Her Pheromones Smell Like Sparkling Water (GL) - Chapter 5

Shen Tingjun hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. She just happened to be passing by their dressing room when she saw Shang Ranzhu leaning against the doorframe—and then heard that one sentence slip from her lips.

Torture her? Deny her?

Make her cry and beg?

Even though it was only one line, it was enough for Shen Tingjun to know that the Alpha Shang Ranzhu was talking about her.

Chen Ming, sitting on the sofa, wanted nothing more than to disappear into the floor out of embarrassment. Usually, she and Ranzhu would banter like this in private, trading shameless jokes just for fun—but this time, their fantasy had caught up with reality.

That saying was right after all: walk by the river long enough, and your shoes are bound to get wet.

Still, Shang Ranzhu didn’t seem flustered at all. She even turned around calmly and greeted Shen Tingjun like nothing had happened.

A true movie queen indeed.

In that moment, Chen Ming silently gave Shang Ranzhu a mental thumbs-up. Queen behavior, certified.

But truthfully? Shang Ranzhu was freaking out inside.

She wanted to vanish on the spot—explode into fireworks, dissolve into dust, or do anything that could get her out of this situation. But since she couldn’t, the best she could do was put on a composed face and pretend nothing happened.

“Do you have something you’d like to explain to me?” Shen Tingjun had changed out of her costume and was now wearing her signature blazer, with the collar buttoned all the way up as always. She stood before Shang Ranzhu, whose cheeks were flaming red. Her voice was calm, with no trace of anger.

Shang Ranzhu licked her dry lips and said hoarsely, “I wasn’t talking about you.”

“I didn’t say you were,” Shen Tingjun replied mildly.

Guilty conscience. Self-incrimination.

Ranzhu wanted to die of regret right then and there. Still, the situation needed salvaging, and she was determined to do it. “I just didn’t want you to misunderstand,” she said, forcing a smile.

“I didn’t misunderstand,” Shen Tingjun said meaningfully.

Ranzhu’s smile grew wider, but in her heart, a storm was raging.

She knows. She 100% knows I was talking about her.

After the verbal trap she fell into on the fourth floor, Ranzhu knew better than to let Shen Tingjun steer the conversation again. Therefore, she made the bold decision to fully engage in the conversation. “That’s good, then,” she said smoothly. “As long as there’s no misunderstanding, Shen-laoshi.” (The Chinese word “laoshi” means “teacher.”)

Shen Tingjun returned the smile with a faint one of her own. “Still, you should avoid talking about things like that in public,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. “It’s inappropriate. Immature.”

“Yes, I understand, Shen-laoshi.”

Shang Ranzhu bowed her head slightly; her demeanor was like that of a model student being scolded by her teacher. Compliant and harmless.

The wise adapt to survive. Bowing your head now doesn’t mean you’ll bow forever.

Lie low now—one day, the tables will turn.

“Good girl,” Shen Tingjun said.

Of course, she could see through Ranzhu’s little act. When it came to acting, she could crush Shang Ranzhu with ease. Still, this obedient version of her was… surprisingly adorable.

She was more adorable than the disobedient kitten from before.

Shen Tingjun allowed herself a few extra seconds to look before finally letting her go. “I’ll head out first. Don’t be late to dinner tonight, little one.”

“Goodbye, Shen-laoshi,” Ranzhu replied, watching her leave with eyes that turned from obedient to dark in an instant.

Every time you call me “little one,” Shen Tingjun, I swear I’ll make you pay it back someday.

As soon as Shen Tingjun was out of sight, Chen Ming bounced over and threw her arm around Ranzhu’s shoulder. “Little one~” she teased. “So that’s what she called you?”

Ranzhu rolled her eyes. “Yeah.”

“Pfft.”

Chen Ming couldn’t help herself; she laughed so hard. The mighty, self-proclaimed ultimate Alpha, Shang Ranzhu, had been called “little one.” Multiple times.

Ranzhu gave her a deadly glare.

Chen Ming’s heart pounded.
Yep. Only Shen Tingjun could get away with that.
Only a stronger Alpha can suppress another Alpha.

*****

The rain that had lasted all day finally stopped as night fell. The clouds, weary from their constant downpour, receded at last, revealing a brilliant full moon in the night sky.

Shang Ranzhu’s black Cayenne glided through the moonlight and came to a stop outside the hotel.

The door opened, revealing a pair of chestnut-red knee-high boots.

Though it was just a casual dinner, Ranzhu approached it like a red carpet event. Wide-brimmed white hat, crisp white shirt-dress in vintage court style, and a punk-style chestnut leather belt cinching her waist—sexy and flamboyant.

In an instant, every other beauty in the room dimmed in comparison.

Except Shen Tingjun.

Shang Ranzhu had deliberately chosen white—because white was Shen Tingjun’s signature color.

She’d wanted to defeat her on her own turf.

But it was almost as if Shen Tingjun saw right through her—tonight, she wore a flowing black floral dress. Her long black hair was tucked neatly behind her ears, falling down her back. Her simple silver earrings glinted gently, highlighting her elegant presence.

Instantly, she outshone Shang Ranzhu.

Had Ranzhu looked more closely, she might’ve noticed the fatigue behind Shen Tingjun’s makeup or the tiny injection mark on her left arm, a faint scab that was still visible.

But Ranzhu didn’t.

She only knew that she’d been outshone—and that put her in a foul mood. She offered a distant greeting and took her seat.

Shen Tingjun responded politely and sat down as well.

Tonight’s gathering was small. Besides the two leads, Director Xu Yiren had also invited Chen Qiangwei—but neither of them had arrived yet. That left Shen Tingjun and Ranzhu alone in the private room.

The silence was so profound that it was almost deafening.

Soon, Director Xu Yiren pushed open the door with his favorite bottle of wine in hand and a smile plastered across his face. But the moment he stepped in, his grin froze.

The two women, one in black and one in white, sat on either side of the head seat like twin ghosts of judgment.

It looked less like a cast dinner and more like a tribunal in the underworld.

“Did you two coordinate your outfits?” he asked as he cracked open his bottle and took a swig, trying to bolster his courage before taking the middle seat.

“Must be some kind of unspoken connection,” Shen Tingjun replied calmly.

Xu Yiren wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Unspoken connection is good. I was worried you two wouldn’t get along, with all the online rumors.”

“You said it yourself—they’re just rumors,” Shen Tingjun replied politely. “Why take them seriously?”

“I mean, getting to act with a senior like her is already something I’m thrilled about. Why would I have a problem with Miss Shen?” Shang Ranzhu said with a sweet smile, deliberately emphasizing the word “senior” as she looked past the seat between them straight at Shen Tingjun—her playful retaliation for the earlier “little one.”

Xu Yiren, a total straight-laced Alpha, didn’t pick up on what was happening at all. He thought Ranzhu was just being modest and quickly added, “Exactly! It’s good to learn from senior actors when you’re starting out.”

Shen Tingjun, on the other hand, effortlessly grasped the situation. Still calm and composed, she raised her wine glass and said lightly, “I’ll make sure to teach this little one well.”

Ranzhu picked up her own glass with both hands, playing along humbly. “Then I’ll be in your care, Miss Shen.”

Their glasses clicked with a clear clink.

To Xu Yiren, that sound was like a pistol being cocked, and the air suddenly seemed to thicken with the scent of gunpowder.

Was one of their pheromones literally gunpowder-scented, or what?

Fortunately, Chen Qiangwei’s arrival, wearing a deep indigo midi dress with short sleeves, broke the tension. She moved gracefully, settling into the seat beside Shen Tingjun. “Sorry I’m late,” she said with a sheepish smile to everyone at the table.

Xu Yiren hurried to welcome her. “No worries, you coming here is already a huge honor for me!”

“Really? Then I’m flattered.” Chen Qiangwei’s smile was demure and graceful, resembling Shen Tingjun’s, despite Shang Ranzhu silently criticizing it.

After rushing over, Chen Qiangwei took a sip of her red wine to moisten her throat and then leaned closer toward Shen Tingjun. “When did you get here?”

“Just a little while ago,” Shen replied.

“You didn’t wait for me? I messaged you.” Qiangwei pouted softly; her tone was delicate and sweet. A classic Southern beauty from S City, her Beta nature let her shift seamlessly between charming and soft, the kind of temperament many found irresistible.

Except for Shang Ranzhu and Shen Tingjun.

The truth is, Shen Tingjun had seen the message when she arrived but chose to ignore it. She didn’t even slow her pace on the way in.

Still, she couldn’t say that outright in front of everyone, so she lied with ease: “It was cold outside, so I came in first.”

Xu Yiren, who was always chattering, took up the topic. “Yeah, the temperature’s been dropping lately. I got a shiver just getting out of the car.”

“And sure, we Alphas have good constitutions,” he added, “but Shen Tingjun, don’t skip on layers just to look good. “At this time of year, it gets chilly at night.”

Shen Tingjun nodded with a polite smile while taking another sip of her wine.

Then, Director Xu slapped his thigh and turned to Shang Ranzhu. “Hey, you’re an Alpha too, right?”

With a flick of her wrist, Shang Ranzhu popped a peanut into her mouth. “Yup.”

“Eighteen?”

“Twenty.”

“Perfect age to fall in love. Got your eye on any sweet little Omegas yet?” Xu Yiren had a strong interest in gossip, particularly concerning the younger actors.

Ranzhu addressed the question directly. “Not yet. Most of the Omegas around me are a bit too delicate.”

“I don’t think ‘delicate’ is a problem,” Director Xu shrugged. “So, what kind do you like?”

Shang Ranzhu thought for a moment. “Tall. Slim. Pretty. Preferably a woman.”

A basic, shallow answer if there ever was one.

“Girl, that’s what every Alpha wants,” Xu laughed, slapping her on the shoulder. “Be more specific.”

“She…” Ranzhu started, her mind unexpectedly conjuring up Shen Tingjun’s face from earlier that afternoon. “She doesn’t need to smile often, but when she does, it should be beautiful. Quiet and steady most of the time, but strong enough to keep me in check when it matters.”

Xu Yiren immediately blurted out, “That’s basically Shen Tingjun!”

Shang Ranzhu’s eyes widened in panic, and she quickly denied it. “No way!”

Xu looked over at Shen Tingjun—who didn’t seem offended at all—and went on cheerfully, “I honestly think you two would be a perfect match.”

Ranzhu had just taken a sip of water and nearly choked.

A match? Are you serious?

Shen Tingjun’s perpetually cold, no-nonsense face? Whoever ends up with her is just plain unlucky.

Before she could argue, Chen Qiangwei jumped in, clearly annoyed. “Hey, that’s completely inappropriate.” Tingjun’s an Alpha.”

“Oh right!” Director Xu slapped his forehead as if he had just remembered something important. “You’re both Alphas. What a shame.” He downed a shot of baijiu and sighed—whether from the burn or his disappointment was unclear.

Then suddenly, drunk and reckless, he grabbed their hands and pressed them together. “But hey, a forbidden double-A romance could be spicy. You two should consider it!”

Neither of them saw it coming.

Shang Ranzhu’s hand ended up on top of Shen Tingjun’s. Their fingers brushed, skin against skin. The warmth from Ranzhu’s palm began to slowly seep into Shen Tingjun’s.

Their expressions both shifted. From the moment they touched, their heartbeats sped up in unison.

Startled, Ranzhu pulled her hand back like she’d been shocked and quickly poured Director Xu another full glass of baijiu to cover her panic. “Here, Director Xu. Drink up. You can dream anything you want in dreamland.”

“Heh, dreamland sounds good. Ranzhu, you know, I keep dreaming of this Omega—tall, slim, soft ass, always making me meals…”

The conversation devolved into drunken nonsense. Xu’s only flaw was his drinking. Once tipsy, he couldn’t shut up—and his whiskey-scented pheromones began to fill the room.

Soon, he and Ranzhu were doing shot-for-shot rounds, and that distinct whiskey aroma grew thick in the air.

Shen Tingjun’s fingers began to feel weak. She knew she was being affected—not by Xu’s pheromones, but by Ranzhu’s.

That buttery-sweet scent, like whipped cream, clung to her senses, following her like a ghost as she stood and discreetly texted her agent, Andy, to come pick her up.

She gathered her things quickly, preparing to leave.

“You’re leaving?” Chen Qiangwei asked, rising as well.

Shen Tingjun gently placed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back into her seat. “I already called Andy. He’s coming to get me. You take care on your way home.”

Despite the silence between them, Qiangwei understood the message. She nodded, feeling disappointed. “I’ll message you when I get home.”

The hallway outside was silent once the door shut, Xu Yiren’s drunken rambling left behind like static cut off mid-broadcast.

Shen Tingjun walked alone down the empty hotel corridor. Her steps were steady, but her breathing wasn’t. She knew full well…

It wasn’t Xu’s pheromones affecting her.

It was Shang Ranzhu.

That cloying sweetness still lingered, stronger in the narrow hallway, clinging to her like it had followed her out. Shen Tingjun nearly faltered.

Something was wrong—very wrong.

Her breath came quicker. A light sweat formed at her temples. She pressed a hand against the wall, forcing herself to stop, and instinctively turned her head.

There, at the end of the hallway, stood Shang Ranzhu.

Her hair was a little tousled. She held a wine glass in her hand; her gaze was sharp and focused like a hunter locking eyes on her prey.

“Shen Tingjun! Stop right there!”