WBJAO CH 5: Introduction – Hands-on Approach

When stepping out of the kitchen, the previously empty sofa was now occupied.

Shen Chiyuan glanced at the sofa, noticing that everyone had gathered; no one was missing. Some had even changed into fresh clothes, as if they had tidied up and come down to assess the situation.

Exchanging a glance with Mu Songmian, Shen Chiyuan placed the bottled water on the transparent glass coffee table in front of the sofa.

After setting the water down, Mu Songmian glanced at the people on the sofa and said, “These are from the kitchen, and I’ve put them here.”

The five seated on the sofa gave Shen Chiyuan and Mu Songmian a once-over and nodded.

Since everyone was present, it was time for a simple introduction—otherwise, no one would know what to call each other going forward.

Because Shen Chiyuan and Mu Songmian had arrived slightly late, only a two-seater spot remained vacant. The other single seats or more spacious spots were already taken.

Mu Songmian scanned the room. The nearest available seating was the dining chairs, but that wasn’t an option for him.

Shen Chiyuan also noticed the empty two-seater sofa. Tilting his head to look at Mu Songmian, he saw him staring at the sofa in silence and could immediately guess what was on his mind.

“Mu Songmian, you should take the seat.”

Mu Songmian raised his eyes and looked at Shen Chiyuan. “Huh?”

Shen Chiyuan smirked. “I can just lean against the side.”

“It’s fine. Let’s sit together; there’s enough room,” Mu Songmian thought for a moment before deciding to share the seat with Shen Chiyuan.

There was no strange odor on Shen Chiyuan, only a faint fruity freshness—possibly from laundry detergent or something else. The scent was rather pleasant.

Moreover, Shen Chiyuan’s belongings were neatly arranged, suggesting he wasn’t a messy person. Sharing a room with him seemed acceptable.

Shen Chiyuan had initially intended to decline but realized it might embarrass Mu Songmian if he did. Besides, Mu Songmian had been considerate by offering to share the seat, so Shen Chiyuan decided he’d just be mindful not to invade his space.

When the director announced that Alphas and Betas would share rooms, Shen Chiyuan had discreetly observed everyone. While the other two Alphas didn’t react, Mu Songmian had furrowed his brows.

Shen Chiyuan guessed that Mu Songmian was either unaccustomed to sharing a room with others or had a touch of cleanliness obsession, unable to tolerate messy living habits in a roommate.

Fortunately, Shen Chiyuan wasn’t messy, and at night, they would each sleep in their own beds without interfering with each other.

Shen Chiyuan’s observations were impressively meticulous.

Once Shen Chiyuan and Mu Songmian were seated, the seven guests of the show finally got properly introduced to one another.

The long-haired, strikingly beautiful woman was Qiao Guining, a makeup artist and beauty blogger with a significant online following. Her reason for joining the show was straightforward: to gain more exposure.

Next to Qiao Guining sat an elegant man exuding grace, named Xia Wen. He was a pianist who owned a music studio where he taught students. His parents had pushed him to join the show, hoping he would break out of his immersion in music and see more of the world.

The last person, a man with a constant gentle smile, was Si Yan, a freelancer with his own studio. He didn’t elaborate on his line of work, and the others didn’t press for details—after all, it wouldn’t be polite to ask when he clearly didn’t want to share.

As for the Alphas, Shen Chiyuan only knew Mu Songmian by name at this point.

After the Omegas finished introducing themselves, none of the Alphas took the initiative to speak. Shen Chiyuan subtly sized up the three Alphas and, seeing they made no move, realized the task fell to him.

How could a dating show proceed without even knowing each other’s names? Building connections would be impossible!

Thinking about the 200,000-yuan appearance fee, Shen Chiyuan smiled and began, “My name is Shen Chiyuan. I’m a recent graduate.”

As expected, when Shen Chiyuan mentioned his occupation, everyone turned to him with incredulous looks.

Shen Chiyuan simply pressed his lips together in a slight smile and said nothing more.

With Shen Chiyuan breaking the ice, Mu Songmian followed suit, calmly introducing himself.

“Mu Songmian, a doctor at the People’s Central Hospital,” he said succinctly.

“As for why I’m on the show…” Mu Songmian let out a helpless laugh. “My family insisted. They think I’m getting too old to not be dating.”

Shen Chiyuan couldn’t help but marvel internally—so he was a doctor. No wonder he might have a touch of cleanliness obsession.

After Mu Songmian finished, the remaining two Alphas introduced themselves.

The younger-looking Alpha, who seemed even younger than Shen Chiyuan, was Wen Tang, a professional eSports player with a modest online fanbase. His club had encouraged him to join the show.

The other Alpha, who appeared aloof and cold, was Xie Kai, a university professor. He didn’t explain why he was participating, and no one pressed him for an answer.

Looking at the group, Shen Chiyuan thought to himself that he was probably the most ordinary one here.

Then, on second thought, he realized that if he were too outstanding, he might overshadow everyone else. This worked out just fine.

Mu Songmian and Xie Kai were the same age, while everyone else was younger than them. It didn’t feel appropriate to address them by their names directly, so everyone agreed to call the two of them brother.

What surprised Shen Chiyuan was that he wasn’t the youngest among them—Wen Tang was, having just turned nineteen, only a year into adulthood.

As for the Omegas, they were all around the same age, so it didn’t matter how they were addressed.

After a round of simple introductions, the initial awkwardness in the atmosphere eased. With nothing else to do, the group started chatting.

Si Yan turned to Shen Chiyuan, who was sitting next to Mu Songmian, and said with a smile, “The most unexpected one has to be you, Chiyuan. When I first saw you, I thought you were an Omega, but it turns out you’re a Beta.”

Qiao Guining glanced over as well and nodded in agreement, her expression as if she’d made a profound observation.

Mu Songmian also chuckled lightly. If the director hadn’t mentioned that Shen Chiyuan was a Beta, he figured it would’ve taken him a while to tell.

Shen Chiyuan gave a slightly embarrassed smile. “I thought you all already knew.”

The group chatted for quite a while, discussing all sorts of random topics.

As they talked, Shen Chiyuan was quietly observing everyone, mentally preparing himself to assist in any budding romances later on.

From what he could tell, the flamboyant beauty Qiao Guining seemed interested in the aloof Xie Kai. Her gaze frequently drifted toward him. Xia Wen, on the other hand, appeared to be drawn to the puppy-like Wen Tang, sitting next to him and enthusiastically asking questions about games, which Wen Tang happily answered.

As for Si Yan, Shen Chiyuan couldn’t discern much. He seemed equally neutral toward everyone, with no obvious preferences.

As for which Omegas the three Alphas might be interested in, Shen Chiyuan couldn’t tell just yet. However, they didn’t seem to shy away from the Omegas’ proximity.

Shen Chiyuan thought to himself that it was only the first day. Even if sparks or romantic tension were to arise, it wouldn’t happen just yet. It would probably take another day or two of interaction to see any developments.

For now, he would keep observing the two pairs with potential. As for the remaining two individuals, he would wait until there were signs of something happening before focusing on them.

—

The seven of them stayed in the living room until the sun had set. The sky was now a dull gray, and it wouldn’t be long before nightfall.

Since sunset, Qiao Guining had been glancing toward the door every now and then, as if waiting for someone to arrive.

Her actions piqued Shen Chiyuan’s curiosity, prompting him to steal a few glances as well. Unfortunately, there was nothing to see—the door remained firmly shut with no sign of movement.

From the moment they’d landed from the flight until now, the group had only had some water to drink. They hadn’t eaten anything, and now everyone was starving to the point where their stomachs felt glued to their spines.

Shen Chiyuan was no exception. He’d originally planned to look for something to eat, but seeing everyone else chatting in the living room, he felt too embarrassed to leave on his own.

However, by now, his hunger had dulled, making it somewhat bearable. While Shen Chiyuan could still manage, the others seemed to be struggling more.

Qiao Guining frowned and complained, “Is the production team not delivering food? It’s getting dark already.”

Wen Tang looked down at his own stomach and nodded in agreement. “So unprofessional.”

Xie Kai furrowed his brows as well and chimed in, “We should call and ask.”

Mu Songmian, leaning casually on the sofa, raised an eyebrow as if something had occurred to him.

Shen Chiyuan was just about to speak when he suddenly caught a faint minty scent drifting toward him. He instinctively turned his head and found himself face-to-face with Mu Songmian, who was leaning down toward him.

“Do you know how to cook?” Mu Songmian asked.

“Huh?” Shen Chiyuan blinked, momentarily stunned.

Mu Songmian curved his lips into a faint smile. “There are ingredients in the fridge. Looks like the production team wants us to cook for ourselves.”

It instantly clicked for Shen Chiyuan—so that’s why Mu Songmian was asking if he could cook.

“I can cook,” Shen Chiyuan replied softly, shifting slightly to the side. While the minty scent from Mu Songmian wasn’t unpleasant, having him so close still felt a little uncomfortable.

As this thought crossed his mind, Shen Chiyuan found it odd. Didn’t Mu Songmian have a cleanliness obsession?

Now it was Mu Songmian’s turn to be surprised. He had asked if Shen Chiyuan could cook, assuming no one could and that the production team would eventually cave and deliver food. He hadn’t expected Shen Chiyuan to actually say yes.

Shen Chiyuan met Mu Songmian’s gaze and smiled slightly. “Is it so surprising to know how to cook, Dr. Mu?”

When Shen Chiyuan smiled, the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, giving him a playful charm. His bright eyes sparkled like they held a sky full of stars.

Mu Songmian couldn’t help but smile back. “I thought we’d have to give in and beg the production team for food, but it turns out you’ve got this covered, Chiyuan.”

Shen Chiyuan froze momentarily. He hadn’t expected Mu Songmian to smile at him, especially after being teased like that.

Mu Songmian’s smile was paired with a low, warm voice, unexpectedly alluring. The sound sent a tingling sensation to Shen Chiyuan’s ears, making him rub one of them awkwardly. In a soft voice, he explained, “I learned when I was a kid since my father was always busy.”

Mu Songmian’s tone carried a trace of admiration. “That’s impressive.”

Shen Chiyuan glanced at him but didn’t respond.

The subtle exchange between the two didn’t escape Si Yan’s attention. Raising an eyebrow, his eyes gleamed mischievously as he leaned closer to them. “What are you two chatting about? Smiling so much.”

Hearing Si Yan’s voice, Shen Chiyuan immediately looked up and shook his head. “Nothing much. Dr. Mu just asked if I could cook.”

Mu Songmian sat back into the sofa, one hand resting on the armrest and the other on his knee, nodding in agreement.

Si Yan grew curious. “Why ask that?”

Shen Chiyuan didn’t see the need to hide it. “We saw ingredients in the fridge earlier and figured the production team might want us to cook ourselves.”

“Ohhh,” Si Yan drawled, his smile soft. “So, Little Shen, you can cook?”

Shen Chiyuan nodded, unbothered by Si Yan addressing him as “Little Shen.”

Si Yan grinned. “Wow, impressive. I don’t know how to cook at all. I always eat takeout and get scolded for being unhealthy.”

Feeling slightly embarrassed by Si Yan’s praise, Shen Chiyuan added modestly, “I only know some basic home-cooked dishes. But if you’re interested, Brother Si Yan, I can teach you.”

Si Yan’s smile widened as he nodded. “Sure, learning a new skill isn’t a bad idea.”

Afterward, Shen Chiyuan and Mu Songmian shared their speculation with the rest of the group. Upon hearing that they’d have to cook for themselves, the expressions on everyone’s faces soured noticeably.

Cooking wasn’t a strict requirement. Even if two people were married and neither knew how to cook, they could always eat out. If someone wanted to learn, they would do so willingly. However, the way the show had handled this—without informing them and making them figure it out themselves—left everyone feeling a bit disgruntled.

Still, to be safe, they decided to wait a little longer.

When it became clear the production team wasn’t coming, everyone but Shen Chiyuan, Mu Songmian, and Si Yan stood up from the sofa with displeased expressions and headed to the kitchen to prepare their own dinner.