Zuo Chi really couldn’t bear to stay at the Sheng family any longer. Sheng Li’s words were like needles, accurately piercing into his heart, causing him great pain. His cheeks were burning, as if he had been slapped on the spot.
It wasn’t him who had been slapped, it was Sheng Li.
Sheng Changyu’s palm landed on Sheng Li’s right cheek, leaving the imprint of his fingers on that handsome face.
Sheng Li stiffened his neck, glaring fiercely at his father.
The TV in the living room was broadcasting a New Year’s Eve gala. Singing of peaceful years, happy family gatherings, the hosts and guests were all dressed in red, full of joy, but it contrasted sharply with the tense atmosphere of the Sheng family.
Zuo Chi felt that he had messed everything up; he shouldn’t have been so hasty.
Even though Sheng Changyu and Li Mingchuan tried to persuade him, even after he apologized, he still insisted on leaving.
He walked out of the Sheng family, but didn’t know where to go. Zuo Yi and Shu Qingyu both assumed he would stay overnight at the Sheng family. Now, going back meant explanations, and he had no way to explain.
He owned several properties, but they were all bought for investment and couldn’t accommodate people.
Should he go to a hotel?
Zuo Chi drove aimlessly through the streets, the last day of the year, with fewer people than usual on the road. Only areas near shopping malls could be considered lively.
He had been driving for forty minutes already and the words Sheng Li said kept replaying in his mind.
Sheng Li said he wasn’t like an Omega… not cute, not good at acting cute…
Sheng Li wasn’t wrong.
Since he was young, he had always thought he was an Alpha, his behavior leaning towards that of an Alpha. Even after he found out he was an Omega after differentiation, some habits were hard to change.
Zuo Chi called two hotels, but they were fully booked. Sitting in the driver’s seat, he spaced out for a moment, then decided to call Cheng Xiangwan.
The noise in the background was deafening when Cheng Xiangwan answered the call, the drumbeats causing Zuo Chi’s ears to ache. After about fifteen seconds, Zuo Chi finally heard Cheng Xiangwan’s voice, “Weren’t you going to Sheng Li’s place? Why do you have time to call me?”
“I’m not at his place anymore,” Zuo Chi said. “I was wondering if I could stay at your place for the night, but it seems you’re not home.”
“I mean, Zuo Chi, it’s the last day of the year. Going home is boring. Come to the bar, there’s an event going on. I’ve already seen several handsome guys,” Cheng Xiangwan said. “I’ll send you the address. But if you don’t come, I’ll look down on you.”
There wasn’t a better option than going to the bar. Zuo Chi drove to the bar’s entrance and called Cheng Xiangwan again, but no one picked up.
He entered the bar and looked, eventually finding Cheng Xiangwan on the dance floor. Cheng Xiangwan was wearing a red velvet dress, dancing intimately with a tall Alpha.
He blew a kiss to Zuo Chi. “Come over and dance with us.”
The Alpha asked, “Your friend?”
“Yes,” Cheng Xiangwan blew air towards the Alpha’s neckline. “Do you have any high-quality Alphas to introduce to my friend?”
The Alpha chuckled. “I don’t think I need to introduce anyone…”
Another Alpha with brown hair approached Zuo Chi. He had just come off the dance floor, with a few beads of sweat on his forehead, emanating a strong masculine aura. “Hello, can we get to know each other?”
Zuo Chi waved him off. “Sorry, I’m just here for a drink.”
The Alpha persisted. “Let’s have a drink together.”
Zuo Chi refused. “I have a fiancé, so it’s not appropriate.”
Cheng Xiangwan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but after two minutes, seeing the disappointed brown-haired Alpha walk away, he could guess the gist of the conversation.
He left the Alpha beside him and walked over to Zuo Chi, holding his shoulder. “You should know more Alphas. Don’t tie yourself to Sheng Li.”
Zuo Chi pursed his lips. “I know plenty of Alphas.”
“Those Alphas you know aren’t your business partners; they’re either Sheng Li’s friends or admirers. It’s different. If all else fails, you could consider Betas or Omegas,” Cheng Xiangwan hooked his arm around Zuo Chi’s shoulder, blinking. “Come on, let’s go to the bar and order some drinks.”
Feeling troubled, Zuo Chi drank like water, one glass after another. He swallowed a mouthful of alcohol too quickly, causing him to cough and letting the liquid spill from his lips.
Cheng Xiangwan stopped him, knowing something was bothering him. “Tsk, why are you drinking so aggressively?”
Slightly tipsy, Zuo Chi found an outlet for his emotions. He lowered his head and asked, “Do you also think that I don’t really seem like an Omega?”
“What did Sheng Li say?” Cheng Xiangwan squinted. “Whatever he said, don’t take it to heart. Who says Omegas have to be a certain way? Everyone has their own uniqueness, true charm transcends gender.”
As if to confirm Cheng Xiangwan’s words, another Alpha approached Zuo Chi for his contact information, though it was framed as a punishment for losing a game.
Cheng Xiangwan helped Zuo Chi give out his WeChat ID. “Adding a friend doesn’t mean you’re going to book a room with him.”
Zuo Chi felt uneasy. “But I…”
“Do you know how many Omega contacts Sheng Li has on his phone?” Cheng Xiangwan interrupted.
“I… don’t know,” Zuo Chi admitted.
Sheng Li was faithful when he was in a relationship, but his relationships were always short-lived, and he inevitably flirted around during his single periods.
“In that case, why not? Why can Sheng Li add other Omegas, but you can’t add other Alphas? I don’t oppose you pursuing him, but if there’s no substantial progress now, shouldn’t you leave yourself some options?”
Zuo Chi was confused by his twisted logic, the alcohol making him slow to react, and he just said, “Uh…”
Cheng Xiangwan raised his glass to him. “If you don’t believe in yourself, at least believe in me. As one of your ex-boyfriends, I have high standards. Whether you’re an Alpha, Beta, or Omega, someone will like you. If Sheng Li doesn’t like you, it just proves he has no taste. As your friend, I know advising you to let go is useless, but remember, an Alpha isn’t everything.”
Cheng Xiangwan propped up his cheek, seeing Zuo Chi’s eyes moist, a rare sign of vulnerability. He muttered in confusion, “Has Sheng Li lost his mind…”
Because Cheng Xiangwan was familiar with the bar owner, they stayed in the bar all night. It was past 3 AM when Zuo Chi, feeling a little fuzzy-headed, fell asleep in a private room booth.
He was awakened by the cold. The first thing he saw was the flamboyant chandelier on the ceiling, followed by countless bottles on the table, and then Cheng Xiangwan’s hand on his waist.
It was New Year’s Eve last night, and in his imagination, he should have been counting down the time with Sheng Li, welcoming the new year together, but it turned out so miserable.
Cheng Xiangwan moved slightly, muttering the name of one person, then another, in a few seconds, changing to another name.
Zuo Chi: “…”
He didn’t know what Cheng Xiangwan was dreaming about. In just a minute, over a dozen names were mentioned.
Zuo Chi envied him a bit because he didn’t have anyone in his heart, so he could be carefree. If he could, he would choose such a life, rather than being like now, with his heart filled with one person, being swayed and pained by desires.
He picked up his phone from the table, unlocked it, and found dozens of WeChat notifications, but they were all group messages of New Year’s blessings. He couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
He wanted to wash his face to sober up. When he got up, Cheng Xiangwan woke up too.
Cheng Xiangwan’s neckline was open, revealing flawless white skin. He rubbed his eyes. “Oh, it’s you.”
Zuo Chi: “…Who else would it be?”
Cheng Xiangwan: “How should I know? Waking up to find someone else in bed isn’t anything new.”
Zuo Chi: “…”
After making sure there was no smell of alcohol on him, Zuo Chi called a designated driver, first sending Cheng Xiangwan home, then returning to his own.
Shu Qingyu indeed seemed unaware of what happened last night and asked how he slept at Sheng’s house.
Zuo Chi smiled, “Pretty good.”
Shu Qingyu elegantly enjoyed breakfast, “Did you and Sheng Li sleep in the same room?”
“…” Zuo Chi just hummed, “I’ll go to the bedroom to change clothes first.”
Shu Qingyu seemed to think he was shy and didn’t inquire further.
Under the surveillance of the elders of the Sheng and left families, he and Sheng Li had no privacy at all.
After marriage, when they would make the lifelong mark, when they would have children, it was probably all written into their schedule like a job.
Leaning against the door, Zuo Chi laughed bitterly in his heart. Not to mention Sheng Li’s aversion to arranged marriages, he himself was reaching his limit.
With the arrival of the new year, hi’s birthday approached. His birthday fell on a Wednesday, just an ordinary workday. Zuo Chi got up as usual, breakfast was a cup of Americano and a sandwich. He drove to the office, browsed through the morning news first, then opened his email to check for any important messages.
Several banks sent him emails wishing him a happy birthday, and some businesses prepared birthday gifts for VIP customers.
Zuo Chi selected these emails and clicked delete.
He had told Cheng Xiangwan that he wouldn’t be celebrating his birthday. But since he met Sheng Li in kindergarten, Sheng Li had never missed his birthday. Even though this year was a bit different and their relationship had become awkward, he still vaguely hoped.
As the anticipation gradually faded away, Zuo Chi stared at the computer absent-mindedly. The text and images on the computer screen didn’t register in his mind at all, and he anxiously ran his fingers through his hair.
It was already five o’clock in the afternoon, but there was no message, no call.
Sheng Li didn’t suddenly appear in the company’s office, nor did he invite him to dinner.
Could it be that Sheng Li forgot his birthday?
Zuo Chi forced himself to focus on work and finally completed the tasks at hand.
By seven o’clock, the lights on some floors of the company were turned off, but there was still no surprise. Zuo Chi admitted to himself – perhaps Sheng Li forgot his birthday, or perhaps he didn’t forget, but the result was the same.
On his twenty-fifth birthday, Sheng Li was absent.
Various memories from previous years surfaced in his mind, making Zuo Chi restless. He couldn’t sit still, so he called Sheng Li several times, but there was no answer.
Did he not hear the phone, or did he not want to answer?
Recently, he had faced many rejections, all from Sheng Li, but none had made him feel as upset as today.
He didn’t care about his birthday originally; it was Sheng Li who made his birthday special, making him yearn for companionship. Now that he needed him, Sheng Li wasn’t by his side.
He opened the chat box, knowing it was futile, but still sent a message: “Today is my birthday, where are you?”
