Purple Tulips

Red Tulips - Chapter THREE 🌷

As much as Lixue wanted to just savor the peace and quiet, she remembered her purpose in coming to the tulip garden and that was to..

Come to think of it, she did not know what she was supposed to do here. She only knew that as a gardener she needed to work but about what exactly, she had no idea. It would not be productive if she went back to ask and since she was already here, she might as well do some weeding.

But when Lixue opened her eyes, she was surprised to find out that she had company. A tall, lean man wearing a red tunic was standing at a distance. He had that kind of face that would make a person stop and stare. He had sharp and clear black eyes, a tall aquiline nose, and a slightly tan complexion. The man had high cheekbones that accentuated his face, and pale and thin lips that were neither smiling nor grimacing. His handsome face showed no emotion or expression, making it difficult to know what he was thinking.

When did he arrive? She did not hear him approach at all. Looking at his elegant and clean attire, he clearly was from a wealthy family.

The man's eyes did not leave hers and the way he was staring at her made her feel uncomfortable. Wait, no. It was not a feeling of discomfort but rather something akin to a déjà vu. 

Lixue felt a tingling sensation in her mind, like she forgot something but could not recall what it was. Maybe she already met him in the past? When she still had her memories? Lixue was suddenly at a loss of what to do. Even if she knew him before, he was a stranger to her now.

Yes, he was a stranger but why did she feel reluctant to break eye contact? Was it because he is handsome that I can not look away? And as time passed by, she felt a force compelling her towards him. The atmosphere was becoming more and more strange and she was also feeling more and more nervous. With all her might Lixue willed herself to look away and as she did, the strange atmosphere between them quickly disappeared.

Releasing a breath she was not aware she was holding, Lixue felt herself relax now that the pressure was gone. Thinking that it would be rude to suddenly walk away as if she owned the place, she took a bow towards the man in a respectful stance. 

Lixue avoided looking at the man's eyes though, afraid that the weird moment would happen again if she looked into his eyes. With that, she turned her back and proceeded to check the field for weeds while trying to calm her still rapidly beating heart.

Soon, Lixue forgot about the man as she busied herself with her work for the day. She only stopped weeding when she felt the biting rays of the sun on her skin. Lifting her head to squint at the sun, she judged that it was nearing midday so she was working for the past three hours already. She only finished weeding about one-eighth of the total area of the field. It was impossible to finish it all in one day. If she ever wanted to accomplish that, helping hands were needed. Wiping her dusty hands on her clothes, she stood up and turned to leave.

But before Lixue could totally step out of the field of tulips, she stopped when she remembered about the man and before she realized what she was doing, she was already turning her head to look for the man.

Stupid! What are you doing? What if that weird moment happens again?