Little Sophie initially thought this game of "hide-and-seek" was quite fun. But soon her nose started itching fiercely, her eyes too, and she began digging at her nose and rubbing her eyes nonstop. Finally, she couldn't hold back and started sneezing violently. Her eyes swelled up, and her whole body broke out in patchy pink hives—itchy, unbearably itchy. She couldn't take it anymore and wailed, "Mommy—Mommy—"
But her mother had already walked far away searching for her and didn't hear the cries. Panic set in. Sophie scratched with her little hands while bursting into loud sobs: "Help me, Mommy, help me, Mommy, ah—"
By the time her mother found her, Sophie had collapsed into the flower bed. Her eyes were swollen like eggs, the exposed skin on her body scratched raw with bloody streaks, and she was barely breathing as she whispered, "Help me, Mommy—"
Because of her willfulness, this allergic reaction was unprecedentedly severe. By the time they reached the hospital, she had already passed out. Her mother was terrified and kept blaming herself. The sensible little Sophie also realized her mistake, and from then on, she never touched flowers again—of course, she never envied couples who received bouquets either.
From the general manager's office, Ned watched Sophie's actions and felt a bitter pang in his heart. Did she dislike the flowers he sent? Did she like Archibald and not him? He sank into his wide executive chair, closed his eyes, and fell deep into thought.
The afternoon passed in busy yet highly efficient work. Sophie completed today's tasks smoothly. At 6 p.m., she tidied her workstation, slung her backpack over her shoulder cheerfully, and left the C&C building. Unbeknownst to her, Ned followed behind and exited as well.
The bus stop home was quite close to the C&C lobby. If she took the employee exit, Sophie would have to cross two blocks to reach it—time-consuming and tiring. Today she'd finished early with no overtime, so she decided to be lazy and take a shortcut, cutting through the opulent hotel lobby and exiting via the side door to catch the bus.
The moment she stepped out, she spotted Archibald leaning roguishly against a flashy blue sports car, wearing frog-eye sunglasses and an orange hoodie. That pose could absolutely rival a super-A model.
Seeing Sophie emerge, he gallantly opened the car door, made a standard "please" gesture, and shouted loudly: "Dear Sophie, let me be your exclusive driver today. Please get in!"
Sophie, who had originally planned to avoid him, noticed a growing crowd of nosy colleagues gathering in the hotel lobby. She hurriedly climbed into his sports car, buckled her seatbelt, and urged Archibald to get in quickly and drive off.
Sitting in the passenger seat, she immediately sensed something wrong—waves of intense floral fragrance filled the car. Her nose started itching, and she felt the urge to sneeze. She had taken thorough precautions that afternoon! As a safety measure, she had even swallowed a backup antihistamine early—it should have been foolproof.
She searched the car but found no trace of flowers, not even a single petal. Uneasily, she pulled a mask from her backpack and put it on, deluding herself that it would block the pollen.
When Ned drove his executive car out of the underground parking garage, he happened to see the two of them getting in together. The sports car slowly pulled away from C&C. On some impulse, he followed.
Once Archibald's sports car was out of the C&C area, Sophie quickly rolled down the window, trying to disperse the increasingly thick floral scent. By now, the itching sensation on her body was stirring, and she desperately wanted to scratch.
Watching Sophie silently wearing a mask in the passenger seat, Archibald couldn't resist teasing her: "Treating me like a real driver, huh? I'm expensive, you know."
The discomfort was growing worse, spreading all over her body. Sophie couldn't help urging, "Drive faster!"
Archibald stuck out his tongue and accelerated. Ned, tailing behind, sped up as well.
Twenty minutes later, the tormented Sophie finally spotted the alley of her rented apartment. She anxiously told Archibald to stop, flung open the door, and jumped out impatiently.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait—" Archibald circled to the front of the car, popped the hood, and lifted out a magnificently wrapped, enormous bouquet of "Juliet roses." Beaming like a spring breeze, he walked up to Sophie and extended the flowers toward her.
"Sophie, I've liked you for a long time. You were lively and bold in the convenience store; you're beautiful and capable at C&C; you're hardworking and eager to learn. Though you're mostly soft and gentle, every single move you make deeply attracts me. These past few days without seeing you, without being able to find you, my heart has felt empty. I want to be with you, take care of you, protect you. I'll gladly be your exclusive driver forever—Sophie, be my girlfriend."
The scene was witnessed by Ned, who had just parked and was getting out of his car, as well as by Sophie's mother, who was returning from the supermarket with a bag of bread and vegetables.
"Achoo— Achoo—" Sophie sneezed twice in front of the bouquet, ruining the moment as she pulled out a tissue to blow her nose. Her mother hurried over, grabbed her arm, and dragged her toward home. "Sophie, we're going back first." Then, turning back to Archibald, she said loudly, "Sir, we're heading home now. It's too rushed today to invite you in—goodbye."
"Mom— Achoo— Mommy— Achoo..." Her mother, somehow summoning great strength, firmly pulled Sophie by the arm into the small apartment.
Everything happened too suddenly. Archibald, still immersed in the emotions of his confession, stood frozen with the massive bouquet of Juliet roses until Ned, approaching from behind, patted his shoulder to snap him out of it. Having witnessed the entire process, Ned pretended to be casual as he teased, "What, is there actually a girl who can reject your roses?"
Archibald, holding the enormous bouquet, said sheepishly, "I just confessed to Sophie. She hadn't agreed yet when her mom came and dragged her away."
Ned had observed Sophie's reactions the whole time, and combined with the afternoon incident—how she had eagerly moved the red roses he sent into the pantry—he instantly pieced it together: Sophie was severely allergic to flower pollen. "Those Juliet roses were for Sophie? You didn't know she's allergic to flowers?"
"What? Allergic? Sophie's allergic to flowers? Why didn't you say so earlier?" Archibald quickly tossed the expensive bouquet into a nearby trash bin, clapped his hands, and shook his head. "Ugh, bad start." Then the two drove off one after the other to an upscale club in the city center.