Chapter 51: 051 A Cheap Alternative? Doesn’t Exist! Part 1
The next day, Amy received her bottle of “Glimmering Sunset” from Crazy BUY at her office.
Glimmering Sunset came in a transparent glass bottle. The liquid inside was a gradient of orange and filled with glitter; it looked quite aesthetically pleasing.
“This is so pretty~ Honestly, it looks much better than those brown bottles from Zhuying Anxiang.”
As Amy spoke, she unscrewed the cap.
However, instead of the “relaxing scent like bathing in the dawn” promised in the advertisements, a pungent, synthetic chemical smell hit her nose.
The scent wasn’t strong, but it wasn’t much different from the synthetic flowers sold elsewhere in the galaxy. It was incredibly ordinary, lacking any hint of “dawn.”
“Is this it? This is so mediocre…”
Amy assumed it was because she wasn’t using it with a humidifier, causing the scent to be off.
She dripped the oil into her humidifier. Because of the glitter, the nozzle got clogged; Amy had to shake it several times before any oil came out.
The humidifier began to hiss. As the white mist was released, a strange, indefinable odor quickly filled the entire office space.
The smell wasn’t exactly foul, but it smelled cheap, and the artificial notes were glaringly obvious.
The moment the scent spread, Amy knew she had messed up. This smell was far too common!
Not only was it ordinary, but the promised effects of “relaxation” and “healing the spiritual sea” were nowhere to be found.
Smelling this scent only made one want to smash the aromatherapy machine. It was frustratingly irritating.
Amy scrambled to turn off the machine, but the scent that had already entered the air wasn’t going to dissipate easily.
Director Lin Hui walked into the office, her heels clicking on the floor. She immediately frowned.
Her eyes locked onto Amy’s desk.
Lin Hui: “Amy? What are you using? Why does it smell so bad?”
Feeling guilty, Amy shrunk into her seat and answered honestly, “It’s… a cheap alternative to the aromatherapy from Zhuying Anxiang. It’s called Glimmering Sunset.”
Lin Hui: “And what do you think of the smell?”
Amy: “It doesn’t smell good.”
Lin Hui: “When you have time, go take a look at the Zhuying Anxiang shop. Their products cannot be replaced. Zhuying Anxiang is unique.”
“Amy, as a fashion assistant, I expect you to have the aesthetic judgment to tell quality from trash.”
With that, Lin Hui turned and left.
The office’s ventilation system kicked in, and after a long while, the strange smell finally cleared.
Amy tossed the “cheap alternative” into the trash. She decided that tonight, she would go see this Zhuying Anxiang that Director Lin called “unique.”
Zhang Jiali, an office worker, had previously purchased a “Star Beauty” succulent from Zhuying Anxiang.
Since placing the succulent on her desk, Jiali’s work state had become more relaxed than ever.
With the same workload as before, she used to work until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning and often made mistakes in her code. Lately, she was finishing by 10:00 PM.
Getting home before midnight meant Jiali was getting enough sleep, which in turn made her more focused and sharper the next day. Her efficiency skyrocketed.
It had become a virtuous cycle.
“The essential oils from Zhuying Anxiang look like they have great results! There are so many positive reviews online, but I can never manage to buy any.”
“Eh? This post says Crazy BUY has a cheap alternative? It’s in stock, and the price isn’t bad. Maybe I should try it?”
Jiali desperately wanted to experience the “full-body mental refreshment” others described.
Since several influencers she followed were recommending the Crazy BUY alternative, why not give it a shot?
Acting on impulse, Jiali placed an order. The next day, she received her bottle of “Glimmering Sunset.”
The oil was in a transparent glass bottle, colored like a sunset gradient. Visually, it was very satisfying.
“It looks great, I just hope the smell is good too.”
Jiali opened the cap with high hopes. She prayed that a scent as soothing as her “Star Beauty” succulent would heal her soul.
However…
“Cough… hack… What is this? It’s choking me!”
Even before she put it in the humidifier, the dull, synthetic smell made Jiali cough repeatedly.
The scent was identical to synthetic plants—actually, because of the extraction process, the artificial nature of Glimmering Sunset was even more pronounced.
It was like cold metal trying its best to mimic a living plant; every note screamed “fake.”
Jiali didn’t even need to try diffusing it. she could already imagine the disaster that would occur if this scent was spread through a humidifier.
There was no way Zhuying Anxiang products smelled like this!
“I’ve been scammed! False advertising, this alternative is garbage.”
“I need to go to Zhuying Anxiang to wash out my nose.”
Having bought a low-quality product, Jiali was in a foul mood. Her poisoned sense of smell was in desperate need of comfort.
“Coincidentally, Zhuying Anxiang launched the rose products yesterday. I’ll go online and take a look.”
With that thought, she logged onto Xinggou.
Using her avatar—a cat-eared lolita—Jiali made her way to the derivative products section of Zhuying Anxiang.
Since it wasn’t yet midnight, the shelves were empty, but that didn’t stop Jiali from enjoying the natural atmosphere of the shop.
The various light, non-intrusive scents intertwined, weaving a dreamlike, tranquil space that caused her mood to slowly unwind.
The distant, natural aura cleansed Jiali’s sense of smell.
She took a few deep breaths. Even the irritation from being scammed by the “cheap alternative” was soothed.
Even if she did nothing but stand in the Zhuying Anxiang shop, Jiali felt her entire being was being healed.
“There is no substitute for Zhuying Anxiang on the entire network. Cheap alternatives are just a joke.”
Having been burned once, Jiali vowed never to waste money on substitutes again.
As midnight approached, the number of customers in the shop grew. Most were huddled around the natural plant display, so the derivative section wasn’t too crowded.
At the stroke of midnight, whoosh whoosh whoosh—the natural plants sold out instantly.
Over in the derivative section, the daisy tea and lavender oil were selling fast.
The new rose oil was likely moving slower due to the price. Five minutes had passed, and only a handsome middle-aged man with a cane and a muscular young man with “double-door” shoulders had purchased rose products. Other than that, no one was buying.
“The rose oil hasn’t sold out yet? This is a chance for me to snag one…”
“It’s a bit pricey, but there’s no alternative in the galaxy.”
Jiali hesitated for a long time. Finally, she gritted her teeth and bought the cheaper rose massage oil for 160,000 Star Coins.
“They say rose oil brightens the skin and fixes dullness. Let’s see if it works!”
“It’s the first month of 3025, I should treat myself~”
Amy also arrived at Zhuying Anxiang at midnight.
The moment she stepped inside, she understood exactly what Director Lin meant by “unique.”
The natural plant decor was like nothing else in the galaxy. Plants Amy couldn’t even name basked under simulated sunlight, presenting a poetic beauty.
It was breathtaking, as if she had stepped into another dimension.
Not only was the decor unlike anything else, but the waves of fragrance—unique to natural plants—brought a look of pure joy to Amy’s face.
This was what could be described as “a scent like bathing in the dawn.”
The cheap alternative was absolute trash! The difference was astronomical.
Amy spent a moment cursing Crazy BUY in her head, then followed the guide from the StarGraph app and headed to the second floor.
She planned to make herself a self-service holographic tea for just 10 Star Coins.
This was the first time Amy had learned that natural plants could be used to brew tea.
She used a pair of tongs to place three dried red roses into a cup and poured in hot water.
A moment later, the transparent water turned a pale red. Simultaneously, a wisp of floral scent rose up, carrying a sense of natural luxury and quiet beauty.
“This smell… that cheap alternative can’t even compare!”
Amy leaned down to smell the rose tea.
It smelled heavenly!
The scent was elegant and not at all irritating, yet it was so memorable that she just wanted to keep smelling it.
Amy took a sip. The flavor of the holographic rose tea was stunning.
She had expected it to be sweet like its scent, but the tea only had a hint of sweetness followed by a slightly bitter aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was unique, fresh, and not at all cloying.
“Is it really this good?”
Amy sipped her tea while waiting for an aromatherapy room to become available.
The rooms were popular. Amy waited from midnight until 5:00 AM. As the sky was beginning to lighten, a room finally opened up.
Feeling drowsy, Amy paid and entered the room.
The room was small, about three square meters, decorated in an ancient wood style. The lights were dim, the soundproofing was excellent, and the atmosphere was soothing.
Following the instructions, Amy dripped the new holographic rose oil into the humidifier.
“Is this what the oil smells like? It’s so special… it perfectly captures the natural fragrance. Synthetic scents can’t mimic this at all.”
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