All was quiet in the yard when suddenly, a small bark sounded from the location of the dog hole.
A middle-aged male artist, disguised as a Gardener, pressed down on the brim of his hat.
Clutching a basket of tulips, he approached the dog hole. Before he could speak, the barking from outside the hole ceased, replaced instead by a human voice.
A young man’s voice was forceful, "Why has it taken so long? Did you increase the amount today?"
"Mmm." The middle-aged artist murmured indistinctly.
Elsewhere, the real Gardener was extremely anxious, but Ji Guang kept badgering him with questions about planting tulips, not letting him go for even a moment.
The Gardener yawned, feigning extreme exhaustion: "I’ve been busy all day and am very tired. I must excuse myself."
Ji Guang naturally wouldn’t let him go that easily. He reached out to stop the man, feigning distress, "It’s soon my elder’s birthday, and I really want to personally grow a pot of tulips to give her. Please, perk up a bit, don’t go to sleep yet."
The Gardener furrowed his brows tightly but still insisted on leaving.
Ji Guang still blocked his way, "Would you like some coffee?"
"I don’t drink it. I’m truly very tired. Sir, I just want to sleep now."
"But my matter is also urgent. After all, I am a guest here, so could you please help me?"
"I’m so tired I’m dizzy. Aren’t you afraid I’ll teach you incorrectly? Let me sleep and regain my energy, then I’ll answer your questions."
"Sir, I’m really tired..."
Ji Guang sighed, "If you don’t want to teach me, just say so. Don’t conceal it and use being tired as an excuse."
The Gardener really wanted to slap this insensible fool, but he restrained himself, though his gaze couldn’t help but drift towards the garden.
Meanwhile, the Earl found it very puzzling why so many people were standing in front of his door so late at night.
"What’s this all about?"
Rock Band member: "We wanted to have a chat with you."
The Earl asked them to wait a moment, threw on a coat, and joined them in the hall.
"Earl, the tulips in the garden are truly beautiful. I’d like to take some seeds back with me, is that alright?"
"It’s possible... but can you actually grow them? They seem easy but growing good tulips is difficult, which is why tulips are so valuable and scarce."
Valuable and scarce? Those words might as well have admitted there were three hundred taels of silver buried here, a classic case of revealing more than intended.
"Could you sell me some?" the Rock Band member whispered, nearly breathing in the Earl’s ear.
Although the Earl felt somewhat uncomfortable, since they were all men, he let it slide.
The Rock Band member’s expression grew more earnest, leaning even closer to his ear to whisper.
The Earl’s heart skipped a beat.
The Earl suspected the other was interested in him personally, given the late hour and the knocking on his door.
Although other guests were present, they seemed very close to him, obviously accompanying him to knock on the door.
Could he be... a fervent admirer?
No one knew what the Earl was thinking. If the Rock Band members did, they would surely slap him. His proximity was merely for the sake of confidentiality, and this old fool had completely misread the situation!
The Earl and the Rock Band members distanced themselves, and the Earl chuckled awkwardly, "What are you joking about? How could I sell flowers? If you want tulips, help yourself to picking them. There aren’t that many to pick anyway, I’ll give them to you."
"Is this... really okay?" The Rock Band member trembled, pretending to look troubled and embarrassed.
His act was overdone, and his face even turned red.
The Earl misinterpreted again, his heart racing with anxious excitement.