I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

"Probably what?" Floro pressed.

"There's a high chance it will breathe on me."

Floro was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood the teasing in Duanmu Yan's words. Her previously gentle expression instantly turned cold, and a flash of anger appeared in her eyes: "You—!"

"Hey, see! I told you so, didn't I? Just like this! That sudden breath! That's the Floro I know!"

Before Floro could react, Duanmu Yan immediately put on an innocent expression.

Floro gritted her teeth, seemingly about to explode, but in the end she only snorted coldly, slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed her anger: "Fine, I'm in a better mood today, so I won't hold it against you. But I did come to you today because I need your help with something."

“That’s quite rare,” Duanmu Yan said. “I thought that with your aloof personality, you would never seek help from others, no matter what difficulties you encountered.”

"It seems you have a deep misunderstanding about me."

"Isn't that right?" Duanmu Yan shrugged.

Given Floro's usually aloof and powerful aura, as well as her unpredictable and complex personality, anyone who saw her would think that she would have a hard time getting along with others.

Floro gave a soft hum, a fleeting hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes.

Even so, her tone showed absolutely no sign of vulnerability.

"That's right, I really wouldn't ask others for help unless it was absolutely necessary."

—Except for him.

Perhaps, in the girl's heart, there was still a lingering fantasy about it.

"But don't forget, you still owe me a favor."

Duanmu Yan nodded: "Of course. Since it's something I promised you, I will definitely do it."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of confusion crossed Floro's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

She covered her mouth and chuckled softly: "Speaking from your mouth, it sounds like an amusing joke."

"...So, what do you want me to do?"

Before answering that question, I have a question for you.

Duanmu Yan asked, puzzled, "What's the problem?"

Floro's smile faded slightly, and she looked directly into his eyes: "You really... will help with anything?"

These words made Duanmu Yan's heart skip a beat.

Wait a minute, why does it feel like saying something like that means trouble is about to come knocking?

Duanmu Yan paused for a moment before saying, "As long as it's not something like murder or arson."

"What?" Floro chuckled and shook his head. "Of course not. I just want you to do me a very simple favor. But before answering that question..."

The girl spoke softly, but before she finished speaking, her peripheral vision caught sight of a bottle of perfume on the table beside her. Its exquisite design and sweet appearance exuded a unique girlish charm, and it didn't seem like something a boy would use.

Suddenly, a familiar face flashed before her eyes—Coletta Motari.

That smiling tiger of the Motari family, on the surface she pretends to be an elegant and proper young lady of the family, and she is gentle and polite to everyone, but what is she really like?

Countless people have fallen for her seemingly harmless smile.

"Oh, I remember now."

"These two are dating now, right?"

The "confrontation" with Coleta a while ago was still fresh in his mind, but Floro shouldn't have taken it to heart.

But for some reason, when all of this was actually presented before my eyes, my heart, which had long been closed off, stirred with a strange feeling—like suddenly discovering that a cherished old toy was now being held in someone else's hands.

Perhaps she no longer had any attachment to that "toy," but ultimately...

A subtle, bittersweet feeling welled up inside me.

Floro unconsciously clenched his fingers, his knuckles turning slightly white, then relaxed them, as if he had finally made up his mind.

"I need to stay here for a while."

“Of course—” Duanmu Yan instinctively agreed, but stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence. He paused, then asked with a hint of disbelief, “…Wait, what did you just say?”

The girl's lips curved into a faint smile. She calmly repeated her words, her tone gentle yet undeniably authoritative.

“I said I need to stay here for a while.”

Volume 1: Chapter 144 The Scent of Photinia

Uh……

what?

What did Floro just say?

Want to stay here for a while?

Duanmu Yan stared wide-eyed, his pupils dilating slightly in astonishment. He gazed at the crimson figure before him, momentarily at a loss for words.

Floro continued to gaze at him silently, a vague, indescribable emotion flickering deep within his eyes—an emotion like a flower blooming on the other side of the river, carrying a hint of joy, yet far more than that.

She was happy to see him in such a predicament, regardless of the reason behind it.

But his expression at that moment was like sweet rain nourishing the twisted field of desire in the girl's heart.

"Wait a minute, my mind is a bit muddled right now, let me calm down for a bit."

Duanmu Yan raised his hand to cover his head, lowered his head slightly, and pondered for a long time in a state of confusion before slowly raising his head again, looking at Floro with a blank and helpless expression: "Why? Are you having some kind of trouble?"

Yeah, why?

Did she encounter any difficulties?

of course not.

Floro has never been particular about where he lives.

As long as the environment isn't particularly dirty, even if it's a cave, it doesn't matter.

Therefore, there was absolutely no need for her to make this somewhat impolite request to Duanmu Yan—but who told him to owe her?

Moreover, the debt is quite substantial.

Even if he has long forgotten the past, even if he has new attachments in his heart, so what?

Although the past has vanished like the wind, how can those memories be meaningless?

Floro's lips curled into a slight smile. Her gaze drifted leisurely over the exquisite perfume bottle beside her, and then she said in a subtle tone that carried a hint of playfulness and cunning, "Well... let's just say that."

Actually, Floro didn't initially have such plans.

Her goal has always been that stone slab; she wants to use Duanmu Yan to reach the sealed Sonora.

However, when the girl's gaze fell on the perfume bottle, the image of Koletta's arrogant demeanor towards her resurfaced in her mind, and that fleeting thought, like a spark, became firmly established in her heart.

Using a past that has been forcibly severed to destroy the bonds he now tightly maintains... don't you think that...?

Would this be interesting?

"That's easy to say." Upon hearing this, Duanmu Yan's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh dear, I thought it was something serious.

So what if we've encountered some difficulties?

If a problem can be solved with money, then it's not a problem.

"How about this, I'll pay for a room in Laguna for you. You can stay as long as you want, and I'll cover the rent. What do you say?"

Duanmu Yan was quite confident in his secret stash of money.

Not only did he receive the previous governor's bonus, but the second young lady also made occasional payments—in short, keeping Floro alive in Laguna was not a problem at all.

“That sounds like a very good offer.” Floro gently rubbed his slightly cool fingertips, his gaze towards Duanmu Yan becoming increasingly subtle. “But…”

At this point, the girl paused deliberately, then drew out her words slowly: "What if I insist on living here?"

Duanmu Yan: "..."

This woman...

What's going on today?

She's completely different from the Floro I remember.

Isn't she usually cold and aloof?

"This...isn't this inappropriate?" Duanmu Yan's expression was somewhat complicated.

"What's wrong with it?" Floro pressed.

"After all, it's not very convenient for the two of us, a man and a woman, to be alone in a room, isn't it?"

Floro replied matter-of-factly, "Really? I don't think so."

Although Floro looks like just a young girl, in reality...

She wasn't the kind of shy girl who would blush easily when teased.

not to mention……

She and he had already been "open and honest" with each other, so why should she care about these worldly rules and regulations?

However, this guy is now acting just as reserved as when we first met.

"But I don't know how to explain this to myself."

If the second young lady found out, wouldn't she be furious?

Although the second young lady is easy to talk to and easy to appease, and I am not particularly well-behaved outside, I still have to give her the respect she deserves, right?

This is like a cat that steals fish. It's one thing to have a taste of something new occasionally, but how can it act so recklessly in front of the real thing?

"Difficult to explain? Oh, you mean Koleta, right?" Floro stood up, ignoring Duanmu Yan's predicament, and began to wander around the room. "I heard you two are dating, right?"

Duanmu Yan nodded hurriedly: "That's why this is my biggest headache. I can't exactly let another woman live in my house behind my girlfriend's back, can I?"

"Heh." Floro gave a soft snort. "Now you're putting on this act of unwavering loyalty. When I saw you getting involved with that priest from the religious order, why didn't you think of your own second young lady?"

Duanmu Yan blushed: "...Phoebe and I are innocent."

Floro turned to look at his face and asked, "Don't you feel ashamed when you say that?"

"I'm already blushing," Duanmu Yan said, lowering his head in embarrassment.

"So, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to let me stay here for a while, right?"

As Floro spoke, she moved lightly toward the bedroom. Before she could even push open the door, a rather strange scent drifted into her nostrils through the crack in the door.

how to say?

It smells like photinia flowers.

Although the flavor had been diluted considerably, Floro still keenly detected it.

She paused slightly, then unconsciously bit her lower lip. But when she turned back to face Duanmu Yan, she quickly regained her calm and collected demeanor.

"In short, you won't refuse me, right?" Floro's tone was as light as a feather. "Don't forget, you still owe me a favor."

"..."

Duanmu Yan wanted to cry but had no tears.

He never expected that Floro would make such a demand.

What should I do?

Do you want to refuse?

But that's not a good idea.

After all, I really owe Floro a favor.

But if I agree, I won't know how to explain it to the second young lady.

Ah, forget it.

At worst, I'll let her stay here and move out, okay?

"I... okay, but I want to ask, why do you want to live with me? Is it because you're really facing difficulties, or is there some other reason?"