The Perfumer

[Cool, elegant older woman x younger wolf-dog, episodic story] Blurb screenshot from 2021.11.4

Blurb:

The Ji family has been perfumers for generations. Using fragrance as a guide, they ferry the souls of the living and fulfill the wishes of the dead. Their legendary Soul-Returning Incense, said to bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to bone, has attracted the covetous attention of many.

On a rainy night in late spring, a young man followed an unusual scent and pushed open the green-lacquered wooden door with diamond-paned glass, tucked away in a narrow alley.

By the dim window, a woman in a white qipao turned around and appraised the boy standing in the rain.

“What wish do you have?”

“...?”

“Aren’t all the people who come to my shop here because they have an unfulfilled wish?” Ji Mengci leaned against the window. “The living... and the dead.”

The boy looked around at the shop’s sign in confusion. After a long pause, he turned back. “This house belongs to my family. I came to... collect the rent.”

Ji Mengci’s smile faltered.

“The rent has already been paid.”

“Oh.” The boy nodded, still bewildered. “But I have nowhere to go. Could I stay and help out? I can do anything... What do you do here?”

“...”

From that day on, Ji Mengci had a little shadow following her around.

Art thanks: Dianfei Dan

Theme: Using fragrance as a guide to ferry the souls of the living