HIS PHEROMONE SMELLS LIKE CATNIP chapter 46.2

Part 2

Bai He closed his eyes. For a moment, he felt like the sky had fallen.

That night, Bai He stayed up late. He hadn’t stayed up this late in a long time. The next morning, he unusually stayed in bed for a bit longer. With no classes for the first two periods, he sat in bed in a daze after waking up, and only after he was fully awake did he get up to wash up, trying his best not to think about what had happened the night before.

After grabbing breakfast, Bai He arrived at the club at nine o’clock.

The game planning club had only been established for over two years, with no prior precedent. It was the first club of its kind at the school.

The club’s location was on the third floor of the comprehensive building, and they had applied for a large classroom from the school, which was set up like an office.

When Bai He arrived, there weren’t many people there. Xia Tian was one of the few present.

“Bai He-ge, you’re here!” Xia Tian was the first to spot Bai He. He got up and brought Bai He inside, introducing him to the members. The club had about twenty members, and five or six of them were present. After exchanging greetings, Bai He was led by Xia Tian to sit on the sofa.

“Everyone has different class schedules, so after tasks are assigned, we generally focus on completing them seriously. Then, when we have the chance to gather, we’ll discuss all of the tasks together,” Xia Tian explained, handing Bai He a cup of water before sitting on the sofa opposite him. “Our club is currently working on a major project. Have you heard of Coronet, the adventure game that’s entering its second beta test next month? The original concept for that game’s first version was drafted by our group leader. It’s been revised many times since then, but we still have a significant role in providing creative inspiration.”

Xia Tian took a sip of water. “The first beta test had some issues, so we need to fix the bugs before the second test. Of course, since we’re in charge of planning, our focus isn’t on the technical side of things.”

He stood up and gestured toward the room. “Game planning is actually quite difficult. It requires a wide range of skills. Xiao Nan has extensive gaming experience. An An and I are more skilled in art and music. Brother Mao focuses on history, and Sister Shan specializes in psychology. We have many other members from different academic backgrounds.”

Xia Tian smiled brightly at Bai He. “We all have our own specialties, but together, we make up a complete team. So, Bai He-ge, we really need someone like you, with a strong writing background, to join us.”

Bai He smiled. “I wouldn’t say I have a strong writing background, but I’ll do my best.”

“Awesome!” Xia Tian beamed. “Then, on behalf of everyone, I officially welcome you to the team. Let’s give a round of applause!”

“Awesome!” The others in the classroom clapped enthusiastically, marking Bai He’s official entry into the club.

He had classes in the afternoon, so he spent the remaining time that morning in the club. Before leaving, Xia Tian told him to familiarize himself with the adventure game, which was called Heaven and Earth.

Bai He wasn’t much of a gamer. He hadn’t played much in his previous life, and in this life, he hadn’t played at all. The first beta test of Heaven and Earth had already ended, and the second test hadn’t started yet, so he couldn’t experience it firsthand.

Although the club had some creative influence over the game, they weren’t professional developers. Most of what they provided would likely just serve as inspiration for the game company.

What Bai He did know was that besides working on the Heaven and Earth project, the club was also preparing for a major new project, the one Xia Tian had previously mentioned that had the potential to be signed with a big company.

Since he couldn’t experience the game yet, Bai He searched for related videos online and planned to study them alongside the materials Xia Tian had given him.

Bai He entered Heaven and Earth into the search bar on the short video platform. The screen immediately jumped to a series of edited gameplay videos.

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The editing was flashy, and the voiceover added a sense of excitement. Even someone like Bai He, who wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about games, found himself captivated.

The visuals were smooth, the character models were beautiful, and the combat animations were seamless. One glance was enough to grab Bai He’s attention. Was this Heaven and Earth?

It looked pretty good. Why had people said the first beta had so many issues?

Bai He opened the comments, and the top one from the video editor caught his eye.

[Thanks for the invite! The second beta was amazing!!] #AdventureDiary #Game #SecondBeta of Starfall

Bai He froze.

Starfall second beta? Not Heaven and Earth?

He continued scrolling, and nine out of ten videos were about Starfall, with high view counts and overwhelmingly positive feedback. Many people were asking when the public release would be.

Bai He still couldn’t find Heaven and Earth.

He felt puzzled.

Then, he suddenly stumbled upon a video, and the tone drastically shifted. It was also a combat video, but the modeling style was different. Bai He paused and clicked on the comments, only to be bombarded with random complaints.

This video had been edited to specifically mock Heaven and Earth.

Bai He didn’t understand all the gaming jargon, but he compared Heaven and Earth and Starfall and found significant differences.

Both were adventure games, and while Heaven and Earth and Starfall were similar in concept and gameplay, Heaven and Earth clearly fell short in many details. For instance, there were frequent clipping issues with the character models in Heaven and Earth.

In summary, Heaven and Earth gave Bai He the impression that it wasn’t as meticulously crafted as Starfall.

Bai He watched several videos in a row, fully engrossed in his research. He compared Xingchen and Tiandi, watching both sets of game footage to identify more problems with Tiandi.

Since it wasn’t convenient to play the audio out loud, he wore headphones as he watched, slowly walking along the sidewalk.

The second-phase administrative building.

In the crowd, Qin Yao stood out like a crane among chickens. Smiling at the people around him, he slowly backed out of the crowd, walking to a nearby flowerbed.

Leaning casually against the wall, his gaze drifted towards the students passing by after class, while Zhang Wenyi’s voice echoed through the phone.

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“How many days has it been since you last came to the company? Our project has just started gaining momentum, and yet you’re nowhere to be found!”

Qin Yao’s gaze was lazy as he replied, “I remember handling everything.”

“Well, you should at least show up sometimes!” Zhang Wenyi huffed. “You know, as someone who has to clock in and out every day, I feel pretty bitter!”

“What’s this about?” Qin Yao clicked his tongue. “I’ve got to go to the hospital this afternoon. If you’ve got something important, say it now.”

“The hospital again?” The voice on the other end let out a sharp breath. “Alright, it’s nothing urgent. I just wanted to vent. Oh, by the way, the second beta test for Xingchen had a good response. There are a few parts of the script that might need some tweaking.”

“Got it.” Qin Yao’s eyes followed someone in the distance, his focus sharpening. “I’ll come by the company tomorrow. I’m hanging up.”

“You—” Before Zhang Wenyi could finish, the line went dead. He shrugged and slumped back into his chair. “Can’t keep A University’s talents—”

Qin Yao didn’t even bother to pocket his phone. Still holding it in his hand, he dashed towards the distant figure.

Bai He was so absorbed in his game research that he didn’t notice the time. Seeing that it was still early, he sat down on a bench in the garden, scrolling through videos and comments intently.

He didn’t even realize someone was standing behind him until Qin Yao’s voice jolted him back to reality.

“What are you doing sitting here?”

Bai He blinked, looking up, and met Qin Yao’s gaze as he leaned over to look at him.

Qin Yao’s eyes swept over Bai He’s phone, narrowing slightly. “Watching Xingchen?”

Bai He withdrew his gaze, gave a soft acknowledgment, and continued watching the video.

Qin Yao stepped over with his long legs, sitting down on the bench beside Bai He. There was a small gap between them. Leaning forward, Qin Yao glanced at Bai He’s phone. “What do you think of Xingchen?”

Bai He’s response was calm and measured. “It’s good.”

“Good” meant it was not bad.

Qin Yao interpreted Bai He’s words automatically, and his mood instantly improved. Resting his chin on one hand, he said, “The second beta test just ended, and the official release hasn’t started yet.”

Bai He was quiet for a few seconds. “Is there going to be a public test?”

“Of course.” Qin Yao shifted his gaze from the phone to Bai He’s eyes, smiling. “If everything goes as planned, it should be by the end of this month.”

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Bai He gave another brief nod.

Qin Yao raised an eyebrow. “Interested in playing?”

“No.” Bai He shook his head. “I don’t really play games. I’m just comparing Xingchen and Tiandi.”

“Tiandi?” Qin Yao’s brows furrowed slightly, and after a moment, he recalled. “You mean that adventure game that just finished its first beta test?”

Bai He nodded. “Yes.”

Qin Yao’s expression became unreadable. He suddenly locked eyes with Bai He. “Bai He, do you think Tiandi is better than Xingchen?”

“No.” Bai He’s answer was quick and concise. “Tiandi falls far short of Xingchen.”

“Oh?” Qin Yao squinted, smiling. “In what ways?”

“In every aspect.” Bai He put down his phone, his face devoid of emotion, yet he earnestly listed for Qin Yao. “The modeling, the story, the smoothness, the color palette of the visuals—none of it compares to Xingchen.”

“So why are you studying Tiandi? Why not just focus on Xingchen?” Qin Yao kept his eyes on Bai He, watching his serious expression with a feeling of amusement.

Bai He glanced up at Qin Yao, stayed quiet for two seconds, then looked down again. “It’s none of your business.”

Qin Yao chuckled, propping his head back on his hand. “Alright~”

The video continued playing, and Bai He disconnected his Bluetooth headphones. The sound of combat from the video wasn’t too loud, just right for both of them to hear. There weren’t many people around, and while Bai He was engrossed in the video, Qin Yao was equally absorbed in watching Bai He.

“Bai He.”

“Hmm?”

Qin Yao, still leaning his head on his hand, asked, “Have you eaten yet? Want to grab something together?”

Bai He didn’t look up. “No, you can go by yourself.”

“Oh…” Qin Yao drew out the word, his gaze wandering to Bai He’s earlobe. Tilting his head, he looked up at Bai He’s calm profile. “Is it because you don’t want to go with me?”

Bai He’s attention snapped back at those words. He met Qin Yao’s gaze for a moment, then looked down again. “No, I’m busy.”

What he was busy with went unsaid. Qin Yao paused, then lightly scratched Bai He’s sleeve with his fingers. “What if… I get you an internal account for Xingchen? Would you come have a meal with me then?”

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Bai He’s gaze froze. He slowly looked at Qin Yao, catching a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Before he could respond, Qin Yao, with a strange tone, added, “I can also get you access to the second beta test of Tiandi.”

“Little Bai He, that’s all I’ve got to offer. Show some pity for this alpha who has to eat alone.”

Qin Yao scratched Bai He’s sleeve again. Despite his tall stature and large frame, his attempt at acting pitiful was surprisingly effective.

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