Tan Zhen expressed his dissatisfaction with a noticeably nasal tone, emphasizing that he had more common sense than He Xingzhou and always thought things through carefully.
Xiao Can dared not trust him blindly.
Tan Zhen, in some ways, lacked self-awareness. Xiao Can could recall a number of ridiculous actions he had taken in the past. After all, “having more common sense than He Xingzhou” didn’t necessarily mean “having enough common sense”; there was a gap between the two.
Before hanging up, Xiao Can emphasized to him that he currently had no intention of going public and asked him not to do anything unnecessary.
After some hesitation, Tan Zhen agreed.
Although he had his unreliable side, Xiao Can still completely trusted his sincerity, feeling relieved for the time being.
After getting off the plane, Xiao Can handed his luggage to Cai Yawen and went straight to the TV station for recording.
“Crossroads of Love” was a relationship-themed variety show where guests were divided into two categories: “people in relationships” and “love advisory panel.”
The “people in relationships” were those facing problems in their romantic or marital life, including both public figures and ordinary people. They would showcase their interactions through various activities or conversations to find the root of their issues.
The “love advisory panel” was responsible for expressing their views and giving advice after watching the participants’ stories.
To ensure diverse and representative viewpoints, the panel included representatives from different age groups and marital statuses, ranging from young to old and married to single.
This time, there was a last-minute absence of a young single Omega, and Xiao Can filled in.
Xiao Can had never been interested in such programs before. However, the day before departure, he binge-watched several episodes with He Xingzhou, mostly feeling speechless most of the time.
Even though he was in the honeymoon phase of his relationship, he still couldn’t understand many of the guests’ behaviors on the show.
When he criticized them in front of He Xingzhou, He Xingzhou asked, “Would you say the same if you were on the show?”
Xiao Can fell into contemplation.
When interacting with others, it was necessary to be tactful. But on this show, people were here to hear your opinions. Being too reserved would lack interest and seem dull.
The most popular guests on the show were usually the ones with the sharpest and most direct remarks.
Thinking this way, He Xingzhou was actually the most suitable person for the show.
But undoubtedly, the program team would never invite him.
Before the recording started, Xiao Can silently prayed that today’s “people in relationships” would be a bit more normal and not too outrageous, so he could speak more effectively.
However, he quickly fell into despair once the recording began.
The first “person in a relationship” seeking help was a female Omega in a relationship with another female Alpha. She described their ten-year love journey and recent doubts about their relationship’s future due to feeling less loved by her partner.
The Omega was very emotional, citing trivial examples and shedding tears uncontrollably.
When the camera turned to the Alpha, a long-haired woman furrowed her brows and startled everyone with her first words: “She’s just insane.”
She then expressed her frustration with the Omega’s unrealistic expectations, saying how the Omega’s naivety and childishness, despite nearing thirty, exhausted her both mentally and physically.
After listening, the Omega broke down, yelling, “You told me you loved my innocence and romance when you pursued me! You said you would love all of me!”
“If it weren’t for loving you, why would I endure all these years?” the Alpha also got emotional. “I love all of you, but love isn’t everything in life!”
“If you love all of me, why do you feel tired?” the Omega asked tearfully, shaking her head in disbelief.
“It’s your doubts and suspicions that make me unhappy!” the Alpha stood up, “Love will wither without the freedom to breathe!”
“Wither! You said our love withered!” the Omega shook her head, unable to believe it.
“I’ve done everything to nurture it, but you ignore all my efforts!” the Alpha shouted.
With each sticking to their side, the scene devolved into cries, screams, silences, attempts to leave but then pulling each other back, followed by more crying and screaming, leaving Xiao Can dumbfounded.
After the tumultuous scene, there was silence in the “observation room” where the panel was located.
After coming to their senses, the panel expressed their own opinions one after another. Some said they felt Omega was indeed a bit unrealistic, while others felt Alpha wasn’t gentle and understanding enough. Most suggested they calm down and communicate well, while a few believed it might be better to break up instead of continuing the exhausting arguments.
When it was Xiao Can’s turn, he furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, and then said, “I think they are super compatible, they are simply made for each other.”
Qin Ge beside him asked in surprise, “Why do you say that?”
“Look at their mental state. Obviously, this isn’t the first time they’ve argued like this, yet they haven’t broken up till now,” Xiao Can said, “They really argue passionately, it’s that kind of… special drama, and very immersive. I guess both of them are somewhat intoxicated by it? Omega just said she can’t stand an ordinary life, so these intense clashes and passionate arguments fulfill some part of her emotional needs. The Alpha says she’s physically and mentally exhausted, but she doesn’t look like it at all. She’s clearly excited and gets into the state immediately. Look at them, arguing like this and still emphasizing ‘I love you’. I don’t think they have any issues to solve; this is just how they interact, a kind of ritual. After the argument and release, they’ll quickly reconcile. Being together for ten years with such passion and harmony, they are definitely soulmates!”
Qin Ge nodded thoughtfully, “That seems to make sense!”
“I wish them a long and happy relationship,” Xiao Can said.
Another guest on the panel beside them asked, “If it were you, encountering such an emotionally intense and dramatic partner, would you cooperate?”
Xiao Can felt a bit guilty, after all, he was the one who tended to get emotionally stirred up in relationships.
But one thing was certain, he wasn’t intoxicated by it.
“I… probably wouldn’t do well,” Xiao Can said, “Personally, I prefer someone emotionally stable.”
“What if you meet someone like that?” the other person teased him deliberately.
“Then we probably wouldn’t end up together,” Xiao Can chuckled, “That’s why I said they’re compatible.”
This episode featured a total of four groups of “participants”, each more explosive than the last.
Recording started at two in the afternoon and finally ended at three-thirty in the morning.
Fortunately, the hotel they booked was nearby. Cai Yawen had arranged transportation in advance, and they arrived at the room shortly.
Lying on the bed, he messaged He Xingzhou.
—“You rebelled, not a single message from you for a whole fifteen hours.”
Two minutes later, he received a call from He Xingzhou.
“What’s up,” Xiao Can deliberately spoke in a calm tone, “I’m about to sleep.”
“I thought you missed me,” He Xingzhou said.
“No, not at all,” Xiao Can said, “I’m busy, I don’t have the time.”
“No, you can spare some time occasionally, you should think about me,” He Xingzhou said pitifully.
Xiao Can couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore, “You didn’t contact me, so you probably didn’t miss me either.”
“I’m afraid of disturbing you. What if your phone rings during recording and you scold me?” He Xingzhou said.
“Are you dumb? I definitely won’t have my phone with me during recording,” Xiao Can said.
“If it’s not with you, you won’t see my message either,” He Xingzhou reasoned, “Anyway, when you’re free, you’ll definitely come find me.”
“Who said that?”
“You came, didn’t you?”
Xiao Can couldn’t argue back, but didn’t want to admit defeat verbally either. After a moment of silence, he started arguing, “Then I’m hanging up. I won’t actively look for you in the future, you’ll see.”
“Don’t,” He Xingzhou said, “I stayed up until late at night just to talk to you for a while.”
“… What if I didn’t come find you?”
“That would have been really sad,” He Xingzhou said.
Xiao Can couldn’t help but laugh.
“Was today’s recording smooth?” He Xingzhou asked.
“Don’t mention it, all sorts of weirdos,” Xiao Can sighed, “I suspect they intentionally found people to act out a script, one crazier than the other.”
“Must be hard for you to evaluate,” He Xingzhou said.
“It’s not too bad, they all praised me saying I’m very suitable for this show, and they even said…”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing,” Xiao Can laughed, “Anyway, I got good feedback.”
What he originally wanted to say was, at the end of the show, a guest teased him, praising his rational and objective approach to relationship issues and wondering why he didn’t help mediate between his friends Tan Zhen and He Xingzhou’s breakup.
At that moment, Xiao Can chuckled and said that matters of the heart are self-evident, and outsiders’ interference is limited.
He originally thought this little incident, although embarrassing, was somewhat funny, but as he was about to speak, he felt it unnecessary to mention it in front of He Xingzhou..
“What else did they say?” He Xingzhou remained curious.
“They said they’d invite me again if there’s a chance,” Xiao Can said, “I’m about to become a relationship expert!”
“Yeah, I’ve heard a saying,” He Xingzhou said, “People with less relationship experience are better at meddling in others’ affairs.”
“What do you mean? I’ve had relationships, and I’m in one now!” Xiao Can said, “And I’ve never broken up in my life, which means my relationships have been smooth sailing.”
“Oh, then we’re quite similar,” He Xingzhou said.
Xiao Can subconsciously wanted to argue, saying that He Xingzhou had a publicly known romantic history, but soon realized it was a bit too petty.
He reflected inwardly, perhaps he was overreacting a bit. He knew there was nothing between those two, yet he was still bothered by it, akin to those foolish people on the show today.
“Not quite, “Xiao Can said, “Judging by life span, the proportion of time I’ve spent in relationships is much higher than yours, by a lot.”
“Alright, you win, you’re amazing,” He Xingzhou didn’t seem to have any intention of arguing with him, he laughed and said, “You’re so good at it, teach me more in the future.”
“Let’s see how well-behaved you are,” Xiao Can said casually, then added, seemingly casually, “Oh, by the way, I told Tan Zhen about us.”
“Um, I know,” He Xingzhou said.
“Ah?” Xiao Can was stunned, “…Did he tell you? Have you been in contact?”
“Yeah,” He Xingzhou didn’t avoid it, “We had a chat.”
“…What did you talk about?” Xiao Can was uneasy.
At this moment, he was not concerned about anything inappropriate between the two of them. He was just afraid they might come up with some shocking conclusion and cause irreparable chaos.
“Nothing much,” He Xingzhou said, “He congratulated us and said he was sorry for affecting us.”
“And then?”
“I told him it’s water under the bridge. He should indeed apologize, but I also thanked him for giving me the chance to be with you,” He Xingzhou said, “This debt of gratitude and apology can’t cancel each other out.”
“I knew it,” Xiao Can said.
“Yeah, he said you told him the same thing, and he also said you understand me very well,” He Xingzhou smiled, “So I told him, ‘If Xiao Can still likes me after understanding the real me, aren’t we soulmates?'”
“… “
“Then he seemed reluctant to talk to me anymore and hung up,” He Xingzhou said.
