Chapter 29: Scent
"We could share a room.. Don't worry.." She whispered back.
After they had dinner, Lu Ping prepared Sun Xun's bed in Song Jia's room. There was also a daybed that Wan Yan could use.
"Young Master Sun Xun, the bed is prepared." Lu Ping informed him and left the room.
"Miss Jia, I will draw your bath in the room now.." Lu Ping whispered.
"Uh.. No, you go first! I still have to digest the meal.."
"Alright then Miss Jia.." Recently, Lu Ping has taken her baths more often when they started to train. She didn't feel comfortable sleeping with sweat on her body so she would at least wash her face, neck and down her body except for her hair.
After making sure that Lu Ping has entered the area where they placed the round bathtub with a divider concealing the user from other's view, she went inside the Spirit Artifact's space.
"Jia! Congratulations again for advancing!" Crystal greeted her instantly.
"Mm! It was all thanks to that guy's pills...Ah.. I really need to shower now.. I'll talk to you in a bit!" She hurried off to her own bathroom inside the mansion located in her Spirit Artifact.
She didn't take too long in her shower. She quickly changed into some sleepwear and wore a robe. She remembered Lu Ping's words about how her scent needed to be covered up.
Thinking about it, she went to the laboratory and looked around for things she could use.
"What are you looking for?" Crystal found her rummaging the cabinets.
"I'm looking for ingredients to make a perfume!"
"Oh? I can help you then.."
"Ah.. I need something to smell like a man.."
"Huh?" Crystal was rather confused.
"Lu Ping mentioned that my illusion ring was good to disguise as a man but I'll be discovered if they can smell my natural scent."
"Oh.. She has a point..Right, tell me how it should smell then.."
Both of them rummaged through the cabinets and laid out the ingredients on the table.
She mixed and tested all of the scents until she was satisfied, now she only needed for it to age before it's ready for use. However, she needed to be back outside or Lu Ping would wonder where she was. Aging the perfume takes 48 hours to a month. She didn't have much time left to spend inside the space.
"Let me know if it's already been a month here.. I need to go back so Ping won't worry." She bid her farewell to Crystal then left.
Just as she appeared in Lu Ping's room, someone knocked on the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Little brother.. Can I talk to you?" It was Wan Yan.
Her brows knitted together. At that moment, Lu Ping emerged from her bath as well, already dressed.
"Miss? Shall I draw your bath now?"
"Uh..no need. I already changed my clothes.. Wan Yan is outside.."
Song Jia went to open the door, Wan Yan immediately peeked inside.
"Little brother.. I still think it's not right." His forehead wrinkled.
"What is not right, big brother?"
"You can't stay in the same room as the girl… How about this, why don't you come with me instead? Let's give the little sister some privacy, okay?" He grabbed Song Jia's arm and almost pulled her out of the room.
Lu Ping was dumbfounded. 'Where is miss going to sleep now?'
"It's okay!" Song Jia mouthed the words at Lu Ping, leaving with Wan Yan.
The door creaked open and she was brought inside a room. She froze as soon as she realized it.
"Little brother, why don't you share a room with my master instead. I'll be outside."
"Ah.. Wait.. Big brother, you're the guest, you should stay here."
"Oh.. That may be so.. But I can't be rest assured if I don't stand guard outside.. So be a good little brother, and stay inside the room, okay? Don't go back to the little sister's room!" He even warned her, narrowing his eyes at her before closing the door behind him.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Sun Xun was sitting on the bed, reading a manuscript.
"Umm.. big brother.. I don't want to trouble you.. I'll go outside now.." She tried to sneak away.
"Who said you're troubling me? Stay." His clear voice didn't ask for a rebuttal.
Her legs turned to jelly, she could only walk to the daybed and try to make herself comfortable.
'It's okay, I'm a boy in their eyes..'
With that thought, her eyes closed as she was already tired from practicing martial arts, swordsmanship and cultivating the whole day.
She fell into a deep sleep.
In her dream, she relieved the last moments of her past life when she was hiding from the bullets and trying to find a way to escape. At the last moments, she jumped out of the building and waited for the bone-crushing fall. But she didn't feel any of it, since it was only a dream. Only that her forehead formed sweat, her face in a grimace, she held unto Arlo, not willing to let him die with her.
Moments later, she felt calm and finally slept without interruptions.
In reality, the moment Song Jia fell into a deep sleep and started to have nightmares because of her physical and mental exhaustion, Sun Xun caught her before she fell on the floor. The daybed was small and only enough if one doesn't move around too much.
Sun Xun had to carry her and bring her to her own bed. But as he laid her down, she refused to let go of him. Her grip on him was too strong and if he forced her to let go, she would wake up instead.
'What are you dreaming of that makes you worry so much?'
At the moment he was on top of her, her four limbs holding him down. He could only roll on the bed so she would be on top of him instead or if he's lucky, she would let go on her own.
With her on top of hip sleeping like a koala, he could only sigh.
'What did I get myself into?'
"No!!!" Song Jia suddenly mumbled. Her grip tightened it almost suffocated him.
He used his spiritual energy and pushed into her acupoints so her body will be relieved from exhaustion a little. She relaxed a little, breathing in, a smile curved on her lips.
'At least she's not suffocating me anymore.'
Fortunately for him, Song Jia was not heavy. She could sleep on top of him all night without hurting him.
Sun Xun leaned down and saw that her brows were no longer furrowed and a smile was present on her face. Her hand was near his face. He saw the illusion ring, turning it slightly. In an instant, he saw her beautiful face. He instantly regretted doing so. With her current state, his heart couldn't help beat loudly. He sucked in a breath. The smell of citrus, vanilla, amber and nutmeg among others, wafted through his nose. His brows shot up in surprise. He quickly turned it again and she went back to a boy's image.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone