DPT chapter 70

On New Year’s Day morning, Zuo Chi woke up to sounds in the kitchen, and for a moment he thought, ah, Sheng Li is in his house.

He closed his eyes and opened them again, feeling that everything yesterday seemed a bit like a dream, that snow, that dance, that person, seemed like scenes that only appeared in dreams. But he had no regrets at all, what he liked, what he wanted, maybe only Sheng Li could give him.

Life may be a series of bets, whether it’s a gambler or an ordinary person, there’s no exception. He couldn’t stumble twice in the same place, but Zuo Chi wasn’t a person who wouldn’t dare to gamble a second time just because he lost once.

He got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up, then walked to the kitchen. “Up so early. What are you doing?”

Sheng Li: “Preparing to cook dumplings.”

Dumplings were something Sheng Li randomly threw into the shopping cart while grocery shopping, he hadn’t even looked at the packaging carefully, and only realized there were several flavors when he started cooking them.

“Chocolate almond dumplings, strawberry fruit-filled dumplings, matcha latte dumplings…” Sheng Li, wearing ill-fitting pajamas, rolled up his sleeves and stood in front of the stove, dropping the dumplings into the pot.

Zuo Chi was trying out a soy milk machine he had just bought, and when the dumplings were cooked, he had just ground out two cups of warm soy milk.

Zuo Chi: “Why are these dumplings so fancy?”

Sheng Li picked one up and brought it to his lips. “You like strawberries, try the strawberry-filled one.”

The dumplings were a bit hot, and Zuo Chi took small bites, the fruit filling was too full, and it flowed down his mouth, prompting him to instinctively stick out his tongue and lick it.

Zuo Chi had beautiful lips, full in color, with a small raised lip bead in the middle of his upper lip. When he licked the fruit filling, he looked like a little cat enjoying itself, making people itch.

After he finished eating, Sheng Li couldn’t wait to pick up another chocolate almond dumpling and hand it over, looking happily at Zuo Chi.

Zuo Chi glanced at him and snatched the chopsticks away. “Do you think you’re feeding a small animal?”

After breakfast, Sheng Li and Zuo Chi each held their phones and started replying to WeChat messages.

Although Zuo Chi had few close friends, he was in the business world, and socializing was necessary, with no shortage of greetings and formalities. He sent holiday greetings one by one to CEOs and executives. The emojis on his phone screen were cheerful, but his face remained expressionless.

Qin Xu also sent a “Happy Spring Festival.”

Zuo Chi replied with a “Likewise,” then casually asked, “Are you and your brother spending the New Year together?”

Qin Xu sent a photo of the window in his home, with an upside-down “Fu” character stuck to it: “Yes, my father and mother are here too.”

Sheng Li had sharp eyes, and with a casual sweep, he saw the note next to “Qin Xu,” grumbling dissatisfiedly: “Why are you still in contact with your ex-boyfriend?”

He still had half a year of probation, and his position was not stable, afraid he would be kicked out again.

Zuo Chi hummed, “Should I put up an anti-peeping film?”

“I didn’t mean to look!” Sheng Li explained reluctantly, “You can chat with him if you want, I have no other intentions.”

Zuo Chi said, “I broke up peacefully with Qin Xu. Is it not normal to exchange holiday greetings during the holidays? If we really talk about it, do you know how many messages from Omegas you received on WeChat?”

Sheng Li widened his eyes and directly handed his phone to Zuo Chi. “Go ahead and check.”

Zuo Chi glanced at him, “I won’t stop you from interacting with other Omegas, I won’t interfere with your normal socializing.”

“I know. Ah Chi, I trust you. If you would’ve continued dating Qin Xu, I wouldn’t have shown up at your place today.” Sheng Li said, “I’m just… feeling a bit jealous.”

Sheng Li calmly said he was jealous, which amused Zuo Chi. He returned the phone to Sheng Li, leaned forward, and brought his nose close to the Alpha’s neck, asking, “Let me smell if it’s sour.”

Zuo Chi’s hair grazed Sheng Li’s chin, prickling. Sheng Li’s heartbeat uncontrollably accelerated, ears burning hot.

So fragrant, so fragrant.

He wanted to embrace him tightly but restrained himself because of the probation period. He felt he should at least pretend to be a gentleman.

Zuo Chi smiled, pretending not to notice the stirring between Sheng Li’s legs, and distanced himself. “Shall we go shopping later? I want to buy a couple of sweaters, can you help me choose?”

Sheng Li eagerly agreed, nodding like he was crushing garlic.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year afternoon, the mall hosted various parent-child activities and a small carnival. Many families came out for a leisurely stroll after dinner. Compared to the ground floor, the third and fourth floors with clothing stores were quieter and more serene.

Zuo Chi only intended to buy two sweaters, but once inside the mall, Sheng Li was more proactive than the sales staff. One moment he was praising the turquoise coat for complementing Zuo Chi’s complexion, and the next he was suggesting he try on a shearling down jacket.

The sales staff couldn’t get a word in edgewise, only able to echo, “That’s right, sir.”

Dizzied, Zuo Chi entered the fitting room and before he knew it, Sheng Li was already at the checkout.

They visited two more shops, and by the time they left, Sheng Li was carrying three bags of clothes.

Zuo Chi took one bag. “Why don’t you buy something for yourself?”

Sheng Li replied, “I wear suits to work every day.”

Zuo Chi retorted, “So do I.”

Sheng Li then proposed, “Then you should accompany me to pick out two suits.”

They took the elevator to the fourth floor and just as they were about to enter a suit shop, they bumped into Xiang Yiqun and Zhou Jing.

Xiang Yiqun and Zhou Jing wore matching scarves—one pink, the other khaki—and each held a cup of milk tea, preparing to go upstairs for a movie.

Zhou Jing was the first to notice Sheng Li. “Isn’t that Sheng Li?”

“Where?” Xiang Yiqun spotted Zuo Chi and Sheng Li together and instantly understood. “No wonder he was in such a good mood yesterday, grinning from ear to ear. How shameless.”

Zhou Jing clicked his tongue. “What’s going on? Has the tide turned?”

Xiang Yiqun sighed. “Looking at them, they seem quite compatible. I’ll have to tell Tai Xingyu; soon he’ll be the only single dog in our group!”

Sheng Li also noticed them and approached to greet them. “Where are you guys headed?”

“To watch a movie, a New Year’s film,” Xiang Yiqun replied.

Sheng Li asked Zuo Chi, “Do you want to watch a movie? Shall we buy two tickets too?”

Xiang Yiqun interjected, “Good luck finding seats now.”

Sheng Li fell silent.

Zuo Chi felt a bit embarrassed because they had witnessed his and Sheng Li’s transition from friends to engaged, then breaking off the engagement, and now shopping together. But Zhou Jing didn’t ask anything, just smiled at Zuo Chi and said, “Happy New Year.”

“The movie is starting soon, we have to go buy popcorn,” Xiang Yiqun said. “See you later.”

“Go ahead. And no spoilers in the group chat after,” Sheng Li boasted. “Ah Chi is coming with me to pick out suits.”

Xiang Yiqun didn’t tease them further in person, as he couldn’t quite figure out what was going on between them, but he did plan to gossip about it in the group chat later.

…

Four handsome guys (4)

Xiang Yiqun: How come some people were moping around not long ago, and now they’re smiling so cheaply?

Xiang Yiqun: @Sheng Li

Xiang Yiqun: Were you at Zuo Chi’s place last night?

Tai Xingyu: Oh.

Xu Hui: Oh.

Tai Xingyu: @Xu Hui, not filming?

Xu Hui: On break now.

Tai Xingyu: I thought your crew would be busy for the Lunar New Year. We were chatting yesterday and then you disappeared.

Xu Hui: Bai Fan visited the set yesterday.

Tai Xingyu: …

Sheng Li saw the message a while later: “I was at his place, slept on the couch, nothing happened. Today is the first day of probation, and it’s six months until confirmation.”

Tai Xingyu: Are you confident you’ll be confirmed?

Sheng Li: Definitely.

Xiang Yiqun: My omega said, when he saw you dating other Omegas before, you seemed like a natural scoundrel, now with Zuo Chi, you look like a pair of fools.

Sheng Li: ?

Xiang Yiqun: He also said, Zuo Chi used to be very popular among Omegas, he undersold himself to you.

Sheng Li: ?

Sheng Li: [Picture] The suits Zuo Chi picked out for me.

Sheng Li: He complimented my long legs!

Sheng Li was tall with good proportions, a walking clothes hanger. Zuo Chi had always thought he looked uniquely charming in suits—subtle stripes, a quality silk shirt, tied with a tie. Whenever Sheng Li stood there, broad-shouldered and long-legged, his stature was upright and handsome, exuding a confident air that made people’s gazes inevitably drawn to him.

Like a successful businessman, yet not lacking in a rough edge. Even in a suit, Sheng Li had a vibe of someone who could handle themselves in a fight, full of masculine energy.

Zuo Chi picked two suits for Sheng Li to try on, both of which he was very satisfied with. They elevated the otherwise ordinary suits to a higher level. 

Zuo Chi went to pay, and Sheng Li didn’t object. While the money spent was trivial for both of them, knowing it was Zuo Chi who bought them made him happy.

After finishing their shopping and having dinner, Sheng Li drove to Zuo Chi’s neighborhood. He wanted to go home with Zuo Chi, but was refused: “It’s not right to spend the New Year always at my place. You should go back and spend time with your father and dad.”

Sheng Li was straightforward: “But I want to spend it with you.”

“…,” Zuo Chi sighed helplessly, “Isn’t your family going to sweep tombs tomorrow?”

Sheng Li replied, “Then I’ll leave tomorrow.”

Zuo Chi stared at him, his eyes signaling: Are you going to listen to me or not?

Sheng Li’s shoulders slumped instantly. “Fine. But how are you going to spend it alone?”

“I’ll read, look at newspapers, and files,” Zuo Chi said.

“…,” 

Sheng Li said, “Next year, I’ll make sure you come with me to sweep tombs.”

Zuo Chi opened the car door and got out: “You go ahead.”

Sheng Li returned home and changed into different clothes, carrying two sets of clothes he picked out for Sheng Changyu and Li Mingchuan at the mall, then returned to the Sheng family.

Li Mingchuan was very happy. He took the clothes and was about to go upstairs to try them on.

Sheng Changyu, on the other hand, couldn’t contain his anger whenever he saw him: “The whole family is celebrating Lunar New Year at the old house, and you’re running around outside. Don’t you understand manners?”

Sheng Li replied, “I said I had important matters to attend to. After we visit the graves tomorrow morning, I will go to Grandpa and Grandma’s house to pay New Year’s respects.”

Sheng Changyu retorted, “Running off on New Year’s Eve, you talk like it’s a deal worth millions.”

Sheng Li said, “Not even ten thousand, but it’s something that concerns my whole life.”

Sheng Changyu guessed the reason, pointed at him wanting to scold but couldn’t find the words: “I paved the way for you, yet you insist on taking the thorny path.”

Sheng Li said firmly, “I didn’t cherish it before, I admit it. So now I’ve thought it through clearly. I will only be with Zuo Chi. If he doesn’t accept me, then I will wait. You said before, he can control me, without him my life would be a mess.”

Sheng Li supported Zuo Chi’s departure from the Zuo family, and he had been pleased about it for a long time. However, in the eyes of some conservative elders, without the Zuo family as a backing, Zuo Chi was no longer a good candidate for marriage. Especially since the Sheng family had a history of arranged marriages over generations, Sheng Li needed to emphasize Zuo Chi’s importance to him.

As soon as Sheng Li said that, Sheng Changyu’s brow furrowed: “Is Zuo Chi single now?”

Sheng Li replied, “Yes.”

“It sounds like I’m trying to break you up, but I’m not interested in interfering with your relationship. The premise is that the other person likes you!” Sheng Changyu said, “Although Zuo Chi has now left the Zuo family, his ability to start a company proves he’s capable. If you’re sure about him, I won’t interfere. Anyway, from childhood to now, you’ve never listened to me. But you left in such a hurry yesterday, you must apologize to your grandparents.”

Sheng Li was surprised at how well Sheng Changyu communicated, presumably due to Li Mingchuan’s influence behind the scenes.

He excitedly went to prepare tea, brought it to Sheng Changyu’s side, and smiled, “Father, have some tea.”

Sheng Li said, “I’ll apologize tomorrow, Grandpa and Grandma will surely understand.”

Sheng Li rarely called him father, which touched Sheng Changyu. He thought that following Sheng Li’s own wishes and letting him bear the consequences of his choices might help his son mature sooner, improving their father-son relationship.

After Li Mingchuan changed his clothes and came downstairs: “How does it look?”

Sheng Changyu replied, “It fits well. It’s too cold, you should wear a down jacket.”

Li Mingchuan said, “I think it’s good too. Sheng Li bought you clothes, why don’t you try them on?”

“I’ll do it later, no rush.” Sheng Changyu took a sip of tea. “I’m just enjoying my tea now.”

Li Mingchuan smiled, “Sheng Li, where’s my tea?”

“Coming right up!”