Luo Jingyu briefly explained to Zhan Xi that the girl’s pressed flower technique actually belonged to a different school that was more popular in Europe.
After thinking for a while, he typed to Zhan Xi: [Barote]
Zhan Xi: “?”
She typed back: [Baroque?]
Luo Jingyu smacked his forehead, shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile, and signed sheepishly: [You’re right.]
Zhan Xi searched online and found that this pressed flower school had a strong Baroque style, favoring luxurious and grand artistic effects with strong visual impact. Their specialty was roses—all kinds of roses.
If comparing it to paintings, Luo Jingyu’s school was like traditional freehand ink painting, while that girl’s school was like vibrant Western oil painting.
Zhan Xi knew that the cultural and artistic industry encompassed many forms, with different artistic styles having various branches. Even such a niche craft as pressed flowers was the same. Different schools weren’t better or worse than each other; they just had different techniques and expressive styles.
Zhan Xi understood Luo Jingyu’s meaning—those flowers were beautiful, but he didn’t like them, which was why he chose to learn from Professor Xu Qingyan’s school and wouldn’t feel hostile toward others. Everyone earned their living with their own skills. At an exhibition like this, Luo Jingyu just needed to focus on doing his best.
After leaving the exhibition hall, Luo Jingyu and Zhan Xi went to eat first.
They had been busy from morning until night, both of them getting sweaty then dry, then sweaty again, looking quite disheveled.
Luo Jingyu felt very apologetic. Looking at Zhan Xi, who was usually a well-dressed white-collar worker at her company, now following him around in dirty t-shirt and casual pants without any makeup. Earlier while moving things, she had gotten a splinter in her hand but hadn’t complained, just put on a bandaid and kept working.
After sitting down in the small restaurant, Luo Jingyu took Zhan Xi’s hand and lifted the bandaid to look at her wound. It was quite deep and had bled a little when she got it. He looked up at her, and Zhan Xi smiled at him: “It’s fine, just a small cut. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Luo Jingyu thought for a long time before signing: [After the exhibition, I want to give you money.]
Zhan Xi was confused: “Huh?”
Luo Jingyu felt strange saying it himself, but he couldn’t let it go without saying something. His signs became increasingly gentle, like a weak tone: [Pay you a salary.]
“No need!” Zhan Xi covered her mouth, smiling so much her eyes narrowed. “Really, no need, Little Fish. Actually, I had a lot of fun this time and learned quite a bit. Let’s not be so particular about this. You covered all the exhibition expenses and you’ve had such big costs lately. I just spent some time helping, that’s all. If our roles were reversed and I asked for your help, would you ask me for a salary?”
Of course Luo Jingyu wouldn’t.
But Zhan Xi’s help wasn’t limited to just helping anymore—she had treated this as her own project. Without her, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
He was very troubled about this. Zhan Xi held his hand and said with a smile: “Little Fish, don’t think too much about it. Let’s focus on finishing the exhibition well first. This is a good opportunity that will let more people see you, and might be a turning point for your career. Really forget about the salary. How about this—when we have time, you can take me on a trip somewhere, and that can be your way of thanking me, okay?”
A trip somewhere… Luo Jingyu thought that didn’t sound bad at all.
He finally nodded and gave Zhan Xi an “OK” sign, no longer dwelling on this matter.
—
After two days of setting up, on the morning of July 17th, the Qiantang Makers Festival opened with great fanfare at the convention center.
This exhibition had been building momentum since May. It was large-scale and nationwide, with various TV stations and print and online news platforms sending reporters to cover it. The outdoor opening ceremony in the square was quite grand, with several provincial and city leaders attending. They even invited celebrities to perform, attracting many fans and exhibition visitors.
Luo Jingyu and Zhan Xi arrived at the venue early in the morning, joining all the other exhibitors in making final adjustments to their booths.
Zhan Xi posted the three-day activity schedule. Each day had one experience class in the morning and afternoon. These were paid sessions, with two to three people per class for two hours. People could book in advance, and the fee was 400 yuan per person.
The flowers for the experience classes were shown in pictures on the schedule. There were single-stem beginner flowers and pressed flower jewelry. Customers could take their creations home.
Every afternoon, Luo Jingyu would give a complete live demonstration of pressed flower creation, with the demonstration content announced in advance.
He had also specially made some finished products for this exhibition, all related to the booth’s theme, with clear pricing for direct purchase.
All customers who participated in experience classes or bought products could leave their contact information to enter a lucky draw. The grand prize was a custom pressed flower ornament by Teacher Luo, with the winner choosing the design.
Other visitors who followed and shared the “Xi Yu Pressed Flowers” exhibition post or took photos of the booth and shared them on social media could also participate in daily draws for small brooch prizes.
Before the venue opened, everything was ready, and Zhan Xi went to the bathroom.
She washed her face and applied makeup right in the bathroom, then changed into a different outfit in a stall.
After coming out of the bathroom, Zhan Xi was quite shy, hurrying back to the booth. When Luo Jingyu turned to see her, his face immediately broke into a smile.
Zhan Xi was wearing a lotus-pink Song-style hanfu, with a tube top paired with a long bodice and pleated skirt—a cool summer style. It was almost plain except for some small lotus flower embroidery at the neckline, added by Yan Yajuan with the store’s permission to match the booth’s theme.
Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and though her makeup was light, her eyes sparkled like black gems. She smiled at Luo Jingyu, showing her teeth, her cheeks blushing red. Luo Jingyu couldn’t take his eyes off her smiling face.
Zhan Xi had only tried it on for him at home. Now she was so embarrassed she almost wanted to hide behind him, saying softly: “Oh my, it’s my first time wearing this outside. I’m so self-conscious. Does it look good?”
Luo Jingyu looked her up and down and signed: [Very beautiful!]
He led Zhan Xi to sit in a chair and took out a comb and hair tie he had prepared, carefully doing her hair. This time the hairstyle was more complex than the one from the Flower Festival. Luo Jingyu’s movements were gentle, and after finishing the hair, he took a lotus flower hairpin and carefully inserted it into Zhan Xi’s bun.
The lotus flower on the hairpin was made with pressed flowers, very delicate, and was Zhan Xi’s only ornament. Luo Jingyu finally smoothed out her loose hair and brought a mirror for her to see, his eyes seeking her opinion.
“It’s beautiful!” Zhan Xi admired herself in the mirror, turning her head. “Little Fish, you’re too amazing. Maybe you should stop making pressed flowers and open a styling studio instead. You’d probably make a living that way too.”
Luo Jingyu smiled so much his eyes curved into crescents.
Zhan Xi stood up, adjusted her skirt, and asked Luo Jingyu: “It’s about to start, Little Fish. Are you ready?”
Luo Jingyu nodded to her.
“Don’t be nervous, I’m here with you. Just make flowers like you usually do.” Seeing no one around, Zhan Xi hugged Luo Jingyu’s waist and stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips.
A bit of her lip color transferred to his lips, and he licked it, tasting a strange flavor.
“Everything will go smoothly,” Zhan Xi added. “Have confidence, Little Fish!”
Luo Jingyu nodded again, turning to look at the vast exhibition hall where each booth was preparing to open. Staff and booth owners walked back and forth, some taking photos, some still setting up, some already chatting leisurely…
Zhan Xi told him music was playing constantly in the venue, sometimes lively, sometimes passionate, with broadcasts interspersed announcing various activities. Luo Jingyu couldn’t hear, but Zhan Xi would tell him the important announcements.
She said she was his ears and mouth, that she would stay here the whole time.
She told him not to worry, that as long as she was here, he just needed to focus quietly on teaching and making flowers.
She boldly claimed she understood everything now, saying she was the Wang Yuyan of the pressed flower world! Luo Jingyu didn’t even know who Wang Yuyan was and had to look it up, then laughed for a long time.
Looking at Zhan Xi’s confident appearance now, he thought perhaps she really was Wang Yuyan—a heavenly sister, the most beautiful, most ethereal, most adorable! She was his little fairy.
The venue finally opened its doors, and the first wave of visitors flooded in.
The different sections of the Makers Festival each had distinct characteristics, with most booths having interactive projects that quickly attracted visitors to participate and experience.
The handcraft market section’s booths were especially lively. Although most projects had fees, many popular booths were still surrounded by visitors.
The fees weren’t just for profit—they served more to control the number of participants, since most projects were time-consuming. After all, with handcrafts, even making a simple small item took an hour or two.
Luo Jingyu’s booth started its first experience class at 10 AM. Though no one had signed up yet, they first welcomed two old friends—Sister Shao and Sister Zhu.
The two sisters searched for a while before finding the booth, and from far away, they were struck by its beauty.
Though it was a small booth with just a 1.5-meter white table and 2 meters of depth, Luo Jingyu and Zhan Xi had decorated it in Chinese style.
Luo Jingyu sat behind the table with a classical screen behind him showing a detailed lotus pond pattern, very fitting for the current season.
The table was neatly arranged with pressed flower materials and tools, with only one lotus flower arrangement on display.
Most decorations extended into three-dimensional space. At this exhibition, there were no dividers between booths, only pillars and a sort of sunshade canopy for separation. Luo Jingyu had attached large lotus flowers, seed pods, and leaves to the pillars, with several pressed flower dragonflies perched on them, invoking the poem “The tender lotus just shows its tip, already dragonflies perch there.”
What caught people’s attention most was actually Zhan Xi.
She stood gracefully by the booth in her traditional dress, holding a lotus-green round fan. When she saw Sister Shao and Sister Zhu, she immediately covered her face with the fan.
Sister Shao was delighted: “Well! Where did this immortal maiden come from? Hahaha… You’re already wearing it! Why be shy?”
Zhan Xi lowered her fan, showing just her blinking big eyes, and sweetly greeted them: “Sister Shao, Sister Zhu, you’re here!”
“Really nice, very creative! Little Xi, you look beautiful in this!” Sister Shao praised repeatedly, then asked Luo Jingyu, “Whose idea was this?”
Luo Jingyu pointed at Zhan Xi, who again covered her face with the fan and said in a local Wu dialect: “Sister Shao, we’re just making do with what we have, don’t laugh at me!”
“We’re praising you, not laughing! You’re so capable,” Sister Shao then looked at Luo Jingyu and asked with a smile, “Why isn’t Little Fish wearing hanfu?”
Luo Jingyu wore casual clothes—a pure white t-shirt with jeans, and had cut his hair shorter, looking clean and refreshing. He was smiling cheerfully at them. Zhan Xi explained: “He needs to work, afraid hanfu would be too hot.”
Sister Zhu looked at the experience class schedule and quietly asked Zhan Xi: “Can Little Fish teach people? Do you need our help?”
“Not for now, we’ll work together—he’ll teach, and I’ll explain,” Zhan Xi said. “Thank you, sisters. You can go look around first, and when you’re tired, come sit here. We have supplies and some stools behind the screen. Come have lunch boxes with us at noon, and in the evening Little Fish and I will treat you to a big dinner out!”
“Great, at least we have a base to rest at.” Sister Zhu was very happy. Seeing Luo Jingyu already preparing materials for the first experience class, she shared her experience with Zhan Xi: “If no one comes at first, Sister Shao and I can pretend to be customers. Don’t worry, once people start experiencing it, lots more will come to watch. As they watch, they’ll get itchy hands and want to try themselves. With so few spots available, they’ll be booked up quickly—most people won’t even get a chance.”
“Really? That’s good.” Zhan Xi asked worriedly, “Sister Zhu, is four hundred yuan per session too expensive? Little Fish set the price.”
Sister Zhu shook her head: “Not expensive at all, it’s at cost. My interest classes usually charge six hundred per session, minimum five hundred.”
Zhan Xi nodded in understanding, glancing back at Luo Jingyu. She had heard him say that the sisters all taught interest classes, even online ones, but he had never taught any. In his situation, he had never even thought about teaching people before, missing out on a significant source of income in the business.
Gradually, visitors began coming to their area. Sister Shao and Sister Zhu stood by the booth watching Luo Jingyu make flowers, deliberately not blocking him, occasionally expressing admiration—they were very dedicated pretend customers. Zhan Xi stood gracefully by the side fanning herself, a very dedicated greeter.
Some people saw her outfit, then looked at Luo Jingyu quietly working, and asked: “What’s this?”
Zhan Xi smiled and said: “This is pressed flower craft. We have experience classes shortly, you can try it out.”
More and more people gathered around. Some looked briefly and left, others watched for a long time, but no one signed up for the experience class.
Luo Jingyu barely lifted his head. This kind of scene was too unfamiliar for him—it was his first time making flowers in front of so many people. He could feel many pairs of eyes fixed on him, making him uncomfortable and completely unable to make eye contact with customers.
His only comfort was Zhan Xi. He would use his peripheral vision to look for her, seeing her explaining things to visitors, pointing at the class schedule one by one. Seeing her made Luo Jingyu feel more at ease, and he would continue focusing on his work.
Someone asked Zhan Xi if they could take her photo and post it on social media. Zhan Xi said yes, but they had to photograph the whole booth, not just her personally.
Even a local newspaper reporter took several photos of Zhan Xi with a DSLR camera. She was very open about it, introducing their booth to the reporter and asking if they could include it in the news article to help promote them.
It was almost 10 AM, and just as Sister Shao and Sister Zhu were preparing to be the first “participants,” three young women came to the booth, all around twenty years old.
“Number 67… Ah, here it is! Xi Yu Pressed Flowers, we found it!” An oval-faced girl happily said to Zhan Xi, “Hello, we’re Pipi Xia’s friends. We saw his moments post—can we try making flowers here?”
Zhan Xi pointed to the class schedule and explained: “Yes, but there is a fee.”
The three girls looked at the prices and discussed for a while before saying: “It’s a bit expensive. Sister, can you give us a discount? All three of us want to try.”
Zhan Xi glanced at Luo Jingyu—the “boss” hadn’t even looked up, focused on dyeing materials. So she, the “boss’s wife,” made her own decision, saying generously: “Alright, since you’re Pipi Xia’s friends, I’ll give you a 30% discount. It’s our first business of the day, thank you for supporting us!”
The three girls sat side by side at the table. Luo Jingyu finally deigned to “condescend” and look up. When the girls saw his face, they became a bit shy. Luo Jingyu was even shier, his ear tips quickly turning red.
The earlier oval-faced girl was bolder and said to Luo Jingyu: “Teacher Luo, you’re even more handsome than in photos!”
Luo Jingyu: “…”
That’s when Zhan Xi explained to them: “Ladies, I need to explain something. Teacher Luo can’t hear. He’ll teach the class, and I’ll help explain. You can ask me any questions, and I can help translate between you. Teacher Luo usually communicates using sign language.”
The girls were stunned for a moment, but since they were already seated, no one left. However, when they looked at Luo Jingyu again, their eyes had lost their earlier excitement and shyness, replaced by sympathy and pity.
After all, it was their first time being so close to a deaf person, and they weren’t sure if there would be communication problems, making them somewhat hesitant.
Luo Jingyu noticed their unease and smiled slightly, making a few signs.
Zhan Xi said: “Teacher Luo says not to worry. He just can’t hear, but he can read your lip movements. About the class content, don’t worry! With me here, I guarantee you’ll all learn it—even Pipi Xia learned!”
Thinking that if Pipi Xia could learn it, the three girls temporarily relaxed.
The first class was making geraniums. After Luo Jingyu distributed the materials, the experience class began.
Sister Shao and Sister Zhu watched for a while from the side and finally understood how Zhan Xi and Luo Jingyu worked together to teach.
Gradually, people came to watch the experience class. Sister Shao and Sister Zhu were very pleased, showing “aunt-like” smiles, feeling like their pet little brother had finally grown up. Seeing everything was fine, they made a gesture to Zhan Xi and went arm in arm to explore other areas.
By noon, the three girls had all finished their geraniums, each feeling very accomplished. They insisted on taking photos with Teacher Luo and Sister Xi, only leaving satisfied after posting the photos and their work on social media.
When there were no more people at the booth, Luo Jingyu quickly pulled Zhan Xi to sit down and handed her a bottle of water. He was so worried—Huanhuan had been standing all morning, talking non-stop. She must be tired and thirsty by now.
Small beads of sweat had appeared on her nose. Luo Jingyu gently wiped them away with a tissue, unable to resist touching her face.
Zhan Xi gulped down the water in one go. The venue was very noisy, so she had to raise her voice when explaining things, otherwise customers couldn’t hear clearly. After two hours of talking, her throat felt like it was on fire. She thought she should buy some throat lozenges afterward, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to handle the next two days.
Seeing Luo Jingyu’s concerned expression, she stopped speaking and signed directly: [I’m not tired, I can rest at noon.]
Sister Shao and Sister Zhu returned after touring around. They had each made a wooden spoon and were planning to try embroidery in the afternoon. They brought two cups of iced milk tea for Luo Jingyu and Zhan Xi.
During lunch time, there were fewer people in the venue. Zhan Xi really did have them eat lunch boxes at the booth. The two sisters weren’t picky and chatted with Luo Jingyu while eating.
“Little Fish, have you seen it? There’s another pressed flower booth, and it’s huge!” Sister Shao said.
Luo Jingyu nodded. After everyone finished setting up yesterday, he and Zhan Xi had gone to look at that booth. Sure enough, it was a fantasy rose kingdom, with many girls taking photos there.
Sister Zhu said: “I just went to get some information—that girl’s surname is Guan. She learned pressed flowers while studying in Russia and has now returned to China. She mainly makes Lolita-style accessories.”
Zhan Xi sat at the side, quietly listening to the sisters chat. There were some things Luo Jingyu couldn’t explain well due to his communication limitations, but now she could get a lot of information from the sisters.
“Professionals see the technique, laypeople see the spectacle,” Sister Zhu said to Zhan Xi. “Little Xi, don’t be fooled by how bright and pretty those flowers look—to us professionals, they’re just ordinary. It’s just that regular people will have a different reaction when they see them, like ‘Wow! So beautiful! So magnificent! Blue roses, green roses, black roses, purple roses!’”
Her tone was very exaggerated, making Zhan Xi laugh non-stop.
“That school is more popular in Europe, doesn’t work well in China. Her style isn’t suitable for hanfu accessories, and she can’t make many flower types—they don’t do that in Russia.” Sister Shao added, “Little Xi, don’t be intimidated. Let me put it this way…”
She pointed at Luo Jingyu, “Every flower that girl can make, your Little Fish can make too. But many, many flowers that your Little Fish can make, that girl can’t make!”
Zhan Xi turned to look at Luo Jingyu, who was sitting there obediently, just opening his lunch box to look inside. She wasn’t sure if he had seen what Sister Shao said.
Seeing Zhan Xi looking at him, he showed that harmless smile again, his eyes bright and sparkling, and moved the fried egg from his lunch box into Zhan Xi’s.
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