FIO CH17

Chapter 17: Give Me a Chance to Pursue You

Zhou Zheng, puzzled, retracted his hand and scratched his head, then turned and retreated, sitting by the dining table and waiting eagerly.

In a short while, Lu Fangchi emerged from the bedroom. He had changed into a white shirt and was wearing light blue jeans. With a languid gait, he walked over to the dining table and sat down. With a gentle expression, he picked up his coffee, took a sip, put it down, and began to eat a bagel.

Zhou Zheng’s gaze fell on the section of wrist revealed by the rolled-up sleeves of the shirt. The curve of the wrist bone was smooth, and a small brown mole near the bottom caught the eye. The red that had complemented it so well was now gone.

Lu Fangchi ate his meal with a seemingly calm expression, but in reality, he was feeling quite uncomfortable under Zhou Zheng’s intense stare. He chewed the bagel tastelessly, unconsciously grinding it more than a dozen times before almost gagging on the texture. With difficulty, he swallowed it down and quickly took a sip of coffee to suppress the sensation.

Just as he had barely caught his breath, Zhou Zheng spoke up: “Do you not like that bracelet?”

Caught off guard, Lu Fangchi choked on his coffee and began to cough. Zhou Zheng quickly grabbed a tissue and handed it to him. After a brief pause, Lu Fangchi accepted it, wiped his mouth, but the intense gaze remained.

Lowering his eyelids to avoid Zhou Zheng’s eyes, Lu Fangchi mumbled, “It’s not really suitable for me.”

Zhou Zheng nodded in understanding and asked, “Did you hear what I said last night?”

Lu Fangchi’s brow furrowed slightly. He sighed inwardly. It was an unspoken understanding among adults, but why couldn’t Zhou Zheng grasp it?

He looked up to meet the alpha’s stubborn gaze, preparing to find an excuse to brush it off, when he heard Zhou Zheng say, “If you didn’t hear it, I can say it again.”

The alpha’s expression was earnest, with sincerity almost overflowing from his eyes.

Well, there was no way to avoid it. Lu Fangchi pursed his lips, his brow furrowing even more, and his long fingers tapped on the dining table in a fast and agitated rhythm.

He hesitated several times before finally uttering three words: “I heard it.”

Zhou Zheng nodded again, his eyes bright, persistently seeking a response from Lu Fangchi.

Lu Fangchi had never encountered such a situation before. He felt cornered, with no good answer to give. He had to say something concrete.

“Alright,” Lu Fangchi said, “you currently have amnesia and don’t remember, but our relationship before was very poor. We were worse than strangers, like enemies.”

So, hearing the word “like” from Zhou Zheng was truly like a horror story.

The alpha blinked, thought for a few seconds, and then asked, “So you really dislike me?”

“Not exactly,” Lu Fangchi denied.

Zhou Zheng rubbed his fingertips under his chin and concluded, “That means before I lost my memory, I ‘disliked’ you. Every time I saw you, I would get angry, which is why our relationship was so bad.”

It seemed he had a clear understanding of himself. Lu Fangchi nodded, “Pretty much.”

Zhou Zheng’s almond-shaped eyes drooped, and his plump lips pursed into a very wronged arc, complaining in a low voice, “What he did has nothing to do with me. He’s the one who doesn’t know better, but it’s unfair to me.”

Lu Fangchi was momentarily stunned, shocked by Zhou Zheng’s logic and unable to speak for a while.

“Or are you going to reconcile with your ex?” Zhou Zheng quickly changed the subject.

“What are you talking about?” Lu Fangchi’s tone was firm. He never took back what he had given up.

“Then do you mind that I’m an alpha?” Zhou Zheng asked himself, “But you said it didn’t matter. So you just dislike me?”

After saying this, the alpha visibly wilted, his lips drooping, his shoulders slumping, and he looked very wronged.

To be fair, Lu Fangchi had no issues with the current Zhou Zheng. He even had a liking for him as a friend. Seeing this, he explained, “I don’t dislike you, it’s just that I also…”

Zhou Zheng interrupted Lu Fangchi before he could finish, “I don’t expect you to like me. Can you give me a chance to pursue you?” His tone was humble, his eyes full of pleading.

The more he spoke, the more confused Lu Fangchi felt. His temples throbbed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, not immediately agreeing, “Let me think about it.”

At this point, Lu Fangchi had a fleeting moment of regret for letting Zhou Zheng help him in the first place. This meant they had to spend almost twenty-four hours a day together, with no personal space to breathe.

Before, it hadn’t been an issue, and Lu Fangchi had been able to accept it. Now that Zhou Zheng had shattered the unspoken barrier, he couldn’t pretend anymore. The situation had become awkward and uncomfortable.

Ignoring the hot and clingy gaze, Lu Fangchi walked towards the elevator.

Zhou Zheng hurriedly got out of the car and followed behind Lu Fangchi like a clingy little tail.

As they both stepped into the elevator, a figure suddenly rushed out from the entrance and blocked their way, “I finally caught you.”

Upon closer inspection, it was Xiao Liu. He looked much more haggard than the last time they saw him, with dark circles under his eyes and hair that had grown longer and was disheveled. He pushed his glasses up his nose and said to Zhou Zheng, “A few days ago, when other employees said they saw you in the underground garage, I didn’t believe them. You didn’t reply to my messages or answer my calls. Today, I finally caught you. I heard you went to Lu’s company to help?” His eyes fell on Lu Fangchi beside him as he spoke.

There were only two office buildings in total, one belonging to Lu Fangchi and the other to Zhou Zheng. They were close to each other and both in the same industry, so rumors spread quickly and couldn’t be hidden.

Lu Fangchi nodded in confirmation, “I did ask him to help out for a few days.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Liu immediately reached for Zhou Zheng’s sleeve, his face lighting up with hope, “If you’re better, come back to work quickly. I’ve been so busy lately, I’m about to die!”

Zhou Zheng raised his hand, and with the other, he pushed away Xiao Liu’s grip, firmly refusing, “I’m not better. I can’t remember anything. I can’t go back to work.”

“But how can you help Lu?” Xiao Liu’s words were tinged with a frantic desperation. “If you can’t remember but your brain is fine, I don’t care. You have to come back to work, or I won’t do it anymore!”

Listening to this, Lu Fangchi thought it was a good way to ease the situation. On one hand, judging by Xiao Liu’s appearance, the company was probably very busy, and as the founder, Zhou Zheng should go back to help. On the other hand, it would create some space and distance, allowing them both to calm down and think things through.

“If it’s that busy, you should go back to work,” Lu Fangchi suggested.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Liu nodded vigorously, his eyes fixed on Zhou Zheng.

Xiao Liu’s words could be argued against, but Lu Fangchi’s words Zhou Zheng couldn’t ignore. He reluctantly glanced at the young man and reluctantly said, “Alright.”

Xiao Liu was overjoyed and was about to leave, pulling Zhou Zheng like a lifeline, fearing he might change his mind at the last minute.

Zhou Zheng stopped in his tracks, his eyes drifting to the side, “I want to say a few words to Xiao Chi.”

Xiao Liu, being perceptive, moved outside the elevator, out of earshot.

Zhou Zheng lowered his head and asked in a low voice, “Can we still leave work together tonight?”

Lu Fangchi understood his implied meaning, “Sure.”