Chapter 6 — Unique Scent

Co Dien looked at her. The scarf wrapped around half of her face, leaving only her sparkling eyes, as if crushed by the streetlight hidden there.

“Beautiful.”

His voice was very light. As light as the sound of ginkgo leaves falling on the ground. Tham Niem suddenly felt her heart skip a beat. Snow started to fall. One flower. Two flowers. Then snow filled the sky. First snow of this year. Tham Niem raised his head. “It's snowing.” Snow fell on her eyelashes. Chill. She reached out to welcome him. Then she heard Co Dien calling her name.

“Contemplation.”

“Um?” She turned.

Co Dien bent down. His lips placed on her forehead. Very light. Like snowflakes touching skin. But ten thousand times warmer than snowflakes. Tham Niem stood still. All the snowflakes in the world stopped falling. Ginkgo leaves no longer fall. The street lights don't flicker anymore. Only her heartbeat was beating wildly. Co Dien stepped back a bit. He looked at her.

“Merry Christmas.”

His voice is very deep. It was so quiet that it seemed to disturb the falling snow from the tree branches.

“… Merry Christmas.” She heard her voice ring out. Tremble.

Then she stood on tiptoe. Kiss him on the lips. Not the forehead. It's the lips. Very light. Then she stepped back, her face as hot as fire.

“This is a gift in return.” She mumbled.

Co Dien bent down to look at her. Snow stuck to his eyelashes. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Hug very tightly. Chin buried in the crook of her neck. Tham Niem felt his breath. Blazing hot. Urgently. Completely different from the usual cold Co Dien.

“Why is your heart beating so fast?” She buried her face in his chest, mumbling.

“Yours beats even faster.”

“That's because you threatened me.”

“I'm not threatening you.”

“You kissed me.”

“You kiss first.”

“I said it was a return gift.”

“So this is an additional return gift.”

Co Dien bowed his head and kissed her forehead again. Then he let her go and took her hand.

“Let's go.”

“Where to?”

“Canteen.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Co Dien tilted his head to look at her. “Don't you like to eat braised pork?” Tham Niem was stunned. Then burst out laughing.

"Let's go eat braised pork on Christmas Eve? Can you be a little more romantic?"

“So what do you want to eat?”

“Anything is fine. Anyway, it's just restaurant food.”

Co Dien squeezed her hand. “Then braised pork meat.” He pulled her hand, walked across the ginkgo avenue, through the night snow, towards the restaurant. The more snow falls, the more it snows. Ginkgo branches and leaves were bent down by the snow. The whole school was immersed in white. Their footprints were printed on the snow, stretching parallel to each other. Very long, very long. Like it lasts forever. 4 The new semester started, Tham Niem did not come to find Co Dien. First day of not going. Neither did the second day. On the third day, Co Dien sent a text message. *[Why don't you go to the lab?]* Tham Niem looked at the screen. Her fingers typed then erased, erased then typed again. Finally left a message: *[A bit busy these days.]* The other side took a long time to reply. *[Okay.]* Just one word. Tham Niem placed the phone face down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Lam Vi's words came out when the two stood in front of the library door. *"Do you think he likes you? He just needs your scent to make medicine."* Lam Vi's tone was light, as if saying something obvious. *”In exchange for someone else having this smell, he will also follow her and smell it Stop. To him, you are nothing more than a bottle of anti-allergy spray."* At that time Tham Niem did not react. She held her book and walked past Lam Vi. But that sentence took root in her heart. Every time she went to the laboratory, she thought - Co Dien told her to come, because he wanted to see her, or because he wanted to observe her? Every time he came close to her, she thought - was he smelling her, or was he smelling her scent? She remembered that snowy Christmas night. Remembered the kiss he gave her. on my forehead. Remember his voice saying "Merry Christmas".