Her Pheromones Smell Like Sparkling Water (GL) - Chapter 6

Shang Ranzhu’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried undeniable force.

Shen Tingjun stared into her eyes—eyes that looked like they were about to devour her. Her feet refused to move. She just stood there, frozen, watching Shang Ranzhu walk toward her.

Shang Ranzhu charged at her like she was using every bit of strength she had. Even when she was almost at Shen Tingjun’s side, she didn’t slow down. She crashed straight into her, arms full, and a sudden burst of uncontrolled pheromones exploded into the air with a bang.

Shen Tingjun nearly lost the strength in her legs.

Shang Ranzhu clung to her, arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Her peach blossom eyes looked up at Shen Tingjun like a cat. “You’re not allowed to leave.”

Shen Tingjun turned her head, trying to avoid the overwhelming wave of pheromones. “Shang Ranzhu, you’re drunk.”

“I’m not… I haven’t even challenged you yet. How could I be drunk?” Her words were firm, but her breath reeked of alcohol.

There was no use arguing with someone this drunk. It was better to play along. Shen Tingjun felt like she was trying to calm down a bristling stray cat. She gently coaxed her, “Let’s go somewhere else to drink, okay?”

“Then where are we going?” Shang Ranzhu’s voice softened, and she buried her fuzzy head against Shen Tingjun’s neck, rubbing against her nonstop.

Shen Tingjun now resembles a cat even more.

Shen Tingjun let out a quiet breath. Maybe her compromise had worked—Shang Ranzhu didn’t seem as fired up anymore, and the pheromones that had filled the hallway were quickly sucked away by the ventilation system.

“Wherever you want to go, I’ll go with you. Sound good?” Shen Tingjun spoke softly by her ear. Her warm breath brushed against Shang Ranzhu’s earlobe—ticklish and tingly.

Shang Ranzhu scratched her ear, accidentally brushing aside Shen Tingjun’s thick hair. A scent floated up from the back of her neck—something she’d never smelled before, yet somehow seemed familiar. “Ms. Shen, you smell kind of weird.”

“…Like sparkling water.”

Shen Tingjun’s heart thudded. “What did you say it smells like?”

“You know, that fizzy drink that goes pop pop pop. Haven’t you ever had it?” Shang Ranzhu didn’t think of pheromones at all—she really believed Shen Tingjun just didn’t know what sparkling water was, so she proudly explained it.

When Shen Tingjun didn’t respond, Shang Ranzhu looped her arms around her neck, clinging to her. “You’ve never had it before, have you?”

Her fair face had a soft pink glow to it, stunningly beautiful. With those peach blossom eyes brimming with mischief, it was impossible to resist her. Shen Tingjun looked away and nodded slightly. “No, I haven’t.”

Shang Ranzhu immediately looked heartbroken. She gently tucked Shen Tingjun’s hair behind her ear and stroked her smooth cheek. “That’s so sad, Ms. Shen. You’ve never even had sparkling water.”

“Yeah,” Shen Tingjun said quietly, a faint bitterness in her eyes. “I guess I am a little pitiful.” She’d been soaked in sparkling water for eleven years now. If nothing changed, it would follow her for the rest of her life.

But how could she possibly explain that to Shang Ranzhu—especially when she was drunk?

Looking into those sincere eyes filled with sympathy, Shen Tingjun couldn’t help but feel a little tempted. She asked on purpose, “Then… would you treat me to one?”

Shang Ranzhu saw the honesty in her eyes and fell right into the trap. “Carry me, and I’ll buy it for you.”

Shen Tingjun agreed without hesitation. She turned around and said, “Hop on.”

Shang Ranzhu, wobbly on her feet, didn’t hold back even though she was drunk. She jumped up and landed on Shen Tingjun’s back. Maybe she was afraid Shen Tingjun would run away, because her legs clamped tightly around her waist. Their bodies pressed together, exchanging sticky heat.

Still, Shen Tingjun didn’t seem to mind. She calmly placed her hands under Shang Ranzhu’s thighs to support her.

Her warm palms touched the softest part of Shang Ranzhu’s inner thighs—delicate as a newborn baby’s skin.

Lying on Shen Tingjun’s back, Shang Ranzhu let out a pleased giggle. Then she leaned close to her ear and whispered like she was telling a secret, “Ms. Shen, let me tell you something—my family runs a fried chicken shop. We have tons of sparkling water. You can drink as much as you want. Hic—I’ll pay.”

Shen Tingjun’s ear tingled from the whisper, but she kept her face calm. She kept walking and said, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. You just seem so sad, Ms. Shen,” Shang Ranzhu said. Then, looking genuinely heartbroken, she rested her head on Shen Tingjun’s shoulder, turning her face to the side to look at her profile. “Ms. Shen, have you missed out on a lot of things? Fried chicken, Coke, sparkling water… Have you ever really been happy?”

“Are you happy?”

Shen Tingjun let out a bitter laugh. Maybe happiness wasn’t something she’d ever truly had.

After all, how could someone who wasn’t even allowed to love be happy?

All the way there, Shang Ranzhu chatted nonstop like she’d been possessed by Chen Ming, talking just to fill the silence. Shen Tingjun didn’t walk fast and responded here and there, not saying much.

“Ms. Shen…” Shang Ranzhu called softly by her ear again.

“Hm?”

“I think I’m going to throw up.”

Urgh—

Before Shen Tingjun could react, Shang Ranzhu leaned her head forward and vomited all over her.

If there was any positive aspect to this mess, it was likely that Shang Ranzhu had been too preoccupied with drinking with Xu Yiren earlier to consume much food. So what came out was mostly fruit she’d snacked on in the afternoon.

The mix of stomach acid, fruit, and alcohol spread from Shen Tingjun’s chest all the way down to her skirt. Even her sleek black stiletto heels had a pink drop of something vaguely strawberry-colored clinging to them.

She looked like a total mess.

“……”

Shen Tingjun’s face was darker than her ruined clothes.

This girl really was a wild little cat—say she’s going to throw up, and then boom, no warning.

“Ugh… Ms. Shen, I feel terrible,” Shang Ranzhu mumbled, wiping her mouth with the decorative silk scarf on Shen Tingjun’s dress like it was nothing.

Shen Tingjun glanced at the now-unsalvageable scarf and accepted, with calm resignation, that this dress was done for. She said steadily, “This dress cost me 19.8 million.”

Shang Ranzhu blinked. “That’s so expensive. Ms. Shen, you must be really rich.”

“I’m not rich,” Shen Tingjun replied. “That’s why I really treasured this dress.”

Shang Ranzhu touched the fabric, wrinkling her nose at the sour smell. Her face scrunched up like a little old lady. “Who’s the bad guy who ruined your dress?”

“You, you little troublemaker,” Shen Tingjun said plainly.

Shang Ranzhu pouted, visibly upset. “I’m not a troublemaker…”

Shen Tingjun curved her lips into a faint smile. “Well, if you don’t want to be one, you’ll have to pay me back for the dress.”

“But it’s so expensive,” Shang Ranzhu whined, hiding her face against Shen Tingjun’s shoulder like she wanted to disappear.

Shen Tingjun pretended to think. “Then how about paying me in sparkling water? Didn’t you say your family owns a fried chicken shop?”

Shang Ranzhu’s eyes lit up immediately. She nodded eagerly. “Sure! Let’s do that. I’ll repay you with sparkling water.”

Shen Tingjun agreed with a nod. Shang Ranzhu grinned, thinking she’d made a great deal. “Hehe, actually, I can drink as much as I want for free. My family owns the place—ten or even twenty bottles, no problem!”

At that moment, Shen Tingjun put away her invisible fishing rod, turned off her phone’s recording feature, and adjusted Shang Ranzhu more securely on her back, like she was settling a prized catch. “So, did I lose out on the deal?” Shen Tingjun asked.

Afraid she might back out, Shang Ranzhu quickly explained, “No way! Our sparkling water sells for three yuan a bottle! It’s my mom’s secret recipe.”

“You have to believe me. I wouldn’t lie. Our shop’s at 36 A34 Street. It’s called AO Fried Chicken. The owner’s name is Shang Decai, and the boss lady is Liu Lihua. I’m Shang Ranzhu…”

Shen Tingjun quietly committed all of it to memory and nodded. “Of course I believe you.”

After all, you’re just a little wildcat.

And I’m the hunter.

She carried Shang Ranzhu out of the hotel. Her private car was already waiting at the entrance.

Andy saw her coming out with someone on her back and quickly got out to help put Shang Ranzhu into the car.

Glancing at the half-conscious girl, Andy looked at Shen Tingjun in confusion. “What happened?”

Shen Tingjun had already cleaned up a bit. Calmly, she said, “She drank too much and said she wanted to treat me to sparkling water.”

Andy looked even more alarmed. As Shen Tingjun changed her dress, she added, “She couldn’t tell. She thought I’d never had sparkling water before.”

Andy nodded, feeling reassured. Shen Tingjun was always meticulous, never leaving traces.

There were only spare clothes in the car: a plain white shirt and a pair of black jeans. Simple, but on Shen Tingjun, the look gave off a cold elegance. As she buttoned her shirt, she noticed Andy about to toss the ruined dress into the trash. Though Shang Ranzhu had promised sparkling water as compensation, she still felt a pang of regret.

“That dress was a custom piece brought to me from a runway show in France by Xiao Nian,” she said wistfully, sitting by the sleeping Shang Ranzhu.

Andy glanced at the dress one more time and shook her head. “It’s completely ruined. There’s no saving it.”

Of course Shen Tingjun knew that. Her gaze shifted to the little troublemaker snoring away on her bed, blissfully unaware of her crimes. The sight made her feel oddly unsettled.

She tapped the intercom. “Driver, please head to AO Fried Chicken at 36 A34 Street. Thank you.”

Hearing the name of a completely unfamiliar place—some noisy fast food joint—Andy looked confused. “What are we going there for?”

Shen Tingjun replied with all seriousness, “This little one said she’d treat me to sparkling water.”

“…You’re joking, right?” Andy blinked.

“Nope.” Shen Tingjun shook her head. Tonight, Shang Ranzhu needed to compensate for the ruined dress withat least a few bottles of soda.

Andy covered her face with her hand. Sometimes she just couldn’t figure Shen Tingjun out. Normally cold and distant, refusing to get close to anyone, yet every now and then, she’d act like a total child.

She calls others “little kids,” but honestly? She’s a hidden little princess herself.

*****

A34 Street was the most famous and bustling commercial area in A City, packed with food, entertainment, and nightlife. When the city lights flickered on and darkness fell, it became a playground for the young.

Shen Tingjun’s family had a store there too—a massive retail chain that brought in tens of millions in annual profit. Thanks to that connection, their private car wasn’t stopped at the entrance and made its way smoothly down the road, pulling up behind the overflowing AO Fried Chicken shop.

Andy went inside first and found Shang Ranzhu’s mom, Liu Lihua, who looked completely confused but followed her outside. She took one look at the luxury van and was both stunned and nervous. “What happened to our Ranzhu?”

From inside the car, Shen Tingjun saw her through the window and stepped out to greet her politely. “Hello, Auntie. I’m Shen Tingjun. I’m… uh… Shang Ranzhu’s—”

The moment Liu Lihua heard her name, her eyes widened. She yanked off her apron and bolted back inside, shouting as she ran, “Zhuzi’s dad! Hurry! Our girl brought her wife home!”