Chapter 99 The Ring Is Gone

Chapter 99: The Ring Is Gone

Chen Su: "How long will Zhao Jinzong stay in Lishi?"

Chen Su: "Was Zhao Jinzong feeling unwell when he went to the hospital last night?"

Uncle Wen replied to Chen Su in the evening, "The General Director is flying back to the capital the day after tomorrow."

Uncle Wen: "The General Director often has trouble sleeping. It's an old problem."

Chen Su replied: "I understand. Thank you."

The next day, the city's youth innovation competition ended, and Shi Xiangyang won third place with a cash prize. He was overjoyed and gave half of it to Chen Su. "Teacher Chen, thank you for taking care of me."

Chen Su ruffled his hair. "You still need to study. Money is important."

Chen Su didn't take Shi Xiangyang's money. In the afternoon, he took a bus back to Huazhen with the rest of the school. After returning, he packed his things and handed in his resignation to the principal.

The principal wanted him to stay but knew Huazhen was just a small pond and shouldn't hold Chen Su back from a better future. Seeing how eager Chen Su seemed to leave, perhaps he had something important to do, so he arranged for someone to drive Chen Su to the county town.

Chen Su arrived at the county town and traveled through the night to Lishi. There was only one flight from Lishi to the capital the next day.

Chen Su wanted to see Zhao Jinzong, so he specifically bought a first-class ticket.

Sure enough, Chen Su spotted Zhao Jinzong during boarding. In the bright daylight, Chen Su saw a ring on Zhao Jinzong's finger—the match to the engagement ring Zhao Jinzong had given him a year ago. Zhao Jinzong had never taken it off.

First class had plenty of privacy, and once inside, Chen Su could no longer see him.

Lishi was far from the capital; the flight took five and a half hours.

Chen Su fell asleep not long after takeoff.

Over the past year, Chen Su had hardly gotten a good night's sleep. In his dreams, Zhao Jinzong's gaze was always cold, accusing, and distant. Chen Su often woke with a start, standing by the window, smoking, and staring in the direction of the capital.

He couldn't help thinking.

Now he had an alpha gland. If Zhao Jinzong knew he was an alpha... would he... not hate him so much? But he had dual glands—he also had an omega gland. Zhao Jinzong would still hate him.

Dual glands were easy to conceal and hard to discover.

Chen Su quickly brushed aside the thought. Why was he always trying to deceive people?

He also asked himself why he was always so selfish and greedy.

Chen Su was different from many people. He had gotten so little out of life.

From childhood to adulthood, over twenty years, the happiest days of his life were the six months he spent with Zhao Jinzong.

Before his parents divorced, they were always arguing. After the divorce, Chen Su lived with his father, terrified of being abandoned. His father loved him, but that love was heavy, filled with too many expectations. He hoped Chen Su would make something of himself, as if that could prove his mother's leaving was a mistake.

A broken marriage shouldn't be the burden of a young child.

After his father died, Chen Su took in Xiao Li. He worked hard to pay for Xiao Li's medical treatment. In his life, he rarely made plans for himself.

He was only truly Chen Su when he was with Zhao Jinzong.

Zhao Jinzong's love had given him a bit of a temper.

But Chen Su's feelings in this relationship were far from pure...

For the sake of his own emotions, Chen Su had been selfish and greedy, deceiving Zhao Jinzong.

Chen Su longed to stay by Zhao Jinzong's side.

By Zhao Jinzong's side, he could be soothed by his pheromones. Zhao Jinzong would solve his problems, appear when he was helpless or lost, always pick up on his emotions, and help him sleep well.

Now, with some distance between them, Chen Su could finally get a rare good night's sleep.

When he woke up, the plane was about to land.

Chen Su looked out the window at the familiar capital, the familiar buildings, giving him a strong sense of belonging.

After getting off the plane, Chen Su went to get his luggage. In the baggage claim hall, the tall, upright figure of the Enigma stood out.

But now, Chen Su didn't see the ring on Zhao Jinzong's finger anymore.

The Enigma's slender fingers were bare.

Chen Su's pupils contracted sharply.

The ring was gone.

Chen Su was dazed, even wondering if he had been mistaken earlier.

Frowning, Chen Su went back to ask the flight crew. They looked but said they hadn't found anything. On his way to the baggage claim hall, Chen Su kept his eyes open, searching as he walked.

He was so focused on looking that he didn't notice a child darting out from the side. To avoid hitting the child, he fell.

Falling on the airport floor wasn't likely to cause scrapes, but the thud was solid, drawing everyone's attention.

The child's father immediately came over to apologize. "Sorry, sorry!"

"It's fine."

Chen Su stood up, not feeling any pain, and continued searching with his head down.

Chen Su didn't find the ring, and he also lost track of Zhao Jinzong.

Chen Su grabbed his luggage, his nose stinging, and hurried toward the exit.

He spotted Zhao Jinzong in the distance and strode forward, but the distance seemed to grow wider.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't catch up.

Zhao Jinzong exited the airport. A sleek black luxury car pulled up, and the Enigma ducked to get in. Uncle Wen loaded the luggage, and soon the car disappeared into traffic.

Chen Su stood on the escalator, his gaze following until the car was completely gone before he snapped back to reality.

Zhao Jinzong had left without looking back.

Chen Su looked down and then realized his knee hurt from the fall.

Chen Su took a taxi home. He entered the code and went inside. The furnishings were exactly the same as before. He put his things away. In the evening, Xiao Li returned. When Xiao Li saw Chen Su, he stood frozen in place, and didn't snap out of it for a long time. "Brother..."

Xiao Li rushed over and hugged Chen Su, unable to hold back his tears.

Xiao Li asked Chen Su: Why did he go to Antarctica? How did he survive? Why didn't he come back for a whole year? If he was alive, why didn't he contact him? And why did he write a will in advance?

Finally, Xiao Li lifted his head from Chen Su's arms. "Brother, does General Director Zhao know?"

Chen Su stiffened slightly. “…”

Xiao Li said, “General Director Zhao will be really happy to hear that.”

Chen Su patted Xiao Li on the head, “He wasn’t happy.”

Xiao Li: “…”

Xiao Li made dinner for Chen Su, telling him that he was in graduate school, that he was in good health, pouring out a flood of things.

Chen Su learned a lot.

A year ago, on the third day after reading Chen Su’s suicide note, Zhao Jinzong left the Chen family home.

Since then, Zhao Jinzong never came back.

Chen Su coaxed him into the room to sleep, promising he wouldn’t leave again.

Xiao Li nodded, one foot stepping into the room. Chen Su asked, “Does Zhao Jinzong have an alpha partner now?”

Xiao Li shook his head, “Brother, I haven’t been in contact with General Director Zhao.”

Chen Su didn’t press further and went back to his room.

He texted Zhao Jinzong: “Can we talk?”

Zhao Jinzong: “There’s no need.”

A year ago, Zhao Jinzong was worried about Chen Su’s health but had no time, and wanted a clean break. He began to avoid talking about the breakup, gave in, gave Chen Su freedom, but Chen Su returned the ring.

He also overheard Chen Su outside the office in Tanzhou saying, “Just because someone is good to me doesn’t mean I have to love them for a lifetime—Sheng Beiqing is the same, and Zhao Jinzong is too.” In Chen Su’s eyes, Sheng Beiqing was no different from him.

Chen Su’s love seemed to have a shelf life, an expiration date.

When stranded by a typhoon, during the two days Chen Su stayed at the Zhao family home, Zhao Jinzong learned that Chen Su was involved with the alpha secondary differentiation agent. He went out of his way to vouch for Chen Su, but Chen Su still hid the truth, effectively forcing Zhao Jinzong to use pheromone dominance to compel Chen Su—but Zhao Jinzong refused. He knew Chen Su would be angry.

Chen Su got angry anyway. Chen Su smashed the candy jar and said he didn’t know him well.

Zhao Jinzong was ordered abroad by the International Federation. Knowing that Chen Su’s susceptible period was approaching, he collected glandular fluid to help Chen Su safely get through it.

In the suicide note Chen Su left, the phrase “don’t know him well” was painfully clear. He searched Chen Su’s study but found no second letter and no evidence that Chen Su loved him.

Chen Su had no love for him.

Only guilt from having deceived him. Given that, there was nothing left to say to each other.