Part 2
“Your neck and shoulders are a bit stiff; I’ll massage them a bit longer.”
“Is this strength okay?”
…
Zhu Ran would ask about Zâs feelings from time to time, while Z, still lying face down, responded with words like “itâs fine” or “not too heavy.”
Perhaps because of the posture, Zâs voice sounded a bit muffled and hoarse, and occasionally he would let out a faint low grunt.
The massage lasted for twenty minutes before ending. Since a massage required physical effort, fine beads of sweat had broken out on Zhu Ranâs forehead.
“Does it feel okay? Are you used to it?”
Zephyrâs voice was muffled. “Mm.”
“Itâs good that you can get used to it. Some people canât stand the pressure of a massage.”
“Iâve broken a sweat; Iâm going to go rinse off.”
With that, Zhu Ran entered his own room.
Zephyr remained prone on the sofa. His hair, which had been meticulously combed this morning, had two beautiful golden strands falling between his eyes due to the posture, softening his sharp features.
His clothes, which were usually impeccable, now had several top buttons undone, revealing the skin near his collarbones. Furthermore, due to the massage, the fabric looked disheveled and messy.
At this moment, Zephyr looked like a completely different person from the dignified figure who had been sitting upright looking at the optical computer twenty minutes ago.
It was only after Zhu Ran left that the breath Zephyr had been forcefully restraining suddenly became rapid and uncontrollable.
When Zhu Ran was unbuttoning his shirt, Zephyrâs emotions had already been surging.
And afterward… with the contact of Zhu Ranâs massage and the fragrance emanating from the other person, Zephyr had almost wanted to turn over and pin that sweet, fragrant piece of vanilla sugar beneath him to possess and lick him.
His heterochromatic pupils were deep and turbulent. The lingering sensations and scent on his body pushed Zephyr uncontrollably toward desire, caught between longing and restraint.
Ultimately, Zephyr buried his head in the crook of his arm, breathing heavily.
He arched his body, his beautiful spine forming a perfect curve. The rapid rising and falling of his back fully displayed his powerful muscles. From behind, he looked like a wild beast in the middle of devouring a delicious mealâfull of manic possessiveness.
His breath was hot, his emotions erupting, seemingly on the brink of losing control…
However, it was also because of the scent unique to Zhu Ranâthat dash of fresh green mixed with the sweetness of vanillaâthat Zephyr guided his violent emotions in another direction.
Viscous and… searing hot.
Zephyr was unable to get up for the time being.
Under the warm sunlight, the flowers occupying the balcony were in full bloom.
The wind was gentle, the sun was bright, and the room was filled with the colors of spring.
When Zhu Ran came out after taking a shower and changing clothes, he saw that Z had also changed his clothes and seemingly taken a shower; droplets of water were still dripping from the tips of his hair.
The house had likely been aired out, as the floral scent in the air had faded significantly.
Zhu Ran remembered that he had indeed messed up Zâs clothes during the massage, so he didn’t think much of the fact that Z had changed.
Zhu Ran asked casually, “Was the massage comfortable?”
Zephyr paused for a moment. “Comfortable.”
“Actually, it would be even more comfortable with essential oils. It was a bit strenuous through the clothes this time. Do you want to try it next time?”
An essential oil massage naturally required applying the oil to the body’s surface, which meant… he would have to take off his clothes.
This also meant his contact with Zhu Ran would be even more intimate.
Zephyr looked sideways at the person who had said such a thing without any awareness, his Adamâs apple bobbing slightly.
“Sure.”
“By the way, I also want to thank Huinai and Leon for helping me settle the public opinion. How about I send them some lavender essential oil?”
Zephyr lowered his head, and it was a long time before he replied, “Mm.”
The emotions that had been somewhat burning earlier suddenly turned cold.
Zephyr thought, So in Zhu Ranâs heart, I am not special.
Zhu Ran gave him a massage to thank him, and similarly, Zhu Ran would give gifts to Huinai and Leon out of gratitude.
It seemed… he was no different from Huinai and Leon.
Watching the figure walk onto the balcony, Zephyrâs mood gradually grew heavy, and a faint sense of disappointment spread.
Zhu Ran did not belong exclusively to him.
On this peaceful afternoon, Zhu Ran, who usually took a nap, gave up his rest time for the sake of the promotional event.
He was busy making preparations for tomorrow.
The operator, Xiao Zhang, had already shown him the promotional advertisement materials and stated that because of the public opinion storm this morning, the Star-search index for Zhuâs Lingering Fragrance had risen to the top 10. The hype was very high.
Operator Zhang Jun: [Look, so many people are following us now. So, can you put a few more pots of plants on the shelves tomorrow?]
Zhu: […]
Zhu: [Iâll try my best.]
Operator Zhang Jun: [Great~ Giving you a boost, cheering for you, encouraging you, sending you flowers.]
Zhu Ran: …
He snapped his optical computer shut. He really didn’t want to see messages remotely urging for stock right now.
Being watched by so many people made Zhu Ran feel pressured.
He didn’t want to disappoint the customers either, so he spent the entire afternoon working hard on the balcony to stimulate the growth of plants.
The balcony had already been filled with plants yesterday, so the plants stimulated today could only be placed in the living room.
Mental power representing nature brushed over plant after plant, and then the mutated vines delivered the stimulated plants into the living room.
In one hour, Zhu Ran stimulated nearly 70 pots of plants, only stopping when his mental power hit rock bottom.
The living room and balcony were now filled with over 100 pots of plantsâpassionate red roses, elegant lavender, pure white freesias…
Pot after pot, they were in full bloom, filling the entire space with vitality and aromatic factors. It felt as if one had stepped into a meticulously tended botanical garden; one would be captivated at a single glance.
Several pots of flowers were also placed on the black vines used as shelves. The flowers filling the air and the plants on the floor echoed each other, making it seem as if the entire space was dyed with the long-lasting, peaceful aura of nature.
And Zhu Ran, surrounded by them, was the master of this realm.
He was loved and favored by the plants.
After finishing the stimulation, Zhu Ran drank a special mental power supplement given by Z, then logged back into the Starbuy backend to prepare for tomorrowâs promotion.
“The roses and Star Beauty need to be listed. The roses will still be sold at a discount for 24,000. The Star Beauty succulents are easier to propagate and stimulate, so they can be sold cheaperâa discount price of 12,000 should be about right.”
“The ‘close shop when sold out’ model needs to be adjusted. I also need to open a pre-order mode for old customers…”
After setting these up, Zhu Ran finally created a rose-themed Eco-garden.
This was a design plan Yan You had just finished and sent to Zhu Ran. One could see towering, thorny roses bathed in a fine drizzle. Clear, transparent raindrops hung on the fiery red petals, making the vibrant roses look soft and eye-catching.
Beneath the roses, succulent plants grew in the soil like natural gemstones.
The teardrop-shaped raindrops echoed their plump leaves, adding a sense of rounded, adorable beauty to this Eco-garden.
At the same time, the fragrance of roses was different from the fresh woody scent of lavender; its scent was rich, mellow, and sweet, carrying a sense of extravagant luxury that was truly stunning.
The rose-themed and lavender-themed Eco-gardens used an hourly rotating display mode, giving the shop’s decoration a sense of fluidity so it was no longer monotonous.
Finally, Zhu Ran posted an announcement using the shop account.
Zhuâs Lingering Fragrance: [This shop will participate in the December New Shop Reward promotional activity tomorrow. At that time, over a hundred pots of natural plants will be listed. Simultaneously, two new types of plants will be introduced [Red Flower Image] [Plump Leaf Plant Image].
Everyone, try to guess what these two plants are! Those who guess correctly before 12:00 tonight will receive a prize.]
[Also, the shop will adopt a fixed restocking mechanism every 3 hours tomorrow. That is, stock will be added at 0:00, 3:00, 6:00, and other multiples of 3. Customers who like natural plants, please don’t miss out.
Second, the shop will not close tomorrow even if items are sold out.
Third, the shop will open an old customer pre-order mechanism tomorrow. All non-blacklisted users with a purchase record in this shop can pre-order one product from the shop tomorrow.
Finally, after business hours end tomorrow, 3 lucky winners will be drawn from the customers to receive their orders for free.
I hope everyone can purchase their desired items tomorrow. Wishing everyone the best in everything~]
Once the activity notice for Zhuâs Lingering Fragrance was sent out, the number of comments surged instantly.
What? The shop owner is adding new items again? And two types!
Zhuâs Lingering Fragrance is way too hardworking!
After eating melons today, Iâm here to join the fun.
“These red flowers are so beautiful, passionate like fire. I always felt the plants in the shop were too plain. Finally, there are plants I like on the shelves. I must buy them tomorrow!”
“Is that plump green thing a natural plant? Why does it look a bit comical…”
“Zhuâs Lingering Fragrance is getting promoted. Won’t my treasure shop be discovered? No! It was already hard to buy from; now itâll be even more difficult.”
“Whispering… didn’t the shop owner blacklist a lot of users today? Maybe… weâll have a chance to grab something?”
Thatâs right!
Speaking of which, since so many people were added to the shop’s blacklist, our probability of grabbing a natural plant should increase, right?
And the shop owner said hundreds of pots would be listed tomorrow. With such a large quantity, it should finally be our turn!
Let tomorrow come faster!
Weâre already rubbing our hands in anticipation~
Translator’s Note
Key Terms & Cultural Notes:
- Eating Melons (ĺç – chÄŤ guÄ): Mentioned by the netizens at the end. It’s a very common Chinese slang term for “spectating drama” or “gossiping.” It’s like saying “sipping tea” in English.
- Internet Water Forces (ć°´čť – shuÇ jĹŤn): These are paid posters or bots used to influence public opinion online. Ye Chaochao offered to hire them to fight back!
- Acupoints (çŠ´ä˝ – xuĂŠ wèi): In Traditional Chinese Medicine, these are specific points on the body used in massage (Tui Na) or acupuncture to balance energy. Zhu Ran was targeting these during the massage.
- True gold fears no fire (çéä¸ćçŤç ): A classic idiom meaning that a person of integrity or a genuine product can withstand any test or trial.
â Your Interstellar Translator (hehehe~)
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