Chapter 43: Smelling the Fragrance of Flowers for the First Time in My Life
After completing a series of procedures and detailing the specific process for handing over work, nearly a week had passed.
The former Teacher Jiang, now Boss Jiang, sternly laid out future requirements to Jiang Xiaoyuan: “As soon as your visa is processed, we’re leaving. I know you brag without thinking, but when the time comes, you’ll have to manage your English—no excuses. If you don’t know something, find a way to learn it quickly. Also, starting a studio isn’t as easy as you think. Until you hire someone, you have to work like a mule: registering the business, running around for permits, sorting out portfolios, contacting clients, promoting your services… And don’t forget your high-level chemistry exam next spring; you must pass. My studio can’t have an assistant without professional qualifications. Understand?”
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “…”
Boss Jiang slightly raised her chin and cleared her throat, gazing down at her with an air of authority: “Do you have any questions?”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Xiaoyuan earnestly replied: “Boss, asking me to take on multiple roles isn’t appropriate. That requires more pay.”
Empress Dowager Jiang firmly informed her, “Forget it, stop dreaming. When the time comes, you can rent a loft studio. I’ll let you stay upstairs for free, but I’ll deduct a thousand from your salary every month…”
And they want to deduct more!
Unable to listen any longer, Jiang Xiaoyuan turned and walked away, not wanting to see Jiang the Leech again.
“Wait, stop!” Jiang Bo called out, “I haven’t finished telling you about your cut of the pie yet. Even though you won’t be paying a cent, considering that you’ve put in some effort, the studio will give you ten percent equity. You’ll be considered a part-owner. So think about it: will you be working for someone else, or will you work for yourself alongside me?”
Jiang Xiaoyuan thought angrily, “This is clearly a pie in the sky, a way to fleece me! What if it all falls through?”
This Jiang guy is so unfair. He’s made a pie in the sky so confidently as if he were giving Jiang Xiaoyuan a significant advantage!
What a jerk!
All bosses are jerks!
Yet, for some reason, Jiang Xiaoyuan’s feet involuntarily stopped. After hesitating for half a minute, she turned back and compromised with the jerk, entering the negotiation phase: “I want thirty percent.”
“Would a hundred percent be good enough?” Jiang Bomocked back, “Fifteen percent, no more—do you really think you’re irreplaceable?”
“Alright, alright, Boss Jiang,” Jiang Xiaoyuan held up two fingers, “Two thousand—could you check outside? Who would work for just two thousand a month? Besides me, who could you find to be your assistant? Even if someone agrees to be at your beck and call, can they withstand your twisted demands? Can they obtain professional qualifications? Do they have my strong learning ability and diligence? Am I as youthful and beautiful as I am to serve as a living advertisement?”
Hearing this, Jiang Bo’s face darkened, possibly nauseated by the implications.
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “Twenty percent!”
“Fine, fine, fine,” Empress Dowager Jiang held her chest, defeated, “Twenty percent it is. Just please disappear from my sight. Oh heavens, I’ve never encountered such a shameless woman before.”
Though Jiang Xiaoyuan was still quite poor, she now had the title of “Boss”—of course, even a street vendor can be a “boss.” Her future income might not be more stable than that of a street vendor, but it didn’t stop Jiang Xiaoyuan from feeling a bit proud.
She gritted her teeth and spent over a thousand to buy a new domestic smartphone for the newly minted “Boss Jiang.” As soon as she got it, she downloaded an app with a professional vocabulary filter and started memorizing words whenever she had a spare moment, whether it was in the bathroom or waiting for the bus.
Having promised to provide free makeup services for Chen Fangzhou’s bride on the weekend, Jiang Xiaoyuan got up in a daze in the middle of the night, realizing she hadn’t even had time to do her makeup as Qi Lian’s car arrived downstairs.
As she threw her organized toolbox into the backseat, she yawned and looked like a wilted plant about to topple over..
Qi Lian’s car was well-equipped, with a blanket in the passenger seat. He said, “Put the seat back and sleep for a bit. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
At first, Jiang Xiaoyuan instinctively leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes for a moment. Before the car had even driven a block, she jolted awake, expressionless as she pulled out a mirror to tidy her hair, diligently applying a casual makeup look, then reached for her new phone and plugged in her headphones, squeezing in some vocabulary practice.
It was still dark outside, and while the car was moving, it wasn’t convenient to turn on the lights. Jiang Xiaoyuan’s face was illuminated by the phone’s glow; even with blush on, she appeared somewhat pale.
She had organized a pile of teaching materials late into the night and was dragged out of bed in the early hours, her mind numb. However, she had established a rule for herself: “I won’t take a nap after waking up.” Jiang Xiaoyuan understood how easy it was for her to become lazy, and she had to tightly restrain herself within certain limits, enforcing a strict policy on herself to eliminate any behavior that could lead to loopholes.
Qi Lian silently glanced at her: “Hey…”
Jiang Xiaoyuan had the volume on her headphones so loud to prevent herself from dozing off that she didn’t hear him.
Qi Lian had no choice but to cautiously reach out, gently pushing her shoulder like turning a power switch.
Jiang Xiaoyuan jolted: “Huh? What’s wrong?”
Qi Lian calmly braked at a sparsely populated intersection, waiting for the forty-second red light. The past had left him with a legacy; to this day, he drove very steadily and slowly, almost like a model student of traffic laws. Even at intersections where there were no people or cars, and no cameras, he still stopped obediently.
Keeping his eyes on the road ahead, he said, “You don’t need to give him a red envelope, understood?”
Jiang Xiaoyuan asked in confusion, “Why not?”
“No reason; he invited you to do makeup, and not giving you a red envelope is already quite stingy. How could he still have the nerve to ask for your gift money?” As Qi Lian spoke, a small sense of injustice arose in his heart, “What a nerve, just don’t give him anything.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “…”
After thinking about it, that seemed reasonable. However, Chen Fangzhou’s penchant for being frugal was deeply ingrained; Jiang Xiaoyuan had grown accustomed to his ways and didn’t see anything wrong with it.
They arrived at the bride’s house, but the bride had not yet begun her preparations. As a male guest from the groom’s side, Qi Lian didn’t go upstairs but dropped Jiang Xiaoyuan off at the entrance. He glanced at her toolbox, resembling Iron Man’s, and said, “Let me carry it up for you.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “No need!”
As she spoke, she pulled out a “phone line” from somewhere, opened her five slender fingers, casually gathered her hair a couple of times, and fashioned her slightly curled long hair into a loose bun, revealing her clean and radiant face, looking like a girl straight out of an old movie.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Qi Lian felt somewhat astonished; the hands of those girls were so delicate, like the most exquisite comb in the world. With a simple grasp and tuck, they could create a seemingly effortless yet stunning appearance, their fingertips almost seeming magical.
One couldn’t help but feel inferior when looking at her, and the lingering scent of perfume on her clothes made it hard to breathe loudly.
While Qi Lian was still lost in thought, Jiang Xiaoyuan had already tied up her long hair and jumped out of the car. She grabbed the heavy-looking toolbox from the backseat and hoisted it onto her shoulder as if it weighed nothing, then quickly ran into the building.
Neither the obviously heavy box nor her ten-centimeter-high stilettos seemed to hinder her movements.
It wasn’t until her figure disappeared that Qi Lian silently started the car, smoothly driving off. The lingering scent of perfume still filled the air; it was said to be cosmetics given to Teacher Jiang by suppliers when he was restocking tools. Jiang Bo had slight rhinitis and didn’t dare use them, so in the end, they all went to Jiang Xiaoyuan.
Qi Lian didn’t understand what brand or fragrance it was, but he felt it resembled the scent of gardenias, the intensity or passion having faded, leaving behind a pure and subtle sweetness that lingered in his nostrils, neither invasive nor lingering, blending softly into the slightly humid morning air.
It seemed to be everywhere.
Qi Lian felt as if he was smelling flowers for the first time in his life; he suddenly felt a bit hazy.
In any case, the wedding was a joint effort of two families, and the wedding planning company hired was quite reliable. The entire process was overly sentimental yet joyous, filled with the warmth and happiness of reunion.
As long as it could make people genuinely smile, it was a good wedding.
When the bride first appeared, Chen Fangzhou was momentarily stunned, almost not recognizing her—Jiang Xiaoyuan had improved significantly. Under Jiang Bo’s rigorous training, her skills have improved by leaps and bounds. The bride in her white gown looked so dazzling that she captured everyone’s attention the moment she walked in.
The bride had never been the focus of such attention before. She couldn’t help but lower her head slightly, feeling both bashful and nervous under the spotlight that she might only experience once in her life.
Suddenly, Chen Fangzhou’s eyes welled up with tears, overwhelmed with mixed emotions. He didn’t know whether he felt anticipation or fear for the future, but he realized that the past could not be chased back. His busy yet aimless early life had already slipped away.
He quickly bowed his head and rubbed his eyes. Jiang Xiaoyuan came up from behind and gave the groom a strong pat on the shoulder from behind, almost knocking the rather petite groom off his feet.
“So, how do you feel?” Jiang Xiaoyuan asked. “Boss Chen, long time no see, any thoughts?”
Chen Fangzhou: “… A bit regretful.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan’s expression changed slightly, and she lowered her voice: “What’s wrong with you? This is your wedding, a happy occasion. Why are you saying things like that?”
After a pause, she couldn’t help but ask: “What are you regretting?”
Chen Fangzhou muttered gloomily: “I regret not choosing a pair of shoes with three more centimeters of height.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “…”
Even though Jiang Xiaoyuan had gotten up in the middle of the night to do the makeup for free, which already seemed like quite a loss, she still took out a prepared red envelope and handed it to Chen Fangzhou: “Congratulations! I honestly didn’t expect you’d actually get married.”
Chen Fangzhou gave her a side glance and said, “How come you naughty kids are so good with words?”
After a slight pause, his gaze lingered on Jiang Xiaoyuan for a moment, and he said: “You’ve changed. You seem a bit different.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan replied playfully, “Of course, I’m different now. I’m planning to be my own boss soon. When you can’t manage at your place anymore, you’re welcome to come work for me, former boss.”
Hearing this, Chen Fangzhou didn’t want to dampen her spirits. He exaggeratedly put on a startled expression and, with a humble bow, said, “Oh dear! I didn’t recognize Mount Tai[mfn]有眼不识泰山 (yǒu yǎn bù shí Tài Shān): An idiom meaning “to have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai,” which metaphorically means to have failed to recognize someone’s true identity or importance.[/mfn] right in front of me. I’ll be counting on Boss Jiang for support in the future!”
At that moment, the emcee began testing the microphone, the guests took their seats, and the wedding was about to start. Amid the cheers from the crowd, Chen Fangzhou headed toward the front stage, perhaps feeling taller than he ever had in his entire life.
Qi Lian, who had been helping behind the scenes, now silently sat down next to Jiang Xiaoyuan.
Though he wasn’t particularly warm toward others, it seemed as though all the guests from various walks of life knew him. Qi Lian nodded in greeting to everyone he passed, moving through the crowd like a legendary martial arts leader from ancient tales.
The emcee on stage began the usual speeches, and while he droned on with pleasantries, the guests below started chatting amongst themselves.
Suddenly, Jiang Xiaoyuan became a bit curious about Qi Lian’s past and turned to him, asking quietly: “When you say ‘one time-space,’ do you mean this entire world? So there must be both Chinese and foreigners, right? People from all over?”
Qi Lian nodded, and when the server came to pour wine, he covered Jiang Xiaoyuan’s glass with his hand: “Thank you, she doesn’t need any.”
Then he pulled over a bottle of blueberry juice from the side and poured it into her glass—it looked quite like red wine at first glance.
“I move around a lot,” Qi Lian said, only speaking after settling in his seat. “Ever since the incident with Xu Jingyang, I haven’t really stopped. As soon as I get a message, I have to rush over immediately. Those people who commit suicide—the virus can’t take over their identities, so someone else is usually sent quickly, sometimes within a few days. As for the missing people… or as you’d say, those whose identities are stolen—the virus lives in their place for years, sometimes decades. But the flow of time is different in each time-space. From our perspective, it means I might get to rest for a few months—the longest break I ever had was half a year without receiving any new information.”
He paused and glanced at Jiang Xiaoyuan, suddenly feeling like perhaps it was fate. Jiang Xiaoyuan had just happened to appear in the city where he lived, and now that he had returned with her, it seemed like he might be able to stay longer, in peace.
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “What do you do while traveling around?”
“Freelance photographer, freelance writer, and I have friends managing some investments for me.” Qi Lian said. “I need an excuse to not seem idle.”
His life had been fragmented, torn apart by the endless stream of visitors from different worlds, leaving him disappointed each time. Sometimes he even wondered if his persistence was foolish. Were those boys swapped in car accidents, the virus in the time rifts, and the unlucky ones whose identities were replaced… were they real?
Could it all just be his delusion?
But those were thoughts he couldn’t share with Jiang Xiaoyuan.
He opened the wedding candy box on the table, picked out the chocolates, and placed them in front of Jiang Xiaoyuan. Silently, he thought: “You’re the first person to give me hope.”
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