Chapter 34: A Women Like Flower Tea
That afternoon, after finishing a school report in the library, Lin Xiaoxiao planned to head home and relax.
But as she descended the stairs with her laptop, a girl suddenly rushed around the corner, colliding with her.
Caught off guard, Lin Xiaoxiao looked up to see a petite girl rubbing her head.
“Sorry…” the girl apologized, noticing the scattered books and laptop. She bent to help pick them up.
Lin Xiaoxiao sighed, taking the items and shaking her head. “It’s fine. But why were you in such a hurry? Something urgent?”
Realizing it was inappropriate to ask a stranger, she quickly added, “If it’s private, you don’t have to say.”
The girl shook her head, looking a bit frustrated. “It’s nothing major. The guy I like is hiding here, so I came to find him!”
Lin Xiaoxiao couldn’t quite grasp it. Hiding from someone you like?
The girl didn’t elaborate, instead eyeing Lin Xiaoxiao before extending a hand. “Meeting’s fate, right? I’m Ning Xi. What’s your name, miss? Let’s get to know each other.”
Lin Xiaoxiao froze, glancing at herself. She bit her lip, deciding not to mention her male disguise.
After so much self-deception, she was starting to waver. This girl didn’t know her past—whether she was male or female didn’t matter.
“Uh, I’m Lin Xiaoxiao, sophomore,” she said.
Ning Xi didn’t seem surprised, grinning warmly. “A senior! I’m a freshman. Can I call you Little Miss?”
Lin Xiaoxiao couldn’t refuse those hopeful eyes and nodded.
Seeing Ning Xi eager to keep chatting, she reminded her, “Weren’t you looking for your boyfriend?”
Ning Xi blinked, then smacked her forehead. “Right! But even you think he’s my boyfriend? We’re totally meant to be…”
Lin Xiaoxiao sweat-dropped at her dreamy expression, starting to piece things together.
They exchanged contact info, and Ning Xi dashed off to the library’s second floor.
Lin Xiaoxiao shrugged it off as a small encounter and left the school.
Back at Zhou Ting’s place, she checked the fridge for dinner ingredients before heading to her room.
As she plugged in her phone, something crossed her mind. She opened the bedside drawer, filled with small trinkets.
Digging to the bottom, she pulled out a small pillbox and opened it—only a few left.
Her eyes dimmed. She’d need to buy more…
These were contraceptives. Lin Xiaoxiao had no intention of getting pregnant. She could barely accept being a woman—having a child was unthinkable.
But Zhou Ting was reckless and unrestrained, leaving her no choice but to take precautions.
She knew the pills weren’t 100% effective, so she left the slim chance to fate.
Tucking the pillbox back, she lay on the bed, hoping to nap.
Drifting off, she sank into a long, vivid dream…
The details were hazy, but Zhou Ting was there.
His eyes were cold, looking at her like a stranger, his voice icy as he said, “Lin Xiaoxiao, our relationship is over. You’re free.”
The words jolted her awake, staring at the ceiling, realizing it was just a dream.
Free…
Her thoughts churned. It was only a dream, but if he really said that one day, would she truly be free?
Before, she’d have said yes—this was just a transactional arrangement.
But now, the thought made her chest tighten. What was wrong with her?
As she wrestled with her emotions, a noise came from the living room.
Snapping out of it, she noticed it was late. Slipping on slippers, she went to check, assuming it was Zhou Yang.
But it was Zhou Ting, clearly drunk, supported by a man she recognized—his secretary, Li Xian.
“Miss Lin, you’re here! Perfect, help me out,” Li Xian said, slightly tipsy himself.
“Okay, okay.” She hurried over, helping Zhou Ting onto the sofa.
Li Xian wiped his brow. “It’s late, so I’ll head out.”
She nodded. After he left, she looked at Zhou Ting, frowning at his drunken state, and turned to make some hangover soup.
Before she could leave, he cracked his eyes open, his consciousness fuzzy and head pounding. “Lin Xiaoxiao, where’re you going?”
She lowered her voice. “To make you hangover soup.”
He paused, then suddenly pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. “No need. I don’t drink that stuff.”
She struggled lightly, about to speak, when she caught a faint perfume scent on him. She froze.
Unaware of her reaction, Zhou Ting inhaled her sweet fragrance, asking teasingly, “What brand of perfume do you use?”
Her heart swirled with unease. “I don’t use perfume…”
She’d never worn perfume—it felt like a woman’s privilege, like dresses, something she still resisted.
He bit her earlobe, earning a soft squeak, and chuckled. “No perfume? Makes sense. You smell better than any perfume.”
The women who approached him were always caked in makeup, their perfumes overpowering.
Like at today’s event—he’d been ready to leave when a woman threw herself at him in the elevator. He’d had her pulled away, but the lingering perfume had irritated him.
But this girl was different. Her scent was subtle, like floral tea, stirring a unique desire to savor her.