Chapter 7 : Fake Smile

Ren Xiao approached the professor's office, the hefty keys held firmly in his grip. The corridor was unsettlingly quiet, except for the gentle scrape of his shoes against the gleaming floor. The atmosphere around him felt dense, as if it had been permeated with something both known and unknown. With each stride, the aroma of whiskey and rosewood intensified.

It lingered in the hallway, a sharp, rich scent that appeared to penetrate his very bones. His senses whirled uneasily, and the recognizable, intoxicating aroma of Professor Shen's pheromones sent an odd shiver along his spine. There was something inherent to it—something that caused his stomach to twist, that rendered his thoughts hazy and unfocused. It was simultaneously enticing and repulsive, a blend that fostered an uncomfortable tension crawling beneath his skin.

He halted, positioned just outside the professor's office door. From within, he detected the low murmur of a discussion—someone talking, but not directly addressing him. The voice was composed, steady, with a subtle authority that accelerated Ren Xiao's heartbeat, though he couldn't pinpoint why.

"I know, I know. . . I'll keep it a secret. Don't worry. "

The phrases floated in the air, heavy like a whispered assurance—or perhaps a menace. A secret? What could someone of Professor Shen's stature be concealing? Ren Xiao's thoughts raced, his curiosity transforming into a ravenous desire. Who was he conversing with? What was it that he was safeguarding? The inquiries spun in his mind, each one pulling at him more fiercely than the previous. He had never perceived Professor Shen as the kind to harbor secrets. Or perhaps he had just not been close enough to uncover what was hidden beneath the surface.

Ren Xiao remained there, immobile, the burden of his thoughts pressing on him. The hallway appeared to extend further, and the air felt denser, more suffocating. His stomach churned uncomfortably, a feeling that only intensified as he sought to dismiss the query that kept resonating in his mind. Why was he so driven to discover the answer? Why was it of such significance?

Before he could explore the spiraling thoughts more deeply, the sound of a phone line disconnecting jolted him from his reverie. The noise sliced through the tension, and Ren Xiao instinctively retreated a step, his breath hitching in his chest as the office door creaked open.

Professor Shen's figure appeared in the entrance, his features sharp and angular, a striking presence that filled the doorway. His dark eyes fixed on Ren Xiao's, and for a moment, the atmosphere seemed to shift, thickening around them. Ren Xiao's breath hitched in his throat, an inexplicable sensation creeping through him. Was it the professor's gaze that disturbed him? Or the aroma of whiskey and rosewood that lingered in the air, now enfolding his lungs? Something within him twisted, tugging at him in a manner he didn't entirely comprehend.

Professor Shen's lips formed a smile, one that appeared almost too rehearsed, too polished. It didn't reach his eyes. Ren Xiao noticed it instantly. The warmth that might have existed in his smile never truly touched his expression, leaving a cold, hollow sensation in the pit of Ren Xiao's stomach.

"Ah. . . Ren Xiao, correct? " Professor Shen's voice was composed, yet there was an undertone to it—something unspoken, something perilous. "Why are you just standing there? "

Ren Xiao blinked, briefly taken aback. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts, in the questions and the discomfort that seemed to settle in his bones. He shook himself mentally, casting aside the odd feelings, and returned the professor's gaze with a neutral expression. His face revealed none of the turmoil swirling within him.

"I came to give Professor Fen his keys," Ren Xiao stated coolly, his voice steady, but there was a tautness to it that revealed the tension he experienced. He could barely concentrate on the keys in his hand, suddenly acutely aware of how his fingers gripped them. The action felt mechanical, as if his body were striving to hold onto something real, something solid, to ground him in the midst of this peculiar, suffocating moment.

Professor Shen glanced at the keys, his gaze briefly diverted. He nodded absentmindedly, his attention already shifting elsewhere. But there was an air of indifference about him, as if the keys held little importance for him. The look he gave Ren Xiao was momentary, as if he had already dismissed him, yet Ren Xiao felt his presence in the room like a tangible weight.

The air between them thickened, charged with an unspoken understanding, something Ren Xiao couldn't quite articulate. He had never experienced this before, never felt so acutely aware of another person's presence. It wasn't solely the physical space they inhabited—it was how the professor's scent seemed to pervade the room, enveloping Ren Xiao like a blanket, suffocating and intoxicating all at once.

Without being aware of it, Ren Xiao held his breath. The realization arrived too late, but once he did, it felt as though a weight was lifted from his chest. His lungs ached for air, his body suddenly eager for freedom. He released a quiet gasp, his hands quaking as he let the keys fall onto the desk. The noise of metal striking the wood was overwhelming in the stillness that ensued.

Professor Shen's eyes flickered back to him, inscrutable. "Something else? " he inquired, his tone almost excessively polite, too detached, as if he were indulging a child who was unaware of the situation.

Ren Xiao was unable to respond. His thoughts were too muddled, too overwhelmed by the torrent of sensations engulfing his body. He couldn't pull his gaze away from the professor, from the artificial grin, from the mysterious presence that appeared to envelop him like a shroud. What was he concealing? What was he withholding from Ren Xiao?

It wasn't merely the mysteries that intrigued him—it was the façade. The smile that failed to reach the eyes. The fragrance that had an almost unnatural grip on him. The way Professor Shen seemed to possess all the answers, yet revealed nothing. It was overwhelming. Too alluring.

Ren Xiao sensed the intense urge to learn more, even as his logical mind urged him to retreat, to depart, to avoid getting entangled in whatever game Professor Shen was engaging in. However, his curiosity, that relentless, insatiable urge to discover the truth, propelled him onward.

He couldn't restrain himself. He yearned to discover what lay beneath that flawless smile, what secrets the professor kept hidden in the darkness. The longing was a sinister, perilous thing, but Ren Xiao couldn't suppress it. He couldn't resist the attraction. The more he fought it, the deeper he seemed to descend.

As he turned to exit, the questions still buzzing in his head, he couldn't dispel the sense that he had just crossed a boundary. He had entered into something larger, darker, something he wasn't sure he was prepared to confront. But it was irrelevant. He was already too entrenched.

And the most troubling aspect? He desired to plunge even deeper.