Chapter 88

Chapter 88 - 88 087 Lighting the lovers incense Xie Shangs emotions Chapter 88: 087: Lighting the lover’s incense, Xie Shang’s emotions surge (second update Chapter 88: 087: Lighting the lover’s incense, Xie Shang’s emotions surge (second update He suddenly stepped back, his calmness completely disrupted.

It shouldn’t be like this, it shouldn’t. He needed to stay calm, turned around, and tried to leave the courtyard that was everywhere marked by Wen Changling’s presence.

Wen Changling was calling him, “Xie Xingxing.”

Don’t call him.

“Xingxing.”

The Wen family’s girl could cast a spell.

It turned out to be true.

All his actions thereafter seemed beyond the control of his mind, as Xie Shang turned back and walked up to Wen Changling.

“Why are you crying?” Because of Yan Cong? Because of Ah Na?

Her eyelashes fluttered, and tears rolled down: “There’s sand in my eyes.”

She was lying.

Xie Shang had seen what she looked like when there was really sand in her eyes, and it wasn’t like this.

“Xie Xingxing, blow on my eyes for me.”

Miss Wen sometimes liked to speak in a very direct tone, like a command.

Xie Shang crouched down and embraced Miss Wen.

“Don’t cry.”

The one who wanted to make Miss Wen cry, in the end, was comforting her not to cry. Xie Shang felt like he was going insane.

The person in his arms was very quiet, obediently leaning against him. She sniffed, rubbed against his clothes, dried all her tears, and said nothing for a long time. Because of the alcohol, she gradually fell asleep.

The person who had thrown a huge stone into a calm lake was now sleeping so peacefully. Xie Shang wanted to wake her up and ask her what kind of spell she had cast. He stayed in one position until his body stiffened, and then he picked her up and took her back to her room.

Her room was just like her, with a tough, stony style.

Xie Shang placed her on the bed. The air conditioning in the room was covered with a cloth torn from an old bedsheet, evidently not often used. Xie Shang turned on the old electric fan, and as its wings creaked and turned, the room, despite the noise, gave off an eerie silence.

Wen Changling shifted her position, curling up like a caterpillar, hugging herself with both hands, her eyelashes still wet, damp with moisture.

Xie Shang watched her, not knowing whether he was asking her or himself, “If one day, I hurt you, would you cry like this?”

Isn’t it a heart made of stone?

“Meow.”

Huahua lay at the door, lazy and contented.

“Meow.”

Very annoying.

Xie Shang looked up and said, “Get out.”

Huahua understood human nature very well. It could sense the mood in his tone and knew that the “male master” was on the verge of breaking down. It immediately got up and fled the room, avoiding any trouble.

Because she had drunk alcohol, Wen Changling slept deeply that night.

Because of Wen Changling, Xie Shang’s mind was frantically awake, and it was past midnight. He couldn’t sleep; every time he closed his eyes, his thoughts became even more chaotic. He got up and lighted incense for himself.

A Fragrance Master needed to choose the incense based on the person’s mood and emotions.

What incense should he light for himself? Xie Shang opened the cabinet, looked at the many incense boxes, and after a long time, he picked up the box made of black sandalwood from the corner.

There was an incense table on the desk.

Xie Shang took an incense burner out of the nearby cabinet, laid incense ash in it, lit incense charcoal, buried it in the burner, meticulously arranged the ash with pressure, and then placed a mica piece on top.

In the black sandalwood box was only a small piece of agarwood. He used incense tongs to take it, placed it on the mica piece, and covered the incense burner. Moments later, curls of smoke rose and slowly filled the room.

To be effective, one had to smell it for a while, for a bit longer.

Xie Shang went to fetch a book from the bookshelf, sat by the window, opened the first page, and for a long time, remained on the first page. Today, for some unknown reason, he couldn’t concentrate on the book. He closed his eyes and rested quietly.

Suddenly, he heard a voice by his ear—it was a girl’s voice, soft and clear, like an incense spoon clinking against a bronze burner.

“I can talk.”

“My name is Wen Changling.”

“...”

“Xie Shang.”

“You said the scenery here is beautiful, so I came to see it.”

“And dyed my hair while I was at it.”

“...”

It was Wen Changling’s voice.

It was Miss Wen coming to disturb his peace again.

“The loquat wine I brewed is ready to drink, would you like to try it?”

“Are you also a bad person?”

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

“If you fall in love with someone, to what extent would you go for her?”

“Would you betray your closest kin for her?”

“...”

Xie Shang did not open his eyes, slowly, a silhouette became clear, as if right in front of him.

She always stood straight, slim, not caring for beauty. She seldom spoke, but sometimes her voice was like the song of a sea demon. Always wearing glasses, she had a pair of beautiful eyes that could bewitch hearts.

“Xie Shang.”

“You must be obedient.”

“Lower your head.”

“...”

“I’ll tell you a secret quietly.”

“That night, I intentionally left the door unlocked, and I deliberately placed a trophy on the bedside.”

“I had planned my route, so the cameras wouldn’t catch me.”

“I got lost while escaping.”

“...”

“I would never cast a spell on that kind of person.”

“I’m casting a spell on you.”

“I have already cast a spell on you; you should love me.”

“I do love you. Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“...”

The book in his hand was gripped tighter and tighter, Xie Shang wanted to open his eyes but felt as if trapped in a nightmare.

Did the ancients really cast spells? How did they do it? What would happen to the person under a spell? Paralyzed? Helpless?

Heart out of control? Like a puppet, with demonic whispers in the ears, then losing all self-awareness, was that it?

“Xie Shang.”

“Xie Shang.”

“...”

Don’t call him.

Don’t call him anymore.

“I don’t have any other valuable things. This is all my savings, can I pawn something with this money?”

“I won’t default on my debt. I will be good to you.”

“Do you think I’m heartless?”

“Xie Shang, I’m not a good person, you’ve misjudged.”

“...”

Stop talking.

Don’t make a sound, don’t bewitch him anymore.

“Is Star your nickname?”

“Xie Xingxing.”

“Why won’t you agree?”

“Look Xie Xingxing, there’s one of your brothers over there, so bright.”

“Xie Xingxing.”

“When I call you, you should answer.”

“Xie Xingxing.”

“Star.”

“Twinkle twinkle bright and clear, the whole sky is full of Xie Xingxing.”

“...”

Xie Shang suddenly opened his eyes, before his pupils could fully focus, he saw Wen Changling’s face, and instinctively reached out, but there was only air.

There were so many of her before his eyes.

The book fell to the ground as he reached for it, his head bowed.

“Xie Xingxing.”

“Why won’t you answer me?”

Xie Shang picked up the book, and looked up.

“Twinkle twinkle bright and clear, the whole sky is full of Little Stars.”

“Xie Shang.”

“Xie Shang.”

Xie Shang’s body seemed to be fixed in place, as the book fell to the ground again. Looking up was Wen Changling, looking down was Wen Changling; his world was filled with Wen Changling everywhere.

He looked towards the incense burner, as the incense smoke curled.

“Udarami is rich in a type of agarwood called Chinese honeycomb, which looks very much like a beehive. It smells faintly, a bit like gardenias, but smelling it for a long time can cause hallucinations, making one see everything they want to see. Hence it has another name, Daydream Fragrance.”

What Xie Shang lit was the Daydream Fragrance.

He Dongzhou once joked that Chinese honeycomb should be called lover’s incense.