SKS Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Pomegranate Flowers

“Here,” he handed over the large bouquet of pomegranate flowers and said, “I’m returning them to you.”

Shen Zhuying took them and heard the young man ask her, “Do I get one?”

“Ah?” Shen Zhuying tilted her head in confusion.

“You said one for your sister, one for the cafeteria aunt…” The young man’s tone was innocent. “Do I get one?”

Shen Zhuying was even more confused. “Of course not.”

Each flower was unique, and she wanted to give them to her unique good friends. “Okay,” the young man said with a deeper smile. He didn’t seem disappointed at all.
“Well, I hope you have a pleasant evening with your pomegranate flowers.”

Shen Zhuying watched as the young man’s tall and handsome figure slowly disappeared into the moonlight.
She stood there for a moment, then ran back to him, pulled out one of the pomegranate flowers that belonged to her, and handed it to him.

She said only, “I hope you have a good life,” before turning and running away without looking back.

Shen Zhuying didn’t understand at the time why she ran. She had always thought of herself as brave.

Later, she realized that this kind of feeling, where she liked someone but didn’t dare to get close, was called love.

Shen Zhuying was woken up by Zhu Zhu rubbing her leg with her cat tail.

When she woke up, the autumn rain outside the window had stopped, leaving behind a sky that was a boundless blue.

“Zhu Zhu, Zhu Zhu, Zhu Zhu, Zhu Zhu…” Shen Zhuying hugged her and stroked her gently with her hand.

Her head was still a bit foggy, but there was a question echoing in her mind…

The 16-year-old Fu Sizhuo and the current Fu Sizhuo seemed to have become completely different people.

If the 16-year-old Fu Sizhuo was like the scorching sun that she couldn’t touch but was drawn to, then the current Fu Sizhuo was more like a crescent moon, always silently and coldly hanging in the sky.

Could ten years really change a person’s personality into two such different extremes?

Every time she saw him after he grew up, he seemed heavier and more silent.

Shen Zhuying rubbed her temples, trying to clear her mind of thoughts.

But what did it matter?

Whether it was the sun or the moon, it was none of her business.

Shen Zhuying took out her phone, thought for a moment, and opened his Moments. Not surprisingly, she only saw a blank line.

She remembered that she used to scroll through Zhou Yu’s Moments, trying to find any information about Fu Sizhuo. And in the end, she actually found something.

Zhou Yu had taken a screenshot of Fu Sizhuo’s Moment, which dated back to their high school days.
Back then, Fu Sizhuo posted frequently.

There were lively concerts, stray dogs on the road, rainbows after the rain, and ants moving houses. He was enthusiastic about sharing these things back then.

Shen Zhuying exited Fu Sizhuo’s interface and looked at the khaki coat beside her.

After returning the coat, they would probably not have any further interactions.

Shen Zhuying picked up the coat and couldn’t find the label, but the fabric felt expensive to the touch.

She didn’t dare wash it herself, so she sent it to the dry cleaner and picked it up two days later.

Several customers came in during that time, and Shen Zhuying was busy until around 7 pm.

She hung up the “closed” sign and walked home leisurely. On the way, her mother, Mrs. Shen, called her.

“Zhu Zhu, how was the blind date today? Was it smooth?” she asked.

“Not very smooth,” Shen Zhuying said, rubbing her temples at the thought of the arrogant man. “Mom, your taste in men is still the same.”

“I found him according to your requirements,” Mrs. Shen said.

Shen Zhuying raised her voice. “No way!”

What a load of nonsense!

“You said you liked mature and steady men with a hint of youthful charm, good grades, and some talent, preferably with experience studying abroad,” Mrs. Shen said matter-of-factly.

Shen Zhuying was speechless. “What talent does he have?”

“The matchmaker said his English is good,” Madam Shen replied.

“And the youthful charm?” Shen Zhuying asked.

Mrs. Shen said, “Well, men are always young at heart.”

Shen Zhuying was silent.

Mrs. Shen sighed and suddenly became serious. “Zhu Zhu, tell me honestly…”

“Do you like girls? If so, Mom can set you up with girls,” Mrs. Shen said.

“Mom,” Shen Zhuying was extremely frustrated.
“I like boys.”

“Then why didn’t you like any of the boys who pursued you over the years, like the senior, the CEO, and the high school boy?” Mrs. Shen asked.

“I didn’t like them,” Shen Zhuying said, looking down and kicking non-existent pebbles.
The autumn wind made her feel even more awake.

There was a long silence.

Mrs. Shen suddenly said, “Zhu Zhu, you’re not still in love with that boy who went to study in the UK, are you?”

Mrs. Shen remembered how happy Shen Zhuying was when she received the admission notice and how she cried on the phone on the first day of school, saying he wasn’t at Peking University anymore.

He had gone to study in the UK.

That was 18-year-old Shen Zhuying.

Now, 26-year-old Shen Zhuying tilted her head, thought for a long time, and finally concluded, “No, Mom.”

She had forgotten him two years ago.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qinglan had heard that her carefully arranged blind date had been ruined again by her rebellious grandson.

The pretty young girl had called her, crying and complaining, and the old lady’s heart ached.

Zhou Qinglan scolded her grandson, listing his crimes.

Fu Sizhuo calmly worked on his computer, occasionally taking a break to hand his grandmother a cup of tea to soothe her throat. He felt like he had done his limited filial duty.

A work message popped up, and he wasn’t going to respond, but when he saw the remark, he paused and clicked on it.

[OK]: “Mr. Fu, your clothes aren’t urgent, right? The dry cleaner said it’s harder to clean and might take two days or so.”

[FIRST]: Not urgent.

[FIRST]: Mr. Fu?

[OK]: Yeah, what’s up?

[FIRST]: You didn’t call me Mr. Fu before.

[OK]: Oh, Fu Sizhuo.

[OK]: Shall we meet at a convenient place in two days?

[FIRST]: No need, I’ll come to your flower shop.

The conversation ended there, just as Zhou Qinglan had finished scolding and was getting tired.

She asked one last question without much hope: “What kind of person do you like?”

She had asked before, and Fu Sizhuo’s answer was: None.

He really meant it.
The old lady had introduced him to all sorts of women over the past two years – lively, charming, cute, and intelligent. But he hadn’t taken a liking to any of them.

As a result, a ridiculous rumor had spread in their circle: Fu Sizhuo had a childhood sweetheart who had dumped him and gone abroad, and he had been pining for her all these years, remaining chaste.

Speaking of childhood sweethearts, he did have one.

But…