Both had picked the flowers they wanted. Without walking through the entire sea of flowers, they returned to the hillside early.

On the road, whether it was an illusion or not, Shen Mo felt his flower seemed to be rapidly withering. Just passing through the woods—a mere fifteen minutes—the outer petals were already showing wrinkles, no longer as relaxed and leisurely as when first picked.

This was obviously abnormal.

If this were the real world, a flower like this, once picked, should last at least two or three hours, right?

Shen Mo glanced at Bai Youwei’s lotus flower.

The lotus was still fine—the flower shape large and full, water droplets sliding on the snow-white petals, gleaming crystal clear.

Bai Youwei said, “Because yours isn’t thick enough.”

Shen Mo: “…”

Bai Youwei pointed at the lotus stem. “The thicker this is, the more nutrients it can provide to the flower, and the longer the flower shape can be maintained. But the herbaceous peony’s stem is already pretty good. Let’s walk faster and put the flower in the vase.”

Only then did Shen Mo remember that the transparent glass vases on the table were filled with water.

His heart stirred, and he asked Bai Youwei, “You chose the lotus because you already discovered these flowers would rapidly wither once picked?”

Bai Youwei: “I can’t predict the future~ I chose the lotus because the first time a man gave me flowers, it was a lotus. I picked it because I liked it~”

Shen Mo: “…”

Last time when he helped her pick lotus pods, he’d casually plucked a lotus flower to bring back for her to play with.

Shen Mo lowered his eyes to glance at Bai Youwei, saying lightly, “Your mindset is getting better and better.”

Normally being playful was one thing, but now she dared to banter with him like this even in a game.

Bai Youwei held up the lotus flower with a smile, half her face hidden behind it, revealing a pair of clear, cunning eyes.

She said with a smile, “When I saw the water in the vases, I did have similar speculations. After all, the difference between flowers and apples is quite significant. Apples won’t spoil for several days, but flowers, especially small plant varieties… small daisies, evening primrose, night-blooming jasmine—these wilt within minutes of being picked.”

Shen Mo nodded slightly. “So you still knew.”

Not only knew, but didn’t remind the others.

Realizing this, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Bai Youwei keenly perceived it and asked, “You’re not blaming me, are you?”

“No.” Shen Mo answered.

—With rules that eliminated ten out of eighteen people, this clearly had a confrontational nature. Bai Youwei had no need to be generous and kind enough to tell everyone the secret to clearing the game.

Shen Mo really didn’t blame her.

What made him slightly uncomfortable now was this sense of being forced to submit to the game’s rules, this unfree constraint that was growing day by day.

“I’m glad you’re not blaming me.” Bai Youwei said airily. “After all, I’m still young and not mature enough. I don’t want to become a mother so early~”

Shen Mo’s steps stopped. He raised an eyebrow at her.

Was he old? What was this about now?

Bai Youwei understood his look and explained, “I mean a holy mother, being everyone’s mother~”

Shen Mo: “…”

Bai Youwei: “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Shen Mo: “Nothing. Just think you must be very happy.”

Happy enough to be finding amusement at every moment.

Bai Youwei said with a smile, “Because I found the source of happiness~”

Shen Mo gave her a cool look, withdrew his gaze, and continued forward with the herbaceous peony, replying, “Take it easy. Be careful not to become a source of pain.”

Bai Youwei looked around herself.

How could there be pain?… This kind of game, even playing a hundred more wouldn’t get boring. At least for her, it was truly much happier than the real world…