The Reclusive Ancestor Goes Viral at College with Velvet Flowers!

Shen Zhiyi spent her entire life as a master of velvet-flower making. At the moment she closed her eyes, she was still clutching her final peony-and-phoenix flower. But when she opened them again, she had become a socially anxious sophomore majoring in Chinese in the 21st century. After the original owner quit five clubs in a row, she took charge of the traditional crafts society on the spot: velvet-flower persimmons on backpacks, golden lion headbands on the campus heartthrob, flower showers attached to drones, and livestreams breaking down all 72 steps of the craft to debunk internet celebrities.

Xu Qianche, the aloof campus heartthrob from the architecture department, was heir to a family tradition of gold-leaf making. He seemed fastidious and sharp-tongued, but was secretly obsessed with hands and plush things. One velvet flower from her was all it took to have him grinning like a fish on a hook. The two turned “velvet flowers plus gold leaf” into a top-tier star of traditional Chinese style. From campus variety shows to international runways and charity auctions, they kept breaking into new markets, yet insisted on “flirting only, no wedding.”

This is a delightfully ridiculous feel-good story that stitches traditional crafts into jokes, and a colorful love letter to readers aged 18 to 25: You can be socially anxious or just give up and coast, but all it takes is the courage of a single velvet flower to make the whole world put on a show for you.