Rosalyn Lowell was surprised. "What a coincidence! Well, get ready then. The meeting is around 3 PM. I’ll call you when I arrive. The Lowell Family already had three observer slots available; otherwise, I wouldn’t have called you just now."

Celia Sterling hummed softly.

After ending the call and hearing the less-than-ideal news, Celia Sterling lost interest in looking at the fragrances. She walked over to the lounge area where Silas Norwood was and sat down in the chair next to him. Silas, ever observant, handed her a cup of warm, freshly made milk tea.

Celia Sterling cradled the milk tea and took a couple of sips, then casually asked Silas Norwood, "What time are we heading back tomorrow?"

Silas Norwood smiled gently. "I was just about to tell you. We may have to leave two hours early tomorrow. Something came up."

Celia Sterling had been about to tell him that she needed to attend a strategic meeting for Rivermoon tomorrow and wouldn’t have time for him. She hadn’t expected him to have his own plans, which saved her from a difficult conversation.

"Alright."

As night fell, the darkening sky made it unsuitable to continue exploring the base. The large group of Perfumers finally trickled back, all taking seats in the vast lounge area.

The lounge was as bright as day. Eldest Young Master Warren had already prepared everything, setting the scene for a formal business dinner.

But since this was a networking mixer, the music was soft and gentle, with no loud, large-scale entertainment. The crowd took their seats around several chic tea tables. Eldest Young Master Warren, as the host, kicked things off. He first gave a brief overview of the massive base and then introduced Miles Trenton.

"This is Mr. Trenton, the spokesperson for our ’Daddy’ Rivermoon. He represents Rivermoon’s global expansion efforts. As of now, Rivermoon has one hundred and twenty bases under his belt, including those still pending final authorization. Don’t let the number fool you—any single one of them is bigger than the entire operation you all have back home."

One of the group members laughed. "Alright, group owner, you don’t have to tell us! We’re not amateurs; we’re well aware of the allure of our ’Daddy’s’ bases. Just this one mega-base alone is bigger than all of my properties combined."

Another group member chimed in. "This is our first time meeting offline. I thought it might be a little awkward, but I guess because we’re all kindred spirits, everyone’s getting along great. Our group owner is so boisterous in the chat, I never expected him to be such a calm and handsome guy in person. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see our ’Daddy’ or his precious wife. We were all hoping to meet them."

Miles Trenton cleared his throat. "Don’t be disappointed. Your ’Daddy’ Rivermoon might just be watching you right now."

As he said this, he glanced over at Silas Norwood.

Silas Norwood was deliberately wearing a mask, keeping a low profile as he sat beside Celia Sterling.

After his ostentatious appearance on a reality show, The Metropia’s Moneybags had become absurdly recognizable. If he showed his face here, everyone would instantly identify him and Celia Sterling, which would undoubtedly affect the atmosphere of the mixer.

Eldest Young Master Warren gave a brief opening speech, after which the other group members introduced themselves. They were all Perfumers for major family-owned brands in the country. Though they might be competitors in their professional lives, at this moment they were chatting and laughing together. The atmosphere was quite warm, reminiscent of the Lowell Fragrance Gala from a few months prior.

Next came the moment everyone had been waiting for: the main event.

Eldest Young Master Warren clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

"Everyone, listen up. I’ve already DMed each of you about the main theme for tonight’s mixer, so we won’t discuss it openly. Instead, let’s talk about today’s parting gifts. See those hundreds of bottles of perfume concentrate on the display wall behind me? Anyone who ’performs’ well today gets to pick a concentrate blind box. As for their value... Mr. Trenton?"

Miles Trenton took over. "There are over a hundred types of perfume concentrate, all freshly extracted from this base just this month. You’ve all toured the grounds, so you have a good idea of the varieties available. In addition to those, there are also about a dozen hidden blind boxes containing the twelve most valuable, top-tier raw ingredients. We’ll see who’s lucky."

At this, everyone grew eager and excited.

Celia Sterling quietly asked Eldest Young Master Warren, "So, what exactly is the theme? How come I don’t know about it?"

Eldest Young Master Warren shot a silent glance at Silas Norwood before saying with a straight face, "The theme is ’spiritual exile’—in other words, an emotional release."

Celia Sterling was speechless. "...How do we ’release’?"

Eldest Young Master Warren sighed softly. "Our profession as Perfumers looks so elegant on the surface. But in reality, we’re either in lab coats at a base or locked away in a perfumery, steeped in solitude. We all accumulate a lot of unspoken frustrations. So, let’s use this opportunity today for everyone to let some of it out. Consider it a good way to kick off the new year."

Miles Trenton nodded. "You’ve all been online friends for years. It’s good to have an occasional offline gathering like this."

Eldest Young Master Warren cleared his throat. "I’m the group owner, so I’ll go first. I’m twenty-eight. Probably because of my family’s status, I was pretty wild in my younger years. I let down more than a dozen girls..."

’This is it! Time to perform!’ everyone thought.

"Tell us, group owner, how did you let them down?" a member immediately tossed him a prompt.

Eldest Young Master Warren glanced at Celia Sterling, who was listening with rapt attention. "I can only blame it on being too young. I used my money and status to get away with juggling multiple relationships. Ah, men are just unreliable when they’re too young. Back then, I acted like I was head-over-heels for each one of them, putting on this obsessed act like she was the only one I’d ever marry. Who could’ve guessed I was two-timing... or three-timing? I only started to settle down in the last couple of years. You get more mature as you get older."

"I can totally relate. Two years ago, I left my husband because I thought he was boring. After the divorce, I found a ’boy toy’ ten years my junior," another female member added in a soft voice. "He was only twenty, young, full of energy... he brought me a lot of joy. But then I overheard him talking to someone and realized he was only after my money. He was setting up a scheme with someone else to fleece me. Meanwhile, my ex-husband was still there, waiting for me. You really can only rely on the man who’s been by your side from the start. These young guys on the outside... they’re thrilling, but it’s a thrill that leads straight into an abyss..."

Other members began to chime in with their own stories:

"Let me share my perspective, as a thirty-two-year-old man. I was immature when I was younger. I pursued a girl for seven or eight years, all the way from our school uniforms to her wedding dress. We made it through all that time, but just two months into our marriage, we were defeated by all the trivial, messy realities of married life and went our separate ways. A simple, even-keeled marriage is actually a blessing. A truly bad marriage is just constant chaos, where your personalities just clash. So, to all the ladies out there, if you can find a husband who’s emotionally stable and can provide a stable relationship, seriously, I’m begging you, don’t go looking for some young guy for a cheap thrill. Cherish the one you have at home."

"Then maybe I can analyze the mindset of guys my age? We’re what you’d call the ’young puppy’ type. Don’t let the fact that we’re in our late teens or early twenties fool you—our minds are pretty complex. When we’re in love, it feels like true love. But when we fall out of love, we’re gone faster than anyone. Love, not love... it’s all just teenage hormones running wild. Maybe... I won’t really know how to love someone until I hit a more mature age, like thirty."