Part 2
“So it was you. The one who used the process of elimination to guess the name lavender.”
Zhu Ran naturally remembered that ID.
Ye Zhao’s face flushed red, and the ears on his head twitched restlessly before coming to a stop.
“I used my own skills to guess it.”
Zhu Ran smiled gently. “Yes, of course.”
Zhu Ran’s aura was mild, radiating a calm identical to natural plants, which Ye Zhao liked very much.
Furthermore, Ye Zhao had specifically used his demi-human form for the meeting, and Zhu Ran didn’t seem to mind at all.
Many in the interstellar era were biased against those with beast-transformation abilities, thinking they were less than human. Ye Zhao refused to work with such people.
The last of Ye Zhao’s reservations vanished after meeting Zhu Ran.
“This is the proposal.”
Ye Zhao showed the collaboration proposal and his own portfolio to Zhu Ran.
Zhu Ran looked at the portfolio first; it was indeed impressive.
Ye Zhao had debuted as the landslide top pick in a survival show. After the temporary group disbanded, his solo album had reached the top 10 for the year, and his acting in his first film had been well-received. He had very few scandals or negative news, and his public image was excellent.
Zhu Ran then reviewed the proposal.
Ye Zhao’s team wanted Zhuying Anxiang to coordinate with the album release by providing “Red Rose” themed products—about 5 to 10 items—to be used as gifts for fans.
The team also hoped Zhu Ran could provide natural plant support for the music video filming and the press conference.
In exchange, Ye Zhao would explicitly credit Zhuying Anxiang during the promotion, giving the shop massive exposure.
There had been another clause in the contract stating that for the first week of the album release, half of the revenue from Zhuying Anxiang’s rose products would go to Ye Zhao’s team.
But Ye Zhao had deleted that part himself.
Zhu Ran thought for a moment. “I can provide the 10 pots of roses for the fans. But as for the roses for the music video, I might not be able to provide too many.”
Ye Zhao: “The video will be filmed in the virtual world, so we don’t need the physical items, just your authorization for the holographic projections. But we might need a few pots for the press conference to coordinate with the promotion.”
Zhu Ran’s expression was calm. “How many?”
Zhu Ran hadn’t forgotten that Ye Zhao was the one who had once said he wanted to “pre-order 50 pots”.
“5…”
The word “50” almost escaped his mouth, but seeing Zhu Ran’s half-smiling expression, Ye Zhao changed his answer to: “10 pots, and one bottle of rose oil.”
The two of them finalized the details and signed the contract.
Before saying goodbye, Ye Zhao gave Zhu Ran a string of numbers. “This is my private Starcom ID; find me if you need anything.”
“The one I gave you before on Xinggou was my assistant’s.”
Zhu Ran watched the twitching ears and bright, slitted pupils, his gaze eventually resting on the tail.
He nodded. “Alright.”
The meeting with Ye Zhao had gone smoothly. Zhu Ran could tell that Ye Zhao truly loved his natural plants, even using them as inspiration for his title track.
Knowing that more people were growing to love natural plants brought Zhu Ran a sense of joy as well.
From the early days of blindly selling freesias to now collaborating with the painter Yan You and celebrities like Ye Zhao, natural plants were indeed slowly taking root in the galaxy.
Perhaps one day, natural plants really would become household greenery for everyone in the interstellar era.
Zhu Ran teleported to Central District 19 to take a stroll.
In contrast to the silence of District 19 the first time he’d visited, it was now brightly lit and bustling with people.
The shops in District 19 were no longer acting aloof and capricious; they had hired staff to work five days a week, so the street remained vibrant at night.
“That painting is so beautiful! They say it was done by a student from Wenduerier Arts University and costs only 50,000; let’s go look!”
“Is this a work from the apprentice of the fashion designer Walan? It’s so stylish.”
“Zhuying Anxiang is just ahead, let’s go take photos! The decor there is unlike anything else in the galaxy; I love it.”
…
People around him were chatting in small groups, making the street feel full of life.
Zhu Ran walked alone, soaking in the bustle.
The crowds were thick, yet Zhu Ran felt a sense of detached isolation.
When he arrived at his own shop, he saw a tall figure leaning against a lamppost.
Brown hair, blue eyes, a calm and cold aura.
It was Z’s image in the virtual world.
As if sensing something, Z—who had been looking at his optical computer—looked up and spotted Zhu Ran immediately in the crowd.
Z walked over to him and stopped. “You’re here. Want to go for a walk together?”
Zhu Ran tilted his head, looking confused. “A walk? Us?”
Why had Z suddenly appeared here, and why was he suddenly asking him to go for a walk?
Z explained, “I’ve been busy lately and didn’t have time to be your assistant. I’m free now, so I’ll walk with you as compensation.”
“So you… waited at the shop door? Why didn’t you message me?”
The lights cast a warm glow over Z’s profile, softening his aura.
“I wanted to surprise you; it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you beforehand.”
Zhu Ran smiled softly, his green eyes shimmering. “It really is a surprise.”
He hadn’t expected Z to wait for him, nor that Z would come to meet him.
The scene made him think of the day he had emerged from Mu Qingzhou’s hotel and found Z waiting for him outside.
It was a surprise, but it also felt very warm.
Zhu Ran loved the feeling of having someone waiting for him.
Z invited him again, “So, want to go for a walk?”
Zhu Ran accepted happily. “Sure!”
The two walked side-by-side through the streets of Central District 19.
The night lights were brilliant, and the moonlight and starlight mirrored each other, creating a magnificent and beautiful tapestry of the night.
Z took Zhu Ran to many places. Zhu Ran followed Z the whole way without having to think, feeling completely relaxed.
They watched short films, played holographic games, used claw machines, and even visited a small zoo.
Zhu Ran’s affinity seemed to extend beyond plants to animals as well.
The moment they entered the zoo, all sorts of small animals began climbing onto Zhu Ran, covering his legs, shoulders, and the top of his head.
This scene made Z’s expression turn increasingly cold; his unconscious release of pressure terrified the small animals, making them burrow even deeper into Zhu Ran.
Z left the zoo with a dark expression and went to buy a holographic fruit slushie for Zhu Ran.
Z leaned against a railing, hands at his sides, his posture relaxed.
This made his shoulders look even broader and his legs even longer.
Quite a few passersby took a second look at Z.
Zhu Ran stood in front of Z almost imperceptibly, blocking some of those gazes.
Z didn’t seem to notice. “Are you having fun?”
Zhu Ran nodded. “I am.”
Walking with Z had been the most relaxing day Zhu Ran had experienced since coming to the interstellar era.
Z looked down at Zhu Ran’s upturned eyes and mouth; the other was clearly in a good mood.
As he watched Zhu Ran, Z’s own unhappiness vanished.
He took the spoon Zhu Ran was using for the slushie, took a bite himself, and frowned. “So sour…”
Then Z set the spoon down, and once the sourness had faded, he suggested, “Let’s do this again sometime? Whenever we’re both free.”
Zhu Ran looked at the spoon Z had just used, his gaze flickering.
Even though this was a virtual world, sharing a spoon with someone else was far too ambiguous.
Z… did that on purpose, right?
Zhu Ran picked up the spoon and slowly poked at the ice, making a crunching sound.
The pale orange juice splashed, mixing with the clear ice until they were one.
Zhu Ran set the slushie aside and didn’t eat any more.
Z’s expression stiffened at the action.
But Zhu Ran’s next answer brought spring back to Z’s heart.
Zhu Ran nodded. “Okay. When we’re free, let’s walk together.”
The night sky was deep, and fireworks exploded in Z’s heart.
The next day, Ye Zhao used his social media account to announce the release of the new single and the concept behind it.
[Ye Zhao: 2nd Single “Red Rose”, available at midnight on February 14th.]
[The title track “Red Rose” was inspired by the red roses cultivated by the Zhuying Anxiang shop. They are as vivid as fire, the stems are tough, yet they are covered in thorns. From the first moment I saw them, I was…]
The accompanying photo showed Ye Zhao in a studded leather jacket and “injury” makeup, bowing his head to kiss a red rose.
The pale moonlight shone over the man and the flower; he looked fragile yet resilient.
Comments:
[Big brother’s eyes are like the moon and his voice is like a spring; he has me totally mesmerized.]
[Looking forward to the new song; I love red roses too, my taste is the same as his~]
[I want to be your red rose.]
[I want to be Ye Zhao’s red rose…]
…
Within minutes, hashtags like #Ye Zhao Red Rose# and #Become Ye Zhao’s Red Rose# topped the trending lists.
As the shop selling those roses, Zhuying Anxiang was flooded with massive traffic.
Fans who had just come to buy the same flower as their idol were immediately captivated by the shop’s unique atmosphere.
The garden-like scenery, the refreshing scent, the vast array of precious plants… and they were told this was just an online shop?
It’s too beautiful!
Are online shops this competitive now?
Not only was the shop beautiful, but those fans who had come for the roses found that the flowers were impossible to buy; they were all sold out.
“Where are the roses? Why are they sold out? I want a red rose.”
“Look, look! Is that a red rose garden in the mini-eco-zone? It’s so beautiful, even better than in the promo photo.”
“There’s red rose tea for 10 Star Coins a cup on the floor above; go try it, sisters!”
…
Ten Star Coins was a pittance, so nearly every fan of Ye Zhao bought a cup.
The dried red rose bloomed in the hot water, staining the transparent liquid a pale pink and releasing a rich fragrance.
Fans who tasted the tea were full of praise.
“You can drink natural plants? This is eye-opening.”
“The taste is so unique; it smells sweet, but it’s fresh and slightly bitter when you drink it.”
“This shop isn’t lacking traffic at all; everything is sold out. Ye Zhao really is just sharing things he likes; he’s so approachable. I’m a fan for another 100 years!”
…
Just as the red roses were going viral because of Ye Zhao, the first batch of customers had already received their rose products.
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