Upon hearing from Leland that the gift was in his room and he wanted her to come with him to fetch it, Winifred felt a sense of curiosity. She also noticed that Leland had been acting out of character lately, forgetting his place as a “dog” and daring to beckon to his master.
Winifred pursed her lips, with a slight upward curve at the corners, initially not intending to accept Leland’s request.
She thought to herself, “Why should I go to his room to get a gift that he prepared for me?”
As if sensing Winifred’s prideful thoughts, Leland changed his tone, his voice becoming low and pleading, “Please.”
Confronted by his pleading gaze, Winifred sighed and agreed. After all, she wouldn’t have many more chances to see him in the future.
Having been with Leland for so many years, even a fish would have developed feelings, let alone a person. Although she always treated Leland like a dog, she couldn’t deny that she relied on him a lot.
“Alright.”
Seeing her acquiescence, Leland’s expression softened. His room was on the second floor, in a corner, quite a distance from Winifred’s room.
As they ascended the stairs, the ship swayed with the waves, causing Winifred to sometimes lose her balance and lean back. She quickly grasped the handrail, but the sway still startled her. Fortunately, Leland was right behind her, observing her steps and reaching out to stop her when her body leaned backward.
Winifred carried a hint of fragrance, perhaps from a perfume, which hadn’t dissipated despite being exposed to the sea breeze for so long.
“Be careful.”
This was the first time Winifred had been this close to Leland, almost chest to chest, able to feel each other’s heartbeat and breath. She felt oddly uncomfortable, even though the sea breeze was cold at night, she suddenly felt warmer than in the daytime.
She despised this uncontrollable feeling and tightly grasped the railing, gently pushing Leland away, breaking free from his embrace. She instantly felt relieved.
Her hair was disheveled by the wind, so Winifred reached up to push the obstructing hair behind her ear. She wore a pair of fringed diamond earrings gifted to her by Garrison, a birthday present consisting of multicolored diamonds strung together like a constellation.
As Winifred adjusted the earrings, Leland couldn’t help but be captivated. With Winifred’s movement, he quickly regained his composure.
“What kind of gift did you prepare for me?”
“You will know when we arrive,” Leland responded.
Upon reaching the doorway, Winifred was stunned by what she saw inside Leland’s room. He had prepared various colorful lights, creating a romantic atmosphere that felt like another world compared to the dim outside. Additionally, the room was adorned with numerous flowers.
Winifred looked around and picked up one of the flowers on the table, asking, “What kind of flower is this?”
“It’s a camellia.”
“Does it carry any meaning?” Winifred inquired, taking a faint whiff of a tea-like scent emanating from the flower.
Recalling the language of the camellia flower, Leland fell silent and then shook his head. “It’s just an ordinary flower without any special meaning.”
As Winifred stared at the camellia in her palm, she had received roses, tulips, lilies, sunflowers, but this was the first time she had seen someone give her a camellia.
Leland asked, “Miss, what kind of flower do you like?”
“Me?” Winifred replied, “Roses. I like those big red roses. But liking them and receiving them are two different things.”
Leland was momentarily puzzled, not understanding the implication behind Winifred’s words. It was the first time he had heard that she liked roses.
Although the Dawson family garden was abundant with flowers, there was a noticeable absence of roses. Every day, fresh flowers were placed in the vases as decoration, but there was never a hint of roses.
The only time they appeared was when Winifred, as a punishment, had him embrace a thorny rose bush while shirtless, witnessing him being pricked all over.
If she liked roses, why wouldn’t she want to receive them?
At first glance, roses were a symbol of love, with their language representing “love.” Did Winifred not want to receive them out of fear of receiving love only to lose it again?
“Where is my gift?”
“Here,” Leland retrieved a beautifully decorated box and handed it to Winifred.
Even the box alone exhibited exquisite craftsmanship. Winifred untied the butterfly knot, opened the box, and found a watch inside. It was a black chain watch, bordering on a piece of jewelry, with diamonds and gemstones adorning it.
Winifred recognized the brand of the watch, with even the cheapest starting at six figures.
Her initials, GWQ, were engraved on the back of the watch. It was clearly a customized piece.
Where did Leland get so much money? He was willing to buy her such an expensive watch.
Without asking him where the money came from, Winifred displayed no emotions and simply threw the watch back into the box.
“Giving me a watch for my birthday, what are you trying to imply? Don’t you know it’s considered unlucky?” Winifred spoke, coldly observing him.
A watch represented time, and to gift a watch was to symbolize “end.”
Leland hadn’t contemplated these meanings, only knowing that the watch was beautiful and would look great on Winifred’s delicate wrist. Just the thought of her looking at the time, wearing that watch, made the blood in his body boil.
Leland didn’t know about any negative implications. He had given Winifred the watch with the simple hope that she would think of him every minute and that they could be together every minute.
Now, seeing Winifred’s displeased expression, Leland’s heart was in turmoil. “I didn’t give it to you on your birthday. If you think it’s bad luck, then give me a dollar in exchange. That way, it wouldn’t be a gift anymore…”
Winifred couldn’t help but smile at Leland’s flustered explanation. She picked up the watch again and handed it to Leland, saying, “Put it on for me.”
Taking the watch, Leland carefully fastened it to Winifred’s wrist. He had specifically customized it, ensuring the chain’s length fit perfectly. The black chain on Winifred’s wrist created a striking contrast with her fair skin, making her hands look even whiter.
Leland had surprisingly good taste. As Winifred raised her wrist to look at the dial, the black color reminded her of Leland’s eyes.
She reached for the necklace around her neck and handed it to Leland.
“What’s this for?”
Winifred snorted, “Since I don’t have a dollar, I’ll exchange it for this necklace.”
Leland tightly grasped the necklace she gave him, then looked toward the red wine he had prepared.
“Miss, would you join me for a drink? Consider it a toast to our trade.”