It was a tall alpha. His dark-black overcoat was crisp and sharp, making him look exceptionally out of place on the lively food street near the university.
Because he was holding the umbrella, he leaned slightly down toward Zhong Yu, and the pressure he gave off seemed to descend like a mountain.
His shadow covered Zhong Yu.
Zhong Yu instinctively grew uneasy. It had nothing to do with this person in particular. Because of Pan Wang, he had always kept alphas at a respectful distance.
Yet the alpha before him was clearly showing him goodwill.
Zhong Yu did not quite know what to do. He instinctively wanted to thank him, but after lifting his hands he suddenly realized the man probably could not understand him.
He hesitated and was just about to point at his throat to indicate that he could not speak when the man said, "I've learned sign language. You can use it to communicate with me directly."
His voice was low and unhurried, magnetic and elegant like the lowest strings of a cello.
Zhong Yu looked at him in surprise.
He had not expected this person's powers of observation to be so strong.
He was probably a very high-ranked alpha, right?
Zhong Yu speculated while deliberately slowing his movements and making the sign for "thank you."
The man lowered his eyes halfway, watching Zhong Yu's fingertips. "You're welcome."
He really could understand.
Other than Zhong Jue, among all the people Zhong Yu had met throughout his life, very few knew sign language, and very few were willing to "listen" to what Zhong Yu had to say.
Even Grandma Song and the security guards at the orphanage only recognized a few of the most basic signs. Most of the time, they still communicated through writing.
So when Zhong Yu discovered that the man before him really could "hear" him, he instead became somewhat at a loss.
His gaze darted around in panic and finally landed on the man's shoulder, which had been soaked by rain. Zhong Yu wanted to say something, but the man cut him off first. "Your health isn't good. Don't stand in the rain."
Hm?
How did he know?
Zhong Yu instinctively became wary, his back tightening slightly. But then the man lowered his eyes and seemed to rein in all the aggression surrounding him. He said, "My name is Cheng Shenzhi. I have some acquaintance with Professor Zhong."
Hearing a familiar name from the other man's mouth surprised Zhong Yu, but his body relaxed slightly. He instinctively looked up, only to discover that the man was staring into his eyes too.
The instant their gazes met, a strange sensation suddenly rose inside Zhong Yu. Something felt faintly familiar, though he could not identify where it came from. He instinctively looked away again.
Fortunately, his little sister rescued him.
Ever since this alpha appeared, Zhong Jue had been watching him vigilantly. Unfortunately, the ice cream in her mouth was far too delicious. She hurriedly swallowed the last bite, then wrapped both arms around Zhong Yu's arm, tipped up her face to look at Cheng Shenzhi, and asked, "Do you know us?"
Cheng Shenzhi shifted his gaze to Zhong Jue and patiently explained, "I saw Professor Zhong with you just now."
For some reason, although there was not the slightest aggression in the man's gaze and every movement was restrained and distant, being watched by those dark eyes still sent a faint shiver rising from Zhong Yu's spine. Was it because the man's rank was too high?
Zhong Yu was not sure.
After all, he had discovered very early that compared with other betas, his sensitivity to alphas was almost like an omega's.
Perhaps he could thank Pan Wang's harassment throughout his childhood for that.
Zhong Jue tilted her head and thought. Realizing that this was indeed true, she asked proactively, "Then why aren't you looking for Uncle? Why did you come find us?"
Uncle?
That key word surprised Cheng Shenzhi.
After all, the detailed file he had received had never mentioned this relationship between Professor Zhong and Zhong Yu. It had only briefly noted that, after returning to the country, Professor Zhong had repeatedly visited the orphanage where he had grown up.
Cheng Shenzhi had therefore guessed that Zhong Hanqing might have been close to Zhong Yu's mother and was now also in contact with Zhong Yu, but he had not expected this kind of relationship.
He should have his assistant investigate more carefully.
As he thought that, his expression showed no hesitation. He continued smoothly from Zhong Jue's question. "My grandfather has admired Professor Zhong for a long time, but Professor Zhong is a man of lofty character. I've asked around in many places, yet I've still been unable to purchase one of his paintings."
The overly formal explanation clearly caused Zhong Jue, who was only in second grade, to short-circuit a little. She looked blankly at her brother, and Cheng Shenzhi's gaze naturally shifted to Zhong Yu as well.
Zhong Yu opened his mouth.
Cheng Shenzhi's gaze paused, then withdrew. He noticed that at some point, the hand Zhong Yu kept hidden at his side had curled inward, the fingertips faintly white. It reminded him that on that night, at the very beginning, Zhong Yu had done the same thing.
He must be very nervous now.
Cheng Shenzhi carefully observed and considered the situation. He took a small step back to give Zhong Yu more breathing room and said politely, "I don't mean you any harm. It's just that my grandfather's birthday is coming soon, and this has already become something that weighs on me."
Zhong Yu slowly let out a breath and tried his best not to show weakness.
[I'm sorry. My uncle and I aren't very close.]
He had no way to help the man purchase a painting.
The rain grew heavier and heavier. The surrounding vendors began packing up and going home.
Raindrops struck the broad umbrella with dull thuds, rapid and dense, eventually blending into one unbroken melody.
Zhong Yu's gaze shifted and once again landed on the man's shoulder, now wet with rain. He hesitantly raised a hand and pointed.
Cheng Shenzhi acted as though he had only just noticed, but his attention did not stay there long. He quickly looked back at Zhong Yu and said, "Why don't we sit in the shop beside us?"
Zhong Yu hesitated.
His sister was still young, and he did not want her getting soaked. He also knew his own body. If he stood through a rain like this, the final result would definitely be a fever.
After weighing the pros and cons for a moment, Zhong Yu gave a very slight nod.
[Thank you.]
A faint smile curved Cheng Shenzhi's lips as he tilted the umbrella farther toward Zhong Yu.
The three of them found a nearby café and sat down. Zhong Yu thought hard, trying to dig useful information from his very limited memories of interacting with Zhong Hanqing.
[Uncle likes flowers.]
He racked his brain while the man merely watched him with a smile, his gaze lingering on Zhong Yu's lightly pressed lips.
Zhong Yu's movements slowed hesitantly. He did not know whether it was his imagination, but he kept feeling that the man before him did not seem especially interested in what Zhong Yu was saying.
Yet the man had clearly said this was very important.
His confusion was interrupted by a server. "Hello. Two hot milks and one hot Americano."
Cheng Shenzhi accepted them, thanked the server, and pushed the two cups of milk toward Zhong Yu and Zhong Jue.
Zhong Yu widened his eyes in confusion and instinctively waved his hands to refuse, but Cheng Shenzhi said in a tone that allowed no argument, "Let your sister warm herself up."
Then his voice softened slightly. "Your health isn't good either. If you get sick, your sister will worry."
With both arguments working together, Zhong Yu was completely persuaded. He took the cup with some hesitation. Only when the tip of his tongue tasted a faint sweetness did he belatedly remember something elseâwhy did Cheng Shenzhi know about his health?
But before he could think about it carefully, Cheng Shenzhi interrupted him. "What about his tastes? Are they similar to yours?"
After a pause, Cheng Shenzhi added seemingly casually, "You're family, after all. Your preferences should overlap at least a little."
The question appeared to return them to the main topic, so Zhong Yu set aside his earlier doubts and answered seriously.
[I'm sorry. I don't know. Uncle rarely eats with me.]
The last time they had eaten together was when Zhong Hanqing had first returned to the country and Grandma Song introduced them.
There was nothing special about the orphanage's food. Zhong Yu remembered that Zhong Hanqing had eaten very little and had shown no particular preferences.
Cheng Shenzhi lowered his eyes. From the corner of his vision, he could sense Zhong Yu carefully studying him while believing himself discreet. The wariness was obvious.
And perfectly normal.
After all, anyone who had been that helpless, believed they had grasped a lifeline, then discovered after that flash of hope that it was merely another abyss would react the same way.
Cheng Shenzhi truly felt guilty. He simply had not yet figured out what would be an appropriate way to express it.
And with a child present, it was inconvenient to discuss those matters with Zhong Yu.
Time slowly passed and the sky darkened. Zhong Yu grew increasingly restless in his seat. Fortunately, after their brief conversation, the man picked up his phone.
Zhong Yu accidentally glimpsed the screen and thought he seemed to be handling work matters.
That let him relax a little.
Seeing the man completely absorbed in his work, Zhong Yu drew his own attention back and stared blankly at the milky-white drink in his cup.
The rain outside grew heavier. When the milk was nearly finished, Zhong Yu finally made up his mind, placed an order on a ride-hailing platform, and secretly decided he would say goodbye to Mr. Cheng when the driver was almost there.
Unfortunately, it was exactly the time when work and classes ended. A University was in the city center, traffic was terrible, the rain was heavy, and his destination was remote.
He waited longingly for nearly twenty minutes, yet no driver accepted the order.
Zhong Yu pressed his lips together anxiously. Zhong Jue had played all day and finally run out of energy. At first she clung to Zhong Yu's arm and whined softly, mumbling who knew what. Later she could no longer hold on and slowly closed her eyes against Zhong Yu's chest.
Sleeping like that could not possibly be comfortable.
Zhong Yu watched anxiously. He could only reach out and adjust his sister's position, then look at his phone again.
Still no driver.
While he stared anxiously at the screen, a low voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"My driver is here."
Zhong Yu instinctively looked toward the voice. At some point, the man had already put down his phone and was quietly watching him. When Zhong Yu looked over, he smiled faintly.
Zhong Yu wanted to stand, but his sister was still leaning against him. He could only wave awkwardly as a goodbye.
After pausing for a second or two, he hurriedly added: [Thank you for the milk.]
But the man stopped in front of him and looked down at him without speaking.
Zhong Yu's palms grew slightly sweaty. He instinctively wanted to retreat. He did not understand whyâeven facing Pan Wang had never triggered such a powerful, uncontrollable response in him.
Cheng Shenzhi asked, "Which direction is your home?"
