Chapter 72 Want to Be Zhao Jinzong’s Alpha

Chapter 72: Wanting to Be Zhao Jinzong’s Alpha

In the darkness, Zhao Jinzong’s handsome face tightened, his brow furrowing as a trace of heartache slowly seeped into his eyes.

Zhao Jinzong had once imagined whether he would regret it if he didn’t fight for Chen Su when Chen Su married Sheng Beiqing. But what Director Tan said pierced his chest like a sharp blade. How difficult is a marriage between two alphas? If Chen Su wasn’t genuinely in love, why would he marry Sheng Beiqing?

Chen Su was truly in love, and Zhao Jinzong had no reason to stop him, let alone any standing to do so.

He just never expected that on his rare return home, he would see Chen Su crying—and on his birthday night, no less.

Even now, he could hardly describe the tears Chen Su shed that night: bitterness, grievance, sadness, hardship… so many complex emotions all pressed into those tears, heavy, too heavy to catch.

Even so, after two years, Chen Su had never mentioned divorce to Sheng Beiqing.

When Zhao Jinzong returned to the country and actively pursued Chen Su, Chen Su initially refused outright, unwilling to change his marital status… until now, gradually accepting the feelings between them, willing to divorce.

Before today, Zhao Jinzong had been on edge.

Only now did the heavy stone that had been hanging begin to settle bit by bit.

Zhao Jinzong opened his arms and pulled the man into his embrace, his large hand resting on top of Chen Su’s head, his chin pressing against the back of his hand. “Sleep. I won’t be mad at you.”

“Thank you.”

“…” Zhao Jinzong ruffled Chen Su’s hair. “You don’t know how to date.”

“…”

Chen Su felt guilty.

He didn’t know how to be in a relationship because he had never been in one before.

Zhao Jinzong told him, “You don’t need to say that.”

Partners could rely on and support each other. Zhao Jinzong was willing to let Chen Su use him as a stepping stone, to use his power to elevate and protect him. Even that required no thanks, let alone anything else.

Chen Su’s two years with Sheng Beiqing had been terrible.

This time, Zhao Jinzong’s rut was induced by an injected agent—a false rut that ended after three days.

Chen Su’s back and legs still ached.

Chen Su returned to the experimental base. Ning Congnan spotted him from afar and jogged over. “Senior, Deputy Meng said the experiments are tight recently, so he asked me to pack lunch from the cafeteria for him. What do you want? I’ll bring yours too.”

As Ning Congnan spoke, his eyes darted around nervously, glancing at everyone who passed by, and he kept rubbing his hands together—small details that betrayed his anxiety.

Chen Su asked, “Are you going to drug someone?”

“No!” Ning Congnan said. “This is the Drug Supervision Bureau!”

“You look very nervous. What happened?”

“Nothing.” Ning Congnan was afraid that if he said too much, he’d give himself away, so he simply left it at that, watching Chen Su disappear into Experimental Base No. 5 before leaving.

Recently, in the Fourth Bureau, rumors about the tattoo on the back of Chen Su’s hand had resurfaced, along with stories about Zhao Jinzong.

It was said that Sheng Beiqing had been in low spirits lately, as if something had happened, and soon people were spreading that Chen Su and Zhao Jinzong were together.

Such topics were far too unethical. The Zhao and Sheng families had a good relationship. Chen Su was Sheng Beiqing’s husband; they had been married for years, and now that Sheng Beiqing had earned merits and become Deputy Director, there was no reason for a divorce at all.

Chen Su’s infidelity was seen as a done deal.

The rumors spread, growing more absurd and widespread.

Chen Su noticed Ning Congnan’s odd behavior. At noon, he went to the cafeteria himself and caught wind of the gossip. He frowned tightly, his face pale. Meng Suizhi sat down opposite him, and Ning Congnan came along too.

Even though Meng Suizhi was known as a lab fanatic, he still had some influence.

The stares from around them faded.

Before long, Sheng Beiqing arrived.

He looked grim and pale. But when he saw Chen Su, he quickly looked down, forcing a pained expression—Chen Su saw right through it.

—Disgusting.

Chen Su knew Sheng Beiqing inside out.

Sheng Beiqing was banking on the fact that Chen Su would never take off his left glove to clear himself, and he wanted to drive a wedge between Zhao Jinzong and Chen Su!

No one would accept that their partner had a tattoo of their ex’s junk on the back of their hand!

Sheng Beiqing was a master of manipulating public opinion. The bigger the scandal, the more damage it did. Chen Su cared about Zhao Jinzong, so he had to protect Zhao Jinzong’s reputation. “Forcibly taking a friend’s husband”—that label wasn’t a good look, especially for the esteemed General Director Zhao.

It would seriously damage General Director Zhao’s authority.

If Chen Su truly loved Zhao Jinzong, he would just bow his head and take it.

Meng Suizhi comforted him, “Don’t worry about it. People even said I had a thing with Director Tan.”

Ning Congnan chimed in, “Exactly! People aren’t that dumb. There aren’t that many idiots in the Fourth Bureau! Don’t let it get to you, senior.”

Chen Su said nothing, looking dazed.

He could let it go, but could Zhao Jinzong?

Zhao Jinzong would get angry, would feel hurt.

Chen Su didn’t want Zhao Jinzong to bear such a reputation, nor did he want him to be sad.

When Zhao Jinzong was upset, he went silent and wouldn’t hold him. The darkness was terrifying, and so was Zhao Jinzong’s cold shoulder.

Chen Su hardly touched his lunch. He returned to the experimental base and slumped down just outside the lab. Meng Suizhi walked off a short distance to take a call.

Chen Su’s phone buzzed several times.

It was Zhao Jinzong texting:

“I know. I’ll deal with it.”

“I’ll come get you tonight.”

“In a meeting.”

“Did you eat? Want me to have Uncle Wen bring you a snack?”

Chen Su didn’t respond.

When Meng Suizhi came back, Chen Su was gone. The lights in the lab were on. Chen Su had taken off his left glove, and was holding a bottle of a clear, faintly smoking liquid in his right hand.

This is hydrochloric acid, highly corrosive—it can make wounds fester and scab, and even cause nerve and skin tissue to die. As long as it’s poured on and left untreated, the tattoo will never reappear, faster and cleaner than tattoo removal.

Meng Suizhi hurried over and firmly gripped Chen Su’s right hand. “What are you doing!”

Meng Suizhi lowered his head, his gaze stopping on the back of Chen Su’s left hand. There was a green candy tattoo there, with a line of French beneath it.

Translated, it read: want to be Zhao Jinzong’s alpha.

It wasn’t Sheng Beiqing’s junk, but Chen Su still intended to destroy it.

The tattoo on Chen Su’s left hand, the one he least wanted Zhao Jinzong to see, had nothing to do with Sheng Beiqing.

What Chen Su didn’t want Zhao Jinzong to glimpse was his love.

His love was base—filled with lies—and his past full of pain.

Chen Su’s love was like a candy in a pretty wrapper—sweet on the outside, but long rotten and stinking inside.

Chen Su tried to pull his hand from Meng Suizhi’s grip.

Meng Suizhi’s grip tightened. “Are you out of your mind? This is hydrochloric acid!”

Chen Su looked like a madman, his eyes calm. “He’ll be hurt.”

“He’ll only be upset when your nerves are dead!”

“No... that’s not the same.” Chen Su’s face was deathly pale.

Meng Suizhi wrestled with him, but Chen Su refused to let go. Finally, it was only when Chen Su started coughing uncontrollably that he let go and rushed out of the lab.