Wild Creatures

Chapter 130

"What about now?" Wei Ying asks him, enjoying the last of the autumn sunshine on his face.

It's cooler outside now that they're coming to the end of October, but XiChen had thoughtfully started the heating up in the car as soon as they sat in it.

"Definitely a mix. MingJue loves rock, and by osmosis, I do too, but if left to my own devices, then I love romantic songs. Not even the ones that are blatant love songs, but there are ones I find myself sighing to. I can't explain it well, except they have a raw honesty about them, something touching," he confesses, the tips of his ears reddening.

"As opposed to contrived emotions?" Wei Ying guesses.

"Exactly!"

They take the next exit off the freeway and drive for a bit.

"What do you listen to, given the choice?" XiChen asks him, when they stop at a traffic light.

Wei Ying has to think about it. It's been a luxury he hasn't minded not having, because until recently, the hopping in between jobs and school on public transport meant his ears didn't get to taste anything, and he'd forgotten what it was like to simply lie on his bed and listen to the radio, or a favourite album. Had he known how rare that experience was going to become, he might have cherished it more.

He settles for radio music as his answer, when they pull into a garden centre.

What a place it is!

Even though it's past the optimum time for flowering, these plants are clearly looked after with care and love. Seasonal flowers highlighting bright splashes of reds and golds, pinks and purple blooms invite the customers from far, and as soon as they come closer, the addictive perfumes combine into a mouthwatering scent that pulls them in.

Neat pathways open up between all the different sections of the nursery, divided into what is going to bloom in the next season, and what is flowering now. These are just the flowers; up ahead are the different types of trees, ranging from mere shoots to saplings, to mid-grown young trees ready to plant in any garden.

Conifers and evergreens are separated, and every single plant has instructions on where best to plant it, whether it needs more sunshine or shade, what kind of plant food, and how much watering is ideal. There are also suggestions on where the plants will work best, as border decoration or part of a group collective, and there are suggestions on which plants work well together.

Wei Ying works out which plants are best for attracting honey bees, because like golden stars, there are tiny cute bees dancing on the corners of each card, ranging from one to five depending on how much the bees loved that particular plant.

The whole visit is incredibly informative and interesting, a new experience for both of them.

Wei Ying has never had a reason to be in a garden centre because his apartment never had a garden to begin with, and he didn't want to kill off a fern through inattentive care. Hardly having enough time for A-Yuan, let alone himself, meant houseplants were a no-no.

But for someone who commented on the state of MingJue's garden, Wei Ying thinks XiChen should have some idea of what he's looking for.

He had assumed they would look for whoever XiChen had spoken to, explain things and pick up the cherry tree, and then leave. But XiChen seemed to be in no apparent hurry, his walking pace relaxed and slow as they meandered through the big leaf plant section.

The smell of pizza and garlic suddenly hits them, and like a lover's call, Wei Ying's stomach answers back rather loudly, embarrassing him.

"Oh my, I'm a terrible host!" XiChen says, taking his elbow and guiding him past huge elephant palms and foliage like intrepid jungle explorers finding an existing civilization for the first time. "Let's have some lunch."