Chapter 83 Doesn’t Zhao Jinzong Care About You?

Chapter 83: Doesn’t Zhao Jinzong Even Care About You?

Chen Su’s heart was all over the place tonight. The chance encounter in the elevator made him keep replaying it in his head. Was Zhao Jinzong angry? How had he been lately? Did he always work so late? Why hadn’t he replied to him?

The questions stuck in his chest.

Chen Su normally would’ve had trouble sleeping, but being one floor above his room was pretty much the same as being next door.

Besides… in the elevator, a tiny bit of burnt incense pheromones and tobacco smell had clung to Chen Su’s clothes—a scent that brought him immense comfort. Before long, as he lay there thinking, he drifted off to sleep.

On the eighth morning after the breakup, thanks to a whiff of pheromones, he somehow managed to sleep well.

Xiao Li had been hospitalized for five days, and with all his data looking good, he could be discharged.

Chen Su went to the hospital to pick him up.

He drove there alone. In the car, Xiao Li asked, “Bro, you and General Director Zhao…”

Chen Su said offhandedly, “We broke up. Our personalities didn’t match.”

“…”

Xiao Li didn’t press further. He only said, “Bro, I’ll be with you from now on.”

“Okay.”

After dropping Xiao Li off at home, Chen Su went back to the Drug Supervision Bureau, even though it was Sunday.

Meng Suizhi had been too tired lately. Knowing Xiao Li was getting discharged today and that Chen Su probably wouldn’t be at the bureau, he had taken the day off.

It was on this day that Chen Su went into rut. The pain in his gland was excruciating. He went to the nearest pharmacy and bought five suppressants, then brought them back to the experimental base.

With his gland already somewhat damaged, Chen Su injected himself with two shots of suppressant at once.

The pain from the wound felt like his skin was being ripped open.

Chen Su eventually passed out from the pain.

When he woke up, he was lying on the floor of the lab, completely weak. He forced himself up, ate something, and started working. The pain in his gland made his hand tremble slightly when measuring the reagent ratios, so he worked even slower than usual.

That evening, the pain in his gland became unbearable, so he gave himself a painkiller shot.

The effect kicked in fast. Chen Su finally felt somewhat better and was able to work again until the early hours.

He worked until two in the morning, but the suppressant wore off way too fast. His rut flared up again. He fumbled around for the suppressant, injected it, pulled out the syringe, and immediately passed out.

The next morning, Chen Su blinked open his eyes to the sight of tree shadows whizzing past the car window.

He was in Meng Suizhi’s car.

Chen Su sat up. “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you home.”

“No need…”

“Chen Su, nothing matters more than your health!” Meng Suizhi was freaking out. That morning, when he pushed open the lab door, he found Chen Su unconscious on the floor and a used syringe. He checked the trash bin and saw three used suppressants.

That was far beyond the normal usage of suppressants.

Chen Su had been working too hard lately, his body was under too much strain. Injecting so many suppressants on top of that—it was no wonder he collapsed.

“Deputy Meng, really, there’s no need… I feel much better now. The new formula isn’t ready yet. If you take me home, I won’t be able to sleep anyway.”

“If you can’t sleep, go take some meds!” Meng Suizhi demanded, “Doesn’t Zhao Jinzong even care about you?”

“……”

Chen Su’s silence made Meng Suizhi realize something was wrong. “Did you two fight?”

“No, we broke up.”

“…………” That explains it.

Zhao Jinzong hadn’t been to the Drug Supervision Bureau in a week.

Meng Suizhi had been too busy—he hadn’t even noticed.

Chen Su had been holed up in the experimental base for so long, refusing to go home even when Xiao Li’s condition had clearly improved, insisting on continuing experiments—was he numbing the pain of the breakup?

The car fell silent for a moment.

Meng Suizhi changed the subject. “You really don’t have to work so hard lately. I’ve heard that Tanzhou has recalled the gland specialist who was on assignment. They’re bringing him back into the project team. It should be happening in the next day or two. From now on, it won’t just be us—many other authoritative experts will be involved. Xiao Li and Jiang An will get better.”

Chen Su let out a long sigh of relief. “Good… Actually, with you at the bureau, I already feel really at ease.”

“If you really feel at ease, then rest properly and leave things to me and let time do its thing.”

“Haha, okay.”

On the tenth day after breaking up with Zhao Jinzong, Chen Su stayed home resting for half the day due to his rut, only going to the bureau in the afternoon.

On his way out, Chen Su took Xiao Li to the airport.

Xiao Li said he was going back to school.

Before leaving, Xiao Li hugged Chen Su tightly. “Bro, you must rest well and don’t be sad. You’re amazing—really, really amazing!”

When Xiao Li hugged him, he realized that Chen Su had lost so much weight…

That loose white lab coat hid so much.

“Bro, you need to eat more. You’ve lost weight.” Xiao Li nuzzled into Chen Su’s chest. “And you need to rest more. I feel great now.”

“Okay, I know. Go on in, don’t miss your plane.”

“Mm, bye, bro.”

Xiao Li walked into the airport. Years later, when he recalled this parting scene, it would always be unbearably painful.

Chen Su returned to the Drug Supervision Bureau. Tanzhou called a meeting for the project team and introduced a few experts who had just arrived to them. Meng Suizhi reported on recent progress and the research results of the past few years.

After the meeting, Tanzhou looked at the exhausted Chen Su.

“Engineer Chen, hang back a moment.”

Chen Su had just stood up, and then sat back down.

After the office cleared out, Tan Zhou asked, "You and Jinzong broke up?"

"Yeah."

Tan Zhou looked at the monitor on Chen Su's wrist, his brows furrowing. "Do you know how much Jinzong did for you?"

"I don't want to know," Chen Su said. "Just because someone is good to me doesn't mean I have to love them forever. That goes for Sheng Beiqing and Zhao Jinzong too."

"Director Tan, these are working hours."

"I hope we don't discuss personal matters during work hours."

"I may not be a good partner, but I am absolutely a qualified member of the Drug Supervision Bureau."

Chen Su had devoted almost all his time to the Drug Supervision Bureau.

Tan Zhou looked at Chen Su and suddenly understood something: for some people, work comes first, and love is as light as a feather. Once they are no longer on the same path or same wavelength, that love will be abandoned. Is that wrong? No, it's not. Whether you call it impatient for quick gains or selfish, everyone has their own way of living.

It's hard to change another person.

With different upbringings and only a month or so of a romantic relationship, the process of adjusting to each other is long and arduous. How could you easily change the other person?

As Zhao Jinzong's friend, Tan Zhou knew best how much Zhao Jinzong had given and done. Tan Zhou's criticism of Chen Su was not wrong. But from a stranger's perspective, Chen Su's behavior was understandable.

Tan Zhou said nothing and let Chen Su leave.

Chen Su returned to the office. Meng Suizhi was called away for work, leaving only Chen Su in the shared office. Chen Su sat down and wrote a letter.

When Meng Suizhi came back, Chen Su had already changed clothes and gone to the lab to continue working.

On the eleventh day after breaking up with Zhao Jinzong, in the early morning, Chen Su vomited blood in the lab and collapsed.

Meng Suizhi was startled. He immediately supported Chen Su and drove to the hospital. Halfway there, Chen Su woke up. Knowing that he couldn't avoid the hospital, Chen Su asked to be taken to another one.

Chen Su explained, "I was treated for a gland injury here last time. The doctor knows me well; he should be on duty tonight."

"Okay."