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Chairman Fu stared nervously at the notification of a 60,000 yuan deposit.
Late at night, when a child suddenly transfers money, there are two possibilities:
One, the child’s conscience has kicked in, realizing they’ve been a jerk and want to treat their parents better.
Two, the child is about to start messing with them.
Honestly, as a son, Fu Jichen had given them many reasons to feel relieved—he had been considerate from childhood, and except for some business disagreements, there was nothing to complain about.
So, the first possibility was basically ruled out.
That left only the second—he was up to something.
Chairman Fu opened the chat again and reread “Have a good weekend.”
[You never used to be so roundabout.]
Fu Jichen: [You never gave me 60,000 yuan before either.]
Chairman Fu began to understand.
[The secret of the perfume—you don’t want to keep it from me anymore, do you?]
Fu Jichen: [It’s not that I don’t want to, I just can’t keep it anymore.]
Chairman Fu replied evasively:
[You promised me before, you would never go back on your word.]
After a moment, Fu Jichen responded:
[Now I’m grown up.]
Chairman Fu: “...”
He put down the mouse and rubbed his temples.
So why on earth did he insist on having Fu Jichen as his second child back then?
Another message came from Fu Jichen:
[Dad, just letting you know in advance, tomorrow I’m bringing Yu Qing home. She’s never known what a family atmosphere is like since she was little.]
Chairman Fu sighed,
[Then have her come back.]
Fu Jichen put down his phone and glanced at Yu Qing, but she was already gone from the bedroom.
“Yu Qing?”
He called twice.
No response from the bathroom or walk-in closet.
He went out to look.
Yu Qing came out of the study holding a tablet.
“What are you doing?”
Yu Qing flipped through photos, taking a step every now and then,
“I can’t show up empty-handed tomorrow when we visit your house. Look and see which perfume your mom doesn’t have, I’ll give her a bottle.”
She had taken photos of all her perfumes for reference.
Fu Jichen: “...My mom has too many perfumes; I never really paid attention.”
Even if he did, with bottles in several rooms, he wouldn’t remember them all.
“No matter if she has it or not, giving her a gift shows your sincerity.”
“That won’t do—if it’s a duplicate, it loses meaning.” Yu Qing put away the tablet. “Then I’ll give her a discontinued edition.” The bottle was discontinued.
Later, the perfumer changed the formula, so that scent became discontinued.
Fu Jichen took the tablet, held her hand, “Time for bed.”
Yu Qing’s mind was full of perfumes, excited to the point she forgot to continue the conversation.
“Hey, how many perfumes does your mom have? Thousands?”
Fu Jichen tossed the tablet onto the sofa and picked her up. “If you’re curious, you can count them tomorrow.” He leaned her against the wall by the headboard.
Yu Qing held onto his neck to keep balance, still talking about perfumes,
“All my perfumes are numbered; now the count is—”
The rest of her words were swallowed by Fu Jichen’s kiss.
The perfume she was wearing now was as sexy as she was.
But Fu Jichen couldn’t smell it.
Yu Qing’s entire body was supported by Fu Jichen; she felt herself sway and tightly gripped his shoulders. He had drunk quite a bit at tonight’s social event.
The scent of red wine mixed with his natural pheromones.
It drove away all unpleasantness.
The bedroom light went out.
A night of passion.
Then the light came back on.
Fu Jichen had prepared a glass of water in advance; his hand reached for the bottle to personally give her the medicine but stopped himself.
No need to pressure her.
He turned and went to the study.
Yu Qing leaned on the headboard, her eyelashes wet.
The pill bottle hadn’t been opened yet; she twisted it open with force and tore the plastic seal off.
A tiny white pill.
Fu Jichen was right—her sense of security came from the medicine, even though she knew taking too many pills would eventually harm her body.
The pill dissolved on her tongue, bitterness filling her mouth.
She drank several sips of water.
The bitterness lingered.
It was late, and Fu Jichen still hadn’t returned to the room, so Yu Qing put on her nightdress and went looking for him.
Fu Jichen was on the terrace outside the study; the light was off. The cigarette between his fingers glowed red.
It was cold outside; Yu Qing wore his coat and opened the door to go out.
“You’re on the wrong side,” Fu Jichen pointed to the upwind side.
Yu Qing didn’t listen and stood on the downwind side instead.
She leaned on the windowsill, watching the city’s myriad lights.
Smoke drifted across her face and dispersed with the cold wind.
Fu Jichen stubbed out the cigarette.
“Why aren’t you smoking? Half a cigarette left, such a waste.”
“The smoke bothers you.”
“It doesn’t. I like the smell of smoke.”
Yu Qing tilted her head, “I only like the tobacco smell on Mr. Fu.”
Fu Jichen tilted his head, looking at her.
“How do you manage to like everything related to me, but manage to avoid liking me as a person?”
Yu Qing looked serious,
“Because my shooting skills suck—I can’t aim at the bullseye.”
Fu Jichen: “...”
The next day.
Before going to Fu Jichen’s house, Yu Qing went back to the villa to get the gifts.
Yu Shaohong had prepared some for her. Last time when Fu Jichen visited their old house, everyone gave gifts, so this time, they were returning the favor.
However, the gift for Ye Jinhua was prepared by Yu Qing.
It was that bottle of perfume she cherished.
It was also the same scent created by the perfumer whom both her and Ye Jinhua liked.
Yu Shaohong repeatedly reminded her, “When you are at their place, speak less. Try not to say anything. Do you remember?”
“I know.”
“Not ‘know,’ you must remember!”
Yu Shaohong was very worried that she might say something that could make others have a heart attack.
After getting ready, Yu Qing put on her coat.
Yu Shaohong adjusted the collar of her coat for her, “Dad is just waiting to accompany you down the wedding aisle. To make a stunning appearance, I exercise every day to ensure I don’t have even a hint of a beer belly.”
Yu Qing: “If you want me to compliment you on how handsome and youthful you look, just say it directly.”
“You little brat!” Yu Shaohong patted her shoulder, “Go on, shoo.”
Yu Shaohong was about to leave as well. He picked up his coat and left with Yu Qing.
Yu Qing glanced at the coat tucked under his arm, “Dad, do you still have to work overtime today? Can’t you take a break?”
Yu Shaohong sighed; none of them ever made him worry-free.
“What’s the matter?”
“Your sister and brother-in-law had a quarrel.”
“What?” Yu Qing retracted the step she had just taken, “Didn’t they seem fine yesterday?”
“It’s a long story.” Yu Shaohong didn’t hide anything from his youngest daughter, “You know, the baby went to his grandmother’s house, right?”
Yu Qing nodded, “And then?”
Yu Shaohong only found out in the morning that Ji Qingyuan intentionally sent the child to his mother’s place because he wanted to spend some quality alone time with Yu Jingxin.
He even specifically instructed her to return home early.
But what did Yu Jingxin do? She packed barbecue and came to drink with him, returning home late at night.
“Your brother-in-law waited at home all night and didn’t eat anything. Later, your brother-in-law got angry.”
Yu Qing looked at her father, “So what are you going to do?”
Yu Shaohong helplessly said, “I’m going to Qingyuan to explain things to him. Last night, your sister chatted with me and forgot about the time. I can’t let them keep having conflicts.”
Yu Qing pushed her father back, “Stop being a messenger already. They’re adults who can’t even communicate properly. If this continues, they’ll end up divorced sooner or later.”
Yu Shaohong was still worried, “But this time, it really was your sister’s fault.”
Yu Qing: “I can make it seem like Ji Qingyuan’s fault in no time.”
“... “ Yu Shaohong was half-convinced.
Yu Qing took her father’s phone and sent a message to Ji Qingyuan in her father’s tone: [Qingyuan, after much thought, I realized this is your fault.
You just told Jingxin to come home early, but you didn’t tell her what time you’d be home.
What’s the point of her coming home early if you’re not there?
In the past, when you weren’t home due to social engagements, there was the child at home.
But last night, the child wasn’t home either. She felt lost and ended up coming to her parents’ house.
If you had said, ‘I’m home, come back early,’
Do you think she would have returned home late at night?
For four years, she has been waiting for you at home.
Look at yourself, just one night of waiting and you have complaints and got angry. What’s there to be angry about?
She has waited for you for four years. Do you even realize that?]
After reading it, Yu Shaohong paused, “Can we really do that?”
Yu Qing handed the phone back to him, “Not ‘can we really do that.’ I merely spoke the truth.”
“You stay home and rest well. I’m leaving.” She waved her hand.
On the way to Fu Jichen’s house, the traffic was heavy.
Yu Qing played a light-hearted song.
Her fingertips followed the melody, tapping on the steering wheel.
Thinking about how Fu Jichen wanted to enroll her in a shooting class earlier that morning, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
When they arrived at the entrance of the villa area, Fu Jichen was already waiting for her.
Since Yu Qing wasn’t familiar with the roads inside, they switched places. Fu Jichen drove while Yu Qing sat in the passenger seat.
“Nervous?” Fu Jichen asked.
Yu Qing shook her head, “I just want to see the perfume quickly.”
Besides, she already knew Chairman Fu, and as for Ye Jinhua, people who love perfume definitely have endless topics to discuss. She wasn’t worried about any awkward silences.
She turned her face, “Were you nervous when you went to my house?”
Fu Jichen didn’t respond, seemingly focused on the road.
Previously, Fu Jichen didn’t understand why his father had asked him to hide the fact that Yu Qing collected perfumes from his mother. But after seeing it with his own eyes, he understood his father’s heartache.
It was way past dinner time, and the two of them were still engrossed in playing with the perfumes.
Mother and Yu Qing sat cross-legged by the low table near the floor-to-ceiling window, where six bottles of perfume were laid out.
Ye Jinhua picked up the bottle Yu Qing had given her, cherishing it dearly. “I’ve been dreaming about this one. I didn’t miss a single auction, but I never saw its trace. Now, finally, the whole collection is complete.”
This particular bottle was the sixth generation of the series, each with a unique design.
What made it special was that everyone expected a seventh generation to be released, but then the brand announced they would change the formula. Coincidentally, the designer of the bottles also announced retirement.
The sixth generation was already a limited edition.
Later, it became a collector’s item.
Ye Jinhua had previously bought a bottle of the sixth generation and gave it to a friend.
When she wanted to buy another one, it was no longer available.
She even made a custom display case for this series of perfumes. Every time she looked at the empty slot, it left an unsettling feeling in her heart.
The youngest of the sixth generation, lost and scattered, was a sad ending.
After admiring the fourth-generation perfume bottle, Yu Qing asked, “Auntie, did you start collecting perfume when you were young?”
“Not exactly young, I was thirty-five at the time. It started out as a superficial appreciation for perfume bottles. Later, I gradually got into it. Now I can identify brands just by smell.”
Ye Jinhua asked, “What about you?”
“I started liking perfume at fourteen. That was when I first went abroad, not knowing anyone. My brother took me to a party at his classmate’s house, and his classmate’s father was a perfumer. That’s when I learned about perfume and realized its charm.”
“I also think the allure of perfume is incomparable.”
Yu Qing carefully placed the perfume back down, “Auntie, let’s take a family portrait of them.”
Ye Jinhua had the same idea, “We must take one. Today is their first reunion. For me, it holds even more significance.”
The two clicked immediately.
They began arranging positions for the bottles.
After some thought, Yu Qing said, “We need a backdrop for the photo shoot; otherwise, it’ll look too plain.”
Ye Jinhua eyed the wooden table: “A pot of verbena and a bottle of rosemary. How does that sound?”
Yu Qing asked, “Should we add a red rose?”
“That could work.”
Ye Jinhua stood up and fetched a fresh red rose from the living room. She trimmed the stem halfway, leaving three or four green leaves.
There wasn’t much sunlight today, and the lighting was average.
Yu Qing brought over the standing lamp and adjusted the light.
The two of them were almost overwhelmed with preparations.
The red rose was placed diagonally on the table.
With the verbena behind it, it exuded a relaxed yet elegant vibe.
Ye Jinhua brought out a professional camera and set it to vintage mode.
She handled the camera while Yu Qing adjusted the position of the perfumes according to how they appeared through the lens.
In the living room, Chairman Fu watched TV quietly, muting the volume and reading the subtitles so as not to disturb the photography session.
Fu Jichen leaned against the sofa. After sitting there for a long time, his legs started to feel sore.
“A single photo, and they’re still not done?” he asked his father.
Chairman Fu calmly replied, “After the group photo, they need to take individual shots, then pair photos, followed by combinations of three, four, five bottles, all needing to be photographed. Aren’t you good at math? Calculate how many times they need to take pictures.”
Fu Jichen: “...”
Finally, the photos were taken, and they sat down to eat.
Fu Jichen quietly asked Yu Qing, “Did you have fun?”
Yu Qing smiled and nodded repeatedly.
Ye Jinhua also gifted her a bottle of perfume, a limited edition that wouldn’t be released until next year.
She had previously ignored the product launch because she was “broke” and had conflicts with her family.
This particular perfume was on the cooler side. Ye Jinhua said it suited her for use in the office.
Reluctantly parting with it, she gave it to Yu Qing.
During dinner, Ye Jinhua sat across from Yu Qing and casually chatted, “Qingqing, have you set any goals for yourself? Like, how many bottles of perfume do you want to collect before retiring?”
She shared her own goal, “I plan to collect 1999 bottles, limited or collector’s editions only, nothing entry-level. But I still have quite a few bottles to go.”
Yu Qing: “I’d like to aim for around two thousand bottles.”
Chairman Fu and Fu Jichen exchanged glances and silently continued eating.
Ye Jinhua raised her glass, “Then here’s to your dream coming true within twenty years.”
Yu Qing smiled, “Thank you, Auntie. I wish your dream comes true within five years.”
Ye Jinhua turned her face, “You two aren’t going to give us a blessing for our dreams?”
Chairman Fu: “...”
Fu Jichen: “...”
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