What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 3

Before heading out for dinner, Shu Qiong pulled a fresh mask from her bag and carefully put it on.

Yan Xiangyu asked, “Aren’t you hot?”

“My bag’s heavy,” Shu Qiong replied smoothly. “This is called personal image management.”

“I want one too.”

The response was so seamless that Shu Qiong didn’t immediately react. “Huh?”

Yan Xiangyu held out her hand. “A mask. Give me one.”

Suddenly, the confession post from the forum flashed through Shu Qiong’s mind. As if possessed, she grabbed a mask printed with a pink pig’s snout and numbly watched Yan Xiangyu tear open the packaging and snap it on with practiced ease.

Hey, it’s actually kind of cute.

As they passed the coat rack by the door, Yan Xiangyu plucked a baseball cap from the top shelf and lightly placed it on Shu Qiong’s head, patting it with satisfaction afterward.

Shu Qiong’s vision went dark for a moment. She instinctively reached to remove the cap, but remembering her newly established persona, she sullenly put it back on.

“So flashy,” she muttered.

Actually, it looks pretty good. It suits her aesthetic perfectly.

As the two women left the dormitory room, Gu Tiantian’s voice drifted down the hallway: “Yan Xiangyu has a hat like that too. Did you two buy matching couple’s hats?”

Shu Qiong nearly missed a step on the stairs.

Yan Xiangyu maintained her cool, composed demeanor the moment she stepped out of the room: “That hat is actually mine.”

“You two swap wardrobes,” Gu Tiantian nodded. “The masks are quite distinctive.”

Yan Xiangyu glanced at Shu Qiong, who was hurrying down the stairs without looking back. “The masks might be a couple’s set. Hmm, I’m not sure—she picked them out.”

From the stairwell came Shu Qiong’s exasperated voice, her attempt to feign deafness failing miserably: “They’re from the same series, a whole set, you know!”

Yan Xiangyu quickly corrected herself: “Oh, a family set then.”

“……” Shu Qiong glared fiercely.

Su He Yi watched their banter with amusement. “Shall we head to the Second Cafeteria? Their braised dishes are famous.”

“Let’s go, let’s go! Second Cafeteria it is!” Shu Qiong stomped down the stairs, her footsteps clattering loudly.

It was lunchtime, and the group blended in with the hungry students without drawing much attention. Shu Qiong pressed her mask against her face and walked close to the wall, determined to maintain a safe distance from every passerby.

Yan Xiangyu glanced at Shu Qiong several times, but said nothing.

As soon as Shu Qiong entered the Second Cafeteria, she felt a wave of despair. The long lines at the food windows proved the reliability of Su He Yi’s strategy and the genuine deliciousness of the braised dishes. Yet, with a single glance, Shu Qiong spotted several omegas.

She observed Yan Xiangyu out of the corner of her eye, gritted her teeth, and, amidst the tantalizing aroma of the food, forced herself to say, “I’ll just have nutrient solution…”

She pointed to the unattended vending machine in the corner and said bitterly, “I’ll buy some and then save seats for you guys.”

Ignoring her roommates’ surprised looks, Shu Qiong resolutely turned toward the bland, tasteless nutrient solution.

What a moron, she thought. Coming to the cafeteria just to drink nutrient solution?

She wasn’t even playing the role of a cold, aloof, domineering CEO A type with ascetic tendencies.

After finding an empty seat, she opened her wristband and unleashed her pent-up ranting spirit, typing furiously:

Shu Qiong: Young Miss!!!

Jin Yan: How’s it going? How are things with your Classmate Yan?

Shu Qiong: [Knife][Knife] How dare you even mention her! Do you have any sisterly love at all?

Jin Yan sent back a series of animated stickers of someone banging on a table and laughing hysterically.

Shu Qiong ignored the barrage of emojis flooding her screen and invited Jin Yan to join her for lunch at the Second Cafeteria.

Jin Yan:Reason? Tell me.

Shu Qiong:[Image] [Image]

Jin Yan tapped to open the images. The first showed a long line at the braised meat counter, while the second revealed a pitiful tube of nutrient paste on the table.

Unsurprisingly, Shu Qiong received another dozen [Slapping Table Laughing] emojis.

Shu Qiong:…Coming or not? If not, we’re done.

Jin Yan:[Image]

Shu Qiong opened the image to see a tea table laden with exquisite dishes, some already nearly empty, revealing the bottom of the bowls. Clearly, Miss Jin had already eaten lunch.

Jin Yan:[Red Lips] Sorry, darling, I already have plans with spaghetti salad and matcha cupcakes. [Red Lips]

Frustrated, Shu Qiong slammed her wristband shut.

Clatter. A tray landed in front of her, casting a shadow from behind.

“Calling her so affectionately,” Yan Xiangyu’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Why isn’t she joining you for lunch?”

Shu Qiong glared up. “…Eavesdropping is shameless!”

Yan Xiangyu’s thin lips tightened, giving her an aloof air. But Shu Qiong wasn’t intimidated, meeting her gaze head-on. “Who I eat with is none of your business.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Shu Qiong regretted them. Conversations that had once been commonplace during their relationship now felt utterly… baseless.

“Do you have to control who I eat with?”

“Don’t you want to spend more time with your girlfriend? Xiao Qiong, I miss you so much…”

“We were just in class together!”

Yan Xiangyu, usually so aloof, became clingy and jealous when in love, leaving Shu Qiong utterly helpless. She loved watching Shu Qiong eat, calling it “a feast for the eyes.” Before long, she’d be clinging to Shu Qiong again, even eating with her left hand just to keep her right hand free to play with Shu Qiong’s fingers.

Now, Yan Xiangyu’s gaze deepened. “What are you thinking about?”

Shu Qiong snapped back to reality, suddenly realizing their position was rather intimate. From a distance, it looked like Yan Xiangyu was embracing her, their faces so close they could see each other’s eyelashes.

“Is your wristband set to elderly mode?” Yan Xiangyu asked, subtly but sharply implying she hadn’t been intentionally eavesdropping.

WTF?

Shu Qiong just preferred larger fonts! Taking care of one’s eyes is everyone’s responsibility, okay?!

The awkward atmosphere vanished as Shu Qiong shifted away from Yan Xiangyu, glancing at the still-long queue. She spotted Su He Yi and Gu Tiantian in the line. “How did you get back so quickly?”

Yan Xiangyu circled behind the chair to sit beside her. “Each window has different dishes. Dividing up the lines is more efficient, and my line was shorter.”

Shu Qiong noticed her plate was piled high with only a few types of vegetarian dishes.

Yan Xiangyu handed her a set of chopsticks.

Shu Qiong felt a little embarrassed. “I didn’t even wait in line… I feel bad…”

Su He Yi’s voice came from beside her. “You saved us seats, remember? We were lucky to get here early, or we wouldn’t have found any.”

Shu Qiong had chosen a slightly secluded table. Only when she looked up did she realize all the surrounding tables were already full.

Gu Tiantian finally returned with a large basin of goose intestines, braised duck, and other marinated meats, receiving a warm welcome from the group.

The unopened nutrient solution Shu Qiong had been carrying was long forgotten. Who needed bland liquid when there was meat to eat?

Yan Xiangyu passed out napkins to everyone, then casually asked Shu Qiong, “Where’s your Young Miss? Isn’t she here to keep you company?”

Shu Qiong choked on a chili pepper, coughing violently until tears welled in her eyes.

Oh my god, this plot point hasn’t been resolved yet!

Yan Xiangyu calmly brought the water to Shu Qiong’s lips, commenting on Jin Yan, “He’s so inconsiderate.”

Shu Qiong obediently took a sip from her hand. “Mhm, mhm, mhm, so inconsiderate.”

Yan Xiangyu wiped the sauce from Shu Qiong’s corner of her mouth with a tissue. “People who call everyone ‘darling’ are so shallow.”

Shu Qiong passively let her do as she pleased. “Right, right, right, so shallow.”

Yan Xiangyu withdrew her hand. “Do you find me annoying? Are you just humoring me?”

“Yes, yes, yes—ah? No, no, no!”

Almost reflexively, Shu Qiong’s internal alarm bells rang, and she began her practiced routine of flattery. “Classmate Yan, you’re such a good person—way better than that blockhead Jin Yan! I feel so honored to be uh, to be your roommate!”

Realizing what she’d just said, Shu Qiong broke out in a cold sweat. This scene felt like a flashback to her past life, and she nearly lost control of her fangirl instincts, almost self-destructing right there!

She glanced across the table. Su He Yi was watching their roommate drama with a smile, while Gu Tiantian covered the lower half of her face, her expression unreadable.

“Eat, eat, eat! Why are you all staring at me?” Shu Qiong buried her head in her plate, determined to uphold the ancient wisdom of “no talking while eating or sleeping.”

Between mouthfuls, she noticed Yan Xiangyu’s sour expression. She wondered which careless remark had offended her this time.

Can’t afford to mess with her, can’t afford to mess with her.

Shu Qiong sped up her eating.

On the way back to the dormitory, Yan Xiangyu wore a cold expression. Though she appeared outwardly unchanged, Shu Qiong sensed her foul mood.

She opened her wristband and saw Jin Yan’s message again: “My darling.” A sudden realization struck her.

Could Yan Xiangyu be jealous?

It felt presumptuous to think so, but… but…

“Ahem, Classmate Yan,” Shu Qiong called out, stopping Yan Xiangyu.

Yan Xiangyu, hands in her pockets, turned her head slightly.

“What is it, Student Shu?”

The way she said “Student Shu” sounded as if she were grinding her teeth, a stark contrast to the intimate “darling.”

Su He Yi had already been dragged back to the dormitory by Gu Tiantian, leaving the two of them facing off in the corridor. Before closing the door, Gu Tiantian shot Shu Qiong a meaningful look, brimming with encouragement.

Shu Qiong wondered if she was imagining things. After all, she wasn’t about to confess her feelings.

Clearing her throat, she said to Yan Xiangyu, “Jin Yan and I are completely innocent. Our relationship is as straight as chopsticks, you understand?”

“Straight?” Yan Xiangyu scoffed. “Even chopsticks bend with use.”

Shu Qiong immediately retorted, “Then we’re stainless steel chopsticks!”

Yan Xiangyu met her gaze. “Why are you explaining all this to me?”

“Because I don’t want anyone to misunderstand our pure friendship, of course!” Shu Qiong replied, feeling a little awkward. She couldn’t quite explain her own motives. After all, she and Yan Xiangyu were a thing of the past, and she’d never cared what others thought of her.

Maybe it’s just habit, she thought. Habits are terrifying.

Shu Qiong realized she might still harbor a lingering affection for Yan Xiangyu.

Staring at Yan Xiangyu’s face, she decided this lingering affection was perfectly reasonable.

She was immune to Omega pheromones, not to beauty itself.

Yan Xiangyu didn’t miss the subtle movement of Shu Qiong licking her lips.

With a glance, Yan Xiangyu knew exactly what Shu Qiong was thinking. She waited patiently for Shu Qiong’s next move.

Shu Qiong had briefly considered throwing caution to the wind and forcing a kiss, taking what she could get and running. But then she remembered she was trapped in Room 406, and shamefully chickened out.

Under the control of her mind, which was wandering far beyond the heavens, she mechanically explained her innocent relationship with Jin Yan: “Jin Yan and I are both Alphas. How could we possibly spark any romantic feelings?”

Noticing the visible shift in Yan Xiangyu’s expression from sunny to stormy, Shu Qiong’s rationality returned slightly, and she tried to recover: “I don’t discriminate against Alphas, it’s just… an AA relationship would be really weird, right?”

Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

Shu Qiong still couldn’t imagine two Alphas fighting and biting each other’s necks during their heats.

This gave her a bit more confidence: “It’s a physiological thing! Alphas naturally repel each other’s pheromones!”

She carefully analyzed Yan Xiangyu’s expression, feeling like a Yan-brand barometer, keenly detecting signs of the storm clouds parting, turning to partly cloudy, and then clearing. A surge of joy welled up in her heart—

“Really?” Yan Xiangyu reached out and touched the back of Shu Qiong’s neck.

This was a sensitive spot, but considering they were both Alphas, Shu Qiong forced herself to endure the shivers and didn’t flinch.

Yan Xiangyu’s cool fingertips brushed against Shu Qiong’s burning glands, causing her to recoil slightly.

Suddenly, Shu Qiong realized something and flushed crimson with embarrassment.

“I can smell you,” Yan Xiangyu said, her lips curving into a pleased smile. “You claim to reject my pheromones, but your body tells a different story, doesn’t it?”

The grape brandy scent in the air was overwhelming, the strong liquor’s aroma mingling with rich fruity notes that nearly drowned out the faint tea fragrance.

Shu Qiong, her face flushed crimson, managed to choke out, “You’re such a green tea!”

So you were the one recklessly releasing pheromones in the bathroom! How uncivilized!

The thought of having praised this scent as refined made her face burn even hotter.

Her body felt feverish, bl00d rushing to her head, and the gentle circles Yan Xiangyu’s fingertips traced near her glands were unbearably provocative.

Before losing consciousness, Shu Qiong stubbornly insisted, word by word, “My heat is due in the next few days. Any excitement can trigger it early. It’s not… it’s not because of your pheromones…”

Yan Xiangyu caught Shu Qiong by the waist as she felt her body collapse backward. Knowing the situation was inappropriate, she still asked, “So, you hate my pheromones?”

Summoning every last bit of strength, Shu Qiong whispered into her ear, “I really do!”

It was unclear whether she was expressing genuine disgust or simply uttering a petulant complaint.

Shu Qiong’s head lolled to the side, and she completely fainted in Yan Xiangyu’s arms.