Standing Next To You-Chapter 306: Smells like lavender

Central Flower Park.

This was the famous garden, bigger than any park in the capital city. Many tourists who visited the Capital considered it a must-see destination. The park boasted 10,000 different kinds of flowers and plants, attracting tourists with its vast variety, while its expansive lawns and tall trees offered places for relaxation and dining.

Bei Sangyun arrived at Central Flower Park. Despite living in the capital for most of her life, she had never been here before. Amidst the bustling families, groups of teenagers, and couples strolling around, Bei Sangyun felt a bit overwhelmed.

The place seemed crowded, a setting Fei Chuan would typically avoid. So why was he here?

Bei Sangyun made her way to a bench and called Fei Chuan. She had been in a rush earlier and forgotten to ask where in Central Flower Park he was.

The call barely rang once before Fei Chuan answered.

"I’m near the entrance. Where are you?"

"...I..." There was a low mutter on the other end, drowned out by the laughter and chatter of a passing group of young people. Bei Sangyun couldn’t make out what Fei Chuan had said.

"Could you repeat that?" she asked once the noise had subsided.

"I’m at the...No. I’ll come to you. Just wait." Then he hung up.

Bei Sangyun put down the phone in confusion. Fei Chuan had been absent from school for two days, and she had assumed he was holed up at home with his laptop. She hadn’t expected him to be out visiting public places like this.

Was he...interested in flowers?

A loud commotion up ahead drew Bei Sangyun’s attention. A crowd had gathered not far away, murmuring excitedly.

"Wow! He’s so handsome!"

"Is he a celebrity?"

The crowd blocked her view, but she wasn’t particularly interested in celebrities unless one of them happened to be Fei Chuan.

"Excuse me, please let me through," she heard a familiar voice say amidst the crowd’s exclamations, but it was drowned out by the commotion.

Bei Sangyun recognized that voice. Startled, she stood up.

Fei Chuan was tall, his figure towering over the crowd, making him easily visible despite the crowd surrounding him.

She had forgotten that her Fei Chuan was more handsome than any celebrity. Naturally, in such crowded public places, Fei Chuan would attract immediate attention.

Bei Sangyun took a deep breath and plunged into the crowd.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!"

She pushed her way through, her slender arms exerting force to clear a path. After much struggle, she reached the center and caught sight of Fei Chuan’s jade-like hands, seizing one.

Fei Chuan was startled, looking down to find Bei Sangyun, who had appeared out of nowhere, holding his hand. "Bei Sangyun...."

"Let’s get out of here."

Fei Chuan nodded, gripping Bei Sangyun’s hand tightly and forging ahead. With his long legs and towering stature, he effortlessly parted the sea of people.

Bei Sangyun was dragged along behind Fei Chuan. The wind tousled her hair and the skirt of her uniform, while the spring breeze carried a sweet scent. The surrounding flowers seemed to bloom more vibrantly.

She glanced at the back of his head. Fei Chuan’s fluffy short hair danced in the wind, tiny droplets of sweat glistening at his nape.

His hairstyle seemed different than usual. It appeared as though he had styled it, unfortunately it had been tousled by the wind. He wore a smart suit with a shirt underneath, neither too formal nor too casual, yet undeniably fashionable.

Had he dressed up?

Was today an important day?

She tried to recall the past. But her memories of Fei Chuan’s whereabouts in their high school days were limited. At this moment in the past, she was receiving empty praises from her classmates for maintaining her rank, while Fei Chuan....remained silent and isolated.

A tug on her hand snapped Bei Sangyun out of her reverie.

"Can you still keep up?" Fei Chuan turned to her, there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead but there was a bright smile on his face.

Bei Sangyun was stunned by his smile. An image of an adult Fei Chuan smiling at her like this overlapped the current Fei Chuan she was seeing now.

There seemed to be a time when Fei Chuan also smiled at her like this.

But when was it?

"Are you tired?" Fei Chuan was about to slow down after not hearing a response from Bei Sangyun.

But Bei Sangyun suddenly sped up and smirked back at him.

"Who said I’m tired?"

Fei Chuan chuckled, adjusting his speed to match hers. They ran side by side, facing the wind, enveloped in the sweet fragrance of flowers.

Bei Sangyun glanced down at their tightly clasped hands.

In that moment, she felt young again. Like a regular teenager untouched by the harshness of life and death. Like any other teenager, she was experiencing the rush of falling in love and running against the wind with the boy she liked.

*****

The Central Flower Park felt endless. Despite running for what seemed like ages, they still hadn’t reached its end. All around them were trees, expanses of flowers, and vast lawns. As they ventured deeper, the crowds thinned.

The two paused to catch their breath. Bei Sangyun spotted a small bench and gestured for Fei Chuan to sit. It was just big enough for two small people, although they sat at the edge, their shoulders and elbows still touched.

The falling petals scattered around them, and the breeze carried the sweet smell of various flowers mixed with the familiar scent of lavender shampoo.

Fei Chuan glanced at the person beside him. Bei Sangyun was sweating a bit. A crystal bead formed on her forehead and slid down the side of her face. Fei Chuan watched it slowly glide along her cheek, as if he was bewitched.

Bei Sangyun felt his stare and turned to him. The bench was small to begin with, and her turning her face toward him brought them even closer.

"Running like this isn’t bad, right?" She broke the silence with a smile.

Fei Chuan stared at her, not answering.

Bei Sangyun blinked. Why was he staring so much? Was there something on her face?

She wiped her face and checked her hand; there was nothing on it but sweat. Was she sweating so much that it disgusted him?

Or... did she smell?

Bei Sangyun sneaked a sniff of herself but found no bad odor. She glanced up at Fei Chuan and saw him still staring at her, watching her every move with a dazed look.

This made Bei Sangyun a bit anxious and nervous for no reason.

"Hey, why are you staring at me so much? Did you finally realize I am pretty?"

Fei Chuan blinked. He then suddenly stood up and looked away. "...You sweat too much."

Bei Sangyun: "...." So it was really her sweat, huh.

Bei Sangyun coughed. "I don’t smell though."

"...You did."

Bei Sangyun: "..." That was a bit offending.

While Fei Chuan wasn’t looking, she turned around and smelled herself again.

She turned to Fei Chuan with narrowed eyes. "You are messing with me. I don’t smell. I just checked."

"You smell," Fei Chuan answered while still not looking at her.

"Hah. Should I prove it?" Bei Sangyun stood up. "Here, come here. Smell me!"

Bei Sangyun opened her arms and approached Fei Chuan. She was getting a bit annoyed now. Who wouldn’t be if someone—especially the person they liked—said they smelled? Bei Sangyun needed to set the record straight.

Fei Chuan backed away. "...I don’t mean you smell bad."

Bei Sangyun paused. "What do you mean then?"

"You..." Fei Chuan finally looked at her, his ears burning red. "...smell like lavender blooming in spring."

Bei Sangyun was taken aback.

Fei Chuan, embarrassed, coughed to cover his discomfort and changed the subject. "Anyway, did you rest enough?"

Bei Sangyun nodded dazedly, then perked up. "Did you just... compliment me?"

Fei Chuan frowned. "I didn’t."

"You just did. Did I smell good to you? So I smell like lavender in spring, huh?"

Fei Chuan: "...." He shouldn’t have said anything.