Chapter 60: The Heart-Pounding Aromatherapy Shop Manager
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 60: The Heart-Pounding Aromatherapy Shop Manager
"Xiao Han, leaving already?"
After I clocked out, Senior Sister Tang Yihan finished up the last of the shop's petty chores. However, instead of heading out, she came straight over to me and called out.
"Is something the matter, Senior Sister?" I asked, curious yet treading carefully.
After all, Tang Yihan had been fuming earlier because of Ying Shiqian. First, she’d been scared half to death, and then she’d been tricked. She originally thought she’d scored a new recipe, but after making it and tasting it herself, she nearly gagged.
I was genuinely worried that if she was in a foul mood, I might end up in the splash zone.
"I already spoke to the shopkeeper about your wages. You should have received the notification by now, right?"
"Oh, I saw it. Thank you, Senior Sister."
Hearing her words, I breathed a sigh of relief. So that was it. Thank goodness.
"Good. Xiao Han, didn't you say you needed to buy some incense? I can recommend a few shops. The quality of incense on the market is quite hit-or-miss right now; you have to be careful not to get ripped off."
"Eh? Really!"
My eyes lit up instantly. I had zero experience buying incense and had planned to just pick some up at random to try out. But with a recommendation from a Senior Sister, wouldn't I be able to avoid a lot of trial and error?
"Mhm. I'll send you the shop locations in a bit. I have other things to attend to, so bye-bye~"
"Goodbye, Senior Sister! I'm heading out now!"
After bidding her farewell, I went straight to the nearest station. Although my villa wasn't far from here, I didn't plan on going back just yet.
It wasn't like there was anyone else at the villa anyway; going back early just meant going to sleep early.
I might as well use this time to buy some incense and test it out. Or maybe I should head to a meditation room?
I checked the time; it was still quite early. After learning about the various benefits of meditation rooms from the Senior Sister earlier, I was definitely tempted. The only issue was that professional meditation rooms cost a fair bit of money.
Soon, my phone vibrated. It looked like the Senior Sister had sent over the location.
However, the name of the shop struck me as a bit odd: "Aromatherapy Specialty Shop." Wasn't I looking for incense?
Or were aromatherapy and incense basically the same thing?
Despite my doubts, I confirmed the destination and mapped out a bus route.
Once I arrived, it took me a while to actually find the place.
The shop wasn't large; in fact, it was sandwiched between two much larger storefronts.
Stepping inside, the interior was long and narrow, but the decor was exquisite. Numerous bottles of aromatherapy oils were on display. Even though they were sealed, a cloying, heady fragrance permeated the air the moment I entered.
"A new customer, I see. Is there something you're looking for?"
A voice drifted from the back. Just hearing those few words gave me an immediate impression of someone bewitching. The voice was meltingly sweet, as seductive as the scents wafting through the room.
It instinctively gave me goosebumps.
I turned around and saw a tall, stunningly beautiful witch walking toward me. The staccato clicks of her heels on the floor seemed to echo inside my head.
An elegant dress hugged her voluptuous figure; every movement she made seemed to be the very definition of a witch's grace.
I didn't snap out of it until she was standing right in front of me.
"Uh... that... I... I'm sorry!"
Once I regained my senses, I really wanted to slap myself. How could I act like such a total creep?
How embarrassing.
"Why the sudden apology, dear guest? I didn't expect a freshman to visit my little shop. I've caused you unnecessary trouble, haven't I?"
The beautiful older sister chuckled softly. She didn't seem bothered by my behavior at all; instead, she took the blame upon herself.
"It has to do with my Talent. You were a cute boy before, weren't you, little junior?"
"Eh?"
Hearing her say that so suddenly, my previous embarrassment vanished instantly!
Where exactly was I still acting like a boy?!
Why is it that every Senior Sister I meet can tell I used to be a guy!
"My Talent exerts a fatal attraction on anyone whose sexual orientation is toward women. If you weren't a boy before, little sister, then you must have been a very deeply closeted lesbian, hm?" As she spoke, she reached out without the slightest hesitation and pinched my cheek, smiling.
"I... I'm sorry."
I instinctively patted her hand away. The moment she leaned close, I felt my heart rate skyrocket.
What kind of Talent was this? It was terrifying.
"So shy. It seems you really were a little boy." She didn't seem surprised that I brushed her hand off. Instead, she withdrew her hand and continued, "So, what brings you to big sister's shop?"
"I... phew..." I took a few steps back, steadying my heart before I could speak again. "A Senior Sister recommended I come here to buy incense. Um, Senior Sister, do you have incense here?"
After my experience with the older Senior Sisters, I had realized that calling anyone "Senior Sister" in this academy was rarely the wrong move.
However, I still wanted to ask about the incense. Most of what was on display here were liquid diffusers; I didn't see any meditation incense. Could it be that these were what I was looking for?
"A recommendation? Oh~ care to tell me who recommended you? I don't get many customers here."
"That..."
I wasn't sure how to answer. The Senior Sister hadn't told me whether I could disclose that information or not. Would it be bad to just say it?
"Ah, sorry, I'm being nosy. Little sister, you want incense, right? Meditation incense?"
"Yes!"
I nodded quickly, though her words made me realize that there was a distinction between regular incense and meditation incense.
Could regular incense not be used for meditation?
"Alright then. But meditation incense is a bit expensive." She tossed the remark over her shoulder as she turned to go fetch the items.
I watched her walk away and breathed a sigh of relief. That Senior Sister seemed to have a very gentle personality, but I still couldn't help but feel nervous in her presence.
And her Talent was just too scary.
Fatal attraction... Fortunately, my self-control is pretty good, I comforted myself. I idly patted my chest. Was it my imagination, or did they feel a bit bigger?
They probably grew. I’d put in quite a bit of "handiwork" over the last few nights to help them grow faster.
I had expected the incense to be expensive. Looking at the wages I’d just received—even if I worked part-time all day, I only made about two hundred a day. After these few days, I didn't actually have that much money.
I hoped the incense wouldn't be too expensive, or I really wouldn't be able to stomach the cost. I still wanted to try out a meditation room later.