Her Pheromones Smell Like Sparkling Water (GL) - Chapter 27

Six pairs of eyes met.

Shen Tingjun hadn’t expected Shen Nianlan to arrive so quickly. The girl was already about to charge forward and throw punches at Shang Ranzhu, but Shen Tingjun swiftly reached out and stopped her first.

“Xiao Nian, what are you doing?” she asked calmly.

Shen Nianlan struggled in her arms, demanding, “Jiejie, how could you hold her hand?!”

“She’s injured. I was helping her reapply medicine,” Shen Tingjun explained.

Off to the side, Shang Ranzhu raised her hand confidently, showing the back of it with a faint grudge—like a party had just been interrupted by an uninvited guest. “See?” she said, pointing at her scabbed-over wound.

That was the first time Shen Nianlan saw the injury—and also the first time Shen Tingjun got a proper look at it.

On Shang Ranzhu’s once-smooth, fair hand were three long, dark scars—deep and harsh, like three ugly marks in the middle of a pristine white snowfield. They stood out, jarring and severe.

Shen Nianlan grimaced and gently tapped the brown scab with the pad of her soft finger. “How did you get this? Did it hurt?”

Shang Ranzhu’s red lips curled into a half-smile. “This is my badge of honor for saving a damsel in distress. How could it possibly hurt?”

At that, Shen Nianlan’s gossip radar activated. She perked up, antenna raised to max frequency, and her tone warmed slightly. “What happened? Tell me everything!”

“Well…” Shang Ranzhu paused for a second, then glanced past Shen Nianlan and locked eyes with Shen Tingjun.

Shen Nianlan remained clueless, but Shen Tingjun understood exactly what that glance meant. Rather than getting upset by Shang Ranzhu’s smug little tease, she calmly explained to her sister, “Didn’t I tell Mom the investors wanted to replace Shang Ranzhu? It is because she stood up for me and ended up hitting the investor’s nephew.”

“What?!” Shen Nianlan exploded. “Someone bullied you?! On our home territory?! Who the hell dares bully my sister?!”

“It’s already handled. Don’t overreact.” Shen Tingjun frowned slightly and gently pushed her back down onto the bed.

“I’m still mad.” Shen Nianlan pouted, her red bow bouncing angrily with her head.

“I made milk tea. Want some?” Shen Tingjun offered the milk tea, changing the conversation.

“Yes, please!”

Shen Tingjun reached out and ruffled her little sister’s head with affection. After all, she had practically raised Shen Nianlan herself—ever since their mother, Gu Hualan, passed away. Back then, Nianlan had still been a chubby little schoolgirl who raced home every day to watch cartoons. There was no exaggeration in saying Shen Tingjun had been both sister and parent.

She knew every little quirk Nianlan had and could read her like a book. The way she looked at her was always overflowing with gentle love.

Shang Ranzhu saw it clearly—and was consumed with jealousy.

How nice it would be if she could just swap souls with Shen Nianlan.

Shen Nianlan left the room and went straight toward the rare milk tea Shen Tingjun had made with her own hands.

Shang Ranzhu instinctively followed—but just as she was about to step out the door, Shen Tingjun grabbed her wrist out of nowhere.

Tiny sparks flared from where they touched. Shang Ranzhu stuttered, “W-What’s wrong?”

“Medicine.” Shen Tingjun tapped the medical kit on the table, her gaze holding a touch of reproach, like she was mildly scolding a careless child.

“Oh…” Shang Ranzhu finally remembered her wound had only been unwrapped and not yet treated. Obediently, she pulled over a chair and sat beside Shen Tingjun’s vanity.

She’d forgotten, but Shen Tingjun hadn’t.

Shang Ranzhu had assumed that with Nianlan’s arrival, Shen Tingjun would focus all his attention on her sister. But unexpectedly, she still remembered her.

That thought alone was enough to make Shang Ranzhu’s lips curve into a smile she couldn’t quite hide.

Of course, her lovestruck smile didn’t go unnoticed for long.

A cotton swab dipped in cool alcohol suddenly tapped her forehead—not too hard, not too soft. Shen Tingjun followed up with a dry comment: “What’s going on in that head of yours? Smiling like that?”

“I’m not smiling! That really hurt, Miss Shen,” Shang Ranzhu exaggerated, clutching her forehead and trying to hide her grin.

Shen Tingjun saw right through her but didn’t call her out. She tossed the used swab into the trash, peeled open a fresh bandage, and carefully applied it to her hand. “Done. Let’s go out. Don’t keep Xiao Nian waiting.”

Hearing her call out “Xiao Nian” again, Shang Ranzhu felt a little sour inside. “Miss Shen, you’re so good to your sister.”

Shen Tingjun glanced at her. Her smile was gentle, but there was something wistful in it. While tidying up the table, she replied softly, “She’s one of the few family members I have left.”

Shang Ranzhu immediately realized she had unintentionally touched a sensitive spot. She quickly corrected herself, “You make it sound like you’re all alone. If you think having just one person calling you ‘jiejie’ is too little, then I’ll start calling you that too.”

“No manners at all,” Shen Tingjun said, feigning disapproval—but not a hint of displeasure showed on her face.

Feeling bold, Shang Ranzhu leaned in close and whispered right by Shen Tingjun’s ear, “Jiejie.”

Her warm breath brushed past Shen Tingjun’s ear, setting off a ripple of heat. The air between them tingled with something unspeakable. Shen Tingjun instinctively lifted a hand, letting her slender fingers sweep through her dark hair and casually letting a few strands fall over her now-reddened ear.

“Ridiculous.” That was all Shen Tingjun said before she quickly left the bedroom.

At that moment, Shen Nianlan was sitting at the bar counter in the dining area. She was the shortest in the family, and sitting on the tall bar stool made her little pale legs dangle awkwardly, barely reaching the narrow bar between the chair legs.

She was still new to adulthood, untouched by the world, and her face was full of youthful innocence. Shen Tingjun stood to the side, watching her cheeks puff out while eating the cake and smiling with quiet satisfaction.

Maybe it was the kind of telepathy only sisters shared—Shen Nianlan turned around with a piece of cake on her fork, not at all surprised to see Shen Tingjun there. Instead, she looked a little confused and asked, “Sis, I thought you don’t eat sweets?”

Shang Ranzhu, who had just come out of the bedroom, heard Nianlan’s comment. She’d given Shen Tingjun a piece of cake just yesterday.

So she’d gotten the gift completely wrong, hadn’t she?

“You don’t eat sweets, Miss Shen?”

“I don’t eat them often, but sometimes I do,” Shen Tingjun replied calmly.

“How come I never knew you eat cake sometimes? Sis, didn’t you say you hated the greasy sweetness of cream?” Shen Nianlan asked innocently, not holding back.

Shang Ranzhu froze. She quietly raised her wrist to her nose and sniffed.

Damn it. She couldn’t even smell her own pheromones anymore.

She used to feel proud of her cream-scented pheromones. That sweet aroma had once attracted so many Omegas around her, and no one could resist the lure of a tasty dessert.

Except Shen Tingjun.

“I used to. I don’t hate it anymore,” Shen Tingjun said as she glanced at Shen Nianlan. Then she walked over, took the fork from her sister’s hand, and gently bit into the pink cream-covered cake.

Shang Ranzhu was still fixated on the pheromone issue; her expression was clearly unhappy. Noticing Shang Ranzhu’s expression, Shen Tingjun casually lifted another piece of the cake and, while still looking at it, spoke to her.

“It’s really good. Want to try?”

A bit of cream unknowingly clung to the corner of Shen Tingjun’s lips as she moved her cherry-pink lips up and down. Shang Ranzhu stared at her, not sure if it was due to her own nature or something else, but the sight felt vaguely sensual. She secretly licked the corner of her lips, and a sudden urge to mark this woman rose in her chest.

“If she doesn’t want it, can I have it?” Shen Nianlan leaned over eagerly, ready to eat the cake instead.

“You little brat, you’re so rude. This is for me,” Shang Ranzhu said, then beat her future sister-in-law to it by grabbing Shen Tingjun’s hand—the one holding the fork—and leaned in to eat the bite Shen Tingjun had just offered.

The motion made Shen Tingjun’s body jolt slightly, but she still looked at the girl in front of her with gentle brows. “Does it taste good?”

Shang Ranzhu had eaten it so fast that she hadn’t even tasted the cake. But being this close, she could faintly catch the scent of Shen Tingjun’s sparkling water pheromone.

Way better than cake.

“Mm-hmm.” Shang Ranzhu nodded, completely distracted.

“I want one too!” Shen Nianlan whined, pouting at not getting a bite directly from her sister.

Shen Tingjun doted on her little sister, so she picked up the fork again to get her another piece—only for Shang Ranzhu to beat her to it. “I’ll do it.”

“I don’t want it. You’re not my sister!” Shen Nianlan shot her down immediately.

“I’m older than you. That makes me your sister too.” Shang Ranzhu said smugly, bringing the fork closer to Shen Nianlan’s mouth.

“Jiejie~” Shen Nianlan whined dramatically, looking at Shen Tingjun for help.

Shen Tingjun replied calmly, “She already brought it to your mouth. Don’t be rude.”

Shang Ranzhu grinned in triumph. “Exactly. Come on, open up. Big sis will feed you.”

Shen Nianlan was full of question marks. She’d always been Shen Tingjun’s favorite—why wasn’t that working now?

As the fork came closer and closer, she had no choice but to bow her head and accept the not-so-sweet “sister-fed” cake.

Shang Ranzhu looked satisfied as she watched Shen Nianlan finish the bite, then thoughtfully handed her a napkin. “Do you stick to your sister this much even when filming?”

“I’m here to clean up your mess,” Shen Nianlan said with a huff as she took the tissue and wiped her mouth.

“What mess?” Shang Ranzhu asked, confused.

“You hit someone. They said either you leave or they pull their funding,” Shen Nianlan explained, balling up the napkin and tossing it into the trash with perfect aim.

Shang Ranzhu turned her gaze to Shen Tingjun. That was probably what she had come here for, too.

Could it be that the negotiation had failed, and Shen Tingjun insisted on protecting her, which led to the investors really pulling out?

“It’s nothing serious. Our family’s just investing in the movie now. So from now on, the whole crew will basically be our own people,” Shen Tingjun said breezily, like it wasn’t a big deal.

But the truth was, she’d stayed up all night over this—making plans, negotiating, talking to Shen Li. She hadn’t gone to bed until three in the morning. At dawn, she snuck out of the hospital when it was quiet and rushed to the hotel. She hadn’t rested properly since. If one looked closely, there were dark circles under her eyes and faint bl00d vessels in her sclera.

Shang Ranzhu noticed her exhaustion too, and just as she was about to ask about it, Shen Nianlan suddenly pulled out her phone. Her face changed instantly as she showed the screen to both of them. “Sis. Trending.”

Shang Ranzhu and Shen Tingjun’s eyes widened at the same time.
The hashtag #ShangRanzhuConflictsWithFilmCrew was rapidly ascending the trending list.
Anyone who knew the full story could tell who was behind it.

And Shen Tingjun had a bad feeling—like the other party intended to destroy Shang Ranzhu completely with this one blow.

Shang Ranzhu had no background. She was just an ordinary girl who unexpectedly rose to fame. Her management team wasn’t that reliable either. If they didn’t handle this properly, it really could ruin her.

Even though she was used to these kinds of smear campaigns, seeing vague accusations without even a video or photo still made her furious. Her hand clenched tightly.

That’s when Shen Tingjun gently covered her hand with hers. She leaned in and whispered, just loud enough for only the two of them to hear:

“Don’t lose your temper. I’m here. No one can hurt you.”