After Mu Chenyan had finished her dinner downstairs, she went to rest in the little garden on the third floor again.

Yuan Xuan’s had a unique eye for aestethics, the layout of the little garden was personally designed by himself.

From the chaise lounge to the tea table, and from the plant species to their shapes, all these were reflected his meticulous mind.

Due to the wooden structure of the small building, anti-rotting and moisture proofing were the primary concerns. Having so many plants here and this being a completely open-air balcony would naturally cause mildew to grow. Moreover, ordinary soil was too heavy, and the floor of this small building may not be able to bear the weight.

Hence, Yuan Xuan imported a lot of special nutritive soil from Japan.

This kind of soil had a very low density, and its polymer-based composite easily and did not require any watering. Just the polymerization of the little moisture in the air would be sufficient to supply water to most of the plants.

This not only satisfied the requirement of anti-rotting but also enabled the plants to get the water they need!

When she was 15, Chenyan’s uncle went for an adventure overseas and brought back a type of nameless flower from the Brazilian rainforest!

Chenyan loved that plant and even named it Hope Bamboo Basket.

She had once read in an ancient book that in paradise, there was a type of peculiar flower which symbolized love, and its name was Hope Bamboo Basket!

Mu Chenyan knew that she would not be able to grow this type of delicate plant with her standard, and if she were to abandon it in the wild, it would become an invasive species!

What more, the flowers were bewitchingly beautiful when they bloomed and Chenyan could not bear to dispose of them!

She must find someone who could carefully care for this kind of plant!

Mu Chenyan felt that the one person who was competent enough to take on this role was none other but Yuan Xuan!

Hence, that plant was placed in the little hanging garden in the Yuan Family Mansion!

This type of stout plants perennially lived in the rainforest, and so its demand for water was relatively great. Yuan Xuan purposely visited the library for a few days to study about the plant and its habits and discovered that it could not be watered with ordinary tap water!

Hence, after Yuan Xuan planting it, he specially re-designed a brand new irrigation system for the small building.

The rooftop porch which extended a meter outward at the balcony was built using high-tech sun visor, creating a dark and airy pseudo-rainforest environment for the Hope Bamboo Basket.

A dozen of water pipes hung down from the sun visor, and if it rained, the rainwater would flow along the water pipes and be stored in the narrow channel which measured more than 30cm deep underneath the porch.

A self-priming device had been installed in the water channel, enabling the plants above to obtain sufficient rainwater.

If that incident did not happen and Mu Chenyan had married into the Yuan Family, the Hope Bamboo Basket would have been the flower that was a witness to their love!

…

Now was definitely not the season for the flowers to blossom!

Yuan Xuan had cultivated many more Hope Bamboo Baskets so that they were not just the lonesome few plants back then. One could envision that when the flowers blossomed, it would surely be a lively scene!

Mu Chenyan observed the changes in the garden of the small building. Two years was not a very long time, but before many things could be completed, time had fleeted by; neither was it a short time as it was more than enough to change a person’s temperament and sentiments…

When Yuan Xuan walked in, he immediately saw the woman staring at the plants on the first floor in a daze.

‘She must have suffered a great deal in that place. She had a little baby fat when she went in, but she’s now so thin!’

The once naive, talkative and cheerful girl was now taciturn and melancholy!

A thought flashed through Yuan Xuan’s mind, but it was quickly suppressed!

‘Before the time’s ripe, the less she knows the better!’

Mu Chenyan realized suddenly that there was someone behind, Yuan Xuan had been standing there for some time.

His gaze, which was fervid and candid, without any disguise of his purpose, caused Chenyan to tremble in fear.

She recalled his earlier words before he left for the upper court, to have her wait for him at night…

Recalling the bathroom scene between both of them earlier in the afternoon, she instantly blushed!

“It’s getting a little chilly at night. Why don’t you come inside?”

Perhaps it was because he sensed her nervousness, coupled with her bashful look that was simply alluring, Yuan Xuan deliberately lowered his pride and hoarsely asked, but his gaze never once averted…