Chapter 41 I'm Afraid I'll Stink You
Evelyn spent the whole afternoon in the laboratory and didn't even drink water.
She was a person with extreme enthusiasm for work. Once she entered the working mode, she would become excited and completely forget her surroundings.
Without her notice, dusk settled outside. Only when a knock echoed on the laboratory door, urging her departure, did Evelyn grasp the unexpected complexity of her task. She hadn't managed her time effectively.
Cathy granted Evelyn three days, but Evelyn was operating on the procedures and habits she had in her labo before. She overlooked the fact that she couldn't remain there indefinitely.
Once the time was up, the lab personnel had to leave. Apart from those on duty, no one could remain on the premises. Confidentiality was paramount. Like everyone else, she was restricted to this particular laboratory.
Evelyn removed her coat, hat, and gloves before meticulously washing her hands. Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was already past eight, and the sky outside had turned pitch black.
Naturally, Cathy had already left. She wouldn't wait for Evelyn here. After assigning the task, Cathy only needed one result.
Evelyn stood at the entrance of the dimly lit building, scanning the quiet street. With most of the lights already off, the surroundings were shrouded in darkness, and passing cars were scarce. Concerned about her chances of flagging down a taxi, she sighed and reached for her phone, hoping to summon a ride with the app.
As expected, it wasn't easy to get a ride here, as no drivers accepted her request. Checking the map, she noted that walking approximately 1.3 miles ahead would lead her to a small town where transportation options should be more accessible. With no alternative, she set off on foot.
The cement road remained easy to walk on, though the sky darkened and few people were in sight, leaving Evelyn feeling somewhat isolated.
As she continued walking, she faintly heard the sound of a car approaching from behind. Instinctively, Evelyn turned to look and spotted a blurry gray vehicle, resembling a private car. She promptly stepped aside to let it pass.
To her surprise, the car didn't veer away but instead drove directly beside her before screeching to a sudden halt!
Evelyn instinctively jumped to the side. When she landed, she couldn't maintain her balance, and her foot twisted. "Ouch!"
She instantly sat down on the ground. Her ankle throbbed with piercing pain.
She was really unlucky!
As the car came to a halt, the door swung open. Someone emerged.
Evelyn was a mix of nerves, anger, and fear all at once. Gazing up at the approaching figure, she couldn't restrain herself from scolding, "How could you drive like that?!"
"What are you hiding from?"
They both spoke almost simultaneously.
Evelyn paused, taking a moment to focus. As the figure came into clear view, she recognized Samuel standing before her. A mix of emotions washed over her—she pouted, feeling the urge to both cry and laugh simultaneously.
"How, could it be you?!"
He didn't even say a word to her, scaring her with her own wild thoughts.
"Who did you think it was?" Samuel squatted in front of her. Taking advantage of the light inside the car, he carefully examined her foot. "Did you hurt your foot?"
"It's nothing, just twisted it a bit!" Evelyn rested her hand on him and managed to stand up. Then she moved her body and got into the car. Immediately, she felt much more relieved.
Kyle was the driver. After Samuel got in, the door was closed. "Drive."
The car started moving slowly. He immediately asked, "Which foot did you hurt?"
Evelyn was at a loss for words.
There were other people in the car. Was he planning to look at her foot here?
She subconsciously touched her ankle with her hand and said softly, "I'm fine, we can look at it when we get back."
He noticed this small movement of hers.
Samuel quickly pressed a button and raised the partition between the front and back seats. Then, he just grabbed her injured foot and placed it on his lap.
The car lights were slightly intensified. Then, he saw her ankle which was red and a bit swollen. He immediately frowned. "Why are you always so prone to getting injured?"
"It's not true," Evelyn whispered.
'He makes me sound so fragile. In fact, I just twisted my foot. And it wasn't even because of him... Uh, his car has issues!'
"You didn't hurt any tendons. Go back and apply some ointment. Try not to walk around for the next few days." He massaged her foot and quickly made a judgment.
Evelyn was surprised. "You can even treat injuries?"
"Minor sprains and strains are not that complicated." Samuel raised his head to look at her, then his brows furrowed even more tightly.
His nose twitched as he hesitated, "On your body..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but doubt clouded his expression.
"On my body?" Evelyn was momentarily stunned. She lowered her head, examining herself, and immediately understood. "Oh, you mean the scent on my body?"
Samuel remained silent.
"I got it while doing experiments in the lab." She pulled her clothes together, but this smell was quite adhesive. Once this smell stuck to the body, it was difficult to remove. Even if she repeatedly washed her hands, she still had that smell on her.
She had gotten used to it because she had been smelling it for a long time. But if others were to smell it, they would probably think she stank too much.
When she got into the car just now, Kyle glanced back at her, his expression hesitant. It seemed he was reluctant to speak, possibly resisting the urge to ask her.
"Lab?" Samuel's face showed a hint of suspicion. He said, "If I remember correctly, you were mixing perfume, not stinky water, right?"
As Evelyn looked at his expression, she almost burst out laughing. His face clearly read: "Are you trying to deceive me?"
"It's mixing perfume! But there are countless types of fragrances, and their compositions are also very complex. Even if there are unpleasant odors in the fragrance, they can be analyzed and isolated. My task these two days is to analyze the components and differences of 48 different smells. This will also be helpful for future applications.
"The perfume industry may seem simple, but it involves many complex aspects. It also requires a lot of chemical knowledge. If a perfumer does not truly love this profession and is only casually interested, they probably won't be able to persist for long."
Samuel fell silent for a moment. Then, he didn't say anything else.
Evelyn estimated that he was reluctant to speak due to the smell. So she took the initiative to move to the side and opened a crack in the car window to let in some fresh air. She felt a bit embarrassed doing so!
She didn't expect him to pick her up, and she couldn't quickly get rid of the odor on her body. So she was indeed a bit awkward.
Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder. Before she could turn her head, she was already pulled into a warm embrace.
"Why are you sitting so far? Are you afraid I'll eat you?" he complained. And he tightened his grip on her shoulder.
Evelyn said, "I'm afraid of stinking up to you."
"You don't stink." He seemed to want to confirm his statement, so he suddenly lowered his head and took a deep breath in her hair. "This isn't—"
He ended up choking, his body's reaction remaining genuine as he coughed several times in succession.
Evelyn was at a loss for words.
"I... I'll go take a shower."
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