Paying a Visit

Hua Yu had Wei Yin wait in the car while she went back to her department for a moment.

It was almost lunchtime in the differentiation department. A group of people had already finished their work and were crowding around Yang Cha, eyes bright with curiosity.

“And then what? Hurry up, keep talking.”

Yang Cha had eaten so many pastries she was stuffed to the brim. She hiccuped and said, “It was just dessert. Dr. Hua bought zero-calorie sugar, made taro balls by hand, and sends her snacks every day in all kinds of different ways.”

Liu Rannran looked positively starry-eyed. “If an alpha treated me like that, I think I’d be gone already.”

Someone beside her wore the same dreamy expression and sighed up at the ceiling. “Not to mention it’s Dr. Hua; she’s beautiful and capable. Even if she’s too busy to keep me company, I’d still be willing.”

Yang Cha was an alpha herself and couldn’t be bothered to look at these little nurses acting so cheap. Why should alphas be noble while betas and omegas were the ones throwing themselves at them?

She said with obvious disdain, “You still want company, okay? Open your eyes and stop going after scumbag alphas, sisters. Otherwise what kind of romance are you even talking about? Online dating?”

Hua Yu’s calm voice drifted over from behind them. “Want to online date someone? Should I introduce you to a few?”

The whole group: !!

Yang Cha spun around in shock. “Dr. Hua, h-hello… weren’t you with Wei Yin?”

Hua Yu lifted her chin. “Come to my office with me.”

The people behind them all looked at Yang Cha with pity.

Yang Cha felt a chill of impending doom. After entering the office, she first handed over a box. “These are the suppressants Dr. Hua wanted, along with all kinds of random soothing medication.”

Hua Yu’s expression didn’t change. She took it and nodded at Yang Cha. “Thank you. I’ll be on leave for at least three days. If anything comes up with Zhao Qi, contact me right away.”

She went over everything that needed attention, then told Yang Cha to leave and called in the doctors under her supervision.

By the time she finished arranging everything, the people outside had already scattered like birds and fish.

Hua Yu gave a soft smile, picked up the things, and left.

—

They passed several perfume shops, but Hua Yu didn’t let Wei Yin get out of the car. She went in first and took a look around.

“Perfume shops won’t do; the scent is too mixed.”

True agarwood was very hard to replicate exactly. Wei Yin’s ability to identify scent was already so poor that she could only detect a faint trace of fragrance but not tell what kind it was. If she also caught these messy mixed scents, Hua Yu was afraid she’d confuse them with her own pheromones.

She already couldn’t recognize her own pheromones; if she smelled other perfumes and got them mixed up, mistaking deer for horse and random mixed fragrance for agarwood, Hua Yu would be sick with frustration.

“Compared with turning it into perfume, agarwood is better suited to being burned as incense,” Hua Yu said, glancing at Wei Yin in the passenger seat. After a moment of thought, she added, “Speaking of which, there’s a place I can take you.”

Wei Yin sat quietly, her eyes curving. “Okay.”

She didn’t know much about fragrance; when it came to things she didn’t understand, she always let other people arrange them.

Besides, this was Dr. Hua. Wei Yin felt an unguarded sense of calm around her; she didn’t want to manage anything, just listen to Dr. Hua.

But soon, even that calm was shattered.

Hua Yu drove Wei Yin farther and farther away, until they reached the outskirts and turned into a hillside villa district.

The weather was clear and breezy; pavilions and terraces stood in layers. The villas here were all detached little houses, with a strong traditional Chinese retro style.

“What is this place?” Wei Yin’s eyes flashed with admiration. The decor was so beautiful it hit right at the part of her heart that loved classical aesthetics.

The two-story wooden building had corridors linking its sections, and inside were divided little courtyards; with rockeries and water features, the scenery was elegant to an extreme.

Hua Yu parked under the canopy by the entrance. “Get out.”

Wei Yin followed behind Hua Yu, looking around cautiously the whole way.

The facial recognition passed. Hua Yu took Wei Yin by the hand and led her inside, where they immediately met a middle-aged aunt coming toward them.

The aunt had come out when she heard the car; before she even reached the door, she saw someone walking in.

One look, and wrinkles of laughter gathered at the corners of her eyes.

“My precious Yu is back!”

Hua Yu nodded at her. “Aunt Sun.”

Aunt Sun was delighted beyond words. She leaned closer. “Why did you come back all of a sudden? You didn’t even call ahead. Sister Dai and the others are out.”

“I know; they’re in the neighboring city. I just came home to take a look, nothing else. Don’t call Mom and Dad back,” Hua Yu said as she went in and found slippers for Wei Yin. “Don’t stand on ceremony; look around however you like.”

Aunt Sun noticed the girl behind Hua Yu. One glance was enough for her smile to bloom. “And this is?”

Hua Yu introduced her simply, “A friend of mine.”

When had this child ever brought a friend home? Aunt Sun was sharp-eyed and quick-witted, and she had watched Hua Yu grow up from childhood; she knew her very well. Seeing this, the fine lines at the corners of her mouth deepened with a smile.

This was Hua Yu’s first time bringing someone home. Aunt Sun took Wei Yin’s hand warmly. “It happens to be lunchtime, so stay and eat. Tell me what you’d like, little girl, and I’ll make it.”

Wei Yin had never been treated with such enthusiasm before. She immediately waved her hands and backed away. “No, no need…”

“She likes Cantonese food,” Hua Yu said. “And some desserts too.”

Aunt Sun hurriedly agreed.

Hua Yu thought for a moment, then added, “Make it nutritious and plentiful; no eggplant, goose meat, sesame, or kiwifruit.”

“Got it,” Aunt Sun said, memorizing it. “Anything else?”

Wei Yin’s eye twitched. She tugged at Hua Yu’s sleeve and whispered like a mosquito, “Stop saying it…”

Hua Yu pressed her lips together in a smile. “That should be enough.”

After Aunt Sun left, Wei Yin was nearly collapsing from embarrassment.

“Where is this?”

She hadn’t really realized it after getting out of the car; she’d been absorbed by the courtyard decor. Then she saw Aunt Sun and still didn’t react. It wasn’t until Hua Yu led her inside so naturally, with facial recognition, changing shoes, chatting with Aunt Sun, and then mentioning “Mom and Dad” that...

Hua Yu raised an eyebrow. “My home. Didn’t you say you were coming home with me?”

The home she meant was Hua Yu’s place, not her parents’ house!

Wei Yin wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself in it. She clutched Hua Yu’s sleeve and refused to let go, speaking very softly but endlessly muttering, “Uncle and Aunt are coming back soon, take me away, take me away, let’s go quickly, go go go go go…”

Probably very few people understood how awkward a socially anxious person could be at this very moment.

Liking someone, accepting someone, and fitting into their circle were two completely different things.

Hua Yu stroked her head. “Only Aunt Sun is home. My parents aren’t here; they went to the neighboring city to play today and won’t be back until evening.”

Hearing that, Wei Yin finally let out a long breath.

It was fine if her parents weren’t here.

Hua Yu took Wei Yin’s wrist. Their skin was touching, and she could feel the pulse beating beneath Wei Yin’s skin.

140; she had been frightened badly.

Hua Yu lowered her head and pressed her lips together, hiding the smile that flashed in her eyes as she led the girl upstairs.

The center of the second floor was a hall with floor-to-ceiling wooden sliding doors. Once opened, the room connected on all sides. In the middle sat a sandalwood table, and on it was an incense burner sending up wisps of smoke.

“I brought you here for this.”

Wei Yin looked closely and immediately stepped forward. This was incense burning she had never seen before.

Hua Yu tossed her a cushion to sit on, then went to the drawer and took out a wooden box, along with a lighter.

Wei Yin examined everything carefully, eager to try it. “Can I touch these things?”

“Whatever you like,” Hua Yu said.

Wei Yin fiddled with the incense burner and the incense shovel, then picked up an incense mold.

Inside the burner was a “character” that was nearly finished burning. The mold was used to press incense powder into characters; once lit from one end, the powder would burn slowly and steadily, allowing the fragrance to fully release.

Wei Yin searched around. “Where’s the agarwood powder?”

Hua Yu sat down across from her and looked up. “What?”

Wei Yin was holding up the incense mold; she had never played with this sort of thing, but she really wanted to try it herself.

She said, “First bury the charcoal ash, loosen the incense ash, then use the shovel to level it, right?”

Hua Yu said nothing. Her gaze flickered with surprise before she laughed.

“I don’t know these things,” Hua Yu said, taking the mold platform from her hand with a light smile. “We probably won’t need it.”

“We won’t need it?” Wei Yin stared at the incense burner. That was clearly how it was being burned.

“That’s Aunt Sun’s method,” Hua Yu said as she opened the wooden box and took out a strip of wood, about two finger-joints long. “Burning incense doesn’t have that many rules. I usually just light it directly.”

Wei Yin looked at Hua Yu in bewilderment. “Huh?”

Hua Yu placed the wood strip on the lighter, lit it evenly for several seconds, then turned off the flame.

A wisp of green smoke rose at once.

With her other hand, Hua Yu gently fanned the smoke toward Wei Yin. “Smell it.”

Wei Yin leaned closer.

Hua Yu said softly, “The most direct way to appreciate agarwood is by burning it over an open flame. Of course, for those who are particular, you can roast it over indirect heat, or make incense tablets or incense powder; but we came in a hurry and didn’t prepare anything at home, so just burning it is fine.”

Wei Yin smelled a shifting fragrance.

Hua Yu said, “Different components in agarwood volatilize at different rates; some people can pick out twenty different scents. The top note is the first smell you notice; I can catch a sweet vinegar acidity. The middle note is cool and penetrating; it’s the main fragrance formed when the components blend together, and it lasts the longest. I can smell simmered cane sugar and heated honey, with a touch of floral and fruity fragrance. The base note lingers longest; what I smell is the scent of woody fibers being roasted, mixed with a slight earthy fishiness.”

Wei Yin followed her words and sniffed carefully, her eyelashes lowering. After a long while she suddenly opened her eyes. “I can smell all of that.”

Hua Yu looked at her with a smile. “Mm. What else?”

Wei Yin sniffed a little longer, then said softly, “A little medicinal bitterness, the salty dampness of the sea breeze, and a very faint spiciness.”

“So detailed?” Hua Yu touched Wei Yin’s head. “Your nose is really sharp.”

Wei Yin grinned, dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth. “But the best smell is still the floral-and-fruity fragrance in the middle; it’s mixed with the coolness of the woody scent, but it still feels gentle and mellow.”

Hua Yu nodded. “Right. The very first thing that stays in your memory is the main tone of agarwood. Agarwood grown in different places, of different ages, even collected under different weather on the day it’s harvested, can all affect its fragrance. When there’s a chance, I’ll let you smell more varieties and find the one that’s closest to mine.”

Wei Yin nodded obediently. “Okay.”

Then she darted a quick glance at Hua Yu and lowered her eyes. “Actually, Dr. Hua’s pheromone scent is different.”

“Hm?” Hua Yu said patiently. “Can you tell?”

Wei Yin held her thumb and forefinger a little apart. “Just a little. Dr. Hua’s scent... is colder.”

From the very beginning, she had felt that Hua Yu’s temperament was like an icy lake on a plateau, like a tear falling pure and cold from the snow-covered mountain ridge.

Because of her gland damage, she couldn’t accurately sense Hua Yu’s pheromones, but every so often there was that one fleeting impression she could still piece together: Hua Yu’s pheromones were colder, purer.

If they were agarwood, then they would surely be agarwood grown in the high mountains.

Wei Yin silently memorized that and rubbed her gland with the back of her hand.

Hua Yu caught her wrist, her brow knitting. “Don’t rub it.”

She looked down at Wei Yin; without needing to say anything, she could already read what Wei Yin was thinking. “There’s still a long way to go. Take it slowly; no need to rush.”

Wei Yin’s lips curved into a small dimple. “Okay.”

Her gland was slowly recovering. She believed Hua Yu; sooner or later, she would be able to smell Hua Yu’s scent clearly.

Downstairs, Aunt Sun had arranged lunch and called the two of them down.

“Come eat first,” Hua Yu said in a low voice. “Aunt Sun’s cooking is very good; you can try more dishes.”

Wei Yin thought to herself that when you came to someone’s house to freeload a meal, how could you judge whether their cooking was good or not? You just had to eat. But when the first bite of crab roe steamed dumpling went into her mouth and the juice burst out, she immediately couldn’t help giving Aunt Sun a thumbs-up and beamed in surprise. “So delicious.”

Aunt Sun was old, and what she loved most was when the children asked her for things, especially when they liked the food she made. Such praise made her feel especially useful.

“Then eat more,” Aunt Sun said, pushing the whole plate in front of Wei Yin. “If there’s anything else you like, tell Aunt Sun; I’ll make it for you again next time.”

There were only two people at the table, and she favored Wei Yin a little more. The child looked so thin, all bones and no flesh, and her face was pale; it was obvious she wasn’t in good health, so of course she should eat more.

Of course, she also doted on Hua Yu; half the dishes on the table were Hua Yu’s favorites.

Wei Yin felt too embarrassed to eat the whole plate. She looked at the dishes in front of her, then at Hua Yu.

Hua Yu smiled at her and motioned for her to relax. “It’s fine. If you like it, eat more.”

Only then did Wei Yin reach out her chopsticks for a second bite.

Seeing how polite and well-behaved Wei Yin was, Aunt Sun’s smile deepened even more.

Halfway through the meal, some sauce splashed onto the back of Wei Yin’s hand, and she went to the bathroom to clean it off.

Hua Yu also stood up. “Need help?”

Wei Yin pressed a hand to her shoulder. “I can do it myself.”

It was only washing a hand; she didn’t want to look like some helpless idiot who couldn’t manage her own life.

Of course, in an unfamiliar environment, if Aunt Sun hadn’t been there, Wei Yin would probably have stayed glued to Hua Yu’s side step for step.

The bathroom decor was modern, though only the sink was made of marble, giving it a touch of antiquity and weight.

Water flowed over Wei Yin’s palm as she slowly thought to herself: this was where Hua Yu had grown up.

No wonder she had developed such a bearing.

The difference between people was already decided from birth.

There were some chasms and abysses that effort could close; there were others that no amount of chasing could ever fill.

She was really lucky to be friends with Hua Yu.

Wei Yin pulled out a tissue and wiped her palm clean, and just as she was about to head out, she heard several loud voices from outside.

“Where is she? Where’s Hua Yu’s little girlfriend?”

TL Note:

mistaking deer for horse (指鹿为马) = deliberately or carelessly confusing one thing for another; here, mixing up scents.