What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Tea Art

Shu Qiong felt deeply that one should never jump to conclusions too early.

It was the same logic as “raising a flag”; absolute judgments often lead to the exact opposite result. For example, during the day, she had been celebrating how smoothly everything was going, only for the Xin Xiuyun incident to happen at night, turning her into a patient. For another, she used to tell Jin Yan that two Alphas biting each other’s necks was a horror story rather than a romance, but after experiencing it tonight, she realized it wasn’t something difficult to accept at all.

Shu Qiong felt the water flowing down her body, the cool temperature washing away the lingering traces of the intimate atmosphere from her heart. She reached back to touch her nape, reflecting on how her gland had gone through a roller coaster of events tonight. The skin was slightly broken, but it wasn’t serious; a simple application of medicine later would suffice.

The harder part to solve was the scent. Shu Qiong discovered, to her embarrassment, that Yan Xiangyu’s pheromones were surprisingly stubborn. Even a tiny bit of residue left a distinct mark of her presence on Shu Qiong’s gland.

With a soft sigh, Shu Qiong gathered up the logic and calm reasoning she had scattered all over the floor earlier, washed them, and shoved them back into her brain.

The issue with Xin Xiuyun hadn’t been resolved yet. Shu Qiong didn’t have a good impression of her, but she didn’t have a particularly strong desire for revenge either. After a day of injections, pills, and IV drips, followed by an exhausting “soothing” session with Yan Xiangyu, she was bone-tired—whether from the medication or pure fatigue.

However, when she finished cleaning up and returned to the dorm room, she saw an unexpected visitor.

“Lin Mi?” Shu Qiong yawned, looking over in confusion.

Standing there was Lin Mi, the contestant from Lane 82. She was a sweet-looking Beta. It was unclear when she had arrived, but she seemed to have just finished a conversation with Yan Xiangyu.

“Sister.”

Lin Mi’s lips curved upward noticeably upon seeing Shu Qiong. She hadn’t changed out of her training gear yet; she wore a slim-fitting sleeveless vest that showed the muscle definition in her arms.

“I heard something happened, that someone deliberately framed you. I was very worried.” Her eyes were direct with concern, her gaze following Shu Qiong’s every move.

The moment Shu Qiong entered the room, her nose twitched. The pheromone scent in the room had mostly dissipated, leaving only a trace. Fortunately, Lin Mi was a Beta and couldn’t smell the abnormality.

“It’s fine now, thank you for your concern,” Shu Qiong replied with a smile. She was a bit puzzled by Lin Mi’s concern; they weren’t particularly close. In Shu Qiong’s view, they were merely nodding acquaintances.

Yan Xiangyu, who was leaning lazily against a bed frame, suddenly spoke: “How is your gland? I might have used a bit too much force earlier. I hope I didn’t leave a tooth mark.”

Shu Qiong shot her a sharp look.

Yan Xiangyu curved her lips into a smile: “Ah, I forgot there was someone else present. I’ll check it for you later, then.”

…This person, really. Shu Qiong resisted the urge to facepalm.

Lin Mi maintained a polite expression, shaking a small square box in her hand. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared.

“Sister, logistics on the Base Star are very strict, and things from the outside can’t be delivered. I wanted to come see you, but I could only find this little gadget.” She handed the box to Shu Qiong. “I heard that receiving a gift makes one feel better. I hope you like it.”

Shu Qiong accepted it, feeling somewhat flattered. Upon opening it, she found a small, elegant silver-white pistol.

“A gun?” she blinked. The Alliance had strict regulations regarding firearms, and most high-lethality weapons were considered contraband.

“Don’t worry, Sister, it’s not a restricted model. Its advantages are portability and concealment; its disadvantages are short range and low power… well, it’s nothing major, just a toy for you to play with.” Lin Mi’s tone was casual, as if stating a trivial matter. “But with your accuracy, Sister, it’s perfect for you. As long as you hit precisely, piu—”

She playfully covered her own eye socket as if she had been hit, let out a “whoops,” and laughed before saying: “Even a toy gun can kill a person.”

Shu Qiong looked at her thoughtfully and put the pocket pistol back in the box. “Why give me this?”

“I just feel a connection with you, Sister,” Lin Mi blinked twice. “Giving it to you for self-defense, is that not okay?”

Yan Xiangyu seemed to offer praise: “Miss Xin speaks so beautifully. I wish I had this kind of social skill.”

Lin Mi’s smile faded slightly. “I changed my name long ago. My surname is Lin now.” Having said that, she recalled something and chuckled softly. “I’ve heard of you, Yan Xiangyu, right? You really are excellent and beautiful. You must be very popular!”

Yan Xiangyu raised an eyebrow slightly. “I’m usually busy training with Xiao Qiong; I don’t have time to pay attention to that. The feeling of improving together with the person I like is much more fulfilling than enjoying the flattery of others.”

Lin Mi nodded seriously. “Sister Shu is indeed a person standing on high ground. I wonder what kind of person someone like her would like? Oh, I heard Sister used to have a girlfriend? I’m so envious… if I were that person, I would never have the heart to break up with her.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Yan Xiangyu crossed her arms, lifting her eyelids. “Xiao Qiong, what do you think?”

Shu Qiong: “…”

What did she think? She thought she should be sleeping in bed, not standing here caught in the crossfire.

“Hahaha,” Shu Qiong gave a dry laugh and closed the gun box. “This gun is too valuable, you should take it back. But I appreciate the sentiment.”

Lin Mi didn’t take the bait. She glanced at Yan Xiangyu before saying, “Sister, can we step aside for a word?”

Yan Xiangyu didn’t object. Before Shu Qiong could follow the other out into the hallway, Yan Xiangyu sighed and said, “Xiao Qiong, I’m going to the medical point. Whatever you have to say, just say it here in the dorm. It’s windy outside, don’t go out.”

With that, she put on a jacket and walked out the door.

Shu Qiong looked at her own thin pajamas and waited a long while before looking at Lin Mi.

Lin Mi got straight to the point: “Xin Xiuyun and Xin Zhize are my half-siblings. Sister, you’ve probably already guessed. Actually, I don’t mean much by it; I just feel that your actions slapped them in the face, and I’m very happy you’re on my side.”

Shu Qiong replied quite bluntly: “I’m not on your side; I’m just on my own side. Xin Zhize made inappropriate comments attacking me and my friends, and Xin Xiuyun had bad intentions toward me. They were the ones who threatened me first.”

“I know,” Lin Mi’s dimples flickered again. “But the fact remains that compared to those two, you are closer to me and more willing to be my friend, right?”

Shu Qiong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she nodded, feeling as if she were coaxing a child. “You could say that.”

Lin Mi frankly told her story: “My mother’s health wasn’t good. She had a very hard time getting pregnant with me after marriage. But at that time, her piece-of-trash husband already had a pair of illegitimate children outside and was convinced my mother was infertile, so he brought those two kids back to the Xin family behind her back.

“But not even a month after they were brought back, my mom was found to be pregnant. She was a cowardly, fragile, indecisive wife, but she was also a tough, great mother. In short, her body wasn’t fit for childbirth, but I was born anyway.”

When Lin Mi spoke of her mother, she showed an expression of melancholy mixed with sweetness. Shu Qiong felt that this version of her was more real than any of her previous smiles.

Lin Mi thought for a moment and continued: “I am grateful to her, but sometimes I wonder if it would have been better for everyone if I hadn’t been born. But every time I say that, my mom says that giving birth to me was the boldest and least regrettable choice of her life. Sigh, I suppose my birth was something only she truly felt joy about.

“And my existence made the situation for those two children newly brought back to the Xin family extremely awkward. Our positions are naturally opposed. That’s the gist of it.”

Lin Mi spread her hands, speaking of the past as dispassionately as if she were narrating someone else’s experience.

“Thank goodness they are divorced now. The Lin family’s commercial value was sucked dry by the Xins, but they’ve managed to revive a bit in the political circle over the past two years. My mom finally made up her mind, found an opportunity, and took me away from that cage.”

Shu Qiong had long suspected the relationship between Lin Mi and Xin Xiuyun, but she hadn’t expected the other to confess so proactively. She was stunned for a moment and sighed softly, “It must have been hard for you both.”

Lin Mi tilted her head and smiled. “It wasn’t hard for me; it was hard for my mother.”

Shu Qiong shook her head. “Although I don’t know your past, I can guess that it might have been a difficult process for a young girl carrying a heavy burden to push herself forward. She had to prove she had enough value just to avoid being discarded, to defend the rights she and her mother should have had. You kept skipping grades, chasing the footsteps of Xin Xiuyun, who is several years older than you. That’s no easy feat.”

She realized that the girl before her had actually only just become an adult.

Lin Mi was silent for a moment. “Alright, Sister really does understand me.”

The room was quiet for a while. She suddenly looked up, her eyes shining. “Sister, seriously, what do you think of me? You see, we get along very well, and…”

The sound of a handle turning came from outside. Jin Yan and He Xuchou pushed the door open, bringing in a gust of late-night cold wind.

“Oh ho, a new friend?” Jin Yan looked at Lin Mi curiously. “Why are you two whispering in the room? Poor Little Yan is standing guard outside…”

“Cough.”

Shu Qiong finally noticed Yan Xiangyu standing behind the two of them.

Yan Xiangyu coughed lightly before saying, “It’s fine. Xiao Qiong needs her private space and needs to socialize with other friends. I’m not an unreasonable person.”

Jin Yan winked. “Why do I smell something sour…”

Yan Xiangyu stood still opposite Shu Qiong, not even bothering to hide it as she lifted her eyelids. “Is that so? Is it obvious?”

Lin Mi introduced herself politely to the two new faces. Before leaving, she turned back to Shu Qiong. “I won’t disturb your rest, Sister. Do seriously consider my proposal. Goodnight, Sister.”

Shu Qiong sighed deeply and pressed her temples. “Goodbye, my friend.”

Lin Mi was slightly startled. After the door closed, her two dimples vanished rapidly.

Inside the room, Shu Qiong looked at Yan Xiangyu. “You’ve been back for a while? Why stay in the hallway instead of coming in? Isn’t it cold?” She reached out to touch her, feeling a layer of cold air on Yan Xiangyu’s body. She was a bit worried. “You’re still in your rut; don’t catch a cold switching between hot and cold.”

Yan Xiangyu stood by the table, fiddling with the pocket gun Lin Mi had brought—the girl hadn’t taken it back when she left. Hearing this, she coughed very softly and pursed her lips. “I was afraid of disturbing your conversation, Sister.”

Here it goes again. Shu Qiong looked at her expressionlessly.

Yan Xiangyu continued with the “Sister” this and “Sister” that: “Sister, are dimples pretty? Should I go get some made? Modern medical aesthetic technology…”

“Stop, stop, stop,” Shu Qiong really had no way to deal with her. While calling for a halt, she found something for the other to do. “Come and help me see if a certain dog left tooth marks on my nape.”

As expected, Yan Xiangyu shut her mouth. She walked over and stared at Shu Qiong’s neck for a long time, unable to hold it in: “Sister, the dog that bit you… well, it bit you beautifully.”

“…”