Part 2
Z’s head was tilted back. His mismatched eyes were already clouded with desire, a crimson flush spreading from the corners of his eyes.
He stared at the plain ceiling, unable to see Zhu Ran’s figure, yet the waves of sensation from his sensitive neck were becoming impossible to control.
Especially since Zhu Ran’s hand was still moving near his Adam’s apple. He couldn’t take it.
Z reached out and caught Zhu Ran’s wrist. He turned his head, and his desire-filled eyes collided with Zhu Ran’s emerald ones.
The air between them turned chaotic.
A violent storm crashed against a peaceful sanctuary. One grew more agitated, an undercurrent surging, while the other… deepened into a dark, ink-like shade.
The sound of heavy breathing filled the room as the temperature rose.
“Z?”
Zhu Ran was momentarily dazed by the heat in Z’s eyes.
It was scorching, filled with a possessiveness that seemed to want to devour him whole.
Zhu Ran felt a vivid red wash over his world, ruthlessly invading, wrapping around him, painting him until he was satisfied.
The wrist Z held was burning hot.
“Mm.”
Z responded with a low rumble.
He pulled Zhu Ran’s hand to his own face, slowly rubbing his cheek against Zhu Ran’s palm.
Zhu Ran’s hand wasn’t large; it only covered a small portion of Z’s face, yet it possessed a strange, delicate beauty.
Z’s body temperature was so high that Zhu Ran instinctively tried to pull his hand back.
Z tightened his grip on the wrist, making it impossible to move.
Z didn’t say anything more. He simply gazed at Zhu Ran with eyes that were hazy and damp, overflowing with longing.
Seeing that Zhu Ran didn’t pull away in disgust, he grew bolder, rubbing his cheek against the hand, moving it over the bridge of his nose, and brushing it against his long eyelashes.
Zhu Ran had done this several times when Z was semi-conscious.
Back then, Zhu Ran would press his hand to Z’s face to cool him down, letting Z nuzzle against his palm, nose, and eyes, whispering words like “Be good” and “Listen to me”…
But those things had happened when Z wasn’t fully aware.
Now… Z was completely awake. He was proactively pulling Zhu Ran’s hand… to touch his face, to stroke his nose, to brush his lashes…
The sensation beneath his palm seemed to ignite a flame in Zhu Ran’s heart.
Zhu Ran’s heart began to race. A beautiful, pale red flush crept across his cheeks, like a spring garden in bloom—exquisite and breathtaking.
Entwined, sticky, sweet, and itchy…
Zhu Ran had never realized that touching Z’s face could trigger so many strange sensations.
He felt as though he was no longer himself.
The lights were dim, and the lavender humidifier hummed in the background, but neither person in the room could find peace.
They only sank deeper.
Finally, under Zhu Ran’s touch and enveloped in his scent, the greed in Z’s heart was appeased.
He was still hot, still wanting, but the constant contact had brought his desires back to a manageable level.
Seeing Zhu Ran with his eyes lowered, letting him nuzzle his hand, the murderous intent and surging storm from the afternoon were smoothed over by a vibrant, living green.
Zhu Ran didn’t reject his intimacy.
This realization brought Z an extraordinary sense of joy.
Finally, Z’s lips brushed almost accidentally against the inside of Zhu Ran’s wrist before he let go.
Zhu Ran’s slender wrist trembled.
A faint smile touched the corners of Z’s mouth.
He released Zhu Ran’s hand. “It hurts a bit, Zhu Ran. But it doesn’t hurt as much when you touch it.”
Z was trying to explain his actions, but in this atmosphere, the explanation felt incredibly forced.
Zhu Ran quickly pulled his hand back. The palm that Z had used to nuzzle his face felt like it was on fire.
“I’ll go get the bandages.”
With that, Zhu Ran hurried out of Z’s room.
By the time he returned with the bandages, he had splashed his face with cold water.
Droplets of water clung to his black hair and dripped down, making his already refined face look even more translucent.
Z was momentarily dazed by the sight.
He was still sitting on the edge of the bed, hands braced at his sides, having crumpled the neat duvet into a complete mess.
Z’s neck was coated in a thin layer of gel, and his shirt collar was wide open, exposing a large portion of his collarbone.
Between the jagged wound and the disheveled clothing, Z exuded a raw, wild beauty.
However, Zhu Ran was in no mood to appreciate the aesthetics.
He walked behind Z, finished applying the gel to the back of Z’s neck, and wrapped the bandages.
“It should heal by tomorrow. Don’t get the wound wet today.”
Having finished, he stood up. “I have to handle the shop’s daily operations. If you feel unwell, call me.”
With that, Zhu Ran left the room.
Zhu Ran’s departure without a hint of lingering caused a wave of panic to rise in Z’s heart.
Zhu Ran’s tone had been so cold just now. Was he angry?
Had he pushed his luck too far?
Only minutes ago, Z had been filled with satisfaction from nuzzling Zhu Ran’s hand; now, he was terrified.
He wracked his brain, his brow furrowed deeply.
Finally, he picked up his optical computer and sent Zhu Ran a message.
Z: [Heterochromia cat peeking around a corner.JPG]
A moment later, Zhu Ran replied with a single character: [?]
Z’s heart sank. “He’s not even using emojis. Zhu Ran is definitely angry.”
Z: [Heterochromia cat giving the black cat a back massage.JPG]
Z: [Heterochromia cat ‘I was wrong’.JPG]
Z: [Heterochromia cat ‘please pay attention to me’.JPG]
…
Z sent seven or eight emojis in a row before stopping.
Zhu Ran: [I’m not angry.]
Z: [Really?]
Zhu Ran: [Really. Just focus on healing.]
[Black cat cuddling the heterochromia cat.JPG]
Seeing the double-cat emoji, the weight on Z’s heart finally lifted.
As long as Zhu Ran wasn’t angry, everything was fine.
Out on the balcony, Zhu Ran finished replying to the message and lay back on his lounge chair to soak in the sun.
The warm light fell on the plants, and the air was filled with a gentle fragrance, making for a tranquil atmosphere. However… Zhu Ran, surrounded by his plants, couldn’t seem to find his peace today.
He opened his hand, letting the sunlight spill into his palm.
The light was white and warm, but it wasn’t as white as Z’s skin, nor as hot as Z’s body.
Though he had no experience in romance, Zhu Ran understood that Z’s behavior earlier was an attempt at intimacy—a desire to take their relationship further.
Z hadn’t hidden his longing or his heat at all, and it had left Zhu Ran’s entire body feeling scorched.
Zhu Ran asked himself: though he had felt a flash of shock and an instinct to flee when Z caught his wrist to nuzzle his hand, he hadn’t felt disgusted or repulsed. That was why he had let Z do as he pleased.
But if he were to say how much he “liked” Z, he wasn’t quite at that stage yet.
Zhu Ran lowered his hand and closed his eyes, resting in the balmy air.
Yet Z’s aura was too dominant, too intense. Zhu Ran tossed and turned, unable to sleep, which began to irritate him.
“Ah… speaking of which, Z hasn’t even told me his real name! Now I actually am a little angry. What should I do?”
The more Zhu Ran thought about it, the more annoyed he became. In a fit of pique, he got up and sent Z another emoji.
[Black cat ignoring the heterochromia cat.JPG]
Within seconds, Z replied with a flurry of emojis showing the heterochromia cat acting cute, begging for mercy, and rolling on the floor.
Looking at the big, watery eyes of the cat in the emojis, the bit of dissatisfaction in Zhu Ran’s heart vanished instantly.
He smiled softly, his eyes rippling with a gentle light.
Watching the screen fill with several rows of emojis, Zhu Ran felt as though he were becoming childish.
It was all Z’s fault.
After resting for a while, Zhu Ran put thoughts of Z aside and began handling the shop’s business.
The lavender essential oil was selling well. All twelve bottles listed daily were snatched up immediately; public acceptance was rising steadily.
The holographic aromatherapy rooms and tea rooms on the second floor were also fully booked every day, with a utilization rate near 100%.
Furthermore, the Zhuying Anxiang shop had become a popular “check-in” spot for photos due to its rare natural garden decor. Its fame was gradually spreading from the elite circles to the general public.
“It’s time to launch the Rose essential oil.”
Zhu Ran prepared a batch of pure rose oil, rose massage oil, and rose tea. He uploaded these three derivative products to the shop, set to go live at midnight along with the regular restock.
“The yield for rose oil is lower than lavender, so the price will be higher.”
[5ml Pure Essential Oil: 500,000 Star Coins (Discounted to 400,000)] [10ml Massage Oil: 200,000 Star Coins (Discounted to 160,000)] [Rose Tea: Same as Daisy tea, 150,000 Star Coins (Discounted to 120,000)]
At the same time, the lavender oil would return to its original price. The holographic shop and tea rooms would also add rose-related products, with prices remaining unchanged.
After setting up the new listings, Zhu Ran looked at the 3D model of the shop. The previously empty shelves now held eight small brown bottles and four glass jars filled with dried red petals.
The vivid color added a splash of brilliance to the left side of the shop.
Considering that rose massage oil has a brightening effect and would likely be used on the face, Zhu Ran equipped all the massage oil bottles with roller-ball tops for ease of use.
Given the rarity of Zhuying Anxiang products and the success of the previous invitation-only event, Zhu Ran decided to open a permanent reservation system for VIP customers.
“Any customer with a purchase history within the current year can reserve one product or one session in the aromatherapy room per year.” “Customers with a total annual spend of over 200,000 Star Coins can make two reservations.” “Each reservation is limited to a maximum of three items.” “Reservations made during special events will not count toward this total.”
After coordinating the details of the VIP system with his operator, Xiao Zhang, and reporting the new rose products, Zhu Ran posted an update using the shop’s official account.
Zhuying Anxiang:
[As the winter of January comes to a close, this shop will launch new products tomorrow at 00:00:]
[Pure Rose Oil: Original Price 500,000 Star Coins, New Product Discount 400,000 [Inspection Certificate]]
…
[We welcome everyone to come and browse.]
[Additionally, we are launching a VIP reservation system. Customers with a purchase history this year…]
As a newly signed exclusive shop on the Xinggou platform, any announcement from Zhuying Anxiang naturally triggered heated discussion.
However, this time, several discordant voices appeared in the comments.
“Rose oil is so expensive! Why is it 1.5 times the price of lavender? Is the owner planning to make a quick buck and run?”
“Using lavender to lure people in and then using roses to fleece them? The owner has quite the scheme.”
“I’m out. I don’t have that much money to be fleeced.”
“The VIP system only lets you reserve? No other perks? That’s pretty stingy!”
“The owner is getting ahead of himself.”
…
While the comments for Zhuying Anxiang were mixed, the reviews for a product called “Glimmering Sunset”—marketed as a cheap alternative to essential oils on the “Crazy BUY” app—were glowing.
At the same time, a search for “essential oil” on the StarGraph app showed “Glimmering Sunset” by Crazy BUY at the very top of the recommendations.
[Can’t buy lavender oil? Come to Crazy BUY! 10ml for only 3,000 Star Coins!]
[The cheap alternative to essential oils—Glimmering Sunset—is only at Crazy BUY.]
[Are the trending aromatherapy products worth it? We recommend Glimmering Sunset.]
[Testing the Crazy BUY essential oil alternative.]
…
For a time, the hype for Glimmering Sunset was even louder. Many customers who were new to aromatherapy were quickly drawn in by the dizzying array of advertisements.
Amy, a fashion assistant, was one of them. “What is this aromatherapy stuff? It looks interesting.”
“What? Lavender oil is 300,000? Is the owner insane? Only an idiot would buy that.”
“The alternative is only 3,000. Bought.”
“As they say, it’s not that the original isn’t good, it’s that the alternative is more cost-effective. I’m not going to be a sucker.”
Amy felt she had scored a major bargain.
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