Chapter 119: The Scent of Golden Osmanthus

Chapter 119: The Scent of Golden Osmanthus

As dawn broke, Zhou Yun awoke.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Guan Yuanfeng's striking features—his sharp eyebrows and the arm still tightly wrapped around his waist. Their skin pressed together, as if fulfilling a wish cherished across lifetimes, leaving him completely content.

He shifted slightly, realizing Guan Yuanfeng was pressed too close, making it impossible to rise without disturbing him.

As expected, Guan Yuanfeng opened his eyes and looked at him: "Awake? There's still half of yesterday's *pork knuckle soup* left in the fridge. How about *pork knuckle noodles* for breakfast?"

Zhou Yun moved his body, feeling the lingering laziness and relaxation still within him, completely unwilling to stir: "Hmm... no hurry, let's sleep a little more."

Guan Yuanfeng watched as Zhou Yun closed his eyes again, his eyelashes drooping, his pale lips looking exceptionally soft. His fingers seemed to have a mind of their own, naturally pressing against Zhou Yun's lips, his thumb gently rubbing the lip's center. He thought to himself: How strange, yesterday they were merely friends, but today they could already share such intimate and profound physical contact.

Unable to endure the teasing, Zhou Yun opened his mouth and gently bit Guan Yuanfeng's finger. With his eyes still closed, he reached out and grasped Guan Yuanfeng's wrist, a smile dancing on his lips: "Stop messing around, let me sleep a bit longer. We were up all night, aren't you tired?"

However, Guan Yuanfeng only caught a glimpse of Zhou Yun's soft, moist tongue flickering between his teeth, his mind wandering, involuntarily recalling the fleeting moments from the night before. His hand instinctively slid down to Zhou Yun's waist, drawing him closer. He lay still, no longer teasing, but his gaze remained locked on Zhou Yun's face.

Zhou Yun opened his eyes and saw Guan Yuanfeng looking at him as if deep in thought. He asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Guan Yuanfeng's expression was calm, a smile on his face as he looked at him: "I was thinking, when..."

Zhou Yun interjected: "Karmic bonds from past lives, love at first sight."

Guan Yuanfeng, not catching on, continued with his train of thought: "When to meet General Luo."

Zhou Yun: "..."

Guan Yuanfeng instantly realized what had happened and turned to Zhou Yun: "What did you just say?"

Zhou Yun, realizing his mistake, felt his ears flush with embarrassment. He swiftly threw off the covers and got out of bed: "I'm going to take a shower."

Guan Yuanfeng lay in bed, observing Zhou Yun's smooth, graceful figure in the dim morning light, his skin gleaming with a jade-like radiance, brimming with vitality.

He recalled the eight words he had just heard, the overwhelming joy and surprise with no outlet, clouding his thoughts.

The sound of water running came from the bathroom.

Guan Yuanfeng imagined the water flowing over Zhou Yun's body, like lotus petals quivering in the rain.

He got up and followed him in, and soon the two were kissing again in the bathroom.

Guan Yuanfeng finally got his wish, seeing the rain-drenched lotus buds, heavy and full, suspended in the downpour, plump and glistening, tender and luminous.

Pressed against the smooth tile wall, Zhou Yun panted, turning his head to kiss Guan Yuanfeng.

A piece of ice was slipped into Guan Yuanfeng's mouth, his tongue momentarily frozen. He was clearly startled, but Zhou Yun sealed his lips tightly with his own.

Their tongues entwined and savored the ice, the water from the showerhead above soaking them. Underneath the wet, short hair, Zhou Yun's damp eyelashes framed his eyes, which shimmered with a watery glow, exceptionally beautiful.

The ice quickly melted, but the cold sensation only fueled more passion.

Finally, they left the bathroom, and Guan Yuanfeng prepared *pork knuckle noodles* for breakfast.

As they sat across from each other eating breakfast, the sun had fully risen outside, bright and glaring.

Zhou Yun glanced at the sun and frowned. A few days ago, there had been rain and frost, making it cooler, but now it seemed to be heating up again. The weather was strange, and it seemed that winter would be delayed this year.

In his past life, he had already been at Sanchu Base by this time, where winter arrived early. He had no idea what the weather was like in Danlin City.

He set aside the empty bowl and asked Guan Yuanfeng, "Don’t you need to go to the camp today?"

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "No, I took a day off to accompany you."

Zhou Yun said, "But I need to write my thesis."

Guan Yuanfeng responded, "I’ll stay with you."

Seeing how clingy Guan Yuanfeng was, Zhou Yun found it amusing. He fetched the book *A Theory of Justice* from the shelf and handed it to him, saying, "Here, read this. Since you’re free, you might as well keep busy. If you get bored, you can go for a walk downstairs."

When Guan Yuanfeng looked at Zhou Yun smiling, his eyes sparkled like the clearest autumn water, and he thought to himself that he would never tire of watching him for a day.

After tidying up the dining table, Zhou Yun focused intently on writing his thesis in the study. Guan Yuanfeng sat on the green corduroy sofa from yesterday, holding the book. As he touched the armrest, his thoughts wandered a bit, but he eventually calmed down and genuinely started reading the book.

By noon, Zhou Yun was still deeply engrossed in his writing. Guan Yuanfeng made him egg fried rice, skillfully tossing in shrimp and corn. Zhou Yun, pleased, finished his meal and returned to his thesis.

Guan Yuanfeng then went downstairs to Yao Lao’s house to bring Comet back. Yao Lao, being elderly and prone to fatigue, was about to take a nap and was delighted to see Guan Yuanfeng taking the energetic Comet away. "Why are you here? Where’s Zhou Yun?" Yao Lao asked.

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "...He’s writing his thesis."

Yao Huan laughed and waved him off, letting him take Comet.

Guan Yuanfeng took Comet for a walk around the residential area and noticed that some of the fruits on the trees they planted in spring were ripe but still unharvested.

There weren’t many, scattered sporadically, but the variety of fruits in the entire residential area was quite diverse, adding up to a decent amount. Some had already ripened and fallen to the ground. The residents of the city lord’s mansion were few and mostly preoccupied with city-construction tasks, coming and going early and late, so they hadn’t paid attention to these details.

Guan Yuanfeng decided to collect the ripe fruits in a basket and took them back to the villa. There, he saw Zhou Yun, who had just come down from the 30th floor, beaming with energy. "I finished it! I sent it to my professor for review!"

Guan Yuanfeng was genuinely happy for him. "That’s great. Now you can rest."

Zhou Yun smiled and looked at the basket of fruits Guan Yuanfeng had brought back. "Some of the fruits that weren’t ripe before are now fully ripe. Should we take them to the military camp?"

Guan Yuanfeng said, "There’s not enough to share. It’s better to give them to the staff at the command center as a token of appreciation."

Zhou Yun replied, "These are tree-ripened fruit, and they taste great. I’ll make a licorice plum fruit medley."

With his usual efficiency, Zhou Yun quickly found licorice slices from the medicine cabinet to brew licorice water. He added crushed preserved sour plums and sugar, then instructed Guan Yuanfeng to dig up some galangal by the lake.

Guan Yuanfeng was taken aback. "I thought you planted those white spike-like flowers by the lake just for decoration?" He had seen the fragrant galangal flowers before.

Zhou Yun explained, "This galangal is useful. Its extract, galangin, is an ingredient in cooling ointments and balms. It also adds a unique flavor to dishes, and the flowers are beautiful."

Guan Yuanfeng thought to himself that, in Zhou Yun’s view, anything edible, ornamental, and medicinal was a good thing.

He dug up a few galangal roots. "They look a bit like sand ginger."

Zhou Yun said, "They taste different. I also grow sand ginger on the hillside. I’ll prepare some salt-baked chicken for you later."

Seeing Zhou Yun regain his usual vitality, Guan Yuanfeng felt a surge of happiness. The listlessness from a few days ago was gone, and Zhou Yun was now fully focused on cooking. "Make a few more chickens so the professor can try them too," Guan Yuanfeng suggested.

Zhou Yun laughed. "The professor won’t like it."

They squeezed the juice from the galangal and mixed it with the previously brewed licorice and plum water, adding some dried orange peel powder. They then tossed in diced pineapple, peach, watermelon, wax apple, and other fruits, placing the mixture in a glass container and refrigerating it.

Seeing that there were still plenty of fruits left, Zhou Yun got an idea. "I heard from Qin Mu that there’s a night market near the residential area, but it’s not very lively yet. Why don’t we make more and sell it at the night market tonight?"

Guan Yuanfeng was at a loss for words.

===

Ultimately, Qin Sheng, Hua Rou, Jiang Dan, Zhao Yi, and a few neighborhood kids set up a stall at the night market to sell the fruit medley, getting a taste of the outside world.

The night market was set up on a street near the residential area, which used to be the old town of Danlin City. The roadside trees were osmanthus trees, but many had perished due to drought, typhoons, and pest infestations after the end of the world.

However, during the recent renovation of the residential area, they discovered a mutated osmanthus tree among the surviving ones and decided to preserve it. They also transplanted some other osmanthus trees from elsewhere and named the street Golden Osmanthus Road.

All the roads in Guixu City are named after various plants.

In late autumn, the golden osmanthus is in full bloom. The surviving mutated osmanthus tree, nourished by the Psychic abilities of the Planters' Guild, is covered in golden flowers, filling the entire street with the unique, sweet fragrance of osmanthus.

Zhou Yun stood under the tree, looking at the golden flower petals scattered on the ground, feeling somewhat regretful: "Let's collect some tomorrow and dry them to make osmanthus cakes."

Guan Yuanfeng stood beside him: "I'll have someone collect them." His eyes, however, were sharp and alert, scanning the surrounding crowd.

Zhou Yun took a deep breath. Amid the strong scent of osmanthus, a familiar, overpowering aroma cut through the street, boldly announcing its presence.

Zhou Yun: "...It smells like stinky tofu."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "There was a stinky tofu stall over there when we came by earlier."

Zhou Yun's eyes lit up: "I haven't had it in years. I'll grab some."

Guan Yuanfeng sighed: "I'll go. You wait here."

Zhou Yun added, "Add sesame and garlic chili sauce." He suddenly remembered something and took out a few copper credit coins from his pocket: "Wait, they recently issued Guixu Base's credit coins. Take these."

Guan Yuanfeng hadn't noticed this before and picked them up to examine: "Didn't the Alliance standardize the credit system?"

Zhou Yun teased, "You've been stuck in Central Base too long, haven't you? Now, all major bases mint their own credit coins, promising they can be exchanged for Alliance credits at any time—most ordinary people settle in one base and rarely move to others, so the local credit coins are still the mainstream."

Guan Yuanfeng pondered this.

Zhou Yun smiled: "The Alliance wants to unify things, but it's not that easy."

Guan Yuanfeng nodded, left the Comet behind, and strode toward the stinky tofu stall.

Zhou Yun watched as the crowd on Golden Osmanthus Road began to swell. Not far away, Qin Sheng and Hua Rou's fruit salad stall, operated with a few kids, also started attracting customers, mostly families with children who stopped by, drawn by the clean, hygienic, and healthy appearance.

A woman with three children stood there, ordering a large fruit salad for the kids to share. She asked Qin Sheng with some hope, "Excuse me... were you the guitarist at the tavern opening the other day?"

Qin Sheng, who was rolling up his sleeves and deftly cutting peaches, grinned: "Yeah! Need an autograph? Hold on, let me grab a pen..."

The woman looked a bit embarrassed: "No, I wanted to ask if your band is still recruiting. My name is Yuan Lan, I graduated from Central Base Music Academy, with a Level 10 violin certificate and a teaching license."

Qin Sheng was surprised: "Ah? The band? With your qualifications, shouldn't you be able to get a teaching position at the base?"

Yuan Lan looked awkward: "I've already started working at the base's elementary school, but with three kids, the financial strain is heavy, so I'm looking for a part-time job. The tasks at the mission center are mostly fixed, with no flexible part-time options."

Most tasks require going out of the city to gather resources, and opportunities like tutoring or performances have disappeared.

Even if she played the violin on the street, people barely scraping by might not spare a coin for her.

Qin Sheng explained, "But our band isn't a commercial one. We just play for fun. That day we were just warming up for a friend's shop. We don't get paid."

Yuan Lan looked disappointed: "I see. Thank you anyway."

Hua Rou, standing next to Qin Sheng, noticed the woman's simple clothes and the kids' ill-fitting but clean outfits, clearly indicating financial difficulties. She must have spent money on the fruit salad just to strike up a conversation about a job. Hua Rou took out a notepad and pen from the side and handed it to her: "Why don't you leave your contact information? If we come across any suitable part-time opportunities, we'll let you know."

Yuan Lan was very grateful: "Thank you so much." She took the notepad, wrote down her name and the base's landline number, and handed it back to Hua Rou.

Hua Rou took a handful of homemade goat milk peanut candies from her handbag and gave them to the kids: "Here, take these. Auntie made them herself." She often played with kids and was used to carrying candies with her.

The three kids were very well-behaved: "Thank you, sister!"

Hua Rou was charmed and beamed with a smile.

Yuan Lan felt a bit ashamed: "Thank you."

She left with her children, blissfully unaware of the adults' struggles, still happily sharing the milk candies.

Zhou Yun stood aside, feeling somewhat emotional, when he saw Guan Yuanfeng approaching with a lotus leaf-wrapped stinky tofu: "Eat it while it's hot, it doesn't taste good when it's cold."

The black stinky tofu was topped with a bright red garlic chili sauce and skewered with several sticks, its flavor bold and assertive.

Zhou Yun skewered a piece, took a bite, and discovered the stinky tofu's soft, hollow interior and crispy, aromatic crust, evoking the familiar taste he remembered.

He fed a piece to Guan Yuanfeng, who took a bite and frowned tightly.

Zhou Yun held back his laughter as he watched Guan Yuanfeng finish that piece: "Is it good?"

Guan Yuanfeng tactfully replied, "Not as good as yours."

Zhou Yun laughed: "Back in college, the alley behind the dormitory was full of these snack stalls. I used to see couples buying stinky tofu and feeding each other every day." He felt a twinge of envy, though his pride at the time made him dismiss those couples as overly sentimental.

He glanced at the night market street, now bustling with more people, where many elderly people were walking with their children, but few were spending money. Some only bought a couple of cheap grilled mushrooms, leeks, or potato slices. The once-common grilled sausages, stinky tofu, chicken wings, and fruit salads had now turned into unattainable luxuries.

Only the innocent children wore smiles, while the adults walked hurriedly, burdened with worries, their faces mostly numb and indifferent.

Bound by their struggles and hardships, they came to the base to familiarize themselves, scouring the night market for work and a means to survive: "I hope we'll see such vibrant times again someday."

Guan Yuanfeng assured him, "There will be."