Chapter 12: A Gift From the Ninth Master

"Who upset you?" he asked.

Yun Manxia gave him a resentful look. "...No one."

Watching her walk away, Bai Hedu hesitated for a long moment before asking Lin Shen beside him, "Why is the Madam

unhappy?"

Lin Shen was mildly taken aback. The Ninth Master was actually capable of caring about someone? But how would he know?

He wasn't a husband himself!

He thought this, but didn't dare say it aloud.

"Sometimes you don't need to know why she's upset. You just need to make her happy again," he said, pretending to be

experienced.

Bai Hedu thought it over and found it somewhat reasonable. "How?"

Lin Shen racked his brains, then suddenly remembered something-

"The Madam is a student at University A, isn't she? Didn't University A say they wanted to send you flowers recently?

Just give them to her!"

The century-old University A boasted a famously breathtaking sea of roses that drew visitors from far and wide every

summer when they were in full bloom. Among them were a small number of rare cultivars bred in-house, whose stems would

be cut and presented as gifts.

Of course, not just anyone could receive such a gift. The quantity was so limited that recipients were either

distinguished alumni or outstanding students, making it a mark of great honor to be sent one.

University A had been trying to court the Ninth Master for a while, hoping to invite him to attend one of their events.

He'd had no interest, so Lin Shen had been handling the matter.

Just yesterday, he'd received a call from them, asking with the utmost deference which variety the Ninth Master

preferred-while everyone else got a blind box, taking whatever they were given, the Ninth Master got to handpick his

own.

But a bouquet that was an honor to anyone else meant nothing to Bai Hedu. Lin Shen hadn't given it much thought either,

casually telling them the Ninth Master wasn't interested.

"The Madam is a student at University A too, so she'd probably love to have these flowers. If you quietly gave them to

her, Ninth Master, she'd be so surprised."

Bai Hedu considered for a moment, then nodded. "Arrange it."

Lin Shen acknowledged the order and immediately called University A.

Receiving the call out of the blue, the university side was thrilled. "Please rest assured-if the Ninth Master likes

them, it's our honor! We'll send them over right away!"

Yun Manxia had no idea that Bai Hedu was secretly preparing a surprise to cheer her up. She was busy taking a call from

her stepmother, Xia Lian.

Next week was Xia Lian's birthday, and she was throwing a birthday banquet. She'd called specifically to invite Yun

Manxia, while probing at the same time: "I wonder if the Ninth Master might have time then?"

Yun Manxia almost laughed out loud.

What standing did Bai Hedu have? How many powerful figures in all of Yangcheng couldn't even get him to attend their

events? What made Xia Lian think she could?

"The Ninth Master probably won't be going," she said directly.

Xia Lian: "Why? Didn't you talk to him properly? I know our Yun family might not be quite worthy of inviting the Ninth

Master, but things are different now..."

"I did tell him," Yun Manxia said. "The Ninth Master said if it were my own mother's birthday, he'd definitely go. But

the thing is, Auntie, you're not her."

At the Yun family home, the smile froze on Xia Lian's face.

After hanging up, her expression darkened instantly, feeling as though someone had jabbed a sharp stick straight into

her lungs. But she couldn't be certain whether Yun Manxia had done it on purpose.

The old Yun Manxia-the fool she'd raised-would never have spoken like that. But things were different now. Whether it

was her imagination or not, ever since that wretched girl had married into Imperial Garden Villa, she'd changed!

At Imperial Garden Villa.

Looking at the ended call on her screen, Yun Manxia gave a cold, mocking smile.

Meanwhile, not far away in the guest room...

Wu Xiaoya was active in the University A freshman group chat, swimming like a fish in water.

She went to the window, snapped a photo of the garden outside, and posted it to the group.

[Yaya: The sun is so brutal out there, I don't even want to go outside.]

Everything in the frame was rare and expensive flora, clearly maintained with meticulous care. And looking at the sheer

size, layout, and facilities of the garden, anyone with eyes could tell that Wu Xiaoya's "home" was anything but

ordinary.

A wave of admiration erupted immediately.

[Guoguo'er: Wow, Xiaoya, your garden is gorgeous! Where is this? Can we come visit sometime?]

Seeing the screen fill with envious, flattering messages, Wu Xiaoya was on cloud nine.

It was a good while before the fawning died down and someone brought up another topic.

[Liuyun: The school's annual flower gifting has started again! A senior I know received one, I'm so jealous! With my

grades, I'll probably never get one in my lifetime!]

[Sui: It's not just about grades. If your family has connections and power, you can find a way to get one. A freshman

already received one.]

[Guoguo'er: Wait, really? @Yaya Xiaoya, did you get one? If you did, could you spare me a stem? Pretty please~]

Wu Xiaoya didn't respond right away. She tossed her phone aside, then picked it back up. She was about to type something

dismissive about how a mere bouquet of flowers was nothing when her home had everything-the maid Xiaomei came running to

knock on her door.

"Xiaoya! University A delivered some flowers! Are they for you?!"

Wu Xiaoya's heart leaped. Her eyes lit up and she shot to her feet. "Where?"

She rushed downstairs, and sure enough, someone had delivered flowers. But they hadn't mentioned Wu Xiaoya's name.

Instead, the delivery person said, "Hope the Ninth Master likes them."

"The Ninth Master ordered these?" she asked.

The delivery person nodded. "Yes."

Xiaomei was beside herself with excitement. She elbowed Wu Xiaoya and whispered, "The Ninth Master must have had them

sent specially for you! You're the only one here connected to University A!"

Wu Xiaoya's heart was racing.

Xiaomei added, "When you got into University A, the Ninth Master said he'd give you a reward, but then that woman stole

your room. These must be his way of making it up to you!"

Wu Xiaoya felt a rush of sweetness inside. She reached out her hand. "The Ninth Master is out. Give me the flowers."

The delivery person left. The surrounding maids all chimed in with cheerful flattery:

"The Ninth Master still has Xiaoya in his heart, see? He found a way to cheer you up!"

"Exactly! He didn't even send any to the Madam-they're just for you. Isn't the Ninth Master's meaning obvious enough?"

Someone was even more blunt in her fawning: "I'd say it's only a matter of time before Xiaoya becomes our new Madam!"

Wu Xiaoya blushed, simultaneously pleased and shy. She lifted her chin. "Alright, enough. Go back to work, all of you."

She cradled the bouquet to her chest and bounded upstairs.

Back in her room, she immediately took photos from several angles and dumped them all into the group chat.

[Yaya: Got my flowers~]

[Liuyun: Holy shit, that huge?! That's three times what the senior got! And am I seeing this right-those are all the

rarest variety?!]

[Guoguo'er: Aaaaaah Xiaoya I want one! Can you spare me a single stem? Please!!]

Wu Xiaoya didn't know anything about these things, but seeing everyone so worked up and envious, her lips curled high.

[Yaya: Wait, mine are different from everyone else's? I had no idea.]

Basking in the adoration, the request from Guoguo'er for a single stem wasn't something she refused-she agreed

magnanimously.

At that very moment, Yun Manxia received a phone call from Bai Hedu.

"Did you get the gift?"