BXBX NOVEL Chapter 8: Cactus, Baby Face
Chapter 8: Cactus, Baby Face
"Is there something you need?" the man asked, polite yet distant.
Shen Wan pondered for a moment and nodded.
"Speak."
Can you assist me in selecting two potted plants? I intend to put them on the windowsill in my bedroom.
"Why are you requesting me to make the choice?"
Shen Wan gave a faint smile, "Mr. Ding mentioned that you have a good understanding of ornamental plants, while I\'m completely clueless..."
"So?"
"If you could help, Big Brother, that would be wonderful!" The young lady stood surrounded by the flowers, a charming smile gracing her lips, against the backdrop of an orange radiance.
Shen Qian paused, big brother?
Perhaps she wasn\'t as timid as he thought.
"What colors do you like?" The man walked past her, heading toward the potted plant area.
Mr. Ding was taken aback by the sudden departure and return of the young master, casting a curious look towards the Third Lady.
However, neither of them noticed.
Shen Wan followed the man\'s steps and, upon hearing the question, thought for a moment. "White, green."
"And fragrance?"
"No preference."
Shen Qian stopped by a pot of cactus, pointing at it. "Green."
Shen Wan was speechless. Wasn\'t he supposed to be knowledgeable about ornamental plants? Key point: ornamental plants!
Shouldn\'t it be those beautiful, vibrant, and exquisite flowers?
And he actually chose a pot of cacti?!
"You seem a bit unsatisfied with your expression."
Shen Wan didn\'t rush to deny it. Yes, she wasn\'t satisfied. Is there a problem?
"It suits you well," the man emphasized.
"Why?"
"Ugly." Yet quite resolute.
"..."
Shen Wan became angry, turned around, and walked away, a bit frustrated.
Capricious, yet still adorable.
Shen Qian remained in place, and a sudden smile graced his lips. Bathed in the morning sunlight, he appeared less distant and somewhat imbued with a gentle warmth.
Even a timid rabbit like her wasn\'t entirely clueless.
Upon returning to her room, Shen Wan unleashed a mental barrage of colorful language directed at Shen Qian.
Knock, knock—
She put on her slippers and got up to open the door.
"Third Lady." The maid stood outside.
"What\'s the matter?"
"Uncle Ding asked me to bring this over."
Perfect, it was the cactus.
Shen Wan\'s expression remained neutral as she stepped aside, making way. "Place it on the windowsill."
"Understood."
After the servant left, Shen Wan leaned on the windowsill, facing the plump, lush, green cactus.
She poked it with her finger. "It\'s quite plump."
At eight o\'clock, the Shen family assembled downstairs for breakfast, consisting of seven members. Shen Ru was the only one missing, as she was still in the M country for a project.
This was an unspoken rule when the old master was at home.
Yang Lan\'s gaze darkened momentarily at Shen Wan\'s punctuality but quickly returned to normal.
"Auntie, good morning," the young lady greeted with a radiant smile.
"...Good morning." The woman felt a bit stifled.
After breakfast, Shen Chunjiang and Shen Qian left for the company, Shen Yan returned to school for a full day of classes.
Yang Lan organized a mahjong game with some other women, packed thousands of dollars in cash into her purse, and departed as well.
Shen Wan returned to her room, retrieved a slightly worn canvas bag from her closet, containing her belongings: a pack of embroidery thread, several fine needles, and an additional two thousand yuan.
She withdrew five hundred yuan, hailed a taxi using her phone, and after getting ready, she departed.
Supermarket.
Shen Wan stood in the shampoo aisle, her gaze fixed not on the products but on the price tags. She simply pointed at the most affordable choice.
The same approach was taken for sanitary napkins.
And soap as well. She passed by the Dove and Tide brands and halted at a price label – a 6-pack of Old Huzhou Laundry Soap for ￥5.99.
Okay, you\'re the one.
As she strolled through the supermarket, she reached the underwear section. Shen Wan glanced over it, found the cheapest option, and was about to throw it into her cart when suddenly a voice intervened.
"Miss, what you\'re holding is children\'s underwear."
Shen Wan paused, withdrew her hand, and looked closely. Indeed, they were children\'s underwear, and the material wasn\'t great, no wonder it was so cheap.
However—
Her gaze turned to the person who had just addressed her. Well, he could be labeled as a "young fellow."
With a baby face, a mushroom-like haircut, and a rather average height – likely around fifteen or sixteen years old – he exuded a mix of naivety and cuteness. Yet, beneath that appearance, his eyes carried a certain icy detachment.
"Hi, little shorty, how did you know I picked the wrong one? What if I intentionally want to buy this?"
The boy with the youthful visage fixed his gaze on her, his voice unexpectedly resonant, "Don\'t refer to me as \'little shorty\'." Then, he inspected her thoroughly, his brows knitting together, "You\'re quite young. Do you really have a child?"
Shen Wan shook her head, "No. But—" she changed the topic, "I can buy it for my boyfriend to wear."
"What?" The baby-faced boy was a bit confused.
Shen Wan leaned closer, a refreshing fragrance wafted into the boy\'s nostrils, strangely not making him dislike it.
"Kid, do you know what a weird fetish is? This is it."
After saying that, she pushed her shopping cart and made her escape.
The baby-faced boy stood still, a blush creeping up his fair neck and spreading to his cheeks.
When he looked up again, the woman was nowhere to be seen.
Damn it—
He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number. "Sixth Master, sob sob... I was teased by a woman, sob sob..."
Shen Wan was in a great mood as she pushed her shopping cart to the checkout counter.
The total cost for the two bags of items was only fifty yuan, which was just perfect.
Returning to the Shen residence around lunchtime, Yang Lan was absent, Shen Chunjiang and his son were gone too, leaving only Shen Yan in the spacious living room.
"Hold it—"
Shen Wan ignored the words and continued upstairs.
"You wicked girl, didn\'t you hear me?!" Shen Yan\'s anger flared, and she walked over and grabbed her.
Shen Wan pretended to stumble, letting go of the bags in her hand. The bags caught the other woman\'s attention successfully.
Shen Yan gave a kick, and the contents spilled all over the floor.