FIO CH3

Chapter 3: The First Snow

Zhou Zheng was not particularly willing to stay in the hospital, and the examination results showed no serious issues. Lu Fangchi took him to complete the discharge procedures and brought him home early the next morning.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, what greeted their eyes was not the door but a mountain of cardboard boxes, estimated to be four large ones. Just as Lu Fangchi was puzzled, his phone “dinged.”

Xiao Liu: I’ve packed Boss Zhou’s things and sent them to your doorstep. It’ll be a hassle for the next three months. [Raises fists in a gesture of thanks]

Lu Fangchi read the message but didn’t reply. He and Zhou Zheng each carried one box and made two trips to move the boxes into the house. While contemplating how to integrate these four large boxes into his home, Lu Fangchi ordered a boxed meal from a restaurant. Of course, even after lunch, he still hadn’t figured out a solution.

The apartment was nearly a hundred square meters, more than enough for Lu Fangchi to live alone. However, the problem lay in his mild misanthropy and fastidiousness. In Lu Fangchi’s vision, no one other than himself would ever step foot in his home. As a result, the guest room had been converted into a study, the second bedroom had been combined with the master bedroom to create a massive walk-in closet, and there was even only one bathroom. So, there was no solution. Lu Fangchi could only hang Zhou Zheng’s clothes next to his own. The same went for toiletries—two toothbrushes, two razors, two towels, and even the facial cleanser on the bathroom shelf had doubled. Not only that, but there were shoes in the shoe cabinet that didn’t match his size, extra cups in the kitchen, and different-brand computers in the study…

Lu Fangchi sighed as he looked at the sudden influx of items that didn’t belong to him. The only two things he was relieved about were that Zhou Zheng was an alpha, and that he had given up on the idea of creating a fully transparent bathroom for visual space reasons.

Since everything had been sorted out, Lu Fangchi decided to do a thorough cleaning. He hadn’t tidied up for a week due to his busy work schedule. As he swept here and mopped there, time slipped away unnoticed. By the time he finished cleaning, it was already evening.

He hastily ate a bowl of instant noodles for dinner and, while taking out the trash, reminded Zhou Zheng to take a shower quickly. Before going to bed, Lu Fangchi made two requests to Zhou Zheng: “I won’t lock the door at night so you can come in to use the bathroom, but be quiet. I told you I’m a light sleeper. If I’m woken up, I won’t be able to fall back asleep.”

Zhou Zheng nodded in agreement.

“Don’t release pheromones indiscriminately. Of course, I’ll also be mindful,” Lu Fangchi added. Both of them were alphas, and their pheromones were mutually repulsive with a strong territorial instinct. If they disliked each other too much, they might even end up fighting, so it was better to keep them in check.

“Got it,” Zhou Zheng replied, very cooperatively.

And so, Zhou Zheng settled down on the sofa in Lu Fangchi’s home. The imagined friction and inconvenience never materialized because Lu Fangchi was urgently called back to the company the next day, working long hours and coming home late. Often, by the time Zhou Zheng woke up, Lu Fangchi had already left, and by the time Zhou Zheng was ready to sleep, Lu Fangchi hadn’t returned yet. Sometimes, he didn’t even know if Lu Fangchi had come home at all. They hardly ever crossed paths, let alone had any conflicts.

The turning point came half a month later when Lu Fangchi finally had some free time. His work was cyclical, and this time it was a long cycle, allowing him to have a considerable break. With some time on his hands, Lu Fangchi started sleeping in. He slept until one in the afternoon that day and was eventually woken up by his growling stomach.

After a good sleep, Lu Fangchi squinted and lingered in bed for a while before reluctantly getting up. Perhaps because he had slept for too long, he felt a bit lightheaded and dazed. He wandered through the living room to the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and planned to have a bowl of instant noodles to start his lazy weekend.

It was then that he turned his head and saw Zhou Zheng sitting on the sofa, staring at him. Startled by the sudden sight of someone, Lu Fangchi was taken aback before remembering that he had a “guest” in his home. Although they had been living under the same roof for over half a month, they rarely crossed paths, so they were still virtually strangers to each other.

Lu Fangchi nodded in greeting, but it was Zhou Zheng who spoke up: “Are you really going to eat this?”

Lu Fangchi looked down at the spicy beef instant noodles in his hand and made an “ah” sound.

Zhou Zheng frowned slightly, clearly disapproving: “Eating something spicy right after waking up, and it’s junk food too. It’s not good for your stomach.”

While what he said was true, …

“I’ll make you a bowl of noodles,” Zhou Zheng said, standing up and heading to the kitchen.

Lu Fangchi sat down at the dining table, propping his chin on his hand as he watched Zhou Zheng’s busy figure in the open kitchen. The alpha had a straight and imposing figure, probably around six feet three inches tall, with broad and strong shoulders. The rolled-up sleeves revealed the veins on his forearms. The usually arrogant man, who used to look down on everyone, was now wearing an apron and cooking. This contrast made Lu Fangchi’s mind wander.

It wasn’t until Zhou Zheng placed a bowl of noodles in front of him that the appetizing aroma made Lu Fangchi’s stomach rumble even faster. He came back to his senses and examined the bowl of noodles in front of him. The dish was visually appealing and smelled fantastic. The taste was even better. As he savored the tender and fragrant beef in the noodles, Lu Fangchi raised an eyebrow in surprise: “You can actually cook?”

“I guess so. I don’t remember, but it feels very familiar,” Zhou Zheng replied after a moment of recollection.

Lu Fangchi nodded and began eating faster. There was no way around it—the taste was really good. Although Lu Fangchi wasn’t particularly picky about food and usually ate whatever was convenient, instant noodles and other processed foods couldn’t compare to a hot, freshly cooked meal.

After finishing the bowl of beef noodles, Lu Fangchi felt so content that his eyes narrowed in pleasure.

“Is it good?” Zhou Zheng looked at Lu Fangchi, his eyes carrying a hint of nervousness as if awaiting judgment.

Lu Fangchi wiped his mouth and didn’t hold back with his praise: “Not bad at all.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zheng smiled—a very childish smile, with his joy radiating from every pore, making Lu Fangchi feel a bit uneasy. Zhou Zheng had a very upright and handsome appearance, the kind of rugged good looks that didn’t need any atmosphere or skill to shine through. Even when he used to wear a sullen expression, he still looked handsome. Not to mention that now he spoke in a gentle and amiable manner, his words filled with affection and a hint of flattery: “Then I’ll cook for you every day from now on, shall I?”

Coincidentally, Lu Fangchi was someone who responded well to kindness rather than toughness. He was momentarily charmed by the clingy Zhou Zheng for about three seconds before averting his gaze and reluctantly agreeing, “Whatever.”

“Then I’ll take that as a yes,” Zhou Zheng said.

From then on, every morning when Lu Fangchi woke up, he could enjoy breakfast made by Zhou Zheng—noodles, egg pancakes, or porridge. Dinners were much more diverse, with a variety of home-cooked stir-fries, a well-balanced mix of meat and vegetables, and never repeating a dish in a week.

After another half-month, Lu Fangchi’s taste buds had become quite refined. He no longer wanted to touch instant noodles, and he didn’t feel like ordering takeout either, always feeling that something was missing.

Zhou Zheng had stayed for a full month, and during this time, Lu Fangchi’s opinion of him had completely changed. He even occasionally thought, “Having such a roommate isn’t bad at all.”

It wasn’t surprising that Lu Fangchi had this thought. In fact, he wasn’t the type to dislike anyone strongly. His previous conflicts with Zhou Zheng were simply because Zhou Zheng loved to pick fights, even creating trouble out of nothing.

Lu Fangchi used to ignore him, but Zhou Zheng would always frown upon seeing him. Since they were in a competitive relationship, over time, they were rumored to be “archenemies” in their circle.

Now, with Zhou Zheng’s amnesia, he seemed like a completely different person. He no longer spoke with sarcasm or mockery. He was also a good cook and, to Lu Fangchi’s surprise, he even helped with household chores!

After a long day at work, it was nice to come home to a delicious meal. On weekends, there was no need to clean the house, and even taking out the trash wasn’t a hassle anymore. These were small changes, but they truly enriched Lu Fangchi’s life.

As the saying goes, “He who eats from the hand is short of words.” Lu Fangchi really had no reason to dislike him anymore.

Another day, Lu Fangchi got up and walked out of the bedroom, seeing Zhou Zheng standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Upon hearing the noise, Zhou Zheng turned his head. His eyes lit up when he saw Lu Fangchi, and he waved at him, saying, “Xiao Chi, come here.”

“What’s up? Smiling foolishly so early in the morning,” Lu Fangchi said as he walked over to stand beside him.

Zhou Zheng said, “It’s sleet now, and the weather forecast shows it will turn into heavy snow.”

Lu Fangchi pushed open the window. The cold air that rushed in made him shiver, then became alert. The first thing his nose detected was the fresh scent of snow. He reached out and caught a falling snowflake in mid-air, watching as the crystalline flake gradually melted into a droplet on his palm.

“This year’s first snow, and it’s also Christmas Eve. How romantic,” Zhou Zheng murmured, not noticing that Lu Fangchi’s lips had tightened at his words.

Lu Fangchi walked away, and only then did Zhou Zheng turn around, seeking agreement: “Don’t you think so?”

“No,” Lu Fangchi replied coldly.

Zhou Zheng hadn’t yet sensed the change in Lu Fangchi and continued to persuade him: “The first snow on Christmas Eve has a nice symbolism. The snowflakes are crystal clear and romantic. They’re also dry, unlike rain, which is damp.”

Before Zhou Zheng could finish, Lu Fangchi interrupted him: “Snowy days have poor road conditions. People can easily slip, and driving is difficult. Accidents are more likely to happen. Hospitals and sanitation workers get busier, and everyone has trouble getting to work.”

“Alright, you have a point,” Zhou Zheng conceded, not taking Lu Fangchi’s slightly sharper-than-usual words to heart, thinking it was just his morning grumpiness.

With a “ding-dong,” the soup pot finished cooking. Zhou Zheng went to the kitchen to make noodles. After blanching them, he drained the noodles and placed them in a bowl, pouring over a golden chicken broth that looked appetizing and smelled delicious. He also specially pan-fried a soft-boiled egg and placed it on top, finally sprinkling some scallions over it and serving it to Lu Fangchi.

“Can you get off work on time tonight?” Although Lu Fangchi had been keeping regular hours for the past half-month, due to the unpredictability of his job, Zhou Zheng still asked specifically.

Lu Fangchi took a bite of the noodles and replied ambiguously, “Not sure yet.”

“If there’s nothing important, could you come back earlier?” Zhou Zheng asked again.

Lu Fangchi still didn’t give a definite answer: “We’ll see,” and then put down his chopsticks.

Zhou Zheng looked at the bowl in front of him, which was almost untouched. The soft-boiled egg was uneaten, the chicken untouched, and not a drop of the soup had been drunk.

Zhou Zheng frowned, “Is it not tasty?”

“No, it tastes good,” Lu Fangchi replied.

If it tasted good, why hadn’t he eaten more than a couple of bites? Lu Fangchi’s response was perfunctory.

Zhou Zheng rarely made such a fuss in the morning. Usually, if he didn’t eat it, he wouldn’t. But today was different, so he tried to persuade him: “You’ve barely eaten anything. Have a bit more. It’s cold on a snowy day, and eating more will keep you warm. Besides, I got up two hours earlier to make this chicken soup…” His voice trailed off, sounding pitiful.

Upon hearing this, Lu Fangchi didn’t want to spoil the mood anymore and sat back down to pick up his chopsticks again.

After a couple of bites, his phone rang and the screen lit up. Lu Fangchi glanced at it, and his grip on the chopsticks tightened slightly.

A few seconds later, Lu Fangchi put down his chopsticks, “Sorry, I’m not really hungry today.”