Another Possibility

Standing downstairs in his apartment building, Xiao He suddenly felt a sense of anticipation: Ye Wanqing must have already prepared dinner and was waiting for him at home, right? He wondered what delicious dishes she had made.

Thinking of this, he didn't even bother waiting for the elevator and walked straight up to the fifth floor.

"Little Pufferfish, I'm back!" Xiao He opened the door, but the smile on his face vanished instantly: there was no aroma of food.

"You're back?" Ye Wanqing came out of the room, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "Then I'll start cooking. Wait a moment, it'll be ready soon. I've already prepared all the ingredients, just waiting for you to come back before I start cooking."

"You could have done it a little earlier," Xiao He muttered disappointedly as he changed his shoes.

"What if it gets cold? It's already the end of November, the food will get cold very quickly." Ye Wanqing frowned and said, "Besides, some dishes taste best when they're fresh out of the pot, like the sweet and sour pork I'm planning to make today, it won't taste good when it's cold."

"Okay, okay," Xiao He interrupted her softly, suddenly feeling a warm glow inside him, almost bringing tears to his eyes: What was this feeling? Someone waiting for him at home, preparing a hot meal for him—was this really such a blissful thing? Oh no, he was about to cry...

But Ye Wanqing didn't notice his reaction. Wearing her apron, she asked, "Old Xiao, what was the ability of that Mutant today? Was it dangerous?"

"The Superpower to control the five senses isn't that strong. As long as you change his name, what danger is there?" Xiao He laughed, coming over to the kitchen and patting her little head. "Just say so if you need my help, okay?"

"Controlling the five senses? That sounds terrifying..." Ye Wanqing frowned. "Isn't it almost like the ability to become invisible? Who knows, they might have spied on girls before..."

"Yes," Xiao He absentmindedly agreed, glancing at Ye Wanqing with a silly grin, completely ignoring what she was saying.

Living with this girl is so wonderful... I've decided, I must find a chance to confess my feelings. If Wanqing rejects me, I'll wait a while to build up my affection before confessing again. Xiao He nodded, making up his mind.

Anyway, the two of them are now bound together. Even if Ye Wanqing's confession fails, she can't leave him. Besides, it seems that the Little Pufferfish also has some affection for him. If the confession fails, it just means that the affection isn't strong enough. They can just accumulate more affection over time.

Thinking of this, Xiao He decided to ask Ye Wanqing out and then find an opportunity to confess his feelings.

"Old Xiao, get me a sprig of cilantro," Ye Wanqing suddenly called out, then looked up at him and asked, "You... eat cilantro, right?"

"Of course, I love it," Xiao He replied, going to the refrigerator to grab a sprig of cilantro. "I always get a bunch of cilantro with my ramen."

Ye Wanqing replied, "It's not that exaggerated. It's just a side dish, a garnish for sweet and sour pork."

With that, she started cooking and got busy in the kitchen.

At this point, Xiao He couldn't offer much help, except to hand her the seasonings. But he enjoyed the feeling, watching Ye Wanqing showcase her skills in the kitchen, like a ballerina dancing on a stage, possessing a unique charm.

Moreover, since both his parents were good cooks, they always cooked together. Xiao He remembers watching his parents busy in the kitchen and chatting as he grew up. His father would crack eggs and his mother would chop tomatoes, working together seamlessly, creating an indescribable sense of warmth.

In Xiao He's eyes, that was the feeling of "home". Now, standing here with Ye Wanqing, he finally felt at home.

While busy at work, Ye Wanqing instructed Xiao He to help her, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart: I love this so much... it feels so loving.

The two of them worked together, and soon a sumptuous dinner was ready.

Sweet and sour pork, scrambled eggs with onions, eggplant with minced meat, and lettuce with oyster sauce.

"Oh, dinner's finally served!" Xiao He rubbed his hands together and laughed. Seeing his expression, Ye Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle and handed him the bowl and chopsticks, "Eat more, you must be starving! It would be best if you could finish all the food."

Xiao He ate a piece of sweet and sour pork, and then became even more determined: I absolutely must marry the girl in front of me!

"Speaking of which, the frequency of Mutant appearing has increased significantly recently," Ye Wanqing suddenly replied.

"Yes, that's right," Xiao He replied casually, then tentatively asked, "Wanqing, how about we go to the riverbank this Saturday?"

"I've been there so many times..." Ye Wanqing pouted and muttered, "Will it work this time?"

"Sure, you can change the species name of the Yangtze finless porpoise to Lin Tiannan. If it bothers me again, I'll kill it," Xiao He said with a smile. Ye Wanqing frowned. "No way, it's so cute, it's not good... You can chase it away or something."

"So you agreed?" Xiao He asked tentatively. Ye Wanqing nodded. "Yes, I hope it will go smoothly this time."

Alright! I must confess to the Little Pufferfish when the atmosphere is right. Xiao He clenched his fist inwardly: Two more days!

The next day, Xiao He rode his bicycle to take Ye Wanqing to class, but they overheard some gossip along the way.

Of course, he and Ye Wanqing usually kept a low profile at school, so these gossips weren't about them, but about the school's big celebrity, school beauty Zhang Yuxin, and her boyfriend.

Actually, these rumors are quite simple: Zhang Yuxin's boyfriend jumped to his death, Zhang Yuxin was taken away to cooperate with the investigation.

These rumors are about the real reason why her boyfriend jumped off the building. Some say it's because Zhang Yuxin accepted her boyfriend's marriage proposal but then went back on her word. Others say it's because Zhang Yuxin made her boyfriend list her as the beneficiary on the insurance policy and then pushed him off the roof. But there are many different opinions, and most of them are hearsay rumors that have been embellished. Their credibility is still unknown.

"How terrifying..." "How melodramatic..." Xiao He and Ye Wanqing exclaimed in unison, then stared at each other in disbelief.

"Why is it scary? Isn't this a melodramatic romance drama?" Ye Wanqing frowned.

"Isn't this terrifying? Was it suicide or murder? If it was murder, what was the motive? It's all so confusing!" Xiao He frowned. "He proposed to Zhang Yuxin just a few days ago, and she accepted. Yet he jumped off a building and committed suicide. Don't you think that's absurd?"

"Yes, there is a bit... but we can find out by taking the school beauty there and asking her." Ye Wanqing didn't take it seriously.

"You think everyone's face cramps up when they lie like me?" Xiao He poked her forehead. "Let's go, time for class. Anyway, that woman has nothing to do with us."

"Hmm." Ye Wanqing exhaled a puff of white breath and muttered to herself, "It's already December."

"Yes," Xiao He nodded, "It's getting colder and colder lately, is it alright for you to be wearing so little?"

"Everything else is fine, it's just my hands, they're a bit cold..." Ye Wanqing muttered softly. Xiao He patted his coat pocket and then held out his hand to her, saying, "Put it in, let me warm it up for you."

"Hmph... I've been waiting for you to say that," Ye Wanqing thought smugly, reaching out her hand. Xiao He took her hand and put it in his pocket, a warm current flowing down her hand.

Just then, a group of people walked past them, discussing amongst themselves: "Hey, do you think our country can win the Mutant Competition in March?" "Definitely! We have Yinglong, he can take on all those foreigners by himself, right?" "It's hard to say. The M Country bought a lot of Mutant, and the competition format hasn't even been finalized yet..."

Xiao He noticed their answers and couldn't help but start thinking about it.

The Mutant Competition is tentatively scheduled for March 1st and will last for a total of fifteen days. The schedule and format are still under discussion and have not yet been finalized. Considering that most of the countries that formulate the competition format are from the M Country, Xiao He does not believe that the format will be fair.

But he wasn't worried; Yinglong was strong enough to handle any situation.

The key point now is to gather enough team members. Currently, only three of the Four Cornerstones in the Special Response Department can participate in the battle. Zhang Ming and Yue Feng's evaluation results are not very good, so they are not considered official members yet. Therefore, they will at most serve as substitutes.

In other words, they still need at least two full members.

In addition, considering that Xiao He's Superpower requires more Trigger, he also needs to capture as many offending Mutant as possible and throw them into the Mutant Prison within these three months.

In short, everyone in the Special Response Department will probably be very busy before the Mutant Competition officially begins.

"Old Xiao, it's time to scoop the cat litter." After returning home, Ye Wanqing rolled up her sleeves and said, "I'll go cook."

"It's me again... sigh." Xiao He said with disgust, reluctantly going to the litter box to scoop up the poop.

During the meal, Xiao He secretly glanced at Ye Wanqing, making plans in his mind: Two more days... I hope everything goes smoothly and no one else comes to cause trouble!

After dinner, Xiao He washed the dishes and then sat in the living room with Ye Wanqing to watch TV.

Suddenly, Xiao He sniffed beside her. Ye Wanqing glanced at him curiously and saw a glint in his eyes. She sighed helplessly, "Please... you can actually cry while watching <Green Snake: The Beginning>? Your tear threshold is way too low."

"Ugh, this is so annoying! Aren't you also easily amused?!" Xiao He retorted irritably.

"Fine, fine..." Ye Wanqing glared at him, then silently continued watching with him. But deep down, she thought Xiao He was quite cute; someone so easily moved must have a soft heart, right?

Two more days... Ye Wanqing secretly planned: she must find a way to hint to Old Xiao when the time comes.

As the two continued reading, Cui Man suddenly pushed open their door in a great hurry.

"What's wrong, Sister Man? Why are you in such a hurry?" Xiao He stood up and went to greet her.

It's rare for Cui Man to come looking for them repeatedly, especially since they had just been to the Special Response Department yesterday.

"It's urgent. I need you to come with me to the Special Response Department for testing right away," Cui Man said breathlessly, her expression a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Wanqing, come along too. This is extremely important!"

"What's wrong?" Ye Wanqing asked curiously. Cui Man took a deep breath to calm herself down, then turned to Xiao He: "We may have found Mutant who can help you trigger your abilities in Wanqing!"

At that moment, both Xiao He and Ye Wanqing felt a sudden unease, followed by a sense of unease.

"Could it be Chen Ting's ability?" Xiao He asked tentatively.

Cui Man shook her head. "No, we've already tested that child's abilities. The experiment, which used 'doing a certain thing to gain a certain benefit' as a test template, did work, but... the results weren't very good."

"Will it work?!" Ye Wanqing asked, somewhat surprised, but also secretly relieved: If it's that child, then it shouldn't affect their relationship, right?

"It will work," Cui Man nodded, "But the benefits depend on the 'cost' you pay. For example, if you and Chen Ting agree that 'eating and sleeping well will cure your cold,' that will work; but if the agreement is that 'eating this candy will cure your cancer,' then it won't."

Xiao He suddenly realized. "So, the greater the benefit, the higher the effort and cost required, right?"

"That's the point," Cui Man replied. "There are no such restrictions when breaking an oath... probably because breaking an oath is a very serious matter. But even so, his ability can create miracles. For example, if you rehabilitate properly and put in enough effort, it's possible to go from being paralyzed to standing up and walking."

As she spoke, Cui Man waved her hand. "However, the 'possibility' I'm referring to isn't him, but rather a 'newcomer' we've recently discovered."

"A newcomer!" Xiao He and Ye Wanqing were filled with unease again.

On the way to the Special Response Department, Cui Man continued to comfort the two of them.

"Don't worry, it's just a possibility. We're conducting this test precisely to explore that possibility," Cui Man comforted her. "For now, you two are still a fixed pair, and we won't consider breaking you up for the time being, but..."

Cui Man paused, then continued, "In certain exceptional circumstances, when we encounter enemies whose names can't be changed, we need to have contingency plans in place. So, don't panic; it's not certain whether this plan will even work..."

"Hmm." Ye Wanqing responded expressionlessly, but inside she was already panicking: What should I do? If I find a replacement, will Old Xiao leave me? Can we still be like this?

It wasn't her status or the reward from "White Marsh" that mattered to her; rather, she couldn't bear to Xiao He...

If that replacement ends up taking my place, will I still be able to live with Old Xiao? Ye Wanqing anxiously bit her thumb, thinking to herself: Will Old Xiao be happier without me? What if that replacement can't cook? Then Old Xiao will have to eat takeout every day again... Who knows how hygienic those takeout meals are? He eats so much, what if it affects his health?

Thinking of this, Ye Wanqing secretly glanced at Xiao He.

Xiao He rested his chin on his hand, shaking his leg as he pondered something.

After finally getting to this point with the Little Pufferfish, she tells me there's a substitute. Xiao He frowned, thinking to himself: What if this "substitute" is more suitable for my abilities than the Little Pufferfish? Won't it break us up?

Xiao He glanced at Ye Wanqing beside him and sighed, "My Superpower can still be of some use on my own, but what can I do without my Little Pufferfish's Superpower? No, I have to find a way to pretend that I didn't trigger my Superpower."

The two of them, distracted, made their way to the Special Response Department.

Neither of them expected the Mutant waiting for them in the training room.

"That's Zhang Yuxin, the school beauty, right?!" Looking at the woman in the training room, Ye Wanqing's heart sank: Oh no, she's actually the school beauty... What do I have to compete with her? What will Old Xiao do...?

"... It really is him." Xiao He's heart sank, and he secretly felt something was wrong: This woman is actually Mutant. Her ex-boyfriend just jumped to his death a few days ago. Could it be caused by her Superpower? Oh no, I feel danger.

Cui Man explained, "Her Superpower is called 'Succubus's Whisper,' which can hypnotize others. According to her, it can only hypnotize men. People hypnotized by her will do as she instructs, but if it's something that clearly defies common sense, such as 'walking across water' or 'killing yourself,' it will trigger the brain's alertness, causing the hypnotized person to wake up."

Just as I thought! Her boyfriend's suicide must have been her doing! Xiao He thought to himself: This woman is terrifying.

At this point, Cui Man turned to Xiao He: "We want to see if we can have her hypnotize you, make you believe that a certain enemy is 'Lin Tiannan,' thereby triggering your Superpower."

"Hmm..." Xiao He responded, but inwardly he began to feel nervous: Damn it, what should I do? How do I refuse? How do I resist her abilities? What if I get hypnotized and become her lapdog? No, no...

"Don't worry, it's just a test," Cui Man comforted him, then patted his shoulder. "She won't see your face. Even if she hypnotizes you and controls you, as long as Wanqing changes her name to 'Lin Tiannan,' it'll be fine."

"Hmm." Xiao He nodded, then pushed open the door to the training room. This was the first time he had ever been so nervous, and the nervousness wasn't because he was facing the school's most beautiful girl, but because he was worried about being controlled by her.

Upon arriving at the training room, he spoke to the school's most beautiful girl for the first time, and it was she who took the initiative.

"Ah, are you Yinglong?" Zhang Yuxin was wearing a white bodycon dress today. The dress was so tight that it accentuated her beautiful waist and hip curves, making her look even more sexy. Of course, her face was still heavily made up.

"He's even more handsome than on TV!" Zhang Yuxin exclaimed excitedly, then playfully complained, "They made you look too fat in the photos!"

How pretentious. Looking at Zhang Yuxin's coquettish expression, Xiao He frowned in disgust, but his face was covered by a mask so the other person couldn't see it.

As she spoke, Zhang Yuxin leaned closer to Xiao He and scrutinized him closely. A strong scent of perfume wafted over her. Perhaps the perfume was very expensive, but it smelled particularly pungent to Xiao He, making his nose itch.

"Let's not waste time, let's get started?" Xiao He replied calmly, taking a step back.