Chapter 56: The Sweet Scent of Change

Su Mian jogged back to her dorm, feeling as though the car ride had been a form of torture.

The dorm room was empty in the early morning; Lu Yang and Qin Xuan had clearly already left for class. This allowed her taut nerves to relax a fraction.

At that moment, she had only one thought: to immediately take a shower and change out of these clothes, which seemed to still carry the crisp cedar scent from Xiao Moyuan’s car and… her own embarrassed perspiration.

Standing under the showerhead, the warm water cascaded over her body, yet it couldn’t wash away the churning, mortifying memories in her mind.

From the unbelievable sleepwalking incident where she climbed into his bed last night, to the shock of waking up in Xiao Moyuan’s arms this morning, and then to the agonizing two-plus hours in the car.

The strange sensation of the seatbelt rubbing against her, the uncontrollable sweet moans she had made, and finally, the noticeable wet stain on the seat… Each scene replayed in her mind like a slow-motion film, every frame making her toes curl and her cheeks burn with heat.

“This is simply… too mortifying to face anyone!” She covered her face, letting out a silent wail amidst the rushing water.

This brief experience, spanning just over ten hours, was more intense and packed with embarrassing moments than all her past eighteen years combined. For a fleeting moment, she even entertained the absurd thought of ‘just restarting life.’

As the water streamed over her skin, it also made her more acutely aware of the changes in her body.

She looked down, incredulous, at the noticeably fuller, enticingly curved swell of her chest. Her fingers trembled as they traced her waist and hips—the lines had indeed become softer and more fluid.

Even her hip bones seemed wider than before, outlining increasingly distinct feminine curves.

She turned off the water and walked to the mirror above the sink. The reflection staring back at her caused her to freeze instantly.

Her damp black hair clung to her cheeks, and water droplets slid down her fair, delicate skin, which was flushed pink from the bath.

Without the concealment of loose clothing, her exquisitely proportioned body was fully exposed: a full bosom, a slender waist, and rounded hips. She was a vibrant, graceful young woman, completely different from the gender-ambiguous self she remembered.

Su Mian’s face flushed scarlet, and her heart pounded uncontrollably.

These changes were happening too rapidly, unsettling her to her core.

“No… I must speed things up,” she murmured to herself, gazing into the mirror, her eyes gradually hardening with determination.

It seemed she had to quickly complete her ‘conquest’ of Xiao Moyuan, using her ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ identity to make him fall completely, in order to reverse this trend.

She issued a strict command to herself: she must win over Xiao Moyuan within this month!

Even if… even if it meant meeting him more often in female attire, or even… sacrificing some ‘charm.’

Regardless, she absolutely could not continue to stay at N University in her current increasingly feminine form.

After quickly drying herself and changing into clean, looser clothes, Su Mian exited the bathroom, her wet hair wrapped in a towel.

She had just picked up the hairdryer, intending to dry her hair quickly and rush to class, when the dorm room door clicked open.

It was Xia who entered.

Su Mian paused, instinctively stopping her movements, and asked with a hint of surprise, “Xia? Don’t you have classes this afternoon?”

She hadn’t expected Xia to return to the dorm at this hour.

Xia, too, was clearly unprepared to see Su Mian like this. His footsteps halted, and a fleeting, almost imperceptible glimmer of astonishment flickered in his light blue eyes.

At that moment, Su Mian wasn’t wearing her signature black-framed glasses. Her damp bangs were casually swept aside, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate features.

She tilted her head, hairdryer in hand, her face displaying the pure innocence of someone fresh from a bath, mingled with a touch of bewildered disturbance.

The hot shower had given her skin a healthy, rosy glow against its paleness. Her eyes were clear, her lips naturally rosy. This face alone was enough to make many meticulously made-up girls feel inferior.

“Mm,” Xia swiftly reined in his outward emotions, resuming his usual gentle demeanor, though his gaze lingered subtly on Su Mian. “No classes this afternoon.”

As he spoke, he subtly took a few steps closer.

In the air, that uniquely sweet and alluring scent of Su Mian seemed even more potent than before, constantly teasing his most primal vampiric appetite.

Moreover, he wondered if it was his imagination, but Su Mian’s figure seemed to possess an added touch of graceful charm.

“Oh, I still have class this afternoon. I need to dry my hair and leave,” Su Mian said, feeling a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny. She sped up her movements with the hairdryer, eager to depart quickly.

“Last night, why didn’t you return to the dorm?” Xia asked casually, his steps imperceptibly closing the distance until less than a meter separated them.

Su Mian’s heart tightened slightly. She found it incredibly difficult to speak about last night’s experience, let alone discuss it in depth with a roommate she barely knew.

She answered vaguely, “Uh… something came up last night. It wasn’t convenient to come back…”

“Were you with Xiao Moyuan?” Xia narrowed his eyes slightly. His tone remained calm, but a hint of coldness flashed deep within his gaze.

He had sensed Xiao Moyuan’s unusual attitude towards Su Mian since yesterday. After returning to the dorm last night, he learned from the enthusiastic Lu Yang that Su Mian and Xiao Moyuan were ostensibly ‘love rivals.’

However, Xiao Moyuan’s actions yesterday—those seemingly cold but actually possessive gestures, his deliberate efforts to keep himself and Su Mian separated.

How could that be treating a love rival?

It was clearly a declaration of ownership, protecting Su Mian as his own.

Xia could feel a kindred aura from Xiao Moyuan (referring to the dominant presence of a hunter and guardian), and the other party had clearly and keenly detected his ‘interest’ in Su Mian, reacting with strong repulsion.

“No!” Su Mian almost instinctively denied, her voice rising slightly out of guilt before quickly lowering. “I… I was with other friends…”

Subconsciously, she didn’t want to reveal too much to Xia.

Despite Xia appearing much more normal after their dinner that day, no longer making her uncomfortable as he initially had, for some reason, she could never fully relax around him as she did with Lu Yang and Qin Xuan. A faint, lingering sense of vigilance always remained in her heart.

“Mm…” Having lived for centuries, Xia’s ability to read people was already honed to perfection.

From Su Mian’s flickering eyes and unnatural pauses in her speech, he could almost certainly conclude she was lying. Last night, Su Mian must have been with Xiao Moyuan!

Moreover, seeing Su Mian’s slightly fatigued (he assumed for a certain reason) yet nourished and glowing state, it was likely something had transpired between them…

This realization instantly chilled Xia’s gaze.

The one-month deadline he had given Shen Zhixia last night seemed far too lenient.

He had to eliminate this troublesome Xiao Moyuan quickly!

As Xia drew closer, the distance between them became uncomfortably intimate, exceeding normal social boundaries.

Su Mian’s increasingly sweet fragrance permeated his nostrils, like the richest aged wine, intoxicating him and causing the beast named ‘desire’ in his heart to roar wildly.

Too fragrant… He truly wanted to taste this sweet cake, so close at hand, right now!

This thought spread like wildfire. A terrifying crimson flash streaked through Xia’s eyes, and a nearly insane, predatory greed began to uncontrollably surface on his handsome face. His sharp canines itched in his mouth, almost impossible to suppress…

“What are you doing?” Su Mian was startled by his increasing proximity and his strange, sniffing-like actions. She instinctively clutched the hairdryer and retreated several steps until her back hit the cold wardrobe, her face a mask of wariness and confusion.

Su Mian’s guarded voice was like a bucket of cold water, temporarily dousing Xia’s nearly uncontrollable impulse.

He abruptly took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging bloodlust deep within his heart, and swiftly reverted to his previous friendly and slightly apologetic smile, as if that momentary lapse had never occurred.

“Nothing,” he said naturally, even with a hint of embarrassment. “I just wanted to ask, what brand of shower gel do you use? It smells… quite nice.” He offered an impeccable excuse.

Su Mian eyed Xia suspiciously. His expression was composed and natural, no different from her usual gentle and polite half-blood roommate.

Could it be… that was her imagination again? But, Shen Zhixia had also mentioned she smelled good before…

She suppressed her doubts and pointed towards the bathroom: “Oh, the blue bottle on the far left in the bathroom is mine. You can check it out.”

She didn’t want to get entangled any further, only wishing to leave quickly. “Well… I’m going to class now!”

With that, as if fearing Xia would ask more strange questions, she didn’t even bother with her half-dried hair. She grabbed her books and practically fled the dorm, jogging quickly towards the academic building.

Watching Su Mian’s retreating figure disappear at the end of the corridor, carrying a distinct sense of distance, the perfect gentle mask on Xia’s face instantly shattered, replaced by a gloomy chill.

This little cake… her wariness towards him was even greater than towards that nominal ‘love rival,’ Xiao Moyuan…

That truly was… very, very displeasing.

He licked his somewhat dry lips, a faint red glow flickering in his eyes.

It seemed the plan needed some adjustments.

Xiao Moyuan had to be dealt with quickly, and as for Su Mian… he also needed to accelerate his pace of ‘tasting’ her.