Suppressing his slightly excited mood, he arrived at the lab, changed into a white coat, washed his hands, put on a mask, and then entered the perfume-making room.
“These three, I’m not sure if they meet your requirements,” Li Shishi said before stepping aside.
Meng Ting stepped forward and carefully sniffed each one. In the end, he decided to give it a try.
Regarding this perfume, Meng Ting had invested a lot of time and effort over two lifetimes, but it still didn’t feel perfect enough. Now, he wasn’t sure if he could succeed, but he had to give it a try.
Once he started blending, he became accustomed to being completely focused. From colorless to pale red, pale yellow, deep purple… and it finally turned into a pinkish-purple hue like fine nectar. His movements were slightly slower than usual, but he still maintained a special rhythm that Li Shishi and the others couldn’t quite grasp.
The reason his perfume was so different was that he seemed to instinctively seize the perfect moment.
In a perfume factory, ingredients are mechanically added without adjustments based on the differences in the ingredients. This was something only a master perfumer could do, and Meng Ting’s talent allowed him to excel beyond other perfumers.
Li Shishi and the others, like Meng Ting, wore masks and even stood a bit farther away. Yet, the moment the final product was completed, they were all enchanted by its fragrance.
It was different, truly different. Without Meng Ting telling them, they knew this was the scent Meng Ting had been striving to create.
“It’s a success,” Meng Ting gently swirled the perfume in the test tube, a faint smile appearing on his face. His joy was pure; he wasn’t happy about the commercial value behind this perfume, but simply that he had succeeded before Yan Sui’s birthday.
“I wonder if he’ll like it…”
While feeling happy, Meng Ting also felt a bit of worry. To him, Yan Sui’s feelings were more important than anything else—so important that he even began to doubt his own talent.
“Like it? How could he not like it! He’ll love it!”
The one who made such an exclamation was not the two female assistants, Li Shishi or Ye Zilan, but from the usually taciturn male assistant, Cheng Guang.
He had also heard when Ye Zilan asked Meng Ting earlier.
“Master, why are you trying to develop this perfume in such a short time? Is there a special purpose?”
Cheng Guang remembered Meng Ting’s answer: “To give as a birthday gift.”
A rather simple answer, but at the time, Cheng Guang hadn’t felt much. Now, however, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy—jealousy toward the person Meng Ting was giving this gift to.
It wasn’t that he had any particular feelings for Meng Ting, but this perfume could truly be called perfect. He was certain that even a master perfumer, pouring their heart and soul into it for ten or even decades, might not achieve such a masterpiece.
Such a gift was truly too precious, too rare.
He understood the value of this perfume, but would the person Meng Ting was giving it to understand? Cheng Guang couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Meng Ting didn’t pay any attention to Cheng Guang’s words. He slowly sat down and gently swirled the test tube. Cheng Guang and the others might have wanted to say more, but seeing Meng Ting’s expression, they didn’t speak again.
After about ten minutes of contemplation, Meng Ting got up and personally bottled the perfume. He then went to the adjacent records room to call Yan Mingya.
The two of them chatted for half an hour before Meng Ting finally put down the phone, satisfied. He decided to store the perfume in the safe and then sat down at a desk in the data room to record the complete experimental data and the final perfume formula.
By the time he finished organizing everything and looked up, he noticed that Yan Sui had arrived at some point.
He didn’t disturb Meng Ting but instead sat on the sofa by the corridor, not looking into the perfume lab but rather tilting his head in Meng Ting’s direction. When their eyes met, they both couldn’t help but smile.
Meng Ting began tidying up the items on his desk, intending to go out and meet Yan Sui. But halfway through, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have forgotten to change his clothes. His mask was still hanging on one ear, and when he sniffed his hand, the scent was unmistakable.
Yan Sui had often come to watch him work on perfumes, so he knew exactly what Meng Ting had been up to.
As Meng Ting grew increasingly guilty while tidying up, Yan Sui had already stood up and pushed the door open to enter.
Meng Ting glanced up at Yan Sui, then took two steps forward and tightly wrapped his arms around Yan Sui’s waist. He confessed, “I’m sorry, I lied to you.”
Yan Sui hugged Meng Ting back, taking a small step backward. A faint smile appeared on his face, though his tone remained unchanged.
“What did you lie about?”
“I just worked on the perfume. I lied to you.”
Meng Ting felt both guilty and remorseful. He held onto Yan Sui even tighter, as if afraid Yan Sui might get angry and leave him.
“I’m sorry, Yan Sui…” Meng Ting didn’t intend to make excuses. Even if there was a reason, the fact still remained that he had lied to Yan Sui.
Yan Sui had initially wanted to tease Meng Ting a little, but he found he couldn’t bear to see Meng Ting in any kind of distress. He reached up and gently rubbed the back of Meng Ting’s neck. “When you said you were coming to the lab, I knew you were going to work on the perfume.” Meng Ting’s lie hadn’t fooled him at all.
“Mm, then I was still wrong,” Meng Ting said, even though Yan Sui had easily let him off, he couldn’t help but dwell on it. He lifted his face, nuzzling against Yan Sui, and spoke with utmost sincerity, “There won’t be a next time. I really don’t like lying to you.”
Perhaps Meng Ting’s words held a certain magic for Yan Sui. With just this one sentence, all the worries that had filled his heart after meeting the Xiao brothers vanished. But as the worries faded, other, more turbulent emotions surged forth.
“Mm,” Yan Sui responded softly, then gently pulled Meng Ting back a little.
Meng Ting looked at Yan Sui with confusion, but before he could even blink, Yan Sui lowered his head and captured Meng Ting’s lips in a kiss.
Yan Sui’s kiss was somewhat sudden, carrying a hint of inexplicable urgency, but more than that, it was filled with an affection that Meng Ting could deeply feel. Yan Sui liked him, Yan Sui loved him, and that was why Yan Sui kissed him.
Assured of this, Meng Ting closed his eyes and responded to Yan Sui’s kiss with equal fervor.
They stepped back, step by step, until they were blocked by the door with nowhere else to go. Yan Sui had been protecting the back of Meng Ting’s head the entire time, ensuring he didn’t bump into anything, but at the same time, the sound of their movements also helped him regain a sliver of his composure.
His lips slid away from Meng Ting’s, trailing downward, leaving soft, delicate kisses along his neck.
Meng Ting tilted his chin upward, biting his lip to suppress any strange sounds that might escape. His hands, wrapped around Yan Sui’s waist, never let go. He was well aware that their current situation wasn’t entirely appropriate, but he couldn’t bring himself to reject Yan Sui.
Yan Sui must really like him, that’s why he’s acting this way. Meng Ting thought this while continuing to endure.
Yet, Meng Ting’s indulgence and tolerance might have been the very thing that fueled Yan Sui’s ongoing loss of control.
Yan Sui loosened his grip on Meng Ting slightly, finally releasing Meng Ting’s overly sensitive neck. He pressed his cheek against Meng Ting’s and said in a very serious tone, “I won’t let you leave me.” Even if it were Meng Ting’s real family, he wouldn’t let Meng Ting leave him.
If it were just an ordinary family, Yan Sui wouldn’t feel such anxiety. But this was the Xiao family, and he couldn’t help but overthink and prepare for the worst. Meng Ting was someone he couldn’t afford to lose, and he would never become a bargaining chip on the negotiation table.
Meng Ting, unaware of the anxiety in Yan Sui’s heart, responded almost without hesitation upon hearing the words.
“Of course, how could you let me leave? Even if you tried, I wouldn’t go.”
Meng Ting felt there was still a loophole in his words, so he leaned in, gently bit Yan Sui’s lip, and then added.
“Even if I had to leave, I’d take you with me.”
Meng Ting had never been greedy for anything from the Yan family. From beginning to end, the only thing he coveted was Yan Sui himself. But even that was greedy enough. Yan Sui might deserve someone better, but now he was stuck with Meng Ting, and Meng Ting was determined to keep it that way.
“Mm,” Yan Sui responded softly, continuing to hold Meng Ting for a while longer before finally letting go.
He straightened Meng Ting’s clothes, then returned to his desk to tidy up a bit more. After locking the door, they bid farewell to Li Shishi and the others before leaving the lab and heading home.
Meng Ting sat in the car, still feeling a bit dazed. The lingering effects of their earlier intimacy still had quite an impact on him. He leaned against Yan Sui’s shoulder, blinking his eyes, when he suddenly remembered something. “Yan Sui, I forgot something.”
“What is it?” Yan Sui turned his head to look at Meng Ting. Zhao Bing in the front seat also perked up his ears. If it was something left in the lab, there were still shortcuts nearby on their way back. When it came to driving and finding the way, Zhao Bing was quite dedicated.
“I forgot to eat lunch. I’m so hungry…”
Meng Ting glanced at Yan Sui, feeling a wave of guilt. He hesitated whether to get up from Yan Sui’s embrace, but Yan Sui held him tighter and spoke to Zhao Bing in the front seat.
“Find the nearest restaurant.”
“Got it,” Zhao Bing nodded, slowing down the car and scanning the surroundings diligently.
Meng Ting nestled in Yan Sui’s arms, finally whispering a small defense, “I didn’t mean to.”
During lunchtime, Li Shishi had come to call him, but he didn’t want to be interrupted, so he refused. After he finished organizing his notes and formulas, Yan Sui arrived, followed by that passionate kiss. Once he recovered, they got into the car, and only then did he feel hungry and remember that he had forgotten lunch.
Meng Ting poked the soft flesh at Yan Sui’s side. “You also have a little bit of responsibility… Of course, I don’t blame you.”
Meng Ting, spoiled by Yan Sui, was increasingly full of excuses.
Yan Sui’s gaze lowered, and Meng Ting obediently stopped his mischievous hand, pursing his lips but still smiling. He continued to lean on Yan Sui’s shoulder.
Yan Sui wasn’t blaming him; he just felt sorry that Meng Ting was hungry. This didn’t need to be said; Meng Ting already understood.
They stopped at a small restaurant, where Yan Sui accompanied Meng Ting for lunch, feeding him until he was full before they continued home.
Meng Ting himself was already dozing off in Yan Sui’s arms. He had woken up early and had been so focused earlier. These past few days, while recovering from his injury at home, he had been taking afternoon naps, so the drowsiness was getting stronger and stronger.
But they weren’t far from the Yan residence now. In about twenty minutes, they would be home. Meng Ting squinted his eyes, planning to hold on a little longer.
But for someone who was sleepy, twenty minutes was enough to fall asleep. He struggled to stay awake but was still in a daze.
“Sleep. I’ll carry you to the room later.”
Meng Ting hesitated for a while before responding, but it wasn’t a refusal. “I want you to carry me on your back…”
“Alright,” Yan Sui agreed, continuing to hold Meng Ting, gently rubbing his hair and cheeks. Meng Ting, feeling comfortable from the rubbing, completely closed his eyelids and fell asleep peacefully.
***
The car stopped in front of the Yan residence. As promised, Yan Sui got out of the car first, then carefully moved Meng Ting over, and finally managing to carry him on his back without waking him.
Just as Zhao Bing’s car drove away, another car stopped in front of the Yan residence. It was the Xiao brothers. When they saw Yan Sui and Meng Ting on his back, their eyes lit up, but they also looked a bit anxious.
“What happened…”
Yan Sui’s gaze swept over, and Xiao Zimo automatically lowered his voice. He also noticed that Meng Ting, who was being carried on Yan Sui’s back, showed no signs of discomfort. His complexion was rosy, his brows relaxed, and he looked very peaceful.
“He’s asleep.”
With those words, Yan Sui continued to carry Meng Ting inside. The Xiao brothers didn’t follow immediately but returned to the car to unload several bags of items they had gathered—mostly nutritional supplements in capsule form, which they believed could help nourish the body.
While Meng Ting might have liked other gifts, he would definitely not appreciate these. Even Yan Sui wouldn’t allow too many such items in the house. Whether Meng Ting had fully recovered from his drug addiction was still uncertain, and having these within his reach would be inappropriate.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 073.2″]
心無旁騖 (xīn wú páng wù): to be concentrated and single-minded; without distractions; be devoted to; be absorbed in.事出有因 (shì chū yǒu yīn): everything happens for a reason; where there’s smoke, there’s fire; there is a reason for everything; every effect has its cause; nothing happens without a reason; there’s always a reason behind things.
昏昏欲睡 (hūn hūn yù shuì): sleepy; drowsy; lethargic; dozy; groggy; nodding off; halfasleep; heavyeyed; to feel drowsy, listless, and sleepy. It is used to describe the state of being extremely tired and listless.
全神貫注 (quán shén guàn zhù): to concentrate one’s attention completely (idiom); to focus all of one’s attention on; with rapt attention; be absorbed/engrossed in; be preoccupied with.
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