That morning, Grandma Pei suggested to Fei Chuan to send a flower as thanks to Bei Sangyun.
"Whenever an event finishes, an escort should send a ’thank you’ gift to his partner. It’s a sign of respect and gratitude for your partner’s accompaniment that night. It’s part of etiquette. So, Young Master, you should send a flower to the Young Miss."
Fei Chuan hadn’t heard something like this during his etiquette lessons when he was young, but since it was Grandma Pei who suggested it, he didn’t suspect anything.
However, giving a flower after that confession and ’kiss’ would be too coincidental, right? Bei Sangyun might take it the wrong way.
Fei Chuan hadn’t made up his mind about that confession yet. Bei Sangyun’s confession had taken him by surprise, and he didn’t know how to face her. He was glad there was a one-week break, and he wouldn’t have to meet Bei Sangyun after that embarrassing moment.
Fei Chuan struggled and finally answered, "Just send a flower, and keep it simple."
"You should write the message yourself," Grandma Pei advised.
Fei Chuan shook his head, "No. Just let the shop write it."
He didn’t want Bei Sangyun to tease him about this or misunderstand.
He did not want to start anything especially since he did not know yet what he was feeling.
...
That afternoon, Maid Yan sorted through the letters that were sent for the Young Master.
After the homecoming dance, they received numerous emails and letters inviting the Young Master to attend various events.
Fei Chuan didn’t have a personal butler and only had Grandma Pei and Maid Yan as housekeepers. Thus, the responsibility of handling the letters fell on them.
The Young Master had already given them instructions to turn down all invitations. The task of sending out replies also fell into their hands.
Suddenly, Maid Yan excitedly exclaimed. Her shout of excitement resounded, breaking the silence around the most inconspicuous building of the Fei mansion.
Maid Yan ran and showed a letter to Grandma Pei, "We received a reply!"
Grandma Pei’s eyes shone. "Let’s bring it to Young Master!"
Fei Chuan was in his study room when Grandma Pei knocked on the door. She brought a tray of pastries and a letter.
"This is from that little girl. She is so sweet to give you a reply."
Fei Chuan stared at the letter with no intention of opening it. He did not expect to receive a reply.
Grandma Pei glanced at him and gestured for him to take it.
Fei Chuan took a deep breath and held the envelope. Inside, he found a card with Bei Sangyun’s neat handwriting.
[For my handsome escort, I’m glad you appreciate my presence. I can’t think of a good gift to give you in return, so I have to delay it while thinking about it deeply. Anyway, I will give it to you when I’ve made up my mind. By the way, I put the flowers in my bedroom and stare at them every day. I make sure to look at them every night and think about you. I really wish the week will soon end.]
Fei Chuan hurriedly put down the letter, expressionless, and placed it in the drawer, locking it.
Grandma Pei carefully observed his expression but saw nothing on his face.
Was the reply too casual? Did the little girl only reply with a ’You’re welcome’ or ’Thank you’?
Grandma Pei left the room a bit disappointed. The opportunity they had created seemed wasted. Perhaps the little girl was not that interested in their Young Master? But how could it be? Their Young Master was handsome and outstanding.
Maid Yan and Driver Wang asked her, "How is it?"
Grandma Pei shook her head, "I’m not sure. It seems the reply is too casual."
"But we wrote it with sweetness. Most girls like it," Driver Wang commented.
Grandma Pei sighed, "It’s alright. We can create another chance."
Maid Yan nodded.
Inside the study room, Fei Chuan stopped pretending to work, unlocked the drawer, and took out the letter.
He read it again. Then again. Then a few more times.
[For my handsome escort, I’m glad you appreciate my presence....]
[...I make sure to look at them every night and think about you. I really wish the week will soon end.]
Fei Chuan leaned on the desk, covering his face with his arms. His fingertips stroked the letters on the card. After a while, he poked his head out, revealing the haze in his eyes and his blushing face.
What should he do?
He felt his insides were all jumbled up.
******
During the one-week break, Bei Sangyun did not accept a single invitation and rejected them all.
In the past, when she was crowned as the Queen of the Night, she also received numerous invitations for tea parties from well-known families and banquets hosted by different companies that recognized her potential.
Because she wanted Lin Ginxian’s approval, she accepted them all and did not waste any opportunity. Her name was mentioned on every media platform, and she was seen at every banquet.
At that time, Bei Sangyun was not too familiar with social banquets and even had a fear of attending one. Her previous experience involved being mocked and laughed at by guests due to schemes orchestrated by Lin Sunji and Lin Xiaoni.
After that dreadful experience, she had avoided attending banquets as much as possible. However, after her social debut, she could no longer avoid appearing in public.
Bei Sangyun had to face her trauma and pretend to be confident whenever she appeared. She had to make as few mistakes as possible and not let anyone pinpoint any of her weaknesses. The pressure took a toll on her, leading to a relapse of her illness, making everything even more difficult for her.
The whole week was hellish for Bei Sangyun. She had to eat tasteless meals and appear to enjoy them. She had to socialize even when her body and mind weren’t feeling well. She had to smile and offer flattery to those snobbish people who looked down on her.
Because of her frequent appearances at banquets, she gained the attention of upper society. While there were praises, there were more ridicule and insults. The higher your fame, the deeper the black water becomes.
She endured everything, sacrificing her mental health and well-being just to expand her father’s influence. The only reward she received after enduring such hell was Lin Ginxian’s satisfied comment of ’good job, my daughter.’
Thinking of that poor reward and how the past her was so happy hearing about it made the current Bei Sangyun almost gag. She was truly naive and stupid back then.
Bei Sangyun had no desire to repeat such a foolish mistake. She didn’t need to expand her influence because soon, those people would be the ones who had to come to her just to flatter her and get on her good side.
Having finished compiling the file she had painstakingly worked on for the past few days, Bei Sangyun stretched her back and glanced at the window. The sky had turned dark.
"Young Miss, your dinner is ready. Should I send it here?" Maid Ye Zhai was waiting for her to finish before reporting.
Bei Sangyun nodded.
The meal arrived, and Bei Sangyun became excited.