Chapter 155

Chapter 155 - 155 149 Xie Shang makes a move helping Changling get Chapter 155: 149: Xie Shang makes a move, helping Changling get revenge Chapter 155: 149: Xie Shang makes a move, helping Changling get revenge Pamdow, Pang’s.

It was a domestic brand founded by Pang Minde, starting in the textile industry and having developed to this day, it possesses product lines in clothing, accessories, and fragrance cosmetics/skincare products.

On the third Sunday of this month, Pamdow held a fragrance testing event at the Expo Center.

The event received rave reviews online.

[I recommend Orange Beauty! A floral fragrance, with a base note of Sicilian oranges, suitable for girls of all ages.]

[Honest review: Aside from Orange Beauty, the other fragrances are very similar to the autumn releases of last year. Mediocre, no significant breakthroughs. Only recommend Orange Beauty.]

[Orange Beauty really hits the spot for me.]

[Orange Beauty!!! Everyone, go for it.]

[Pamdow has finally made a name for themselves with a fragrance that can compete.]

[This fragrance trial seems too rushed, isn’t it because they saw Noon Ferry’s new product is about to launch and wanted to hype themselves up first?]

[I’ve never bought Noon Ferry products; they’re too expensive.]

[I’m poor, so I’m only fit for Pamdow. When will the new fragrance be available?]

Official response: Very soon, it will be on the market as soon as the packaging is confirmed.

Noon Ferry and Pamdow are competitors, but their customer bases differ. To put it plainly, Noon Ferry is pricier.

While the competition was busy hyping up their new product, Xie Shang was at home teaching Wen Changling how to make scented candles.

“The wax melting pot is very hot, be careful when stirring, don’t get burned.”

“Okay,” Wen Changling said, holding the mixing spoon and stirring the wax oil clockwise.

Xie Shang’s phone rang.

“I’m going out to take a call.”

“Okay.”

Wen Changling focused on the wax oil, stirring intently.

Xie Shang was still worried about her getting burned and handed over the gloves, “Better put these on.”

Wen Changling put on the gloves.

Xie Shang felt at ease and stepped out, positioning himself in the yard where he could see Wen Changling in the tea room.

The call was from He Dongzhou.

“I went to Pamdow’s fragrance testing last night. Their main push, Orange Beauty, smells nearly identical to our Lishan,” he said.

Xie Shang replied, “I know.”

“You know?” He Dongzhou immediately understood, “Did you do it on purpose?”

“Yes.”

The security system in the R&D department was something He Dongzhou had spent a lot of money on. If the formula hadn’t been leaked on purpose, it would not have been so easily stolen.

He Dongzhou didn’t know what Xie Shang was up to, “When did you start planning this?”

The main business of the Pang Family was exactly Xie Shang’s expertise. From the moment he knew Wen Changling’s next target was Pang Shifang, the hunting game had begun.

“Dongzhou, this plan involves my personal matters. If it causes economic losses to Noon Ferry, I will take responsibility for it personally.”

It wasn’t about the money.

He Dongzhou asked, “Does it have to do with personal matters concerning Wen Changling?”

“Yes.”

“Then do as you see fit; don’t worry about me.”

He Dongzhou knew Xie Shang very well. He wouldn’t make a losing deal.

After finishing the call with He Dongzhou, Xie Shang took another call.

The person on the other end said, “Miss Pang has already started to take action.”

“Give her a push at the right time.”

Wen Changling met the third Miss Pang at the music festival that night.

Xie Shang knew about it.

He returned to the tea room to find the soy wax had finished melting. Wen Changling was using a thermometer to check the temperature.

She took everything she did very seriously, very professional in her approach.

When Xie Shang approached, she immediately asked, “Do I really have to wait until it’s eighty degrees before adding the essential oil?”

She had already prepared the essential oil, choosing the scent of cedarwood.

Xie Shang stood behind her, holding her hand with the thermometer, bringing it closer, “Different fragrances have different flashpoints, so the suitable wax oil temperature varies. For the one you’ve chosen, eighty degrees is perfect.”

“What’s a flashpoint?”

“In simple terms, it’s the temperature at which perfume can ignite or change its composition,” Xie Shang explained while the temperature of the wax oil had yet to decrease. He took a cup that Wen Changling had already picked out, “The temperature for adding fragrance should be slightly below the flashpoint of the essential oil to prevent it from evaporating due to excessive heat during the process. But it can’t be too low, either. If the temperature of the wax liquid isn’t high enough, the essential oil won’t blend with the liquid and will settle at the bottom of the cup, causing the scent to be uneven.”

Wen Changling leaned in to watch Xie Shang apply the wick sticker and said earnestly, “You know so much.”

“This is my line of work.”

Oh.

Still knows a lot, quite impressive.

The scented candle Wen Changling made in the morning, she used at night, was a slightly acidic sandalwood scent, a rather light woody fragrance, not pungent. This smell felt familiar to Wen Changling, reminiscent of a certain evergreen tree she had smelled during her childhood on the hills behind White Peach Village, which brought back memories of winter in Wind Town.

She was distracted.

The phone rang, the number was a string of digits.

In Fu Ying’s phone, Wen Changling had installed a program for when they contacted each other, the number would be randomly generated, and the location would change as well.

“Pang Shifang has been looking for someone lately.”

Wen Changling guessed, “Is it Dong Wanlong?”

“Yes, Dong Wanlong.”

Wen Changling knew the name: “Miss Pang told me that two years ago Pang Shifang transferred a sum of money to Dong Wanlong.”

Pang Shifang’s father, Pang Yuanzong, had many mistresses, and Pang Zijin’s mother was one of them. Pang Zijin was brought back to the Pang Family at the age of eight and was sent abroad by Pang Yuanzong’s legitimate wife (Pang Shifang’s mother) at fourteen and only returned two years ago, currently holding a nominal position at Pamdow.

“Dong Wanlong probably knows something.” Pang Shifang must have realized by now that he was the next target; given the timing, Wen Changling thought that whoever he was going out of his way to find must be significant.

“It’s probably related to the incident of his father-in-law fleeing.”

This was something Fu Ying had always been skeptical about.

Four years ago, just as Pang Shifang’s father-in-law, Gan Lishu, had been convicted for a hit-and-run while drunk driving, causing death, Pang Shifang immediately married Gan Lishu’s daughter, Gan Xiaoping.

Dong Wanlong very likely knew the inside story.

“Pang Shifang is beginning to suspect me,” said Fu Ying, “He’s investigating those people before him now, and your cover probably won’t last much longer.”

Zhou Sheng was jailed because of Fu Ying, and the first person Pang Shifang suspected was Fu Ying.

“All his three partners have been incarcerated; it’s not surprising that he is suspicious.”

Fu Ying instructed, “He’s like a dog backed into a corner right now, desperate and capable of anything. He might lash out unpredictably, so you be careful too.”

“I’ll be careful, and you should be too.” The candle flame was burning too high, so Wen Changling gestured with the scissors, found the right angle, and neatly snipped off the excess wick, “A desperate bite might be good; the more desperate he gets, the more likely he is to make a mistake.”

After hanging up the phone, Wen Changling went to open the window.

The candle lasted a long time; it only burned a small pit after quite a while.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Changling.”

Wen Changling put on a coat over her pajamas: “Come in.”

The door wasn’t locked.

Xie Shang pushed the door open and left it ajar.

“It’s so late, what’s the matter?”

“There’s something I need to talk to you about.” Xie Shang’s hair was still wet; he had just finished washing up, “I’m going to be quite busy lately and won’t be able to drive you to and from work.”

“I can take a cab myself.”

“I found you a driver.” He was not just a driver.

Wen Changling looked surprised: “That’s unnecessary, isn’t it? I’m just a nurse, having a personal driver for work would be strange.” Xie Shang didn’t even have a driver himself.

He wasn’t someone who particularly cared for such things, nor did he like changing cars often.

Wen Changling’s spending habits were even more unassuming; she had been thinking about buying an electric bike recently.

“I’ve already hired him, and the money is non-refundable.”

Wen Changling teased Xie Shang, “You must have a lot of money.”

“You’re not punctual getting off work, I’m not at ease with you taking cabs at night, it’s better to have a driver to pick you up and drop you off.”

“Okay, then.”

Xie Shang sat down, pulling the standing Wen Changling to his side. He didn’t say or do anything else; he just wrapped one arm around Wen Changling, idly wasting the night away.

The scented candle burned from a small pit into a tiny pool of wax.

The wick had grown long again, the flame leaping high, the firelight casting shadows that danced in their eyes. Xie Shang had been clingier these past days, his gaze on Wen Changling always filled with affection, with an underlying unease she couldn’t understand. But she was right in front of him, so why should he feel uneasy?

“Xie Shang,” Wen Changling said, “I’m going to sleep.”

“Hmm.”

Xie Shang didn’t let go, tilting his head back, his chin inadvertently brushing against Wen Changling’s abdomen.

She felt ticklish and squirmed, “Xingxing, I’m going to sleep.”

Xie Shang used the candle snuffer to extinguish the candle, a faint wisp of smoke dispersed, and he cleaned the snuffer before putting it away, “It’s not good to sleep with a candle burning.” He stood up, “Goodnight.”

Once Xie Shang left, Wen Changling turned off the light and went to bed.

She lay down, closed her eyes, and softly whispered, “Xie Shang.”

She had promised Xie Shang before that she would say his name before going to sleep, and she wanted to know if it was possible to form a habit in twenty-one days.

Five days had passed of the twenty-one.