What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Sister

Fortunately, Yan Xiangyu didn’t take offense.

Not only did she not mind, but she actually seemed quite amused by the fact that Shu Qiong was using her name to stir up trouble.

“Who bothered you?” Her focus was on something else. “If you’re being bullied, you can come straight to me.”

Jin Yan, who had just walked over and overheard this, let out a mocking laugh: “My daughter being bullied? She’s the only one who does the bullying!”

Shu Qiong interrupted with a fake smile: “Fang Yingying is coming this way. Let’s go and leave the sisters to talk.”

Yan Xiangyu followed suit: “Alright.”

Jin Yan immediately pleaded: “I was wrong, I was wrong! Don’t leave me alone, I don’t know how to deal with her!”

Shu Qiong remained cold-hearted and pulled Yan Xiangyu away, giving Fang Yingying a distant wave and noting that the other girl’s pride remained fully intact.

The two sat in a corner for a short while before Shu Qiong patted her pants and stood up to meet her third opponent.

“Good luck.” Yan Xiangyu sat against the wall to cheer her on, her posture very upright.

Shu Qiong waved back from a distance, taking the time to relax her muscles.

This round, she encountered yet another familiar face.

“Hi~” The girl opposite her was the contestant from Track 82 who had previously been “stealing her techniques” from the neighboring track. She had persevered in watching Shu Qiong’s matches and had actually figured out some of the shooting patterns, showing she had great intuition.

Shu Qiong said kindly: “What a coincidence.”

“Sister, can you go easy on me later?” The contestant from No. 82 had a very friendly smile. “Actually, I’m not a combat soldier; I’m a Mecha Master from our school. I’m not good at fighting~”

Shu Qiong lied through her teeth: “Wow, what a coincidence! Actually, I’m not a combat soldier either; I’m a Commander from our school. I’m not good at fighting either!”

No. 82 gave her an inquisitive look, but her sweet smile quickly returned: “Really? Don’t lie to me, sister! Since neither of us are combat soldiers, can we keep it peaceful later?”

Shu Qiong: “Mhm, mhm.”

The two exchanged polite bows.

Just as Shu Qiong was straightening her neck after the bow, her peripheral vision caught a ghost-like figure rapidly closing in.

She knew it. Their previous conversation was about as reliable as saying “let’s walk together at the back” before a long-distance running test.

Shu Qiong dodged a strike, intending to repeat her trick of leading her opponent into the red dot snipers. Surprisingly, No. 82 didn’t take the bait. Instead, she giggled and dodged with a serpentine movement.

She said in an admiring tone: “Sister, you’re so smart! You even predicted that!”

Shu Qiong’s eyebrow arched: “You’re not bad yourself.”

Only five minutes had passed, but the speed of their exchange was much faster than Shu Qiong’s previous two rounds. She had already lost six points, while No. 82 hadn’t been hit once.

After dodging another punch, Shu Qiong realized that while No. 82 lacked raw power, she was highly skilled, always dodging and attacking from unexpected angles.

Shu Qiong was reminded of a kitten Jin Yan once raised: “Your balance is incredible, just like a cat.”

No. 82 said happily: “Is sister praising me? But I won’t go easy on you.”

Despite saying that, she lagged for a split second. Shu Qiong immediately seized the opportunity to attack, kicking at her lower body. No. 82 scrambled to dodge but was caught off guard and hit in the back by a red dot.

No. 82 actually laughed: “Sister is so mean! You just earned fifty points off me.”

Shu Qiong asked her: “Why do you keep calling me ‘sister’? I’m a freshman.”

“But I only turned eighteen this month.” No. 82 revealed a tiger tooth when she smiled, but her hands moved like the wind, her punches whistling through the air. “Because I skipped grades when I was little. Does sister not like me calling her that?”

Ever since the Alliance education reform a decade ago, most people started university around the age of twenty.

Shu Qiong found her extremely difficult to deal with; her footwork was starting to get frantic. “…Call me whatever you want.”

No. 82’s attack speed was simply too fast. Shu Qiong had accidentally lost fifteen points and was breathing heavily: “You’re actually a combat soldier, aren’t you?”

“Oh, why can’t I be a Mecha Master who’s just really good at close-quarters combat?” she asked defiantly.

Shu Qiong chuckled but didn’t explain. As a Mecha Master and shooting enthusiast herself, how could she not tell?

Though No. 82 had calluses on her hands, most of her skin was excessively smooth. Most Mecha Masters have hands covered in tiny scars—marks that even protective gloves can’t prevent. Furthermore, the calluses on her hands weren’t strictly from handling guns; they were distinctly different from those of people like Shu Qiong and Chang Xichun who handled firearms year-round.

Combined with her combat style—fast, stealthy, and versatile—it wasn’t hard to guess that No. 82 was likely a reconnaissance scout with significant skill.

No. 82 was quite familiar for a stranger, and she talked a lot during the fight: “Does sister think I’m a liar? Probably not, since you didn’t seem to believe me from the start.”

Shu Qiong found this way of speaking oddly familiar. In her thoughts, Yan Xiangyu’s face flashed by, and she fell silent.

“Is sister a combat soldier too? A sniper?” No. 82 guessed.

Shu Qiong had been in a strange mood ever since realizing this girl was the same “type” as Yan Xiangyu. She gave a dry laugh: “Keep guessing.”

No. 82 took this reaction as the guilt of being found out and said with a smile: “Don’t worry, sister. I’ll keep your secret.”

Shu Qiong raised her palm to block an elbow strike, reflecting that her previous feints had been too obvious. In truth, No. 82 only had a superficial understanding of the shooting patterns; in most cases, she was just making simple judgments based on Shu Qiong’s physical movements.

This method had a limited success rate. As long as Shu Qiong timed her traps correctly, No. 82 would easily fall for them.

Beep!

Her right leg was hit by a red dot. No. 82 retreated a meter: “Sister is so amazing~”

Shu Qiong was sweating profusely, only thankful that Yan Xiangyu was far enough away that she couldn’t hear their conversation. Having figured out her opponent’s routine, she prepared to end it quickly.

A red dot aimed at the back of Shu Qiong’s head, but she moved aside as if she had eyes in the back of her head. By the time the system “fired,” No. 82 couldn’t dodge in time. She was hit without suspense, losing another fifty points.

The two stopped, exchanged bows, and walked toward the rest area outside the tracks.

No. 82 proactively asked: “Sister, my name is Lin Mi. I haven’t asked for your name yet?”

Yan Xiangyu overheard this as she walked over. She looked at Shu Qiong with a half-smile, her face practically saying: It hasn’t even been half an hour and you’ve attracted someone else.

Shu Qiong brushed back the sweat-dampened hair on her forehead and rubbed her nose: “My name is ‘Military University Sniper’.”

“…”

Yan Xiangyu couldn’t help but laugh.

Lin Mi didn’t even look at Yan Xiangyu; she winked at Shu Qiong: “Well then, I understand what sister means. Let’s leave it to fate. I think we have a lot of fate between us.”

Yan Xiangyu’s eyes darkened instantly: “Qiong, where did you get this new ‘sister’?”

Shu Qiong: “…I didn’t. Don’t talk nonsense.”

Yan Xiangyu casually adjusted Shu Qiong’s jacket draped over her arm: “Hmm, I thought it was someone from another military school spying on the competition.”

Lin Mi’s smile didn’t fade: “How could that be? I’m leaving now, sister. Don’t forget me too quickly. Even though I lost this time, I’ll work hard to catch up to you!”

Shu Qiong nodded and uttered a “Goodbye.”

Lin Mi gave Yan Xiangyu a regretful look before turning back toward the tracks. Once she was gone, Yan Xiangyu continued to stare at Shu Qiong’s face.

Shu Qiong touched her face hesitantly: “Is there something on my face?”

Yan Xiangyu extended the arm holding the jacket but didn’t hand it over. Instead, she gently hooked her pinky finger with Shu Qiong’s. Shu Qiong didn’t pull away; she blinked, feeling a bit like laughing.

“You’re still laughing,” Yan Xiangyu said with a hint of grievance.

Shu Qiong straightened her face: “…I haven’t laughed yet.”

Yan Xiangyu shook Shu Qiong’s pinky, the two of them standing very close: “So you like this type now? ‘Sister’?”

Shu Qiong really wanted to say no, but the way Yan Xiangyu said “sister” was exceptionally pleasing to the ear. She couldn’t bring herself to lie, so her lips curled up: “I could like it.”

Yan Xiangyu’s eyes immediately lowered as she took Shu Qiong’s entire hand into her palm. “Sister, so many people like you. Do you like them?”

Shu Qiong raised an eyebrow: “Who are you referring to?”

Yan Xiangyu leaned in slightly, her gaze fixed: “Does sister specifically like me calling her that, or do you like anyone who calls you that?”

Shu Qiong took the opportunity to stroke her chin: “You know, this could easily be classified as harassment. However, when you say things like that with such a pretty face, I like it very much.”

Yan Xiangyu’s thin lips pressed together, slightly dissatisfied: “Just the face?”

Shu Qiong laughed and pulled her out of the training hall: “Let’s go, Student Yan. If we don’t leave, ‘sister’ won’t be able to stand much longer.”

After three consecutive fights, her breathing was unstable, and her leg muscles were twitching slightly.

Yan Xiangyu followed submissively: “I can carry you.”

“It’s not that serious.” Shu Qiong shook her head. “I’m going back to the dorm to catch up on sleep. What about you?”

Yan Xiangyu stuck close to her: “I’ll go wherever sister goes.”

“…”

Shu Qiong pulled her hand back: “Getting addicted to the roleplay?”

Yan Xiangyu’s expression turned innocent: “Qiong, I think my rut is coming soon.”

Before an Alpha’s rut, they can experience increased possessiveness, emotional instability, and a craving for their partner’s comfort. The severity varies from person to person.

Shu Qiong crossed her arms and waited for her to continue.

Yan Xiangyu said without changing her expression: “Can you give me a hug?”

Shu Qiong feigned difficulty: “That might not be good, right? Well, if you act cute, I’ll consider it.”

Yan Xiangyu’s expression froze instantly.

Shu Qiong burst into laughter: “Alright, alright, I won’t make it hard for you. Let’s go.”

Yan Xiangyu didn’t dare to make any more requests. she felt a bit anxious, unsure if she had been rejected or silently permitted.

The two of them walked all the way to the dormitory. The door was slightly ajar and someone was already inside. The curtains were drawn leaving only a sliver of light, and Jin Yan was inside sleeping soundly.

Shu Qiong reached for the doorknob. Yan Xiangyu thought she was going to open the door and go in, feeling a bit disappointed. However, Shu Qiong just gently pulled the door shut with her backhand, closing it tight.

She turned to face Yan Xiangyu: “Just one hug.”

While Yan Xiangyu was still stunned, Shu Qiong took a step forward and loosely wrapped her arms around her waist.

Shu Qiong’s posture was reserved. Though it was a hug, there was a finger’s width of space between them; they weren’t fully touching. Yan Xiangyu lowered her head slightly, catching the faint fragrance from the other girl’s hair. Her lips pressed tighter.

It was always like this. Shu Qiong was always like this. Yan Xiangyu felt a sense of gloom in her heart. Even when the other girl initiated kisses or hugs, they felt airy—that phantom weight only served to make one more restless.

This level was far from enough. Yan Xiangyu’s heart surged and fell, swaying between surprise and disappointment, never quite finding solid ground.

Shu Qiong loosened her arms and stepped back. Yan Xiangyu didn’t stop her, but spoke slowly: “Your hug is over? Then mine is about to begin.”

She stepped forward and pulled Shu Qiong completely into her arms, her grip very tight. She buried her face in Shu Qiong’s neck, her warm breath hitting her skin in a burning heat.

“Sis-ter.” Yan Xiangyu’s voice was muffled, carrying a hint of competitiveness. “This is what you call a hug.”

She used a lot of force, as if venting her dissatisfaction, pulling Shu Qiong firmly against her. The feeling of softness filling her arms made her reluctant to end the hug for a long time.

After all, everything could be explained away—her rut was coming, wasn’t it? Student Shu would surely understand.