The Fortune Teller's Prophecy

At the age of seven, Lin Zhixia was dragged by his grandmother by the wrist through three muddy alleys, stopping in front of a wooden door with chipped paint.

From the crack in the door came a mixture of mugwort and sandalwood, so pungent it made him sneeze. His grandmother patted his back hard and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense later. Whatever the fortune teller asks, answer honestly."

"I'm not sick, why do I have to see a fortune teller?" Lin Zhixia scraped his sandals against the threshold, splattering mud into crooked flowers.

His grandmother didn't answer; she just pushed him inside. The light suddenly dimmed. Lin Zhixia blinked several times before his eyes adjusted to the furnishings: a black lacquered table with a bronze mirror, red string, and a few polished copper coins. Behind the table sat an old woman with impeccably combed silver hair, her eyes half-closed, as if asleep yet seeing everything.

"Come here." The fortune teller's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper on wood.

Lin Zhixia instinctively shrank back, but his grandmother held his shoulders. He reluctantly shuffled to the table, catching a stronger whiff of incense mixed with an indescribable smell, like a sun-dried cotton quilt.

The fortune teller raised her hand, her withered fingers pressing against his head. Her hand was cold, so cold that Lin Zhixia shivered.

"This child," the fortune teller suddenly spoke, dragging her voice, "is born with a strange fragrance."

Lin Zhixia froze, instinctively lifting his arm to sniff his sleeve. He smelled nothing but the scallion pancake he had eaten that morning.

"It's a fragrance that mortals cannot smell," the fortune teller continued, her eyes still half-closed, but her lips seemed to twitch. "Only the one destined for him can smell it."

"The one destined for me?" Lin Zhixia looked up, his round eyes full of confusion. "Is it the person who gives me candy?"

The fortune teller did not answer. She withdrew her hand, picked up a red string from the table, wrapped it around Lin Zhixia's wrist three times, and tied a knot.

"Remember," she said, "when you smell that scent, don't let go."

Lin Zhixia looked down at the red string on his wrist, nodding as if he understood. On the way home, he kept smelling his wrist, rubbing the skin red, but still detecting nothing special.

"Grandma, is the fortune teller lying to me?" he tugged at her clothes and asked.

His grandmother patted his hand. "Nonsense, the fortune teller is very accurate."

"But I'm not fragrant," Lin Zhixia wrinkled his nose. "I took a bath yesterday."

His grandmother burst out laughing but didn't explain further. After that afternoon, the red string on Lin Zhixia's wrist disappeared without a trace, but the fortune teller's words had quietly planted a seed in his mind.

Twelve years later.

The September sun had softened the asphalt road. Lin Zhixia dragged a 28-inch suitcase, standing at the entrance of University A, forehead covered in sweat. He looked up at the gold-embossed characters on the school gate and suddenly felt that all the sleepless nights and test papers before the college entrance exam were worth it.

"Computer Science... Male Dorm Building 4... Room 405..." he muttered, pulling out his admission letter from his pocket to confirm.

A message popped up on his phone from his mom: "Xiaxia, have you arrived? Remember to air your quilt and don't eat too much takeout."

"I'm here, I'm here," he typed with one hand. "I'm going to the dorm first."

A row of osmanthus trees stood at the entrance of Building 4, not yet in bloom, covered in dense green leaves. Lin Zhixia dragged his suitcase toward the stairwell, the wheels rumbling loudly on the ground, drawing glances from a few senior students.

The door to Room 405 was ajar, and a clattering sound came from inside.

Lin Zhixia took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in, come in!" a loud voice from inside said. "The door's unlocked!"

He pushed open the door and saw a round-faced boy wearing black-rimmed glasses, with hair sticking up like a bird's nest, standing on the bed hanging a mosquito net. Hearing the noise, the boy turned around abruptly, making the bed board shake.

"Hey, new roommate?" The round-faced boy agilely jumped off the bed. "I'm Chen Dawei, Computer Science. What about you?"

"Lin Zhixia, also Computer Science." Lin Zhixia pushed his suitcase inside and looked around. The dorm room had four beds with desks underneath. The two beds by the window were already taken—one by Chen Dawei, the other had a basketball star poster on the headboard.

"We're going to be bros from now on!" Chen Dawei took Lin Zhixia's backpack from him. "Come, come, this bed is for you. I saved it on purpose—by the window for fresh air."

"Thanks," Lin Zhixia said sheepishly. "I can manage."

"No need to be polite." Chen Dawei waved his hand. "Let me tell you, this dorm room has great feng shui. I studied it this morning—it faces south, gets plenty of sunlight, perfect for us straight guys."

Lin Zhixia laughed. "You study feng shui?"

"Of course," Chen Dawei said proudly. "I used mysticism to fill out my college entrance exam preferences, and I got in exactly at the cutoff score. Tell me, is that fate or what?"

As they were talking, footsteps came from outside. A tall, dark-skinned boy walked in carrying two thermos bottles.

"This is Zhou Haoran," Chen Dawei introduced. "The guy on the bed next to me, also Computer Science."

Zhou Haoran nodded in greeting. He put the thermos bottles under the desk, pulled out a pair of earphones from his bag, and put them on—clearly a man of few words.

Lin Zhixia climbed onto his own bed to make it, while Chen Dawei gave instructions from below: "Tuck the sheet in tightly, otherwise it'll loosen at night. Pillow facing east—purple air comes from the east, you know?"

"You really know a lot," Lin Zhixia responded with a smile.

"Of course," Chen Dawei said, hands on his hips. "From now on, you follow me in the dorm."

As they were busy, the hallway suddenly fell silent.

Not a natural kind of silence, but as if someone had pressed the mute button, sucking away all sound. Lin Zhixia looked out from the bed railing and saw a figure walk in from the door.

He was very tall, wearing a simple black T-shirt with clean shoulders. His features seemed measured with a ruler—deep eyes, a high nose bridge, thin lips pressed into a straight line. Sunlight streamed in from the corridor behind him, casting a faint golden glow around him.

Lin Zhixia's first thought was: This guy is really tall, must be over 185 cm.

His second thought: Why is he looking at me?

Gu Yanzhou stood at the door, his gaze fixed directly on Lin Zhixia's face without wavering. His eyes were very dark, deep enough to suck people in.

The air in the dorm suddenly felt strange. Chen Dawei's mouth was still open, obviously having forgotten what he was about to say. Zhou Haoran took off one earphone, looked up, then silently put it back on.

"Um..." Lin Zhixia felt uneasy under the stare and climbed down from the bed. "Are you the new roommate?"

Gu Yanzhou didn't answer immediately. He took two steps forward, pushing his suitcase inside, moving slowly but keeping his eyes on Lin Zhixia.

"Gu Yanzhou," he finally said, his voice low. "Architecture, transfer student."

"Oh, I'm Lin Zhixia, Computer Science." Lin Zhixia held out his hand. "Roommates from now on."

Gu Yanzhou looked down at the hand, paused for two seconds, then shook it. His palm was large, warmer than Lin Zhixia had imagined.

"I know," Gu Yanzhou said.

"You know?" Lin Zhixia was startled.

Gu Yanzhou didn't explain. He let go, turned, and walked to the empty bed near the door, starting to organize his things. His movements were clean and efficient; he quickly made the bed and took out a few books to place on the desk.

Lin Zhixia scratched his head, thinking: This guy is weird. He was staring at me just now, and now he acts like he doesn't want to talk.

Chen Dawei leaned in and lowered his voice: "Bro, do you know him?"

"No," Lin Zhixia whispered.

"Then how does he know your name?" Chen Dawei raised his eyebrows. "And the moment he came in, he stared at you without blinking."

"Maybe... I have something on my face?" Lin Zhixia touched his cheek.

"You have nothing but sweat on your face," Chen Dawei rolled his eyes.

Lin Zhixia was about to argue further when Gu Yanzhou suddenly turned around and walked toward him.

The dorm wasn't big, and Gu Yanzhou reached Lin Zhixia in a few steps. He stood very close, so close that Lin Zhixia could smell the faint laundry detergent on him, mixed with a hint of mint.

"What's up?" Lin Zhixia instinctively stepped back half a step, his lower back pressing against the corner of the desk.

Gu Yanzhou didn't speak. He lowered his head, his nose almost touching Lin Zhixia's neck.

Lin Zhixia froze completely.

"What... what are you doing?" His voice trembled slightly.

Gu Yanzhou took a deep breath, then looked up, his eyes burning as he gazed at Lin Zhixia.

"Bro," Gu Yanzhou's lips seemed to curl up slightly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, "you smell really good."

These words exploded like a bomb in Room 405.

Chen Dawei's glasses slid down to the tip of his nose, his mouth forming an O. Zhou Haoran's earphones fell off completely, and he pretended to look for something on the ground, but his ears perked up.

Lin Zhixia's face turned red in an instant.

"What... what did you say?" he stammered. "What smell?"

Gu Yanzhou didn't answer. He still looked at Lin Zhixia, his eyes as deep as a pool, hiding something.

"I'm not wearing perfume," Lin Zhixia hastily lifted his arm to smell it. "Is it the laundry detergent? My mom insists on using that lavender-scented one..."

"It's not laundry detergent," Gu Yanzhou interrupted.

"Then... soap?" Lin Zhixia's voice grew quieter. "I showered this morning, used lemon-scented body wash..."

"Not that either." Gu Yanzhou leaned in a little. "It's a... very special scent."

Lin Zhixia's back was pressed against the desk corner, with nowhere to retreat. He could feel his heart pounding violently, as if trying to leap out of his throat.

What's wrong with this guy? Coming up and sniffing someone right away, saying "you smell good"—that's too creepy, right?

But why do his eyes look so serious?

"Bro, do you..." Lin Zhixia swallowed. "Have a problem with your sense of smell?"

Gu Yanzhou paused, then suddenly laughed. Not a polite laugh, but one that truly overflowed from his eyes, softening his entire face.

"Maybe," he said.

"Then maybe you should see a doctor?" Lin Zhixia said earnestly. "I know a senior in otorhinolaryngology. Even though school hasn't started, I can ask him..."

"No need." Gu Yanzhou's smile deepened. "I like this scent."

Lin Zhixia's face turned even redder.

Chen Dawei finally snapped out of his shock and grabbed Lin Zhixia's arm, pulling him away from Gu Yanzhou.

"Uh," Chen Dawei forced a laugh, "Gu Yanzhou, right? Welcome to Room 405! From now on, we're all bros. Bros like to joke around, hahaha..."

Gu Yanzhou glanced at Chen Dawei, said nothing, and turned back to his own bed.

Lin Zhixia was pushed into a chair by Chen Dawei, his mind still in a fog.

"Did he just..." Lin Zhixia touched his neck. "Sniff me?"

"Be confident, take out the 'did he,'" Chen Dawei lowered his voice. "He was sniffing you."

"Why?" Lin Zhixia was confused. "I'm not food."

"You smell better than food," Chen Dawei rolled his eyes. "No, that's not the point. The point is, a person you just met comes up that close and says 'you smell good'—is that normal?"

"Is it not?" Lin Zhixia asked.

Chen Dawei: "..."

He took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself. "Bro, are you dumb? Of course it's not normal! He's not a dog, sniffing everyone he sees."

"But he said he likes my scent..." Lin Zhixia's voice grew softer. "Maybe it really is just the laundry detergent?"

"Laundry detergent, my ass!" Chen Dawei wanted to knock some sense into him. "You wait, I'll observe him. I feel like this guy is a bit off."

Lin Zhixia didn't say anything more. He secretly glanced in Gu Yanzhou's direction.

Gu Yanzhou was organizing his bookshelf with his back to him—broad shoulders, straight back. As if sensing his gaze, Gu Yanzhou suddenly turned his head, his eyes accurately catching Lin Zhixia.

Lin Zhixia felt like he had been burned, quickly lowering his head, his heart pounding as if ready to explode.The afternoon sun streamed through the window, falling on the back of his hand. He stared at his wrist, suddenly recalling what the fortune teller had said many years ago.

"Born with a unique fragrance, only the destined one can smell it."

Impossible. Lin Zhixia shook his head vigorously, dismissing the absurd thought. That was just his grandmother's superstition, a lie.

But why could Gu Yanzhou smell something others couldn't?

Why did his gaze look as if he were looking at a treasured item he had found again?

"What are you spacing out for?" Chen Dawei patted him. "Come on, let's go buy daily necessities. I'll take you to the supermarket."

"Oh, okay." Lin Zhixia snapped back to reality and picked up his wallet.

As the two walked out of the dormitory, Gu Yanzhou also stood up. He glanced at Lin Zhixia and said, "I'll come too."

"You're going to the supermarket too?" Chen Dawei asked.

"Yeah." Gu Yanzhou had already picked up his keys.

The three went downstairs together, with Chen Dawei in the middle, Lin Zhixia on his left and Gu Yanzhou on his right. He secretly glanced at Gu Yanzhou several times, finding that although this man spoke little, his gaze always seemed to fall on Lin Zhixia.

The supermarket was at the entrance of the dormitory area, not far away. The September sun was still very strong. Lin Zhixia hadn't brought an umbrella, so he could only use his hand to shield his forehead.

The next second, a shadow fell over his head.

Lin Zhixia froze and looked up to see Gu Yanzhou holding a black umbrella, with most of the canopy tilted toward him.

"No need, no need," Lin Zhixia quickly waved his hand. "Just use it for yourself."

"Together." Gu Yanzhou's voice brooked no refusal.

Chen Dawei watched in stunned silence. He stepped outside the umbrella and realized it could only cover two people, leaving him as the extra one.

"...Thanks a lot," Chen Dawei said dryly.

"Huh?" Lin Zhixia didn't catch on. "Do you want to come under too?"

"No need." Chen Dawei gritted his teeth. "I'll enjoy the sunbath."

The corners of Gu Yanzhou's mouth lifted slightly, but he said nothing.

The supermarket was crowded, mostly with freshmen and their parents. Lin Zhixia pushed a shopping cart, weaving through the aisles, while Chen Dawei chattered about which brand of laundry detergent was good and which instant noodles were the most filling.

"This one, cheap and effective." Chen Dawei picked up a bottle of shampoo. "I used it for three years in high school."

"Let me see." Lin Zhixia took the shampoo, but before he could read the ingredients list, a hand reached over from the side and placed another bottle of shampoo into the cart.

"Use this." Gu Yanzhou said.

Lin Zhixia looked down and saw an imported shampoo he'd never seen before, priced three times as much as the one in his hand.

"Too expensive..." He was about to put it back when Gu Yanzhou pressed down on his hand.

"It suits you." Gu Yanzhou said.

"How do you know it suits me?" Lin Zhixia asked.

Gu Yanzhou looked at him with an inexpressible meaning in his eyes: "Your hair is soft; this won't make it frizzy."

Lin Zhixia subconsciously touched his hair. It was indeed very soft, and it stuck up every time he woke up, like a little animal with its fur ruffled.

"You're quite observant," Chen Dawei said sarcastically.

Gu Yanzhou ignored him, just looking at Lin Zhixia: "Want it?"

"Then... thanks?" Lin Zhixia felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze. "I'll transfer the money to you when we get back."

"No need." Gu Yanzhou withdrew his hand and turned toward the snack aisle.

Chen Dawei leaned into Lin Zhixia's ear: "Have you noticed? He's really attentive to you."

"Is he?" Lin Zhixia was bewildered. "He's just a nice person."

"Nice person?" Chen Dawei sneered. "Has he ever been nice to me?"

Lin Zhixia looked at Gu Yanzhou's back, then at Chen Dawei, and said seriously: "Maybe you don't look like you need to be taken care of."

Chen Dawei: "..."

He was silent for three seconds, then turned and walked away: "I'm going to buy instant noodles. You two take your time."

Lin Zhixia followed him, confused, only to find that Gu Yanzhou had somehow stopped as well, standing in front of a snack shelf, holding a packet in his hand.

"Do you like this?" Gu Yanzhou asked.

Lin Zhixia saw what he was holding and his eyes lit up: "Dried mango! How did you know I like dried mango?"

"Just a guess." Gu Yanzhou put the dried mango into the cart and grabbed a few more snack packets. "Take these too."

"This is too generous..." Lin Zhixia felt a bit awkward.

"You can pay me back later." Gu Yanzhou said.

"How?"

Gu Yanzhou thought for a moment, then suddenly leaned close to his ear and lowered his voice: "Treat me to a meal."

His breath brushed against Lin Zhixia's ear, carrying a hint of minty coolness. The tips of Lin Zhixia's ears instantly turned red. He stepped back, almost knocking over the shelf behind him.

"O-okay," he stammered. "A meal is no problem. It's only right."

Gu Yanzhou straightened up, a triumphant smile in his eyes: "It's a deal."

After the dormitory lights were turned off, Lin Zhixia stared at the ceiling, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

The lights in the dormitory were already off. Only the soft sound of Chen Dawei's snoring and the creak of Zhou Haoran turning over could be heard. Gu Yanzhou slept in the bed by the door, and through the mosquito net, Lin Zhixia couldn't see his face clearly.

But he somehow felt that Gu Yanzhou wasn't asleep either.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, drawing a silver-white line on the floor. Lin Zhixia stared at the moonlight, replaying the scenes from the day in his mind.

Gu Yanzhou's earnest expression when he leaned close to his neck.

Gu Yanzhou's deep voice when he said, "You smell so good."

Gu Yanzhou's shoulder lightly brushing against him when he tilted the umbrella.

And the fleeting smile in his eyes when he said, "Treat me to a meal."

Was all of this really just a roommate being friendly to another?

Lin Zhixia buried his face in his pillow and let out a long sigh.

He remembered when he was seven years old, the fortune teller's bony fingers pressed on his head, saying he was "born with a unique fragrance." At that time, he only thought it was funny, thinking his arm smelled of nothing but scallion pancakes.

But today, Gu Yanzhou said he was fragrant.

A person he'd met for the first time, someone he'd barely spoken a few words with, could smell a "very special" scent on him.

What was this? Coincidence? Misunderstanding? Or...

Lin Zhixia didn't dare to think further. He turned over, forcing himself to close his eyes.

Just then, he heard a very faint sigh from Gu Yanzhou's side, as if of satisfaction, or of waiting.

"Lin Zhixia." Gu Yanzhou suddenly spoke, his voice especially clear in the darkness.

Lin Zhixia's heart skipped a beat.

"Huh?" He responded, his voice a little hoarse.

"Good night." Gu Yanzhou said.

"...Good night."

Lin Zhixia pulled the blanket over his head. In the darkness, his face was burning red.

He told himself it must be because of the hot weather, because he wasn't used to the new environment, because of the scary story Chen Dawei had just told.

It definitely wasn't because of Gu Yanzhou.

But when he finally drifted off to sleep, his dreams were full of those deep eyes and that low voice—

"You smell so good."