A wonderful day became gloomy the moment Wei Mingjue entered the picture. Zou Yuqing arrived at the supermarket early, walked into the narrow office, and opened his phone. Notifications from WeChat friends poured in like a barrage, leaving him somewhat helpless. Just as he thought about typing a reply, he decided to make a direct phone call instead.
“Zou Yuqing! Are you alright? I heard the Zou family got into trouble. Was it your brother? Did you go clean up his mess again? Are you even treating me as a friend? You would not even tell me if I did not ask, right? What happened this time? I heard it is pretty serious!” The moment the call connected, his friend launched into an unsparing tirade. Zou Yuqing could practically picture the indignant expression on his friend’s face right now.
“I am sorry, Xu Wang. I have just been a bit busy lately, so I have not been in touch.” Hearing his friend’s words warmed Zou Yuqing’s heart. He managed a smile and said apologetically.
“Are you working part-time at Weimin Supermarket again? Do you have time after work today? I will come find you to hang out. It has been so long, we need to catch up properly.” Xu Wang knew that Zou Yuqing always worked at the same supermarket every school break.
“It has not even been that long since the break started. At most, it has only been a couple of weeks, how is that so long?” Zou Yuqing chuckled, and the bad mood caused by Wei Mingjue earlier lifted quite a bit.
Xu Wang was his classmate. Even though Zou Yuqing chose to be a day student to take care of his mother while Xu Wang lived in the dorms, the two of them shared the closest bond at school. Even during breaks, Xu Wang would occasionally cross districts to hang out with him and cared for him deeply. He had only ever told Xu Wang about the chaotic mess at his home, and Xu Wang had looked after him consistently ever since finding out.
“More than two weeks, it is almost a month! Anyway, I am heading over to your place this afternoon. Just focus on your work for now, and we will have plenty to talk about tonight.” With that, not wanting to disrupt Zou Yuqing’s work, Xu Wang said goodbye and hung up the phone.
Zou Yuqing smiled helplessly at his phone. Realizing it was almost time for his shift, he went to the locker room to change into his work uniform and stepped out to stock the shelves.
How was he supposed to explain things to Xu Wang tonight? The news about the young master of the Wei family being marked and impregnated by Zou Yuyang had long been suppressed by the Wei family, and what had happened to him personally was even more unspeakable; he would never tell Xu Wang. The fact that Wei Mingjue told him Wei Mingyu and Zou Yuyang would get engaged also had not been reported online yet, perhaps the time was not right.
The endless wave of events left Zou Yuqing thoroughly exhausted, making him want to stop thinking entirely.
During the quiet lull after the busy afternoon, Zou Yuqing finally let out a sigh of relief. He stood in his assigned product section to stretch his body, only to suddenly spot a police officer walking toward him. He knew who it was, though they had never interacted. Naturally, having a police officer approach you makes anyone a bit nervous, even when you know you have not done anything wrong. Zou Yuqing instinctively straightened up, feeling somewhat bewildered.
“The store manager mentioned that tissues are having a promotional discount lately, which brand is it?” Officer Zhang asked with a smile as he looked at Zou Yuqing.
Oh, so he was just asking about the discounted items. Zou Yuqing instantly relaxed and led Officer Zhang to the discount aisle. “We have two brands on promotion right now. Right here, take a look.”
Just as he was about to head back to his spot, Officer Zhang called him back. “You are Little Zou, right? I have heard the store manager mention you often, so I feel quite familiar with you. I noticed you talking with President Wei of Shuangming Pharmaceutical this morning. Do you two know each other?” Officer Zhang picked up two packs of tissues, comparing them as he spoke.
Not expecting to hear that ominous name again, Zou Yuqing frowned and quickly denied it: “I do not know him.”
He did not want anyone thinking he had any connection to Wei Mingjue.
“Is that so?” Officer Zhang glanced at Zou Yuqing’s neck. The spot where an Alpha’s gland should not have any wounds clearly bore minor traces. As a police officer, he could quickly spot irregularities. “President Wei is an old friend of mine, so I was just curious and wanted to ask. Do not mind me!”
Officer Zhang chuckled good-naturedly as he spoke, though his suspicion regarding the relationship between Zou Yuqing and Wei Mingjue only grew stronger.
An Alpha’s gland is vital. Marks like those could not possibly be caused by accidental bumps unless inflicted by a fellow peer. Therefore, he did not believe these two were strangers, especially since rumors had long circulated that Wei Mingjue disliked Omegas and favored Alphas of his own kind instead.
“It is fine.”
“Zou Yuqing! What are you doing?”
Another familiar figure walked up to the supermarket entrance. Zou Yuqing looked out and saw Xu Wang running toward him with a wide, toothy grin. For some reason, he suddenly thought of a Samoyed from his neighborhood, as it wore that exact same cheerful look every time it saw him.
“Why are you here so early? I still have three hours left on my shift.” Zou Yuqing glanced at the clock on the supermarket wall and looked at Xu Wang with mild exasperation.
Seeing that Zou Yuqing’s friend had arrived, Officer Zhang did not press further. He exchanged pleasantries, paid for his items, and left.
“Came to help you work, of course! What is going on, why was a police officer looking for you?” Xu Wang looked puzzled at Officer Zhang’s retreating figure, then turned to Zou Yuqing. “Do not tell me it was your brother.”
“No, he just came to buy things.” Zou Yuqing cut off Xu Wang’s upcoming speculation and said speechlessly, “Are you not supposed to be helping at your family’s shop? Why are you here helping me?”
“Well? Am I a good friend or what?” Xu Wang flashed a cheeky grin, then expertly began pulling incoming stock onto the shelves. “That way we can goof off and leave early, and you will not have to carry so much by yourself later.”
“You really…” Zou Yuqing shook his head with a smile. “There is no rush to put these out. You can just stand there and wait for me to finish my shift. I am an Alpha, you know.”
“Oh, looking down on Betas, are we?” Xu Wang shot Zou Yuqing a lingering, melancholic look while keeping his hands busy.
Here it went again. Zou Yuqing looked at Xu Wang helplessly. He only felt bad because Xu Wang helped him out so much, but whenever he tried to decline using various excuses, Xu Wang would always fall back on accusing him of looking down on Betas, leaving him completely cornered.
“Fine, help me put these toothbrushes up then.” Thus, he gratefully accepted Xu Wang’s help.
The two quickly finished stocking the items from the box, flattened the cardboard boxes, and carried them out of the supermarket to throw them into the dumpster in the back alley. The back alley was shaded from the sun, but it could not block the summer heat. With garbage from various shops piled together, the smell was genuinely unpleasant. Zou Yuqing quickly turned around to lead Xu Wang back inside, but not before Xu Wang caught sight of the mark on the back of his neck.
“Zou Yuqing, what happened to your gland? Are you hurt?” Xu Wang frowned and reached out to touch it, but before his hand could make contact, it was swatted away by the person in front of him.
Zou Yuqing covered his gland, his expression deeply distressed. He had checked the mirror before leaving the house, and his gland had healed well enough that no one would notice anything unusual without a close look, which was why he had not worn a suppressant patch. He never expected Xu Wang to spot it.
For a moment, he froze in place as if dropped into an icy abyss. He felt like a piece of trash, slowly rotting away.
“I accidentally bumped it while stocking shelves,” Zou Yuqing forced an awkward smile to explain.
Xu Wang had not expected Zou Yuqing to react so strongly and stared blankly at his own hand. Although Zou Yuqing had not hit him hard, it still stung slightly, as he was an Alpha after all and possessed greater physical strength.
“Be more careful, will you? An Alpha’s gland needs proper protection too.” Without thinking too much into it, Xu Wang smiled. “Did you skip health class after your sub-division? Let me tell you, both Alpha and Omega glands are extremely fragile. Do not think just because you are an Alpha you can ignore it.”
“I know, I know.” Zou Yuqing brushed him off distractedly, turning back around to keep walking forward while listening to Xu Wang chatter behind him about basic Alpha physiology.
Of course he knew, but he just could not resist it. Alphas were indeed at the top of the food chain, but there were hierarchies among them too. He had no choice but to stand by helplessly and feel himself being invaded and eventually devoured by a higher-level pheromone.
Fortunately, Xu Wang did not dwell too much on his gland. After work, Zou Yuqing brought Xu Wang home. Some things were not convenient to discuss outside, and Xu Wang was more than happy to visit his place.
“So, can you tell me now? What did your brother do this time? I only heard about the Zou family causing trouble from customers at the shop a few days ago, otherwise I would have waited for you to come vent to me yourself.” Xu Wang complained playfully. In truth, he knew Zou Yuqing would never proactively share his negative experiences, as it had always been that way; Xu Wang had to ask before Zou Yuqing would tell him.
“He provoked the Wei family.” Zou Yuqing pressed his lips together. “He marked Wei Mingyu and got him pregnant. That incident leaked out at first, but the Wei family suppressed it later, and anyone who knows better does not dare talk about it.”
Xu Wang froze instantly. In S City, who did not know that Wei Mingyu was the apple of the Wei family’s eye? Now Zou Yuqing was telling him that Wei Mingyu had been marked and impregnated by Zou Yuyang, so wouldn’t the consequences be catastrophic?
Remembering how Zou Yuqing used to get beaten up whenever he went to clean up Zou Yuyang’s messes, Xu Wang snapped back to reality and hurriedly inspected his friend’s body. “Are you okay? Did the Wei people hit you? Even though the Wei family runs a pharmaceutical company, I heard they have a bunch of triad-like enforcers under them.”
Xu Wang was deeply worried, but Zou Yuqing’s physical condition seemed fine. Just a second before he could sigh in relief, he suddenly recalled the scar on Zou Yuqing’s gland.
Could it be that the Wei family’s people had injured Zou Yuqing’s gland? He did not dare voice the question because Zou Yuqing’s reaction earlier that afternoon had been far too abnormal. He could only make such guesses in his mind.
“I am fine.” Zou Yuqing lowered his eyes, swallowing the bitterness and pain back into his heart. He did not want to tell his friends these things, because after all, talking about them would not change anything, nor would it make his physical and psychological trauma disappear.
“So, what is the situation now? Did the Wei family say anything?” Xu Wang looked at Zou Yuqing with concern.
“Zou Yuyang might get engaged to Wei Mingyu.”
“Engaged?!” This was completely unexpected for Xu Wang. “The Wei family would lower themselves to look at that idiot?”
“I do not know, whatever happens happens.” Zou Yuqing really did not want to talk about the affairs between the Zou and Wei families. If he had a choice, he would want nothing to do with either family, yet here he was, sinking neck-deep into the mire.
Knowing that Zou Yuqing disliked discussing these topics, Xu Wang did not press further. Instead, he steered the conversation toward other matters until Zou Yuqing’s expression was no longer as exhausted as before, finally setting his mind at ease.