章 6: 6. The Mentor-Cum-Friend.
Xu Wei chuckled, "Well, it's your fault for providing such good medicine. My friends are willing to pay top dollar for it. How about this?" He flashed five fingers in front of Lu Chen.
Lu Chen smiled and tossed a bottle to Xu Wei. "I've been short on cash lately. Otherwise, you wouldn't have got this bottle."
Xu Wei cradled the porcelain bottle as if it were a precious treasure and handed over fifty thousand yuan in cash to Lu Chen. "Thanks, brother. I'll make sure you never lose out."
Watching Xu Wei dash off, Lu Chen stuffed the thick wad of cash into his backpack and shook his head as he left the campus.
Selling pills was nothing new for Lu Chen. The most basic elixirs only required herbal ingredients that he could easily purchase from a pharmacy.
Initially, Lu Chen had tried selling pills to treat common colds and headaches, but to his frustration, those pills had little to no market.
Eventually, he had to start producing Vigorous Pills, a mild aphrodisiac and kidney tonic. Who would have thought it would be so effective? Everyone who used it praised its effects, earning Lu Chen a new nickname among his friends: "The Aphrodisiac Vendor"
Just when Lu Chen was strapped for cash, Xu Wei came through with fifty thousand yuan. A smile spread across his face as he walked, thinking about making another batch of even stronger aphrodisiacs so he wouldn't have to worry about money again.
"Ouch!"
Lu Chen suddenly realized he had bumped into something soft, and one of his hands had landed on a gentle protrusion. A faint fragrance wafted into his nose.
Instinctively, he squeezed—soft, warm, like holding a piece of smooth jade.
A startled yelp rang out, and Lu Chen felt his hand being swatted away.
Snapping back to reality, he looked up to see a beautiful yet furious face staring back at him. Her face was flushed, with clear eyes full of anger.
"Ms. Liu!"
Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat when he realized who he had bumped into. Noticing the creased white fabric of her shirt where his hand had been, he instantly knew what had just happened. He hurriedly apologized, "Ms. Liu, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it was you."
Liu Jie was a former student of the school who had stayed on as a teacher. She had seen her junior apprentice brother, Lu Chen, walking by with a silly grin and had decided to tease him.
But who would have thought that Lu Chen would walk right into her, his hand landing on her plump breasts and even squeezing a few times?
Liu Jie felt a tingling sensation spread throughout her body from her chest and couldn't help but grow angrier. "If it weren't me, who else would it be? Who did you think it was?"
The moment she said it, Liu Jie realized something was off. She should have given him a good scolding, but instead, her words came out sounding almost playful.
Although Lu Chen wasn't entirely oblivious, he wasn't sharp enough to catch the nuance in her words. He continued to apologize profusely.
Seeing the embarrassed look on his face, Liu Jie's anger subsided a little. She glared at him and then extended her delicate hand toward him, "Give it to me!"
Lu Chen blinked in confusion. "What?"
"Beauty Pill," Liu Jie replied, her red lips slightly curving up.
Reluctantly, Lu Chen handed over a small bottle, placing it in her outstretched hand.
"Two pills," Liu Jie demanded.
"Impossible! There's only one pill in there, and I'm already letting you off without making you treat me to a meal in return!" Lu Chen protested.
A sly smile appeared on Liu Jie's lips as she pointed to the creased fabric on her chest, her eyes filled with a mischievous glint.
Lu Chen glanced at the rise of her chest, knowing he was in the wrong, and begrudgingly handed over another Beauty Pill. He muttered under his breath, "Seriously? Just for touching it once, I lose another pill... That's practically ten thousand yuan gone."
Before Lu Chen could finish grumbling, he felt a sharp pain as Liu Jie stomped on his foot. Her face was flushed, and she bit her lip in anger as she glared at him. "You little rascal! You take advantage of me, and then have the nerve to talk behind my back? I'll stomp you to death!"
Seeing Liu Jie's furious expression, Lu Chen knew he had really upset her this time. But instead of backing down, he mischievously put the hand that had touched her chest close to his face and made a show of inhaling deeply. "Mmm... smells nice."
"Get back here, you little scoundrel! Don't let me catch you, or you're dead!" Liu Jie shouted, chasing after him in her light green skirt. But Lu Chen had already taken off, laughing, leaving her behind. She could only stomp her dainty feet in frustration and watch his retreating figure.
Seeing the faint handprint on her white blouse, Liu Jie's face reddened further. She muttered angrily, "Lu Chen, just you wait until next time." Though her words were harsh, her eyes betrayed a mix of shyness and amusement.
Lu Chen, oblivious to Liu Jie's thoughts, walked on with a grin. He would be lying if he said he didn't have feelings for this mentor-turned-friend.
Liu Jie was only twenty-three, in the prime of her life. Despite his feelings, Lu Chen had always maintained a respectful distance, never overstepping his bounds. His only indulgence was using the monthly delivery of a Beauty Pill as an excuse to have dinner with her. This was why, over the years, he had become the only man closest to her.
Lu Chen chuckled to himself as he walked, still savoring the sensation of touching Liu Jie's soft chest. Even through her clothes, it had felt incredibly smooth and supple. He thought that if he could ever touch it directly, he would gladly give Liu Jie all the Beauty Pills he had.
Feeling as though floating in that heavenly sensation, Lu Chen left the campus. A gentle breeze brought him back to his senses.
As long as he had the Beauty Pills as his trump card, Lu Chen was confident that one day he and Liu Jie would have the perfect ending. He wasn't worried about anything. After all, the bond they had built over the past three or four years was enough to make him feel secure, dismissing any potential rivals.
In high spirits after both a successful flirtation with his crush and a profitable sale, Lu Chen headed to the supermarket for some serious shopping.
———
He filled his cart with all sorts of items—food, daily necessities—but still felt like something was missing.
When he reached the clothing section and saw the colorful array of garments, Lu Chen suddenly remembered that there was a woman back home. He realized that He Suyan didn't have any clothes to change into; even the few she wore were cheap street market finds from a few days ago.
With that thought in mind, Lu Chen pushed his cart into the women's clothing section for the first time.
Surrounded by the bright and varied women's clothing, Lu Chen didn't stand out too much as a man shopping there. But pushing a shopping cart made him the center of attention, attracting glances from several women nearby.
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