Chà Chà Novel

Nearly half a month passed before Min Zhi returned to the villa.

Just as he had expected, the Omega was gone. Not a trace of Fang Fengzhi’s pheromones remained in the air.

The housekeeper was preparing dinner in the kitchen. She had not asked many questions about Fang Fengzhi’s departure.

“Will you be having dinner at home tonight, sir?”

Min Zhi nodded.

“I’ll be living here again from now on.”

His phone rang. He was looking at his messages as he headed upstairs when the housekeeper called from below.

“Mr. Fang left something for you. I put it on your desk…”

His steps paused. Expressionless, Min Zhi glanced toward the guest room, then looked away.

In his bedroom, he found a small paper bag on the desk. It must be what the Omega had left. Unable to imagine what it contained, he approached and opened it.

Inside was a tie, identical to the one he had lent Fang Fengzhi. Although the tag had been removed, Min Zhi knew it was new.

It carried none of Fang Fengzhi’s scent.

Fang Fengzhi was eating alone in the apartment, chewing mechanically, living one day after another just as he had before.

It had been almost a week since he left Min Zhi’s villa.

When he returned, he had felt nervous, with a faint undercurrent of hope. He hoped Fu Baiqi would notice his absence and angrily confront him. That would at least be some indirect proof that his husband cared. Instead, there was only one pair of slippers by the door, exactly as it had been when he left.

Fu Baiqi had not come home at all.

The apartment seemed coated in dust. Everywhere looked dirty. It was a rare free weekend, yet Fang Fengzhi felt restless with nothing to do, an indescribable heaviness troubling his heart. He opened the windows and decided to give the place a thorough cleaning. If he did not do something, he would die of loneliness.

Loneliness?

He suddenly remembered the sight of his husband with Bai Zhen at the hospital. A dull, numbing ache rose inside him.

He touched the gland at the back of his neck. It was smooth and unblemished, with no sign that anything had ever been there. Then he looked at the ring on his finger.

Being marked by someone else, even coming under another person’s control, made it impossible for him to face Fu Baiqi. Although the mark had vanished completely, remembering everything between him and Min Zhi filled him with guilt. Besides, judging by the way those two had looked that day, Fu Baiqi had probably spent all this time with Bai Zhen.

He had made up his mind. When Fu Baiqi came home, he would ask for a divorce.

As Bai Zhen had said, they had been together for so many years. Fang Fengzhi was only the third party who came later. Although he did not see himself that way, he had indeed obstructed their future together.

If that was the case, he should end things with Fu Baiqi.

While sorting through his belongings, he happened upon something buried at the bottom of a cabinet: an old notebook, its pages slightly yellowed. Inside, it was blank. Nothing had ever been written in it.

Fu Baiqi had given it to him many years ago.

Fang Fengzhi would always remember that day.

The first time he saw Fu Baiqi, who had come from the city, he thought he was beautiful at first glance. His little town was so small that he could have turned it upside down and never found another person that good-looking. They were both still children then, not yet old enough to differentiate. Fu Baiqi’s grandmother was close to Fang Fengzhi’s family, and she asked him to show Fu Baiqi around.

Fu Baiqi clearly did not want to go with him, but he seemed even less willing to stay among the noisy relatives. So he put on his schoolbag and followed Fang Fengzhi outside.

He remained cold throughout the walk. Whatever Fang Fengzhi asked, he answered with either “Mm” or “Oh,” never adding another word. Spotting a stone table and seats in the neighborhood, he went over by himself, took out his homework, and stopped paying attention to Fang Fengzhi altogether.

Fang Fengzhi was a little afraid of him, but he could not bear to leave. He hurried home, fetched his own little notebook, and ran back. Sitting beside Fu Baiqi, he quietly wrote and drew, occasionally stealing a glance at him.

When Fu Baiqi finished, he got up and walked away alone. Fang Fengzhi quickly grabbed his notebook and followed.

They were still children, after all. Having Fang Fengzhi trail him so closely irritated Fu Baiqi. He suddenly stopped, turned, and snapped, “Stop following me.”

Fang Fengzhi had been thin-skinned and timid then. Such open dislike frightened him into silence. His small sense of pride took a crushing blow, leaving him terribly embarrassed. He turned and tried to run away in a panic, only to miss his footing after a few steps and tumble down some stone stairs.

Fortunately, the steps were not high, and there were only a few of them. Even so, the fall hurt badly.

Startled, Fu Baiqi hurried over and helped him up.

“Are you all right?”

Fang Fengzhi could not speak through the pain. He looked at the person who had been so fierce just seconds earlier, then at his notebook beside him, its pages torn in the fall. Hurt and miserable, he could not help bursting into tears.

Fu Baiqi had never encountered a situation like this either. Thinking Fang Fengzhi was in unbearable pain, he did not know what to do. He checked him for injuries while taking out tissues to wipe his tears.

Fang Fengzhi stopped crying after a little while. Having the beautiful boy wipe his tears so gently filled his heart with joy. He forgot all about the pain.

He picked up the notebook beside him and blinked, letting the last few tears fall.

He heard a schoolbag being unzipped. A moment later, a notebook was placed in his hands.

The beautiful boy crouched before him.

“This one’s new. You can have it. Stop crying.”

Fang Fengzhi stared at him, forgetting all about his earlier coldness. All he could think now was how someone could be so kind.

Looking at the boy so close to him, his heart pounded. For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

The boy froze for a second. His face flushed bright red, and he shoved Fang Fengzhi away. After a few harsh words, he abandoned him and ran home alone.

But Fang Fengzhi was not sad.

He had received tissues and a gift from the boy he liked. In return, he had given him the most precious love he was capable of offering then.

He was happy.

Unfortunately, the beautiful boy left town the very next day.

Fang Fengzhi wondered when he would see him again.

He waited a very long time, until Fu Baiqi’s parents approached him and asked him to meet their son in return for paying his mother’s medical expenses. At first, he had not thought much of it. Although he believed in pheromone compatibility, he went only intending to give it a try. But the instant he saw Fu Baiqi, he recognized him.

He changed his mind.

He wanted to marry him.

Fang Fengzhi put the notebook into his suitcase.

Remembering his old hopes, then thinking of the past two years of marriage, still made him sad. He had always wanted to take things slowly with Fu Baiqi. He had believed affection could be nurtured. But if Bai Zhen had always occupied Fu Baiqi’s heart, Fang Fengzhi could never displace him.

He placed the notebook in his suitcase. Once they had talked everything through, he would leave.

That had been his plan. That afternoon, however, Fu Baiqi’s mother called and invited him out for a meal.

They arranged to meet at a café not far from Fu Baiqi’s company.

When Fang Fengzhi arrived, his mother-in-law was not there yet. He was nervous, partly because of her, and partly because he feared running into Min Zhi.

Uneasily, he found a secluded table and sat down. A little later, Fu Baiqi’s mother arrived.

“Mom.”

She nodded and looked him up and down. Dispensing with pleasantries, she asked directly, “Baiqi still hasn’t marked you?”

Embarrassed, Fang Fengzhi nodded.

She took an impatient sip of coffee.

“Fengzhi, I honestly don’t know what to say to you anymore.”

She looked furious but restrained herself.

“One hundred percent compatibility. Even heaven is helping you two. Why won’t you make the most of it?”

Fang Fengzhi lowered his head, his hands clasped together.

“It’s not like that…”

“Mom, Baiqi has someone he loves. I… he and I can’t…”

“Who?”

“That boy called Bai Zhen?”

“I know him. He’s a good boy, certainly. It’s just a pity his pheromone compatibility with Baiqi isn’t as high as yours.”

Looking at Fang Fengzhi’s pale face, she decided to offer some reassurance.

“I called Baiqi yesterday. He said they’ve ended things. They won’t be contacting each other again.”

“What?”

He stared at Fu Baiqi’s mother. Although she was an Omega, she had always been uncompromising and disliked beating around the bush. If she said it was over, then it really was over.

But had Fu Baiqi agreed willingly?

Her hand suddenly covered Fang Fengzhi’s. Looking at him, she said, “Fengzhi, I’ll help you. Make an effort this year and have a child with Baiqi.”

Author’s note: The character 柏 in Baiqi’s name is pronounced “bǎi.”