Beijing, one year later

Mei put the pen aside with which she had signed the contract the advocate had brought. Solemnly he flashed a smile at her and shook her hand to seal what she had already agreed on. She looked up to meet the encouraging gazes of her mother and grandmother then finally, Mei let out a relieved sigh, a bright smile forming on her lips.

Ever since last autumn, she had helped her grandmother in the flower shop, but not as a part-time worker on weekends anymore. She had accepted the job as a full-time employee since one of the few others quit due to her move to another town.

With that, Mei had taken a complete new path in her life.  

One year ago, there was a beautiful girl who spent her days in law classes and her nights studying. One year ago, Mei was living a life in which she had everything – a work, a secured future and a love. One year ago, Luhan had come into her life and crashed everything.

"Congratulations, you’re the official owner of this shop from now on,” the advocate said.

One year later, there was a beautiful young woman who spent her days with the work she loved the most and the nights alongside with her fiancée. One year later, Mei was still living a life in which she had everything - a work, a secured future and a love. One year later, she was happier, livlier, full of life.

Mei didn’t know whether it was coincidence or fate, but in the end it didn’t matter anymore. Whoever had sent Luhan into her life (Ren or god or fate) she couldn’t be more thankful towards them because Luhan had been everything she needed when she was struggling with a life in which she had everything, but with which she wasn’t fully pleased, which didn’t seem to make her content for a long time.

With Luhan’s help she had realized that it was okay to throw some plans away and map out new ones, to take a whole new path suddenly or just to be risky making spontaneous decisions. This even had a huge effect on her daily life. When Mei wanted to go out, she asked her fiancée to take her to the cinema. When Mei felt sick, she didn’t torture herself and stayed at home. When Mei was craving for another dinner, she delayed the one she had planned and went away to buy new groceries.

Mei didn’t need to be scared anymore as long as she had the love of her life staying beside her who would tell her that it was fine and who would always welcome her with open warm arms at the end of a tiresome day. There were still a few moments of doubts in her daily life, but then she would close her eyes, take a deep breath and overcome this barrier.

The advocate bid a farewell before he left the shop and immediately, Mei’s grandmother went over to pull her granddaughter in a warm embrace. “I am so proud of you,” she told her, cupping her face and kissing her forehead gently. “But that doesn’t mean I would let you lead the shop by yourself now! You still need to learn a lot! It’s just an assurance that, if something ever happens to me again…”

“It’s okay grandma.” Mei chuckled and hugged her back. “I didn’t want to take your position anyways. Yet!” She grinned slyly and turned around to her mother who welcomed her with the same proud embrace.

“Mei, I am seriously getting teary-eyed when I look back at the past year. You’ve grown and matured so much and I couldn’t be prouder of you. I am very sure that you’ll be doing a great job in the future and that you’ll be happy with the path you have chosen now.” The woman endearingly brushed over her daughter’s cheek. “Seeing with what a passion and love you’re working now really makes me happy. I’ve always known that being a lawyer wasn’t the right future for you. I just needed you to realize it by yourself… with the help of someone.”

And that someone was Luhan.

Without meeting Luhan, she would have never realized that she needed to lead her life in another direction. Without him, she would have never had the courage to change her planned future and live the good, blissful life that she was living now.

Maybe fate brought two people together when they needed each other the most. And maybe fate brought two people together just to separate them again.

“Yes, I’m glad I’ve met Luhan,” Mei answered sincerely and with a genuine smile, she turned around to the arrangements of marguerites and spider lilies she had prepared that morning. She took one bouquet from the table and examined it in her hands.

She had been working on them for hours since very early in the morning. Mei wanted them to be perfect. In the end, she had promised Luhan to choose them for him. With the tip of her fingers, she brushed over the white soft-skinned blossoms of the marguerites which gleamed glittery in the light. The spider lily was rising majestically from the middle of each bouquet, its red glowing like the aurora during dawn.

“Hey Mei,” Luhan said after a while, “What flowers do you recommend for a wedding?”

“Marguerites,” she answered immediately.

“Why so?”

“Because they mean true love.” She smiled. “I will choose them for you when you’re getting married.”

For the whole time, Mei probably had never really understood the deeper meaning of the flower’s symbol. She had understood the sad and complex meaning of the spider lily, but the significance of the white, simple flower had always been hidden from her until she could open her eyes fully at the end of last summer. The flower wasn’t very outstanding and neither was it very expressive in comparison to many others; it was very plain and simple, not very eye-catching - which was why she had probably underestimated the power of it and was blinded by its simple looks and its easy meaning.

Mei had comprehended the flower’s meaning after she and Luhan had separated.

“A part of me will always love you, Mei.”

After all, Mei had kept her promise. In the end, the flowers which meant true love would accompany the wedding. And in the end, Luhan was really getting married to his true love.

She turned around to her grandmother. “Are those all? Can they be delivered?”

“Wait a moment…” The elderly woman went over to the counter and looked through the list, checked the number and then counted the arrangements just to give her granddaughter a nod. “Yes, that’s all. I will bring them to the delivery car. Is there anything else you need to have there?”

“Let me see.” Mei approached her grandmother and looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse at the list she had written. After all, there still were some things she needed to have control over, but those were very few exceptions. “Yes, that’s it. Everything else is there already. Since the wedding is tomorrow, I wanted those bouquets to be new and fresh so that there will still be a lingering scent of the flowers.”

Proudly, her grandmother patted her back. “I think you’re already a very good junior manager for my shop. Is Luhan already at the church? I will send an employee to deliver it soon.”

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