Chapter 140: Can you give me this bouquet of flowers?

Ling Yan's cheeks flushed, her ears slightly warm, she twirled a strand of hair by her ear, feigning calm as she spoke for Xu Yanfeng: "What the flowers look like doesn't matter; what matters is the sender's intention."

Xu Yanfeng's gaze swept toward Ling Yan, not to look at her but focusing on what she had just said; after a moment, he lowered his eyelids and looked at the flowers in his hand. This was the first time in his life he had received roses, and from a girl at that—somewhat funny to say, yet he couldn't muster even a half-smile.

On such a special holiday, I don't know where Xia Xi got these roses.

Could it really be as Tang Yizhou said, that she dug them up from some flower patch?

The girl sitting beside Ling Yan poked her arm, gave her a wink, sharing her thought, and believed the flowers in Xu Yanfeng's hand were bought to give to her.

Ling Yan's heart pounded in waves, she could hardly sit still, and she spoke again: "Compared to those over‑packaged flowers, I prefer this natural kind; anyway, once I bring it home I'll just put it in a vase to keep it alive."

Xu Yanfeng didn't hear what she had said; his gaze swept the surroundings, he found a solitary table, cleared off its contents, and used it to place his flowers.

Ling Yan stared at his action in bewilderment—what did it mean? Was he not intending to give them to her now?

Xu Yanfeng settled the roses, sat back in his original seat, glanced at the others, slightly lifted his chin, and pointed at the scattered cards on the table: "Still playing?"

"Sure we are, weren't we just waiting for you?" Tang Yizhou gathered the cards, an orange wedge in his mouth, "It's all your fault—I had a great hand last round, a sure win, but you walked out mid‑game."

Xu Yanfeng drew card after card, holding them in his hand, without responding to his remark.

When the cards on the table were all drawn, Fu Li tidied them while glancing at the roses on the table, suddenly recalling how Xia Xi had earlier asked him for the clubhouse's address.

He didn't ask Xu Yanfeng outright, but probed indirectly: "Who are the roses you bought meant for?"

Xu Yanfeng played a card, his eyelids not lifting.

Tang Yizhou, quick‑tongued, jumped in: "I just asked him, he didn't answer, acting all mysterious—he's definitely hiding something from us. Xu Er is a closed‑lipped gourd, keeping everything bottled up." He kicked Xu Yanfeng's foot under the table: "Xu Er, can you or can't you? Keeping this from us, do you still see us as brothers?"

Hearing this, Ling Yan's heart surged; she pressed her fingertip against the ring on her index finger, turning it a few times to distract herself, but it didn't help, because she also wanted to know whether the flowers Xu Yanfeng bought were meant for her.

"Ah Feng, just tell everyone." Ling Yan could no longer hold back and urged him.

As soon as she spoke, it gave everyone room to imagine; Tang Yizhou immediately pointed at Ling Yan and asked, "For her?"

No wonder he thought that; among the people in the room, Ling Yan had the highest chance. Xu Yanfeng would hardly buy flowers to give a man—that would be too shocking.

Xu Yanfeng stretched out his hand and threw down four twos—a bomb. As the player after him, Tang Yizhou couldn't play any following cards, stamped his foot and cursed: "Holy shit, your grandpa, do you even know how to play? Leading off with something that big."

Fu Li lifted his white grape wine, took a sip, and reminded: "Xu Er is changing the subject."

Xu Yanfeng lifted his eyelids and glanced at him—being smart, he had to point out his intention.

Tang Yizhou looked at Xu Yanfeng: "You almost had me fooled."

Luojinnan also spoke up: "Xu Er, you don't have to keep us in suspense like that."

Xu Yanfeng played a few cards at an unhurried pace, his tone equally calm, correcting their misunderstanding: "The flowers aren't mine to buy." From the start he never said he bought them; they had assumed it themselves.

Ling Yan froze, her gaze locked on his face, hearing his following words: "Someone else sent them."

The flush on Ling Yan's cheeks faded, her fluttering heart gradually calming. It felt like a bucket of cold water dumped over her head, dousing all her unrealistic fantasies.

She was ridiculous too—how could she have thought those flowers were bought by Xu Yanfeng to give her? They'd known each other for years; when had Xu Yanfeng ever given her flowers, let alone roses?

"That's really something." Tang Yizhou, not noticing Ling Yan's changing expression, chuckled: "Someone actually sent you roses on New Year's Eve—guy or girl? Do we know them?"

Xu Yanfeng refused to answer further questions, throwing out several cards in succession until only one remained in his hand; he tapped his knuckles on the table: "Focus on the game, you're going to lose."

"What did you just play? I wasn't really listening." Tang Yizhou's attention snapped back to the cards, and instantly his vision went dark.

Xu Yanfeng pinched the sole remaining card between two fingers, flipped it face‑down, pressed it onto the table, crossed his arms over his legs, lounged back in the chair, and let them argue while he sat steady as a mountain.

He took a moment to pick up his phone and glance at WeChat—Xia Xi had sent no message.

Xu Yanfeng slipped his hand into his pants pocket, felt a few candies—something he hadn't touched in years—rolled one between his fingertips, and for some reason suddenly peeled one open.

Xu Yanfeng slightly lowered his head, bit the candy into his mouth; a rich milky flavor spread across his tongue, he frowned, nearly spitting it out, but he didn't—he tipped the candy to the side with his tongue.

"What are you eating?" Tang Yizhou noticed a bulge in Xu Yanfeng's cheek.

Xu Yanfeng turned over the card on the table, pushed it to the center: "I won."

Tang Yizhou kicked him again: "I'm asking you a question."

Xu Yanfeng shuffled the cards with both hands, the candy in his mouth shifting to the other side, his teeth clicking softly; he answered impatiently: "Candy."

Tang Yizhou: "……"

After a spell of silence, Tang Yizhou scoffed with a look of disdain: "Immature or not, you usually don't drink, but now you're eating stuff a three‑year‑old would—looks like you're regressing the older you get."

Xu Yanfeng didn't rebut, played a few more rounds with them, found it boring, and suggested ending the session.

This group had originally planned to spend New Year's together, stay overnight here—there were plenty of empty rooms—and head back tomorrow; but after hearing Xu Yanfeng's words, they all lost interest.

Before leaving, Xu Yanfeng didn't forget to take the roses from the table.

Tang Yizhou, unable to keep his hands to himself, tapped the blossoms twice, a petal falling off: "I thought you were going to toss them here, why are you taking them back? This makes me even more curious who sent the flowers."

Xu Yanfeng snapped: "Don't touch them."

Tang Yizhou's eyes widened: "You won't even let me touch them?"

Fu Li already knew the score, he tugged Tang Yizhou's arm, signaling him not to provoke Xu Yanfeng foolishly—otherwise he'd be the one to suffer if he angered him. Fu Li whispered: "Don't ask anymore, it was Xia Xi who sent them." He just wasn't sure whether she delivered them personally or had a courier do it.

If it was the former, he roughly understood why Xu Yanfeng, who doesn't care for flowers, would cherish this bouquet so much—the meaning would be different.

Tang Yizhou's eyes widened even more, and he quietly replied: "Really? How do you know?"

Fu Li pressed his lips together, refusing to explain to that idiot.

The group arrived at the clubhouse parking lot; Ling Yan stood beside Xu Yanfeng's car, hoping to hitch a ride. Her eyes fixed intently on the bouquet he was handling with care, unsure whether she should envy the flowers or the person who sent them.

Xu Yanfeng pulled open the rear door with one hand, bent over, and placed the flowers on the back seat.

Ling Yan clenched her fingers, unwilling to give up, and asked: "Ah Feng, can you give me this bouquet? I really like it. As a guy, you probably don't care for flowers and such, right?"

She knew Xu Yanfeng; his gentlemanly bearing, cultivated since childhood, was ingrained in his bones, and within reason he would not refuse a lady's request or damage her dignity.

Especially since they had grown up together from childhood.

All she wanted was a bouquet; it wasn't an unreasonable request.