books44 Chapter 396 [Empire] Perfume
Chapter 396 [Empire] Perfume
I smelled the familiar scent of his perfume and rummaged around the dashboard to find a bottle. It looked like an ordinary spray bottle you could buy for a few star coins, but it held that unforgettable scent.
He looked down at the perfume bottle in his hand. It looked unremarkable, even a little crude: an ordinary spray bottle with a transparent glass body and a simple metal cap. The texture was also ordinary. Even in a cookie-cutter shopping mall, a bottle of perfume like this would probably cost only a few star coins.
As I brought the bottle to my nose, the familiar scent instantly flooded my senses, carrying a unique depth and coolness. It was a subtle, unassuming aroma, yet it etched itself deeply into my memory, imbued with an indescribable sense of luxury. It felt both refreshing and calming, as if it could instantly capture my heart.
"This bottle of perfume..." I murmured to myself, and the answer gradually came to my mind.
Shan Qi always leaves a subtle impression. His presence is unassuming, yet he often leaves a lasting impression. I gently swirled the perfume bottle, watching the liquid ripple in the light. Suddenly, Mr. Li's voice resonated in my mind—"This is a custom-made piece, so it's naturally expensive."
Mr. Li once said that the blend of this perfume is extremely complex, a mixture of several rare floral and woody notes, and even some precious spices. In this interstellar age, where plants are so dangerous and rare, this perfume is not a common commodity. Even the most refined brands cannot replicate this unique scent. It was created entirely for Shan Qi, full of personality and exclusivity.
I gripped the glass of the perfume bottle and felt a subtle chill. Shan Qi never favored publicity, yet every choice and every detail was meticulously considered. He tolerated no inappropriateness in his life; even his perfume reflected his unwavering commitment to uniqueness and quality. This pursuit of distinction was reflected not only in his career but also in every tiny decision he made.
"Are you looking for this?" Shan Qi's voice once again broke my thoughts. I looked up and saw him turn around from the driver's seat with a faint smile on his face.
"Yeah." I nodded and handed the perfume bottle back to him. "I just think it smells very special."
He took the perfume, a faint smile on his face. "Really? I like this scent too. It just suits my personality."
I was stunned. Shan Qi never revealed too much about himself, so these words seemed unusually candid. Perhaps his personality, like this perfume, was understated on the outside, yet filled with refinement and uniqueness within. Every detail, every choice, was his way of communicating with the world, quietly yet profoundly and powerfully.
I couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Perhaps Shan Qi's world was more complicated than I had imagined. And I was just a bystander wandering on the periphery of his world.
"Shan Qi, how do you have the time to go back to the capital planet?"
I spoke softly, my tone somewhat casual, as if I was greeting a friend I hadn't seen for a long time, but I couldn't hide the doubts in my heart.
Shan Qi smiled faintly, a subtle glint in his eyes. "Is it possible that I didn't come back here for work?" He paused, as if considering his response, and his tone became gentler. "But rather to handle some personal matters."
"Personal matters?" I was a little curious and couldn't help asking, "It's not that serious. Aren't you always busy? You don't even have much time to see me."
He smiled softly, his gaze piercing through me, resting on some unknown place in the distance. "Yeah, I'm busy as a machine." The lightness in his words made it seem as if he didn't mind the busyness, as if it was simply the lifestyle he had chosen. "But every now and then, I need to pace myself and take a break."
I raised an eyebrow, watching his seemingly careless expression, but a lingering suspicion welled up within me. Shan Qi always came across as calm and rational, as if nothing had ever disturbed his world. Yet, a subtle shift at this moment made me feel that perhaps something wasn't quite as he appeared to be.
"If that's the case, why didn't you tell me?" I said softly, but I was thinking in my heart that although Shan Qi is usually mysterious, at least he shouldn't be that distant.
"Nothing special to say." He gently turned the perfume bottle and returned his gaze to my face. His eyes were still calm, as if no more explanation was needed. "But you reminded me that I should give you a chance to say hello."
"Hello?" I couldn't help but smile, feeling a strange sense of unease. Every time Shan Qi showed this gentle smile, it always made people feel that he had some hidden secrets, and these secrets were often not simple.
"Yeah," his eyes suddenly became deep. "You're a person who, although you're very good at talking, is actually very easy to be ignored." His tone was no longer his usual calmness, but instead revealed a hint of calmness that could not be ignored. "I just feel that something is wrong with your recent state. Why haven't I seen you come to see me?"
I was shocked. Shan Qi seemed to have seen through some of my actions from the very beginning. That perception was almost a powerful intuition, as if he could see through my inner thoughts without saying anything.
"Nothing, I've been a bit busy lately." I said casually, but a feeling of unease welled up in my heart.
Shan Qi looked at me and smiled slightly: "Are you very busy, or are you simply irritated?" He didn't ask forcefully, but just asked lightly, but there was an inescapable sense of oppression hidden in his words.
"Maybe." I lowered my head, realizing I couldn't avoid it anymore. Whether it was the assignment, school, relationships, or my relationship with him, there seemed to be some inexplicable complex emotion brewing and surging. Just like this bottle of perfume, ordinary on the outside, yet revealing a hidden essence.
"Yeah." Shan Qi didn't ask any further questions, but nodded lightly, with some ambiguous glint in his eyes, "You are not someone who will easily make people worry. Just don't forget that life is not just about tasks. You also need some space of your own occasionally."
I looked up, about to say something, but was interrupted by his gaze. That look was too deep, as if all the secrets were contained in it, yet it never really revealed them.
"Okay, let's not talk about this for now." Shan Qi retracted his gaze, regaining his familiar indifference. "You have your own things to do, and I have mine. Let's each take care of our own things." His words were filled with unquestionable determination, yet with an unexpected gentleness, as if nothing else mattered. The most important thing was what he said: "But remember, you need to rest occasionally."
I nodded silently, but my heart was still restless. Shan Qi was always so difficult to understand, and his words didn't always seem as simple as they seemed.
But now it is a bit straightforward.