TMDP CH 43

Chapter 43: The Precious Scent of Water

Xia Ye decided to book an appointment with Han Junzhou’s clinic and also registered one for Ni Qiang at the same time. Taking half a day off from work, he half-coaxed and half-persuaded Ni Qiang to visit the Omega specialization clinic in the differentiation department.

Ni Qiang had a minor issue. On the surface, he didn’t seem to mind, but deep down, it bothered him immensely. This often led to jealousy and arguments with his boyfriend. Ni Qiang was an Omega with no discernible scent.

Han Junzhou ordered some tests and asked them to have their blood drawn for examination. Xia Ye dragged the reluctant Ni Qiang to get the blood tests done. After making the rounds, they returned to the clinic with the results already in hand.

“Hmm… actually, you do have a scent,” Han Junzhou said as he carefully analyzed the blood test results. After studying them closely, he concluded, “Your scent is… water. Strictly speaking, sparkling water.”

“Huh?” Ni Qiang found the answer rather bizarre. “Sparkling water doesn’t have a smell.”

“True, sparkling water itself doesn’t have much of a scent,” Han Junzhou said with a smile, nodding. “But the Alpha you’re with will provide the flavoring.”

“Oh!” Xia Ye suddenly understood. “That explains why you sometimes have the scent of orange soda.” Ni Qiang’s Alpha had a citrus pheromone. They had always found it odd; if Ni Qiang carried his boyfriend’s scent, it should simply be citrus. Why did it have that faintly fizzy sensation? Turns out, it was because of the sparkling water.

Ni Qiang blushed, at a loss for words. He had been feeling insecure for so long, thinking he was a defective Omega, unable to exude a charming scent. It turned out he wasn’t scentless—his pheromones were just mischievously unique.

“Sparkling water pheromones are pure and very rare, a trait of exceptionally high-quality and clean genes. You’re quite special, possessing such a precious genetic trait,” Han Junzhou comforted him with ease, noticing how uneasy Ni Qiang had been when he first walked in. A few well-placed words were enough to set his mind at ease.

“Alright, Mr. Ni, you’re perfectly fine. No need for any treatment. You may wait outside.”

Ni Qiang hurried out, eager to call his boyfriend and share the amazing news.

After Ni Qiang left, Han Junzhou finally spoke. “Xia Ye, please have a seat. It’s been a while. How have you been? Your medical records from abroad have been transferred back, and it seems your treatment was quite successful. Aside from the fact that one-fourth of the gland has shrunk and can’t recover, the remaining parts are now healthy. How do you feel? Your cycles should be gradually stabilizing. Judging from this chart, your pheromone levels will likely peak next month. Would you like me to prescribe some inhibitors for you today?”

“Yes, please, Director. Thank you,” Xia Ye replied after some thought. “For now, I feel okay. During the first cycle, I barely felt anything, but during the most recent one, I did feel some restlessness and heat. However, compared to before, it wasn’t as intense, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable.”

Han Junzhou nodded. “That’s normal. Since one-fourth of your gland has shrunk and it’s only just starting to recover, the initial intensity of the heat would naturally be lower. Over time, as the gland undergoes compensatory hypertrophy, the intensity may return to what it once was.”

“I’d rather it didn’t,” Xia Ye muttered, shivering at the thought of his past, overwhelming heat cycles.

While filling out the prescription, Han Junzhou noticed Xia Ye’s hesitant expression out of the corner of his eye, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. He asked directly, “Is there something else troubling you?” Sensing that Xia Ye might have personal concerns, he reassured him, “In this room, I’m your doctor. You can trust me. Whatever the issue, feel free to speak openly.”

Xia Ye took a deep breath and quietly asked, “Um, about pheromone compatibility… Would the damage in my gland affect the compatibility rate?” He lowered his head, unable to meet Han Junzhou’s gaze.

Han Junzhou immediately understood what Xia Ye was worried about. He gave a gentle smile. “No, it won’t. Even though the gland has shrunk, it’s still the same gland, and the pheromones it secretes are composed of the same elements. Think of it like a faucet. If you turn the faucet down, it only changes the flow of water, but the composition of the water remains the same.”

He opened Xia Ye’s file and found an old test report. Pointing it out to Xia Ye, he explained, “For example, this compatibility test you took years ago shows an 88% match with your partner. If we were to test it again now, the result would still be 88%, or perhaps even higher. This is because your hormones have been mutually attuned for some time now, and due to biological adaptation, the molecular bonds between them will only grow stronger.”

Xia Ye blushed as he listened to Han Junzhou’s explanation. He felt immensely grateful for the doctor’s professionalism in not mentioning anyone else by name. He exhaled softly, feeling a sense of relief.

“Thank you, Director Han.” Xia Ye stood up, ready to leave, but after taking a few steps, he turned back. “Um, I have another question on behalf of Ni Qiang. That is…” He stammered for a moment before finally blurting out, “Is it possible to change the scent of pheromones?”

“Hmm?” Han Junzhou raised an eyebrow. He recalled that Ni Qiang had seemed quite happy when he left earlier, so this claim of asking on his behalf seemed dubious.

Shaking his head, Han Junzhou replied, “With current technology, it’s impossible to fundamentally change the scent of pheromones. At most, you could add new notes to the existing scent, but the results are usually unsatisfactory. The original scent doesn’t disappear, and the addition of other scents often leads to a muddled, confusing smell that diminishes the pheromone’s original charm.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you, Director Han.” Xia Ye lowered his head, disheartened, and turned to leave.

In truth, Xia Ye had already researched this online. Many advertisements boasted miraculous therapies or medications that claimed to alter pheromone scents, but most user reviews stated they were ineffective. Worse, the altered scents often became unpleasantly murky. Hearing Director Han confirm that scent alteration was unfeasible left Xia Ye feeling even more at a loss.

“By the way, I heard you’ve been visiting the main house to see Little Li on weekends?” Han Junzhou asked. “The day after tomorrow is Saturday. Could you help me take something there? I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had time to go back. A patient brought me these farm goods as a gift, and I couldn’t refuse them, but there’s too much for me to finish.”

Han Junzhou pulled out a large, heavy box from behind him. “Could you take two of these back for me?”

Director Han pulled out two large watermelons from the box. “One is for my dad, and the other is for Mingxiu’s family.”

Xia Ye was dumbfounded. “It’s winter now. How are there still watermelons?”

“There are watermelons in winter, but they’re not as abundant or as sweet as in summer. These are different, though. This variety is called ‘Winter Fragrance.’ My patient’s family developed it through grafting and cultivation. They’ve been researching it for several years, and the first batch only came out last year. Back then, he gave me two, and they were delicious. This year, he brought me a whole box, saying the quality is even better—just as sweet as summer watermelons.” Han Junzhou smiled as he explained to Xia Ye.

“…” Xia Ye didn’t know what to say and could only force a smile. “I’ll take both to your family for you. Han… Han Migxiu probably doesn’t need any.” His tone carried a hint of disappointment.

“What do you mean he doesn’t need any? Mingxiu specifically came to ask for one when he heard I had more Winter Fragrance watermelons. Last year, he even took one from me,” Han Junzhou replied, feigning indignation.

“Isn’t he allergic to watermelons? Even just the smell used to make him uncomfortable,” Xia Ye asked, perplexed.

Han Junzhou chuckled knowingly. “Allergic? That was just a mental block. Once his emotional knot was untied, the so-called allergy disappeared. Now, he loves watermelons more than anything.” He patted the watermelon, producing a deep, resonant sound. With an encouraging smile, he said to Xia Ye, “Go on, deliver the watermelons.”

Xia Ye blinked, then suddenly made a playful face at Director Han. “I know what you’re implying. These watermelons are so heavy—you should have Han Mingxiu come and carry them himself.” With that, he laughed and dashed off.

After finding Ni Qiang, the two of them resignedly returned to the company to continue their overtime work, though their mood remained lighthearted.

Watching from his clinic, Han Junzhou shook his head with a smile. “As long as the message got through. These precious Winter Fragrance watermelons? I’ll be keeping some for myself.”

T/L: Aww Han Junzhou always lowkey supporting them
⸻⸻⸻✿⸻⸻⸻

– End of chapter –

NEW CHAPTER RELEASED/UNLOCKED EVERY MONDAY.

If you enjoy this translation, consider giving it a high rating on Novel Updates! 😉

Stay tuned, and happy reading! 📖✨