Once upon a time, there was an Immortal Herb that was accidentally dropped into the Mortal World by a Fairy during a banquet at the Heavenly Court.
This was a very rare Immortal Herb that had been plucked from Penglai Immortal Island deep in the South Sea. The Fairy didn’t dare to speak out for fear of being punished, so she kept it a secret.
The Immortal Herb fell into the garden of a wealthy family, where amid a collection of precious flowers it did not stand out, and there it stayed quietly for over a decade.
Until one day, it bloomed.
When Gu Shengyin came to this world, she just happened to encounter the blooming of this Immortal Herb.
After all, it was not an ordinary plant, its blooming was not just a simple flowering, but a shape-shifting.
A white flower slowly bloomed atop the long leaves. The bud opened quite tiny, but as it unfurled, it seemed as if an endless number of petals were released.
At the same time, every other flower in the garden bowed towards her, and in an instant, the whole garden was filled with an exotic fragrance.
This was no ordinary aroma, but one imbued with the essence of immortality. If an ordinary person were to smell it, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say they’d be free from disease and live a longer life.
Then the white flower trembled gently twice, and a flash of white light followed, with the flower and its leaves instantly transforming into specks of luminescence. Within these points of light, a slender figure in white gradually took shape.
The material of her white clothing was indiscernible, exceptionally elegant and beautiful. The cuffs and hem were adorned with blooming petals, graceful and charming. Her hair was not tied up but was crowned with a garland of fresh flowers woven on top of her head. Beneath the floral crown was a face so beautiful it was stunning.
This was a woman transformed from a flower.
However, as soon as Shengyin opened her eyes, she looked in a certain direction—at the pillar inside the garden pavilion stood a man, quietly dressed in a dark robe.
His features were handsome, with pitch-black eyes sharp and regal like those of a hawk, intently fixed on her.
He exuded a deep and mountain-like presence, something that is cultivated from years of holding a high position.
Clearly, he had witnessed her transformation.
"Who are you? I don’t seem to have ever seen you before," Gu Shengyin said, turning her head to look at the man.
The man took steps towards her, walking until he reached Gu Shengyin’s side.
The previously rich scent had already dissipated, but coming close to this woman, one could still catch a whiff of the fragrance.
"Oh? Who do you usually see?" he asked with interest.
Shengyin frowned slightly as if pondering carefully, "There’s Cuier, Yilan, Qiang Sheng, Old Master Yun, Madam Yun, Miss Yun..."
Yu Wenrui thought for a moment. Among these people, he only knew a few; the other names sounded like those of servants.
He wasn’t interested in them.
"Who are you? And why are you here?"
Shengyin seemed surprised by his question, "I live here, I’ve been living here for over a decade. My name is You Lan."
Living here? Yu Wenrui glanced over the flower bed and understood what she meant.
It seemed she really considered these two patches of earth her home.
For some reason, Yu Wenrui suddenly felt like laughing but he restrained himself and turned his head to ask, "Would you like to come with me?"
Gu Shengyin was not so easily fooled: "Why should I go with you?"
Yu Wenrui tried to scare her: "You should know, the people here, they’re all different from you. If they find out you’ve transformed from a flower, they will kill you."