FIO CH18

Chapter 18: Motivation for Actions

The New Year’s Eve event launched smoothly, and the programmers all returned from their leave.

Lu Fangchi wasn’t very busy today, so much so that he was almost bored.

He spent only half an hour on work throughout the day, and the rest of the time was spent sipping tea, daydreaming, and gazing at the scenery outside the window to pass the time.

He waited until six o’clock, then closed his computer, preparing to leave work.

“Ding-dong,” his phone buzzed. Lu Fangchi swiped open the screen to take a look.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: I have to work overtime.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: I won’t be able to leave work with you today.

The text was lively and cute. Lu Fangchi could almost picture Zhou Zheng, pouting and looking dejected as he typed the message.

The young man’s lips curled slightly, and he tapped on the glowing screen to reply: Keep it up.

The other side responded instantly: Got it.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: I’ll miss you.

The last sentence was so straightforward that it made Lu Fangchi feel a bit awkward. Not knowing how to respond, he simply sent a “1” to indicate that he had read the message.

It seemed that Zhou Zheng got busy after that and didn’t reply anymore. After waiting for a few minutes without any message, Lu Fangchi turned off his phone screen, put his phone away, put on his coat, and walked outside.

He unlocked his car, fastened his seatbelt, and the car slowly moved forward. This time, there was no Zhou Zheng in the passenger seat, chattering away and looking for topics. Lu Fangchi strangely felt that the journey home seemed longer, but much quieter.

Lu Fangchi didn’t head straight home. Instead, he parked his car on a snack street just one street away from the community and randomly chose a noodle shop to solve his dinner problem.

The restaurant served the dishes quickly. After waiting for about ten minutes, a bowl of beautifully colored yellow croaker noodles was placed in front of Lu Fangchi. He reached for a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder and began to eat. He slurped up a big mouthful, and the flavor was so delicious it was almost overwhelming.

“Ding-dong,” his phone buzzed again, and the screen lit up.

Lu Fangchi glanced at it and only put down his chopsticks when he saw the name “Xiao Zhou Zhou.” He clicked to check the message.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: [Picture]

It was a photo of a boxed meal, with two meat dishes and three vegetables. The presentation looked decent.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: Have you eaten yet?

Lu Fangchi tapped on his phone: I’m eating.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: What are you eating?

Lu Fangchi casually took a photo and sent it over.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: It looks okay. How’s the taste?

Lu Fangchi: It’s fine.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: Compared to what I make?

The noodles that Zhou Zheng usually made were mostly meat-based, with toppings like pork ribs, beef, pork bones, and chicken. It was hard to compare since they were on different tracks.

Lu Fangchi played it safe: Both are good.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: Alright.

Xiao Zhou Zhou: Gotta go! I’m busy again:ˉˉ:

Lu Fangchi: You go ahead.

After putting down his phone, Lu Fangchi suddenly lost his appetite. He wiped his mouth with a couple of tissues, got up, and went home.

Lu Fangchi lay on the sofa and rested for half an hour. Then he got up, changed into a loose outfit, and stepped onto the treadmill in the gym to start exercising.

Lu Fangchi’s lifestyle was quite different from his aloof and restrained appearance. He was far from healthy, enjoying staying up late, sleeping in, and playing video games. He had a complete set of fitness equipment but rarely used it, and in fact, Zhou Zheng had touched it more in the past two months than he had.

Oh, thinking of Zhou Zheng, Lu Fangchi took advantage of the break while running to ponder his confession. It was very sudden, illogical, and without any apparent motive.

The speed of the treadmill gradually increased, and Lu Fangchi’s pace shifted from a brisk walk to a light jog. Sweat began to bead on his forehead and slide down to his chin.

After warming up, Lu Fangchi picked up two dumbbells of moderate weight and started lifting them. As he exercised and sweat dripped down, Zhou Zheng’s words and actions came to his mind. Those bright eyes didn’t seem to be lying.

So why did he do it?

Even after Lu Fangchi finished his workout, took a shower in the bathroom, and came out of the bathroom steaming with hot water, he still hadn’t figured out the answer.

Before going to bed, Lu Fangchi usually enjoyed playing video games to relax. He used to savor this moment the most, but today he was a bit distracted. His health bar kept dropping, and he was almost knocked out in every round.

Forget it, no more playing.

Lu Fangchi exited the game and switched to WeChat. His gaze lingered on the chat box with Xiao Zhou Zhou for three seconds, then he scrolled down and sent a message in a group chat named “Three Stinky Cobblers”: Is anyone there?

Jiang Mingyi replied instantly: Finally decided to speak up?

Lu Fangchi: ?

Jiang Mingyi: I heard from my sister. Zhou Zheng is working at your company and even working in your office. What’s going on?

The information was overwhelming, and it brought out Yu Yao, who usually stayed silent in the chat: ?

Jiang Mingyi was Lu Fangchi’s college roommate, currently working in animation production, which was somewhat related to his field. His sister, Jiang Mingyu, majored in fine arts and planned to become a concept artist after graduation. She was currently a junior who had used some connections to intern at Lu Fangchi’s company.

The well-known rivalry between Zhou Zheng and Lu Fangchi had been widely talked about in the industry. Their recent high-profile comings and goings had sparked a lot of rumors among the employees.

Yu Yao was a senior from the year above them. The three alphas had been assigned to the same dormitory, and with similar personalities, they had become good friends over the years.

Lu Fangchi: It’s a long story.

Jiang Mingyi: Then take your time to tell us.

Lu Fangchi indeed wanted to discuss Zhou Zheng’s situation today, so he briefly summarized the situation: He had a car accident and lost his memory recently, and he only remembered me. His assistant used the chief planner position to exchange for him to stay with me for three months.

Jiang Mingyi: Wow, that’s quite dramatic. Aren’t you annoyed to death?

Lu Fangchi pursed his lips and continued typing: Not really. He’s quite obedient and even helps with cleaning and cooking.

Jiang Mingyi: No way, seriously? I can’t imagine that. He used to be so arrogant.

Lu Fangchi used to have trouble imagining it too, but reality was just that magical. Not only had Zhou Zheng become well-behaved, but he had even confessed his feelings.

Lu Fangchi frowned slightly, bit his lower lip, and started thinking about how to phrase his question: What do you guys think about Zhou Zheng and me?

Yu Yao: Rivals by fate.

Jiang Mingyi: Archenemies, extremely bad relationship, incompatible.

Yes, based on their previous behavior, this evaluation was correct.

Lu Fangchi’s fingers tapped on the screen, typing and deleting: So, what do you think about him confessing to me?

There was a brief silence in the group chat, and then his phone buzzed several times in a row, with several messages popping up at once.

Jiang Mingyi: ???

Jiang Mingyi: !!!

Jiang Mingyi: XX

Jiang Mingyi: This guy definitely has ulterior motives. Don’t forget how he used to look at you with such disdain. It’s hard to change one’s nature. Just because he lost his memory doesn’t mean he’s changed his personality, right?

Jiang Mingyi: Maybe the memory loss is even an act. My man, be careful. Be a bit more cautious and don’t get fooled.

Lu Fangchi didn’t quite agree with Jiang Mingyi’s speculation. He was about to type a response but stopped. Forget it, he might end up being teased by him anyway.

Yu Yao, who had been silent, shared his opinion: Why couldn’t it be something he’s been planning for a long time? Xiao Lu, it’s normal for him to like you.

Jiang Mingyi: Hahaha, I don’t know if Zhou Zheng likes you or not, but his attitude used to be so bad. But in terms of appearance, he is indeed the type that our Xiao Lu likes, isn’t he?

Well, that was a pointless question.

Lu Fangchi: .

Lu Fangchi: Going to sleep.