I am not a literary giant

Chapter 86 A Bouquet for Algernon (Thanks to the patron for charging money to change the name)

Ning Chunyan writes about new literature and art, with a very free-flowing mind; Lin Feng writes reportage, but his mind doesn't jump around much. When a reportage writer hears a very new literary and artistic suggestion, he subconsciously feels that something is amiss. But he can't quite put his finger on why.

"Isn't that a bad idea?"

Ning Chunyan asked, "Why not?"

Raymond Lam said, "I just went over to say hello to his wife. If you went to see him, what's the big deal?"

Ning Chunyan said, "As a friend of Prince Xu, what's wrong with me visiting his family? By the way, aren't you curious about what his wife looks like? I'm extremely curious, let me tell you."

"..."

To be honest, Lin Feng wasn't curious. He felt that Ning Chunyan's attention to Wang Zixu was going a bit too far, especially since Wang Zixu was already married. He felt it wasn't good for Ning Chunyan to be so involved in their lives. But how could he say that outright? It would be crossing a line.

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said, "Then let's pretend we're just passing by and say we're here to see if Prince Xu is here. That way we might not be so presumptuous."

Although Ning Chunyan felt it was unnecessary, she still agreed. The two walked towards the flower shop together.

It's early summer now, and the weather is already quite hot and humid. The flower shop is closed, but through the glass, you can see all sorts of vibrant and beautiful flowers displayed inside.

Ning Chunyan pushed open the door, a cool breeze caressing her face. Stepping into the flower shop felt like entering a secluded secret garden, or a South American rainforest. On either side stood the upright figures of peace lilies and lucky bamboo, while the fuzzy leaves of the Norfolk Island pine gently brushed against her face. Parting the palm-sized leaves drooping from the Fatsia japonica, she saw a row of charming hydrangeas. Beyond the counter displaying baby's breath and forget-me-nots, at the far end of the shop, a woman sat serenely among tuberoses and Peruvian lilies, turning the pages of a book.

The woman had her hair tied up in a bun and wore a light, sheer tank top that accentuated her large breasts. She had an oval face, thick lips, an hourglass figure, and a voluptuous body.

The air conditioner's cold air made the plants sway, their pale yellow, light white, bright red, and emerald green hues intertwining to create a vibrant display of life. The shop's owner sat amidst these breathing plants, like a queen being surrounded by her.

Lin Feng and Ning Chunyan exchanged a glance, and at the same time thought of Wang Zixu's work "Wild Grass".

Both of them had read "Wild Grasses," and the novel also contained a scene where the male protagonist first met the female protagonist. It could be said that the scene they were seeing now was exactly the same as what they were seeing now, as if the description in the book had been brought directly to reality.

The female shop owner before me was undoubtedly the heroine of the novel; her demeanor and temperament were exactly like those in the story, except for her age. She looked to be over thirty.

Both were simultaneously struck by the awe. First, by the accuracy and captivating power of Wang Zixu's writing; second, by the sheer awe that a scene from the novel had appeared in reality. Fiction and reality converged here, creating an experience akin to a pilgrimage.

Lin Feng and Ning Chunyan exchanged a glance and whispered, "They really look alike, don't they?"

Ning Chunyan nodded: "Mm."

"It seems that his novels draw heavily on real life."

"Um."

Ning Chunyan began to regret coming over. She had only wanted to watch the fun, but she felt she had inadvertently stumbled upon her friend's privacy. The female protagonist in "Wild Grasses" wasn't exactly a model of virtue, and once she connected the fictional heroine with the person in front of her, she couldn't face her with a normal heart.

When the florist saw them come in, she put down her book and said softly, "Take a look at what you want."

Lin Feng wasn't as thoughtful as Ning Chunyan; he walked straight up and said, "Hello. I'm Lin Feng."

The hostess was somewhat taken aback. In her opinion, the person in front of her was a strange guest. She had never heard of having to introduce oneself before buying something.

Seeing the woman's expression, Lin Feng added, "We are friends with your husband, and we came to see if he was in the store."

The woman smiled and said, "You're making a mistake by coming here to find him; he never helps out at the shop. By the way, how do you know my husband?"

Raymond Lam said, "I met Brother Zixu at a social gathering. I greatly admire his literary talent, and we became friends after a while."

The woman seemed a little confused: "He also has literary talent?"

Lin Feng quickly replied, "Yes, Brother Zixu is a humble and unassuming person. He is actually very talented."

The woman said, "What could he possibly have to offer? Oh, excuse me, are you sure you haven't mistaken him for someone else?"

Lin Feng and Ning Chunyan exchanged glances, then asked, "Isn't your husband Wang Zixu?"

The woman laughed: "My husband's surname isn't Wang, nor is his name Zixu. You've definitely mistaken him for someone else."

They'd made a huge blunder, and both were a little embarrassed. Lin Feng quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry, so sorry! My friend said his wife works at this store, and I instinctively thought it was you. I was wrong, I'm so sorry..."

After things were clarified, the three of them felt both embarrassed and amused. However, the hostess was very tactful and resolved the awkwardness with just a few words. Ning Chunyan even felt embarrassed if she didn't buy a bouquet later.

The hostess asked, "The friend's wife you were talking about earlier, were you referring to someone from another shop?"

Lin Feng firmly stated, "No, he was referring to this flower shop."

The atmosphere of this flower shop was exactly the same as described in "Wild Grasses," so he was convinced he wasn't mistaken. It was definitely this shop.

The woman cupped her face in her hands: "That's strange. Besides me, there's only one other old man in our shop, no other female employees."

Lin Feng frowned: "Did you work here before?"

The woman smiled slightly: "This shop has been open for 10 years. My cousin helped out here the first year. She got married a few years ago, but her husband's surname isn't Wang. We haven't hired any female employees since then."

She added, "Don't be fooled by how pretty the flower shop looks; it's actually hard work. Look, that peace lily by the entrance alone weighs 50 pounds. It's so heavy that female employees can't carry it in and out every day. That's why I hire male employees."

Lin Feng and Ning Chunyan exchanged a glance. Seeing the expression on Ning Chunyan's face, Lin Feng said awkwardly, "I swear, Brother Wang Zixu is definitely talking about this place. I didn't drink that day, I just had a bit of a hangover."

The hostess frowned: "The Prince Xu you're talking about, isn't he a fairly energetic-looking young man of average height and build, who works for the government, right?"

Ning Chunyan said quietly, "Except for the part about being quite energetic, everything else is very accurate."

The female shop owner said, "Oh, that's him. A few years ago, he would come to my shop almost every day to buy a rose, one every day without fail, so I chatted with him for quite a few days. But then he stopped coming."

After listening, Ning Chunyan and Lin Feng felt as if they had uncovered another secret about their friend, and their expressions became inscrutable, but neither of them dared to point it out.

Finally, Ning Chunyan couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Did Prince Xu have a crush on you?"

The woman blushed: "Oh? No, you mean he lied to you because he had a crush on me? I don't think so. He had a girlfriend at the time."

This surprised the two even more. The female shop owner continued, "He bought one rose every day for over a year, just to give to his girlfriend. I think he was a very devoted man."

Ning Chunyan asked, "Did they get married?"

The woman glanced outside the shop and whispered, "Since you're all so curious, I'll tell you something quietly, but don't tell him I told you. Wang Zixu's girlfriend, Zhang Qian, works in the publicity department. They probably had some work-related problems and broke up. They even had a fight in front of our shop, and after that, he stopped coming to buy flowers."

Ning Chunyan asked nervously, "Why did you break up?"

"I don't know. All I know is that Zhang Qian later got together with someone from the province, and they probably got married, but it seems they didn't have a wedding. Anyway, she was promoted less than six months later."

Ning Chunyan and Lin Feng were both deeply moved.

Ning Chunyan, in particular, had already envisioned a dramatic love story unfolding in her mind.

I've had my fill of gossip today.

There was a hint of resentment in Lin Feng's tone, as if he had suffered a severe betrayal from his most trusted friend:

"Then why did he tell me that his wife works at this store?"

The woman shrugged. "I don't know."

Is he married or not?

"I don't know. I haven't seen him much since the breakup. He was probably emotionally hurt too."

Ning Chunyan chose a bag of baby's breath. Lin Feng picked out a bouquet of carnations, saying he wanted to give them to his wife, but under strong intervention from Ning Chunyan and the female shop owner, he changed it to a bouquet of red roses.

Before the two left the shop, the female shop owner said, "I guess he's married. He's quite well-off; if someone like him weren't married, I don't know how many people would be rushing to introduce him to potential partners every day."

Ning Chunyan turned to look at the female shop owner. Amidst the swaying flowers and leaves, the shop owner's face became ambiguous, and the truth became unpredictable.

She thanked him and then walked out of the store.

(End of this chapter)