Chapter 8: You’ll Like My Alpha Pheromones

Chapter 8: You'll Like My Alpha Pheromones

"Hm?"

Qin Yan let out a lazy hum, his nasal sound snapping Su Zhiyu out of his daze and pulling him back to reality.

Su Zhiyu's eyelashes fluttered. Though he had no idea what game the other was playing, he still went along with it and reached out his hand, shaking Qin Yan's scorching palm: "Hello."

After a pause, he added, "I'm Su Zhiyu."

Qin Yan flashed a cocky grin. "I know."

Their handshake was quick and barely there, but to Su Zhiyu, it felt like forever—long enough that his back had gone rigid.

Qin Yan... seemed different somehow.

"Brother Yan, the host is here." Yang Yichen patted Qin Yan's shoulder, jerking his chin toward the front of the hall.

Everyone shuffled toward the middle and sat down.

Su Zhiyu sat in the back corner again. Qin Yan wanted to sit with him, but the moment he took a step forward, Yang Yichen pulled him down into the middle seat as if it were second nature.

Whatever.

Given the original owner's arrogant and domineering personality, he'd definitely sit in the prime seat anyway.

The host stood at the front with a microphone and started talking: "Good morning, contestants. Today we have only one task—record a solo piece on whatever topic you want."

As he spoke, the large screen behind him showed floor plans of several rooms.

"Please take a look. These are the different types of spaces we've prepared for you. After you draw lots, you'll go in order to record. Every space will have staff there."

Qin Yan crossed his arms and checked out the screen. There were recording studios, dance studios, a main stage, several scene sets, and even an outdoor lawn.

The budget's really gone up, huh.

After the host finished explaining the rules, everyone started drawing numbers.

Qin Yan needed the recording studio. There were quite a few singers, and he got fourth in line.

Yang Yichen was doing a solo acting piece, so he headed straight to his venue alone.

With five or six people gone at once, the hall felt a lot emptier.

Qin Yan looked around out of sheer boredom and immediately spotted Su Zhiyu in the back row.

At that exact moment, Su Zhiyu looked up, and their eyes met.

Qin Yan froze for a second, catching the flicker of panic in Su Zhiyu's eyes—like a startled little rabbit, instantly flattening its puffed-up fur.

"Pfft."

So cute.

Qin Yan turned back around, the corners of his mouth twitching, barely able to hold back a grin.

"Contestant #3 for Dance Studio, please report for recording."

The announcement came over the loudspeaker. Su Zhiyu got up and headed toward the backstage without looking back, bumping right into Cheng Xiang, who was just coming out the door.

Su Zhiyu tried to step around him, but Cheng Xiang shifted to block him.

"What's the hurry? They're still adjusting the equipment inside."

Su Zhiyu: "Move."

"Oh? And what're you gonna do if I don't? A lowly Omega like you thinks you can compete with me for resources? Hasn't anyone taught you how a drowned dog begs?"

Su Zhiyu frowned.

A staff member happened to walk out just then, and Cheng Xiang instantly switched to a friendly smile, stepping aside with a warm smile: "Good luck, Zhi Yu!"

Su Zhiyu didn't play along with his little act, walking straight past him into the room.

Cheng Xiang's fake smile vanished in an instant. His eyes flicked around, like a thought had just hit him, and a sly grin crept back onto his face.

Back in the main hall.

With both Su Zhiyu and Yang Yichen gone, Qin Yan rested his chin on his hand out of boredom, chatting idly with the contestants around him. Someone passed him a strawberry, and he popped it in his mouth.

Cheng Xiang happened to see this.

Everyone here was still trying to make a name for themselves in the industry—some of them probably knew Qin Yan's identity and were trying to suck up to him.

Cheng Xiang let out a silent sneer.

Wasn't he just a spoiled rich kid who did nothing but eat and play all day? Coming to a competition show like this was just asking to be humiliated.

"Contestant #4 for Recording Studio, please report for recording."

Qin Yan's head snapped up. "That's me."

He passed Cheng Xiang in the backstage hallway. Cheng Xiang's hand, raised mid-gesture to greet him, froze in the air, and he had to pull it back, gritting his teeth.

The door clicked closed.

Cheng Xiang didn't go back to the hall. Today was just the intro shoot—once recording was done, everyone could leave, and only a few people remained in the hall by now.

But he didn't leave either. Instead, he flagged down a staff member, then leaned against the corner of the backstage corridor, lighting a cigarette.

The swirling smoke blurred his face, and the pungent smell wafted over. Su Zhiyu's brow furrowed slightly, and he kept walking.

"Mr. Su, one moment."

Su Zhiyu stopped in his tracks.

A staff member came up to him politely: "A contestant asked me to tell you to come to the prop room. He said he needs to talk to you."

Qin Yan?

Su Zhiyu immediately thought of him. He'd been so well-behaved all day—so this was it. He was waiting until recording was over?

Su Zhiyu steadied himself and nodded. "Okay, thanks."

"You're welcome. Go ahead."

The staff member went back to work after delivering the message, leaving Su Zhiyu standing there, caught between doing what he was told and just pissing Qin Yan off.

Forget it, everyone's basically cleared out by now. Might as well go.

Su Zhiyu turned and headed backstage. Spotting the props room sign, he pushed the door open.

Nobody was in the room.

!

Su Zhiyu's heart lurched. Just as he was about to turn and leave, the door slammed shut and a figure darted in.

"You? What do you want?"

Cheng Xiang tilted his head, spat out the burnt cigarette butt, and smirked: "What's the matter? Disappointed it's not Qin Yan?"

Su Zhiyu backed up two cautious steps, quietly eyeing the room's furnishings and props.

Cheng Xiang stepped closer: "What are you backing off for? I heard your family went broke, and your mom's a vegetable. You'd do anything for her, right?"

"How about this—instead of being Qin Yan's groveling whore, why not come to me? Stop scrambling for connections. I've got money too, and I'm way more generous than Qin Yan. Just be my boy toy, and you'll be set..."

Cheng Xiang coaxed in a sleazy tone, advancing step by step, backing Su Zhiyu into a corner.

The cramped space was flooded with a heavier, more overwhelming scent of pheromones.

"Ugh..."

Su Zhiyu let out a muffled groan, sweat beading on his forehead. He braced himself against the table, breathing hard: "You dare release your pheromones here? Aren't you scared of getting caught?"

"Hahaha."

Cheng Xiang shrugged smugly: "No one's gonna find out. And even if they did, so what? I can handle it. Can you?"

"Su Zhiyu, if I remember correctly, your pheromones smell like white peach, right? I caught a whiff last time, and I've been thinking about it ever since. Why not let me have a real taste today?"

The powerful Alpha pheromones closed in from all sides.

An Omega inherently can't resist an Alpha's dominance—even an S-grade Omega can only back down in defeat.

Su Zhiyu fumbled with the ring on his middle finger and sharply sliced his palm open. The pain briefly kept him lucid.

"Don't... don't come any closer."

He frantically grabbed a sharp prop and held it up in front of him as a defense.

"Scaring me? Hah, you'll learn to love my Alpha pheromones."

Cheng Xiang licked his lips, lunged forward, and snatched the prop from Su Zhiyu's hand in one swift motion. The oppressive Alpha pheromones crashed down, shattering Su Zhiyu's composure.

No...

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