown into a nearby trash can.

"Give it to me." Wei Qingyu said as she took the pen from Ji Xiao's hand and skillfully twisted open the partially turned barrel.  

The mint scent lingering in the study became clearer, intertwining with the resinous fragrance of the ink.  

Ji Xiao sniffed and couldn't help but turn her head to sneak a glance at the girl beside her.  

The black of the ink formed a stark contrast with the girl's fair fingers, making them appear even more translucent and delicate.  

Her fingers looked as distinct as finely carved jade pieces used to press down on scrolls.

Before long, Wei Qingyu had filled the fountain pen with ink.  

After using a soft tissue to wipe clean the ink stains on the nib, she returned the pen to Ji Xiao, saying, "Done."  

Ji Xiao looked at the fingers that reached into her line of sight and took the fountain pen, saying, "Thank you."

Wei Qingyu smiled lightly, her gaze falling on the piece of grid paper that Ji Xiao had deliberately hidden underneath, which only had a few written characters.  

The messy handwriting, though simple, revealed the owner's impatience to achieve results.  

Reaching this conclusion, Wei Qingyu abandoned the idea of leaving Ji Xiao to practice calligraphy alone.  

She leaned slightly against the smooth edge of the desk, propping herself up with one hand on the table, and said to Ji Xiao, "Show me how you write the character '永'."  

*yǒng - forever

The character '永' best reflected a person's calligraphy skill.

Ji Xiao, who had been forced by her parents to practice writing since childhood, certainly understood this principle. She tightened her grip on the fountain pen.  

An inexplicable sense of tension grew in her heart, and her already uncoordinated wrist felt even heavier.  

The delicate nib touched the paper, creating a thick black dot, yet she did not lift the pen for a long time.  

For some reason, Ji Xiao did not want to embarrass herself in front of Wei Qingyu at all.

But the heavens did not fulfill her wishes. The few "永" characters she managed to write were awkward, each with its own flaws.  

Just as Ji Xiao intended to turn her body to block Wei Qingyu's gaze, she turned around and met the girl's calm eyes.  

Realizing that her entire writing process had been witnessed, her eyes filled with embarrassment. “Isn’t it really that ugly…? Even worse than a child's…”  

“It’s okay,” Wei Qingyu said seriously, nodding her head.

Ji Xiao’s eyes slightly brightened at Wei Qingyu's words, but she did not expect Wei Qingyu to follow up with, “Much better than a child's.”  

In an instant, a sense of defeat filled Ji Xiao's heart.  

She thought that if only she had started practicing earlier, she could have presented her best self to Wei Qingyu.  

Perhaps Ji Xiao herself did not realize that, at some point, she not only cared about Wei Qingyu's situation but also began to care about Wei Qingyu's opinion of her.  

The scent of peach brandy carried a hint of melancholy, settling on Wei Qingyu's shoulder.

Taking advantage of Ji Xiao's inattention, Wei Qingyu reached out and grabbed the paper in front of her. As she looked at it, she spoke softly, “This is already very good.”  

“Actually, you don’t need to rush. Usually, when people develop their other, less-used hand for writing, it also takes quite a bit of effort. You’re only starting on your first day, so don’t hold yourself to the standard of the handwriting produced by your right hand. Just think of yourself as a child who’s just learning to write.”  

Wei Qingyu's voice remained calm, yet it was just right to soothe Ji Xiao's frustrated heart.  

She held up the grid paper in front of her and self-deprecatingly commented, “Children’s handwriting is really ugly, not even as pretty as that bare leaf you stuck in the vase.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Qingyu couldn’t help but look up at the still-unsorted flowers she had left on the cabinet opposite her.  

The violet bouquet that Ji Xiao had mistaken was completely picked out by her. The figure of Jin Nanfeng, whom she had seen once that day, suddenly intruded into her mind, stirring up a wave of jealousy.  

Wei Qingyu gazed at Ji Xiao and, on an impulse, said, “Your handwriting is prettier than any of his flowers.”  

That breath, carrying a hint of warmth, brushed aside the long hair by Ji Xiao's cheek and landed on her ear along with a slightly bewitching tone.  

Although Ji Xiao couldn’t see Wei Qingyu standing behind her, she could clearly feel her presence closing in.

The coolness of mint mixed with the lingering warmth of the girl’s body cast a shadow behind Ji Xiao, enveloping her like a prison.  

Ji Xiao was like a defenseless prisoner, willingly letting herself be confined by Wei Qingyu.  

That delicate, jade-like hand, which she had just seen earlier, suddenly yet as if inevitably appeared in Ji Xiao’s line of sight again.  

Those slender fingers held her hand as if holding a pen, bringing a hint of warm dampness amidst the coolness.

Their palms and the backs of their hands touched, and the scents of mint and peach brandy intertwined.  

The girl’s voice, carrying a hint of coolness and aloofness, delivered the calmest yet most fervent words into Ji Xiao’s ear: “Come, I’ll teach you.”  

Thump, thump...  

Ji Xiao could clearly hear her own heartbeat, which was almost maddeningly fast.

It was as if she saw that door, which had been pushed open slightly on the hospital rooftop that day, slowly creaking open in front of her with a heavy groan.  

Those ancient, long-standing characters monotonously repeated on the sky-reaching stone tablet entwined with green vines, filled with the word: Like.

Author’s Note:

Pigeon: The world’s ending! The wooden block has bloomed!  

Cold Wei: Proud)

P.S. Speak nicely if you have something to say, I can see everyone's comments, and I will pay attention in the future. Please do not give me a negative rating, okay? Wuwuwu QAQ  

P.P.S. There is no second update today.