Lover?
Zuo Shihuan’s pupils trembled slightly. The bitterness in his chest tugged at his lips, making even a forced, casual smile hard to pull off.
“Maybe they’re just friends?” he offered weakly.
Yu Lizhu shook her head. “No way. What kind of ‘friend’ holds your arm and takes you out of the bar so intimately? Ji Shenwen said they even went to a banquet together.”
“Later I asked around. That Omega widow—she’s well-known in social circles, fabulously rich. She’s had several husbands, all dead, and inherited a massive fortune. She spends her days drifting through parties, seducing and entertaining herself, and when she’s bored, she goes to the biggest mall in the Federation to shop away the hours.”
“A woman like that—beautiful, wealthy, famous—and she goes to a bar just to make ‘friends’ with Gu Heng? Then brings a Beta as her male companion to banquets? Sorry, I just can’t believe that.”
A flicker of something complicated passed through Yu Lizhu’s eyes. She pressed her lips together. “I thought Gu Heng was the arrogant type—even dared to talk back to me, the Yu family’s young lady—but turns out he’s just become some rich widow’s pretty boy.”
Zuo Shihuan lowered his gaze.
Yu Lizhu propped her chin in her hand. “Maybe I was expecting too much. In a Lower City District bar like that, aside from someone kind-hearted like Ji Shenwen, how many people there can really stay clean?”
Zuo Shihuan frowned deeply, his voice rough. “He doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”
Yu Lizhu shrugged. “I hope not. As much as I dislike him, I don’t want Ji Shenwen’s only real friend to be someone who sells himself. But Gu Heng is very good-looking for a Beta. I’ve seen plenty of people chasing after him in the bar, even though he always keeps that cold face.”
“So I asked Ji Shenwen what’s going on—what kind of relationship Gu Heng and that widow have.”
Zuo Shihuan looked up, clinging to a fragile sliver of hope. “And what did Ji Shenwen say?”
Yu Lizhu frowned. “That’s the problem—he wouldn’t say clearly. When I asked if it was some kind of sugar arrangement, he got flustered and immediately said no.”
“If it’s not, then fine, I’d have misunderstood Gu Heng. But when I pressed for details, Ji Shenwen dodged the question, kept avoiding it—which only made me more sure.”
“Forget it. Gu Heng lives in that kind of world, and as a good-looking Beta, maybe it’s not all his fault if he’s taking shortcuts. Still, I’ll just stay away from him from now on.”
Hearing that, Zuo Shihuan’s face went pale, the light brown of his eyes clouded with helpless confusion.
Before the string of facts Yu Lizhu laid out, it seemed he could no longer deceive himself into believing Gu Heng wasn’t that kind of person.
Seeing Zuo Shihuan’s face turn ashen, his eyes bloodshot for some reason, Yu Lizhu quickly asked in worry, “Zuo Shihuan, why do you look so pale? Did you not sleep well last night?”
Zuo Shihuan forced out a hoarse reply: “No, I just… suddenly feel a little tired.”
“If you’re tired, then you should rest,” Yu Lizhu said gently. “Ever since you returned to the Zuo family, you’ve been so busy. You should take a break and relax a bit. There’s no need to rush to finish everything. I can help you handle the small matters for the engagement banquet.”
Zuo Shihuan rubbed his weary brow.
In truth, he didn’t find the heavy workload exhausting — on the contrary, he found it fulfilling.
It was only after hearing Gu Heng’s scandal that an inescapable sense of fatigue welled up from deep within, weighing down his body until it felt as though he were sinking.
He hoped Gu Heng could live well — but not by relying on someone else’s charity.
That thought brought back memories.
Of his parents, who had left deep shadows in his heart.
A father addicted to lust, fathering child after child yet taking responsibility for none.
A mother addicted to greed, to money, to the alcohol in her cup — chasing stronger forbidden substances through the haze of smoke.
Whenever he remembered, a visceral disgust would rise within him — a fierce refusal to become someone like them.
Zuo Shihuan avoided cigarettes and alcohol, remained calm and restrained in all things, afraid that the blood he inherited would one day drag him into the same abyss of desire and self-destruction.
Even though deep down he still didn’t believe Gu Heng was that kind of person, he had to admit—
When you stand in a quagmire where everyone around you is sinking into indulgence, being the only one who stays sober makes you the strange one.
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” Zuo Shihuan said evenly. “You’ve already helped me write the invitations our two families need — the guest list includes not only relatives from both sides, but also business partners and several high-ranking social figures. That alone is a huge, time-consuming task. The rest of the engagement banquet details I’ll handle myself.”
Yu Lizhu was still a little worried. Normally, Zuo Shihuan’s demeanor was cool and composed, but today his face was pale and drawn with exhaustion.
“Ever since you came to the Zuo family, you haven’t really gone out to have fun even once, have you?” she said. “You’re always working. How about today I take you out for a bit? The two bodyguards my mom sent to keep an eye on me are watching anyway, so I can’t sneak off to meet Ji Shenwen. I might as well take you out to have some fun — what do you think?”
Her tone carried a hint of cheer, hoping to lift his spirits.
Zuo Shihuan thought for a moment. He did want to get away from this suffocating gloom for a breath of air. So he nodded and said, “All right. Where do you plan to go?”
Yu Lizhu’s eyes brightened. “You’re always too busy — probably haven’t had time to travel to any of the resort planets. Why don’t we go to the Federation’s largest entertainment mall? It’s as big as a small city! Even I’ve never managed to explore the whole thing.”
“If you’re free, you can invite your friends to come along too.”
Zuo Shihuan said, “How about this afternoon? I still have some files to go through tonight.”
Yu Lizhu gave a playful salute. “No problem!”
She smiled brightly and waved. “Then it’s settled — see you at the mall entrance in a few hours.”
Zuo Shihuan: “Mm.”
After hanging up, the video screen went black.
Zuo Shihuan stared at the thick stack of documents waiting on his desk. He picked up his pen, wrote a few words on the contract — then stopped.
He tossed the paper aside.
His pen had pressed too hard, tearing through the sheet.
All because he couldn’t stop thinking about what Yu Lizhu had told him — his hand had tightened unconsciously, the tip cutting through the page.
Zuo Shihuan frowned tightly, picked the pen up again — but as his eyes fell on the text, he found he couldn’t focus on a single word.
Until, all at once, the taut string in his chest snapped.
He stood up abruptly, his light brown pupils contracting sharply. His breathing hitched, as if the oxygen in the room had vanished, suffocating him.
He grabbed his coat and rushed out of the study.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw the butler standing in the hallway, looking at him.
“Excuse me, young master — are you planning to drive somewhere?”
The butler glanced politely at the coat and car keys in his hand — he seemed to be in a hurry, so the man asked out of duty.
Zuo Shihuan bit his lip, unable to hide his agitation. “Yes.”
The butler bowed slightly. “May I ask where you’re headed? Shall I prepare a driver for you?”
Zuo Shihuan’s hand tightened around the car keys, a faint shadow trembling in his eyes. The butler’s calm gaze only made the tension in his chest more unbearable.
But what could he do?
Hadn’t he already promised himself he wouldn’t go to that place again?
Suddenly, he unclenched his hand. A faint, weary smile crossed his lips as he said, “No need. I’ve changed my mind — I’m not going out anymore. Please bring me an iced coffee instead.”
The butler inclined his head. “Yes, young master. Shall I deliver it to the study?”
Zuo Shihuan’s gaze flicked toward the half-open study door.
Stacks of neatly arranged documents filled the desk; only the contract he’d thrown aside lay askew. The heavy curtains dimmed the light, and antique porcelain gleamed faintly on the wooden shelves.
It was a vast, enclosed space.
The desk sat squarely in the center — but Zuo Shihuan felt no desire to step back inside.
That position so many in the Zuo family coveted — for a moment, it made it hard for him to breathe.
He wasn’t ready to return to it. Not yet.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll sit in the living room for a bit.”
Zuo Shihuan averted his gaze, speaking calmly.
“Understood. Please wait a moment, young master — I’ll have one of the maids prepare an iced coffee for you and bring it to the living room shortly.”
The butler bowed politely, then turned to leave once Zuo Shihuan gave a nod.
***
“Where is everyone?”
Zuo Shihuan sat in the empty living room.
Servants moved quietly through the old Zuo family residence. Beneath their feet spread a large, warm-toned wool carpet that filled the entire space, and antique ornaments were scattered throughout — so many that each servant walked carefully to avoid them.
They also carefully avoided the man seated at the center of the room — Zuo Shihuan.
Compared to the once lively Zuo family dining hall, now the bustling living room seemed full of people, yet none of his half-siblings were anywhere to be seen.
The servants padded over the carpet without making a sound.
The silence felt oppressive, and Zuo Shihuan found it strangely uncomfortable.
The butler replied, “Young master Zuo Shihuan, are you asking where the other young masters and misses went?”
Zuo Shihuan nodded. “Yes. It’s the weekend, isn’t it? Did they all go out?”
The butler said, “Some of the young masters and misses went out early to play, and some—”
Before he could finish, shouting came from outside.
“You little brat! Don’t you dare let that d*mned alpaca eat my flowers!”
“But that’s what it wants to eat!”
“I don’t care! Take it somewhere else! This is my rose garden — I won’t let your filthy, poop-everywhere alpaca ruin it!”
Zuo Shihuan leaned out to look through the window and saw two figures arguing in the garden — one was Madam Zuo’s Omega daughter, Zuo Shiyun, and the other, much smaller, was her mischievous little brother in third grade, Zuo Shiyu.
The butler added, “Young master, those two are the only ones still at home.”
Leaning against the window, Zuo Shihuan watched his half-siblings curiously as their bickering carried clearly up to the second floor. He turned to the butler and asked, “I’ve never had any siblings before, so I’m not really sure how to handle these things. Tell me, do you have siblings? When they argue like that, should I — as the older brother — step in to stop them?”
The butler dared not involve himself in the Zuo family’s internal affairs and gave a vague reply. “That would depend on your wishes, young master.”
Down in the garden, the argument continued.
Zuo Shiyun stood with hands on her hips. “Hurry up and take that stinky alpaca away!”
Her brother made a face. “The alpaca’s not stinky — you’re the stinky one, sis!”
Zuo Shiyun rolled up her sleeves, ready to settle the matter physically and prove who was really the smelly one —
—only to feel a strange tug at her skirt.
Looking down, she let out a shrill scream.
“Ahhh! Get this d*mned alpaca off me! It—it’s eating my skirt!”
The alpaca, drawn by the faint fragrance of her perfume, had mistaken the gauzy fabric for flower petals and was tearing off strips to chew.
Realizing the disaster, the little brat panicked and tried to escape — climbing onto the alpaca’s back to flee the scene.
But before he could get far, the alpaca decided it didn’t like the taste and spat the chewed fabric right out — straight onto Zuo Shiyun’s shoes.
Zuo Shiyun stared in horror at her ruined new dress and the alpaca drool soaking her shoes. Her eyes blazed with fury as she gritted her teeth and shouted, “Both of you — STOP RIGHT THERE!”
“Noooope!” Zuo Shiyu stuck out his tongue and made a face, still riding the alpaca.
But the next second, the alpaca abruptly stopped to nibble on a patch of roses.
Seeing his sister closing in, Zuo Shiyu tugged frantically at the reins. “Come on! Stop eating! We have to run!”
Unfortunately, the alpaca was unmoved. With an annoyed shake of its neck, it flung him right off its back.
Zuo Shiyu fell to the ground — thankfully it wasn’t high, and he wasn’t hurt — but when he looked up, a dark shadow loomed over him.
It was his sister, grinning wickedly.
“!!!”
What followed was a classic scene of big sister beating little brother — his wailing cries mixing with her triumphant villainous laughter.
Upstairs, Zuo Shihuan quietly closed the window again, his ears still ringing from the noise.
Looking back at the empty living room, he suddenly thought — maybe quiet wasn’t so bad after all.
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