The man’s casual remark made He Roujia’s face turn pale in an instant.
Qin Hao saw the embarrassment written all over her innocent-looking face and quickly tried to smooth things over:
“Don’t take it to heart what A-Jin said. His nose is extra sensitive—he can’t stand the smell of any perfume.”
It was strange, really. As someone from the leading family in the spice and fragrance industry, Gu Wujin’s sense of smell was indeed extraordinarily sharp. But that extreme sensitivity had turned into a full-blown aversion—he literally couldn’t tolerate fragrance scents. The heir to a fragrance dynasty who couldn’t bear to smell perfume… that basically made him a cripple in the family’s eyes.
He Roujia stole a glance at Gu Wujin. He was lazily smoking, the faint tobacco scent slowly drifting through the air, blurring the sharp lines of his features. She lowered her head and said nothing, quietly shifting back to her original spot. He couldn’t stand perfume, but he could handle cigarette smoke?
Zhou Zisheng watched with interest. This girl was more sensible than the previous ones. She had a pure, clean look—big, bright black eyes, fair and delicate skin, a clear and pleasant voice. She matched Gu Wujin’s type perfectly. Maybe she’d be the one to break his usual pattern?
“Second Young Master Gu really doesn’t know how to spare a girl’s feelings. Look—Miss He’s face has gone completely white.”
A man in a white suit spoke up. He was the only son of the Yang family. He poured Gu Wujin a glass of wine and continued:
“By the way, I’ve been thinking of starting a company lately. Second Young Master Gu, interested in jumping in?”
Everyone in the circle knew the Gu family’s useless second young master had money to burn, was a bit dim, and spent like water. Not long ago, he’d even invested in that Fang family spendthrift Fang Zheng’s game development project. Tonight, the guy was here specifically to pull Gu Wujin in for investment.
Gu Wujin had his long legs crossed and propped up on the tea table. One hand held a cigarette, the other a wine glass. In the dim light, his dark eyes were unreadable. He gave a careless, lazy smile.
“Oh?”
Yang Xiang saw an opening and his eyes lit up. He downed his drink in one go, beaming enthusiastically:
“I’m planning to start a real estate company. Second Young Master Gu, you’d handle the investment. You wouldn’t have to worry about any day-to-day operations—I’ll manage everything. There’s a plot of land in the western district the government is about to auction off. Once the company is set up, that’ll be our first target. So we need the funds right away. Not much—just 100 million.”
“Pfft!”
Qin Hao nearly spat out the wine in his mouth.
“Wait—hold on. A-Jin puts up all the money, and you get to be the boss? Who do you think is the idiot here?”
Yang Xiang’s thoughts were laid bare. His face darkened instantly. He opened his mouth to curse, but the person beside him quickly stopped him with a fierce glare.
This idiot—did he have any idea who was in the room?!
The Gu, Qin, and Zhou families could bankrupt the Yang family with a snap of their fingers. Offend them, and climbing back up would be harder than reaching the sky. He regretted bringing this fool along. He’d only wanted to do the Yang family a favor, but this moron had almost—and now definitely—offended the Gu family.
The man hurried to smile apologetically:
“Second Young Master Gu, my friend here is drunk. He’s not thinking straight—don’t mind him.”
Gu Wujin raised an eyebrow with mild interest. His moist, thin lips curved slightly, eyes half-lidded.
“If he’s drunk, someone should take him outside to sober up.”
“Second Young Master Gu…?”
Zhou Zisheng chuckled, pressed the button on the wall, and the next second, several tall, burly men in black walked in and carried Yang Xiang out.
Seeing the scene, He Roujia sneaked another glance at Gu Wujin. She became even quieter—no fuss, no demands—just sat there demurely, sipping her slightly sweet cocktail in small, delicate mouthfuls. In the hazy, neon-lit private room filled with wine and lights, her pure, fair face was especially eye-catching.
“A-Jin, there’s a race at Qiyang Slope later. You coming?”
Qin Hao crossed his legs, his peach-blossom eyes sparkling.
Gu Wujin stood up, flicked the ash off his clothes.
“No interest.”
“Hey—you’re leaving already?”
Qin Hao sat up straight at once.
He Roujia quickly set down her glass and hurried after Gu Wujin toward the exit.
The man had long legs and towering height—his figure even more striking than a male model’s, his face exceptionally handsome and flawless. But unfortunately…
He Roujia lowered her eyes to look at his feet. She’d heard he’d been injured before, which caused it. He walked quickly, but his long strides rose and fell unevenly. Even though he hid the limp quite well, it was still obvious—he was lame.
No matter how much she pretended otherwise, it was impossible not to mind. What normal person would willingly choose a crippled, limping man?
“This is 100,000. Starting tomorrow, you don’t need to show up in front of me anymore.”
Gu Wujin suddenly turned around and looked at He Roujia.
“Why?”
Her bright, watery eyes filled with shock. He Roujia couldn’t believe it.
“I got tired of your face after just two days.”
He pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. “It’s an eyesore.”
“Second Young Master Gu…”
He Roujia bit her lip, looking at him in humiliation.
Although she minded that he was lame, the face in front of her was enough to make anyone lose their mind. She didn’t want to give up.
“I don’t want money. I love you. I just want to stay by your side.”
Qin Hao and Zhou Zisheng watched the breakup drama unfold right in front of them without any attempt to hide their interest, eyes gleaming with amusement.
“The doctor said my leg can be treated, but it requires someone to donate a small section of bone from their leg. Since you love me, donate it to me. Even if you end up lame afterward, I guarantee you’ll never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of your life.”
The man’s voice was low, elegant, yet laced with mockery.
“I… I…”
Gu Wujin’s aura was overwhelmingly oppressive. He Roujia felt breathless, her face flushing red.
Zhou Zisheng shook his head with a tsk. He’d thought this He Roujia might actually be smart.
Gu Wujin gave her a half-smile that wasn’t really a smile, clearly unwilling to waste any more time. He turned to leave.
“Let go.”
He looked down in disgust at the hand she had grabbed, then shook it off forcefully.
“Tissue!”
Qin Hao hurriedly trotted over and handed him a tissue.
Gu Wujin scrubbed hard at the spot she had touched, wiping repeatedly until the nauseating feeling finally faded. Only then did his cold gaze shift to the terrified and embarrassed He Roujia.
“Since you don’t want the money, that saves me some trouble. Get lost!”
Qin Hao shook his head, feeling a little sorry for He Roujia. After all, she hadn’t even gotten to touch Gu Wujin’s hand, and now she was walking away with nothing—neither money nor man.
The freshman assembly was held in the university’s grand auditorium. The hall was massive, easily accommodating an entire grade of new students.
Ji Huaixiang sat in the very last row of her class section. There was no one to her left or right. She listened quietly to the leaders’ speeches, but her mind was elsewhere. Early that morning, she had received a call from Aunt Ji. An elderly couple wanted her to create a Memory Fragrance for them, and they were offering a very high price. She had agreed to take the order and would meet the clients over the weekend.
“Ah, the freshman representative is Jiang Mengwan. So impressive.”
Someone in front whispered excitedly.
“She’s so beautiful. I heard Jiang Mengwan is the daughter of the Jiang family.”
“No wonder she chose the Spices Department—she’s probably going to inherit the family business.”
Everyone knew the Jiang family was one of the most famous perfume dynasties in the country, with a solid international reputation. Many graduates from S University’s Spices Department ended up working for Jiang Enterprises. In other words, Jiang Mengwan was likely to become the future boss of quite a few people in their department—an object of flattery and admiration.
Ji Huaixiang looked up. Jiang Mengwan was walking up the steps to the stage. She wore a white blouse with a bow tie at the collar and a light gray half-skirt below—elegant, refined, her fair and flawless face carrying a gentle smile. Her temperament was impeccable.
Before she even began speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience below.
“Goddess!”
“I heard the national top scorer in the science college entrance exam came to our school. Is that Jiang Mengwan?”
Someone whispered in discussion.
“It has to be. The school would definitely choose the top scorer as the freshman representative.”
“Ah, she’s so perfect. Beautiful, top family background, amazing grades. So jealous…”
Ji Huaixiang listened to the low murmurs around her, then lowered her head again, her thoughts drifting. She checked the contact information and address Aunt Ji had just sent over. The location was in one of S City’s most famous upscale residential districts—no wonder they could afford such a high price.
By the time Ji Huaixiang snapped back to reality, Jiang Mengwan had already finished her speech. Another round of deafening applause filled the hall. After showing her face today, the entire grade would remember her exquisite, delicate features.
Unlike other universities, S University held military training in the winter. So after the freshman assembly, classes officially began.
That day, after the last class ended, Ji Huaixiang returned to the dorm and found all three of her roommates already there.
“You’re back!”
Lin Xiaoxuan rushed forward for a big hug, but Ji Huaixiang instantly sidestepped it.
“Ah, almost got you!” Lin Xiaoxuan looked genuinely disappointed. “Huaixiang, you dodge so fast.”
“I’m not used to physical contact with other people.”
Ji Dongqing watched Ji Huaixiang walk back to her own side of the room and teased with a smile:
“Listen to that—Huaixiang doesn’t even want your hug.”
“If she doesn’t want it, then fine.” Lin Xiaoxuan pouted, then quickly changed the subject. “Oh right, we were just talking about going out for dinner this Saturday. Yongtian already said yes. What about you, Huaixiang?”
“I’m busy on Saturday, so I probably can’t join. Have fun without me.”
She had spoken with the client on the phone earlier today and already arranged to meet them on Saturday. She wasn’t sure how long the discussion would take.
Lin Xiaoxuan’s smile fell.
“Come on, don’t be such a buzzkill. What could you possibly be busy with?”
Her family wasn’t even in S City.
“Yeah, I’m treating everyone,” Ji Dongqing chimed in, trying to persuade her. “To celebrate that we’re lucky enough to be roommates. You’re not still mad at me, are you?”
“I already made an appointment with a client to discuss something on Saturday, so I’ll have to pass this time. Next time I’ll treat you all.”
Ji Huaixiang slowed her speech deliberately. Her voice remained soft, but there was a new clarity and crispness to it.
“A client? Huaixiang, did you get a job? Is it part-time?”
Lin Xiaoxuan looked surprised. She gave Ji Huaixiang a once-over. Because of how beautiful she was, people usually overlooked her very simple clothing. Now that she looked more carefully, she noticed that Ji Huaixiang’s outfit was indeed the most basic and ordinary kind.
“You could say that.”
Realization dawned on Lin Xiaoxuan. Her smile turned a little awkward, and her enthusiasm cooled noticeably.
“In that case, making money comes first. We won’t keep you then.”
“Okay.”
Ji Huaixiang didn’t say anything more. She took out her copy of The Complete Encyclopedia of Spices and Essences, placed it on her bed, then climbed up the ladder. Only after she was settled did she take off her outer jacket. Half-reclining against the headboard, she quietly began to read.
The undershirt she wore underneath had a somewhat low neckline. The skin at her neck and collarbone was exposed—creamy white, smooth, and delicately tender.