The blue roses in the courtyard weren't always there. They were all planted personally by Zhao Youting.
However, Zhao Youting never liked flowers - because his mother did.
In his childhood, Zhao Youting's life lacked joy.
He could indeed have everything that others had, and even things that others desired but couldn't obtain.
Yet, he never felt happy.
"Youting, you should be obedient. You did well today," said the woman in front of him. She was dressed in a not overly ornate but exquisitely tailored dress. Her beautiful and delicate face, showing no signs of the ravages of time, wore a cold expression with a slight frown.
"Okay," replied the ten - year - old boy. He knew that this was not just an ordinary remark but a command.
"Go. Now go to the garden outside and play with Li Shanen. Just like before, you must come back in ten minutes."
These ten minutes were hard - won. He had achieved them by finishing reading several professional books ahead of today's goal.
"Sure."
With time running out, he didn't dare to linger. Like a fugitive, Zhao Youting dashed through the garden, which, like those of other families, only had some tulips planted, and ran outside the courtyard.
Li Shanen seemed to have been waiting there for a while.
"Oh! Young Master Zhao, you really made me wait! Hurry up! We only have ten minutes today, but I've borrowed my dad's driver. If we hurry, we can still go out for a while."
Apparently, Li Shanen was familiar with the way things worked in Zhao Youting's family and had already arranged the itinerary for their playtime.
Hearing this, Zhao Youting immediately looked a bit excited. "Huh? We can go out today?"
While pulling him towards the car without hesitation, Li Shanen replied, "Yes, yes. Hurry up and get in the car."
"Okay." Saying so, Zhao Youting climbed into the car with a somewhat dashing movement, despite being just a young boy.
"Tsk tsk tsk." Li Shanen, used to a free - range lifestyle, couldn't help but click his tongue twice at the sight of Zhao Youting's extremely well - mannered appearance as a young master.
Zhao Youting ignored his playmate's joking mockery and tilted his head to look out of the window.
According to his mother's standards, he might be considered naughty and disobedient now.
"Hey, Youting, I'm asking you. What do you do all day staying at home? Aren't you bored? You only have ten minutes of free - time every day..."
Zhao Youting still looked out of the window. "I read books, practice calligraphy, and learn things at home."
"Ugh, it sounds so annoying."
"I think it's okay..."
"That's because you're used to it! No normal person lives like this! And you always look so mature. I'm always being compared to you!"
Seeing Li Shanen's flailing gestures, Zhao Youting smiled softly.
Li Shanen was like a free - range child. Since there was an elder son in his family to inherit the family business, he only needed to eat, drink, and be happy every day.
"Hey, we're almost there. Let me see... We still have seven minutes. We can play outside for four minutes!"
Zhao Youting also looked a bit excited.
At home, unless accompanied by layers of bodyguards and with the permission of the old lady, his mother would never allow him to go out.
Even when going to the amusement park, it was always a private booking to avoid crowded situations.
This was the first time he had gone out freely without heavy escort.
The ordinary urban area, with nothing particularly strange or interesting around, was actually very fascinating to Zhao Youting at that time.
Soon, three minutes passed.
"Hey, Youting, what are you doing? We only have one minute left. It's time to go!"
Li Shanen saw Zhao Youting standing still, looking at something beside a store.
When he went over to take a look, he found that Zhao Youting was looking at an ordinary ring.
"Master? Do you want this? Can we come back and look at it next time? We're running out of time."
Being urged by Li Shanen, Zhao Youting had no choice but to be pulled back into the car.
On the way back, Li Shanen chattered non - stop. "Hey, Master, why do you want that thing? Haven't you seen it before?"
"Mom had a similar one before, but she lost it recently. She often mentions it and seems a bit sad. I thought..."
Suddenly, Zhao Youting looked at Li Shanen. "Shanen, you often go out. Could you help me..."
"Oh my! Young Master Zhao, you're actually asking someone to do something for you?"
Li Shanen suddenly leaned in front of Zhao Youting with a grin. "That thing costs money to buy. Although it's not much, you know that my family, though a bit better off, isn't any looser in this regard than yours..."
Zhao Youting pursed his lips, and his face showed a look of struggle.
"But since you're my best friend, I'll help you with this. But you have to help me with my homework in return, okay?"
At that time, Zhao Youting, with his extremely correct values and extraordinary innocence, struggled even more.
Finally, they made a deal that Zhao Youting would do Li Shanen's homework for a week.
Of course, it was only much later, during a drunken confession, that Zhao Youting learned that the ring actually didn't cost much.
Just half a day's pocket money of Li Shanen was enough. He had been simply deceived.
And it was a completely unworthy deception.
A week later, when Zhao Youting presented the ring to his mother, her reaction was extremely strange.
"Where did this thing come from?" The woman's face was even colder than usual.
The young Zhao Youting, who had never interacted with outsiders, didn't realize that her mood was abnormal. He was just doing what he thought would make her happy.
"Shanen bought it when he went out to play. I remembered that you lost a similar one before, so I asked Shanen to give it to me for you."
As he said this, he held out his hand in front of his mother.
She didn't say anything. She just turned around and left without taking it.
"Throw it away. I don't need it. Use this time to review what the tutor taught you today."
The woman's cold voice and the sound of her high - heels stepping on the wooden floor echoed in the corridor.
The little boy was a bit at a loss. He couldn't figure out whether he had really done something wrong.
On that day, he didn't throw away the ring. He just put it in his room.
Later, one day, it disappeared. No one noticed, not even Zhao Youting himself. He didn't even bother to look for it.
After all, it might not be an important thing, just like himself in this family.
A bird trapped in a cage has no value. If it did, it wouldn't be locked up. Even if the cage was decorated luxuriously and made one feel comfortable or even enjoy it, it was still the same.
This thought took root in Zhao Youting's mind from that day on.
It wasn't until one day that he discovered that the bird - cage had other functions besides confinement.