What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Tasting

Qin Liang was the one to pick up the conversation. The Beta lady shrunk her neck back as she recalled the scene: “Junior Yan’s expression looked like she was about to kill someone. Are Alphas in their rut always that terrifying?”

The answer was no.

The academy doctor, who had just re-checked Shu Qiong’s temperature, chuckled: “Student Yan nearly had a pheromone explosion right here at the medical point. If an Alpha pheromone of that grade had actually exploded, it would have knocked out half the people in this room.”

Fortunately, Yan Xiangyu had held it back herself. He Xuchou had looked after her and seen her back to the dormitory first.

Throughout the walk, Yan Xiangyu’s steps were steady and her expression calm. If one ignored the surging pheromones that neither her suppressor patch nor the high-potency injection could fully contain, He Xuchou might have actually believed she was as composed as she looked on the surface.

Back at the dorm, Yan Xiangyu instinctively reached into her pocket as she took off her jacket, only to remember it wasn’t her own. Her fingertips brushed against the texture of paper. She pulled out a few slips of paper with two fingers. Once she saw the handwriting on them, her expression softened instantly.

They were all the sticky notes she had left for Shu Qiong over the past few days—the ones attached to the thermos, the ones on the takeout lunchboxes. Shu Qiong hadn’t thrown a single one away.

He Xuchou watched this scene in surprise. Feeling the atmosphere was a bit too quiet, she considered saying something. But since neither she nor Yan Xiangyu were talkative people, being alone together was somewhat awkward.

“Thank you for walking back with me, Captain.” Yan Xiangyu folded the notes carefully, put them back in the pocket, and hung the jacket up. She uncharacteristically took the initiative to show goodwill: “Don’t worry, I feel much better. If you have other things to do, you don’t need to stay on my account.”

He Xuchou clearly felt the other’s emotions stabilize, and the tension in her heart dissipated. Part of that tension was worry for her schoolmate, and part was the instinctive Alpha pheromone repulsion.

Just then, both their wrists vibrated simultaneously; it was a message from Chang Xichun. He Xuchou checked it and sighed in relief: “Junior Shu is awake. I’ll go see her. You should rest first.”

Yan Xiangyu nodded slightly.

Inside the medical point.

The patient, Shu Qiong, enjoyed VIP treatment, staring at the IV drip while spacing out. Her teammates had a clear division of labor: some were responsible for feeding her water, some for adjusting the drip rate, and some had volunteered to “manage the patient’s mood” by telling dad jokes.

Jin Yan: “A, B, C, and D are waiting for a bus, but only A gets on—because it was an armored car! Hahahahaha!”

Chang Xichun: “Hahahahaha!”

Jin Yan: “Then B, C, and D call another car, but this time only D can’t get on…”

Qin Liang: “I know! Because it’s a go-kart (D-car in Chinese)!”

Jin Yan: “Right! Hahahaha!”

Shu Qiong: “…”

Jin Yan was relentlessly showcasing her encyclopedia of dry humor. Chang Xichun and Qin Liang were completely in sync with her, erupting into goose-like honking laughter from time to time. Then, inspired, the two of them racked their brains to dig up several ancient jokes of their own as a “return of courtesy.”

Chang Xichun was eager: “Question: If a good person and a bad person are in a car together, who gets off first?”

Qin Liang answered instantly: “The bad person, because the good person ‘does it to the end’!”

Jin Yan immediately burst into more honking laughter. The three “geese” surrounded Shu Qiong’s bed, sounding like a multi-layered 3D surround-sound system. Shu Qiong listened expressionlessly, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket that smelled of disinfectant.

She felt that if this continued, Chang Xichun—the beautiful and blunt senior she first met—and Qin Liang—the steady and reliable junior—would become things of the past, as they were gradually being “Jin Yan-ified.” Three Jin Yans in one team was a terrifying thought.

Thankfully, Yan Xiangyu and He Xuchou were more reserved personalities and wouldn’t be easily led astray. Shu Qiong felt a secret sense of relief.

By the time the IV finished, it was 11:00 PM. The doctor, quite fed up, chased the group away without the slightest intention of letting them stay longer.

To Shu Qiong’s shock, Jin Yan and the others only walked her to the dormitory entrance. She realized then that they had actually abandoned their unfinished physical training to find her at the equipment building and accompany her through the IV drip.

While moved, she couldn’t help but think—without a shred of team spirit—that she actually would have preferred they stayed at training rather than shouting dry jokes in her ear.

The four of them said goodbye and headed toward the training hall. Jin Yan and Qin Liang walked with their arms around each other like brothers, Chang Xichun whispered with them, and He Xuchou watched them with motherly affection, letting out a polite laugh occasionally. It looked quite harmonious.

“Question: Between a tall person and a short person, who loves swimming more…”

As the voices faded into the distance, Shu Qiong withdrew her gaze and pushed open the dorm door with a slight smile. The room was pitch black. Shu Qiong blinked, her eyes not yet adjusted to the darkness.

Is Yan Xiangyu already asleep?

Shu Qiong closed the door softly without turning on the light, fearing she might disturb her roommate’s rest.

However, someone was hiding in the darkness. A pair of arms reached out and tightly encircled her waist. The person’s body temperature was high, her breathing was fierce, and her arms tightened with strength. Their chests were pressed close together, and they could feel each other’s racing heartbeats.

Shu Qiong relaxed and scolded with a laugh: “You scared me.”

Yan Xiangyu pressed against her cheek, nuzzling her several times. Shu Qiong shrunk away, ticklish, but Yan Xiangyu followed persistently, nuzzling into Shu Qiong’s neck.

Shu Qiong misunderstood the intent, her voice stuttering slightly: “W-we are both Alphas… we can’t, uh, I don’t think we can mark each other…”

Yan Xiangyu’s movements in the dark paused noticeably. Her arms moved upward; one palm pressed against the small of Shu Qiong’s back, while the other held her shoulder.

Shu Qiong instantly realized she had misread the situation. Her heart filled with embarrassment, and her face flushed deep red.

“Can I?” Yan Xiangyu asked softly, adding with feigned generosity, “I can let you bite me back.”

Shu Qiong was silent for a moment: “…”

The thing she feared most—two Alphas biting each other’s necks during a rut—was finally happening! But this time, she actually didn’t feel repulsed. She even felt a bit… well, a bit shy and felt a subtle sense of anticipation.

Shu Qiong took a deep breath and patted Yan Xiangyu’s over-tightened arm: “Loosen up a bit.”

Yan Xiangyu didn’t move.

Shu Qiong joked on purpose: “If you don’t loosen your grip, how can I turn around? Or do you want to let me take a bite first to show your sincerity?”

Yan Xiangyu obediently relaxed the pressure of her arms slightly.

In the darkness, neither could see the other’s face. They could only feel the shared breath, the heat radiating from their bodies, and the intertwined scents of their pheromones. Shu Qiong could only adjust her posture by touch.

Yan Xiangyu was only wearing a thin, draped shirt. As Shu Qiong’s hand brushed over her waist and abdomen, her mind uncontrollably filled in the blanks of what those beautiful lines looked like. Shu Qiong’s eyelid jumped, and she mischievously gave a light pinch, immediately hearing a soft grunt in her ear.

She burst into a laugh, turned around, and lowered her head slightly.

“Tell me, does this count as taking a placebo?” Shu Qiong let her imagination run wild, describing, “After all, your pheromones can’t be injected into my gland. No matter how many times you mark me, there’s no substantive soothing effect—mph!”

Her rambling was interrupted by Yan Xiangyu’s action. The faint, tingling itch at the back of her neck was far too prominent; a strange stimulus shot straight to the top of her head. Yan Xiangyu’s fingertips rubbed her gland, pausing with great skill.

Shu Qiong’s chest heaved. It was a strange and novel sensation, like an electric current running down her spine to her tailbone, waking every cell along the way and conveying a physiological sense of pleasure. Unprepared, she couldn’t help a slight shiver.

Having finished her “revenge,” Yan Xiangyu let out a low, provocative chuckle. Before Shu Qiong could regret it, she pressed a light kiss onto the back of her gland.

Shu Qiong’s left hand propped against the wall while her right hand instinctively gripped Yan Xiangyu’s arm around her waist. Yan Xiangyu’s hand followed the lead and moved over, clasping the other’s right hand, her fingertips nuzzling Shu Qiong’s palm intimately.

Shu Qiong bit her lip, feeling a bit dazed and self-doubting. They hadn’t even gotten to the main point yet, and she was already overwhelmed. She was so weak!

Yan Xiangyu’s actions were actually quite restrained. Rather than biting, she seemed to be licking Shu Qiong’s sensitive areas with a strong desire to caress. Like tasting a precious piece of candy, she only bit down gently after she had licked her fill. Canine teeth pierced the skin over the gland just slightly, and the rich scent of brandy flooded Shu Qiong’s nose.

The foreign Alpha pheromones tried to inject into Shu Qiong’s gland, but it was in vain. The scent of green tea and brandy tangled together; as soon as a bit was injected, it flowed out again. After several repetitions, the back of Shu Qiong’s neck became increasingly hot, like a mature, sweet fruit waiting to be picked, emitting an intoxicating fragrance.

Shu Qiong’s breathing was extremely uneven. She gritted her teeth, wanting to turn around.

“Are you… done?”

A weak but ambiguous sound escaped Shu Qiong’s throat. It was a little painful, a little strange, and a little… comfortable.

Yan Xiangyu’s voice rose right next to Shu Qiong’s ear: “Don’t like it?” She pressed against Shu Qiong’s face again, nuzzling her and gently nipping her earlobe.

Shu Qiong wanted to laugh because it tickled, and she couldn’t help asking: “Are you a dog?”

Yan Xiangyu hummed an “Mhm” without a care, and then actually asked back: “If I admit it, are there extra benefits?” She tilted her head slightly, obediently waiting for an answer, though her hands were being very restless.

Shu Qiong broke away from the increasingly bold girl and took a heartless step back: “Looks like the suppressor has kicked in.” She was bargaining now, so she seemed quite sober.

She reached out to the side and flicked the switch for the overhead light. The room instantly became bright.

However, as soon as she did it, Shu Qiong regretted it. After seeing the scene before her, she nearly had a nosebleed.

Both of them were in a state of disarray. The flush on Yan Xiangyu’s face hadn’t faded; her collar was messy, revealing a large area of snow-white skin and smooth, full curves. Because her skin was so pale, the faint redness on her neck and shoulders was especially obvious.

Seeing Shu Qiong look over, her throat moved, her eyes shone brilliantly, and her thin lips held a suspicious glint of moisture, appearing redder and fuller than usual.

Shu Qiong’s heart skipped beats and raced frantically. Her eyes darted around, unaware that her own appearance was no better—she was the very picture of spring.

Yan Xiangyu let out a regretful sigh and helplessly reached out to straighten her collar, slowly doing up her buttons while her gaze remained fixed on Shu Qiong’s face.

Shu Qiong took a deep breath, choking slightly on the concentration of the two pheromones in the air. She silently turned on the room’s air circulation system, cranking it to maximum power.