Li Peifeng really didn't expect the characteristics of the Nether Sea's Breath to be so magical.
It turns out that the holder can't smell the fragrance, only those around them can detect it. No wonder he couldn't figure it out after tinkering in the bedroom all afternoon.
Moreover, the power of this perfume is indeed great. When Li Peifeng was testing it in the bedroom, he didn't even apply it to himself, just accidentally touched a little with his hand and nose tip, and Wu Wenyue smelled it.
It seemed to have produced some subtle effects, temporarily unknown whether good or bad...
"Do you remember the first time we met?"
"Uh, four years ago?"
Li Peifeng tightened his pajamas cautiously: "I think it was in the school gym, right?"
Wu Wenyue sighed out of nowhere: "Yes, we were both going to use the squat rack for chest workouts that day, but there was only one piece of equipment, so we had to take turns, exchanging glances to understand each other. After finishing, we tacitly switched the weights to suit one another..."
"After working out, you invited me to eat together. I thought you were hitting on me."
Wu Wenyue laughed: "But we just had a simple meal and chatted a bit. I don't know why, but from our first encounter, I felt like we had known each other for a long time."
They haven't even had any alcohol, so why the nostalgia trip? Stop, leave the table!
Could this also be a characteristic of the Nether Sea's Breath?
Amid Li Peifeng's puzzlement, his phone rang, a WeChat voice call from someone labeled 'Junior Lu Jing'...
"Sorry... just a moment."
Li Peifeng gestured and answered the call in front of Wu Wenyue.
"Senior~"
Lu Jing's voice was syrupy sweet, almost deliberately so: "Will you be my boyfriend? I'll give you a hundred thousand a month! In two months, I'll buy you a Porsche! After marriage, no dowry, and I'll gift you ninety-nine million as a bridal gift!"
Li Peifeng chuckled silently: "Three days ago I gave you a chance, but you sent me a red envelope of thirty-eight yuan. Now, you're saying these things, what are you trying to do?"
"That's right."
Lu Jing giggled: "Just looking for some presence when idle, after all, there are so many fishes in your pond, what if you forget to bait me... Seriously, my trip to Yunzhou with Zihui has ended, we'll arrive at Yandu station in two hours, could you pick us up? We've got quite a lot of luggage, and the two of us can't manage."
"No, I'm busy, can't go."
Li Peifeng still wanted to continue testing the perfume effects with Wu Wenyue, so he decisively refused: "You'd better find someone else. Invite me to dinner when you return to school tomorrow, and I'll welcome you back."
"What? You want us to treat you for picking us up? I didn't hear the gold..."
"Sayōnara~"
Li Peifeng hung up the phone and nonchalantly continued eating: "Where were we? Our first meeting? Ah... go on!"
Wu Wenyue chuckled, unsurprised.
Since knowing him, Li has always been like this, his phone never leaves his hand, calls from women are constant, and even now, after hanging up, there were already seven or eight new WeChat messages flashing on the screen, presumably from other women flirting.
"Sometimes, I feel I should stay away from you."
"Hm? Why?"
Wu Wenyue sighed: "Because many junior sisters who have a good impression of me start to distance themselves as soon as they hear I know you."
"What did I do? They don't know me, but don't you?"
Li Peifeng explained: "We're at Beihua Normal University — it's a place where even a guy with three exes is considered dedicated. There are plenty of classmates with a more colorful love history than mine. My reputation became like this purely because of my outstanding looks, which made me a target for demonization."
Wu Wenyue sneered: "If I hadn't seen that half-used box of condoms while tidying up, I might have believed you just now."
"I told you, those were left by the previous tenant."
Such a lousy excuse wasn't even worth Wu Wenyue's response, so she continued eating. As she ate, she suddenly sighed: "What do you think is the purpose of life?"
"Huh?"
Li Peifeng was stunned, looking at the table full of delicious dishes, he pondered for a moment and sincerely said: "To enjoy a meal with four dishes and a soup every time!"
"I mean the ultimate goal of one's entire life, why do we live!"
"To enjoy a meal with four dishes and a soup every time!"
Without hesitation, Li Peifeng repeated, then suddenly looked serious: "You didn't poison the food, did you?!"
...
"First, the perfume holder cannot smell the fragrance."
"Second, the scent resembles citrus and the ocean."
"Third, (supposedly) slightly dissolves barriers with the perfume user, increases likability."
"Fourth, (supposedly) the perfume excites the central nervous system, causing effects similar to drinking alcohol when smelled. Dopamine secretion, happiness; loss of language function control, talkativeness; psychological dysfunction, mild excitement, courage, and unusual behavior; freeing from daily thought patterns..."
After the meal, Li Peifeng returned to his room, immediately sitting down at the computer to record the observed information and effects of the perfume.
In fact, so far, everything about Wu Wenyue's behavior and language was still within the realm of normal rationality.
Recalling past romances, discussing the meaning of life, deeply contemplating human nature... According to Li Peifeng's understanding of Wu Wenyue, she behaves this way during her period too.
It was just at the beginning where she exaggeratedly sniffed his hands twice.
But given their relationship, this wasn't overly excessive, and they'd even engaged in more intimate, brotherly physical interactions before. Like walking arm in arm in the streets, hugging and wrestling in the ring, massaging or stretching each other in the gym...
Overall, the changes Wu Wenyue exhibited were too mild, and Li Peifeng couldn't even be sure if they were perfume-induced or simply because she had just moved into a new home and was in high spirits.
"Ultimately, it's because I haven't truly applied the perfume, only got a little on me."
"But if the perfume's function is limited to this, it can't help me much, I still need to really test it!"
Li Peifeng touched the tiny bottle of the Nether Sea's Breath, pondered for a moment, and then unscrewed the cap.
He poured out a small amount, about the size of a soybean, and then rubbed it between his hands, evenly applying it behind his ears, on his chest, and on his wrists.
Strangely enough, the black and blue perfume turned transparent as soon as it touched the skin and was quickly absorbed by the body...
"Knock knock~"
"Come in!"
Li Peifeng was taken aback. He was about to leave the room and circle around Wu Wenyue to see her reaction, but unexpectedly, she came over herself, carrying a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.
"Not writing? Wanna chat?!"
Despite the suggestion in her tone, Wu Wenyue didn't wait for a response. She placed the two glasses on the table, sat on the bed, and started pouring the alcohol with a gurgling sound.
"Are you okay?"
Li Peifeng asked suspiciously, "Did you take this liquor from the cabinet? I remember you used to hate drinking."
"Suddenly felt like drinking. People change."
Wu Wenyue said casually, "Like how you said you wanted to pursue a PhD, but then you heard I wanted to do a PhD, and you changed your mind." Her gaze suddenly turned fierce. "Are you Sun Wukong, playing tricks with me?!"
"Uh, because there might really be some unexpected situations..."
Li Peifeng changed the subject, "How's my room? Not an unpleasant smell, right?"
"It's okay."
Wu Wenyue didn't seem to notice anything. She stood up, wandered around the room, paused at the window, looked at the newly risen moon, took a sip of her drink in the dim moonlight, and finally returned to his side.
"..."
Why did you react so much when I only put a tiny bit on, but now that it's actually applied, you're indifferent, not even smelling anything?
What's going on with this perfume?!
While Li Peifeng was puzzled, Wu Wenyue's initially confused eyes suddenly became determined for some reason. She leaned down, wrapped her arms around his neck, and declared decisively,
"I want you to pursue a PhD with me!"
"..."
The sudden physical contact startled Li Peifeng, but he remained outwardly calm, "Well, probably, maybe, possibly... I'll try my best!"
"You bastard!"
Wu Wenyue said angrily, "Why do you think I'm pursuing a PhD? Because I want to? Bullshit!"
"Four or five years, basically isolated from society, sitting in the lab every day reading papers, writing papers, revising again and again. Living on a modest stipend while being exploited by the advisor, it's painful, poor, and tedious... As a woman, I'd be almost thirty by the time I finish my PhD. Do you think I wanted this path? If it weren't for you saying you wanted to do it, I would never have told my advisor I wanted a PhD!"
"Now, I've told my advisor I want to pursue a PhD, he's agreed, and gotten approval from the leadership. And you want to ditch me now? Li Peifeng, you bastard!!"
"It's not..." Li Peifeng hadn't seriously considered that she would pursue a PhD because of him. Shocked, he was about to respond when Wu Wenyue continued forcefully,
"Let me make it clear to you, I did my master's largely because of you. Just doing a master's nearly caused me to lose all my hair, forcing me to cut it short. If I go for a PhD, it might just kill me. If you dare to leave me alone, I'm done with you!!"
Terrifying!!
Is this the effect of the perfume?
Li Peifeng took a sip of his drink to calm his nerves, but his throat was still a bit dry, "Why is it my fault you're doing a master's too? The way you're talking, it makes me question the pure and noble revolutionary friendship we have..."
"Friendship? Haha."
Wu Wenyue downed her glass in one go, poured another half glass, drank it again, and then slammed the glass down with a sudden chilly laugh.
"Wh-what's the matter?" Li Peifeng suddenly felt his hand trembling.
"Four years, in these four years how many times did you touch my thighs and butt pretending to stretch and massage? After the massage, you'd sit there, afraid to stand up, thinking I didn't notice your situation? Did you remember what pure and noble friendship meant at those times? You piece of shit!!"
"Originally, I started dating Xu Manning just to piss you off, to see your reaction, but... I felt like taking hormones to turn myself into a man, then lock you in and strip you of your mating rights!"
"?!"
Li Peifeng was dumbfounded.
Wu Wenyue muttered, "Living together is pretty good now, you can be a bit calmer, and whenever you bring one back, I kick one out, indirectly stripping you of your mating rights..."
"?!!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Come here!"
Wu Wenyue looked at him. Whether it was the alcohol or something else, her face visibly reddened, "Get closer."
"I won't!"
Frightened, Li Peifeng immediately leaned back, but Wu Wenyue suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning down with her breath quickening, a complex emotion visible deep in her eyes, tinged with a palpable hatred...
"Tell me, how did you kiss Xu Manning?"
"Calm down, you're drunk! Brother Yue, Master Wu, Dad, I was wrong."
"I'm really wrong. Whatever you're planning to do, please think twice before acting!!"
Li Peifeng truly regretted using Wu Wenyue as the test subject for the perfume, wondering whether it was the effect of the perfume or the buildup of her emotions over the years, or if indeed the former had induced the latter?
"Wrong answer!!"
Wu Wenyue smirked, parted her lips slightly, and leaned in for a bite...
Li Peifeng turned ashen, "No, no, no! You can't, you can't be naughty! We're just brothers! If you do this, you'll be struck by lightning! Ah~~"
(Testing phase, the data is crucial, please support in every way.)