Chapter 6: The Stunning Mentor

Xu Wei grinned and said, “What can I say? Your pills are just too good. My buddies are willing to pay a high price for them. How about this?” He raised five fingers.

Lu Qiwen chuckled and tossed a bottle to Xu Wei. “I’m short on cash lately. Otherwise, I wouldn’t give you so many, no matter what.”

Xu Wei held the porcelain bottle like it was a treasure and immediately handed over 50,000 yuan in cash, smiling. “Thanks, brother. I’ll make sure you never lose out.”

Watching Xu Wei run off, Lu Qiwen stuffed the thick wad of cash into his backpack and shook his head as he walked out of the campus.

Selling pills wasn’t new to Lu Qiwen. The simplest pills only required herbs from a pharmacy to refine. Initially, he sold pills for minor ailments like colds and headaches, but they didn’t sell well. Frustrated, he began making Shuiyun Pills, a mild aphrodisiac that also boosted kidney health. To his surprise, they became a hit, earning him the nickname “Aphrodisiac Merchant” among his friends.

Just when he was short on cash, Xu Wei came through with 50,000 yuan. Smiling, Lu Qiwen walked while pondering whether to refine a stronger batch of aphrodisiacs. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Lu Qiwen bumped into something soft. His hand instinctively pressed against a soft, raised area, and a faint feminine fragrance filled the air.

Subconsciously, he gave it a slight squeeze. It was soft and smooth, like holding a piece of fine jade.

A sharp gasp sounded in his ear, followed by a hard slap on his hand.

Snapping back to reality, Lu Qiwen looked up to see a face filled with both anger and embarrassment. Her bare face was flushed red, and her eyes were full of indignation.

“Teacher Liu!”

Seeing the furious woman, Lu Qiwen was startled. Noticing the crumpled spot on her white blouse where his hand had been, he realized what he had done and quickly apologized, “Teacher Liu, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize it was you.”

Liu Suyan, a graduate-turned-teacher at the school, had spotted her junior, Lu Qiwen, walking with a silly grin and decided to tease him. She hadn’t expected him to walk straight into her, and worse, his hand had grabbed her chest.

A strange sensation spread through Liu Suyan’s body from her chest. Furious, she retorted, “If it wasn’t me, who else could it be? Who did you think it was?”

As soon as she said it, Liu Suyan realized her tone was off. She had intended to scold him harshly, but her words came out sounding almost coquettish.

Although Lu Qiwen wasn’t clueless about emotions, he wasn’t sharp enough to catch the nuance in her tone. He kept apologizing profusely.

Liu Suyan’s eyes flashed with embarrassment. She glared at him and extended her hand. “Hand it over.”

Lu Qiwen was confused. “What?”

“Beauty Pill,” Liu Suyan said, her lips curving slightly.

Reluctantly, Lu Qiwen handed over a small bottle. “Only one pill,” he said. “And you have to treat me to a meal in return.”

Liu Suyan’s lips curled into a sly smile. She pointed to the crumpled spot on her blouse, her eyes full of mischief.

Glancing at her chest, Lu Qiwen knew he was in the wrong. He sighed and handed over another pill, muttering, “Seriously, it was just a touch. This is too expensive. Two pills for one touch? That’s like 10,000 yuan per pill.”

Before he could finish, Liu Suyan stomped on his foot. Her face was red, her lips trembling with anger. “You little brat! You dare complain after taking advantage of me? I’ll stomp you to death!”

Seeing her flustered and angry expression, Lu Qiwen couldn’t help but grin. In front of her, he raised the hand that had touched her chest, pretending to savor the memory. “Mmm, so soft.”

“You little brat! Stop right there!” Liu Suyan shouted, her voice filled with both anger and embarrassment.

Wearing a light green skirt, Liu Suyan couldn’t catch up to the laughing Lu Qiwen. She stomped her foot in frustration, glaring at his retreating figure.

Looking down at the faint handprint on her white blouse, Liu Suyan’s face turned even redder. She muttered, “Lu Qiwen, just wait. Next time, I’ll make you pay.”

Despite her harsh words, her eyes were filled with both laughter and shyness.

Unaware of her thoughts, Lu Qiwen walked away, still grinning. He couldn’t deny that he had feelings for Liu Suyan. At 23, she was in the prime of her life. Although he was attracted to her, he had always kept his interactions with her respectful. Their monthly meetings, where he gave her a Beauty Pill in exchange for a meal, had brought them closer over the years.

Still feeling like he was on cloud nine, Lu Qiwen left the campus. A gentle breeze brought him back to reality.

With the Beauty Pills as his bridge, Lu Qiwen believed that one day, he and Liu Suyan would have a perfect ending. The bond they had built over the past few years gave him confidence to ignore any other man who might come into her life.

In high spirits, having both touched the woman he admired and earned a decent sum of money, Lu Qiwen headed to the market for a shopping spree.

He bought a large pile of groceries and household items, pushing a shopping cart through the aisles. But something still felt missing.

When he reached the clothing section, the colorful clothes reminded him that there was a woman at home. He Xuan didn’t have any spare clothes, and the ones she wore were cheap street market finds.

Moved by the thought, Lu Qiwen pushed his cart into the women’s clothing section for the first time.

The vibrant array of clothes made him stand out. A man in the women’s section wasn’t too unusual, but pushing a shopping cart made him the center of attention. Many women glanced curiously at him.