Ch 111: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

Roses?

Not only Mu Xing—everyone turned to look at that wall of green.

Amid the thick clusters of leaves, a single white bud stood out.

Mu Xing’s heart thumped wildly. He almost ran to the drooping branches and saw a half-open pinkish-white bud, the size of his palm.

It really bloomed?

When did this happen?

That morning, when he watered the plant, there hadn’t been any sign of a bud.

He turned to ask Mu Yue, who had also run over: “Sis, when you were painting this afternoon, did you see this flower?”

Mu Yue shook her head.

That rose was her brother’s treasure. She hadn’t held out any hope for it to bloom, but after listening to him talk about it every day, she had paid more attention than usual.

If there had been any sign of blooming, how could she have missed it?

Strange.

Mu Xing wondered: could it be that in this world, the blooming cycle was different from before?

As he thought, the pink bud in front of him suddenly trembled and slowly began to unfold.

From half-closed to full bloom took only a few seconds.

Mu Xing even thought he had imagined something, as if, for a brief instant, he heard the tiniest sound—

Like a little person had leaned by his ear and gently blown a breath.

Hoo.

?

He instinctively turned his head toward Mu Yue.

But she looked even more shocked than him.

Mu Yue exclaimed: “So roses bloom this quickly?”

Mu Xing: “…”

Alright, so it wasn’t just him who was clueless.

Han Jing said in a deep voice: “Impossible. My family has raised roses before. From the first bud to bloom takes several days.”

His eyes flickered strangely as he looked at the blossom, then at Mu Xing.

He hadn’t forgotten this child talked to the flower every morning and night, urging it to bloom.

Could it be that plants in this world didn’t bloom because they were too lonely, with no one to talk to?

The thought was so absurd he laughed at himself.

Those famous families for flower cultivation—what method hadn’t they tried? Just look at the hologram videos the Fu family released on the star network. In their greenhouse, they even had people playing music for the flowers every day.

And still, nothing like this ever happened.

None of the three had seen anything like it. It was Mu Xing who reacted first. Smiling, he reached out and stroked the branch, bent down, and gently rubbed his cheek against it, happily saying: “It really bloomed. My little rose is amazing!”

He raised his wristband, preparing to contact Mu Rongrong and Lan Xi to share the good news.

He didn’t notice the branch he had released swaying for a long while before, in slow motion—

“Xingxing, Xingxing, look!” Mu Yue suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

Mu Xing looked up.

One bud, two buds, three buds…

Countless small buds grew from the branches and, under their stunned gazes, unfurled gracefully.

The wall once covered in vines truly became a wall of flowers.

The rich fragrance filled the yard, the sight so beautiful it felt like a dream.

“Is… is this a miracle?” Mu Yue couldn’t help stepping forward, reaching out to touch the blossoms, wanting to know if it was all an illusion.

The tender, real sensation under her palm made her hand tremble. Her eyes lit up, and she turned back to Mu Xing: “It’s real!”

The scent of roses filled Mu Xing’s nose. Looking at the flowers spread across the wall, he felt as though he could sense happiness radiating from them.

Sensing happiness… from flowers?

He shook his head, thinking he must just be too excited and imagining things.

He came back to himself and sent a message to Mu Rongrong and Lan Xi: “Mom, Dad, the roses in our yard bloomed!”

Lan Xi, harassed by a few female clients, had finally slipped away when he saw his son’s message, along with a long video.

His eyes widened: “This… this is the rose in our yard? You’re not tricking Dad?”

Mu Xing nodded rapidly: “It’s real!”

He even plucked a branch in front of Lan Xi and showed it to him.

Lan Xi’s heart ached—it was like half a month’s wages gone in a single cut.

Wait, half a month’s wages?

His eyes suddenly lit up.

Joyfully, he returned to the workshop, changed out of his uniform into his own clothes, and said goodbye to his furious, bewildered boss.

Mu Rongrong was even more direct.

The moment she confirmed her son wasn’t lying, she unleashed a long, satisfying scolding on her boss, who had belittled and suppressed her from the beginning.

She went home happy.

Now that she had money, why put up with that garbage?

In less than half an hour, both of them came back. At first sight of the rose wall covering half the courtyard, they were stunned.

Then, like dragons guarding treasure, their eyes gleamed as they gazed at it.

Han Jing had thought the two younger ones were just inexperienced. Surely the parents, once they came back, would notice how abnormal this was and feel at least a little cautious.

After all, the blooming was far too strange.

But the two adults didn’t care at all. After heaping praises on the roses, they immediately started fantasizing about the future.

Calculating how much money they could sell for.

What to do with the money once the flowers were sold.

They didn’t care about anything else.

Han Jing: “…”

Alright then. After all, Mu Rongrong was famously brainless.

Her husband was likewise known as a delicate parasitic beauty.

He couldn’t help but interrupt the family’s daydreams: “Uncle, Auntie, don’t you think it’s strange that these flowers bloomed like this?”

Mu Rongrong replied without hesitation: “Of course it’s because our Xingxing took such careful care of them, talking to them every day, that they bloomed. I told you, our Xingxing is so adorable—who could resist?”

Han Jing: “…?”

Lan Xi only gave him a gentle glance and said softly: “Does it matter why? The flowers bloomed, isn’t that enough?”

Mu Rongrong nodded in deep agreement: “It’s just us here, in this broken place. Who would bother scheming against us?”

Mu Yue chimed in: “And even if someone did, if they were willing to spend so much just to set us up, then we’d still be the ones profiting.”

Her words won unanimous agreement from the whole Mu family.

Han Jing: “…”

There was no refuting that.

He could only watch as the Mu family happily ordered Ami to buy plenty of food, then celebrated with a lavish meal, while he himself felt rather out of place among this simpleminded yet easily contented family.

Then, out of nowhere, his face felt cool.

He looked up—meeting Mu Yue’s sparkling eyes.

Perhaps she really was too happy, or maybe her time spent with him that afternoon had given her some courage, but now she no longer found his cold face intimidating.

She had just dabbed a bit of cake cream onto his cheek.

“Why are you being so serious?” Mu Yue looked at him with a grin. “Isn’t today such a happy day?”

“Here! So sweet.” She handed him a slice of cake. “I asked Ami—this one you can eat.”

Han Jing took it, about to thank her, but the girl was already flitting off to the table like a butterfly, leaving only a light breeze and the faint sweetness of cream behind.

He lowered his head, scooped a bite, and put it in his mouth.

It really was sweet.

*

That night, lying in bed, Mu Xing couldn’t sleep.

The whole house was filled with the fragrance of roses. It wasn’t unpleasant, but he still couldn’t drift off.

After tossing for a while, he got up.

And saw someone already in the yard.

It was his mother.

Mu Rongrong was surprised to see him: “Xingxing, you’re still awake?”

Mu Xing hummed: “I slept too long this afternoon, so I’m not tired now. What about you?”

Mu Rongrong rubbed her nose, gazing at the flowers: “I’m too excited to sleep. I keep worrying it’s not real—that all these roses are just a dream, and when I wake up tomorrow, they’ll be gone. I can’t feel at ease.”

The former pampered Miss Mu had never been like this before.

Clearly, life these days had changed her.

Mu Xing hugged her comfortingly: “Don’t worry, Mom. It’s not a dream, it’s real. The flowers won’t disappear.”

Ami chimed in seriously: “Ami will watch over them for the masters. They’re very valuable.”

Mu Rongrong laughed, chatted idly with Mu Xing for a while, then soon felt sleepy and went back to bed.

“You should sleep early too.” She kissed her son’s forehead.

“Goodnight, Mom.”

Mu Xing watched her leave.

The yard quieted down.

He sat at the table, cupping his face in his hands, staring at the flowers. Puzzled, he tentatively whispered: “Hello?”

“Were you… also very happy today?”

The branches swayed lightly in the night wind. Was that a response?

Mu Xing thought for a bit, then said to Ami: “Ami, I want to sit alone for a while. You can go back inside.”

Ami seemed to consider it: “Only half an hour, okay? After that, you really need to sleep.”

Mu Xing smiled and agreed: “Alright.”

Ami toddled off on its little legs.

Mu Xing continued staring at the flowers. The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. In the daytime, he had heard that faint sound, and he had sensed happiness.

He kept feeling as though these flowers had a consciousness.

But nothing stirred.

Mu Xing sighed, gazing blankly at the rose-tinted moon in the sky.

The fragrance at his nose seemed stronger.

He heard a faint rustling by his ear, like fabric brushing or someone turning over.

The sound was soft, and its source—

He turned his head, looking at the few rose branches drooping to the edge of the table.

From the fullest pink blossom, a tiny green head carefully poked out.

Meeting Mu Xing’s gaze, it seemed startled and instantly pulled back.

Mu Xing held his breath, saying nothing, waiting quietly.

Sure enough, after a while, that little head peeked out again.

Mu Xing gave her a gentle smile.

She seemed curious about him, and slowly, her whole body emerged from the flower.

Only then did he see her clearly: a tiny green figure, shaped like a human, with two delicate antennae on her head and a pair of translucent wings on her back.

Like a fairy out of a storybook.

“Hello?” Mu Xing’s voice was very soft. She was so small, he was afraid that if he spoke too loudly, he’d scare her away.

The little figure stared at him for a long time, then leapt out of the flower. Her wings fluttered quickly, and after hesitating for a while, she slowly landed on Mu Xing’s shoulder. With her thin antennae, she brushed his cheek.

A fine, delicate voice echoed in his mind: “Hello, human…I like you!”

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