What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Naming a Price

Shu Xuanmin arrived even later than expected. It wasn’t until 5:30 PM that she entered the ward, accompanied by a woman in a professional skirt suit.

“Ren Qi.”

Shu Xuanmin turned her head slightly and tapped the folder held by her secretary.

The woman called Ren Qi looked to be in her early thirties, her hair pulled back into a crisp bun. Upon hearing her name, she walked toward Shu Mufeng’s hospital bed.

Shu Qiong immediately noticed Su Chen straightening her back, putting on an air of “I am professional, I am reliable.” Well, if one ignored the way her eyes kept darting toward Ren Qi.

After entering, Shu Xuanmin first nodded to the three idle people sitting in a row on the sofa, then said to Zhang Mingzhi and Shu Wen: “Grandmother, Mom, I’ll take you to the restaurant. Leave things here to Ren Qi; she’ll handle it.”

Her voice was very raspy from talking too much today, and her expression carried deep fatigue, but her tone remained steady.

Shu Qiong immediately grabbed Yan Xiangyu and stood up to leave, without a hint of lingering. A second before the ward door closed, they could faintly hear Secretary Ren’s voice inside.

“Mr. Shu, this is a necessary procedure. Next, I will briefly explain the Group’s current situation and the reform measures to be implemented in response to the crisis. First…”

Brutal.

Shu Qiong closed the door tightly.

For someone like Shu Mufeng, who usually had a strong desire for control and power, lying in a hospital bed unable to go anywhere or manage anything was already unacceptable. For Shu Xuanmin to specifically find someone to read these things to him was like slapping him in the face and then replaying it in slow motion frame-by-frame for him to savor.

Shu Mufeng could not accept this slow-motion agony, but he was helpless. He could only be forced to accept the reality that his power was slowly hemorrhaging away.

The restaurant they went to was indeed very close to the hospital. Everyone was led into the private booth carrying complex emotions. The most nervous among them was undoubtedly Yan Xiangyu. She had never expected Shu Qiong to bring her directly to meet the family, let alone have a meal together.

After entering the booth, Zhang Mingzhi watched with surprise as Shu Qiong naturally sat down next to Yan Xiangyu. The two leaned close, whispering about who-knew-what, their behavior radiating intimacy.

Shu Qiong took the digital menu, quickly added several items, and then leaned toward Yan Xiangyu: “I’ve been here with Jin Yan before. These signature dishes are good; you should like them… Um, take a look and see if there’s anything else you want.” After saying that, she added heroically, “Order whatever! It’s on ‘our sister’!”

Yan Xiangyu seemed pleased by the term “our sister,” her eyes crinkling slightly. “Mhm.”

Though she was supposedly ordering, her eyes weren’t on the menu at all. As for Shu Qiong, she clearly noticed the close-range gaze but stubbornly refused to turn her head or call it out. With red ears, she pretended to be serious, as if the menu in front of her were a masterpiece of literature worthy of careful study.

Zhang Mingzhi felt an inexplicable sense that her own “little white cabbage” was being gobbled up by a pig—and it was the kind where her cabbage was actively offering itself up. She couldn’t help but look at Su Chen on the other side. That one was the opposite, acting as if she and Shu Qiong were separated by a river; she was skillfully scalding bowls and chopsticks for her boss, Shu Xuanmin.

Zhang Mingzhi fell silent. She had originally thought Yan Xiangyu was like Su Chen—one of Shu Xuanmin’s subordinates—but it was now clear that wasn’t the case. Looking closer, the shirt the girl was wearing… seemed to be one Qiong had worn before?

The servers began bringing out the dishes. Zhang Mingzhi took the opportunity to frequently glance at Yan Xiangyu. Shu Qiong keenly sensed the subtle change in the atmosphere. She had naturally considered how to handle this scenario; with everyone in the booth being “family,” bringing Yan Xiangyu to meet them now would build some good impressions. It would be easier for them to be accepted when they eventually decided to come clean.

Treating it as a normal dinner party, Shu Qiong didn’t want to put too much pressure on Yan Xiangyu. So, she took the initiative to introduce her to Zhang Mingzhi and Shu Wen: “Grandmother, Auntie, I haven’t introduced her yet. This is Yan Xiangyu. We are roommates.”

Zhang Mingzhi’s smile was kind. “So you’re roommates? This girl is so elegant. Where do you live? You’re welcome to come to the house more often with Qiong in the future.”

Shu Wen was also polite: “Qiong is the same; why didn’t you say so earlier? We elders didn’t prepare a meeting gift.” Turning to Shu Xuanmin, she asked, “How much of the Crystal series red wine is left in the winery’s collection? Have someone pull a bottle after dinner… Little Yan, do your elders at home like wine tasting?”

Yan Xiangyu, usually so calm and indifferent, couldn’t help but feel flustered. She followed Shu Qiong’s lead in calling them “Grandmother” and “Auntie,” then quickly declined: “That is too valuable; I can’t take it.”

But Shu Wen said: “It’s just our own product; family members don’t need to calculate the cost.”

Shu Qiong also said to Yan Xiangyu: “Just take it. I haven’t even tasted that one yet. I’ll bum a taste off you later.”

Shu Xuanmin had just finished a work call. At this point, she nodded with high efficiency: “It so happens I have some business to handle at Elk Winery later. I’ll pick it up on the way after dinner.” Having worked so much today that she’d developed a “professional habit,” she finalized the post-dinner itinerary in just a few sentences.

Yan Xiangyu could only accept, thanking her helplessly.

The meal was a success for both guests and hosts. Zhang Mingzhi had an excellent impression of Yan Xiangyu, praising her as a polite and outstanding young person, while subtly asking how she and Shu Qiong got along at school.

Yan Xiangyu thought for a moment and spoke: “Qiong is very good to me normally. She is a unique… companion.”

Zhang Mingzhi’s smile remained: “She’s like her mother, sometimes her personality is a bit stubborn. She needs a friend like you to be patient with her. I see you have a very easy-going and gentle temperament, Little Yan… Your home is far away so your family can’t look after many things. If you’re ever bullied in the future, come find Grandmother. Don’t be a stranger.”

Shu Qiong said with a complex expression: “Who would bully her?”

Although she sometimes saw her lover through rose-colored glasses, she wasn’t blind. Yan Xiangyu’s temperament… could hardly be called “gentle.” If you didn’t believe her, ask Jin Yan, then ask Lin Mi, or even Su Chen—Yan Xiangyu was absolutely not someone who would let herself be disadvantaged.

Yan Xiangyu lowered her gaze, the corners of her lips tilting up slightly: “Actually, there are some.”

Zhang Mingzhi, being someone who protected her own regardless of logic, immediately said: “Then it must be the other person’s fault!”

Yan Xiangyu glanced at Shu Qiong, who was sipping her drink, and said unhurriedly: “Qiong knows about it too. On the first day of school, someone deliberately dirtied my pants, ordered me to take out the trash, and I caught them speaking ill of me behind my back. Later, that person even injured my lip and occupied my bed.”

After saying this, she gave a light laugh, acting the part of a tolerant and magnanimous person who didn’t hold a grudge. “Wasn’t that a bit much?”

Shu Qiong nearly spat out a mouthful of juice. She looked at Yan Xiangyu in disbelief, her face screaming: What kind of nonsense are you talking?

It was true, but it was only a half-truth!

Zhang Mingzhi immediately felt the injustice: “How can someone be like that! That’s practically bullying, isn’t it? Sigh, Qiong, why didn’t you help Little Yan?”

With a constipated expression, Shu Qiong put down her glass and opened her mouth weakly: “I… did help.”

Yan Xiangyu proactively handed her a tissue and even asked her: “Will you help me in the future too?”

Shu Qiong glared at her and aggressively snatched the tissue to wipe her mouth.

At this time, Shu Xuanmin finished another work call and returned to the booth. This busy woman had been in and out several times during the meal, and Shu Qiong hadn’t had a chance to talk about the chip. It wasn’t until the fourth call that Shu Xuanmin, annoyed, put her device on ‘Do Not Disturb,’ finally gaining a moment of peace.

Shu Xuanmin didn’t drink alcohol; she had been drinking strong tea to stay alert. This made Shu Wen quite worried, and she kept urging her daughter to rest. Shu Xuanmin nodded in agreement to everything, ate a few bites of food for the sake of it, and hurriedly finished some rice.

Seeing she was mostly done, Shu Qiong finally got the chance to call her out of the booth for the serious business. Shu Xuanmin stood leaning against the wall tiredly, rubbing her temples. Seeing Shu Qiong leave the booth, she looked at Yan Xiangyu behind her with half-closed eyes and a teasing expression: “Meeting the family this soon?”

Shu Qiong wasn’t affected at all: “Then shouldn’t you, as the older sister, give a meeting gift too?” She nudged Yan Xiangyu, who took the cue and followed up with a “Sister.”

Shu Xuanmin was stunned by this “bandit style” of behavior. She pressed her forehead again: “Fine. Let’s talk business first. Don’t you have something to give me?”

Yan Xiangyu took out the backup chip she had prepared long ago and handed it to her.

Shu Xuanmin frowned as she took it: “This is?”

Shu Qiong asked, seemingly off-topic: “When did Cousin connect with the Xin family?”

“I’m not sure about the specifics; by the time I noticed, their interactions were already frequent.” As she spoke, a genuine look of surprise appeared on Shu Xuanmin’s face. “But what about you? Where did you find out? I remember after the Xin family fell, the higher-ups suppressed the matter very tightly. Supposedly it involves a wide range of people and is serious in nature, involving some ‘unspeakable’ big figures. Even I had to put in quite a bit of effort to dig anything up.”

Shu Qiong naturally wouldn’t mention her interactions with Xin Xiuyun. She just pointed at the chip: “The content regarding that is inside. As for the origin of the chip, I won’t say.”

Shu Xuanmin gazed deeply at Shu Qiong. After a long silence, she shifted her gaze to Yan Xiangyu and said pointedly: “It seems you’ve lived better these past few years than I imagined.” Having broken ties with the Shu family for years, Shu Qiong had actually developed a new and powerful network of connections. Shu Xuanmin felt a new level of respect for this cousin she wasn’t very familiar with.

Shu Qiong waved her hand modestly: “Luck, just luck.” After saying that, she added, “Sister, this gift isn’t for nothing. I put a lot of effort into getting this data. But seeing as we’re sisters, I won’t ask for much.”

Shu Xuanmin waited with a half-smile for the other to name her price. Shares? Cash? Real estate? Or other assets?

Shu Qiong made a “wait a second” gesture, then started fiddling with her wristband, pulling up several real-life photos. Beside her, Yan Xiangyu’s pupils shrank slightly as if she realized something, her fingers curling unconsciously.

Shu Qiong started showing the photos to Shu Xuanmin, concluding with: “Sister, are they pretty?”

Shu Xuanmin looked at the landscape photos. Everything in view was a scene of vibrant, blooming flowers. The characteristics were distinct; even without carefully adjusted filters, it was a mountain full of colorful hues. One could imagine what a stunning sight it would be to see with one’s own eyes.

The subsidiary she previously managed was a tourism company. Usually, she found various beautiful scenes tedious, but looking at the photos Shu Qiong presented, she saw something novel and interesting.

After seeing all the photos, Shu Xuanmin—rarely unable to guess the other’s intention—replied, “They’re pretty.”

“Sister, doesn’t this place seem very suitable for your company to invest in and develop?” Shu Qiong asked.

Shu Xuanmin immediately understood the hint. However, she hadn’t expected that given Shu Qiong’s style of seizing every opportunity to extort a house out of her, she wouldn’t use this chance to open her mouth wide for a massive payoff.

While thinking, Shu Xuanmin glanced at Yan Xiangyu standing beside Shu Qiong and remembered the other’s family background. She had investigated Yan Xiangyu long ago. At this moment, she had an epiphany. With a change of heart, she agreed: “It’s not a difficult task. I will send someone to conduct a more detailed investigation and provide you with a specific development plan afterward.”

Shu Qiong reached out her hand, satisfied: “A pleasure doing business with you.”

Shu Xuanmin looked at her cousin again with deep meaning in her eyes and also reached out her hand: “You’re just going to give me the chip like this? Aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my word?”

Shu Qiong seemed to find the question boring. She looked straight into Shu Xuanmin’s eyes and said nothing.

Shu Xuanmin’s expression tightened slightly. “True. You must have a backup.”

For Shu Xuanmin, the data in this chip was a double-edged sword. On one hand, she could use it as a bargaining chip to threaten Shu Mufeng into completely handing over control of the company and topple Shu Xuanhe. On the other hand, her ambition for the Shu Group meant she couldn’t completely cut herself off from this giant, nor from Shu Xuanhe. To outsiders and the Procuratorate, she and the Shu Group, and Shu Xuanhe and the Shu Group, were all one entity.

If Shu Qiong used this stuff to report them to the authorities, the Shu family would lose at least a layer of skin. This chip was not only leverage against Shu Xuanhe, but also against her, Shu Xuanmin.

Shu Xuanmin suddenly laughed: “Given its value, I thought you would demand more compensation.” After saying that, she observed Shu Qiong’s subtle expressions, expecting her to say she didn’t care about money or fame.

Instead, Shu Qiong grinned: “Sister, if you want to give more, I won’t object. Oh, by the way, can we sign a ‘gratis gift’ contract?”

“…”

Shu Xuanmin suddenly felt that her previous sentence was redundant.