July 25, 2014, 10:30 AM, Zhicheng Flower Shop.

The low hum of a cell phone vibrating on the table instantly startled the man who was slumped over it, lost in sleep. He squinted, wiped the sleep crust from the corners of his eyes, and struggled to regain his wits before reaching for the phone.

[Mom: Son, the girl you met yesterday seemed to have a good impression of you. She told her parents you were alright. Try to ask her out again. You’re not getting any younger…]

"If asking for money and the right to co-sign on a house counts as a good impression... then everyone has a good impression,"

The message was too much for his brain to process. Chen Zhicheng didn't even bother to force a wry smile. He just buried his head on the counter again, emptying his mind, trying his best not to recall that feeling of emptiness. But as he moved his hand, he knocked a teacup off the table, and it shattered with a crash.

The scent of fruit and plants in the air was almost too sweet, and the sharp sound of breaking porcelain jolted him awake. He lifted his head, staring blankly at the shards of the cup he had used for five years and had grown somewhat attached to. He felt no regret, only a hollow emptiness, and couldn't even muster the energy to clean it up.

Chen Zhicheng. 31 years old. Owner of a flower and fruit shop.

An ordinary person who wakes up today and will wake up again tomorrow.

Or perhaps not so ordinary. After all, not everyone would stubbornly pursue a dream and open a flower shop... At least, that's what he used to think. The college graduate who had once made such grand pronouncements had been filled with hope for the future, enthusiastically tending to his favorite flowers and plants, cultivating his proudest bonsai, and occasionally winning prizes at small bonsai competitions, living a fulfilling and happy life.

But when did that disappear? That drive, that anticipation for the future... When did he lose his passion for the things he loved and become a mere cog in the machine, mechanically going to work and back, even feeling a slight aversion when he saw those adorable flowers and plants?

Perhaps it was when Chen Zhicheng realized that everything he loved was worthless to the people around him, even to the world.

"Zhicheng, all you do is play with those flowers and plants. It's fine as a hobby, I won't say anything, but you need to have a proper job, like everyone else. How else are you going to start a family?"

"Zhicheng, you know Aunt Wang's daughter? She's about your age... She doesn't look down on you and is willing to spend her life with you... Find a chance to meet her."

—Why 'look down on'? Why isn't this considered making a living?

I can clearly earn money to support myself, can't I? Why does everyone think this isn't a proper job? What does it take to be considered normal?!

Countless times he wanted to roar in protest, but each time he wanted to speak, each time he wanted to type, he eventually withdrew his words in dejection and deleted the sentences on WeChat.

Because his parents were right.

In the beginning, he had opened a purely bonsai shop, with no reputation, no connections, plunging headfirst into an industry he knew nothing about. Not only did he lack professional skills, but he also had no relevant experience. If his family hadn't supported him financially through the hardest times, he probably would have closed down long ago.

Later, he started selling fruit as a side business, barely breaking even. But Chen Zhicheng knew that it was all thanks to his neighbors giving him face, choosing not to buy from the large state-owned supermarkets but coming to him to support his business... How could he let them down? He could only focus on that aspect, trying his best to find the best fruit sources.

A person's time is always limited. Without realizing it, he hadn't tended to his once-beloved bonsai in a long time. After a hard day's work, when he saw the unruly leaves growing among the plants, his first thought wasn't, 'I need to prune these soon,' but a wave of weary annoyance.

'I have to deal with these again? How annoying, these things...'

Although he always caught himself and banished those thoughts from his mind, thoughts weren't like dust; how could he simply forget them?

Busily working, nine years passed, and Zhicheng Flower and Fruit Shop had become relatively stable. His parents had stopped urging him as much, seemingly accepting the situation, but the blind dates kept coming. After all, he was already 31, and if he didn't get married soon, he really would be too late.

Although he stubbornly refused to give up the 'flower' in Zhicheng Flower and Fruit, switching to a purely fruit and vegetable business, and even spent his meager savings on a greenhouse to continue tending to those bonsai that had no advantage over specialized shops in the market, Chen Zhicheng also had a glimmer of understanding—if he really did start a family, then those things called 'hobbies' would be best discarded.

His family wasn't well-off, and their support for his pursuit of dreams was already a rare display of open-mindedness and tolerance. But if he still 'clung to his illusions' after having a wife and children, he would truly disappoint his ever-worrying parents.

The so-called trade-off was probably like this.

Chen Zhicheng always thought things through very clearly... but every time after a blind date, when he returned to his small shop, he would fall into a daze of emptiness.

—So, like this... Am I really going to just live like this, drifting aimlessly, becoming a fruit shop owner I never wanted to be, marrying a wife who I have nothing in common with, everyone just making do with each other, at most not disliking each other, and then... living out my life?

Picking up a broom, Chen Zhicheng was about to sweep up the broken pieces of the teacup when he suddenly slumped back into his chair. He covered half his face with one hand, remaining silent for a long time.

His parents' nagging, his uncertainty about the future... Was he really going to live his life like this? This stagnant, oppressive feeling, slightly brighter than absolute hopelessness, but still unable to grasp any hope, a dim future...

This unwillingness, an absolutely unacceptable future...

"Yo, Chen-ge, how's it going!"

A cheerful greeting came from the doorway.

Chen Zhicheng's whole body jolted, as if he had been startled. He lifted his head, rubbed his eyes, and his tired face paired with slightly red eyes made him look like someone who had just woken up.

"You brat, can't even let your Chen-ge get a good sleep!"

He cursed, but Chen Zhicheng was inwardly relieved—he almost let Su Zhou, that brat, see that he was about to cry... How embarrassing, for someone his age.

Said he wanted to buy an apple bonsai, was he really thinking of growing bonsai or just wanting to grow apples to eat? Probably the latter. That guy didn't seem like someone who would like flowers and plants.

But that young man's energy was truly enviable.

Watching Su Zhou leave, the smile on the face of the middle-aged man in his late thirties gradually faded. He lowered his head, picked up the broom again, and began to sweep up the broken pieces of the teacup on the floor.

"Life has to go on."

Late at night, Chen Zhicheng, who had handed over the apple bonsai to Su Zhou, returned to his cramped room on the second floor of the shop.

He did have an apartment in the residential area, but it was too annoying to live with his parents. Not that the old folks were bad people, but they were constantly hinting and urging him to go on blind dates and find someone, to give them a child—grandsons and granddaughters weren't important, as long as he started a family and carried on the family line soon.

"It feels like they're just planning to give up on me, this failed R-card, and gamble on a single SSR pull."

Forcing a wry smile as he used mobile game jargon to make fun of himself, Chen Zhicheng was about to take off his clothes and take a shower when he suddenly noticed a cool breeze blowing through the room... But he clearly hadn't opened the window! The air conditioner wasn't on, and the fan was turned off, so where was this wind coming from?

This immediately startled him. Thinking of some of the strange rumors circulating among the neighbors recently, Chen Zhicheng couldn't help but associate this abnormality with ghosts—he was a bit superstitious—and he suddenly felt a bit weak in the knees, wanting to turn around and flee.

But just as he was about to run, Chen Zhicheng unexpectedly smelled a faint floral fragrance... It was the fragrance of the Cymbidium goeringii he kept in his home.

—Didn't the Cymbidium goeringii bloom at least at the end of September? It's only the end of July now, how could it be...?

Unable to bear this strange occurrence within his professional domain, Chen Zhicheng actually overcame his fear of ghosts in an instant and turned to look at where he had placed his Cymbidium goeringii.

As a result, he saw a tiny figure dancing gracefully.

It was a small dot with purplish-brown wings, which at first glance looked like a flying insect. She was happily dancing around a wide-leaved flower plant, bringing with it a refreshing and sweet breeze.

"What's that?"

Because she didn't emit light and her wings were dark in color, Chen Zhicheng didn't notice this little dot at first glance—but now that he had found her, his heart was filled with caution, along with a burst of curiosity from the depths of his heart.

"Ah!"

At this moment, the little dot also noticed Chen Zhicheng's gaze. With a soft cry, she darted and shrank back into a large, unusually large orchid—the pair of wings served perfectly as somewhat wide petals. If they weren't trembling slightly, even Chen Zhicheng would probably have found it difficult to realize that they weren't actually petals.

Blinking, holding his breath, Chen Zhicheng tiptoed closer to his pot of Cymbidium goeringii. He widened his eyes, looking closely at the flower.

Just then, the little dot also cautiously turned her head, seemingly intending to observe the surrounding situation—and every single movement of hers fell right into Chen Zhicheng's eyes. Both of them stared at each other with surprise.

"Eek!"

Perhaps frightened by the oversized eyes, the tiny figure immediately shrank back into the flower like an ostrich, shivering.

And it was just that moment of eye contact that Chen Zhicheng realized that the little dot, with petals as wings, was actually a tiny humanoid made of leaves and petals. Although small, the details were extremely similar to a human, even quite adorable.

"She's actually a little afraid of me."

Originally, upon discovering this strange creature in the flower he raised, Chen Zhicheng, who had always revered ghosts and gods, should have felt some fear—but for some reason, smelling the fragrance of the Cymbidium goeringii, his heart became inexplicably calm.

Even, a faint sense of joy.

"I don't know what you eat... How about I bring you some honey, okay?"

Chen Zhicheng said that, and that's exactly what he did. He immediately went to take some honey from the cupboard, and then with a test tube, dripped a drop on the petal.

The fragrance instantly lured the tiny humanoid to turn her head. She looked at the drop of honey with curiosity and a bit of greed—the petal humanoid looked at Chen Zhicheng, then at the honey, waving her little hand, seemingly asking 'can I eat it?'.

And Chen Zhicheng replied with a second drop of honey. This immediately made her let out a cheer.

Watching this tiny humanoid, so much like a fairy in a fairy tale, licking the honey bit by bit, Chen Zhicheng felt a rare sense of accomplishment for some reason.

"I can't fulfill my parents' requests, surely I can fulfill the needs of this little one—I'll provide all the honey you can eat! As long as I'm around, eat as much as you want!"

He said grandly to the dazed flower fairy, but then sighed self-deprecatingly, "Sigh, I can only awkwardly talk to myself like this... How embarrassing."

But no matter what, watering and fertilizing every time, feeding the flower fairy honey every night, watching her happily lick it, was a time when Chen Zhicheng could relax and smell the flowers.

The hard and monotonous work seemed to have some meaning. Gradually, the flower fairy would even fly over to greet him when he returned to his room, bringing with it a cool summer breeze and the fragrance of orchids.

Perhaps that's why he had the energy to take the initiative to greet the neighbors and wave to acquaintances passing by, and the acquaintances would also wave back to him with a smile... The change was mutual.

Even that unruly brat, Su Zhou, could suddenly smile so brightly at him.

As time passed, after a week and a half, on that rainy day of August 15th, the flower fairy's growing intelligence and increasing strength even exceeded Chen Zhicheng's expectations.

On this day, when Chen Zhicheng returned to his room, he found that the flower fairy didn't fly up to greet him—he curiously looked around, but was shocked to find that the tiny humanoid was holding a shiny kitchen knife!

In that instant, Chen Zhicheng did have some dark thoughts, such as 'Has the flower fairy finally revealed her true colors as a monster and is going to kill me?', but soon, he realized he was wrong.

When the flower fairy saw him come back, she immediately let out a happy "Eek," as a greeting.

Then, she flew to the refrigerator with the knife, opened the refrigerator door, and took out a cucumber.

Because the refrigerator was very cold, when the flower fairy took out the cucumber, her wings looked a little wilted—but she cheered herself on, drinking and drinking, and actually held the knife, which was much bigger than herself, and cut a slice of cucumber that was completely uneven and messy, and placed it on a plate!

Finally, the flower fairy even thoughtfully sprinkled a little white sugar, and then holding the plate, flew to Chen Zhicheng, who was stunned, handed him the plate, and put her hands on her hips, looking very proud!

"Eek!"

And the man asked with amusement and a touch of emotion, "Did you make this for me to eat?"

"Yah!"

The flower fairy nodded seriously, and then flew back and forth in the air like a bee, seemingly wanting to express some meaning—Chen Zhicheng guessed that it was probably gratitude, after all, his recent dinners had been cucumber slices.

Chen Zhicheng remembered that once, he had taken a cucumber from the refrigerator, sliced it, added sugar, and eaten it under the flower fairy's curious gaze, and the flower fairy, who had always been receiving his kindness, probably remembered this and wanted to repay him.

As for the fact that the cucumber originally belonged to him... the flower fairy probably didn't understand that yet.

In short, that night, Chen Zhicheng happily ate a plate of cucumber slices with too much sugar, and the flower fairy, because she was playing slip-and-slide on the cucumber slices full of sugar water, got sticky all over and spent half the night washing in a small bathtub prepared for her by Chen Zhicheng, and was so tired that she slept for a whole day.

A few days later, when Chen Zhicheng returned at night, he didn't see the flower fairy's figure again—but looking closely, he could see that the leaves and flowers of his Cymbidium goeringii naturally intertwined to form the shape of his face.

And the flower fairy, looking very tired, was lying in the very center of the natural human face bonsai, sound asleep.

"Really... you playful little thing."

Looking at this scene, Chen Zhicheng's tired and confused heart was greatly comforted. He smiled softly, then picked up the small silk sheet he had prepared for the flower fairy long ago and covered her with it.

Then, he sat on his bed, staring blankly at the sky outside the window—although it was a torrential rain with thunder roaring, the flashes of pale light opened up something that had been blocked in his heart.

"Even a little fairy knows how to repay kindness, cooking for me, even making her home look like me... But I'm still here, struggling and decadent, ignoring the care my parents have shown me, only wallowing in self-pity..."

He murmured to himself, then shook his head with a smile, "Really, what am I still being decadent about—so what if the future isn't what I originally imagined? Such a small thing, I just need to work hard to overcome it."

—From today on, I'll do my best!

But the next morning.

Chen Zhicheng, who hadn't opened the shop door yet, suddenly heard someone knocking.

"Who is it? Coming, coming."

Chen Zhicheng, who was tidying up some of the rotten fruits and vegetables in the shop, was a little confused and cautious as he walked towards the shop door—a neighbor planning to buy some fruit in the morning? They could send a message, and he could deliver it later. Why bother knocking on the door, that's too much trouble.

But when he opened the door, Chen Zhicheng immediately knew something was wrong.

Because standing at the door was a middle-aged man wearing a dark cyan robe, with a long beard and a tall hat, wearing the chest plate of a professor from the Zhengyi Academy.

And behind him, four armed constables who looked extremely strong, their pectoral muscles seemingly having a life of their own.

"Could it be?!"

Chen Zhicheng wasn't stupid. He immediately thought of the 'spiritual Qi revival' mentioned in the recent TV news and by the surrounding neighbors—he accepted this very quickly. After all, even a flower fairy had appeared, what was impossible?

Had the flower fairy been discovered?

Thinking of this, he immediately thought that he had to find a chance to tell the flower fairy to hide, or to let her leave quickly, but coincidentally, as if sensing something, the flower fairy, who had been staying upstairs all along, quietly went down the stairs, looking curiously at the door.

Chen Zhicheng helplessly discovered that the professor had also seen the flower fairy.

"Officers... may I ask, is there something..."

Forcing a smile, Chen Zhicheng, feeling extremely uneasy and nervous, didn't know what to do, but could only forcibly interrupt and block the five people at the door, and behind him, he frantically made gestures to the flower fairy, signaling her to leave quickly.

But the professor smiled and sighed softly: "Mr. Chen, don't worry."

"We came here specifically, although it is indeed for your flower fairy—or flower spirit, but we have no intention of harming you."

A while later, both sides were sitting at the table.

"Don't look at us so nervously, concern can be blinding, Mr. Chen, think carefully, why would we take away your partner?"

The professor, who introduced himself as Zhang Fucheng, reassured Chen Zhicheng, who was clearly too nervous. The middle-aged professor's voice was calm as he looked up at the flower fairy perched on the man's head, with a calming intention: "You have to understand, flower fairies, these kinds of spirit creatures, cannot gain their trust unless they are special people. We not only have no intention, but also no ability to abduct her."

"In fact, we came here just to confirm your partnership and have you sign this contract."

At this moment, Chen Zhicheng had already finished reading the contract in front of him—the contract was very simple, it was just to guarantee that the flower fairy would not go out and cause trouble everywhere, affecting others, and if his flower fairy partner did something bad, causing losses due to trouble, then he would be responsible for compensation.

"But, Professor Zhang, I don't quite understand why..."

But it was precisely because it was too simple that Chen Zhicheng was a little confused: "This contract actually has no restrictions or impact at all—I was originally planning to do that anyway!"

Could he make the flower fairy compensate if she damaged something?

"No." Professor Zhang shook his head, he denied this statement: "The contract is a ceremony and an attitude, we believe that you and your fairy partner will not do evil—but as a 'potential superhuman', this attitude of 'obeying the law' and 'abiding by order' is essential."

Saying that, Zhang Fucheng leaned forward, and his tone was serious: "You must know, Mr. Chen, this world has begun to change."

Hearing that, Chen Zhicheng, who was still a little dazed, could only nod subconsciously: "Ah, I know..."

After asking the question, Zhang Fucheng's posture returned to normal, and his tone was still as calm and serious as before: "Therefore, the Zheng country's government does not want any 'possible superhuman' to harbor resentment. After all, in this era of change, who knows if you will become a powerful superhuman in the future?"

"Even if you can't, we won't make rash moves—investing in talent, although it may sound a little hurtful, you are not at that level for the time being, but even just for the sake of the many awakened people in the future, including you, to have some centripetal force towards our country as a whole, we will never do anything you might imagine."

Opening his mouth, Chen Zhicheng was speechless for a long time, and when he felt the flower fairy on his head seem to be pulling his hair, he replied a little blankly: "Well, I know..."

Professor Zhang seemed very satisfied with Chen Zhicheng's attitude, he nodded and said seriously: "Therefore, not only for you and your companion, you should do more things. Mr. Chen, you must know that flower fairies, or rather, flower spirits, are spirits born from the essence of plants and trees, they are naturally kind, and as spirits, they are the most friendly."

"Taking good care of this kind of alien who is extremely friendly to humans is your responsibility. If you cannot fulfill your responsibility, even if it causes bad consequences for you and this flower fairy partner, we will complete it in your place."

Saying that, Zhang Fucheng took out a white form and handed it to Chen Zhicheng: "In a few days, go to the location on this address, and the Hongcheng Security Bureau will come to test your talent—your talent should be in the grass and trees category, otherwise, your overflow of spiritual Qi would not have given birth to a flower fairy."

"That's about it, we have complete experience in taking care of small superhuman creatures, you can also go to the learning class opened by the Security Bureau to study, don't let her down. Here is a manual for taking care of grass and tree spirits, remember to read it carefully and don't make your partner feel uncomfortable."

"By the way, if you don't mind, you can consider joining the Security Bureau—we are short of quasi-awakeners like you who have talent and kindness to take care of various spiritual plants and trees that may appear... Believe us, joining the official is definitely the right choice."

"Well... I know." Taking the booklet, Chen Zhicheng's voice was even a little trembling when he said this.

"Eek!"

And at this time, the flower fairy seemed to feel Chen Zhicheng's agitated mood, so she suddenly stood up angrily, and made several gestures to Zhang Fucheng, making a fluctuating 'eek' sound.

"Hello there."

As a professor, that is, a former high merit Dharma master, how would Zhang Fucheng care about the anger of a little fairy flower fairy? He smiled at the flower fairy, revealing his shiny white teeth, which could also be regarded as a greeting.

Subduing demons and eliminating evil, a wrathful Dharma form, that's only necessary when facing demons, who would be angry with such a cute little fairy?

"...Thank you very much."

Finally, Chen Zhicheng, whose mood had finally calmed down, exhaled, he showed a sincere smile, then stood up and bowed deeply to the middle-aged man in front of him.

"I know everything... Thank you very much."

"Thank you very much for bringing me new choices."

"You're welcome."

What he got in return was such a reply: "If you are willing to join us and choose to protect our common world, then we need to thank you too."

But at this time, Chen Zhicheng, who was bowing, had already shed tears, large drops of tears rolled onto the table, whether it was sadness or the joy of finally being recognized.

"Really, thank you very much."

——Spiritual Qi recovery, a world of change, brings impermanence.

In the darkness, shadows fluctuate, stars are chaotic, and demons are revived.

Life is like grains of sand in the sea, involuntarily sinking and floating, the future is uncertain, and no one knows where to go.

But under the light, there is still kindness from order spreading.

Just as people's hearts are not all selfish, there is always something that will give warmth to others and oneself, that will make people choose to believe in hope, continue to strengthen their beliefs, strengthen their wishes, and walk on the path they want to walk.

——In this new era, I hope everyone can have hope in their hearts——

——Volume 1 · Spiritual Resurrection · END——