The main gate of S University was built in pale yellow tones, curving outward in a gentle semicircle facing south—like an open embrace toward the sun, symbolizing a bright future stretching endlessly ahead. A large horizontal banner welcoming new students hung high above the entrance. Not far from the gate, several reception points for freshmen had been set up. Senior students and volunteers dressed in bright red shirts were directing newcomers and offering help. The whole area buzzed with energy as waves of new students arrived, dragging suitcases and carrying bags through the gate.
Ji Huaixiang pulled her white suitcase and stood gazing at the entrance, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.
She was back again—at the most prestigious Perfumery and Fragrance Academy in the country.
“Hello, junior! Do you need any help?”
A tall, slim senior in a red volunteer shirt walked over toward her.
In her previous life, she had spent four full years at this university and knew every corner like the back of her hand. The words to politely decline his help were already on her tongue, but she swallowed them.
“Senior, could you please tell me where the Spices and Essences Department is for registration?”
Jiang Kaiyuan felt a secret thrill of excitement.
“You’re in the Spices Department?” He eagerly stepped forward, reaching to take her suitcase. “I’ll take you there, junior.”
Ji Huaixiang subtly shifted aside, stepping back a few paces. Her stunningly beautiful face carried only a faint, polite smile.
“Thank you, senior, but I can manage myself. Could you just point me in the right direction?”
Jiang Kaiyuan felt a pang of regret.
“Keep going straight down this path to the end, then turn right. You’ll see the signposts.”
“Got it. Thank you, senior.”
Ji Huaixiang continued forward, pulling her suitcase along.
“Hey—junior!” Jiang Kaiyuan couldn’t help calling after her. “When new students in the Spices Department register, there’s a test you have to take.”
Ji Huaixiang paused, startled. A test?
In her previous life, registration had been straightforward—just paperwork and enrollment. There had never been any test. Why was everything different now?
“Um… don’t worry, junior. It’s just a simple test,” he added quickly, noticing how her clear, bright black eyes had fixed on him intently. He couldn’t help trying to comfort her.
“Okay, I understand. Thank you.”
Ji Huaixiang gave him a grateful glance before continuing on her way.
Her slender, tall figure gradually disappeared into the distance. Jiang Kaiyuan stared after her for a long moment before snapping out of it. He never would have guessed that such a gorgeous junior was actually from the Spices and Essences Department—the place full of chemistry freaks and mad scientists.
S University covered a vast campus. Even walking straight along the main path took more than ten minutes. Camphor trees lined both sides of the road, their branches thick and lush, every leaf a vibrant emerald green. A gentle breeze rustled through them with a soft, whispering sound. The light, fresh fragrance of camphor drifted over—clean, refreshing, and soothing to the soul.
Ji Huaixiang soon arrived at the registration area for the Spices and Essences Department. A long line of students already snaked down the corridor.
“Why do we suddenly have to take an exam for freshmen? I didn’t prepare at all,” a short-haired girl grumbled to the girl beside her, frowning.
“Even if you prepared, it wouldn’t help. It’s not a written test anyway. I heard the school uses this exam to assign classes.”
“Why? Shouldn’t it be based on college entrance exam scores…?”
Hearing their conversation, Ji Huaixiang was genuinely surprised. In her previous life, classes had been assigned purely by entrance exam results—there had never been a placement test like this. It seemed that not everything in this life would follow the exact same path as before.
She didn’t dwell on it too much. After all, she had been given a second chance—she had no intention of walking the same road as last time.
Inside the testing room, the atmosphere was heavy and subdued. The silence was so thick it felt almost suffocating—no one dared breathe too loudly.
Facing the five professors seated at the front, the freshman was visibly nervous. He picked up the last small bottle of liquid, brought it to his nose, hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“Citrus and rose.”
The examiner on the far left spoke up.
“You may leave.”
The freshman set the bottle down. With a trace of unwillingness in his expression, he walked out of the testing room. From the professors’ faces, he already knew—he had gotten it wrong again.
“Just now that freshman got three correct—pretty good, actually. We’ve already interviewed nearly half the students, and they’re all like blank sheets of paper. Their levels are almost identical. Professor Yan, picking the top twenty for your class is going to be tough,” one of the female professors couldn’t help saying.
The elderly professor seated in the center lifted his eyelids slightly. He drew another horizontal line on the roster, crossing out a name.
“What’s the rush? There’s still half the freshmen waiting outside.”
The female professor faltered. She was worried all the good seedlings would be snatched up by him first.
“Hello, teachers. I’m Jiang Mengwan, a freshman.”
This time, a girl walked in. Her outstanding appearance and confident demeanor made several professors secretly nod in approval.
“There are several bottles of liquid in front of you. You need to identify their scents.”
At that, Jiang Mengwan curved her lips into a small smile. She walked to the long table, picked up the first bottle, held it a short distance from her nose, and gently fanned the opening with her other hand. In less than two seconds, she answered:
“Lemon and cherry blossom.”
The female professor nodded.
Jiang Mengwan picked up the second bottle without any hesitation and spoke immediately:
“Citrus, berry, and jasmine.”
The female professor nodded again, her brows finally relaxing.
“This one is green grass, woody notes, and grapefruit.”
Her exquisitely made-up eyes flashed with sharpness. Despite her usually gentle expression, Jiang Mengwan’s face was now full of confidence. Her nose could already distinguish five hundred different fragrance materials—this simple test was nothing to her.
Professor Yan watched as she correctly identified all five bottles before slowly speaking:
“There are two more bottles here—these are bonus questions. Give them a try.”
Jiang Mengwan obligingly picked up one of them, fanning the scent lightly. A fresh, elegant fragrance wafted out. Her voice was certain:
“Blue pine, green mango, rose, and sandalwood.”
The female professor looked very pleased. This girl was clearly very familiar with fragrances.
“You may leave,” Professor Yan said.
“Thank you, teachers.”
Her voice was clear and soft. Jiang Mengwan bowed slightly, her manners impeccable.
Once she was gone, the female professor spoke eagerly:
“Professor Yan, such a fine seedling—if you’re not taking her into your class, let me have her.”
This girl was probably the most outstanding student in this year’s Spices and Essences Department. She didn’t want to miss out. Even if there were a hundred students, as long as she could guide even one exceptional perfumer, she would consider herself a successful mentor.
Professor Yan placed a checkmark on the roster. The girl wasn’t just familiar with perfumes—her sense of smell was remarkably sharp. She was indeed excellent. He set down his pen and smiled:
“You’re right. She’s a good seedling. She belongs in the key class.”
The testing didn’t take long. The girl ahead of Ji Huaixiang came out of the testing room not long after entering, her face crumpled in disappointment. Clearly, things hadn’t gone well. The people still waiting in line saw her and grew even more convinced the test was extremely difficult.
Inside the testing room, the atmosphere was solemn. The five examiners sat behind the long table, expressionless as they watched Ji Huaixiang enter.
“Hello, teachers. I’m Ji Huaixiang, a freshman in the Spices and Essences Department.”
Ji Huaixiang spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly. Her appearance leaned toward vivid, striking beauty, yet her voice was soft and glutinous, with a little hook at the end of each sentence. If she spoke too quickly, her voice turned soft and whiny, almost like coquettish whining—which she found quite annoying.
She glanced at the examiners present and recognized them all as the most formidable professors in the department. Especially the one in the center—Professor Yan. He was the first Chinese perfumer to graduate from Grasse in France and stood at the absolute top of the domestic perfumery world. In her previous life, he had been her mentor. She hoped this time she could study under him again.
The female professor looked at Ji Huaixiang, who was still wearing her long-sleeved jacket, but said nothing about it. She simply instructed her to begin identifying the scents in the bottles.
The overly quiet environment felt somewhat oppressive, as if even the flow of air had slowed. Yet Ji Huaixiang remained calm and composed. She brought the first bottle to her nose and inhaled.
“This is lemon and cherry blossom.”
She then picked up the second bottle and gave it a light sniff.
“Citrus, berry, and jasmine…”
“…Green grass, woody notes, and unripe grapefruit.”
In less than a minute, Ji Huaixiang had accurately named every single one. Professor Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of light flashing through them.
“There’s still this bottle—give it a try.”
He pointed to the other bonus bottle, the one Jiang Mengwan hadn’t tested.
Ji Huaixiang’s fair, slender, delicate fingers lifted the bottle. She fanned the opening gently, and a sweet fragrance drifted out.
“Orange, vanilla, rose, and musk.”
Finished, she looked quietly at the five examiners with her bright black eyes, waiting for their verdict.
Professor Yan’s hand holding the pen trembled faintly. He drew a circle on the roster before finally speaking.
“You may leave.”
“Thank you, teachers.”
The moment the door closed behind her, Professor Yan could no longer hide the expression on his face.
“Excellent. Very excellent.”
The female professor gave him a puzzled glance.
“Professor Yan seems particularly satisfied with her performance?”
“Yes.”
There was a trace of excitement in Professor Yan’s voice. The other professors might not know this, but both of the bonus-question bottles actually contained rose notes. However, rose (rosa) and rose (薔薇 / wild rose) scents are extremely similar and often confused. Only a sufficiently sensitive nose could distinguish the two amid a complex blend of fragrances. The scent of 薔薇 (wild rose) carries a slightly sweeter floral quality.
That freshman had not only correctly identified the “unripe” grapefruit but had also pinpointed that the floral note was 薔薇 rather than rose. Even among the professors present—including himself—if they hadn’t known the exact formula in advance, they might have caught the grapefruit but not necessarily distinguished whether it was green/unripe or fully ripe.
She possessed an exceptionally keen sense of smell.
S University’s dormitories were standard four-person rooms, with green belts in front and behind—making the living conditions quite pleasant. This was one of the reasons many students were satisfied with S University. After finishing the test, Ji Huaixiang completed her enrollment procedures and received the key to her dormitory.
“Pah!”
A boy viciously kicked the tree trunk, wincing in pain and baring his teeth. His face was full of malice.
“That useless trash from the Gu family—if it weren’t for his background, I’d fucking kill him sooner or later.”
“Hey, why are you losing your temper so badly? It’s not like this is the first time you’ve come out on the losing end against that guy,” another boy said, cigarette dangling from his lips as he leaned against the tree trunk. “Besides, he’s just a crippled waste. Even the Gu family lets him run wild without caring. Why bother arguing with him?”
“It was clearly my girlfriend! He used that pretty-boy face of his to steal her away. How am I supposed to swallow that?”
The boy gritted his teeth.
“Look, that woman’s just average-looking. There are tons of girls at S University. Just find another one,” the boy with the cigarette sneered.
“But she really does have that innocent, pure look. I was totally fooled by that clean, innocent face of hers. Hmph. Daring to cheat on me? I’ll wait until next week when that useless Gu family cripple dumps her—then I’ll deal with her properly…”
On the small pathway, Ji Huaixiang kept her head lowered and walked quickly past the two of them. Their burning gazes only disappeared once she turned the corner.