Chapter 29 - Your scent

Cassia was angry at Rege. But she couldn’t show her emotions openly, because she was famous for being haughty, cold, aloof, and refined.

She didn’t care about money at all, she turned a blind eye to the men who frantically pursued her, she endured any situation with unhurried calm and grace.

So she nodded lightly at Jian Qiao and said in a low voice, “I regret that I can’t have it. I presumed too much just now.”

“Not at all, we didn’t explain it clearly,” Jian Qiao responded with some lukewarm words, then returned the necklace to a black velvet box and locked it inside the display case.

Cassia’s eyes were still glued to the necklace, as fresh and lovely as a daisy, yet radiant as the first rays of the morning sun. As the necklace lay in the case, the black velvet contrasted even more strongly with its gorgeous sparkling light. Its beauty could almost snatch a person’s soul.

For a moment, Cassia wanted to smash open the glass of the display case, snatch the necklace, rush through the door and escape.

But she successfully resisted the impulse. She took a deep breath and with difficulty averted her eyes.

It doesn’t matter, even if I can’t have that necklace there are other valuables waiting for me. Every item in this store is a fine piece of jewelry. It shouldn’t be hard to find something else worthwhile. Come on, come on, let’s find the second most expensive treasure.

Cassia muttered to herself as she wandered from counter to counter, her eyes carelessly scanning all the jewels.

She twisted her slender hips and meandered step by step, lightly sliding her white index finger along the glass counter.

She looked graceful and breezy, as if she were strolling through her own garden picking roses by hand, with a languid expression that wasn’t at all distracted by the ostentatious glittering jewels before her.

Just as the stories said, she was indeed a rare woman.

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The male customers in the shop were secretly watching Cassia with interest, and their eyes glowed with appreciation.

But Jian Qiao’s brow was slightly knitted. He looked worried.

This woman was an excellent actress. She knew how to shape her own image. Most people who encountered her would be deceived.

Jian Qiao knew her true colors, but as a gentleman he wouldn’t say a word against her in public. Of all the men she swindled, which one wasn’t willing? Which one didn’t enjoy it?

If he exposed Cassia’s machinations, those people wouldn’t suddenly come to their senses. They’d just come after him in a steady stream of trouble.

Jian Qiao, who was extremely afraid of trouble, decided to keep his mouth shut. It was enough if he protected Rege.

So, when Cassia’s fingertip pointed at a diamond brooch and she softly called out, “Ray, come and help me—”

Jian Qiao spoke at the same time to interrupt her. “Ray, I have something for you. Come with me.”

His voice wasn’t as clear and melodious as Cassia’s, nor as high-pitched and penetrating, but in Rege’s ears it sounded like the bell of a tower, making his heart tremble.

This was the first time the gentleman Earl had called him by a nickname.

“Certainly, Jian.” Rege immediately followed Jian Qiao, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a sunny smile.

Jian Qiao noticed the change in address between them. As he looked back at Rege a warm light radiated from his eyes.

Rege sensed his pleasure, so he naturally took two quick steps forward, put his arm around the other man’s shoulder, and called out in his ear, “My dearest Jian, what do you want to show me?”

“My dearest Ray, you’ll find out when you see it.” Jian Qiao jokingly replied.

They had no idea how childish they sounded at that moment. Only kindergartener children would act like this—I call your name, you call mine—while somehow feeling happy for no reason.

Cassia, who was ignored again: “…”

Her fingertips were still touching the counter, where a blue diamond brooch the size of a pigeon’s egg was giving off a fascinating glow.

“Beautiful miss, may I help you with this brooch?” the shop clerk asked politely.

Cassia stiffly shook her head. “No, I’ll come back later.”

She would never take the initiative to ask a man for a piece of jewelry, because she was the cold and haughty Cassia, the indifferent to wealth and fame Cassia, the Cassia who was fearless of power and prestige. At the same time she was the Cassia who wasn’t vulgar, greedy, loose, or low.

She only needed to say “Come and help me see this”, and a crowd of men would appear to buy the treasures she fancied and beg her to accept them.

At the right time, she would graciously reply, “Thank you.”

She didn’t refuse, yet didn’t rejoice, let alone lower herself for such a reason. A priceless gem was just a rock in her eyes.

And so, when she finally broke into a smile, the men who devoted everything to her would truly understand what it meant to be “on top of the world”.

However, this undefeated tactic had failed today. Rege didn’t follow her around at every moment, nervously watching her demeanor, attending to her every need.

This damned man is like a dog that’s been hungry for three days, circling around the Earl of Flowervale and barking! He can’t even remember why he’s here!

Cassia could barely maintain her elegant and indifferent persona.

After taking several deep breaths she walked towards the two men standing in the corner. Her back teeth ground together, eager to bite.

Jian Qiao took out a small, exquisite box from a concealed compartment in the counter and whispered, “Remember the time you lent me a handkerchief to wipe my face at Prince Andrew’s banquet? I cleaned it.”

He opened the box and took out a white silk handkerchief. The handkerchief was sprayed with cologne, and it emitted a cold aroma formed by the accumulation of ice and snow on cypress trees. The hand that held this handkerchief was itself as white as snow, and the light blue blood vessels beneath the pale skin were like the spreading branches of a cypress.

The scene before him was a painting with a fragrance. And Rege was captured by this painting’s beauty.

He froze for a while before he accepted the handkerchief, then held it to his nose and sniffed it. He sighed in a hoarse voice, “It’s so fragrant.”

“This is the perfume I designed especially for you. It’s called《Warmth》.” Jian Qiao took a bottle of amber perfume out of the box.

“But it smells cold.” Rege’s voice became more husky and dry. At the same time his heart was pounding.

A perfume designed specifically for him? So, the whole time he blended these scents, Jian was thinking of him, right?

“How can it be cold? Try smelling it again.” Jian Qiao sprayed the perfume on his fingertips, then gently applied them to Rege’s hot wrist, which was emitting a scorching high temperature. Then he held Rege’s wrist and placed it in front of him, sniffing inch by inch with his nose.

This light sniffing sound was like the whimper of a small animal. It sounded extremely adorable.

The skin of the wrist was already very sensitive, and the tip of his nose touched this vulnerable place now and again, igniting an electric current that made Rege’s body numb and soft all over.

If he had never experienced life and death on the battlefield, if his mind had lacked an invincible will, Rege would have turned into a red-faced fool.

He felt that what Jian Qiao was holding wasn’t his wrist, but his life’s blood. With just a gentle sniff, the other man took away his soul.

Rege was stuck in place like a wooden stake. As long as Jian Qiao didn’t let go, he didn’t dare to move.

“Smell it, it’s warm.” Jian Qiao returned his wrist.

Only then did Rege raise his softened, numbed arm and lift it to his nose to smell it. Then his sky blue eyes sparkled with crystal rays of light.

“It is warm,” he whispered with excitement.

After the coldness of the pine and snow gradually disappeared, the scent of incense wood burning in a fireplace became apparent. This lingering charm was lasting, persistent, and impassioned.

Jian Qiao leaned forward with his hands propped on the counter, looking deeply at Rege. His voice was soft and slow. “This is the feeling you bring to me. At first encounter, it’s very cold and hard, like ice and snow, cypress and pine. But the more I see, the more I understand the real you is a fire, a beam of light. You shine on me and bring me warmth. You’re the fireplace that accompanies me through the cold winter days in peace. So, this is your scent.”

As he described his innermost feelings, he sprayed a little perfume on his snow-white wrist, held it to the tip of his nose and sniffed deeply, saying with a heartfelt sigh, “I love the way you smell.”

Rege: “…”

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Shit! Here it comes, here it comes again! The sweet attack of the gentleman Earl has started again!

Rege wailed in his heart but he was completely unable to set up a defense mechanism. When Jian Qiao’s pale lips opened to express his heart, Rege had already laid down his arms and surrendered. Sooner or later he was going to drown in these sweet words.

“Thank you for the gift. I like it very much.” Rege took the bottle of perfume and covered it with his hot palm.

“But could you make a bottle of perfume with your own scent and give it to me? I think that would smell better,” he immediately added.

“I don’t know what I smell like.” Jian Qiao lifted his other wrist and sniffed.

“You’re the scent of honey. Marigolds, anemones, roses, nectar flowing from all kinds of beautiful flowers to form honey. And this honey is mingled with silky cream and cocoa with a rich aroma, and caramel that’s been simmered for a long time. Your scent is sweet, you’re everything sweet.” Rege licked his sharp tiger teeth as if he’d just been eating honey and was relishing the aftertaste.

Jian Qiao looked blank.

Cassia walked over at that moment, opened her palm, and said, “Can I have a smell of this perfume?” She needed to insert herself into the conversation so she could guide them back to shopping for jewelry.

Rege frowned at her and his tone was very unpleasant. “Didn’t you hear? This is my exclusive perfume. Don’t you know how precious it is? Who are you to use it?”

Cassia, who’d never been rejected by a man: “…”

“Pfft!” The female customers around the room let out a mocking laugh.

Cassia felt her ears burning, caused by embarrassment and anger.

These two damn smelly men! Why didn’t the two of them just get together? What was the point of looking for a courtesan?

TL Notes:

on top of the world – 受宠若惊 – overwhelmed by unexpected favor, flattered

Shit! – This was in English in the raw text