After being neighbors for over a decade, such fickleness was disheartening. They had politely accepted the outcome, and since then, contact between the two families had dwindled significantly.

"I understand. I was just being impatient," Mrs. Tang sighed, shifting her focus to Marcus. "And you? You worry about Cece, but why don't you worry about yourself? You're at such an age and don't even have a girlfriend."

Marcus’s hand paused, but he didn't respond.

Seeing her son ignore her, Mrs. Tang transferred her energy to Mr. Tang, who, like a silent gourd, let her scold him without uttering a word.

The family bickered and laughed, filling the small alleyway with warmth.

...

At the Shaw residence, the atmosphere at the table was stagnant.

Ethan Shaw acted as if he heard nothing, eating his meal with calm indifference.

He let the adults at the table scrutinize him as they pleased.

Finally, Mr. Shaw couldn't help but speak up: "Just how long are you going to be this stubborn? Are you waiting for your mother and me to die?"

Ethan frowned slightly and put down his chopsticks. "I already discussed this with you long ago. Didn't you say you had no objections then?"

The mention of it only made Mr. Shaw angrier. "That was a 'discussion'? That was a notification! I know our family owed that young girl, and you owe her a life."

"But she is gone! What exactly do you want? Her family won't take compensation, and our family does charity work every year. Are you going to spend the rest of your life atoning for her?"

Ethan’s eyes were pitch black, his entire demeanor unnervingly still. "Yes. I intend to spend my whole life atoning."

Mr. Shaw slammed his cup onto the floor. The shatter startled everyone at the table.

"You scoundrel! Do you have no sense of duty toward your family?"

"I am sitting here, listening to you and going to work as told. That is already enough," Ethan said flatly, as if long accustomed to such rebukes.

Without waiting for his father’s reaction, he stood up coldly and walked out.

He stepped outside, letting the cool wind blow away the irritation in his soul. Only then did his heart settle into its usual icy silence.

He knew his parents weren't truly to blame.

He just couldn't help it. Every day since losing her, he looked at everyone else as if they were enemies.

Every gust of wind and every drop of rain in this world felt tainted with guilt.

Since she left, everything in existence had become a culprit.

He couldn't even love himself anymore, let alone anything else.

Chapter 19

The flower shop sat at the end of Thirteenth Alley. Mrs. Tang had managed this shop for many years; it was her very first business.

As a decades-old establishment, it had an excellent reputation.

Early that morning, Mrs. Tang brought Clara to the shop. It was a moderately sized space, but the variety of flowers was rich.

The young girl who usually minded the shop saw her boss arrive and hurried to greet her. "Boss, how do you have time to come by today?"

Mrs. Tang smiled at the sweet-faced girl. "Chen, this is my daughter, Cece. She’ll be working here from now on."

Chen was taken aback for a moment but quickly smiled. "Understood, Boss."

Turning to Clara, she greeted her warmly: "Hello, Sister Cece. My name is Chen Cheng."

Clara hesitated for a second, a gentle smile lifting her lips. "Hello."

When her outstretched hand wasn't met with a handshake, Chen froze. It was only then she realized Clara’s eyes were sightless.

Before she could speak, Clara said first, "I’m sorry, I can't see. I might cause some trouble later on, so I’ll have to ask for your patience."

Listening to that gentle voice, Chen felt a pang of sadness. Why can't someone so beautiful see? she wondered with instinctive regret.

"It’s no problem at all, Sister Cece! If you need anything, just ask me." Chen was suddenly filled with a sense of responsibility, her tone turning enthusiastic.

Clara let out a small laugh at the girl's spirited reaction.

Seeing that Clara’s mood was no longer so gloomy, Mrs. Tang also felt a weight lift from her heart.

"Cece, I'll take you around to learn the locations of the flowers. Each type has a different spot and scent..."

Chen watched as Mrs. Tang led Clara back and forth through the shop several times. Although she felt great sympathy for Clara, she secretly doubted that Clara could actually help. After all, she was blind—arranging or trimming flowers would be inconvenient, let alone identifying nearly a hundred different species.

However, by mid-afternoon, Chen was completely stunned.

"Sister Cece, you really remembered all of them?"

"Yes. Feel free to test me," Clara said, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.

In disbelief, Chen asked, "Then where are the corn poppies?"

"Third shelf on the left, fourth one down."

Chen walked over skeptically and let out a cry of surprise. "It’s true!"

She continued to ask about several more types. When she came back out, her eyes were practically glowing as she looked at Clara. "You are truly amazing!"

"Sister Cece, how do you distinguish between so many types?"

"I studied medicine before. There was a lot to memorize, so I trained my memory. As for flowers, I used to go with my mom to restock when I was a kid. Some flowers can be used in medicine, and now I'm very sensitive to scents. Naturally, it’s still somewhat useful."

Chen was now thoroughly convinced.

The two worked together in the flower shop for over two months, gradually becoming close and developing a good rhythm.

Clara’s movements might have been a bit slow, but she rarely made mistakes.

With an extra pair of hands, Chen’s workload became much lighter.

During quiet moments, the two would chat.

"Sister Cece, what’s your favorite flower?" Chen asked, interrupting Clara as she sat in a daze.

"Flowers?" Clara hesitated for a long moment before speaking. "I like camellias."

"Why? I feel like camellias are... they just don't seem to match you, Sister Cece," Chen said, pursing her lips in confusion.

"Because the language of camellias is to move forward bravely, unafraid of hardships."

"I see," Chen nodded.

Then, with a teasing smile, she added, "I thought you liked it because of the meaning 'guarding our love.'"

"Camellias mean that?" Clara’s hand jerked back.

"Yes! That’s a very common meaning. I think most people who buy camellias are looking for that."

Chapter 20

Clara didn't respond further. Chen’s explanation sent a massive wave through her mind.

She had fallen in love with camellias on the first spring after her university graduation.

She couldn't remember what she and Ethan had fought about, but it was the first time they had ever mentioned breaking up.

In the middle of the night, to coax her, Ethan had run to countless shops until he brought back a bouquet of slightly wilted camellias.

Back then, Ethan’s face was a bit red; he was never one for romantic words.

He was the one who told her the flower's meaning, but he hadn't mentioned that particular phrase.

"Sister Cece, are you thinking of someone? You look so lost in thought," Chen’s teasing voice reached her ears.

Abu, at her side, instinctively nudged her. Clara reached out to pat Abu’s head and smiled softly. "I just thought of an old... friend."

"A 'friend' who gives camellias probably isn't just an ordinary one." Chen wisely chose not to pry further.

The calm lake of Clara’s heart couldn't help but ripple.

Even if she had found some closure, there was no denying that man had left such a vivid mark on her life that he seemed to be everywhere in her memories of the past.

The shop didn't close early today. When Clara left, the sunset bathed the alleyway. The walk was short.

It was only a few hundred meters to the small lane where she lived. Clara’s world remained pitch black.

Abu stood up nimbly and led Clara steadily forward.

The scents of various foods reached her nose, allowing Clara to distinguish roughly where she was.

This was how Summer Sheng unexpectedly encountered the Clara Tang who was supposed to be "deceased."

Summer was accompanying her mother-in-law to a tailor in this alley today. Normally, she would never have had a reason to come here.

The old streets held the memories of the older generation, but aside from the occasional visiting youth, locals rarely came here.

She was waiting outside the shop with nothing to do when she looked up and saw a familiar figure approaching from a distance.

Her face turned pale, and she cried out in shock: "Clara Tang!"

Perhaps because of the distance, Clara only vaguely heard a sound. She paused her steps, but there was no further call.

She instinctively assumed she was hallucinating and continued forward with Abu.