Unknown Intrusion

Chapter 117 The Roses Are Blooming

"Su Yu!"

The chirping of a little girl came from the end of the corridor.

She was a petite and adorable girl, who looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old. She ran over, her long skirt fluttering gently, carrying the scent of roses.

Her wispy bangs gently framed her forehead, while black and red rose hair accessories adorned the sides of her head, with small pendants swaying softly as they extended down.

The dazzling decorations drew Su Yu's gaze incessantly.

As I approached, I noticed that she frowned slightly, looking at Miss Song with a wary expression.

He awkwardly looked away.

Contrary to her usual behavior, Cheng Qiaoqiao did not greet her.

What's wrong, Qiaoqiao? Is something the matter?
Su Yu had some guesses in his mind and was about to ask.

"I searched everywhere ahead, but I couldn't find you."

"So you are here."

Su Yu became increasingly aware of the tense atmosphere.

"I've had enough, Su Yu. Walking in high heels is exhausting, my feet are aching, and I'm starving. Why do I have to suffer like this? I don't know a single person here. Can't we just go home?"

"Come to my house to see the roses! The newly propagated seeds have just sprouted three buds. We must make sure they bloom this time!"

Qiaoqiao chattered away, saying things that were quite willful, but her tone was as beautiful as a nightingale's.

Now everyone can see they're having a tiff!

Su Yu looked at the young lady with a wry smile.

But then she saw Song Qiongyao looking at Qiaoqiao, her expression revealing loneliness and sadness, her eyes lowered as if to hide her feelings.

Excellent! The case is solved!

Now Su Yu could be certain that something was going on between them!
What happened in between?

"Didn't you say you wanted to come and see the banquet, Qiaoqiao?"

"...I didn't know there were so many people beforehand, and look, someone's hitting on me!" Cheng Qiaoqiao said with a straight face and expressionless eyes, gesturing to look behind her.

Sure enough, five or six pairs of eyes among the guests kept glancing at her.

Standing in a crowd, the delicate girl with a lovely face undoubtedly attracted the attention of many of her peers.

This was an era when people could get married at fifteen or sixteen.

"Good day. This young lady looks somewhat familiar. Have we met on another occasion?" A richly dressed young man approached, holding a cup. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.

Cheng Qiaoqiao simply ignored him with a straight face and continued to accuse Su Yu of "being unreasonable": "So you see, you dumped me at the meeting, now you understand my predicament, right?"

The man looked slightly embarrassed, but didn't seem to care much.

Or rather, his gaze began to shift, seemingly lingering on Song Qiongyao, marveling at her charm.

"Young Miss is as elegant as ever. The last time we met was at the banquet at the Earl's mansion. I still remember your appearance vividly..."

"...Hello." Facing the man who was talking non-stop, Miss Song nodded slightly with a reserved manner and put on a social smile.

After the boy left satisfied, Cheng Qiaoqiao breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had been saved.

"That's terrifying! This is the fourth one already. They're shameless!"

"What did they all say to you?" Su Yu suddenly asked her seriously.

"They asked me about my identity, my family, and even invited me out for tea."

"Reject them!" Without hesitation, Su Yu immediately became serious.

"Of course I'll refuse!" For some inexplicable reason, Su Yu was met with a disappointed look from Cheng Qiaoqiao.

"Hmph!" Cheng Qiaoqiao snorted softly, deliberately turning her head away, but then immediately regretted it and quietly turned her face back to see Su Yu's reaction.

Take it all in.

"Qiaoqiao, your roses are in bloom." Miss Song smiled gently, as if she had been patiently waiting.

"I also enjoy admiring flowers. Would it be convenient for you to come over?"

She wanted to go too? Song Qiongyao's dress spread out like a butterfly and floated slowly. Inadvertently, she walked beside Su Yu, while Cheng Qiaoqiao occupied the other side.

Caught between the two people, Su Yu felt many gazes upon him.

"You can go, but if you go, you need to prepare new rose seeds for me." Qiaoqiao's tone was noticeably cold.

Why such obsession with seeds? Is there such a yearning for new roses? Or is there some special significance to it?

There are just so many kinds of flowers, it shouldn't be that bad...

Her persistence made Su Yu vaguely uneasy.

I hope everything is alright!
……

In a room of the Song family mansion.

Although it was still daytime, the curtains in the room were drawn, completely blocking out the view and noise from outside.

"So, Miss, are you unhappy because he left early?"

"Mmm." Song Qiongyao responded quietly, sitting there and looking out the window.

Through a narrow gap, one could vaguely see the road in the distance.

Not long ago, this young lady started sitting here, looking sullen.

"This is really a headache. Are you angry with him, or with Miss Cheng?"

"Hmm... I think so." Song Qiongyao thought for a moment and replied.

“Qiaoqiao cares about him a lot and has no intention of letting go, which makes me unhappy.”

“But I was even more upset when he left early… I was planning to say something more, but he didn’t give me the chance.”

At this point, his low voice betrayed his frustration.

"It's time," said Liu Lei, the maid, as she made this judgment.

So, you're grieving the loss of a friend?

"That's not necessarily true! She wasn't as angry as I thought. Maybe she was just being stubborn. Otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed me to visit her collection."

"So, are you going to give up?" The maid thought this was the best time to end this pointless unrequited love.

Before it gets too serious...

“Give up? No, why do you think that? This isn’t even a setback.” Song Qiongyao replied in the relaxed tone of someone chatting over coffee, “He didn’t really reject me, did he? That’s my charm.”

The maid made a low, moaning sound.

“Young Miss, you’re working too hard. Why don’t I try to persuade Miss Cheng? Just tell her…”

"do not want!"

Like a thunderbolt striking, Liu Lei's suggestion was abruptly forbidden with a low shout.

"I don't want anyone's pity!"

"I saw too many of those pitiful looks before I was ten years old... They weren't malicious, but they were still very annoying!"

A look of trouble appeared in the young lady's eyes.

"Forget it! What are you doing here?"

"Please return Madam's engagement ring. I borrowed it last time and forgot to return it. If Madam finds out..."

"What did you find?"

"Husband, Madam..."

The maid made a sound like a cat having its tail stepped on, and turned around in surprise.

The door connecting the room to the corridor had been opened a crack at some point, and a beautiful but somewhat pale woman was smiling at them.

"Mom, you're here!"

A woman who resembled Li Ningzhuang but appeared more frail, looking only a few years older than Song Qiongyao.

(End of this chapter)