The vast majority of Alphas and Omegas in this world are extremely insensitive to their own and their immediate relatives’ pheromones.
Xiao Can, who had never built an intimate relationship with anyone, naturally had no way of knowing what his own pheromones smelled like.
In his meager physiological knowledge, the scent of pheromones was not absolute. Rather than a smell, it’s more like a perception, and depending on each person’s sensitivity, facing the same person’s pheromones may result in different scents being detected.
Xiao Can had also been curious about his own pheromones and has speculated about them.
He felt that his pheromones must surely not be sweet, perhaps even pungent and spicy, enough to make people teary-eyed and retreat, just like his consistently unfriendly attitude towards Alphas.
But He Xingzhou said his pheromones smelled like raspberries.
What did raspberries taste like?
Xiao Can had eaten them before, tasting the rich flavor layers spreading in his mouth with a smooth texture, with the most distinct flavor being a fresh sourness that required careful tasting to detect a hint of subtle sweetness.
So what did raspberries smell like?
Xiao Can couldn’t remember. He specifically bought some and smelled it before eating, but only when he got very close could he detect a slightly astringent smell and some indescribable fruity aroma.
In that case, his pheromones were indeed not sweet, but not pungent or spicy either, and could even be described as quite bland.
He probably distinguished it because He Xingzhou often fed Charlie raspberries.
At this moment, Xiao Can confirmed that he was in good condition and had not released his pheromones in public. So the smell He Xingzhou detected should be from the candy in his mouth.
He subconsciously smacked his lips.
It was a hard candy, with a very distinct sweet and sour taste, rich flavor, quite different from the raspberry flavor he remembered.
“I don’t know,” Xiao Can said, “it’s just a very ordinary fruit candy.”
He Xingzhou didn’t say anything more.
Xiao Can sneakily glanced at him and found that the blush on his face had become even more pronounced.
Could it really be that he smelled his pheromones?
Xiao Can anxiously touched his neck and asked, “Are you sure you smelled raspberry? Aren’t raspberries not that sweet?”
He Xingzhou glanced at him sideways and said, “Some can be quite sweet.” After a pause, he added, “The ones you bought last time were very sweet.” After a few seconds, he emphasized again, “Charlie really liked them.”
Xiao Can continued to touch his neck, awkwardly smiling twice in response.
“Where’s the candy wrapper? Do you still have it?” He Xingzhou asked.
There hadn’t been a trash can since earlier, so Xiao Can temporarily put the candy wrapper in his pocket. He took it out and handed it to He Xingzhou, gesturing, “Here.”
He Xingzhou took it and unfolded it, taking a photo with his phone.
“Do you collect these? Then take it,” Xiao Can said.
He Xingzhou shook his head, “It smells delicious, I’ll buy some later and try it.”
“Oh,” He Xingzhou suddenly raised his voice, “there’s someone lying on the ground over there!”
Xiao Can followed his pointing direction and indeed saw someone lying on the ground, with a basket beside them.
Based on their experience over the past few days, it wasn’t a person, but a puzzle piece.
The two exchanged glances and hurried over.
The person on the ground turned out to be the actor in charge of the questions, portraying a foodie who fainted from hunger and needed to eat something good immediately to recover.
The middle-aged man acted very enthusiastically, saying he was someone with standards and wouldn’t eat anything he didn’t like, even if he starved to death. It had to be perfect in color, fragrance, and taste.
Listening to this, He Xingzhou’s eyes emitted a confident light.
Thinking of this Alpha’s repeated praises of his cooking skills, Xiao Can also became excited, patting his chest and saying, “Leave it to us!”
Next to them was a set-up kitchen, stocked with plenty of ingredients.
The “foodie” requested that the ingredients include no fewer than four types of ingredients, no fewer than three colors, and no more than two spices or seasonings.
If Xiao Can had to handle it alone, he would probably just randomly select some ingredients to stir-fry and then pray to the heavens.
After listening to the prompt, He Xingzhou smiled faintly, walked into the kitchen with confidence and pride, his posture tall and his steps steady yet graceful, showing his confidence in selecting ingredients and cooking, as if an emperor was surveying his vast kingdom.
“For you, it must be easy, right?” Xiao Can said hopefully.
He Xingzhou raised the corner of his lips slightly, waved his hand lightly, and said, “Wait outside.”
Xiao Can clenched his fists to cheer him on. “Go for it!”
Twenty minutes later, He Xingzhou opened the kitchen door, calm and composed, signaling to Xiao Can and the actor playing the foodie, “Come in.”
On the table was a plate filled with brightly colored ingredients.
“To save time, I just stir-fried some mixed vegetables,” He Xingzhou said.
There were more than four types of ingredients on the plate: peas in oil green, corn kernels in bright golden yellow, lotus root slices in pure white, shrimp in tender pink. interspersed with orange and red bell peppers. Each piece was equal in size and shape, with a glossy sauce that was just right. Judging solely on the “color,” it was undoubtedly a perfect work.
The foodie took a spoonful, tasted it carefully, and then raised his thumb, “Great! Not only is the seasoning superb, but the cooking time is also just right!”
He Xingzhou responded to the praise calmly, slightly raising his chin and turning to Xiao Can, saying, “Want to try?”
Xiao Can shook his head, “No thanks.”
He Xingzhou’s eyes twitched, “Why not?”
“I don’t eat green peppers,” Xiao Can said.
“This isn’t green pepper,” He Xingzhou insisted, his brows furrowing, “it’s bell pepper, and the color isn’t green.”
The foodie also chimed in, “It’s really good!”
“No, thanks. I know you’re very skilled,” Xiao Can was very firm, “but if I taste green pepper, I’ll feel sick.”
He Xingzhou’s expression gradually dimmed, his face becoming serious.
“Do you want to see me get sick?” Xiao Can asked.
Furrowing his brows, He Xingzhou looked at the plate, then at Xiao Can’s expression, and after some struggle, he said in a conciliatory tone, “Then… how about eating a shrimp?”
With the camera still rolling, Xiao Can could only give him face, so after taking a deep breath, he picked up a shrimp and put it in his mouth.
“How is it?” He Xingzhou asked.
“It’s really good!” Xiao Can exclaimed with surprise, picking up another one, “It’s crunchy and tender, and so fresh and sweet.”
He Xingzhou’s face lit up again. His posture straightened, his chin lifted slightly, and with a faint smile, he nodded.
“To thank you, I want to give you a blessing,” the foodie said, taking out a puzzle piece from his pocket and handing it over.
Xiao Can was still busy eating shrimp, but He Xingzhou eagerly took it, and soon exclaimed with delight, “It’s red again!”
“Wow, that completes it!” Xiao Can said, holding the chopsticks, “We can finally reveal the treasure puzzle, and we’re almost done with the purple ones too.”
“Is it delicious?” He Xingzhou asked.
Xiao Can licked his lips, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed.
“If only there weren’t any green peppers…” he muttered.
“These are bell peppers,” He Xingzhou said, “Okay, I’ll remember that for next time.”
After that, they found three more puzzle pieces and one treasure puzzle piece, including one purple piece, which was quite remarkable.
Finally, it was time for the last exchange meeting. As long as they got a purple piece, they could complete two puzzles. Xiao Can was confident.
However, when they entered the venue, they found that something was off.
They arrived a bit late, and the other groups had already taken their seats. As soon as they saw the two of them, almost everyone stood up.
“Sorry, we took a bit of time,” Xiao Can observed cautiously, “Hope we didn’t delay too much?”
His gaze finally landed on Tan Zhen.
Tan Zhen frowned and shook his head at him.
Xiao Can immediately prepared himself. Judging from the situation, it seemed that their actions had been exposed, and everyone had realized that the so-called golden eggs were completely useless.
“Xiao Can, you’re quite impressive,” Qin ge said approvingly, nodding his head, “I was even fooled by you. Your acting skills shouldn’t be wasted.”
“Really?” Xiao Can smiled ingratiatingly, then turned to the camera on the side, clasped his hands together, and said, “To all the directors and producers in front of the TV, if you trust Qin ge’s judgment, please give me a chance.”
Qin ge didn’t expect him to say that, and was suddenly at a loss for words. He said repeatedly, “You little slicker, really a little slicker.”
After all, this was just a game. After the two teams criticized them, they had no choice but to accept it.
Xiao Can asked Tan Zhen and learned that they had spent a day investigating and found that the golden eggs were useless. When they asked the staff, the responses were very ambiguous, which gradually aroused suspicion.
Just now, the four of them had interrogated Yumi together. Yumi had no talent in this area at all and quickly begged for mercy, choosing to confess and cooperate, claiming that she and Tan Zhen had also been deceived and had to board the thief ship unwillingly. There’s a debt and a debtor; everyone must seek revenge, but they mustn’t target the wrong person.
When the formal exchange began, Qin ge suggested that no one should trade with “Prince Charlie” for revenge, and this idea was warmly supported by the “Charge charge charge” team.
The “I Definitely Will” team still had the puzzle pieces that the “Having You Is Great” team needed. To clear her name from being targeted with Prince Charlie, Yumi also agreed with both hands.
Xiao Can and He Xingzhou were only one piece away from completing the purple puzzle, but they couldn’t get it.
As the exchange drew to a close, Xiao Can reminded everyone unwillingly, “I have every color in my hand. If you don’t trade with me, you’ll regret it.”
The Omega girl from the “Charge charge” team looked smug, “Naive, don’t tell me you haven’t found a single treasure puzzle piece!”
Xiao Can sighed, “I knew everyone had them.”
However, Tan Zhen and Yumi looked puzzled, “What’s a treasure puzzle?”
Xiao Can suddenly became excited, “Yumi, sister! If you don’t have a treasure puzzle piece, you’ll definitely lose if you don’t trade with me! I have a yellow one in my hand!”
Yumi hesitated, while Tan Zhen had a clear attitude, showing a strong desire to switch sides.
Seeing this, Qin ge suddenly stood up and walked to Yumi and Tan Zhen, slapped a puzzle piece on their table, “I’ll give it to you! This is the treasure! Don’t trade with him!”
Xiao Can jumped up, “ge! Really?”
Qin ge turned around, looked at him triumphantly, and laughed.
The exchange meeting finally ended, and each team presented the puzzle pieces they had collected. Surprisingly, each team had only completed one color puzzle.
“After all that fuss, it ended up in a tie?” Yumi said.
“We should count it as our win,” He Xingzhou gestured towards the puzzle pieces on the table, “We’re the only ones who didn’t use the treasure puzzle piece and truly completed all the red ones.”
“You’re cheating and deceiving. You’re lucky you haven’t been expelled!” The Omega girl from the “Charge” team pointed angrily.
Xiao Can smiled and pulled He Xingzhou behind him, “A tie is also good, friendship comes first.”
After that, there was another round of laughter and noise, and finally, the recording ended with a song sung by Tan Zhen and Xiao Can.
Before returning to the hotel, there was one final solo interview.
After answering questions like “How do you feel?” “What’s your impression of everyone?” “Would you like to participate again if given the chance?” the director asked Xiao Can, “You and He Xingzhou seem to have a very good relationship. Were you already familiar with each other before you came?”
Xiao Can was well prepared.
“I’ve only met him a few times, but if you say we’re familiar… Actually, everyone who watched the show must have noticed it already. Mr. He is a very easygoing person. Don’t think he’s always serious and aloof, no, he’s the type who’s naturally easy to get along with, very approachable. He doesn’t have any airs, and being around him, you unconsciously relax and become more casual. But he doesn’t mind, he’s a very gentle person.”
“Just now He Xingzhou said that you two are quite familiar.” the director said.
“Really,” Xiao Can looked pleasantly surprised, “Did he really say that? You see, Mr. He is just that approachable.”
While answering, he couldn’t help but wonder.
This guy, He Xingzhou, better not say anything strange in the interview.
Should I ask him when we get back to the hotel?
As he thought about it, he suddenly realized that after tonight, he and He Xingzhou wouldn’t see each other for a while.
And his marking issue still hadn’t been resolved yet.
