ABSML Chapter 39: A Fatal Mistake

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Almost as soon as he received the text, Chen Zhan realized Yin Ronglan was planning to come clean.

Since he liked to prepare in advance, Chen Zhan considered whether to simply forgive him outright. But after a moment, his gaze drifted to the calendar, where the words “New Year’s Eve” were marked in red. He shook his head. “If it’s that day, then forget it.”

Old grudges deserved their own resolution on New Year’s Eve.

【System: You’re overthinking it. Out with the old, in with the new.】

A voice—different from the previous one—sounded in his mind, but Chen Zhan ignored it.

The newly installed system began introducing itself.

Chen Zhan cut it off coldly. “You’ll be replaced soon enough—don’t waste your time.”

He didn’t receive a call that day. Instead, on the night before New Year’s Eve, a self-made invitation arrived in the mail. A single flower petal was affixed to the cover, with the time and place written inside.

Among the short lines of text, the name “De Ma Hotel” stood out the most.

Some things had already become unspoken understandings between them—it was just a matter of who would say it first.

After pre-recording that night’s radio program, Chen Zhan wrapped his scarf snugly around his neck and left early.

Snowflakes fluttered from the sky, landing on his brows and hair, giving him a touch of childlike charm, like a snow doll.

At the entrance of the hotel stood uniformed attendants, who had been instructed in advance to greet him with a smile and lead him to the elevator.

As the doors opened, it was as if he had stepped into a sea of flowers.

Large clusters of yellow roses filled the entire floor, squeezed into every possible space.

Even though they had arranged it themselves, the attendants couldn't help but have a moment of stiffness in their smiles—what kind of straight man's aesthetic was this yellow rose paradise?

"So beautiful."

A soft murmur brought the attendant back to their senses. When they saw the amazement reflected in those eyes, they were ashamed into silence… Perhaps their own experience was simply too shallow.

Knowing that Chen Zhan had a habit of arriving early for appointments, Yin Ronglan had already been waiting here an hour in advance.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, he stood up and pulled out the chair across from him.

Their identities were different now, and Chen Zhan's demeanor was slightly colder. He merely nodded in greeting.

Amid the silence, the melody of a violin began to play, gentle and melodious. Chen Zhan's expression softened slightly, and he said in a quiet voice, "I suppose all this money could buy several houses in Y City."

"If we’re really counting, it’s probably more of an intangible asset." Yin Ronglan met his gaze and explained with a smile, "The violinist was introduced by a friend, and the hotel owner is an old acquaintance of mine—it’s all just favors being repaid."

Between them, the usual dynamic was that Chen Zhan spoke while Yin Ronglan quietly listened. Tonight, however, the roles were reversed.

"I'm very sorry," Yin Ronglan said. "I never intended to keep anything from you."

Chen Zhan had a basic ability to judge people and knew the other party wasn’t of a malicious nature, but he showed no reaction on the surface.

"I can prove it," Yin Ronglan continued.

Chen Zhan looked up at him.

Yin Ronglan pulled out a piece of paper: "Likes seafood, wears hoodies, prefers diversified investments…"

Chen Zhan glanced at the paper and found it amusing… Was he afraid of forgetting his lines?

At the end, Yin Ronglan stated, "Based on this information, it's clear that I understand you well and value friendship."

Their eyes met, and Chen Zhan couldn't help but turn away, laughing softly.

"You did that on purpose."

Reading from a script like an elementary school student—just to ease the tension. In this sense, he was certainly skilled at reading people.

Yin Ronglan pressed a bell, signaling that the dishes could be served.

Chen Zhan liked seafood but disliked peeling shells. Yin Ronglan's intention to curry favor was obvious—whether it was crab or shrimp, he meticulously handled them and placed them on Chen Zhan's plate.

Because it was New Year's Eve, the attendants also brought over a small plate of dumplings.

Chen Zhan picked up one, pausing mid-air: "Cheers."

Yin Ronglan was momentarily taken aback before mimicking him. The two round dumplings clinked together in the air: "Cheers."

Previously uninterested in seafood, Yin Ronglan now found the lobster on his plate looking much more appealing after their misunderstanding was cleared up.

After a few dumplings, Chen Zhan soon felt a little full. He put down his chopsticks, sat up slightly, and exhaled softly.

Something caught his attention, and his gaze suddenly froze as he lowered his head into contemplation.

At first, Yin Ronglan didn’t think much of it, but when he noticed the growing intensity in Chen Zhan’s stare, he suddenly realized he had made a fatal mistake. Ignoring dining etiquette, he grabbed Chen Zhan’s wrist, which was still holding his glass: "I heard this year's gala is quite good. How about—"

Chen Zhan’s eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his eyelids. Unmoved by the distraction, he slowly spoke: "The roses are beautiful."

Yin Ronglan’s expression remained warm, his tone coaxing: "Yellow roses symbolize apology; they’re not always a popular choice."

But Chen Zhan wasn't listening. Instead, he began calculating precisely: "They should fetch a good price."

The flowers were fresh, many still in bud form, meaning they could last a while longer.

His gaze lingered on the delicate, unopened petals as he continued, "Leaving them to be discarded in the hotel’s trash would be such a waste… Beautiful flowers like these should enter thousands of homes and bloom in warmth one last time."

The conversation was neither too loud nor too soft, but it was enough for the nearby violinist to hear.

On a stage where he had never once made a mistake, his fingers trembled, causing the note to falter.

It was the first time he had heard someone make selling flowers sound so poetic. With such eloquence, it was a pity Chen Zhan wasn’t selling white lotuses instead.

Glancing at the snowflakes drifting outside, Yin Ronglan said gently, "The weather is cold, and flowers are fragile."

Chen Zhan smiled. "You drove here, didn’t you?"

In his eyes, these flowers were like treasures scattered on the ground—too tempting to ignore and simply step over.

Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to avoid the situation, Yin Ronglan simply nodded in cooperation: "Fortunately, my trunk is empty."

Several attendants were assigned to collect the flowers while Chen Zhan stepped away to the restroom.

The violinist was also preparing to leave. Yin Ronglan thanked him and then made a phone call.

After a few seconds, his subordinate answered cautiously, as if fearing he’d be called in to work overtime.

Yin Ronglan asked, "How many flowers did you order earlier?"

Caught off guard by the question, the subordinate hesitated before responding, "Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine."

When Chen Zhan returned, he happened to witness this scene and raised an eyebrow. "Hiring people to buy them?"

Yin Ronglan ended the call and chuckled. "That kind of thing only happens in TV dramas."

What kind of boss would make their employees work on New Year's Eve?

"Art imitates life," Chen Zhan replied smoothly. "And rich people pretending to be poor only happens in TV dramas too."

Yin Ronglan smiled without arguing. They continued chatting as they took the elevator down. The attendants placed the flowers gently into the trunk. "We look forward to your next visit."

In past years, Chen Zhan had always spent New Year's Eve at home reading or sleeping, rarely going out. He had subconsciously assumed that the streets would be deserted on such a night.

But in reality, there were plenty of people—couples who couldn’t go home to be with family, friends gathering for a movie, and so on.

The trees were adorned with various small colorful lights, creating a lively atmosphere under the glow.

Yin Ronglan smiled while making a last-ditch struggle. "The movies released recently are quite good. I remember you like suspense and horror."

Chen Zhan pondered for a moment, but his mind was on something else. "Selling goods near the cinema should be profitable."

To avoid being photographed by passersby and ending up in the news, Chen Zhan put on a mask and pulled up the hood of his hoodie. Fortunately, his physique and silhouette were good enough that he wouldn’t be mistaken for a suspicious person.

Yin Ronglan also wore a mask, but its effect was limited. If someone familiar with him had good eyesight and was close enough, they might still recognize him.

A well-dressed man, paired with an expensive car, quickly drew a lot of attention.

The back seat of the car was also filled with roses. Thinking about the sheer number of flowers, Yin Ronglan couldn’t help but feel a bit weak in the knees.

Noticing this, Chen Zhan looked at him with concern. "You should get your bone density checked sometime."

It wasn’t the first time. Constantly feeling weak in the legs wasn’t normal.

Each rose was sold for three yuan, making them fairly affordable. Interestingly, middle-aged buyers were the majority. Chen Zhan overheard a mother and daughter leaving, with the mother muttering about putting the flowers in a vase at home as decoration.

Everything was going smoothly, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had overlooked something.

As half the flowers were sold, looking at the bustling crowd, Chen Zhan finally realized what it was. "Urban management officers."

The two exchanged glances, silently shut the car doors, and somewhat guiltily drove away.

Neon lights on both sides of the street shone brightly.

Seated in the passenger seat, Chen Zhan suddenly asked, "If we really got caught and our identities were exposed in the news, would you become a legend in high society?"

The word "legend" carried a teasing undertone.

Yin Ronglan glanced at him. "I’d probably be invited for interviews by financial news outlets."

Imagining that scene, Chen Zhan couldn’t help but laugh.

The car wandered aimlessly through the city.

"Where do you want to go?"

Chen Zhan replied, "Near Haishang Mingyue."

Although Haishang Mingyue was the final destination, the car made multiple stops along the way.

Whenever they found a suitable parking spot, Chen Zhan and Yin Ronglan took turns carrying a large bouquet of flowers out to sell. After selling a few, they quickly got back in the car.

Chen Zhan suggested, "Once we sell all these flowers, how about using our shared earnings to buy each other a New Year’s gift?"

Yin Ronglan was briefly stunned.

Chen Zhan smiled. "Consider it a fresh start."

A relationship with no pretense or deception.

Yin Ronglan’s eyes softened with amusement at his words.

   [System: Selling his stuff, splitting his money, and then using it to buy a gift to move him. You truly are the perfect villainous supporting character… Let’s renew our contract.]

It even used an honorific title, showing its admiration.

Chen Zhan ignored its chatter and searched for the next suitable flower-selling spot.

"Wait a second." To get a clearer view, he rolled the window down slightly. "Back up a little."

The small alley had few pedestrians, but Yin Ronglan still followed his request and stopped the car.

Instead of taking flowers, Chen Zhan walked directly in the opposite direction, prompting Yin Ronglan to follow.

Not far ahead stood a familiar figure, with two police officers beside him.

"Lin Chiang?" Chen Zhan called out.

The man turned around, looking slightly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Chen Zhan mouthed, "Hiding from urban management." Then, after a pause, he asked, "What about you?"

Lin Chiang pressed his thin lips together and remained silent.

One of the uniformed officers beside him spoke up instead. "You know him?"

Chen Zhan nodded, hesitated briefly, then asked, "What did he do?"

"Illegal fireworks and firecrackers. We’re taking him back for public security management and disciplinary action."

"…"

Author’s note:

Yin Ronglan: I knew this day would come sooner or later.

______

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