Chapter 17: Girlfriend? (1/2)

A refreshing, familiar scent of cedar pierced the air, and Sang Sui froze for a few seconds. Just as she was about to look up at the approaching person, the man suddenly reached out, hooking his arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace.

With a spin, their bodies fell into a nearby alcove.

The alcove wasn’t too big or too small, just enough to fit the two of them.

Their bodies pressed together, and Sang Sui clearly felt the heat radiating from the man, his burning body temperature penetrating her clothes and sending a shiver through her.

“You…” Sang Sui barely lifted her head before the man’s broad palm covered her mouth.

Her long lashes fluttered, and she gazed blankly at the familiar, handsome face before her.

It was Sheng Yize.

He lowered his gaze at her, his index finger resting against his lips, signaling her to stay silent.

Sang Sui didn’t dare to move, her heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably.

Soon, voices could be heard from outside.

“Jing Ye, after all, he’s the eldest young lady’s cousin and has a familial relationship with the Jiang family. If you do this, it might not bode well if it reaches Old Master Jiang…”

“Dogs biting dogs…” The man sneered, his eyes behind the glasses gleaming with a sharp edge. “Isn’t that good?”

“…”

Sang Sui’s eyes widened.

It was the voice of Xie Jingyu!

They continued talking, but the voices soon grew distant, and she couldn’t catch the words clearly.

Once they left, Sang Sui quickly snapped out of her daze, jumping out of Sheng Yize’s embrace.

“Sorry… I have to go,” she stammered.

How did you end up here?

Before she could finish her sentence, the girl had already fled in a panic.

---

Sang Sui ran back, panting heavily, and immediately grabbed the water on the table, gulping it down.

Her heart was still racing. Besides the fear of Sheng Yize’s questioning, there was also the lingering scent of cedar that clung to her nose.

The cedar scent—it was always his favorite.

Although he didn’t come home often, whenever he did, the servants would prepare his personal items, like shampoo and shower gel, all with that cedar fragrance.

It was a fresh, elegant scent, evoking a cold, detached feeling, as if standing at the peak of a snow-covered mountain.

The first time she smelled this fragrance on him was when she was fifteen, just after she had her first period.

She had always been picky with food, and her nutrition wasn’t very good. She was shorter than other girls her age, and her menstruation came later than most.

It wasn’t until she was fifteen that she had her first period. At that time, she was living at the Sheng family’s house, and when it came, her mother and Aunt Lin weren’t home. She fainted from the pain in her bedroom. It was Sheng Yize who found her and carried her to see a doctor.

She was curled up on the floor, clutching her stomach, her body drenched in cold sweat from the pain.

In her foggy, dazed state, she vaguely saw someone enter, walking quickly towards her, asking what was wrong.

Unable to say anything, she could only let him bend down and pick her up.

The fresh cedar scent that surrounded him when he lifted her felt like crashing waves, rushing towards her.

It smelled so good.

That was the first time she developed feelings for him.

Lin Luoluo looked up in surprise, her jaw nearly dropping.

After finishing her water in one go, Sang Sui slammed the cup down and plopped herself into a seat.

Lin Luoluo leaned over and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Sang Sui pretended to be calm. “It’s nothing, I’m just a bit thirsty.”

Lin Luoluo glanced at the empty cup.

Thirsty? This is more like desperate thirst!

---

Sang Sui and Lin Luoluo sat there for a while before Chen Yi came over with the birthday star.

It was a tall, handsome-looking young man named Hao Jun.

He worked with their family company, and they had interacted frequently for business, so the two of them knew each other quite well.

---

Chapter 17: Girlfriend? (2/2)

Hao Jun loved lively gatherings, so for this private party, he had invited a lot of people.

All were from their circle, and most of the gifts given to him were quite valuable. In contrast, the gift that Sang Sui and Lin Luoluo gave seemed a bit meager.

However, Hao Jun didn’t mind at all. He happily accepted the gift and urged everyone to enjoy themselves.

After Hao Jun left, Chen Yi led them to a private room, saying their friends were all there.

When they entered the room, Sang Sui realized that Leng Siran was also there.

She looked around but didn’t spot Sheng Yize.

Chen Yi brought food to them, lowering his voice. “Sheng Ge had to step out for a while. He’ll be back later.”

“…”

She didn’t ask about Sheng Yize!

Chen Yi smiled without speaking and placed a small cake in front of Lin Luoluo, who had eagerly been eyeing it.

“You guys sit first. I’ll go greet them.”

The two nodded obediently.

As soon as Chen Yi left, the door to the private room opened.

Sang Sui glanced over and saw Sheng Yize walking in, bathed in the outside light.

When he saw her, his gaze paused for a moment.

He turned away, stepping inside and sitting down on the couch.

He leaned back, crossing his legs, his long arm resting on the arm of the sofa, and lit a cigarette.

A few girls gathered around him.

The smoke swirled, and the girls seemed to be chatting with him about something, their laughter ringing out as they were entertained by him.

The light illuminated his sharp nose, casting a shadow over his face, making him appear almost otherworldly, exuding a carefree, charming aura.

The room was noisy, and with the distance between them, Sang Sui couldn’t hear exactly what they were talking about, but she saw the girls giggling.

Her heart gave a pang, and she quickly turned her gaze away, reaching for a glass of champagne and downing it.

Lin Luoluo wanted to stop her but was already too late. She could only warn her, “You’re not good with alcohol. Don’t drink too much.”

Sang Sui nodded, smiling, and shaking her head in a way that made her seem innocent.

At some point, someone came in and, upon seeing Sang Sui, looked overjoyed.

“Sang Sui, little sister!”

Sang Sui looked up in surprise—it was Zou Jing.

Zou Jing took a few steps over and sat down next to her, bombarding her with a series of questions.

Sang Sui barely managed to keep up, answering him one by one.

Zou Jing paused, glancing at Sheng Yize surrounded by the women, and clicked his tongue. “I thought it was Sheng Ge who brought you here.”

It turned out to be Chen Yi.

As he spoke, he noticed Sang Sui enjoying the small cakes and nuts, and without a second thought, grabbed all the nuts from the coffee table and brought them to her.

Feeling it wasn’t enough, he stood up and walked over to Sheng Yize, bending down to grab all the nuts in front of him as well.

Sheng Yize: “…”

The girls beside him weren’t happy. “Zou Jing, why did you take all the nuts?”

Zou Jing didn’t even look back. “You’re too fat, eat fewer nuts.”

“…”

Zou Jing piled all the snacks in front of Sang Sui, and she sat there, speechless.

The others were all staring at her, making her feel embarrassed, like she was about to get beaten up any second.

She quickly stopped him. “That’s enough, Zou Jing Ge. Don’t take others’ stuff.”

“It’s fine. They all have tiny appetites, they don’t need to eat these.”

“…”

A guy in the room, seeing Zou Jing’s enthusiasm for Sang Sui, couldn’t help but whistle and tease.

“Zou Jing, girlfriend?”