The Scent of Suspicion

A sniff.

Then another.

The young girl’s nose twitched subtly, confirming the faint, sweet-and-sour scent of lavender mingled with green plums wafting from behind her.

Jiang Lengleng could confirm: she didn’t own such a perfume, nor did her elder sister.

****

In fact, every Saturday when Chen Ran returned home, he carried a faint, distinctly feminine fragrance.

She took a deeper sniff.

What’s more, the scents were never the same!

Just last week, it had been a potent blend of fresh roses and morning dew, accented by a hint of tart lemon and an incredibly elusive sandalwood.

While Jiang Lengleng didn’t understand perfumes, her school was filled with daughters of the wealthy, each one emanating a fragrant aura daily.

Thus, it was difficult for the young girl *not* to understand, even if she tried.

Jiang Lengleng’s thoughts began to race, pondering just what exactly was going on.

Indeed, Chen Ran seemed to spend every Saturday out, typically leaving in the morning and returning in the afternoon, never disclosing his whereabouts.

Her sister had been curious once, urging Jiang Lengleng to ask, but she had steadfastly refused.

And when told to ask herself, her sister would just prevaricate, tsk.

However, Jiang Lengleng had already formed a theory.

The young girl was exceptionally intelligent, and such intelligence meant her mind was almost constantly active, always pondering something rather than allowing itself to stagnate.

After all, even the sharpest blade would rust if left unused.

The same held true for the mind.

Thus, even as Jiang Lengleng walked expressionlessly straight toward the family’s convenience store, her mind was whirring with possibilities.

[Could Chen Ran be working on weekends?]

[Otherwise, why would he always have money to buy pastries for my sister and me when he returned?]

[Sometimes, there were other gifts too.]

[That makes sense.]

[But what kind of work could he be doing?]

[Working at another convenience store?]

[He’s still underage, though.]

[And how would working at a convenience store explain such a strong feminine perfume scent?]

[Unless…]

[Does he have a girlfriend?]

[But no girl changes her perfume every single week, do they?]

Upon closer reflection, the fact that Chen Ran’s perfume scent was different every week left Jiang Lengleng utterly perplexed.

While it was normal for girls to own multiple bottles of perfume, they typically used one for a period, or perhaps rotated a few.

They certainly didn’t switch after every single spray.

However, Jiang Lengleng had no way of knowing that for a major celebrity like Duanmu Hui, not only perfumes but even clothes were worn just once after purchase, then promptly discarded to her assistants.

Such was the nature of the entertainment industry.

Consequently, while big stars earned a lot, their expenses for maintaining such a lifestyle were equally substantial.

Yet, no matter how wild Jiang Lengleng’s imagination, she could never have conceived that Chen Ran, right beside her, was actually the boyfriend of a national idol celebrity.

Thus, she covertly glanced at the handsome face of the young man behind her, and… his somewhat weary eyes.

Jiang Lengleng, who excelled at observing details, immediately realized something!

[Could Chen Ran be dating girls for money?!]

[In other words… is he doing ‘mama huo’ (TL Note: A term that can refer to prostitution or being a kept man, often with older women)?]

[!!!]

Jiang Lengleng stared in disbelief, yet all the ‘clues’ pointed to her suspicion being correct.

How could Chen Ran… possibly do such a thing?

A faint frown creased her brow…

****

Chen Ran was startled when Jiang Lengleng abruptly stopped walking and turned to gaze at him.

“What’s wrong, Sister Lengleng?”

“…”

The young girl remained silent for a moment, then finally shook her head and resumed her brisk pace forward.

Chen Ran was utterly bewildered.

He couldn’t fathom what Jiang Lengleng was thinking.

****

Soon, they arrived at the convenience store.

From a distance, they could see Jiang Zilin, even in summer, clad in an oversized hoodie with the hood pulled over her head, her messy golden hair falling around her cheeks, hiding behind the counter with her head bowed.

She looked utterly afraid to make eye contact with anyone.

This was how the young woman always was when she worked at the store; she wouldn’t even dare to speak a word to customers.

Chen Ran had once seriously doubted how she managed to run the place at all.

Fortunately, the convenience store was located on the old street where the Jiang family had lived for over a decade, so most customers were familiar neighbors who knew Jiang Zilin’s situation well.

Consequently, there were usually no issues.

“Chen Ran! You’ve come to rescue your big sister! Hugs! And Lengleng, you get a hug too!”

“Time to close up and go home, Sister Zilin.”

He simply handed the small cake to her, hoping it would quiet her down.

As expected, the young woman’s attention was quickly captivated by the sweet cream cake.

Meanwhile, Chen Ran expertly began preparing to close the store, which involved checking inventory and shelves, and noting the types and quantities of goods that needed restocking.

Jiang Lengleng also ran over to help, but Chen Ran kindly reminded her.

“Go eat your cake first, or Sister Zilin will devour it all.”

“!!!”

She seemed to suddenly become alert.

Indeed, Jiang Zilin was already at the counter, unwrapping her purchased cake, ready to ‘replenish her sugar levels.’

Jiang Lengleng immediately rushed over and clutched her portion protectively to her chest.

The two sisters began a silent staring contest.

Chen Ran, long accustomed to this routine, simply continued his preparations to close the store in silence.

****

Approximately twenty minutes later.

Chen Ran locked the convenience store door.

Jiang Zilin, for her part, had already completely devoured her cream cake.

“Waaah, Chen Ran is mean! You bought Lengleng a cake but not your big sister! Waaah, waah, waah…”

The young woman dramatically fake-cried, all while keeping one eye fixed on the small cake her sister held in her arms.

Chen Ran was utterly speechless, yet faced with Jiang Zilin, who was tugging at his sleeve with a pitiful, wronged expression, he truly found himself at a loss.

Who could possibly refuse a big sister’s playful pestering?

“Alright, when we head back, let’s stop by Granny’s shop and pick up some osmanthus cakes.”

“Yay! I love Chen Ran the most!”

Having received a small concession, Jiang Zilin immediately brightened, pushing for more.

“Are we cycling back today? Big sister will sit behind and hold Chen Ran tight, *huff huff huff*!”

“No…”

A bicycle couldn’t possibly carry three people.

Chen Ran couldn’t help but glance at the silent Jiang Lengleng beside him, but Jiang Zilin merely hummed in protest.

“Lengleng can just ride her own bike, can’t she?”

“That won’t work either…”

Casting a look at Jiang Zilin’s imposing figure, which even her loose hoodie failed to conceal, Chen Ran desperately wanted to say, ‘You ‘fatso,’ even with two people, how could we possibly carry *you*?!’

Yet, after a moment’s consideration, he decided against it.

While Jiang Zilin wasn’t much of a fighter, with soft, yielding flesh all over, she certainly had a knack for being annoying.

He definitely didn’t want her deliberately bursting in to bother him while he was showering or sleeping at night.

In a way, she was truly capable of such a thing… no, she was absolutely capable of such a thing!

They were supposed to be sisters, so why was the elder sister like this?

Lengleng was much better, after all.

Chen Ran couldn’t help but think this to himself, utterly unaware that in the mind of the outwardly obedient Jiang Lengleng, he had already become someone who secretly went out every week to rendezvous with older married women, engaging in ‘mama huo’ (TL Note: A term that can refer to prostitution or being a kept man, often with older women).