Sweet Gardenia - Chapter 21.2

But she was genuinely curious about what kind of miserable existence Fu Wang was living now. The thought would undoubtedly lift her spirits. However, considering Fu Yanshang’s sharp tongue, she decided it was best to keep quiet for now and find a way to subtly ask about it later.

This time, Jing Chi was holding something. Lu Zhi thought it might be a new product sample from Fang Tang, but when she opened it, she saw it was a three-dimensional gardenia petal cake, something she’d never seen sold in the shop.

“I specially asked the head pastry chef from my family’s headquarters to make it,” Jing Chi said, tilting his chin. “Your husband said since it’s your first formal meeting, he should prepare a gift.”

No girl dislikes receiving gifts. She carefully closed the box, afraid of damaging its shape. “Thank you.”

Fu Yanshang: “Shouldn’t you thank me? He just did the talking.”

Jing Chi: “Couples saying thank you to each other is so distant, bro. Do you want to have a distant relationship with your wife?”

Lu Zhi nodded repeatedly. “Exactly, exactly.”

“…”

As they walked out of the garage, a fragrance shop stood right at the entrance. She had passed by many times, and the scent at the door was always different each time. Rumor had it the owner specially curated it, changing the fragrance every month.

Just as Lu Zhi was about to ask if someone was standing at the entrance, Jing Chi beside her suddenly waved. “Brother Lu!”

Brother Lu? Lu Chengqi?

This man’s reputation in elite circles was truly unique. Though she wasn’t particularly interested in gossip about this crowd, she’d heard a few things from others. In short, he had the face of someone who looked like he’d play with people’s emotions, a classic playboy appearance, but in reality, he was carefree and world-weary, uninterested in almost everything, including his family business.

Snapping back to reality, she whispered to Fu Yanshang, “Does he own this shop?”

“Yes, he’s the owner behind the scenes. The registered front person isn’t him.”

She paused slightly and looked up. The wooden signboard bore the name of the perfume brand: Lukko.

“Lock” in Finnish.

She had bought the brand’s most classic perfume before, so she knew a bit about it. Its Chinese translation was simple: Unexpected.

Thinking about it now, it all seemed to connect.

Lost in thought, Fu Yanshang spoke beside her. “He was born bearing all expectations, so his dream is to live without bearing any, to live freely, as he pleases.”

As they spoke, the three of them had already reached the entrance. She now got a clear look at Lu Chengqi’s face, completely different from Fu Yanshang’s style. Even when he wasn’t smiling, his peach blossom eyes seemed to hold a hint of laughter, the kind of face that effortlessly charmed young girls.

He handed her the bag and greeted her briefly, “Good afternoon, a little gift for our first meeting.”

She thanked him politely. Lukko’s most iconic design was the perfume bottle shaped like a golden cage, so exquisitely crafted that every intertwined golden thread shimmered brilliantly. The logo, however, was a simple lock, no key needed, easily opened, full of playful charm.

Just as she took the bag, a cool top note wafted toward her.

She looked up at Fu Yanshang. “This scent feels so familiar.”

“The top note is the same as your husband’s,” Lu Chengqi said, surprised by her discernment and giving Fu Yanshang an approving glance. “But don’t worry, the base note after an hour will be different, lighter, more youthful, with a gardenia fragrance. Your husband personally chose it.”

She nodded and asked Fu Yanshang as they went upstairs, “Did he design your perfume too?”

Lu Chengqi, leading the way ahead, turned back casually. “Using the word ‘design’ is too formal. I just mixed it randomly.”

Fu Yanshang: “…”

So this was how he was with his friends, relaxed and at ease. No wonder he said he wasn’t hard to get along with. The atmosphere between them was genuinely comfortable.

The second floor was a scent laboratory, filled with various fragrances crafted into perfumes. She even caught a whiff of dust, a romantic recreation, the scent of soil mingled with mint carried by the wind.

She whispered to Fu Yanshang, “He looks like he’s dated a lot of girls.”

“You’re overestimating him,” Fu Yanshang chuckled. “He’s the only one among us who’s never been married, single since birth. Never been in a relationship.”

“…” Lu Zhi was stunned.

Fu Yanshang: “He’s not interested in most things. To him, even dating holds no appeal.”

“…”

She murmured in amazement, “As expected, your friends are just like you.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Lu Zhi tried to slip past him through a narrow path but was blocked by his leg. Her forehead bumped against his collarbone as he leaned in, and she quickly added, “Special, I mean special.”

He raised an eyebrow and straightened up.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Soon, she wandered over to the display cabinet. These were custom perfumes not for sale, designed exclusively for individuals. Only a few bottles were displayed inside, all men’s fragrances.

She found Fu Yanshang’s bottle by its scent, familiar, lingering, an intimate coolness with a hint of fresh green leaves, very much like him.

Amber cedar.

Lu Zhi pointed at the glass cabinet and asked Lu Chengqi, “Has this never been sold to the public? Is he the only one who can buy it?”

Lu Chengqi: “How could he stand someone else wearing the same scent as him?”

“…”

She picked out a perfume in the store, filled in Li Siyi’s address for express delivery, and an hour later, Li Siyi cautiously called back.

Trembling, she asked, “What did you send me? Are you getting revenge on me?”

“Pretty much,” Lu Zhi said. “A bomb. Be careful.”

As soon as she hung up, they arrived at the private billiards room on the third floor next door.

Jing Chi leaned excitedly against the side and said to her, “Your husband is amazing at snooker. Come on, let him teach you a round.”

Lu Zhi turned to look at Fu Yanshang, a bit surprised. “You know how to do this?”

Jing Chi jumped in to answer, “We usually play these kinds of games when we go out. It’s a shame he hasn’t been around much since he got married. I thought he’d turned into a full-time househusband.”

“Besides this, he’s also really good at extreme sports, like diving, racing, bungee jumping. He’s broken quite a few records.”

Fu Yanshang had mentioned these things to her before, but she hadn’t realized he had achievements in them too.

She nodded. “I’ve never seen him do any of that.”

Jing Chi grinned, ostensibly speaking to her but clearly targeting Fu Yanshang. “Exactly! Ask your husband why he’s completely abandoned his old passions. So heartless!”

Fu Yanshang shot him a glance. “The word ‘extreme’ implies risk. After starting a family, I won’t engage in such extreme sports anymore. Any accident would be irresponsible to the family. Understand?”

Jing Chi started making exaggerated noises, and Lu Chengqi shook his head in exasperation.

Lu Zhi said, “Maybe he just got his fill before settling down.”

Fu Yanshang leaned casually against the table, meticulously chalking his cue. As he bent down to break, he remarked lightly, “I’m not the type to get addicted to adrenaline rushes either.”

She was momentarily dazed, thinking of how many people are obsessed with extreme sports, even pushing themselves until accidents happen, all driven by the thrill of adrenaline.

Before she could fully collect her thoughts, he was already explaining the rules beside her. “Have you played before? Use the white ball to hit the red and colored balls in sequence into the pockets. Red balls are one point each, and the remaining six colored balls range from two to six points.”

Listening to all the rules at once isn’t very efficient; the fastest way to learn is by playing and adapting as you go.

She nodded. “Show me how.”

Behind them, Jing Chi and Lu Chengqi had already started playing. The sound of balls colliding echoed intermittently, occasionally punctuated by Jing Chi’s dramatic shouts, making it clear who was scoring.

She bent down and played for a while, her accuracy quite good. Fu Yanshang praised from the side, “You’re learning fast.”

She suppressed a smile, the hem of her shirt behind her swaying like a tail, practically ready to wag with pride. “The teacher is good.”

Fu Yanshang leaned over her back to adjust her posture, pausing at her words. He tilted his head and asked, “What teacher?”

He was half-leaning against her, and as he turned his head, his lips brushed against her ear, his breath drifting into her ear canal, stirring a damp, ticklish sensation. Lu Zhi felt momentarily disoriented.

If you said he was being proper, it didn’t seem like it; if you said he wasn’t, that didn’t fit either, because he had asked so innocently and straightened up right after adjusting her posture.

Her ear… it wasn’t like they hadn’t kissed before.

She rubbed her earlobe, seriously reflecting on whether she had really been corrupted by Li Siyi.

Fu Yanshang asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she cleared her throat, then suddenly heard a crisp pocketing sound and pointed. “I sank a pink ball! Is that six points?”

While she was away in the restroom, Jing Chi sidled up to Fu Yanshang, looking confused. “Am I blind? You can’t sink a pink ball when the target is a red ball.  Shouldn’t that be a penalty?”

“I only played for ten minutes. Could you even sink a pink ball when you played for ten minutes?” Fu Yanshang glanced at him lightly, delivering a crushing blow, “And now I finally understand why your wife always punishes you by making you sleep in the study.”

“…”