Sheng Li’s smile was so dazzling that Zuo Chi felt his heart inexplicably flutter.
He mocked himself for being hopeless.
Since he was already at the seaside, he hesitated for a moment but then walked towards the nearest surf shop. The surf shop was in a blue, two-story bungalow with several outdoor umbrellas at the entrance, under which a few people sat drinking juice. Two wooden signs hung on the wall: one read “Freshly Squeezed Juice,” and the other “Surfing Equipment Rental.”
When Zuo Chi entered, the owner was enthusiastically promoting the place to other customers, boasting that their surf coaches were national professional surfing coach trainers and that it would be hard not to learn.
Unfortunately, the only two Beta coaches were on vacation, and the remaining surf coaches were all male Alphas. So, Zuo Chi let the owner assign him a coach at random.
The coach was responsible and patient, explaining safety precautions before entering the water and teaching Zuo Chi how to paddle and get up on the board. Zuo Chi quickly became interested in surfing.
Lying on the board, he raised his head, propping his upper body up with his abdomen, looking ahead intently. He paddled along the sides of the surfboard, pushing it forward. As soon as he tried to stand up, he lost his balance and fell off the board.
The coach quickly helped him up, “Are you okay?”
Zuo Chi choked on some water, coughing with his hand over his mouth. Before he could reply, a shadow loomed over him.
Sheng Li unceremoniously grabbed the coach’s wrist, squinting his eyes, “You are supposed to teach him how to surf, who allowed you to get handsy?”
He had just sat down to drink some iced coconut water when Zuo Chi disappeared. The next thing he knew, Zuo Chi was in his sight again, followed by a surf coach.
The coach was obviously an Alpha, tall and muscular, bare-chested even in the autumn-winter season.
Sheng Li suddenly remembered hearing that some coaches liked to take advantage of Omegas under the guise of teaching. He wasn’t worried about Zuo Chi being taken advantage of—Zuo Chi was a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, not a delicate Omega.
But Zuo Chi seemed completely absorbed in surfing, paying no attention to him at all.
Sheng Li lost focus for a moment, then glanced back at the sea to see the Alpha coach holding Zuo Chi’s hand, and Zuo Chi wasn’t pushing him away?
He couldn’t hold back any longer and strode towards the two…
“Sheng Li, what are you doing?” Zuo Chi was startled and explained, “I just fell, and the coach helped me up.”
The coach, misunderstood but not angry, said, “Ensuring customer safety is my responsibility. Physical contact is inevitable in outdoor activities. If Mr. Zuo feels uncomfortable, he can let me know.”
Sheng Li stared at the coach suspiciously for a few moments, then let go and looked at Zuo Chi, “You still can’t stand on the board?”
Zuo Chi was speechless.
The coach reminded him, “Mr. Zuo has only been learning for half an hour.”
Sheng Li chuckled twice, “How long are you going to teach him?”
“Two hours.”
“Two thousand yuan?”
“Eighteen hundred.”
“Oh, cheaper than I thought.” Sheng Li emphasized the word “cheap.”
The coach retorted, “Really? Then why don’t you sign up too?”
Sheng Li’s face darkened, “I know how to surf.”
“I thought you were just inquiring,” the coach said with a smile, “If not, are you a… colleague?”
Zuo Chi rarely saw Sheng Li at a loss for words, so he enjoyed the awkward expression on his face for a moment before returning to the shallow water with his surfboard.
The coach followed and asked in a low voice, “Is that your boyfriend? He’s pretty possessive. But are you two fighting? He said he can surf, so why doesn’t he teach you?”
“No,” Zuo Chi pressed his lips together, “Just friends.”
Maybe soon not even friends anymore.
He bent over, feeling a dull ache in his heart at the thought.
Two hours passed quickly. Surfing was exhausting, and after returning the surfboard, Zuo Chi ordered an orange juice at the shop and sat down to rest, drinking while browsing the news online.
He opened an app and a major business news headline popped up—Old Master Qin had passed away.
Zuo Chi had heard from Zuo Yi that the doctors had diagnosed Old Master Qin with about three more months to live. But it had been less than two months since he was hospitalized and now he was gone.
A group of people were eyeing the family fortune. Old Master Qin had withheld the will to control his children, and now the Qin family must be in chaos, both planning the funeral and fighting for a larger share of the inheritance.
As the sky darkened, Zuo Yi and the others also returned to shore. Zuo Lie carried a bucket full of fish, a bountiful catch. They found a seaside restaurant, had the chef prepare the fish into dishes, and ordered a table full of seafood.
At the dinner table, naturally, they talked about Old Master Qin’s passing, reminiscing about how he was a business prodigy in his youth, commanding great respect, but lamenting that none of his descendants had the ability to uphold the family legacy.
Sheng Changyu, unaware of the almost-marriage alliance between the Zuo and Qin families, sighed and mentioned Qin Rui, “If Qin Rui hadn’t been in the hospital, or even if he hadn’t become a vegetative state, he would have been the one to take charge of the Qin family in the future.”
Zuo Chi stared down at the fish in his bowl. He wasn’t very familiar with Qin Rui; they had only met a few times at public events. Still, thinking about the failed marriage arrangement with Qin Rui made him feel a bit complicated.
Zuo Yi calmly agreed, “Isn’t that just how fate plays with us?”
“The Qin family is still thriving, even if their children are useless and their grandchildren have no talent, they can still hope for an outstanding great-grandchild,” Sheng Changyu said. “Unlike Mingchuan and I, who have only Sheng Li. No matter how useless he may be, the Sheng family will be his in the future.”
Zuo Chi felt uncomfortable hearing this. He glanced at Sheng Li, who was poking a mussel with his chopsticks, the veins on the back of his hand standing out.
Sheng Li had once said that he felt Sheng Changyu and Li Mingchuan’s love and tolerance for him were all because he was their only child. If he had an Alpha brother or sister, everything would be different. His name, Sheng Li—Sheng being the surname and Li being the given name—represented not their parents’ love, but a cooperative relationship. He was the product of their long-term collaboration.
Sheng Li had an Alpha brother once, but he died shortly after birth. When Sheng Li was in middle school, Li Mingchuan was pregnant again, but the fetus was found to have developmental issues and was aborted.
Sheng Li loved to play and live freely, with no big ambitions. To Sheng Changyu, he wasn’t an ideal heir, but he was the only option.
“Sheng Li never liked studying. He often skipped class to play games and now doesn’t focus on work. All he does is hang out with those good-for-nothing friends,” Sheng Changyu said forcefully at first, then softened. “But at least he listens to Xiao Chi. We hired tutors for him, but he chased them away. Only when Xiao Chi tutored him would he settle down and do his homework. In the future, we’ll need Xiao Chi to help guide him and get him to focus more on his work and achieve something worthwhile.”
Sheng Changyu really knew how to push Sheng Li’s buttons. Sheng Li hated being controlled the most. Zuo Chi smiled awkwardly, unsure whether to agree or disagree.
Sheng Li glanced at Zuo Chi, gritting his teeth. He scoffed at Sheng Changyu’s words.
He might listen to Zuo Chi, but that didn’t make him Zuo Chi’s dog. What right did Zuo Chi have to control him?
Was it that anyone who married him could control him?
Zuo Yi stepped in to smooth things over, “Of course, from now on, our families will be of one mind.”
“You’re not quite right, Zuo ge,” Li Mingchuan shook his head, laughing. “We’ll be one family from now on.”
Shu Qingyu agreed, “Yes, one family.”
They raised their glasses in celebration, oblivious to Zuo Chi and Sheng Li’s feelings. As dinner was ending, Sheng Li went to the restroom, and Sheng Changyu called Zuo Chi aside to talk.
Zuo Chi followed him outside the restaurant, “What is it, Uncle?”
Sheng Changyu asked, “Did you have fun this afternoon?”
Zuo Chi replied, “Surfing is quite an interesting sport.”
Sheng Changyu was pleased to hear they had each surfed separately. He nodded, “That’s good.”
He patted Zuo Chi’s shoulder, “I know Sheng Li resents me. He’s upset that I’m making him marry you, not that he has any issue with you. You two have known each other since childhood, so you understand each other well. If you weren’t compatible, you wouldn’t be this close. You’re a perfect match, and he’ll understand that one day.”
Zuo Chi recalled Shu Qingyu saying something similar: “You and Sheng Li grew up together. Isn’t marrying him something you’re happy about?”
Why did these elders arrange their lives so easily and then try to persuade them by claiming it was for their own good? Wasn’t it hypocritical?
Sheng Changyu didn’t give Zuo Chi time to respond, “Since you’re already engaged, you’ll eventually have to live together. Uncle Mingchuan and I have picked out a villa for your wedding home. But since it’s a wedding home, you two need to decide on the decor together, so it’ll take some time before you can move in.”
Zuo Chi nodded to show he was listening.
“If you don’t mind, you could stay at Sheng Li’s place first.” Sheng Changyu opened his hand, revealing a key. “This is the key to Sheng Li’s place. You can move in when you have time.”
“…Alright,” Zuo Chi agreed, his palms sweaty. As he took the key, his hand trembled slightly as if he were accepting a tempting candy.
It was the key to Sheng Li’s home.
He could live under the same roof as Sheng Li.
He could see Sheng Li every day.
…
“What are you two talking about?” Sheng Li stood not far away, hands in his pockets, frowning.
Zuo Chi clenched his fingers, hiding the key in his right hand, “Nothing.”
“We were just discussing today’s fishing trip,” Sheng Changyu looked at the now darkening sky, “It’s about time to head home.”
Zuo Yi and the others also emerged from the restaurant. The group walked to the roadside and got into the two cars that had been waiting.
