DPT chapter 74

From winter to summer, half a year passed quickly, during which many things happened.

After signing an investment memorandum with representatives from the Qin family, Zuo Chi engaged in substantial negotiations and subsequently signed a cooperation agreement. Several projects at his company were launched simultaneously, with promising evaluations of their effectiveness.

Dr. Alessio’s team made a significant breakthrough in the development of gland soothing solution, entering the stage of clinical trials. The solution could alleviate symptoms such as redness and pain during heat, as well as reduce the pain associated with mating marks. If successfully marketed, it might help many Omegas deeply troubled by gland sensitivity.

Sheng Li celebrated his twenty-sixth birthday. It happened to fall on a Saturday, and this time he didn’t hold a party, opting instead to have a meal with Zuo Chi and the other three handsome guys from their group chat, as well as two of the handsome guys’ partners. With friends and someone he liked by his side, Sheng Li felt that his twenty-sixth birthday was more meaningful.

…

In early May, Zuo Chi received a call from Zuo Yi. Of course, he had already blocked Zuo Yi’s number. Zuo Yi had used Shu Qingyu’s phone to call him, ordering him to return to the Zuo family group and offering to establish a separate department for him.

Naturally, Zuo Chi refused. He had heard that the board was dissatisfied with Zuo Lie, and Zuo Yi had moved him from his position to appease the board. Not everyone on the board was surnamed Zuo; most of them only cared about their annual dividends, not whether the CEO was an Alpha or Omega.

Zuo Yi had long known that Zuo Lie wasn’t cut out for business, but he couldn’t stand to see the position of Zuo family CEO fall into someone else’s hands, so he remembered he had another son.

Unfortunately, in Zuo Chi’s mind, he no longer had a father like Zuo Yi.

A few days later, Zuo Yi called again, retracting his demands, saying he could let Zuo Chi reclaim the CEO position and even promise him the chairman’s position in the future, on the condition that he must father an Alpha child surnamed Zuo.

Zuo Chi laughed in response, “I wish I wasn’t even surnamed Zuo myself, how could I possibly let my child be?”

Zuo Chi wondered what kind of reaction Zuo Yi had to that statement, but he hung up immediately after saying it.

Zuo Yi was already in his fifties; his personality and values were already fixed and difficult to change completely. When he said “father an Alpha child,” Zuo Chi wasn’t surprised; he thought to himself that Zuo Yi was still Zuo Yi.

As for Shu Qingyu, she would send him a message every week or two asking how he was doing, but she never tried to persuade him to return to the Zuo family. Zuo Chi would occasionally invite her to a café or buy her and Aunt Chen something. He didn’t expect maternal love from Shu Qingyu anymore, but as long as she stopped trying to control him, he couldn’t cut off contact with her either. This was about as good as their mother-son relationship could get.

As for Zuo Lie, Zuo Chi later crossed paths with him at a party. Zuo Lie was dressed sharply, but his face showed signs of weariness. When Zuo Chi saw him, he casually said, “What’s up, Manager Zuo.”

“I’m not the manager anymore, you must know that, why mock me,” Zuo Lie’s eyes narrowed, without a hint of a smile. “Are you really determined never to return to the Zuo family? Are you willing to give up the Zuo family’s wealth?”

Zuo Chi raised an eyebrow at him. “Your father called me; if I wanted to go back, I would have already. I won’t compete with you for the position of heir, so just relax and enjoy being useless.”

Zuo Lie stared at him, as if he wanted to explode, but restrained himself. “I envy you, you know. You grew up in the Zuo family, received a quality education, but what about me? As a bastard child, what did I do wrong? We had the same father, but you lived like a young master, while I was isolated by classmates and looked down upon by those around me because I had no father. I thought things would change when I entered the Zuo family, but they haven’t; they still think I lack vision and ability, unworthy of everything I have today.”

Zuo Chi looked at him expressionlessly. “Isn’t it true that you lack vision and ability? If I could, I’d gladly let you have what you think should have been your life as a young master.”

Zuo Chi turned to leave, hearing Zuo Lie add, “But I admire your courage. How could you so easily give up a huge inheritance?”

“I think of leaving but can’t.”

He said this quietly. Controlled and suppressed by Zuo Yi, he was on the verge of a breakdown, unable to live happily as he did before with his biological mother. He wanted to leave but couldn’t let go of the Zuo family’s descendant title.

Zuo Chi replied, “You’re wrong; leaving the Zuo family doesn’t require courage because I don’t care anymore.”

….

After undergoing gland repair surgery, Zuo Chi had his glands checked monthly and the recovery progress was as expected. As time went by, during several subsequent heats, after using suppressants, he was able to go to work at the company as usual.

Sheng Li always remembered his heats and knew that they might not come on time, but a few days earlier he would remind Zuo Chi, even volunteering, “You can use suppressants, or you can consider using me.”

Zuo Chi: “? How did you start objectifying yourself.”

Just like Sheng Li, Zuo Chi also sometimes dreamt of intimate and passionate scenes. In those dreams, neither he nor Sheng Li had any shame; they could go from the bed to the balcony, with scenes so intense that Zuo Chi dared not recall them in daylight, just thinking about them made him feel overheated.

They had had close calls before, but Zuo Chi hadn’t agreed, and Sheng Li didn’t dare to make further moves. He would sneak off to the bathroom to resolve matters discreetly, then come out and try to make up for it: “Ah Chi, let me help you.”

Zuo Chi comfortably enjoyed the Alpha’s service, even managing to reply to two work messages halfway through, much to Sheng Li’s displeasure. Unable to protest, Sheng Li could only work harder, determined to leave Zuo Chi breathless before stopping.

Occasionally, Sheng Li stayed overnight, moving from the sofa bed to the bedroom floor. Zuo Chi layed out thick mats, new pillows, and blankets for Sheng Li on the floor.

Once, when Cheng Xiangwan visited their home and walked into the bedroom, he saw a folded mat next to the bed and asked in surprise, “Do you have a dog?”

“…” Zuo Chi explained, “It’s where Sheng Li sometimes sleeps.”

Knowing about the probationary period, Cheng Xiangwan couldn’t help but laugh and give Zuo Chi a thumbs-up, saying, “Well done.”

Zuo Chi relayed this incident to Sheng Li, who responded, “Then I won’t accept it. Assistant Liu has a dog at home, and his dog sleeps on the bed with him. I’m applying for better treatment.”

Zuo Chi retorted, “Aren’t you a lone wolf? What’s the comparison with a dog?”

Sheng Li replied, “You won’t know until you try. I’m worse off than a dog.”

Zuo Chi eventually decided it wasn’t sustainable to let Sheng Li sleep on the floor all the time, so one night, he let Sheng Li share the bed. Sheng Li was so happy he couldn’t help but roll around on the bed.

Because it was a single bed, only one meter five wide, it was indeed a bit cramped for two big men. Remembering the times Sheng Li fell off the sofa in the hospital at night, Zuo Chi said, “Scooch over a bit, so you don’t fall off in your sleep.”

Sheng Li gladly snuggled up to Zuo Chi, one hand on his waist, his chest almost against Zuo Chi’s back, his nose sniffing the blackcurrant scent on his fair neck.

Zuo Chi said, “Let’s sleep!”

“Hmm,” Sheng Li obediently replied, but his head was against Zuo Chi’s shoulder, clinging to him like an octopus, as if this could confirm that the Omega in his arms belonged to him.

The warmth of the Alpha’s body behind him and the amber scent filling the room tempted Zuo Chi, who had some mischievous thoughts: “We don’t have any protection at home.”

“Hmm, we don’t have… Damn! What did you say!” Sheng Li excitedly sat up, “I’ll go downstairs and buy some!”

Zuo Chi glanced at the time, “It’s so late.”

“There’s a 24-hour convenience store!” Sheng Li hurriedly changed clothes, and before leaving, he kissed Zuo Chi on the cheek, “I’ll be right back.”

There really wasn’t a 24-hour convenience store within a few hundred meters of their community. It wasn’t until he neared the commercial area that Sheng Li found one. Zuo Chi’s casual remark had ignited a fiery determination in him, running through the streets searching for the store, causing several passersby to turn back, thinking he was drunk and causing a scene late at night.

Sheng Li bought a box of condoms and returned to Zuo Chi’s home, taking about twenty minutes. He had also forgotten his keys, so he rang the doorbell for Zuo Chi to let him in.

Zuo Chi opened the door for him and got back to lay down on the bed, closing his eyes to prepare for sleep, seemingly forgetting what he had said earlier.

Sheng Li, holding the condoms, called out to him, “Ah Chi.”

Zuo Chi replied with a soft, lazy voice, “Hmm.”

Licking his lips, Sheng Li said, “Don’t fall asleep.”

“Tired,” mumbled Zuo Chi. “Time waits for no one.”

Sheng Li sighed. “…”

If Zuo Chi really wanted to sleep, Sheng Li couldn’t force him awake, especially knowing how tired he had been from work lately. Feeling a bit frustrated, Sheng Li took a cold shower, then slipped under the covers, holding Zuo Chi even closer.

Zuo Chi swore it wasn’t intentional. The next morning, guilt still lingered as he woke up to see the Alpha’s handsome face magnified before him. But by the time he returned home from work that evening, any guilt vanished upon discovering a box of condoms on the shoe cabinet shelf in the hallway.

Furthermore, he found another box in the kitchen pantry, one on the windowsill of the viewing room, and yet another by the bathroom sink.

Zuo Chi couldn’t help but laugh. Since Sheng Li was still out socializing, he messaged him: “Why did you put condoms in the kitchen? Planning to cook with them?”

After a while, Sheng Li replied: “I carefully analyzed yesterday’s situation and concluded that I wasn’t adequately prepared.”

Sheng Li continued: “What if we happen to feel like it in the kitchen in the future? If I have to go to the bedroom for a condom, you might change your mind by then.”

Sheng Li added: “It’s all about being prepared for any situation.”

Zuo Chi was speechless: “?”

Zuo Chi: “You really think of everything.”

Zuo Chi: “What about the condoms in the hallway? Are we supposed to lose control as soon as we get home?”

Sheng Li: “There’s always that possibility!”

Zuo Chi: “No way!”

Zuo Chi: “Shameless.”

Zuo Chi: “How many boxes of condoms did you put around the house?”

Sheng Li: “Around a dozen, I think. Can’t remember exactly. You can check.”

Zuo Chi: “Get lost.”