Sheng Li felt humiliated by the scolding: “Aren’t you supposed to be my bro…”
“Because I’m your bro, I’m being straight with you,” Xiang Yiqun said. “You rarely talked to us about your love life, so I couldn’t tell what you felt for Zuo Chi. Even though we’re close, feelings are something only the person involved truly understands, and only you can be responsible for them. So, I never said anything to avoid influencing your judgment. But the things you did and said were really awful. You’ve known him for so many years; even if you didn’t like him, you shouldn’t have treated him so badly.”
Xiang Yiqun continued, “Now you say you like him, and I don’t get it even more. If you like him, why push him away instead of holding on to him? Put yourself in Zuo Chi’s shoes—would you still want to deal with someone like you?”
Sheng Li couldn’t understand why he had been so determined to drive Zuo Chi away back then. Initially, he felt betrayed, thinking he and Zuo Chi could resist the arranged marriage together, but Zuo Chi chose to accept it and stand against him, which made him angry. Later, he was mad at Zuo Chi for complying with the Zuo family and for being a substitute for Qin Rui. Eventually, he realized his emotions were being manipulated by Zuo Chi, which made him even more unwilling to accept it.
He liked Zuo Chi but repeatedly rubbed salt into Zuo Chi’s wounds.
Xiang Yiqun thought, didn’t Zuo Chi get engaged to that Qin family’s illegitimate child? What was Sheng Li thinking? But he couldn’t directly persuade Sheng Li to give up: “Is he…the only one for you?”
Sheng Li responded with a low “mm”: “What should I do?”
Xiang Yiqun was at a loss for ideas. He had broken up with Zhou Jing before and managed to win him back, but he hadn’t done anything as foolish as Sheng Li had.
…….
The day after resigning from Zuo Corporation, Zuo Chi sent a message to Qin Xu, inviting him out for a meal.
He thought that now that he had no ties to the Zuo family, the engagement would naturally be void. However, Qin Xu had treated him well recently, and out of respect, he felt he should tell him personally rather than letting him find out from his family.
Qin Xu quickly replied: “Perfect timing, I’ve been learning to cook Chinese food. Come over to my place, and I’ll cook for you. Help me taste it.”
Zuo Chi agreed: “Okay.”
Qin Xu asked: “What would you like to eat?”
Zuo Chi: “Anything is fine.”
Qin Xu: “I’ll make twice-cooked pork and mapo tofu then.”
Zuo Chi: “Sure, I’m not picky.”
When Zuo Chi arrived at Qin Xu’s place, Qin Xu had just started cooking. Hearing the doorbell, he quickly went to open the door and bent down to get Zuo Chi a pair of slippers. He held a pair of white bunny-eared slippers in his left hand and a pair of pink pig-nosed slippers in his right, comparing them before placing the bunny-eared ones on the floor: “Can you wear these?”
Zuo Chi didn’t move; he was overwhelmed by the strong aroma of coffee, even stronger than last time. His heart started racing uncontrollably, and his face heated up.
Qin Xu looked up, puzzled: “What’s wrong?”
Zuo Chi leaned against the door frame, catching his breath, his brow furrowed: “Your pheromones.”
“Oh!” Qin Xu slapped his forehead, “I didn’t use a scent blocker, but…”
Normally, an Omega wouldn’t react so strongly to an Alpha’s pheromones. In many situations, not all Alphas used blockers.
Their eyes met in the air, and they both understood instantly: their pheromone compatibility was very high.
Zuo Chi marveled inwardly. He had casually mentioned to Sheng Li that his pheromone compatibility with Qin Xu might be higher, and it turned out to be true.
Qin Xu wasn’t sensitive to pheromones; he only felt that Zuo Chi’s pheromones were more enticing than those of other Omegas, thinking it was due to the unique blackcurrant scent, without considering compatibility.
Zuo Chi’s ears and neck turned red as he found himself involuntarily drawn closer, his nose just an inch away from Qin Xu’s chest, wanting more of the coffee scent.
It smelled good.
Qin Xu helped Zuo Chi onto the sofa and sprayed himself with pheromone blockers, but it was futile because the whole house was filled with the rich scent.
“Zuo Chi, are you about to go into heat?” Qin Xu asked, noticing the blackcurrant pheromones becoming stronger. “I’ll go buy some suppressants.”
Zuo Chi nodded, burying his head in a pillow to stifle his breathing, trying to control his urge to seek out the Alpha’s pheromones.
Qin Xu hurried back, giving Zuo Chi an Omega suppressant shot and himself an Alpha suppressant shot. He asked with concern, “How do you feel? Better?”
The suppressant temporarily alleviated Zuo Chi’s heat. He panted softly, “Thank you.”
“I didn’t expect our pheromone compatibility to be so high,” Qin Xu said, handing him a glass of warm water. “This must be fate.”
Zuo Chi looked at him, recalling his purpose for visiting, and hesitated for a moment.
Qin Xu noticed his hesitation: “Hm?”
“Qin Xu, I have something important to tell you.” Zuo Chi organized his thoughts and briefly explained his decision to leave the Zuo family and start his own life.
Qin Xu frowned, taking a long time to process the information: “This is your own choice. So I support your decision.”
“Our engagement will probably be voided.” Zuo Chi lowered his eyes, removing the ring from his finger and placing it on the table.
“There’s no reason to return a ring once it’s given. It looks good on you.” Qin Xu finally understood the main point of Zuo Chi’s words. He held Zuo Chi’s fingertips, spread out his left hand, and gently placed the ring in his palm. “The engagement is canceled, but I can still pursue you, right?”
“Huh?” Zuo Chi was surprised. He could sense that Qin Xu had some feelings for him, but…
“Your father won’t agree.”
“I don’t need his consent.” Qin Xu was equally straightforward. “Actually, when Qin Yanren came to Berlin to find my mother, he didn’t explain the situation back home clearly. My mother thought that since I had grown up, I should know what my biological father was like, what he looked like, so she arranged for us to meet. At our first meeting,Qin Yanren asked if I wanted to go back to China with him because my half-brother was coming to China for graduate school. I agreed.”
Qin Xu continued, “After arriving in China, he told me about the Qin family’s situation and proposed that if I wanted to be the heir, I needed to accept an arranged marriage. I had no father-son bond with him and didn’t want to be the heir, so I refused. Later, he took a step back and just said he wanted to acknowledge me and have me help him. He said… Qin Rui showed signs of waking up, with eye movement but hadn’t opened his eyes or made a sound yet, and he needed to stabilize the Qin family during this period before Qin Rui woke up.”
Zuo Chi was in a state of shock and couldn’t react for a moment.
“I agreed. He brought up the arranged marriage again, and then I saw your photo and changed my mind.” Qin Xu smiled at Zuo Chi. “I really wanted to get to know you.”
Qin Yanren also promised to help his stepfather’s company enter China and said the arranged marriage was temporary, just needing the Zuo family’s support.
Maybe due to family reasons, Qin Xu always wanted to find a Chinese lover, so after getting to know Zuo Chi, he genuinely wanted to pursue a relationship with him.
Qin Xu said softly, “You don’t need to feel pressured. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You’re single, and I’m single. I just want to express my feelings for you.”
Qin Xu’s eyes were very sincere, like a lake that could easily draw people in.
Zuo Chi felt touched, yet also an indescribable sadness. He didn’t think he had the ability to love someone passionately again, but he had no reason to reject Qin Xu. Qin Xu’s gentleness, gentlemanly demeanor, and thoughtfulness were qualities many Alphas lacked.
Zuo Chi thought for a moment. “I have a secret to tell you, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair to you.”
Qin Xu made a listening gesture. “Go ahead.”
Zuo Chi said, “My gland is somewhat damaged, which might affect marking and conception.”
No Alpha would not want to mark the Omega they liked, and for many Alphas, the fertility of an Omega was crucial. If Qin Xu couldn’t accept it, there was no need to waste any more time on him.
Qin Xu became serious immediately. “Have you seen a doctor? What caused it?”
“I have.” Zuo Chi smiled bitterly. “Because I took differentiation delay medication before.”
Qin Xu asked, “What did the doctor say?”
Zuo Chi: “I go to the hospital every week for gland rehabilitation therapy, but it’s uncertain to what extent my gland will recover.”
Qin Xu leaned in and gave him a very considerate hug. “Chi, you’ve suffered. Next time you go to the hospital, I’ll accompany you.”
The Alpha’s embrace was warm, and his clothes still had a faint scent of coffee. Zuo Chi suddenly felt like crying. He remembered the day he went to the hospital, which was the day after he slept with Sheng Li. He stood in the hospital lobby, lost and helpless, hoping someone would lend him a shoulder to lean on.
He wrapped his arms around Qin Xu’s neck. “Thank you.”
“Can I kiss you?” Qin Xu added, “I mean on the cheek.”
If Qin Xu had kissed his cheek directly, Zuo Chi might not have felt anything, but now he felt a bit uncomfortable because of Qin Xu’s question.
“You’re blushing.” Qin Xu said, turning his head slightly and placing a light kiss on Zuo Chi’s cheek.
Qin Xu went back to the kitchen to continue cooking, telling him to feel free to look around the house and have some snacks if he was hungry.
This apartment was from a development several years ago, but the price was high back then, indicating that Qin Xu’s stepfather was also well-off. The apartment was spacious, and the interior was newly decorated, clearly not much lived in.
Zuo Chi walked around the living room and stood at the kitchen door. “Doesn’t your brother live with you?”
“The semester has started, and he’s staying in the dormitory.” Qin Xu turned around. “There’s oil and smoke, you should stand further away.”
Bored, Zuo Chi opened a game he hadn’t logged into for a long time.
In his friends list, Sheng Li’s avatar was grayed out, with a line of small text below: Last logged in 30 days ago.
He folded the contact list and randomly started a game, earning the MVP of the match. Just as he was about to start another game, Qin Xu came out with the first dish.
“Mapo tofu. Try it, see if it’s tender.”
Zuo Chi helped by getting bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen. He picked up a piece of tofu with his chopsticks, blew on it to cool it down, and put it in his mouth. “It’s tender.”
“That’s good.” Qin Xu looked at him expectantly. “Try the twice-cooked pork.”
“It’s delicious,” Zuo Chi said. “I can’t make twice-cooked pork.”
“Then eat more.”
That meal, Zuo Chi ate until he was very full. After finishing, as he stood up to leave, his vision went black, and he stumbled, hitting the table leg.
Qin Xu helped him up, touching his hand. “Your skin is so hot.”
Zuo Chi touched the skin on the back of his neck, indeed feeling hot. He thought it was just from eating hot food, but his back was sweating.
His heat period was supposed to be in a week, but it came early due to Qin Xu’s pheromones.
