What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Bracelet

The next morning, Shu Qiong rose early.

After washing up, she pulled open the walk-in closet, which was filled with rows of neatly hung clothes, pants, shoes, and hats of various styles and brands. Shu Qiong was never one to obsess over fashion; she usually wore whatever was comfortable, a habit Jin Yan teased by saying she “dressed recklessly just because she had a pretty face.”

She stared blankly at the wardrobe, which clearly featured high-quality, structured pieces, and picked out a simple combination of a shirt and trousers. With a basic black-and-white palette and her tea-brown hair loosely piled up with a large claw clip, she stepped out of the room with a long stride.

Zhang Mingzhi was exercising in the garden wearing an athletic suit. Seeing Shu Qiong out for a stroll, she stopped and smiled. “Xiao Qiong, up so early? Did you sleep well last night?”

“Morning, Grandmother.” Shu Qiong let out a yawn and took two deep breaths of the crisp morning air. “I slept alright.”

In truth, she hadn’t slept well. Her mind was heavy with concerns, and she hadn’t drifted into a light sleep until the early hours. After only a few hours of rest, she woke up again and decided to just get out of bed.

She didn’t dwell on her own issues, asking instead: “Grandmother is working out?”

Zhang Mingzhi smoothed the wrinkles on her suit. “My body hasn’t felt very agile these past few years. Moving around more makes me feel refreshed.”

Shu Qiong didn’t disturb her wellness routine. She watched for a while before slowly wandering back inside.

Breakfast was eaten with the rest of the Shu family, an experience that made her feel ill at ease. Shu Mufeng was recovering from a major illness and had many dietary restrictions, forcing the entire family’s meals to be bland.

The breakfast prepared by the kitchen was watery and flavorless. Shu Qiong ate a bland vegetable dumpling and washed it down with milk.

At the head of the table, Shu Mufeng kept a stony, rigid face. Seeing his expression first thing in the morning ruined Shu Qiong’s appetite; she kept her head down and focused on her egg.

Sitting across from her, Shu Xuanmin ate silently with slow, methodical movements, her posture graceful and composed.

After Shu Qiong swallowed her food and finished a glass of milk, Zhang Mingzhi came downstairs in a change of clothes. Noticing the empty seat at the table and Shu Mufeng’s unpleasant complexion, she asked softly: “Xiao He… he’s not up yet? Should I have the maid go up and call him?”

Shu Mufeng snorted heavily, slamming the head of his cane against the table leg with a thud. “Leave him be! He must have been out fooling around again last night!”

The impact nearly made Shu Qiong choke. She cast an annoyed glance toward the head of the table.

Shu Mufeng noticed her look and grew even angrier: “What’s with that look? I see all of you think your wings are strong enough to fly to heaven now!”

Hearing this, Shu Qiong threw her knife and fork onto the plate, pushed her chair back, and laid her cards on the table. “Fine. Then I’m going back to school. I won’t be attending tonight’s banquet.”

Shu Mufeng choked on his words. He finally remembered that he had only managed to coax this little ancestor back through a mix of soft and hard tactics. His face twitched; he had a feeling this was exactly something Shu Qiong would actually do.

Shining with wrinkles, he took a deep breath and finally calmed his emotions. “Xiao Qiong, Grandfather was just frustrated by your cousin. You are the protagonist tonight; how could you not go…”

Shu Qiong sat back down, speaking as if changing the subject: “Anger hurts the liver and stomach, Grandfather. You really shouldn’t get angry. A few days ago during training, I met a strange person. That person loved getting angry, was incredibly arrogant and conceited, and always felt they were superior to others.”

Shu Mufeng was more than happy for her to change the topic and replied kindly: “Xiao Qiong, you don’t need to pay any mind to people like that.”

Shu Qiong propped her chin on her hand, speaking playfully: “But what if that person has a very high status and can’t be offended?”

Shu Mufeng rubbed the head of his cane and said deeply: “Could they be harder to offend than our Shu family?”

Shu Qiong let out a light laugh. “That’s true. Anyway, that person was very obnoxious. He was extremely controlling—I think he was a captain? He wanted every team member to listen only to him. If there was a dish he didn’t like, he wouldn’t let the members eat it; if there was someone he didn’t like, he wouldn’t let anyone else talk to them.”

Shu Xuanmin lifted her head and gave her a deep, knowing look. “Is that so? There are actually people like that.” Having said that, the dinner knife in her hand sliced the boiled egg firmly in two.

Shu Qiong suddenly clapped her hands, startling Shu Mufeng so much he nearly choked on his tea. “Exactly! The most hateful part is that he loved taking an inch when given a mile. Once his team members yielded, he would escalate his ‘tolerance tests.’ Don’t you think a person like that is loathsome? No friends when they’re young, and despised by everyone when they’re old.”

Shu Mufeng frowned, spitting out two tea leaves. He felt something was off, but before he could speak, the maid who had gone up to call the grandson returned. “The Young Master says he won’t be eating breakfast. He was busy with work at the company last night and stayed up all night.”

Shu Mufeng’s brow furrowed, then relaxed. “Fine. At least he’s showing some progress lately, not as reckless as before. Minmin, after breakfast, contact CEO Wang and patch up that hole. Honestly—your brother acts out, and you don’t even know how to help him out?”

Shu Xuanmin dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “What if CEO Wang brings up his son again…”

Shu Mufeng slammed his teacup down. “Nonsense! I see that whole affair was clearly fabricated by the Wangs! No proof, no evidence. They just found a better partner and want an excuse to break ties. You go and talk first; we can’t let Xuanhe take the blame for nothing.”

Shu Xuanmin raised an eyebrow slightly and simply said, “Fine.”

There wasn’t much to do during the day. Seeking peace and quiet, Shu Qiong stayed in her room reviewing study materials. During a break, she opened her wristband. The school team chat was quite lively, with everyone sharing holiday photos and updates.

Shu Qiong scrolled through and chatted with them. She found it curious that not only was Yan Xiangyu silent, but even the usually talkative Jin Yan only popped in for two sentences. They were being mysterious, as if plotting something.

In the afternoon, she was dragged away to pick out a dress and get styled, which she found incredibly tedious. As the stylist carefully combed her hair, Shu Qiong stared into the mirror for a long time but couldn’t see any difference—it didn’t even look as good as her usual messy ponytail.

Shu Qiong asked with a slumped face: “Is this a bit of an overkill?”

The stylist looked again and was satisfied: “Not at all, you look stunning.” With such superior natural features, even a simple styling looked great. To prove her point, she even pulled out some of her previous proud works to show Shu Qiong.

This stylist was talented and well-known, having reportedly served many wealthy socialites and collaborated with celebrities. Shu Qiong looked at the photos and pointed at one: “Is this person’s skull deformed?”

The stylist turned to look and explained: “That’s called a high cranial top.”

“Isn’t it a bit too high?” Shu Qiong looked skeptically at another photo of a model in sky-high heels who was as thin as paper. “And what’s with this one who’s thin as a skeleton? Aren’t they malnourished?”

The stylist looked speechless. “Being thin is necessary to fit into haute couture. It’s about proportions—they call it a ‘walking clothes hanger.’ This is fashion.”

Shu Qiong, who didn’t understand fashion, shut up. Images of Yan Xiangyu’s face and silhouette drifted into her mind; if she had to choose, she still preferred the other woman’s healthy, well-proportioned build.

After a few more words, Shu Qiong yawned, unable to hold on. “Do whatever you want. I’m going to nap for a bit.”

The stylist nodded repeatedly, continuing to meticulously craft the look on her face and hair.

When she woke up more than half an hour later, Shu Qiong opened her bleary eyes and looked at the bright mirror in front of her, feeling a bit dazed.

“Tada!” The stylist proudly touched up a bit of powder and gave a thumbs-up.

Shu Qiong touched her own face. The changes weren’t huge, but she certainly looked more refined. The only problem was…

“Why is it a dress?” Shu Qiong looked at the two dresses in the assistant’s hands with dead eyes.

The young assistant looked enviously at Shu Qiong’s long legs and the smooth muscle lines of her arms. “Pick one.”

On the left was a high-profile, sequined mermaid-style slip dress that made Shu Qiong’s eyelids twitch. Without a second glance, she took the one on the right: “I’ll try this one.”

However, once in the fitting room, she went numb.

It was matte-textured and nearly ankle-length. The top was still a slip design, but the overall style was much more minimalist, with no exaggerated, eye-catching designs. Instead, it focused the attention on the person wearing it. When she moved, a ring of gold thread embroidered into the hem of the dark skirt reflected the light, rippling like waves and softening the heaviness of the black dress, making it feel lively and clever.

When had Student Shu—accustomed to combat uniforms, tight tank tops, and combat boots—ever worn something like this?

She expressionlessly took the thin high heels from the assistant, allowing the girl to help her cinch the waist.

Just then, Zhang Mingzhi walked in. From a distance, she opened her arms to Shu Qiong and hugged the granddaughter who looked more and more like her younger daughter.

Shu Qiong pursed her lips uncomfortably at her grandmother, but Zhang Mingzhi was very satisfied. “The dress really suits your temperament. It’s just that you’re not wearing jewelry; it looks too empty.”

She whispered something to the person behind her, who stepped forward and handed over an object. Only then did Shu Qiong notice the box. The box was exquisitely carved and felt heavy—it looked quite old, likely a collector’s item. She suddenly believed in the proverb about the man who bought a box but returned the pearl inside.

Zhang Mingzhi smiled and gestured for her to open it. Shu Qiong hesitated for a moment, then gently opened the lid, nearly blinded by the large diamonds inside. The fire in those stones…

She closed the lid again. “This is too precious, Grandmother.”

Zhang Mingzhi placed her hand over Shu Qiong’s, pressing a spot on the bottom of the box. Shu Qiong watched in surprise as a second hidden drawer slid out. Zhang Mingzhi smiled and took out a natural jadeite bracelet. She took Shu Qiong’s wrist as if to put it on her.

Shu Qiong pulled back slightly. “This…”

Zhang Mingzhi’s strength was surprisingly great; she firmly halted Shu Qiong’s movement, her tone brooking no argument: “Take what is given to you.”

Fearing the item might drop in a struggle, Shu Qiong had to hold her arm still and let her grandmother slide the bracelet on.

Zhang Mingzhi saw her hesitation and explained: “It’s not worth much money. It’s mainly because it’s old, passed down through generations—a memento.”

Shu Qiong’s face was written with disbelief. What “wasn’t worth much” to the Shu family certainly didn’t mean it was cheap.

Zhang Mingzhi continued with a smile: “In the past, it was a gift passed from the groom’s family to the daughter-in-law. But starting from my grandmother’s generation, it became a gift from mother to daughter.” Her hand holding Shu Qiong’s was still fair, but wrinkles and the roughness of age were unavoidable. “I originally wanted to give it to Xiao Ci, but unfortunately, she wouldn’t take it.”

Shu Qiong immediately said, “Then I can’t take it either. Grandmother, give it to my Aunt.”

Zhang Mingzhi patted the back of her hand, pretending to be angry. “Your mother didn’t want it, so you should take it even more, shouldn’t you? Do you have the heart to leave me with nowhere to place my memories after losing my youngest daughter?”

Shu Qiong stammered, “But there’s still Aunt…”

Zhang Mingzhi laughed. This time, the smile was different from her usual refined socialite mask; it carried the lightness of someone who had removed a facade. “Don’t worry about her or Minmin; they have their own gifts.”

Realizing something, Shu Qiong stopped refusing and gazed at the jade bracelet on her wrist for a moment.

Zhang Mingzhi also took out the diamond necklace from the top layer and helped Shu Qiong put it on. The teardrop-shaped gemstone at the end of the necklace rested obediently in the center of Shu Qiong’s collarbone, complementing her light-colored eyes. Under the glow of the lights, she appeared even more radiant.

“Let’s go,” Zhang Mingzhi said, leading her out with a smile. “Tonight, you are the protagonist.”