Chapter 9: Did You Put on Perfume?

"D-Dean?"

Yu Lan tilted her head, looking blank. Clearly, she hadn't yet reconciled the identity of this suddenly appearing stranger with her own memories.

She heard the male who had just been trying to exchange contact information with her address the newcomer, his face showing obvious trepidation. It was clear that this man who had appeared out of nowhere was someone of extremely prominent and noble status, both in rank and authority.

Yu Lan’s gaze swept steadily over the man's cold, exceedingly handsome face, and she soon belatedly recalled his identity. This man was none other than one of the original owner’s seven fiancés, the Dean of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, Shen Zhuoran.

From the moment Yu Lan stepped into the convenience store, Shen Zhuoran had been standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor, watching the entire scene. He had seen the little female quietly and effortlessly lure every single bachelor in the entire Academy of Sciences to the spot. Even fishing didn’t work that quickly.

At this moment, his expression was extremely foul, especially after catching the subtle, sweet scent floating secretly in the air, and seeing the lingering gazes of the males nearby directed toward Yu Lan. His expression turned even colder in an instant.

"What are you doing here?"

"This is not a place for you to be."

Shen Zhuoran reproached her without the slightest bit of courtesy.

Yu Lan clutched the water she held in her hand. Having passed through the cold air of the convenience store, the heat on her face from the sun had gradually dissipated. Her small face, once like a flushed, tender peach, became fair and delicate again. Her thick, seaweed-like black hair fell loosely over her shoulders against her snowy skin. Her long, curled eyelashes, like little fans, fluttered as she blinked; her nose was pert and smooth, and her lips were rosy. She looked just like a beautiful little doll carved from snow.

Facing Shen Zhuoran’s expulsion, a trace of embarrassment flashed across Yu Lan’s face. However, knowing she was in the wrong, she didn’t talk back with a bad temper. She nodded, "Alright, I’ll leave now."

She turned to look at the male who had kindly paid for her, hesitating over whether she should continue to try to exchange contact information. She couldn't just take advantage of people, after all.

This hesitation, in Shen Zhuoran’s eyes, immediately transformed into Yu Lan’s reluctance to leave. His expression turned colder:

"Yu Lan, there should be a limit to chasing after people."

"Do you want me to call security to escort you out?"

"The Imperial Academy of Sciences is a restricted area; unauthorized personnel are not permitted."

Being driven away time and time again, even a little clay figurine would have three parts of temper. Yu Lan sniffed at Shen Zhuoran, "I know how to leave on my own."

"I don't need you to chase me."

With this burst of emotion, the hidden, sweet fragrance in the air seemed to boil over instantly. It surged toward Shen Zhuoran, overwhelming and engulfing him completely.

So sweet, so fragrant.

It was truly intoxicating. Shen Zhuoran felt as if he had instantly fallen into the most honeyed flower stamen, tightly wrapped by the overwhelming scent. His heart hammered, and the surging blood rushed to his limbs and bones with every beat. His forehead began to grow burning hot, as if something were about to erupt at any moment.

Yu Lan had already brushed past Shen Zhuoran, preparing to leave. As for the male who had kindly helped her, she would just have to come back and secretly repay him the next time Shen Zhuoran wasn't around.

The moment they passed each other, Yu Lan’s snowy, delicate hand, hanging at her side, was suddenly seized by the man’s burning, hot, vein-protruding grip.

"Did you wear perfume?"

Shen Zhuoran bit the words out through his teeth. High-level females carried a natural exotic fragrance that attracted males; those with powerful abilities could even induce a male to go into rut on the spot. But Yu Lan had no healing powers, and she had a prior record of using inducements on Su Xingye. Shen Zhuoran couldn't help but suspect what this scent, which made him feel such agitation, really was.

What a nonsensical question.

Yu Lan looked at Shen Zhuoran strangely, a trace of disdain flashing in her clear, black-and-white eyes.

"You’re hurting me."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and slapped the man's large hand. "I didn’t wear any perfume; stop slandering me."

Yu Lan was aware that she emitted a faint scent, but she truly couldn't find a way to resolve the issue. Could it be that Shen Zhuoran found the scent too strong and was intentionally pointing it out to make her lose face? How detestable; he looked like a decent person, so why was his conduct so malicious? First, he chased her away, and then he humiliated her.

In a fit of anger, Yu Lan lifted her foot and stomped on Shen Zhuoran’s shoe.

"Bad guy."

After stepping on him, she feared retaliation and immediately turned to run away quickly. Her slender and beautiful silhouette made the group of males in the convenience store feel their hearts soften.

"What a truly cute and beautiful female."

"Yes, yes! She’s even cute when she’s angry."

"Unlike other females who would just slap you across the face. But even if she were willing to hit me, I’d like it."

"She smells so, so good. Such a beautiful female—I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see her again."

"Sigh, typical of our cold and heartless Dean. He can be so cruel as to chase away such a beautiful and cute female."

One had to know that the probability of encountering such a beautiful female with such a good temperament was one in ten thousand. It was very likely that they would never meet another like her in their entire lives.

Besides, she hadn’t done anything wrong; she had merely mistaken the Academy’s internal convenience store for a public one and had come in to buy a bottle of water. Yet the Dean had been so fierce in driving her away.

Under Shen Zhuoran’s oppressive gaze, the group of males dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak.

With Yu Lan’s departure, the convenience store, which had been packed with males, instantly became empty, the floor gleaming. Shen Zhuoran finally let out a cold snort.

A bunch of idiots.

Who knew if Yu Lan had sprayed herself with pheromones to induce rut in males and had appeared here on purpose? After smelling that scent, Shen Zhuoran was almost certain that Yu Lan had come specifically for him. She had intentionally appeared here to cause a stir and attract his presence.

He didn't like this kind of manipulative, wild female at all.

*

Yu Lan braved the sun and quickly returned to her hover-car, heading back to the villa where she lived.

As soon as she got home, she couldn't wait to lie on the sofa and use her phone to look up what the Academy of Sciences actually did and what departments it had. Before she had transmigrated, she had worked at a scientific research institute, specifically in pharmaceutical research. If Yu Lan wanted to find a job, it would be best to continue in her old profession. If the Academy of Sciences was only doing high-end, cutting-edge equipment research for the future interstellar era, then she definitely wouldn't be qualified and would have to switch to another line of work.

Fortunately, this world was quite tolerant toward females. She had heard that female celebrities could make millions a day.

While Yu Lan’s head was filled with messy thoughts, she logged into the official website of the Academy of Sciences. She quickly saw the job openings.

Research Assistant, 30,000 Star Credits per month.

Limited to females, no healing power required, no educational requirements.

Yu Lan’s eyes lit up.

Heavens, wasn't this a dream job specifically tailored for her? It was practically shouting that as long as you were a female, you were hired.

Yu Lan immediately switched to the resume-filling page, but her brows furrowed tightly. She realized that she had absolutely nothing to fill in.

*Crying.*

In the end, she could only select "Female" in the gender field and click send. Then, she held her breath, waiting for the boss’s reply.