Chapter 85 Interrogation

Chapter 85 Interrogation

In the quiet study, even breathing was exceptionally clear, while the rain outside pounded against the windows with great force.

"Bang bang—"

A knock came from outside the door.

Zhao Jinzong said in a deep voice, "Come in."

Uncle Wen pushed the door open, holding two bowls of ginger soup. Having finished packing up, he noticed the heavy rain and figured they wouldn't be able to leave anytime soon, so he had brewed the soup and brought it upstairs. "Chief, it's cold and rainy outside. The weather forecast says a typhoon is making landfall; it seems we can't leave tonight."

Chen Su stood frozen in place.

Zhao Jinzong hummed in acknowledgment. "There's a vacant room on the third floor."

Uncle Wen looked at Chen Su. "Mr. Chen, if you don't mind, you..."

Zhao Jinzong interrupted, "Are you in your susceptible period?"

"Mm." Chen Su was in his susceptible period, his pheromones involuntarily seeping out, greedily clinging to the incense pheromones. Despite trying his best to suppress them, he couldn't hide it.

The Zhao family never kept outsiders overnight; vacant rooms were scarce. On top of that, Zhao Jinzong had hardly been coming back recently, so the servants and butler hadn't been around to clean thoroughly—making the rooms uninhabitable.

Chen Su was still an S3-level alpha, and the pheromones of a susceptible period would oppress lower-level alphas, causing discomfort; they couldn't stay in the same room. Zhao Jinzong, being high-ranking and powerful, certainly couldn't rough it with Uncle Wen and share a rest area.

So Chen Su had no choice but to stay with Zhao Jinzong.

After their breakup, sharing a bed seemed inappropriate.

Uncle Wen set down the ginger soup. "Uh... I'll be going then. This is ginger soup; it'll ward off the cold."

They were left with a difficult decision.

Uncle Wen left, closing the door. Chen Su turned around. "I can sleep in the living room."

"Chen Su, you don't need to be like this."

"..."

"You don't have to treat me the way you treated Sheng Beiqing; Zhao Jinzong isn't that hard to deal with."

"I... that's not what I meant."

Chen Su frowned. Zhao Jinzong's words cut deep. To Chen Su, Sheng Beiqing and Zhao Jinzong were two extremes, never to be lumped together. But now, Zhao Jinzong felt that he and Sheng Beiqing were the same.

The same—after the passion fades, losing affection, being dumped and cast aside.

Zhao Jinzong glanced at the ginger soup. "Mm, have some ginger soup and then get some rest."

Chen Su took a couple of sips of the ginger soup. In the study, the smell of smoke was stronger than the ginger soup's aroma.

Chen Su coughed twice after drinking.

Zhao Jinzong said gently, "No rush."

"I'm going to take a shower first."

"Mm."

Chen Su left, taking the bowl. After his shower, he walked to the master bedroom door. The room looked exactly the same. He opened the nightstand drawer and saw two green apple–flavored candies. Chen Su couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd last had that candy.

Chen Su pulled back the covers and lay down. There wasn't a trace of pheromones on the bedding.

Zhao Jinzong hadn't slept at home in ages.

About half an hour later, Zhao Jinzong took a shower. In a black bathrobe, he strode in, his collar slightly open, fine sweat beading on his skin, a faint scent of incense pheromones rising off him.

He lay down next to Chen Su and reached over to turn off the light.

The last light in the bedroom went out. Chen Su rolled over, facing the window with his back to Zhao Jinzong, maintaining distance.

Chen Su listened as the enigma's breathing behind him evened out. He slowly exhaled in relief and fell asleep, soothed by the pheromones.

In the middle of the night, thunder rumbled outside.

Chen Su instinctively curled up. A broad warm hand pressed over his ears.

Chen Su curled into Zhao Jinzong's arms, sobbing quietly. He had a nightmare—seeing his father die right in front of him, seeing his selfish mother demand that he quit school to support the son from her second marriage. This was his nightmare, and also his past.

Chen Su couldn't wake up; he called Zhao Jinzong's name softly, over and over.

Zhao Jinzong turned on his side, one large hand resting on Chen Su's waist, the other arm tucked under Chen Su's neck, covering his ears and coaxing him.

It took a long time for Chen Su to calm down.

When he woke the next morning, Chen Su was nestled in Zhao Jinzong's arms, just like before. The warm embrace made him pause, and it took him a moment to remember that they had broken up.

Chen Su sat up and looked out the window. The rain was still coming down hard. He got dressed, washed up, and went downstairs.

Uncle Wen was downstairs, surprised to see Chen Su come down first. "Mr. Chen, is the Chief awake?"

"Not yet."

"Probably because he's been exhausted lately..." Uncle Wen said with a smile. "I just made some little wontons. I'll make you a bowl first."

"Thank you."

Soon, Uncle Wen brought out two steaming bowls of wontons. He handed Chen Su chopsticks and sat across from him to eat.

Halfway through his meal, Chen Su looked up and chatted. "Has Zhao Jinzong been busy lately?"

"Busy, very busy. He hasn't rested in a long time. It's rare for him to get a good night's sleep."

"..."

After breakfast, Chen Su received a text from the Four Bureaus: the typhoon had made landfall, so they had two days off.

Chen Su went back to bed for a nap.

As soon as he lifted the covers, Zhao Jinzong woke up.

Zhao Jinzong frowned, reached over to the nightstand, found a cigarette, and put it between his lips—an act to wake himself up.

Chen Su reminded him, "The typhoon made landfall; the Four Bureaus has two days off."

Zhao Jinzong lifted his eyelids to look at Chen Su, took the cigarette from his lips, and tossed it into the trash can. "Mm."

"Uncle Wen is waiting downstairs. He'll make breakfast once you're up."

I'm not eating.

Enigma rubbed his temples, pulled back the covers for Chen Su, and continued sleeping.

“Zhao Jinzong, have something to eat.”

“Mm.”

Zhao Jinzong lay there for another half hour, then got up.

Chen Su waited for Zhao Jinzong, but he didn't come back. After an hour, he went downstairs. The car outside was gone, but Uncle Wen was still there.

Uncle Wen said Zhao Jinzong had driven off; the General Bureau had urgent business.

“Will he be back for lunch?”

Uncle Wen shook his head. “He didn’t say.”

“Oh.”

Zhao Jinzong didn’t come back at noon; he only returned in the evening, soaked through. It wasn’t that he’d been caught in a downpour—the rain was just too heavy today, and the wind came from every direction, making an umbrella useless. Once home, he rushed into the bathroom for a shower.

Uncle Wen was cooking soup downstairs.

Hearing the noise, Chen Su came out and saw the wet coat draped over the sofa.

Uncle Wen said, “Mr. Chen, would you like some?”

No, thank you.

Uncle Wen finished making the ginger soup and was about to take it upstairs when Zhao Jinzong, fresh from the shower and wearing a robe, stood at the top of the stairs with a dark look, silently watching Chen Su.

Uncle Wen handed the bowl of ginger soup to Chen Su. “Mr. Chen, could you please take this up? It's time for me to head to bed.”

“Alright.”

Carrying the soup, Chen Su just turned around when his eyes met Zhao Jinzong's.

Chen Su followed him into the study. He put down the soup. Enigma took it with one hand, took a couple of sips, then set it aside. Chen Su was about to leave when Zhao Jinzong ordered in a deep voice, “Sit down. Let’s talk.”

The tone was commanding, full of authority.

Chen Su sat across from Zhao Jinzong.

“Let’s start with business.” Zhao Jinzong asked, “Do you know Jiang Minglang?”

“Yes, I used to be Jiang Minglang's tutor.”

“When?”

“In high school. He was a year below me. I taught chemistry.”

Zhao Jinzong tapped the table with his slender fingers. “The Jiang family holds a prominent position in Huaicheng. Why would they hire a student to tutor?”

Chen Su shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Who approached you?”

“An educational agency. I worked part-time there during winter break. The pay was very good.” Chen Su added, “I always placed first in the city in the joint entrance exams.”

Zhao Jinzong furrowed his brow again. “How long did you teach him?”

“One winter break.”

“Did you notice anything unusual?”

Chen Su was silent for a moment. “The Jiang family valued their alpha son but neglected their omega son.”

Zhao Jinzong said in a low voice, “That's all?”

“That's all.”

The interrogation ended. The business was done.

Chen Su shot back, “Are you interrogating me?”

Zhao Jinzong said flatly, “Chen Su, you lied.”