What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 2

I didn’t realize Student Shu paid so much attention to me…

Jin Yan forced a stiff laugh. “Ha, ha, what a coincidence!”

She quickly set an alarm on her wristband and hurried away. Before leaving, she nudged Shu Qiong, who was pretending to be dead with her head bowed, and said with forced casualness, “A’Qiong, I have to run. You get along well with Classmate Yan, okay? Call me if you need anything.”

Miss Jin, ever the unreliable friend, lit the fuse and slipped away without a backward glance, leaving Shu Qiong to stew in the awkward silence.

Shu Qiong endured as long as she could, but realized this couldn’t go on. If the first day was already this awkward, how would she survive four years of living together?

Finally, she spoke up, “Um…”

“Let’s talk inside,” Yan Xiangyu interrupted, leaning against the doorframe to make room for her to pass.

Shu Qiong brushed aside the stray strands of hair falling across her forehead and silently pushed her suitcase inside.

Seeing Yan Xiangyu didn’t budge, Shu Qiong steeled herself and squeezed past her legs.

The suitcase had picked up a layer of dust along the way, leaving a conspicuous grayish-white smudge on Yan Xiangyu’s black pants the moment it brushed against them.

Shu Qiong pretended not to notice, pausing deliberately beside Yan Xiangyu as if struggling with the weight. The suitcase left another dusty mark on Yan Xiangyu’s pants.

Serves you right for blocking my way!

Yan Xiangyu, now sporting two dirty smudges, finally retracted her long legs, which had been awkwardly positioned.

Shu Qiong entered the dormitory without a change in expression, the tension she had maintained throughout the journey finally easing.

Before she could fully exhale, she caught Yan Xiangyu still standing motionless in the corner, her gaze fixed intently on… Shu Qiong’s waist?

Shu Qiong glanced down at her waist. Nothing seemed amiss.

Except for the lingering phantom pain on her side from the two forceful pokes Jin Yan had given her before leaving.

As the awkward silence hung heavy in the air, a savior-like voice finally broke through: “Our last roommate is here?”

A voice from heaven!

Shu Qiong straightened up immediately, looking up to see two girls emerging from the leftmost room. The taller one had the standard muscular build of an Alpha, while the shorter one was a slender Beta.

“Hello, I’m Shu Qiong,” Shu Qiong said, her eyes crinkling into a smile. “I was stuck in traffic and arrived a bit late.”

The tall Alpha girl smiled back, her voice surprisingly gentle for her imposing frame. “I just got here myself and was still unpacking. I’m Su He Yi, and Yan Xiangyu and I are both in Mecha Single Combatant Class One.”

She gestured toward Yan Xiangyu, who had already closed the door to room 406. “This is Yan Xiangyu, our class valedictorian. I’m second.”

Shu Qiong inwardly groaned.

I should have seen this coming!

Yan Xiangyu had always excelled academically, making it highly likely they’d end up as roommates.

Behind Su He Yi, the Beta girl wore slightly bulky glasses, her round face framed by a shy expression. “You’re all top students from the Mecha Department, aren’t you? I’m from the Political Science Department next door. The dorms over there were full, so they squeezed me into room 406 in Building F. You can call me Gu Tiantian.”

She had only managed to get into the Alliance Military University through sheer luck and an exceptional performance on the entrance exam, barely scraping past the minimum score for the Political Science Department.

After getting accepted, Shu Qiong had braced herself for living on the top floor and climbing eight flights of stairs every day. But to her astonishment, a vacancy had opened up in Room 406, the legendary “genius dorm.” What incredible luck!

Su He Yi gently patted her shoulder. “Tian Tian is wonderful. She was just helping me tidy up my room.”

Shu Qiong finally had a chance to examine the interior of Room 406. The dorm was larger than she’d imagined, a four-person suite.

The common area featured basic furniture and appliances, with the bathroom directly ahead. Two small doors on either side of the living room led to the four bedrooms, which were slightly cramped but impeccably clean.

Su He Yi helped her carry her luggage. “The room on the far right is still available. I saved you the sunniest one.”

Shu Qiong was overwhelmed. “Thank you!”

She hurried to take the large suitcase from Su He Yi, signaling that she could manage it herself. But before she could react, another hand snatched the suitcase away.

Yan Xiangyu said nothing as she lifted the luggage from Su He Yi’s grasp and strode toward Shu Qiong’s room.

Shu Qiong followed, carrying the remaining items.

Gu Tiantian tugged at Su He Yi’s sleeve. “He Yi, let’s just keep helping you organize your room. Those two over there are enough; we’d only get in the way.”

Su He Yi agreed. She raised her voice across the living room, “Hey, you two! Let’s all grab dinner at the cafeteria when you’re done!”

Shu Qiong hurried forward to help Yan Xiangyu open the door, calling back, “Got it!”

Yan Xiangyu glanced at her and replied, “Understood.”

After gently setting Shu Qiong’s belongings on the floor, Yan Xiangyu noticed the fine beads of sweat on her forehead. “Are you hot?”

Duh! Today’s high was 36 degrees Celsius—of course she was hot!

Shu Qiong grabbed a wet wipe and wiped her forehead haphazardly. Remembering Yan Xiangyu’s obsessive cleanliness, she asked with a mix of testing and mischief, “Could you throw this away for me? The trash can’s in the living room.”

Trapped in a corner by her luggage, she held out the crumpled wipe at arm’s length.

Yan Xiangyu stared at her, lips pressed into a thin line.

Another unconscious tic, Shu Qiong thought. This woman’s not as composed as she pretends to be.

Did I finally get under her skin?!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Shu Qiong knew when to stop, not one to completely disregard someone’s dignity. She withdrew her arm, stepped over the luggage pile, and prepared to take out the trash herself.

“I’ll handle it,” Yan Xiangyu said, already taking the wad of wet tissues and heading out.

Before leaving, Yan Xiangyu closed the door behind her, leaving Shu Qiong awkwardly poised with one leg raised, hesitating whether to step out or not.

What was that about? Shu Qiong muttered to herself. What did she mean by “You only know how to bully me”?

It made her sound like some kind of bully.

Right, it’s my fault for being too Alpha, Shu Qiong thought, trying to reassure herself. She threw herself into tidying the room with renewed vigor.

The room was sparsely furnished: a bed, a wardrobe, a desk and chair set. The temperature and humidity regulator embedded in the ceiling operated almost silently, its cool breeze dispelling the day’s heat.

Shu Qiong stretched languidly, satisfied with her work. She still had time for a shower before dinner.

As she approached the bathroom, the door swung open, and Yan Xiangyu emerged, drying her hands.

Shu Qiong’s gaze drifted from Yan Xiangyu’s face to her slender hands, then back to the bathroom. She pointed. “Can I go in?”

Yan Xiangyu finally cracked a smile. “If you want to go in, go ahead.”

Shu Qiong darted inside and slammed the door shut, leaving Yan Xiangyu outside.

Jin Yan was right—this woman was indeed a total “bking.” Not only did she strike cool poses at every opportunity, but couldn’t she just answer a simple question properly?

What was with “If you want to go in, go ahead”? She just wanted to use the bathroom, not barge into Yan Xiangyu’s room!

This confrontational vibe made Shu Qiong clench her fist, sensing the tense rivalry between two female Alphas.

A faint fragrance lingered in the bathroom, likely from someone’s leaky shower gel or perfume.

Shu Qiong sniffed the air. Smells like some kind of green tea scent—quite pleasant, actually. Elegant without being pretentious, slightly bitter without being overly sweet. I should ask what brand it is later; it’s quite refined.

Not wanting to keep her roommates waiting, Shu Qiong took a quick shower, rinsed off, and threw on her clothes. She grabbed a dry towel and vigorously rubbed her hair. “Tian Tian, just five more minutes!”

Gu Tiantian and Su He Yi were eating fruit on the sofa. They had finished unpacking long ago and had been waiting for Shu Qiong. Hearing her, they didn’t urge her but smiled, “You showered so quickly! We’re not hungry yet, so there’s no rush.”

Su He Yi speared a large, juicy piece of cantaloupe and held it to Shu Qiong’s mouth. “Moving luggage in this heat must have been exhausting and thirsty work. Have some fruit to tide you over.”

Yan Xiangyu glanced sideways.

Su He Yi quickly speared another piece of melon for her.

Yan Xiangyu’s eyes cleared instantly, and she awkwardly took the fork and thanked her.

Shu Qiong was touched, chewing thoughtfully.

My roommates are so considerate—they’re all little angels!

But just because they weren’t rushing her didn’t mean she could take her time. Shu Qiong sped up, shaking her head like a wet puppy trying to dry its fur. She planned to leave after just half-drying her hair with the towel.

Mid-shake, her neck was suddenly held still. Yan Xiangyu’s voice came from above, “Didn’t you say you had cervical spondylosis? Doesn’t your neck hurt anymore?”

Before Shu Qiong could reply, Yan Xiangyu had already pulled a hairdryer from the cabinet. She tested the air temperature with her fingertip and gestured for Shu Qiong to sit down in front of her.

Shu Qiong sat down, her face a mix of confusion and suspicion that this might be a trap.

She couldn’t afford her ex-girlfriend’s hair-drying service.

Shu Qiong sat rigidly on the small stool, her hands placed neatly on her knees like a well-behaved and serious elementary school student.

Yan Xiangyu’s technique was surprisingly good, tending to Shu Qiong’s hair as carefully as she would nurture newly sprouted, tender scallions.

But Yan Xiangyu’s movements were too intense. Shu Qiong, who had been sitting upright, soon grew restless. Her gaze wandered, noticing that the pants Yan Xiangyu had dirtied earlier were now clean again.

My ex-girlfriend is actually quite nice, Shu Qiong thought, repaying evil with kindness.

After some reflection, Shu Qiong decided she shouldn’t be so petty. Ideally, they could put the past behind them and build a friendship. At the very least, they should maintain a facade of harmony.

After all, they would inevitably run into each other. If their relationship soured, it would make things awkward for Su He Yi and Gu Tiantian.

Suddenly, Gu Tiantian spoke up, “Did you two know each other before?”

What?

Shu Qiong jumped, the hairdryer buzzing in her ear. Half-deafened, she misheard Gu Tiantian’s question, thinking she had asked if they had “dated before.”

Does she have eyes that can see through lies?

Shu Qiong looked into Gu Tiantian’s calm, intelligent eyes behind her black-framed glasses and replied solemnly, “Absolutely not.”

When you’re out in public, nipping all rumors in the bud is the greatest respect you can show your ex.

Shu Qiong had wanted to exchange a meaningful glance with Yan Xiangyu to commemorate this historic moment of closure with her ex, and to send out friendly mental vibes.

Unfortunately, the stool was too short, forcing her to lower her gaze and look meaningfully at Yan Xiangyu’s shoes instead.

At the same moment, she felt the hand gently tending to her hair—no, not her hair, the scallions—pause slightly.

Yan Xiangyu’s voice betrayed no emotion as she asked, “Really? Weren’t you just discussing me, the ‘bking,’ with your friend an hour ago?”

“……” Why bring this up now? What are you trying to start?

Shu Qiong awkwardly tried to change the subject. “That was just her rambling after seeing your post… By the way, Classmate Yan, someone confessed to you on the forum! Our 406 dorm already has a celebrity just after the semester started. Haha, as your roommate, I’m genuinely happy for you.”

Yan Xiangyu chuckled softly. “I didn’t realize Student Shu was so interested in me. How come I haven’t seen this confession post about myself?”

Shu Qiong suspected this person either had comprehension issues or hearing problems. What do you mean I’m paying attention to you? The subject of the sentence was clearly Jin Yan!

“It’s pinned on the forum homepage, highlighted in red. You can’t miss it,” she explained wearily.

“Oh! The one with the photos? It’s still pinned?” Su He Yi exclaimed in surprise. “The OP really nailed the angles in those two shots. Impressive!”

“Let me see,” Yan Xiangyu said, glancing at the screen before quickly losing interest and looking away.

Su He Yi scrolled through the forum with amusement, his attention caught by a neighboring thread:

Heard Shu Ci’s daughter, Shu Qiong, is also in the Mecha Department? Has anyone seen her in person? Offering milk tea for photos!

3L: Isn’t it wrong to just post someone’s photos like that?

6L: Relax, we’re all in the same school. We’ll see her eventually. She’s not some top-secret figure.

11L: Is this rumor true? Has anyone actually seen her?

65L: Heard she looks a lot like Shu Ci, but she’s not an Omega—she’s a Female Alpha in Mech Pilot Class One.

66L: More intel needed!

67L: Haven’t seen her in person, only the ID photo in her file. She’s a refined and elegant type of Alpha.

68L: The person above must be a teacher! [Shocked]

71L: A refined and beautiful Female Alpha—whoever gets her wins! [Smirking]

73L: I wonder if she inherited her mother’s talent. But geniuses like Ms. Shu are probably one in a million… It’s such a pity she died so young.

74L: Dying young is tragic enough, but marrying young is even worse!

91L: Everyone, wait for my update! I’m also in Mecha Engineer Class One. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Shu Qiong herself for her contact information. Wish me luck!

99L: Camping

100L: Camping +1

The thread exploded with activity. After reading through it, Su He Yi couldn’t help but feel that her future campus life wouldn’t be peaceful.

She closed the forum and glanced at the subject of the heated discussion.

The hairdryer had stopped buzzing. Yan Xiangyu casually handed Shu Qiong the comb, who took it with effortless grace and nudged the small stool toward her with her leg.

Yan Xiangyu nodded, bent down, and returned the stool to its original position.

Su He Yi sighed, “Roommates should help each other like this.”

Gu Tiantian pushed up her glasses without a word, her eyes behind the lenses gleaming with an unreadable light.