Chapter 14
Su Louzhi returned to Room 302 and flopped onto her bed.
She had walked too much today. Lying there, she scrolled through her phone, planning to stay up for at least two or three hours before sleeping. But her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until the phone slipped from her hand and smacked her right in the face. Groggily, she fumbled to tuck it beside her pillow, turned over, and fell asleep.
—
Ji Kailan stood in place, watching Su Louzhi's figure disappear around the corner of the stairwell.
That clean scent at the tip of his nose—the one that made his whole body feel at ease—gradually faded as she moved farther away.
In its place came the familiar, inferior pheromones.
Tangled, pungent, everywhere—the smell that had irritated him through his entire adolescence.
Ji Kailan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then turned and walked back to the parking lot. Once he sat in his car, the odor lessened slightly. The more comfortable he had felt beside Su Louzhi just moments ago, the more unbearable it was now.
He had fallen from heaven, right back into hell.
Ji Kailan gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning faintly white.
Don't rush.
He told himself over and over again.
Don't rush.
Snatching her away outright would do him no good. She had only known him for a day, and the fact that she'd already gone this far—watching a movie, having a meal, taking a nap at his place, and agreeing to meet for morning exercise tomorrow—was already beyond expectations.
He took a deep breath and started the engine.
Back at Minghua Yuan, Ji Kailan closed the door behind him, and the smell instantly dissipated.
This was the only way he had found over the years to block out pheromones: total isolation. The reason he had chosen this place was precisely because it had few residents and good privacy—shut the door and you could barely catch a whiff of the outside world.
Of course, the ideal was that manor in the suburbs. No one within miles; that was true cleanliness. But he couldn't completely cut himself off from society.
Ji Kailan leaned against the door panel and let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Just one day.
He'd only known her for one day, and he was already this dependent on her?
—
For the seven days of the National Day holiday, Su Louzhi spent almost all of them with Ji Kailan.
Every morning at seven, Su Louzhi appeared punctually at the edge of the basketball court. He played; she watched from the side. When a game ended, she'd hand him a bottle of water, and then the two of them would take a slow stroll together.
"Have you ever been around here, Zhizhi?"
Su Louzhi shook her head.
"Then let's explore here today."
Ji Kailan seemed determined to take her through every corner of the campus surroundings. Today the park to the east, tomorrow the old street to the west, the day after the creative park to the south. Su Louzhi had never imagined there were so many fun places outside the school.
At noon, they'd return to Ji Kailan's place at Minghua Yuan.
On the second day of the National Day holiday, the moment Su Louzhi stepped through the door, she noticed the changes. A pair of women's slippers had appeared by the entrance—pink, soft, exactly her size. In the guest bedroom's wardrobe hung a brand-new set of women's pajamas in the pure cotton fabric she liked. On the bathroom vanity, the toothbrush and cup she'd used yesterday were neatly set aside, with a whole new set of skincare products beside them.
"Zhizhi," Ji Kailan said, standing at the door and smiling at her, "I've got all your things ready at home. If there's anything else you want, just tell me, and I'll buy it for you."
He paused, the smile in his eyes deepening. "So Zhizhi can't just come only once from now on."
Su Louzhi looked at those eyes and, as if possessed, nodded again.
In the afternoon, the library. Ji Kailan continued teaching her finance with his game-based approach, and Su Louzhi listened with great interest.
In the evening, they'd have dinner together—at the cafeteria or at small eateries around campus, where Ji Kailan always managed to find tasty places that weren't pricey. Then he'd walk her back to the dormitory and watch her go upstairs.
Day after day.
What Su Louzhi didn't notice was that over these seven days, Ji Kailan was slowly making her accustomed to his presence.
In the library, he'd "accidentally" move a little closer when reaching for a book; while explaining, he'd lean in to look at her notes; while walking, his arm would occasionally brush against her shoulder; when she got into the car, he'd casually raise his hand to shield her head.
Little by little, step by step.
Making her used to his proximity.
Making her unguarded against his scent.
Making her unconsciously place him in her safe zone.
Seven days passed, and Su Louzhi could already naturally hand him the half-finished bottle of water, walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him without thinking, and fall asleep without any guard during her afternoon naps at his place.
Ji Kailan watched it all, the darkness in his eyes growing deeper.
Don't rush.
He told himself.
Once all these habits are etched into her instincts, once her body accepts him before her mind even realizes it—
That's when he would truly take the next step.
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Author's note:
[Short Extra Scene]
Now:
Ji Kailan: No rush. I can wait.
Future:
Ji Kailan: Why isn't it done yet? Why isn't it done yet???