A gentle breeze blew by, dispersing the overflowing Blazing Sun heat in the field and bringing a touch of refreshing coolness. Yet the scattered power of the Blazing Sun did not vanish; rather, it coalesced upon the countless drifting petals, radiating a shimmering halo under the sunlight.
The petals danced and whirled, arranging themselves into swirling rings that gathered toward midair. Pressing tightly together, they compressed against one another until finally condensing and weaving into an exquisite bracelet of pale golden petals.
The delicate bracelet drifted slowly down from the air, coming to a quiet halt before Xilutaiya, radiating faint warmth and a soft glow.
[Blazing Sun Petal Bracelet] (Second-order Blazing Sun): Formed by condensing, compressing, and arranging petals endowed with the Blazing Sun attribute, creating natural branded patterns. Enables the wearer to dispel cold, recover stamina, and remain full of vitality. (Resists the erosive effects of Sleeping Winter, Nightmare, and Mist Shadow; accelerates stamina recovery, keeps wearer warm.)
“Consider it a gift for our first meeting, how about that?”
In her pale blue eyes, a faint golden light seemed to swirl, stabilizing the attribute power gathered within the bracelet.
“Thank you, Madame Falan.” Setting the potted plant in her arms gently down beside her, the girl bowed in gratitude.
As she freed one hand, the golden petal bracelet floated gracefully toward her, sliding onto her fair wrist.
As the bracelet slipped into place, a subtle warmth instantly filled her whole body. The oppressive heat from standing amidst the sea of flowers vanished without a trace, no longer assaulting her in scorching waves.
Satisfied with Xilutaiya's acceptance, the noblewoman gave a slight nod. Then, parasol in hand, she walked past the girl.
“Follow me.”
And so Xilutaiya walked behind her as if inside a dream. The sea of flowers overflowing with golden light felt like a celestial realm. Only when they slowly walked out of the sunflower field and stepped into the cool, comfortable mansion did she gradually come back to her senses.
Entering another quiet room, Madame Falan had Xilutaiya set the glass-cloched pot onto a table.
“Just place it there. Your arms must be tired from carrying it all this time.” By now, she had set her parasol by the door, and her swept-up, lustrous golden hair caught the girl's eye.
“Yes.”
Shortly after the potted plant was set down, the noblewoman lifted a finger lightly. The covering black cloth floated up gracefully and drifted over to rest on a nearby shelf.
Inside the glass cloche, the tender green Swan Orchid blooming in serene beauty appeared before their eyes.
Raising her hand again, the glass cloche rose slowly and set itself down beside the table. At that moment, the unique fragrance of the Swan Orchid diffused outward, instantly refreshing the room.
Gazing at the blooming Swan Orchid, faint golden light swirled within Madame Falan's eyes. She seemed to possess a specialized observational technique that allowed her to discern the plant's condition.
“Splendid. One might even call it flawless, especially considering you haven't yet reached the first-order.” With one hand, she lightly snapped open her folding fan, letting the scent brewing in the Swan Orchid's stamens drift throughout the entire room, dispelling the lingering Blazing Sun heat.
“An atmosphere like this is indeed what I needed.” The noblewoman blinked playfully, offering the girl a smile.
“Please, sit. It seems we have much to talk about today.”
Once they sat across from each other, the noblewoman clapped her hands again, and the young maid appeared.
“Lining, prepare some Snow Orchid Tea for Tiya and me,” she instructed.
“Yes, Madame.” The maid curtsied slightly and left to prepare the tea.
While they waited, Madame Falan studied the young girl, an expression of keen interest in her eyes.
“Regarding your circumstances, Mailin has mentioned them to me, and Scholar Haide also informed me in a letter.
“Though I rarely socialize or venture into Burnt Stone City, I can always learn of what happens here quite easily.
“Breathing Method stage three, Dew Prayer Method stage three... Your rate of progress has surpassed what many could imagine.” As she spoke, the maid entered the room carrying the tea and set down two cups infused with white leaves before them.
“Have some. Snow Orchid Tea has a crisp, refreshing taste, perfect for chasing away the afternoon heat.” Madame Falan lifted her teacup.
Xilutaiya followed suit, raising her cup to take a small sip.
It was cool and delicately sweet on the tongue, followed by a mellow, pleasant richness. It seemed to have been brewed with filtered milk and special flower petals, giving the tea an exquisite texture.
Afterwards, Xilutaiya set down her cup and explained the purpose of her visit to Madame Falan.
“As for the advancement path and knowledge of a gardener, I can teach you everything without reservation,” Madame Falan agreed readily.
“However, gardener is a peculiar class where book knowledge doesn't play as significant a role. In truth, Scholar Haide knows just as much about gardening lore as I do, given his rich collection of books.
“Yet that hardly means he could ever become an exceptional gardener.
“The world's flora comes in countless varieties, each with its own temperament, environment, history, and season. Relying solely on rigid knowledge from books will only ever make you a passable craftsman.
“Therefore, whether you possess keen insight, attentiveness, patience, and the willingness to nurture over time—those are the true factors that determine whether a gardener is truly outstanding.
“It brings me great joy to see such an exceptional junior like you.” She took another sip of tea before setting her cup down.
“If you are willing, you may study gardening under me. But as tuition, you will also need to help me tend the flower field and handle a few simple tasks.
“Occasionally, when I travel far, I'll need you to stay here. Although Lining is a very capable maid, her grasp of gardening is rather ordinary.
“I wonder, would you be amenable to that?”
Xilutaiya considered it briefly and found nothing objectionable. In fact, she could sense the other woman's genuine goodwill and appreciation, so she nodded in agreement.
“Very good. It seems my quiet estate will be livening up,” she said with a faint smile.
“Come with me. I'll show you around first to get you acquainted, and then explain your routine duties.”
With that, she led Xilutaiya out of the room once more, walking through the grand and intricate estate.
“First, regarding watering the flower field: normally Lining handles the watering, but she lacks a knack for gardening. Therefore, you are to come once a week to inspect the field. Based on the condition of each sunflower, you will make subtle adjustments—either supplementing their water or holding back.
“Second, some of the sunflowers in the field need regular pruning to remove superfluous or poorly developed leaves and stems. Since you managed to cultivate the Swan Orchid so well, you should have no trouble spotting where growth is faltering or overgrown.”
Listening to her, Xilutaiya nodded slightly again, indicating she understood.
“Lastly, you will receive certain visitors on my behalf.
“I'm not home every day, and with certain guests, I can't be bothered to entertain them. You may handle trivial requests at your own discretion as circumstances require. If you run into anything you don't understand, just ask Lining directly—she knows how I usually do things.”
“About that...” Hesitation surfaced on Xilutaiya's face. Could she truly manage the complicated affairs of those visitors?
“No need to worry. Besides, you would have had to deal with such matters sooner or later anyway.” Madame Falan gently waved her folding fan.
“Oh, and in a moment, have Lining take your measurements. I'll find a suitable tailor to make you a few sets of clothes.
“Although this plain white dress suits your temperament very well, here with me, I prefer radiant soft yellows and brilliant gold.”
And so, Xilutaiya's life for the coming days was arranged. She could already sense that here with Madame Falan, she would come into contact with knowledge and circles far beyond anything she had known before.
Chapter 47