Chapter Forty: Scent

Listening to the wind rustling outside, Ye Mian closed the door behind her.

Staring at the vivid camellia, she found a small crystal vase, filled it with clear water, and carefully arranged the flower inside.

It stood alone, slightly askew, yet it was already beautiful enough.

She scratched her head, setting the vase on the windowsill. After admiring it for a while, she felt uneasy—the spot was too vulnerable to the wind.

She tried several different places, but in the end, she chose to set the flower firmly in the center of the table.

From a distance, the stifling house seemed to come alive in an instant, as if winter’s last touch of color had been framed against a backdrop of white.

Once the flower was settled, her attention shifted to the delicate pink box.

It was small; she gently lifted the lid.

Ye Mian froze.

Inside lay a refined white wooden box, accompanied by several willow-scented sticks and a bottle of fragrance wrapped securely inside.

There was no brand, no origin—just a simple bottle with a wooden stopper, shrouded in mystery.

She lifted the fragrance with care, bringing it to her nose. A sweet blend of lemon and grapefruit danced with the floral notes of jasmine and magnolia.

It was like jasmine-infused spring water, or the evening breeze of spring wandering into winter.

The bottle looked familiar.

It was exactly like the fragrance she’d seen in Jiang Chen’s home, only the scent was different.

Jiang Chen…

He seemed particular about scents.

And the fragrance he’d chosen struck Ye Mian’s tastes with uncanny accuracy, touching her heart.

It truly wasn’t just the gift—she genuinely loved the scent.

She loved it to pieces!

If she’d found this fragrance in a perfume shop, she’d have bought it without a second thought.

Unable to wait, she set the diffuser up in her room. The scent wasn’t overwhelming, nothing harsh or alcoholic—just a gentle presence that gradually seeped into every corner.

Just walking around the room lifted her spirits immensely.

Knowing it was from Jiang Chen, Ye Mian scrambled for her phone, pulled up his chat, and sent a “thank you” sticker of a little cat.

[Good Sleep: The fragrance is wonderful! I’ve already used it, I love it so much. Thank you.]

For once, Jiang Chen replied quickly.

[Jiang Chen: You’re welcome.]

Ye Mian bit her lip, typing again.

[Good Sleep: So… is this fragrance expensive?]

There was no immediate reply.

Ye Mian hesitated, searching for the right words.

[Good Sleep: I was hoping to buy it myself once this one runs out. The scent is really lovely, I’d like to keep using this brand, but there’s no label on the bottle. I don’t know how to buy more. Could you tell me where to find it?]

After sending the message, Ye Mian noticed it was getting late. Jiang Yuan and another classmate would be coming soon—she needed to buy things to entertain her guests.

She tucked her phone into her bag, slipped on her shoes, and headed out.

—

Jiang Chen stared at the long message on his screen, his fingers tracing back and forth.

He typed, deleted, then typed again.

The fragrance was his own blend. There was a local perfume shop near the old district where you could choose the scents.

He’d carefully browsed the girl’s social media posts, noticed she liked jasmine, drank lemon water, and loved grapes.

So he’d crafted this scent, perfect for a young woman.

He looked out the window, his eyes pale and tinged with December’s winter light.

He’d wondered if she might not like it, but still gave her the fragrance.

If she truly disliked it, she could easily throw it away.

But she said she loved it. She wanted more.

Yet he had no idea where to find a brand with that exact scent.

After a pause, he replied with a few words, set his phone aside, rubbed his brow in exhaustion, and returned to writing Xiao Bao’s lesson plan.

—

Outside, the wind was biting cold. Bare tree trunks rose like bleached bones. Shopkeepers were lighting firepans at their doors, filling the street with warmth and life.

Ye Mian stepped into a cake shop, ordered an eight-inch cake, and since it had to be freshly made, planned to pick it up in half an hour.

Meanwhile, she stopped by the neighboring supermarket, bought a big bag of drinks and snacks, and even grabbed a round watermelon and some grapes.

Finding watermelon in this season was a rare treat, and it made her heart flutter with delight.

Only after hauling everything home did she begin to relax, waiting for Jiang Yuan and the others to arrive.

As she waited, Ye Mian glanced at her phone and saw a new message notification.

Her heart skipped—surely it was from Jiang Chen.

Fumbling, she unlocked her phone and tapped his profile.

[Jiang Chen: I can’t remember.]

He said he couldn’t remember???

Ye Mian stared at the message, half doubtful, but Jiang Chen had no reason to lie.

She glanced around her room.

Perhaps he’d bought it a long time ago, found it fit, and gifted it to her.

Either way, she was happy!

Ye Mian wasn’t the type to feign modesty after receiving a gift—she hadn’t expected anything from Jiang Chen to begin with.

Now, not only had she received a present, but one that suited her perfectly.

She couldn’t have been more delighted.

Over an hour later, she finally heard a knock at the door.

As she opened it, a blast of icy wind swept in. Before she could see who it was, a pair of soft, round arms wrapped her in a hug.

Jiang Yuan, cheerful as ever, nuzzled her face and shouted in her ear, “Xiao Ye Mian! Happy birthday!! Wishing you happiness every day!!”

Her voice was so loud Ye Mian thought she might go deaf. She patted Jiang Yuan’s back, laughing, “Alright, alright, let go, you’re squeezing the sense out of me.”

Jiang Yuan finally released her, her smile brighter than summer sunlight. She produced her gift—a cloud-shaped night lamp.

It was exactly the kind of present students exchanged: inexpensive, but cute, thoughtful, and practical.

After Ye Mian thanked her, she looked outside and blinked. “Where’s Chen Fang? Didn’t he come with you?”

She meant the male classmate she’d invited, who was in Jiang Yuan’s class and used to be a close friend.

Jiang Yuan pouted exaggeratedly, full of disdain. “Don’t mention him. That weakling caught a chill yesterday and now he’s burning up with a fever.”

Then, as if switching masks, she grinned. “But even though he couldn’t come, he sent his present with me. He actually wanted to give you a copy of ‘Three Years of Exams, Five Years of Practice,’ but I forced him to change it to a music box.”

With that, Jiang Yuan handed over a beautiful music box shaped like a piano. When wound up, it played the crisp notes of “Für Elise.”

Well, in Ye Mian’s mind, this music box was destined to gather dust.

Who hadn’t received a couple of music boxes in their school days? Inevitably, they all ended up as decorations, never really listened to.

Still, giving her an exam prep book would’ve been even worse.

Ye Mian thought, if she had to choose, she’d still prefer the music box.