DPT chapter 19

The car stopped in front of the pharmacy, and Sheng Li went inside to get the medicine. When he came out, he was holding a transparent plastic bag in his left hand and a paper cup in his right.

He opened the car door, leaned in, and handed the cup to Zuo Chi, then took out the pills and placed them in Zuo Chi’s hand. “Take the medicine with warm water.”

Zuo Chi obediently took the medicine. The pain was severe, and the pills were bitter, but he couldn’t help but smile.

Sheng Li opened his mouth to scold Zuo Chi for not taking care of himself, but considering their awkward relationship, he held back. He returned to the passenger seat and told the driver to drive slowly.

When they arrived at his home, the cleaning lady had already prepared a guest room. However, there were no extra blankets, so Sheng Li brought the one from his master bedroom for Zuo Chi and let him lie down.

Zuo Chi took off his coat, leaving only a gray sweater. He lay on his side, curled up. Black, white, and gray were the colors most commonly seen on Zuo Chi. Usually, they gave off a stern or cold vibe, but now Sheng Li thought he looked a bit pitiful.

They had been together almost the entire day at the engagement party. He knew Zuo Chi hadn’t had time to eat and wasn’t sure if he had eaten anything earlier to stave off hunger.

His eyes fell on Zuo Chi’s moist lips, and he recalled him swallowing his… Could that be why his stomach hurt? More likely, it was from drinking too much on an empty stomach. No matter how good Zuo Chi was with alcohol, he couldn’t withstand such constant drinking.

Sheng Li stiffly asked, “Eat something before you sleep. What do you want to eat?”

Zuo Chi turned over and said, “Are you cooking? Don’t you only know how to make noodles?”

The last time he came here and opened the fridge, there was so little inside, almost no vegetables or meat, just instant food.

Zuo Chi was just stating a fact, but in Sheng Li’s ears, it sounded unpleasant, like he was being criticized for being useless and not knowing how to take care of a patient.

Sheng Li’s face darkened. “Yes, I only know how to make noodles. Eat it if you want.”

With a “bang,” the door closed. Zuo Chi thought, it seems he had said the wrong thing again.

He clutched the blanket tightly and took a deep breath, able to smell the lingering scent of pheromones on it, the amber scent filling his nose and making him feel particularly comfortable.

Surrounded by the amber scent, Zuo Chi became drowsy and vaguely heard a knock on the door, but he just couldn’t open his eyes.

Sheng Li opened the door and saw him holding a corner of the blanket, his face resting on it, his hair covering his eyebrows, his lips slightly upturned, muttering something.

He had been asking himself repeatedly lately: Is this really Zuo Chi?

Could Zuo Chi really look so harmless?

Even though Zuo Chi unexpectedly differentiated into an Omega, even though Sheng Li had been aroused on the day Zuo Chi differentiated into an Omega out of politeness, he always felt that Zuo Chi was Zuo Chi, regardless of his secondary gender. He was proud, strong, and inviolable. Sheng Li never thought about developing a relationship beyond friendship with him.

“Ah Chi…” he bent down and gently tugged the blanket. Zuo Chi let out a sleepy “hmm” and drowsily opened his eyes.

Sheng Li stepped back, “Zuo Chi, the noodles are ready.”

Zuo Chi shuffled to the living room in his slippers, the aroma of tomato and egg noodles making his stomach growl. He sat down and took a bite. The taste was ordinary, but it made his eyes well up with tears.

After the engagement party, Sheng Li had bought him medicine and made him a bowl of tomato and egg noodles. This was the life he had longed for.

He had many things he wanted to say, wanted Sheng Li to stop avoiding him, wanted to ask if it was Sheng Li who called him on his birthday, and if not, had he really forgotten his birthday? If it was Sheng Li, why didn’t he say anything when the call connected?

He felt he was being overly sentimental, afraid of ruining the hard-won warm atmosphere, so he swallowed his words and said, “It’s delicious.”

Sheng Li usually ate at the company cafeteria during workdays, had gatherings with friends on weekends, and occasionally had to eat at the Sheng family house, leaving little time to eat at home. He wasn’t confident in his cooking skills, but making noodles wasn’t difficult.

He awkwardly said, “You know how to compliment people.”

“That’s why I said it,” Zuo Chi pursed his lips. “You should get to know me again.”

The scene in the lounge flashed through Sheng Li’s mind again. Zuo Chi was indeed overturning his understanding of him, making him unsure of what to do.

If it were another Omega, Sheng Li wouldn’t mind dating while working together if they clicked, and they could amicably break up if things didn’t work out. Relationships were about mutual consent and momentary happiness, wanting more was asking for trouble.

But if it was Zuo Chi, could they really break up if they got together? Even if they could, could they return to being friends after breaking up? Sheng Li didn’t want to hurt Zuo Chi and couldn’t accept a future where they were strangers.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt he had to make Zuo Chi back off.

After eating the noodles, Zuo Chi took a nap in the guest room. Maybe the amber scent took effect, and he slept soundly.

When he woke up, it was already past seven in the evening. He and Sheng Li went to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner. They ordered dishes with tacit understanding, knowing each other’s likes and dislikes, whether they could eat spicy food, and what they avoided. Some habits were ingrained, and Sheng Li quickly listed several dishes Zuo Chi liked, while Zuo Chi reminded the waiter not to add onions.

After dinner, they went to a nearby supermarket to buy daily necessities. An assistant had sent a household list, and Zuo Chi followed the list, putting items into the shopping cart, then checked out at the self-service lane, finishing the shopping in twenty minutes.

After leaving the supermarket, he planned to stop by the Zuo family home to pick up some clothes.

Zuo Yi and Shu Qingyu were not at home. Only Zuo Lie heard the noise and came out of the bedroom. Seeing Zuo Chi with a suitcase, he joked, “Yo, ge, can’t wait to move out?”

Zuo Chi glanced at him, “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“No way, the house is so big, it’s too lonely with fewer people.” Zuo Lie leaned against the railing, “Didn’t your partner come with you? You two are closer than I thought. Didn’t you say you were just friends? Turns out all Omegas are the same. When they reach a certain age, they want to find a compatible Alpha to marry and have kids. That’s why Father doesn’t trust an Omega with the family business. If he gave it to you, the Zuo family’s assets might end up under a different name.”

Zuo Chi checked the items in his suitcase again and seemed to only then hear his words, “First, how many Omegas have you met to dare say all Omegas are the same? It only shows how little you’ve seen. Second, here’s a fun fact: one person can’t get married alone. Why don’t you say Alphas are like primitive animals, wanting to mark an Omega for life when they reach a certain age? Third, whether the Zuo family business would change its name if handed to me is another matter, but if it’s handed to you, would the Zuo family still be in the real estate business in twenty or thirty years?”

Zuo Lie was speechless, “You!”

Zuo Chi didn’t have the energy to spare for him. He walked to the living room and met Aunt Chen, who was carrying a fruit plate from the kitchen. “Xiao Chi, have some fruit.”

Zuo Chi shook his head, “No, Sheng Li is still waiting outside.”

“Oh dear, why doesn’t Sheng come in and sit?” Aunt Chen looked out, “If you want my cooking, just call me anytime. I can make it and bring it over.”

Zuo Chi sincerely said, “Thank you.”

Sheng Li was leaning against the car door, breathing in the air, a cigarette in his mouth but unlit. He was surprised that Zuo Chi came out so quickly.

He knew it was impolite not to go inside and greet them, but he really hated dealing with the Zuo family.

With just a glance, Zuo Chi knew what he wanted to ask, “Father and Mother are not home.”

He fished out a lighter from his pocket with one hand, leaned over to help Sheng Li light his cigarette. In the dark night, the flame flickered and danced, rising and falling, casting Sheng Li’s face into sharper relief.

Feeling an itch, he opened his hand. “Give me one.”

“Unfortunately, there’s none left.” Sheng Li squeezed the deflated cigarette pack and smiled meaningfully. “I don’t really like Omegas smoking.”

Zuo Chi responded with an “oh” and retracted his hand. “I don’t smoke much anyway, almost quitting.”

Back home, Zuo Chi scattered his personal items around Sheng Li’s place. His ceramic cup on the tea table, his rinsing cup in the bathroom, his shampoo and body wash in the shower, all these little changes breathed life into the house.

After taking a shower, he emerged to find Sheng Li, with his long legs bent, sitting on the living room sofa playing with his phone.

Zuo Chi’s vision was good enough to see the chat interface on the screen. As he approached, Sheng Li deftly flipped the phone face down on the coffee table. “Some things need to be said upfront.”

He hooked his index finger around the key ring, which held the new keys after the lock was changed. “Since you’ve moved in, here’s a key. I’m doing this because they asked me to, nothing else. Understand? The living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, shower room, boxing training room, movie room, and storage room are all public areas, you can use them freely. But my bedroom is my private area. You can’t enter without permission. Similarly, I won’t enter your room without permission. If you think the guest room you’re staying in is too small, we can switch.”

These words made it clear—they were just roommates under the same roof.

Zuo Chi knew not to rush. “No need to switch.”

“Also,” Sheng Li paused, the familiar scent of blackcurrant lingering around him, “when your heat period is near, remember to use inhibitors.”

Zuo Chi nodded, having no objections. Even if Sheng Li hadn’t mentioned it, he would have used inhibitors on time. He liked Sheng Li and was trying to change and reshape their relationship through this arranged marriage, but he wouldn’t stoop to using his heat to control and confuse an Alpha. He wanted to be with Sheng Li when both were fully conscious, not driven by pheromones.

Sheng Li wondered why Zuo Chi was so agreeable today. His eyes passed over his slightly tired face. “I’ll add more rules as I think of them.”

There were still droplets of water on Zuo Chi’s face, and his bathrobe hung loosely on his body. When he took the key, his collar fell open, revealing a large expanse of skin.

Sheng Li drank a sip of cold water, using the cup to shield his eyes. “I’m going to bed.”

“Okay,” Zuo Chi said softly, “Good night.”