C2 You Stay Here.

Time flew, and two days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Recently, Faang Ming had managed to get in touch with Orchid Bamboo, a well-known florist from Arrowguard City, to come to his hometown of Autumnhold to purchase flowers.

By noon that very day, a representative from Orchid Bamboo had arrived.

He was a middle-aged man, dressed impeccably, with an air of someone deeply knowledgeable about botany.

Stepping out of the car, the man briefly grumbled about the rural roads before cutting to the chase, eager to see the quality of the roses Faang Ming had cultivated.

Unperturbed, Faang Ming greeted him with a smile and opened up the flower shed.

A dazzling array of red and green flowers burst into view, leaving the middle-aged man speechless with astonishment.

Before him lay a field of roses in full, vibrant bloom, the lush petals and verdant leaves intertwining in a stunning display.

"I've never seen roses of such quality before!" he exclaimed, hardly able to believe his eyes.

Orchid Bamboo had been in business for many years, yet they had never encountered roses of such caliber.

"We'll take all of these roses," the middle-aged man declared, waving his hand with excitement. He then paused, realizing he hadn't introduced himself, and added somewhat sheepishly, "I'm Wang Sidao. And you are?"

"Faang Ming."

"Well, Mr. Ming, our shop is interested in purchasing all the roses from your field," Wang Sidao said, rubbing his hands together and beaming. "And we're looking to buy on a long-term basis."

"Of course, I won't shortchange you. Given the peak season and the exceptional quality of your roses, we can offer five yuan each..."

"Five yuan?" Faang Ming's lips quirked into a half-smile. Was this man under the impression he was naive to the market? He held up a finger and stated flatly, "15 yuan per bouquet, not a cent less."

In the current market, even wholesale ordinary roses fetched three yuan each, and florists could sell them for an average of over ten yuan after packaging, let alone the premium blooms Wang Sidao referred to.

The affluent don't seek ordinary street-side roses for gifts. Whether it's a bouquet of 24 or 99 roses, the price per stem can soar to several dozen yuan.

"15 yuan per bouquet!?" Wang Sidao's eyes bulged, as if he'd heard something unbelievable, and he stood there, dumbfounded.

He had paid such prices before for flowers cultivated in professional greenhouses with extensive labor and high costs. Yet here was Faang Ming, with just an acre of land and seemingly working alone, demanding 15 yuan per bouquet.

"Yes, 15 yuan per bouquet," Faang Ming reiterated calmly. "As you've mentioned, you're looking for high-quality roses. The ones from my field are far superior to the rest, making them perfect for upscale arrangements."

"But you only have one acre. Even with excellent care, you can only produce five hundred roses at a time, right?" Wang Sidao pressed, his tone edged with frustration.

Faang Ming's small scale was a disadvantage, but it wasn't insurmountable.

"Don't worry about the quantity. I can supply over two thousand roses a month," Faang Ming assured him, his composure unshaken.

"Really?" Wang Sidao's interest was piqued. If true, it would indeed be worthwhile to forge a partnership.

"Yes."

Wang Sidao hesitated for a moment before he finally gritted his teeth and made a decisive gesture. "Alright! I'll accept that price!"

A quick mental calculation revealed that if Faang Ming could indeed produce two thousand roses a month at fifteen yuan each, he would be raking in 30,000 yuan in just one month!

And the cost for him was laughably low!

"We've got a deal, then. You have to guarantee at least two thousand roses each month, okay?" Wang Sidao expressed his concern.

It wasn't that he was distrustful; the place just seemed too small to yield two thousand roses in a month.

But Faang Ming, the man at the center of it all, wasn't worried in the slightest.

He had a good reason for his confidence: the mysterious Spiritual Energy Dimension was his ace in the hole.

Over the past few months, he had conducted numerous experiments with the Spiritual Energy Dimension, discovering that the Spiritual Water within it had an incredible effect on plant growth.

With this water, freshly harvested roses could regrow at an astonishing rate, with a harvest cycle of about a week.

That's why Faang Ming could boldly claim he could produce two thousand roses a month from just one acre of land.

Once the contract was signed, a tidy sum of 7500 yuan landed in Faang Ming's account.

"Phew, two months of hard work all for this moment," Faang Ming beamed with pride. In a mere two months, he had gone from zero to a monthly income of 30,000 yuan, a feat that would make anyone green with envy.

His moment of joy was interrupted by the ring of his phone.

Chu Ning'er was calling?

"Hello? Ning'er, what's going on?" Faang Ming answered, but there was only silence and faint sobbing on the other end.

"Ning'er, what's happened?" he asked, a surge of worry rushing through him. Without hesitation, he bolted out the door and headed straight for Chu Ning'er's place.

"Wuwu... Aunt Lee, she's been taken to the hospital," Chu Ning'er managed between sobs. Aunt Lee had been fine earlier, but while cleaning, she suddenly began to convulse as if she had epilepsy and quickly lost consciousness. Now she was in the hospital, and her condition was uncertain.

"Don't panic, I'm on my way to you right now!" Faang Ming assured her, making quick strides to Chu Ning'er's home.

Her house stood on the outskirts of town, a villa-style home that was unique and luxurious in Autumnhold.

After a short wait, Chu Ning'er, with eyes red from crying, appeared before Faang Ming.

He breathed a sigh of relief; she was safe. His biggest fear was that she might do something reckless and hurt herself in her distress.

Inside the house, Chu Ning'er still looked forlorn. "Faang Ming, do you think I'm cursed? It seems like anyone close to me ends up getting hurt."

"Silly Ning'er..." Faang Ming felt a pang of empathy, gently patting her back to comfort her. "Aunt Lee will be okay, and so will you."

It took some time, but eventually, Chu Ning'er's emotions began to settle.

Then, a rumble from her stomach broke the silence, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had only had breakfast that day, and in the chaos of getting Aunt Lee to the hospital, she hadn't remembered to eat anything since noon.

Glancing outside at the evening sky, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. Dinner time had come and gone; it was now 7:30 PM.

With a slight smile, Faang Ming stood and made his way to the kitchen. "Ning'er, let me cook for you."

"You can cook?" Chu Ning'er asked, surprised.

"Of course," Faang Ming replied with a wry smile. "What do you think I've been doing to survive on my own these past two months?"

As they talked, he had already navigated Chu Ning'er's kitchen with ease, gathering various pots and pans to start preparing the meal.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Faang Ming knew exactly what he wanted to make. He gathered cabbage, potatoes, and meat, washed them, and began the cooking process.

Taking advantage of a moment when Chu Ning'er was distracted, he even slipped into the Spiritual Space to retrieve some Spiritual Water for the cooking.

"Faang Ming, are you sure you know how to cook?" Chu Ning'er approached, her voice laced with skepticism. The quiet had led her to believe that Faang Ming was just putting on a brave front.

Startled, Faang Ming had just emerged from the Spiritual Space, relieved that Chu Ning'er hadn't caught on, unsure of how he would have explained it.

"Humph, just get ready for a feast," he replied, brushing off the encounter as he got to work.

His knife skills were a sight to behold, swiftly and neatly chopping a heap of vegetables and meat. It was clear from his deft movements that Faang Ming was no stranger to the kitchen.

After a busy half-hour, Faang Ming exhaled a long sigh of relief, his cooking complete.

Chu Ning'er couldn't hide her amazement as he served the dishes. "I had no idea you were such a good cook! Mmm... it smells delicious!"

"Naturally!" Faang Ming boasted with a grin, gesturing to the dishes. "Here we have Dragon Slash, Pearl White Soup, and Flowing Flower Sword."

Chu Ning'er couldn't suppress a laugh. "Dragon Slash? It's just braised pork, cabbage soup, and stir-fried green peppers with shredded potatoes."

Faang Ming just chuckled in response, choosing not to contest her descriptions.

The meal was exceptionally heartwarming. Faang Ming could sense Chu Ning'er's uplifted spirits, while she basked in a newfound sense of security. Being kind-hearted and vulnerable, Chu Ning'er was easily wounded and craved the comfort of others.

After dinner, they settled in to watch some TV and chatted away the evening. Before they knew it, the clock struck 10:30 PM.

"I should head back," Faang Ming said, glancing at the time and rising to his feet.

"Okay, sure..." Chu Ning'er's voice trailed off, a hint of disappointment in her tone. Her reserve kept her from asking Faang Ming to stay.

But as if fate had other plans, the sky abruptly unleashed a torrential downpour, accompanied by the rumble of thunder. The sudden storm caught them off guard.

"Why the sudden downpour?" Faang Ming was taken aback. He knew it was the season for heavy rains, but the timing was uncanny.

Opening the door, he was met with a barrage of rain, prompting him to quickly shut it again. The weather was fierce; the wind howled, and within minutes, the streets were drenched.

"With the rain coming down like this, you should stay," Chu Ning'er suggested, her cheeks flushed and her voice soft.

Faang Ming, meeting her bashful gaze, agreed with a simple, "Okay."

...

Once a room was prepared for Faang Ming, they exchanged goodnights. Each retreated to their own room, lost in their thoughts.

Surrounded by an unfamiliar setting, Faang Ming was torn between laughter and tears. He hadn't anticipated mysteriously ending up at Chu Ning'er's place, and the thought of rumors swirling if word got out was unavoidable.

"I need to head back first thing tomorrow morning..." he whispered, succumbing to sleep soon after.

But before long, a startling clap of thunder jolted him awake. Groggily, Faang Ming realized there was a weight on him, and his eyes fluttered open to find Chu Ning'er, drowsy beside him.

"Ning'er?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "What brought you here?"

Huddled close, clutching the blanket, Chu Ning'er's voice shook as she confessed, "I... I'm scared of the thunder."

Another boom rattled the room, making her shiver uncontrollably.

With a pang of sympathy, Faang Ming stroked her silky hair and reassured her, "There's nothing to worry about."

"Could I... sleep next to you?" Chu Ning'er's voice was barely above a whisper, and in case he got the wrong idea, she quickly added, "You take the floor, I'll stay on the bed."

Faang Ming wouldn't turn down such a modest request. He nodded, swiftly setting up a makeshift bed on the floor and giving up the bed to Chu Ning'er.

Yet, her fear lingered. With cheeks flushed, she mustered a tiny voice, "Faang Ming... come up and sleep here."