After an all-night quarrel, Lin Chu finally succumbed to sleep in the early morning, worn out from the arguments.
Yet Yun Yuwan was full of energy.
Her insomnia occurred too frequently; she simply could not fall asleep and had ordered fresh-cut flowers from various florists.
The servants carried the flowers up, filling an entire room with them.
The flowers she ordered were from the top ten brands on the local florist rankings.
She ordered the most azaleas.
She found that none of the shops used Belgium azaleas.
They all delivered other types, like Gao Yue azaleas, alpine azaleas, sparrow-tongue azaleas, and peach-plum brocade azaleas.
But Belgium azaleas bloom three times a year, with low costs and high returns, vibrant and abundant colors, and large double-petaled flowers that have unique advantages unmatched by other azaleas.
If one were running a business, having access to Belgium azaleas could be a significant advantage.
The other flowers also differed from those in Belgium.
Belgium's floriculture industry is well-developed, with frequent local exhibitions of flowers and floristry, numerous master florists, and an abundance of floristry brands.
That was the reason she stayed there.
Belgium's capital holds a Flower Carpet festival every other year at Brussels' Grand Place, which Victor Hugo praised as "the world's most beautiful square," creating a carpet of flowers using millions of blossoms and inviting artists to jointly design it.
She took part in the last Flower Carpet festival.
The carpet of flowers and the surrounding Gothic architecture complemented each other, attracting media from all over the world to the heart of Europe to capture this luxuriant scene.
That was Brussels in full bloom.
Belgium's flower beer is also a unique feature, making the country a hub for flourishing floristry.
Yuwan got to know many florists and artists there and even tried collaborating to open flagship floristry stores. Her three partners managed the business aspects, while she mostly handled quality control and creativity, maintaining the brand's style.
She had planned to expand to the domestic market in two years, but her sudden return home expedited the schedule.
She feared missing this chance and falling behind Wen Yangzhi.
The next morning, when the family got up, they found that the fresh flowers placed all around the house had been transformed.
On the dining room island stood an elegant celadon long-necked vase, holding two gnarled pomegranate branches of varying lengths, skillfully balanced, extending with an ancient charm. A tiny pomegranate fruit hanging from the higher branch slightly bent its tip, and below, a clump of Orchid Grass; the main flower, a flawless, white narcissus, was harmonious with its dark green, deep brown, and light white colors.
At the entrance to the study, a brass vessel with double ears held camellias, wintersweet, and bamboo leaves unified in scholarly refinement.
In the living room, Chinese tallow trees and sunken wood unfolded, with Firework Chrysanthemum falling among them, arranged with a perfect degree of density.
Aside from everyone's rooms, each spot in the house that showcased seasonal fresh flowers had been changed.
The sense of space was captured perfectly; each flower arrangement seemed like a painting.
The harmony of color schemes, the control of floral mass, the style coordination with the vases, the suitability for each setting, and the pruning of florals were not skills one could learn in a short time.
Even one extra leaf or one less could disrupt the effect.
The aesthetic of an excellent florist is almost impossible to replicate.
Chinese flower arrangements are completely different from Western ones, with the former being more challenging as it necessitates a restraint in elegance and a relaxation in form, as well as a cultural depth—not a clustered opulence like in Western styles. Just the concept of negative space alone is enough to keep a novice florist busy for a long time.
Before all this, one must cultivate a very high level of aesthetic.
It's closer to painting a landscape than merely arranging flowers.
It's not just about inserting pretty flowers into a beautiful vase.
Wen Wei had arranged for Mr. and Mrs. Chen from Chen's Real Estate to visit, as negotiations between the two companies had been at a standstill.
Chen's Real Estate had won a bid for a plot of land; logically, they should choose a bank to mortgage a loan from, get the funds for building commercial housing, sell it to the public after completion, and recover the loan and profits.
It was clear to the naked eye that this piece of land held high development potential, surrounded by a hospital, a subway, and shopping centers—it was an assured profitable business that any bank wouldn't want to miss, offering low risk, high rates of return, and short cycles.
The issue was that Chen's Real Estate preferred to take out a loan with the Commercial Bank.
Although Wen Wei had suffered a serious illness two years prior and couldn't overwork himself, forcing him to step back and hand over control to his only son, he was still working his private connections on business like this.
Zhao Qin and Mrs. Chen had been unable to come to an agreement despite several meetings.
The conversation went on for quite a while, but still, no consensus was reached.
However, Mrs. Chen's gaze suddenly fell upon the flower arrangement on the table.
Zhao Qin was just about to speak.
Mrs. Chen suddenly said, "Which florist did your family hire? This arrangement is really top-notch."
Wen Wei didn't know either, and looked towards Zhao Qin, "This is..."
Zhao Qin knew even less. Normally, the servants simply bought flowers and placed them around the house; they had never arranged them like this before.
She looked at Uncle Deng.
Standing by the side, Uncle Deng immediately reminded her in a low voice, "The young miss did it herself for fun."
Realizing the breakthrough, Zhao Qin quickly issued an order, "Go call Yuwan down."
She turned her head to Mrs. Chen with a smile, "It was little Yuwan who did it casually for fun. It's not usually like this at home, it's probably just her playful nature as a child."
Mrs. Chen couldn't stop praising, "This doesn't look like something done casually for fun. I hired a Chinese-style florist a couple of days ago, and their work didn't possess such a strong sense of balance."
A good florist is just as rare as a good housekeeper, nanny, stylist, or perfumer, and hard to come by.
Moreover, florists are different from the rest.
On the surface, florists might seem like they are working for them, but in reality, they are artists.
It takes three visits to a thatched cottage to persuade a floristry artist to come and arrange flowers for a gathering, and these artists usually don't care about money, making it very difficult to hire them.
Without adequate allure, how can one attract guests to their home for a visit? Not to mention creating any meaningful connections through a flower arrangement event.
Zhao Qin could hardly contain her smile.
Yun Yuwan had just fallen asleep when someone woke her up. The servants hurriedly combed her hair and changed her clothes; she was still drowsy when she was ushered into the downstairs drawing room.
She noticed there were strangers present.
Zhao Qin had never smiled so pleasantly before, "Yuwan, greet the uncle and auntie."
Yun Yuwan braced herself, struggling to open her eyes, "Hello uncle, hello auntie."
Mrs. Chen's eyes lit up even more. She suddenly asked, "How old is Yuwan this year?"
Zhao Qin smiled, "She's twenty-three. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of the Arts London and spent two years in Belgium for her master's degree. She has just returned."
Mrs. Chen, who had always been distant to others, suddenly smiled, "What a coincidence. Our Duogui is just one year older than her."
Wen Wei nearly crushed the cigar in his hand.
The son of the Chen family...
Zhao Qin also instantly understood Mrs. Chen's implication.
To secure such a cooperation, but to throw in her daughter as well, what a joke!
Mrs. Chen deliberately mentioned, "We're hosting a charity banquet in a few days. If Yuwan has the time, she might as well come for fun."
Yun Yuwan looked at Zhao Qin, who nodded.
Unaware of the danger, Yun Yuwan smiled sweetly, her eyes curving up, "Okay."
Mrs. Chen's impression of her grew even better – so graceful and well-mannered, on top of being lovely.
Zhao Qin immediately said, "You should go back to rest now, we adults still have things to discuss."
Yun Yuwan, who was already sleepy, bid them a proper goodbye and went back to her room to sleep. She had no idea what they talked about afterwards.
The next day, Zhao Qin picked out a new dress for her, telling her to just enjoy the banquet without needing to please anyone specifically.
She was listless until Zhao Qin mentioned, "Your brother will also be there."
Yun Yuwan suddenly woke up.
Wen Yangzhi was going to be there.
Perfect, he didn't often come home, and this was a rare opportunity to flirt with her brother.