Xiang Lie emerged from the room still in a daze. He felt as though his very sense of purity had been scrubbed clean, repeatedly, for three days and three nights in antiseptic solution; while undeniably clean, there wasn't much left of it. He needed a moment to compose himself, and also to find Mo.
"Excuse me, where is the flower garden?" he asked politely, stopping a passing silver-haired girl. The girl, seeing him, first froze, then her small face flushed crimson. She quickly pointed a finger in a direction, then darted away like a startled rabbit, never looking back.
Along the way, he encountered several more girls. Without exception, their gazes grew strange when they saw him. It was a peculiar blend of curiosity, shyness, gossip, and a hint of… an unreadable smirk. They gathered in twos and threes, pointing at him, whispering, only to scatter like startled birds the moment he looked their way.
"How odd," Xiang Lie murmured, touching his face, then glancing at his powerfully built trapezius muscles. "Did my muscles get even bigger after three days of sleep?" He didn't dwell on it; after all, girls' minds were harder to decipher than the final rep of a max-effort bench press.
Soon, following the directions, he arrived at a vast, circular space. This was the flower garden. Countless unknown flowers, each emitting a soft, faint luminescence, bloomed silently here, forming a dreamlike sea of blossoms. The air was filled with a sweet, invigorating fragrance.
And in the very center of that sea of flowers, a slender, silver-haired figure sat alone. It was Mo. She hugged her knees, her small form looking especially fragile amidst the vibrant blooms. Her head was bowed, her delicate fingers mindlessly tearing at the petals of an innocent glowing flower beside her. She murmured to herself, as if chastising her own clumsiness, her shyness, her inability to help.
Xiang Lie watched the scene, and the slight emotional turmoil caused by his "underwear incident" instantly vanished. He softened his footsteps, slowly approaching.
"Hi." He greeted her in what he hoped was his gentlest voice.
Mo's body stiffened abruptly, as if a pause button had been pressed. She slowly lifted her head, and when she recognized Xiang Lie, she jolted as if struck by electricity, springing up from the ground!
"Oh!" She let out a tiny gasp, then immediately lowered her head again, her pale face turning an apple-red blush at a visible rate, the color spreading even to her delicate earlobes. Xiang Lie almost imagined her smooth, silver hair was smoking from sheer embarrassment.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Xiang Lie, bewildered by her strange reaction, scratched his head. A sincere smile spread across his face as he solemnly declared, "Oh, right, I haven't thanked you yet. That day… thank you for shielding me." He was referring to the moment Mo had recklessly thrown herself in front of him and been bitten by Ye. Though his mind was simple, he knew that without Mo's intervention, he would have been in grave danger.
Mo, hearing his thanks, buried her head even lower, almost touching her chest, her voice a mosquito-like hum. "It's… nothing… you've saved me so many times…" Her heart beat so fast, like a fawn trapped in her chest, threatening to burst free.
The moments before she lost consciousness replayed endlessly in her mind—his solid arms as he carried her while running, his back shielding her without hesitation in the face of danger, and… his serene sleeping face when he was unconscious. These images, like the nectar in the flower sea, made her feel sweetly dizzy.
Xiang Lie, seeing her silence, assumed she was still blaming herself for that day, and instinctively tried to console her in his own way. "Don't think so much! Did you practice your trapezius today?"
"I… I'm resting today, I didn't practice…" Mo replied softly, a faint, almost imperceptible hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Sigh." Xiang Lie put on an "I knew it" expression, speaking earnestly. "Mo, you must remember, practicing your trapezius is like rowing against the current: if you don't advance, you fall back! One day without practice, and your Throne will gather dust; two days without practice, and your very soul will waver! Come on!" He casually assumed a stance, offering Mo an encouraging smile. "Let's practice together! Let me see if you've regressed!"
Looking at Xiang Lie's earnest and pure gaze, all of Mo's self-blame, shyness, and overthinking seemed to be washed away by his peculiar earnestness. She stared at him blankly, then couldn't help but let out a soft giggle. That smile, like a hundred flowers blooming, seemed to brighten the entire flower garden.
She nodded, walked to Xiang Lie's side, and mimicking his posture, began the sacred ritual of shrugs. In the glowing sea of flowers, a man as mighty as a mountain and a girl as delicate as an elf harmoniously raised and lowered their shoulders. The scene possessed an indescribable, unique warmth and harmony.
Mo secretly glanced at the man beside her from the corner of her eye. Sunlight filtered through the dome, casting enchanting shadows on his chiseled muscles. Beads of sweat trickled down his resolute profile. There was an unspoken charisma in his focused demeanor. Her cheeks began to warm again.
After practicing for a while, Mo's mood was visibly much improved. She stopped, turned to face Xiang Lie, her usually timid silver eyes now filled with reluctance to part, and softly asked, "Are you… leaving?"
Xiang Lie also stopped, nodded, and answered naturally, "Yes, there's an important assessment at the academy, I need to go back and check on it."
"Oh." Mo responded, then lowered her head again, falling silent. The flower that had just blossomed in her heart seemed to be shrouded once more in a faint mist. The air again became quiet, even a little heavy. The sweet scent of flowers couldn't seem to dissipate the delicate atmosphere.
Just as the awkward silence stretched, a familiar, subtle mechanical rolling sound approached from a distance.
"Well, well, well, I hope I'm not interrupting you two lovebirds practicing your 'Throne' techniques here among the flowers, under the moon?" Ling's voice, a blend of two-thirds teasing and one-third mockery, broke the tranquility.
She maneuvered her wheelchair, slowly gliding over, a knowing, mischievous smirk on her face. Xiang Lie was about to retort when Ling waved a hand, cutting directly to the chase. "Alright, alright, no need to explain. Mister Yi said he needs to see both of you. He wants you to come over."
Xiang Lie, as if granted a reprieve, immediately nodded. "Understood, we'll be right there!"