Chapter 5: The Scent of Rosemary

After breakfast, Lin Ximeng changed her clothes.

A denim jacket paired with a beige asymmetrical long skirt, and round-toe flats on her feet.

Her long, straight black hair draped smoothly over her shoulders.

Her aura was a mix of pure innocence and subtle charm.

She extended an invitation to Li Huangxuan: “I’m going shopping. Want to come along?”

Li Huangxuan refused flatly. “No.”

It was his way of protesting—on principle as a man—against the unfair co-living agreement.

Lin Ximeng just smiled without saying a word and gracefully stepped out the door.

Li Huangxuan let out a sigh, slouched back to his room, and opened his laptop.

He originally intended to just check his novel stats and then sneak in a nap.

Unexpectedly, there was a new comment—once again from “Leo Meteor Shower.”

“The Author is great, your writing is amazing! The story is so touching, I’m crying, waaah…”

Along with another free gift.

That feeling of being recognized—it was unbeatable.

To think his words could be so cherished by someone.

Energized, Li Huangxuan immediately gave up the idea of going back to sleep.

“Screw sleep, time to grind!” He grabbed his keyboard and got to work.

Line after line of heartfelt prose flowed from his fingertips.

Back in school, Chinese composition had never been his strong suit—writing 800 words felt like torture.

Now, though, he was committed to finishing this story, even if no one else read it.

It was his way of honoring a cherished friend.

Fully immersed in writing, time flew by.

When he heard the door open, he realized he had written three full chapters.

So this is the power of waking up early.

He stretched and stood up to move around.

Lin Ximeng came in holding a large cardboard box filled with various potted plants.

There were (Jasmine?), poinsettias, phalaenopsis orchids, and most of all—rosemary.

Li Huangxuan was surprised. “You’re only staying a month. Why buy so many plants?”

Lin Ximeng replied seriously, “Even if it’s just a month, life should be lived with refinement. When I leave, you’ll take care of them.”

Li Huangxuan was speechless again. He was starting to suspect this girl wasn’t quite right in the head.

I can barely take care of myself—now I have to take care of these plants too?

Humming a tune, Lin Ximeng carefully arranged the pots along the windowsill.

“Your smile sways with the breeze, with the scent of rosemary… the flirtation in your voice carries a minty sweetness, sending out signals of love…”

Li Huangxuan stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the doorway, watching her tend to the plants.

An odd feeling stirred in his heart.

He had to admit—this girl had only moved in for a day, yet the place already felt a little more like home.

No wonder God invented men and women—to balance yin and yang.

Thinking back to living with Zhang Chuan, two rough guys just scraping by—what kind of life was that?

“I bought two steaks. I’ll snip a little rosemary and cook them for lunch,” Lin Ximeng turned back and flashed a bright smile.

She always switched effortlessly between assertive and gentle.

She could charm in the living room, and shine in the kitchen.

As the saying goes, “It’s hard to say no to someone who feeds you.”

At lunch, Li Huangxuan tried to sound casual: “You’re new in Jiangcheng and probably don’t know your way around. If you ever need help, feel free to ask me.”

Lin Ximeng followed up smoothly, “Sure! Come shopping with me this afternoon.”

“I was just being polite,” Li Huangxuan replied.

“But I took it seriously.”

Just like yesterday, the kitchen cleaning was left to Li Huangxuan.

At this rate, he figured he’d end up washing more dishes this month than he had in the past 23 years.

Still, considering Lin Ximeng’s amazing cooking skills, he had no real complaints.

At 2 p.m., the two of them got ready and headed out.

The first place Lin Ximeng wanted to visit was Jiangcheng University.

Li Huangxuan scoffed, “That crappy school is tiny. What’s there to see?”

“I just want to go,” she replied seriously.

The campus in autumn was filled with the scent of osmanthus blossoms.

Golden ginkgo leaves blanketed the ground, fluttering like butterflies in the wind.

Lin Ximeng walked lightly ahead, her skirt swaying with the breeze.
The jade bracelet on her wrist chimed with a crisp, pleasant sound.

Li Huangxuan recalled that she had mentioned being 20 years old, already working as an office clerk.
That probably meant she hadn’t attended college.
Being curious about a university campus made sense.

With her stunning looks, Lin Ximeng quickly drew attention from passing students.

One bold male student even approached her, asking, “Hey, which major are you in? Can I get your number?”

Lin Ximeng suddenly stopped, turned toward Li Huangxuan, and called out sweetly,
“Darling, can you hurry up? Are you stepping on ants or what?”

The guy who had approached her got the hint and awkwardly walked away—
but not without casting a jealous glance at Li Huangxuan.

Such a beautiful girl, wasted on a guy like that… he thought.

Li Huangxuan hurried up with a satisfied grin but said teasingly,
“Pretending to be your boyfriend is not in my job description.”

Lin Ximeng gave him a look. “What, you want extra pay?”

They passed the Tenth Academic Building and the Second Dining Hall, eventually stopping in front of the library.

The fountain in the center pool sprayed water two or three meters high,
casting shimmering rainbows in the afternoon sunlight.

At the foot of the long staircase, Lin Ximeng paused in silence.

Li Huangxuan noticed her eyes were slightly red.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s take a picture here.”

“Us?” Li Huangxuan asked, puzzled. “You want to take a photo with me?”

“Don’t you want to?”

“I… okay, sure.”

That strange feeling rose in his chest again.

It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but it still felt off.
Why would she want a photo with someone she’d only just met?

Maybe that was just her way of doing things.

Lin Ximeng asked a passing student to take a picture of them.

They stood close together in front of the fountain.

In the photo, she looked graceful and elegant, smiling softly.
He, on the other hand, looked stiff and a bit awkward.

“Why aren’t you smiling?” Lin Ximeng frowned.

“I couldn’t think of anything happy,” Li Huangxuan replied vaguely.

Disappointment flashed in her eyes. She pouted, stuffed her phone into her pocket,
and marched up the steps without another word.

“Hey, where are you going?” Li Huangxuan asked.

“To the restroom,” Lin Ximeng replied.

“Do you even know where it is?”

“I do.”

Once her figure disappeared at the top of the steps, Li Huangxuan started pacing in circles, stomping his feet and mentally slapping himself—completely regretful.

She just wanted a photo to remember the moment. What would it have cost him to smile?
It’s not like a piece of his face would fall off.

And yet he had to act all cold and distant.

Serves him right to be single.

After a couple of turns, he realized that line of thinking was dangerous.

Wasn’t his crush supposed to be on his colleague, Xu Wanqing?

He couldn’t seriously be catching feelings for a roommate he’d just met yesterday, could he?

“I, Li Huangxuan, have lived a life of integrity and righteousness,” he told himself.
“I’m not some sleazy guy who falls for a pretty face on a whim!”