Zuo Chi said, “Give the lunchbox back to him, and help me pack a meal from the staff canteen. Tell him I’m busy with work and can’t entertain him.”
The assistant nodded. “Okay, I got it.”
Several minutes later, the assistant returned with the packed meal. The company provided both lunch and dinner, with a variety of dishes. However, because the assistant was late, only stir-fried green peppers with shredded potatoes and fried yellow croaker were left.
The assistant opened the transparent box. “Should I go back to the restaurant downstairs and order another meal?”
“No need.”
Zuo Chi broke the disposable chopsticks. He had no appetite and just ate a bit of rice and potatoes to fill his stomach.
He worked until nearly nine o’clock before leaving the office. As he walked to the company’s main entrance, he stopped abruptly.
Sheng Li stood outside the revolving door, dressed casually with his hands in his pockets, looking inside through the glass. When he saw Zuo Chi, he flashed a bright smile.
They were very close, just a few steps away from each other. But Zuo Chi felt the distance between them couldn’t be bridged anymore. They were far apart because he wouldn’t approach Sheng Li again.
“Want to grab a late-night snack?”
“Can you not come to my company?”
These two sentences were said simultaneously. Sheng Li’s expression became complicated, first surprised, then hurt. “What are you saying? Why?”
Zuo Chi said, “Others might misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand?” Sheng Li furrowed his brows, unable to understand the implications.
“Although we’re friends, others don’t know that. They only know we were once engaged. If you appear in my company again, it’s bound to cause misunderstandings, making them think we have… an improper relationship.”
“What do you mean by an improper relationship!” Sheng Li’s forehead creased in incomprehension.
“Keep your voice down.” Zuo Chi glanced around. It was long past normal working hours, and apart from the security guards, there were no people on the first floor. “Qin Xu is now my fiancé. I can’t let anyone misunderstand.”
The word “fiancé” was like a knife, accurately piercing Sheng Li’s heart, making him feel a bit dazed.
Zuo Chi had also called him that before, but now it referred to another Alpha.
He growled lowly, “But you don’t like him!”
Zuo Chi remained expressionless. “Not liking him now doesn’t mean I won’t in the future. Even if I don’t like him in the future, it’s none of your business. You’re not my savior; don’t think I’m pitiful for being with Qin Xu for the sake of the Zuo family. And don’t feel guilty. Have you seen Qin Xu? He’s handsome, isn’t he?”
Hearing Zuo Chi praise someone else, Sheng Li felt a pang of sourness in his heart. “Then, do you still like me?”
Where did Sheng Li get the nerve to ask this question?
“You only said you wanted to marry me, not that you liked me.” Sheng Li’s tone had a hint of complaint.
Standing in the breeze, Zuo Chi felt a chill in his heart. “Does it make a difference whether I say it or not?”
“Of course, it does! If you say you like me, I will definitely, definitely…” Sheng Li became uncertain as he spoke. He didn’t want to face reality at that moment. “I know I treated you badly before. I’ve reflected on it. I won’t act recklessly in the future. If you’re angry, hit me. You can hit me however you want, and I won’t fight back!”
“I’m not angry, really.” Zuo Chi smiled faintly, pulling his lips up. “It’s my fault. We’re only suited to be friends.”
A wave of fear seized Sheng Li’s heart. He could accept Zuo Chi scolding or hitting him, but he couldn’t accept Zuo Chi being so indifferent. He was afraid. This time, he wasn’t afraid that Zuo Chi wouldn’t be friends with him anymore, but that Zuo Chi would only want to be friends with him.
As Zuo Chi walked past him, the scent of blackcurrant subtly permeated the air.
Sheng Li’s fear reached its peak. He felt like he was being slowly submerged in the deep sea. He disregarded everything and grabbed Zuo Chi’s wrist, pulling him into his arms.
Zuo Chi was caught off guard, startled. He wanted to push Sheng Li away, but Sheng Li lowered his head and bit his lips.
Alphas were aggressive. Sheng Li tightly held him, voraciously nibbling on his lips, fervently seeking his breath. Zuo Chi couldn’t breathe properly.
He was keenly aware of the difference in strength between Alphas and Omegas. He raised his hand and landed a slap on Sheng Li’s cheek.
With a crisp “smack,” the sound was so clear that it made the security guard peek out of his booth and look in their direction.
A red handprint appeared on Sheng Li’s face. He touched his cheek, incredulous. “You hit me?”
Zuo Chi adjusted his breathing. “You suddenly went crazy.”
Sheng Li retorted, “Didn’t you kiss me without warning before?”
“That was because…” It was because he liked him. But what about Sheng Li? Why did he do it?
Sheng Li pressed, “Because of what?”
Zuo Chi pursed his lips. “Don’t do it again. If you do something weird like this again, we can’t even be friends.”
Sheng Li took a step forward, blocking his way. “Then let’s not be friends! I like you too!”
Zuo Chi was stunned.
He never dreamed he would hear those words from Sheng Li. He thought he’d never hear them, and had long given up hoping for Sheng Li’s affection.
But hearing it now, his heart still pounded rapidly, and his eyes still stung with tears.
Did Sheng Li really like him? Did Sheng Li understand what liking meant?
If Sheng Li liked him, how could he say so many hurtful things, let him suffer in the pain of unrequited love, and make him witness him holding hands with other Omegas?
There are many ways to express affection, but none of them involve causing pain.
Zuo Chi murmured, “You’re lying to me.”
Sheng Li wished he could take out his heart to show him. “I’m not lying! I really like you! I’m sorry, Ah Chi, I just realized that when I can’t see you, I miss you, and when I see you, I’m happy. I hate it when you’re close to others. This is what liking someone means, right?”
“You’re lying to me.” Zuo Chi looked up at him, tears welling in his eyes. “When we were taking photos, you said the thought of pretending to be an intimate couple with me was disgusting.”
Sheng Li hurried to explain. “We’ve been friends for so long, I couldn’t wrap my head around it at first. I didn’t really find it disgusting, I was just talking nonsense!”
Zuo Chi choked back a sob. “On my birthday, I was looking everywhere for you. You didn’t reply to my messages, you didn’t come to see me, you didn’t even wish me a happy birthday.”
“I called you! I… I didn’t know what to say at the time.” Sheng Li had been at a bar that night, not having a good time. He knew it was Zuo Chi’s birthday and knew Zuo Chi was looking for him, making every moment pass painfully slow.
Zuo Chi shook his head. “You never considered my feelings. You always think about yourself. Sheng Li, someone as self-centered as you doesn’t understand what it means to like someone.”
“I can learn, I can change, Ah Chi…” Sheng Li raised his hand, wanting to wipe away Zuo Chi’s tears.
Zuo Chi brushed his hand away. “Too late.”
He quickly walked to the roadside where the driver had been waiting for a while. He opened the car door and bent down, getting in quickly. “Drive.”
Sheng Li’s hand froze mid-air, grasping at nothing. He felt a piercing pain, wondering if Zuo Chi had felt this kind of pain too.
Once inside the car, Zuo Chi couldn’t hold back any longer. He lowered his head, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking slightly as tears fell from his fingertips.
He had liked Sheng Li for many years, so much that he couldn’t imagine not liking him. They had many beautiful memories together, ones that no one could replace. To completely deny his feelings for Sheng Li would be to deny the last twenty-plus years of his life.
He couldn’t do it.
But in the past, he had stubbornly chased after Sheng Li, wanting Sheng Li to stop for him, wanting to become Sheng Li’s Omega, but ended up hurt and scarred. He couldn’t believe Sheng Li’s affection.
If only Sheng Li had confessed his feelings earlier, things would have been different. He would have thought his persistence had paid off, and he would have been overjoyed, not knowing how to express his gratitude. He had made wishes to the ginkgo tree outside his company and to birds flying across the sky.
Unfortunately, he had already decided to give up, so Sheng Li’s confession wasn’t a pleasant surprise but a heavy blow.
The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Is it the pressure from work?”
Zuo Chi sniffed. “Yeah.”
The driver said, “Don’t stress yourself out so much. The most important thing is to be happy.”
Zuo Chi exhaled. “Yeah.”
When he got home, he showered, took two melatonin pills, forced himself to lie down, and tried not to think about anything. He finally fell asleep two hours later.
In the following days, he didn’t see Sheng Li. However, he kept in touch with Qin Xu, communicating almost daily. Their conversations weren’t very frequent, but they weren’t boring either.
Qin Xu knew when to advance and when to retreat. He occasionally joked but never made Zuo Chi uncomfortable. He was a charming person, polite and gentle, always providing positive emotions. Sometimes Zuo Chi wondered if he would have fallen for someone like Qin Xu if he had met him first.
Maybe. No one dislikes good qualities. But his heart found it hard to beat for another person now.
Since the strong alliance between the Zuo family and the Qin family was no longer a secret, Zuo Yi and Qin Yanren officially announced the news through official channels.
After discussions, they decided not to hold an engagement party. Zuo Chi knew that the Qin family mainly considered that he had already had an engagement party once, and doing it again would only attract gossip. He appreciated their understanding; otherwise, he would have been a laughingstock in the circle.
But proper etiquette was still necessary. The Zuo family and the Qin family met at a hotel, including Qin Yanren’s wife, Qin Rui’s mother.
Before the dishes were fully served, the two families started chatting, discussing recent business news.
During the conversation, Qin Yanren mentioned the late Old Master Qin, saying he liked Zuo Chi and had expressed a desire for Zuo Chi to become part of their family. He sighed, “If my father knew about this happy event from the afterlife, he would be very pleased.”
The dining table fell silent for a few seconds. Zuo Chi couldn’t help but think of Qin Rui, finding this marriage alliance somewhat absurd.
