Chapter 13 Since You’re Here, I’m Not Busy

Chapter 13: When You're Here, It's Not So Busy

When Chen Su woke up the next morning, he found himself lying in Zhao Jinzong's bed, his shirt disheveled, his trousers unbuttoned, his belt nowhere to be found, and his black gloves, along with his shirt, half tucked into his pants.

He bit the edge of one glove and put it back on properly.

He didn't have a clear memory of what happened last night.

Last night, he had come to Zhao's private residence, intending to seek fairness. But bringing wine to ask for fairness was no different from a thief yelling "stop thief." So he waited outside Zhao's house for an hour. In that hour, he thought a lot.

Actually, he shouldn't have come.

Zhao Jinzong had no reason to get involved in his affairs. Besides, the Zhao and Sheng families were old family friends. With Sheng Beiqing gone, the Sheng family deserved some preferential treatment. How could he go against the Sheng family's wishes at such a critical time?

Chen Su didn't want to cause trouble for Zhao Jinzong.

But he still came in, just with a different purpose.

He just wanted to chat with Zhao Jinzong—strictly personal matters, not official business. No complaints, no plea for fairness.

He truly felt he'd been wronged, and he also had no one to confide in.

Chen Su picked up his belt from the floor and fastened it. When he looked up, he caught sight of two green apple candies on the bedside table.

He put the candies in his pocket, washed up, and went downstairs. The butler said Zhao Jinzong had left early in the morning. There was hot congee on the table, and the butler urged Chen Su to eat before leaving.

As Chen Su was about to leave, the butler saw him to the door, holding the bottle of wine Chen Su had brought the night before, and said with a smile, "Mr. Chen, the Chief asked me to insist you take this wine back."

Chen Su understood. "I was presumptuous."

The butler smiled. "What the Chief means is, next time you want to come, you don't need to bring anything."

Chen Su took the wine. The butler opened the car door for him and added, "The Chief has a delicate stomach, so he shouldn't drink too much. He had a stomachache this morning and personally made the congee—including yours."

Chen Su paused.

The butler closed the car door for Chen Su.

Chen Su's fingers tightened around the green apple candies.

...

On Monday, the results of the Drug Administration Bureau selection came out. Chen Su received a notice of acceptance.

Chen Su needed to hand over his work, so he wouldn't leave immediately. When he went to the office in the morning, Uncle Ling lost his temper, making pointed remarks. After the meeting, Xu Jing poured a glass of water and entered Chen Su's office.

Xu Jing looked uneasy, hesitating to speak. He didn't know how Chen Su had managed it, but somehow, it reminded him of the Alpha he'd met at Chen Su's place. Chen Su still carried that Alpha's scent.

Xu Jing placed the water in front of Chen Su. "Don't take Uncle Ling's words to heart."

A technician had left the Detection Bureau, and Uncle Ling, being new in charge, had lost his right-hand man. Naturally, he saw Chen Su as a traitor.

Chen Su took out a slim cigarette and lit it. "I won't."

As he exhaled smoke, his face looked very pale. The pain from cleaning his glands would come and go. When it hurt, Chen Su would smoke a cigarette. But actually, he never used to smoke—at least not a month ago.

Chen Su was leaving, so tasks had to be handed over. Everyone understood Uncle Ling's attitude and kept their distance from Chen Su. Moreover, the data from the instruments this time was very complex and difficult to handle. Even a prime opportunity would be tough to snatch away.

Chen Su handed over the work to Xu Jing. Xu Jing was already part of his project team, and now that the core instruments were in his hands, it would give him more opportunities for advancement later.

The handover would take about a week. During these days, Chen Su thought about sending Zhao Jinzong a message to thank him, but he always felt it was presumptuous, and he wasn't sure what to say.

Was he thanking him for the congee, or for the backdoor Zhao Jinzong opened for him?

In the end, Chen Su sent nothing.

He just often stared blankly at the green apple candies.

After a little over a week, Chen Su started his new job at the Drug Administration Bureau.

Tan Zhou came to pick him up. When he saw Chen Su, he was stunned for two seconds.

As he was settling Chen Su in, Chen Su asked two questions:

1. When is the lab at the Drug Administration Bureau the least crowded?

2. Are the dosages of medicinal herbs strictly controlled?

Tan Zhou found these questions a bit strange, but he still answered: 1. After midnight. Although the Drug Administration Bureau was full of lab maniacs, unless there was a research project, nobody wanted to stay up all night in the cold labs that emitted small amounts of special toxic gases.

2. The dosages of some special herbs were strictly controlled, and an application was required to obtain them.

Chen Su nodded. "Thank you."

A month later, Tan Zhou heard from his subordinates that Chen Su had been staying up all night in the lab for more than ten days straight.

Tan Zhou frowned and had a subordinate call Chen Su over.

When Chen Su arrived, his white lab coat was spotless, but his eyes were bloodshot, and he coughed a little, probably catching a cold.

"Why haven't you gone home for over ten days? What research are you working on?"

"I'll report when I get results."

"..." Tan Zhou felt speechless. Who was the boss here?

Tan Zhou was silent for a moment, then ordered, "Take care of yourself. Go home and rest tonight."

"Okay."

Chen Su left, rarely went home to rest for one night, and then stayed up again the next day.

Tan Zhou was puzzled. Wasn't Chen Su from the Detection Bureau? Why was he even more into chemical experiments than these people from the Drug Administration Bureau?

Tan Zhou suddenly felt a sense of failure—he had led his subordinates for so many years, yet they were no match for an outsider. Feeling chagrined, he sent a message to Zhao Jinzong.

...

Chen Su bought a lot of green apple candies, eating one every day.

When he got to the thirty-ninth candy, he saw Zhao Jinzong.

At two in the morning at the Drug Administration Bureau.

The chemical reaction was taking a long time. Chen Su wrapped his coat around himself and wanted to go out for a smoke. But his cigarette pack was empty, so he took out a green apple candy and put it in his mouth. With his head down, he walked toward the convenience store. Just as he was about to reach the Drug Administration Bureau gate, his phone dinged.

Zhao Jinzong: "Where are you?"

Chen Su: "What's wrong?"

Knowing the timing, Zhao Jinzong's rut was about to set in.

Otherwise, Zhao Jinzong wouldn't have contacted him.

Chen Su: "Is your rut coming? It's pretty far from here to your place, it will take two hours."

It was the end of December, and it was two in the morning in a remote suburb. The surroundings were pitch black and dead quiet. Chen Su was probably too focused on his phone that he didn't even notice a tall, straight man stop in front of him, and he walked right into him.

Chen Su's hand bumped into the Enigma pendant, and the silver tassel swung gently. Zhao Jinzong pulled his hand out of his pocket and steadied him.

"Running experiments?"

A magnetic voice came from above him, with a tone that was cold but laced with irritation.

Chen Su looked up, and the Enigma's sharp features gradually came into view under the backlit streetlamp.

"Why are you here?"

"Just passing through," Zhao Jinzong said curtly.

The wind howled around them. Zhao Jinzong stood in front of Chen Su, blocking the wind for him, his hand still steadying Chen Su, not letting go. His face was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to read his mood.

Zhao Jinzong asked, "Very busy?"

"Mm, a little." Chen Su smelled the strong incense pheromones on Zhao Jinzong. "Are you going into rut?"

Chen Su's legs felt weak. "I'll take you home."

Zhao Jinzong glanced toward the lab. "Not busy anymore?"

"Not busy."

As Chen Su spoke, the green apple scent in his mouth was carried by the wind. Zhao Jinzong grabbed Chen Su's chin, his calloused thumb scraping painfully across Chen Su's skin.

Zhao Jinzong's eyes darkened. "Chen Su, an Enigma in rut loses all reason."

There was a hint of warning in Zhao Jinzong's words.

He was reminding Chen Su that if he took him home, he'd be marked, he'd be claimed...

An Enigma in rut, facing an alpha with a 99% compatibility rate, would want to mark and possess.

Even if this alpha was not his mate.

As long as he hasn't been marked, he could be.

What Sheng Beiqing could never do came easily to Zhao Jinzong.

But Zhao Jinzong wanted Chen Su to choose.

He had said he wouldn't force Chen Su; if Chen Su didn't want to, he could refuse.