Taboo Mage - Chapter 119 - The Scent of Perfume

Realizing something was off, I quickly turned my head, my eyes fixed on the floor, and secretly pinched my thigh.

As I turned my head, my mind cleared up a bit, “Hello, I’m here to see Uncle Lin. I’m Lin Huan’s friend and also his Boss.”

“Is that so? How has Lin Huan been lately?” The woman smiled with pursed lips, her eyes full of allure, occasionally casting flirtatious glances my way.

I had never encountered such a woman before, sitting there without moving and exuding a captivating aura. I was almost certain now that it was possible Lin Huan couldn’t resist such a woman.

Uncle Lin poured some water and placed it on the coffee table in front of me. To avoid losing my composure, I quickly took a few gulps to quell my inexplicable inner heat. After exchanging a few words with Uncle Lin, I hurriedly made my escape.

Once out of the apartment complex, I crouched in a corner, regaining my senses after more than ten minutes. I lit a cigarette, pondering the recent events, and the more I thought about it, the more something felt off.

That woman…something was definitely wrong with her!

When I found Lin Huan, he was still waiting in the usual ice cream shop. As soon as he saw me, he anxiously asked if his father was still angry.

I asked him, if someone slept with his wife, would he be angry?

Lin Huan flushed red and said nothing. I sighed helplessly. Wasn’t that obvious? Whenever I mentioned Lin Huan’s name today, Uncle Lin looked like he wanted to eat him alive.

Forget anger; he probably had the urge to kill him with his own hands.

Seeing Lin Huan’s dejected expression, I comforted him a bit. Recalling what had happened earlier, I cautiously asked, “That night when the fox spirit came looking for you, did you notice anything unusual?”

“Unusual? Nothing unusual,” Lin Huan shook his head.

“Didn’t you smell any strange scent?” I frowned. Could it be my sense of smell was off?

Lin Huan thought for a moment and said, “No… Oh, right, when I got home, it did smell like someone sprayed perfume everywhere. My dad said that woman likes fragrances, so she sprayed a lot.”

I nodded. Perfume, huh? I didn’t quite agree with that explanation.

Perfume, whether it’s low-end or high-end, is ultimately artificially composed, and regardless of the scent, its purpose is to please the senses.

But that scent earlier…

I closed my eyes and recalled it. The scent was too eerie. Although I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, it definitely wasn’t the fragrance of artificial perfume.

“By the way, what’s on the altar just as you enter your home?”

While I had no leads on the perfume, I suddenly remembered something else that had piqued my curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Lin Huan pursed his lips and with a look of disdain said, “It’s that woman again. After hearing some superstitions from who-knows-where, she insisted on setting up a statue of a fox deity at home.”

“Fox deity?” I widened my eyes in surprise.

“Yeah, I told my dad that those things shouldn’t just be placed around the house arbitrarily. If it’s put in the wrong place, it could be disastrous! But my dad was blinded by that fox spirit. She claimed that worshipping a fox deity could not only ensure the household’s safety but also make her prettier, hoping to give Dad another son! It’s complete nonsense!”

The more Lin Huan spoke, the angrier he became, nearly crushing the glass he held.

I advised him to be understanding; love can cloud judgment. But Lin Huan was right. Even though I’m not an expert in these things, I do know there are rules about placing religious figures at home.

If placed carelessly for good luck, best case, it could disrupt household peace; worst case, it could truly lead to disaster.

However, setting up a fox deity, it was the first I’d heard of such a thing.

I realized I couldn’t have a proper conversation with Uncle Lin today. After spending a while with Lin Huan, we drove back to the city. As soon as I got home, before I had a chance to rest, an old friend called.

It was Xu-Jie, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. I was a bit surprised to get her call. Ever since I went to Shenyang, I hadn’t been in touch with her.

It’s been over two months now, but I’m curious about what she needs from me this time.

Xu-Jie called to invite me to dinner that evening. I initially wanted to decline, but then I thought it might be a good opportunity to ask her about Lin Huan’s stepmother’s scent, as I was still clueless about it. Xu-Jie would definitely have a better grasp on perfume scents than I did.

When I arrived at the arranged venue, Xu-Jie was already there. She stood up and greeted me with a smile as I approached. It had been two months since we last met, and Xu-Jie looked the same as always, though she seemed a bit softer.

Perhaps after everything she’d been through, Xu-Jie had finally learned to temper her aura.

After we sat down, Xu-Jie chatted casually without mentioning why she wanted to meet. I pretended not to notice, engaging in the small talk while plotting how to steer the conversation toward perfumes.

“Brother Gu, I heard you went to Shenyang. Are you working on a big deal?” Xu-Jie seemed to be fishing for information, finally bringing up my trip to Shenyang after some small talk.

I glanced at her and chuckled, “A friend’s elder fell ill, and since I know a good doctor, I took them over to have a look.”

“Oh really… Is the elder doing better now?” Xu-Jie asked casually, fiddling with her chopsticks.

I raised an eyebrow, “Xu-Jie, what perfume are you wearing today? It seems different from what you usually wear.”

At my comment, Xu-Jie forgot about the elder and raised her sleeve to her nose, sniffing curiously. “What scent? I didn’t wear any perfume when I went out today.”

Of course, there wouldn’t be any scent.

I cleared my throat and continued, “By the way, Xu-Jie, I recently met a young lady on my trip, and I quite like her. Her birthday is coming up, and I’d like to give her a bottle of perfume. But I’m not sure which one to choose. Do you have any suggestions?”

“A young lady?” Xu-Jie paused, a flash of an unreadable emotion crossing her face before she smiled and asked, “Choosing a perfume can be quite intricate. What does this young lady usually like? Does she have any preferred brands or scents?”

I rested my head on my hand thoughtfully and said, “I’m not sure about the brand she uses, but I remember her scent was a bit unusual.”