393: Chapter 393 The wind stopped at the tip of my nose, bringing with it your familiar scent.

Although Jiang You did not recognize who she was, the posture they were currently in instantly maxed out the ambiguous atmosphere on the street.

Qin Zhuo was held securely in Jiang You's arms, feeling the strength of his embrace and the steady rhythm of his Heart beating against her chest.

She slowly opened her large, watery eyes and tilted her head up slightly.

On her stunning face, she perfectly displayed a touch of fragile vulnerability from the fright, mixed with the gratitude of someone who had just escaped a disaster.

She gazed at Jiang You from such a close distance, her eyes filled with affection.

A gentle autumn breeze blew past. The leaves by the roadside rustled with a soft, "swishing" sound.

Golden sunlight filtered through the gaps in the canopy, casting down upon them as if coating them with a cinematic filter.

The wind picked up. A few strands of Qin Zhuo's soft, black hair were lifted by the breeze, like playful sprites, gently brushing against the tip of Jiang You's nose.

This scene, this composition, this lighting! Even if it were used as the finale poster for the most popular campus idol drama on the market, it wouldn't look out of place at all!

Qin Zhuo looked at Jiang You so close before her, feeling his focused gaze, and her Heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

"He... he keeps staring at me. Has he been conquered by my charm?" Qin Zhuo thought to herself, feeling secretly smug.

Although she had deigned to act out such a cliché scene, it seemed the effect was surprisingly good! Surely, he wouldn't be able to resist complimenting her looks or asking for her name next, right?

Just as Qin Zhuo had already prepared her next line, Jiang You's nose was tickled by those strands of hair. He subconsciously twitched his nose and took a deep breath.

"Hmm..." Jiang You's eyes suddenly lit up, and the confusion in them vanished in an instant.

He looked at the affectionate Qin Zhuo in his arms, his Adam's apple bobbing. With a tone of surprise and admiration, as if he had discovered a new continent, he exclaimed from the bottom of his Heart: "Smells good!"

Upon hearing these two words, Qin Zhuo's pretty face flushed bright red, and her Heart raced like a startled deer.

This blockhead, was he really that direct? Still... at least he had good taste.

However, before the shy smile on Qin Zhuo's lips could fully bloom, Jiang You had already excitedly finished his sentence: "This cool mint scent mixed with a faint fragrance of sea salt..."

"It can't be wrong! This is definitely the scent of 'Sea Silk' Men's Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, the oil-control and refreshing version!"

Jiang You looked at Qin Zhuo with the fanatical gaze of someone who had just met a soulmate and exclaimed in praise: "Classmate, you have great taste! To think you use the exact same brand and scent of shampoo as me! These days, not many people understand the true value of this shampoo; the oil-control effect is simply top-notch!"

As Jiang You's mudslide-like exclamation landed, the beautiful, peak-idol-drama atmosphere on the sidewalk was like glass shattered by a heavy hammer, broken into pieces that didn't even leave a trace.

The shyness and smile on Qin Zhuo's face froze instantly. Her eye twitched violently, and her red lips trembled slightly as she stared at the straight man before her, who had "shampoo is so good" written all over his face.

At this moment, the most dazzling Divine Phoenix genius of the Great Xia's younger generation felt her blood pressure skyrocketing at a speed that could blow the top of her head off!

Qin Zhuo gritted her back teeth, the sound clicking audibly, while her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into tight fists, her nails digging almost into her flesh.

As the top student of Imperial Capital University, she had spent two hours before leaving the house applying a "no-makeup" makeup look, spraying "killer" perfume, and even specifically changed into this pure and invincible pleated school skirt! Yet, in the mouth of this dead-fish-eyed guy, all her charm bonuses had actually lost to a bottle of anti-dandruff shampoo?!

Under normal circumstances, Qin Zhuo would have long since crushed his head and thrown in a complimentary Divine Phoenix Fire cremation service. But not today!

"Calm down... Qin Zhuo, you must stay calm!" she frantically coached herself in her mind. "This guy is just a pure-bred straight man who doesn't understand romance! The mission Dean Xia assigned isn't finished yet. If I flip out now, won't I have been held for nothing today?"

"A straight man, huh? Don't understand romance, huh?" Qin Zhuo took a deep breath, forcibly swallowing the Divine Phoenix Fire that had surged into her throat.

"Then don't blame me for being rough! Today, I'm going to have you, this blockhead, wrapped around my finger!"

Having made up her mind, Qin Zhuo, well-versed in the art of changing faces, instantly transformed. Her beautiful phoenix eyes, which had been on the verge of breathing fire, were instantly veiled in a mist of tears. With a flutter of her lashes, she projected a mix of three parts lingering fear, three parts shyness, and four parts innocence.

"Thank you, classmate!" Qin Zhuo tilted her head up slightly, a strand of hair falling perfectly against her cheek.

She spoke slowly, her voice so sweet it was almost syrupy—gentle, pleasant, and carrying a hint of a slight tremor from the fright. "It's a good thing you saved me just now. Otherwise... otherwise, if I had rushed down that slope, I would have been in real danger."

This soft, sweet voice drifted into his ears, and Jiang You couldn't help but freeze. Such a familiar voice! Not only was her face familiar, but it seemed he had heard this voice somewhere before!

Jiang You frowned slightly, and the processor in his brain, which was usually in standby mode, began to struggle into gear. But... no matter how he searched his memory, he just couldn't put a name to the face.

It was no wonder Jiang You couldn't recall. After all, the previous times Qin Zhuo had interacted with him, she had either been roaring with murderous intent while wearing a mask, or rampaging through a secret realm as a Fire Phoenix. She was practically a humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex!

And now, this soft, fragrant, little girl in his arms who spoke like cotton candy—how could she possibly be linked to that harpy?

"An illusion, it must be an illusion." "Maybe pretty girls all have somewhat similar voices." Jiang You quickly gave up on the thought; his lazy, slacker instincts made him unwilling to delve any deeper.

He cleared his throat, adopted his most impeccable "old cadre" demeanor, and replied with righteous dignity: "It's no problem, classmate." "It was just a small favor. Helping others has always been a virtue I uphold!"

In a normal scenario, the girl should have thanked him, and then they would go their separate ways. However, Qin Zhuo didn't take the hint. Instead, she took the opportunity to wrap her fair arms around Jiang You's neck.

A perfect blush spread across her stunning face, making her look like a ripe peach.

Qin Zhuo bit her moist lower lip. With a tone that was almost a whisper, yet carried a touch of playfulness, she chuckled, her breath brushing against Jiang You's ear like an orchid: "Since it was just a small favor..." "Then why... haven't you put me down yet?" "Is it that... you don't want to let go?"

Boom!!! When those words came out, the destructive power was comparable to a miniature nuclear bomb! Jiang You's Heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and it skipped a beat.

He looked down. Holy crap! One of his hands was still wrapped around her slender waist, while the other was supporting the back of her knees! Through the thin fabric of her school uniform, that stunning softness and incredible warmth were being transmitted directly into his palms. He had been so focused on analyzing the shampoo that he hadn't realized how inappropriate their current position was!