The partnership negotiations between Qisheng and the Lu family were scheduled for a week later. On the day Lu Chao arrived in Beicheng, Ning Zhu made every effort to arrange his hotel accommodations and a car to pick him up.

However, the meeting was not held at Qisheng’s headquarters. Qisheng started with a single software product and gradually expanded into high-end manufacturing. The collaboration with the Lu family pertained to the latter.

Qisheng’s headquarters building at Anjiang Plaza primarily handled software products, and Ning Zhu spent most of his time there. In a slightly more out-of-the-way area of North City lay Qisheng’s Technology Park, quite a distance from the headquarters. Lu Chao requested to first tour and evaluate the Technology Park before proceeding with the partnership negotiations.

Consequently, the meeting was scheduled at a high-end business club located midway between the technology park and headquarters, saving time on travel.

The next day, outside the Technology Park, Ning Zhu met the new Lu Group CEO for the first time. He was twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, unexpectedly handsome, dressed in a crisp black suit. His hair, eyebrows, and eyes were all dark, with only his tie providing a splash of color.

His features and demeanor had a rather sharp edge to them; judging by his appearance alone, he didn’t seem like the type who would be easy to get along with at first glance.

“President Ning,” Lu Chao greeted him politely.

Ning Zhu shook his hand with a composed smile. The two exchanged brief, polite pleasantries.

In contrast to his sharp, haughty appearance, Lu Chao spoke with surprising ease, showing no airs, his face bearing a smile similar to Ning Zhu’s. Against the backdrop of his appearance, this unexpected approachability made him seem all the more approachable.

However, Ji Chi, standing nearby, felt as though two foxes were exchanging fake smiles—a sense of déjà vu that sent a chill down his spine.

As the two spoke, Ji Chi quietly sized up Lu Chao, furrowing his brow ever so slightly. He had a vague sense that the other man’s features bore a certain resemblance to someone he had seen not long ago. However, the moment Lu Chao curved his lips into a smile, that sense of familiarity vanished.

Both parties wanted to get down to business as soon as possible, so after exchanging pleasantries, they proceeded to tour the technology park.

Unlike an office building, the technology park covered a vast area; even touring just a small portion of it took some time. Afterward, the group headed to the meeting venue, took a brief break, and then began the formal meeting.

As the negotiations got underway, Ning Zhu suddenly felt a faint warmth at the back of his neck while the project manager from Qisheng was speaking.

His heart skipped a beat as he lowered his eyes to determine the source of the warmth. It was indeed a sign of the mating season approaching. Ning Zhu clenched his fingers tightly beneath the table.

This damn gland… I thought it had finally settled down a bit lately, but it turns out it was just biding its time?

It deliberately held back until today to ruin him!

And of all days, he was riding in a company car today—without even a spare dose of the suppressant.

Ning Zhu mentally assessed his gland’s erratic behavior, uncertain if he could barely hold out for the entire meeting.

Other competitors in Beicheng were watching closely, and Lu Chao’s visit to Beicheng wouldn’t be limited to just Qisheng. This meeting was merely the initial negotiation phase with the Lu Group; whether a partnership could be secured in the future remained to be seen.

Ning Zhu bit his tongue and steeled himself.

The skin on the back of his neck grew increasingly hot. Though not as intense or overwhelming as any of his previous heat cycles, the high concentration of pheromones still caused his glands to swell and ache.

He pinched the palm of his hand hard to stay alert, revealing no signs of his condition throughout the entire meeting.

Fortunately, this was only a preliminary meeting; they hadn’t yet reached the stage of actual price negotiations. Ning Zhu silently took it to heart. Since Dou Changxiao had come into his life, he had indeed let his guard down regarding that sensation at the back of his neck; otherwise, given his usual habits, he would certainly have brought an inhibitor with him.

The negotiations ran half an hour longer than expected. By the time the meeting adjourned, Ning Zhu couldn’t manage to see the others out. Every muscle in his body felt weak; he feared he wouldn’t be able to stand or walk steadily, which would be an embarrassment. So he gave Ji Chi a look, signaling for him to wrap things up.

Ji Chi quickly caught on, furrowing his brow and casting a worried glance at him, but he still followed Ning Zhu’s wishes and escorted Lu Chao and the others out first.

The others in the conference room left one by one. Staff would be coming to clear the room shortly. Ning Zhu didn’t dare stay in the conference room any longer. Without a second thought, he walked into a small cubicle next door and leaned his elbows against the wall, standing there for a moment.

Finally, unable to support himself any longer, he slowly crouched down. His body felt so hot…

Dizzy and disoriented, Ning Zhu fished out his phone, pondering how, in his current state, he could leave here with some dignity and make it home safely to take his suppressant.

Wait… he had the medicine now.

Ning Zhu recalled his expensive, coconut-flavored wonder drug, which he hadn’t used even once so far.

This place happened to be very close to the Third Hospital. Ning Zhu found Dou Changxiao’s number, but just as his finger was about to tap it, he suddenly hesitated, hovering over the screen for a few seconds without moving.

Thinking back to the scene when Dou Changxiao left his place last time, he actually didn’t quite know how to go about it.

He hadn’t exchanged a single decent word with Dou Changxiao on WeChat in nearly two weeks. Last time, he’d sent the guy away without even letting him eat lunch. And the look in that kid’s eyes as he left…

Wasn’t it a bit too cheeky of him to suddenly ask the other guy to come over and tag him now? Ning Zhu thought this, then realized with a slow-witted snap of insight.

What the hell? He was the one paying, after all. Logically, he should be able to do whatever he wanted with a clear conscience. It’s not like they’re a couple in the middle of a cold war—where did all these messy reservations come from?

Having talked himself through it, Ning Zhu dialed Dou Changxiao’s number with a bit more decisiveness this time. The call went through with a single “beep.”

That system tone was high-pitched and drawn-out, like a long, agonizing tail that seemed to have a miraculous effect on heightening anxiety.

“……”

Ning Zhu’s heart immediately began to race again.

Well, even if it wasn’t a lovers’ quarrel, wasn’t it… a bit inappropriate for a sugar daddy to forbid his sugar baby from eating at home? It was still a bit shameless, wasn’t it?

Besides, the last time he’d gone through his heat cycle without an inhibitor injection was eight years ago. It wasn’t until Cheng Li brought up their high school days a few days ago that Ning Zhu vaguely recalled just how miserable his heat cycles used to be—almost to the point of being utterly humiliating.

If that were to happen in front of that kid…

The thoughts in his head were about to explode. Unable to take it anymore, Ning Zhu sat down on the floor, leaned his head against the wall, and let out a deep sigh. He suddenly felt quite impressed with himself—even with his body’s reactions during heat reaching their limit, he could still think about all sorts of random things!

Just then, Ning Zhu noticed that after a single “beep,” the sound had stopped.

He looked down. The call interface on the screen had been connected for over ten seconds, yet the other end remained silent.

“Chang…”

“Hey, Changxiao, I’m at that XXX place. Can you come over and tag me?” The moment Ning Zhu imagined himself saying those words, he choked on his own thoughts.

He called out the name first, his tone feigning composure as he raised his voice: “Changxiao?”

Two seconds later, Dou Changxiao’s voice came through the phone: “Mm.”

Dou Changxiao’s voice sounded so pure that Ning Zhu couldn’t help but think of the scent of his pheromones.

Waves of heat from his heat period washed over him, and Ning Zhu’s breath grew scorching. He pressed the phone closer to his ear, as if hearing the other person’s voice might alleviate some of his symptoms.

Sensing that his voice would tremble if he spoke now, he paused for a moment. But his heavy, labored breathing had already carried through the receiver to the other end.

Suddenly, the voice on the other end asked, “Where are you?”

Ning Zhu licked his parched lips before mumbling his location.