Long Xi designed and cut this cheongsam herself.

From the cheongsam's front part to its waistline, there was a plum blossom, which bloomed uniquely, defying the cold. It was also embroidered by Long Xi herself, getting the essence of Sichuan embroidery.

In fact, no matter how she dressed up, she had the same qualities of elegance and purity.

She walked out of the school gate and took a glance at Lord Mo Kun's car, which was washed spotless, like a white horse ready to gallop across the battlefield under the rising sun.

Lord Mo Kun, wearing a pure-white suit, got out of the car with a smile.

When Long Xi saw him, it seemed that a small hole opened in her heart, and a warm spring rushed out from inside. She felt the heat on her face, so she must have been blus.h.i.+ng at that time.

She secretly chastised herself, “Long Xi, Long Xi. Why are you so different from your usual calm and composed demeanor when seeing Mo Kun?”

Mo Kun was very gentlemanly to open the rear door with his right hand, indicating to Long Xi that she should get in first.

When Long Xi got in the car, he carefully placed his left hand over the top of the door to prevent her head from hitting the frame above the door.

The back of the car was very s.p.a.cious, and the seats were very soft.

After Long Xi got in the car, she naughtily stretched and closed her legs many times, having so much fun with herself.

Lord Mo Kun also got in the car and solicitously pulled down the light-purple flannelette curtains on both windows to keep the suns.h.i.+ne off Long Xi.

Long Xi originally thought he came to pick her up to take her to Happy Lane, but Mo Kun did not take her home, but took her to Clear Lake Dream Gallery.

Long Xi asked, “What are you trying to do?”

Mo Kun smiled and said nothing. He got out of the car first, and then took her hand and helped her out of the car.

This time, Mo Kun did not take Long Xi to the sales department first. He directly took Long Xi and used the entrance card to go into the residential area. The two security guards at the vermilion gate did not stop them.

As on their first visit, they turned around the rockery, went through the Moon Gate, and slowly walked along the winding path on the right side. Along the way, they could see pavilions and towers, and small bridges over the flowing stream, which were scattered and hidden in it. People felt like they had entered a fairyland, enjoying themselves and forgetting to return. They also seemed to fall into the maze by mistake, full of fun.

Mo Kun said, “Last time we came here, we just gave a hurried and cursory glance. Today let's have a good visit in the garden. Didn't you say you like chrysanthemums the best? It's said that there is a wealthy and leisured landlord here, who holds a chrysanthemum exhibition in Small View Garden.”

Long Xi said with a smile, “It's rare for you to be in such a bright mood. Let's just have a good time and hang out.”

There were various famous kinds of chrysanthemums, some were beside trees and rocks, and some were in pavilions, such as “Jady-pot Spring”, “Huanggong Stone”, “Long Hanging Curtain”, “Green Cloud”, “Green Clothes and Red Petticoats” and other famous species. They were all in various shapes and forms, and each had its own style.

While appreciating and commenting, they walked to a pavilion with red plum trees planted on all sides, which was called “Snow Pavilion”.

At this time, when the plum blossoms were in their early blossom, Long Xi felt no regret for her trip when she looked at the striking beauty of the red plum blossom defying the snow and cold.

In the center of the pavilion, there was a high ebony table with two pots of chrysanthemums standing on it, which were planted in enamel painted pots.

The chrysanthemum on the left was a famous kind of chrysanthemum, called Green Peony.

Its green petals were as fine and crystal-like as jade. Its flower shape was like Chinese herbaceous peony, but it borrowed the name of the peony, making people connect the graceful bearing of the peony, the king of flowers. It looked like a n.o.ble and elegant princess.

Another chrysanthemum belonged to another famous species, named West Lake Moon, which had a particularly thriving twig, a plump flower shape. Its color was pure golden-yellow, and its corolla hung like a sunflower toward the sun. Its color was as bright as the radiance of a lake under the moonlight, as light as the green of a willow on the bank.

While appreciating, Long Xi laughed and said, “Great. They have the unyielding integrity to defy the frost, without the vulgar att.i.tude of ingratiating people.”

She especially liked the name West Lake Moon. She thought it was very poetic and appreciated it for a long time.

She seemed to be immersed in the rippling clear water of the West Lake, feeling the gentle waves softly rippling toward her chest and seeping into her heart.

The delicate, soft willows on the sh.o.r.e drooped feebly. A cool breeze blew, and the willows swayed lightly in the breeze, which was like Xi s.h.i.+ was.h.i.+ng and dressing her hair, also like a beauty's dream.

As Long Xi was talking, she suddenly felt that two eyes were spinning on her.

As she was not cowardly, she turned her head and looked directly at the man.

Wearing a Tang suit, the man was seven feet tall and well built. He had a short forehead and broad cheeks, looking ugly and ferocious. His natural inverted slanted eyebrows were thick, short, and bushy. When frowning, his eyebrows stood up, just like two daggers inserted above his eyes. There was more white and less black in his eyes.

When the man saw Long Xi looking at him, he grinned with joy, revealing two rows of white teeth.

Long Xi stopped looking at him and pulled Mo Kun forward.

Turning around a cl.u.s.ter of green bamboo, they saw a pavilion named “Green Smoke Pavilion”.

In the pavilion, there was a high square rosewood flowerbed with a pot of triple-head Commander's Flag chrysanthemum on it.

Commander's Flag chrysanthemum was a wonder in chrysanthemums, which had a large, plump flower with a single round. The flower's front color was vermilion and its back was powdered gold. Its petals could reach an inch wide and there could be up to 26 of them, making it look majestic and magnificent.

The flower's cylindrical center was yellowish-green, which was prominent and conspicuous, like a flag of an ancient military commander, whose name came from it.

Commander's Flag chrysanthemum was extremely difficult to cultivate, and this kind which had three heads on one branch was very rare. The so-called “three heads on one branch” meant that three chrysanthemums blossomed simultaneously on one twig.

Long Xi glanced back and saw that the man did not follow them. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She was not afraid of that person, but afraid that Mo Kun would be angry if he saw that person, which might destroy the good atmosphere at this time.

She stood in front of the flowerbed and said with a smile, “My favorite is this Commander's Flag chrysanthemum with its valiant and heroic bearing, which reminds me of Lord of Lanling with his gentle appearance but strength inside. In those days, he wore a ferocious mask, 'rising commander's flag on the field, having an impressive bearing that the whole Jingguo is awed by'. How daring and high-spirited he was. When he was old, he learned Tao Yuanming and Xie Lingyun, with clean hands, embracing the bright moon. How indifferent and carefree he was.”

Mo Kun smiled and said, “I know you like chrysanthemums very much. That's why I brought you here.”

Long Xi asked naturally and gracefully, “Does Brother Kun like chrysanthemum very much, too?”

Mo Kun said, “Well, I like chrysanthemums defying the cold and frost, which have far-reaching ambition and are willing to be indifferent.”

Long Xi suddenly came to realize something and said with a laugh, “Did you ask people to set up this chrysanthemum exhibition? Is this your birthday gift to me?”

Mo Kun did not deny it, laughing as he said, “You guessed it so quickly! Are you surprised?”

Long Xi smiled and said, “I didn't expect you to have such a romantic side! How much did it cost you? With so many famous chrysanthemum species, it's not easy to get them all together!”

Mo Kun said, “That's all right. It's not very difficult for me.”

Unwittingly, they went into a long corridor with vermilion railings and colored drawings. On the wall, there were calligraphy and paintings by famous artists.

When such a magnificent stage was set up, different characters playing by chrysanthemums appeared here one after another, including “Jade Dragon Claw”, “Autumn Wind and Dew”, “Jade Hall and Golden Horse”, “Waiting for the Moon in West Chamber”, “Cool Breeze and Clear Moon”, “Autumn Clear Water”, “Phoenix Hairpin”, “Blossoms of Peach and Plum”, “Bathing Beauty”, “Violet Cloud”, and so on.

Through the corridor, a high wall divided the garden landscape into two parts.

A row of hawk's eye stood at the base of the wall. And there was a moon gate in the wall's middle, with a b.u.t.terfly door on either side. There was a stone plaque above the moon gate with the words “Altogether Different World” inscribed on it.

Pa.s.sing through the eastern b.u.t.terfly door, they saw a straight ginkgo tree standing on either side of the door. Their thick golden leaves obscured most of the people's vision.

After going around the ginkgo tree, their vision became very wide, and they saw another kind of magnificent scenery.

They saw a lake of 10 hectares, with autumn clear water, rippling waves, and willows on both sh.o.r.es, which was called “Jianxian Lake”. The lakeside was covered with pale green, golden, and red chrysanthemums, leaving only a few winding roads for people to walk on. It seemed that the Creator laid a thick pale green blanket embroidered with golden and red flowers.

Willows were planted by the lake, and their leaves had turned yellow. They stretched out their branches, which were as slender as girls' hand, gently swinging, as if they welcomed people.

From a distance, chrysanthemums seemed to be blooming on the trunks of the willow trees. When they got closer, they found that it was various chrysanthemums grafted onto the trunks. On some trees, there were 10 different colors, different varieties of chrysanthemums. It was gorgeous to the extreme.

Long Xi felt dazzled and she said with a smile, “It's dressing colorful clothes on the willows. It looks a bit funny, a bit like 'sailing under false colors'.”

Pointing to the lake, Mo Kun said, “It's an artificial lake, called Jianxian Lake. It's said that the purple fairy of the seven fairies was once demoted to the mortal world. On Purple Fairy Island in the lake, she used clear water as the mirror to sort out her hair and clothes. Look, there's a stone statue of purple fairy beside the lake!”

Long Xi smiled and said, “Since it's an artificial lake, the legend must be false.”

Mo Kun pointed to a round island in the center of the lake and said, “That island is named Yingyue Island because it is shaped like a full moon. The six-story antique tower on the island is called Star Catching Tower, whose top is the highest point in the garden. Come on, let's go across Dragon Bridge and go there.”

It was a stone arch bridge with 24 arches that connected the west bank and Yingyue Island. It looked like a dragon lying in waves, so it was named “Dragon Bridge”.

On the white marble railings on the bridge, there were various patterns, such as “Yutang Fugui”, “Good Luck and Happiness”, “Being Number One Scholar”, “Five Blessings”, and “Eight Happiness”.

They leaned against the railings and saw many “lotuses” blooming on the lake.

Long Xi was quite surprised and she asked, “How can there be dark-purple lotuses? Is it a new species from abroad?”

Mo Kun laughed and said, “These are not lotus flowers, they're black chrysanthemums. When they're in the early stage of blossoming, the flowers are dark violet, and their shapes are like lotus flowers. So they're also called black lotuses. You read books every day, harming your eyes. And you didn't bring your gla.s.ses today, so maybe you can't see them clearly?”

Long Xi blushed and said with a smile, “I don't have myopia! I know black chrysanthemums, but how can they bloom in the water?”

Mo Kun smiled and said, “Take a guess.”

Long Xi was so clever and guessed quickly, saying, “Oh, I see. There should be wooden stakes at the bottom of the lake. Then flowerpots are placed, which have a similar color to the lake water, on the stakes, making them halfway out of the water surface.”