What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Famous Wine

The corner suddenly fell silent, leaving only the elegant, light music drifting in the air. Shu Qiong looked at the small patch of light red on the white handkerchief and smiled, tilting her head.

Yan Xiangyu pressed the pad of her thumb against her darkened lower lip. Her gaze fell on the necklace between Shu Qiong’s collarbones, and she suddenly asked, “Want to go for a walk?”

Shu Qiong didn’t say a word, simply following her as she rose.

Jin Yan looked up, bewildered. “The banquet is about to start. Where are you two going?”

Yan Xiangyu’s eyes were dark, and she gave a very slight smile. Jin Yan was even more confused, but as she opened her mouth to press further, her forearm was tugged by Fang Yingying, who shook her head gently. Only then did Jin Yan realize what was happening, her eyes shifting to the disdainful look of a pure, innocent child.

However, after dealing with that dating roadblock, Shu Qiong and Yan Xiangyu didn’t get their wish to enjoy their private world in the garden. An attendant with a neatly tied bowtie approached and called Shu Qiong away.

“The guests have all arrived. The Master is calling for you.”

Reluctantly, Shu Qiong set down her glass and followed the attendant toward Shu Mufeng with a fierce aura. Her high heels clicked sharply and powerfully against the floor. Perhaps because people had rarely seen a woman walk with such martial vigor while wearing a stiletto gown, she gathered many varied looks along the way.

Shu Qiong didn’t care. She planted herself behind Shu Mufeng with a thud, giving the old man a start.

Shu Mufeng was currently networking with the head of the Fang family. The Shu family was experiencing the pains of a corporate transition, while the Fang family was facing pressure from competitors; the two had immediately agreed on the idea of using a marriage between the younger generation to consolidate their business empires.

At the same time, Shu Qiong noticed Fang Lin standing nearby with a displeased expression. Fang Lin was from the previous main branch of the Fang family; after the family headship changed, she had been demoted to a side branch and currently held limited power.

The current head of the Fang family was Fang Yingying’s second aunt, a decisive and overly rational woman. She didn’t care at all about sacrificing her niece’s marital freedom. In fact, the aunt didn’t even view it as a sacrifice; to her and Shu Mufeng—people with shallow familial bonds—the optimal choice was always whatever benefited the family’s interests.

Seeing Shu Qiong arrive, Shu Mufeng squeezed out a “loving” smile. “This is the child of my youngest daughter, Shu Ci. She is an excellent Alpha.”

“Qiongqiong looks exactly like her mother. Her future is just as promising.”

A male voice cut in from the side. Shu Qiong immediately felt a wave of physiological disgust and turned to look. The speaker was her biological father, Chen Aishu. Objectively speaking, Chen Aishu was still a handsome middle-aged man, but the puffy bags under his eyes that foundation couldn’t hide, his clouded eyes, and his yellowed fingers and teeth all betrayed his terrible lifestyle.

“Qiongqiong, why are you dazed? Come to Papa.” Chen Aishu also squeezed out a smile and reached out to her.

Shu Qiong slapped his hand away and moved to stand next to Fang Lin. Fang Lin’s gaze toward Chen Aishu was equally unfriendly.

“Hypocritical scum.” Shu Qiong suddenly noticed that Aunt Fang’s eye-roll was quite similar to Fang Yingying’s.

Chen Aishu was a bit embarrassed, but no one present cared about his feelings. Shu Mufeng didn’t take this so-called son-in-law seriously at all, while the Fang aunt scrutinized Shu Qiong from head to toe, as if judging a piece of meat at a market.

As Shu Qiong frowned under the gaze, the Fang family head smiled. “She’s not bad. Shu Qiong, right? You should spend more time with Yingying. You’re both good-looking; you make a well-matched pair.”

Hearing this, Shu Qiong smiled too. “Grandfather, didn’t you explain my situation to this lady?”

Shu Mufeng’s smile froze. Sensing the next topic would be disastrous, he opened his mouth to interrupt. But Shu Qiong didn’t give him the chance, dropping a bombshell: “Don’t you all know… I’m an ‘impotent’ Alpha?”

In a room full of prestigious figures, she stood there with a calm expression as if she weren’t exposing a personal medical secret. She dropped the heavy bomb and began observing the expressions of the others.

Fang Lin was also stunned. She was the only one present who knew Shu Qiong’s physical condition, but having been blinded by rage earlier, she hadn’t thought of it. The Fang aunt’s expression was unreadable; she squinted and stared at Shu Qiong, seemingly waiting for an explanation.

Shu Qiong seemingly helplessly pulled up her medical report on her wristband. The light screen snapped open, and the words “Incompatibility with Opposite-Sex Pheromones” appeared clearly before everyone’s eyes.

Shu Mufeng furrowed his brows and barked, “Is this the time for nonsense?”

He signaled Chen Aishu, who immediately moved to cover Shu Qiong’s electronic report. “Qiongqiong, Papa knows I haven’t cared for you enough over the years. You’ve grown up and have your own ideas, but you must look at the occasion, right? Don’t throw a childish tantrum… You forged this just to spite me and your grandfather, didn’t you? Listen to Papa and turn it off.”

Shu Qiong nimbly twisted away and enlarged the doctor’s signature at the bottom. “Auntie Fang can testify. It’s not forged.”

Fang Lin crossed her arms and scanned the opposite side coldly, nodding. The doctor who had examined her was the Jin family’s private doctor, whose lips were sealed. Shu Mufeng thought he was all-powerful and had investigated Shu Qiong thoroughly, but in reality, there were holes everywhere.

The report was newly issued by the doctor before the school term started. Though the font for the “Symptoms” section was small, it was clear and formal.

Main Symptoms: Rejection of physical contact with the opposite sex; difficulty generating normal physiological responses to Omega pheromone stimulation; adverse reactions such as dizziness, vomiting, gland swelling/pain, difficulty breathing, high fever, fainting, or shock depending on Omega pheromone concentration.

Treatment Suggestions:

1. Symptom 1 can be alleviated through psychological counseling for normal social interaction without physical contact.

2. Symptom 2 cannot currently be cured by modern medicine.

3. Symptom 3 research is ongoing; intervention is possible through hormonal regulation or physical barriers to pheromone inhalation.

The Fang family head frowned and glanced at Shu Mufeng. “Mr. Shu, does your side lack sincerity regarding our cooperation?”

Shu Mufeng’s face was terrifyingly dark, but he maintained a logical front. “Madam, let’s be frank. If our families are to be joined, the marriage is ultimately just a catalyst. Whether they truly ‘succeed’ as a couple later is not the point. Madam, have I misjudged you? Do you value small-time romance more than family legacy?”

Ultimately, the marriage was just for show—a formal arrangement. The Fang head seemed moved by this, her attitude softening slightly. “It was inappropriate for the Shu family not to clarify this beforehand. If you concede ten percent of the profits, I will not pursue the matter.”

Shu Mufeng shook his head. “At most five percent.”

The other party nodded. “Deal.”

The confrontation initiated by Shu Qiong ended with Shu Mufeng giving up profits to the Fang family. She watched this naked exchange of interests, where the fig leaf had been ripped away. She hadn’t expected to ruin everything so easily, but she found it ridiculous.

Next, Shu Mufeng gave Shu Qiong no further chance to speak. After nodding to the Fangs, he led her to the front of the crowd.

The bright lights made the hall look like day. Despite the building’s smart climate control system, the indoor temperature seemed to rise under the influence of the increasingly passionate music. Guests chatted about elegant or worldly topics, their eyes filled with hypocritical politeness and genuine desire.

“Everyone.” Shu Mufeng took a glass from a servant. This was a famous wine from the Shu vineyard called “Red Agate.” He raised the bottle slightly so everyone could see the brilliant diamonds embedded in the glass; clearly, even the empty bottle was worth a fortune. This was a luxury pastime for the rich.

Shu Qiong lowered her eyes, watching silently.

Shu Mufeng paused before getting to the main point, announcing the start of the banquet. “We gather here today to celebrate my granddaughter Shu Qiong’s birthday early. Looking back twenty years ago today, it happened to be the day the Shu Group officially launched the ‘Red Agate’ series. What a coincidence!”

No one bothered to verify if the launch date actually matched her birthday. The guests offered no objections, showering Shu Qiong with blessings and praising Shu Mufeng’s love for his kin. Shu Mufeng accepted all the praise and declared he would open this priceless bottle to celebrate.

Shu Qiong wasn’t listening to a word he said. She stood on the second floor looking down, scanning the crowd. She was looking for Shu Xuanmin, but found nothing. The latter had disappeared at some point.

Shu Mufeng continued to ramble with the bottle in hand, shifting from the birthday girl to his products, and then to the future development of the Shu Group. He looked at Shu Xuanhe, who was daydreaming on his other side, and introduced him: “And my eldest grandson, Shu Xuanhe, will soon take over my burden and become the leader of the next generation to expand the Shu business empire. I believe he will…”

Suddenly, a slight commotion broke out in the crowd. Shu Xuanmin stepped into the banquet hall, accompanying a middle-aged man in his fifties.

Shu Xuanmin was smiling, saying in a volume only the two of them could hear: “CEO Wang, Grandfather said he wanted to express the Shu family’s apologies to the Wangs in person.”

CEO Wang nodded, his expression somewhat softened. “Is that so? Then I shall see how much sincerity Shu Mufeng can show.”

Everyone was stunned, including those hoping for a good show. Some well-informed people had heard rumors about the murky business between CEO Wang’s two sons and Shu Xuanhe. It was said the fallout had been ugly, and CEO Wang had publicly vowed to cut all ties. No one knew how Shu Xuanmin had managed to coax him into attending a public event.

Quick-witted observers wondered if the rumors were false and the families hadn’t actually split. …Or, if the rumors were true, it meant the benefits offered by the Shu family were too great for the Wangs to give up. Consequently, the guests looked at the Shu family with even more respect—all that talk of the Shu Group’s recent decline must be fake! After all, even CEO Wang could overlook past grievances to show friendship.

Shu Mufeng paused mid-speech, his voice noticeably more excited. He also believed CEO Wang was coming to seek peace because he couldn’t let go of the profits. Thus, Shu Mufeng ramped up the atmosphere even more, calmly mentioning several major projects the Shu Group was about to launch.

Finally, he concluded: “These projects are currently led by Shu Xuanhe…”

Down below, those who had finalized deals with the Shu family in recent days raised their glasses toward the second floor.

CEO Wang, who had been lured by Shu Xuanmin’s claim of an “apology gift,” grew darker and darker as he listened. Several of those projects were supposed to prioritize the Wangs; now the projects were ruined, there was no apology, and Shu Mufeng was publicly provoking him?

Shu Mufeng saw all his plans succeeding. He was full of pride—the marriage alliance was tentatively settled, with more win-win cooperation to follow; and the nearly broken ties with the Wangs were now turning a corner. CEO Wang’s personal attendance was surely a sign that past grudges were forgiven.

Shu Mufeng felt refreshed. He could finally retire perfectly; wealth would still be at his fingertips, the estate would go to his grandson Shu Xuanhe, and he would have a virtuous wife and filial daughters by his side—what a winner in life.

Shu Mufeng raised the famous wine high, the “Red Agate” bottle shimmering. He prepared to open it in celebration. Before even drinking, he felt a bit drunk.

SLAM!

An abrupt sound of a door being pushed open shattered the atmosphere. The heavy doors were thrown open with a harsh sound that signaled ill intent.

It’s starting. Shu Qiong’s eyes lit up.

At the same time, she caught a glimpse of Shu Xuanhe’s hand gripping the railing, his knuckles turning white from the force.

A pregnant Omega, visibly angry, shouted toward the second floor: “Shu Xuanhe! You have the guts to trick me into bed, you have the guts to tell me to get an abortion—do you have the guts to come down and admit what you did?!”

CRASH!

Before the echoes died down, a second impact exploded.

Shu Qiong, positioned like a spectator at the scene, turned excitedly to see Shu Mufeng standing beside her with wide eyes—and the priceless bottle of wine shattered into a million pieces on the floor.