FIO CH23

Chapter 23: A Completely Drunk Dog

Lu Fangchi looked up to see Zhou Zheng with his left leg planted firmly on the ground, his right leg half-kneeling on the edge of the bed, leaning over him with a deep gaze.

His hair, still damp from the shower, dripped water that fell and splashed onto the young man’s face.

Lu Fangchi raised his hand to wipe his eyes, got up, and reached out to push him away, “Go dry your hair.”

As soon as his fingertips touched the alpha’s shoulder, they were forcefully pinned back down onto the bed.

His occiput hit the silk quilt, and Lu Fangchi experienced a second fall in quick succession, seeing stars and frowning as he wondered if Zhou Zheng was having a drunken tantrum. Zhou Zheng’s slender fingers forcefully interlocked with his, sliding up and down with a teasing motion that was both resisting and inviting, as if they were flirting.

A faint, almost imperceptible tea fragrance rose in the air. Lu Fangchi held his breath and gritted his teeth, “Control your pheromones.” He tried to pull his hand free.

It didn’t budge.

The position and the atmosphere were both awkward. Lu Fangchi uncomfortably turned his face to the side, his gaze falling on the intertwined hands beside him. Just above the slender knuckles was the wrist, and on Zhou Zheng’s wrist was a thin silver-red bracelet, complementing his fair skin, which was flushed with a hint of red from the alcohol.

It was the one he had given back.

Now, both of them were wearing the same style, one black and one red, their fingers tightly interlocked, giving off a distinct couple’s bracelet vibe.

Zhou Zheng’s eyes followed Lu Fangchi’s, noticing his gaze on the bracelet. Caught, the alpha smirked triumphantly and shook his hand as if to show it off.

With the movement, the tea fragrance intensified, wafting through the air and intruding into Lu Fangchi’s nostrils, making his head feel heavy and drowsy. Lu Fangchi gritted his teeth and pursed his lips, kicking his leg to push him away.

Drunk, Zhou Zheng was more mischievous and unrestrained than usual. He nimbly lifted his leg to pin Lu Fangchi’s knee, preventing him from moving, and his hazy, almond-shaped eyes locked onto Lu Fangchi’s.

Seeing the other’s dazed expression, Lu Fangchi frowned and shouted in a low voice, “Get up.” His tone was not very polite and even carried a hint of warning.

It wasn’t Lu Fangchi’s fault for turning stern. Zhou Zheng’s control was pressing against his navel, and the pheromones were so strong they were suffocating. Wasn’t this just causing trouble?

Scolded, Zhou Zheng’s plump, full lips pouted in grievance, and he whined, “I won’t get up.” With that, he buried his face in Lu Fangchi’s neck.

Thin, white, smooth, longed for.

Zhou Zheng sniffed, like a dog, unsatisfied and searching everywhere, “Why can’t I smell it? I’ve never smelled it before.”

The hot breath from Zhou Zheng’s breathing tickled Lu Fangchi’s neck, causing his Adam’s apple to move and sweat to bead on his temples. It was itchy, and even his spine tingled.

Lu Fangchi raised his still free right hand to push his head away, listening to him mumble, “Let me smell, smell, smell.”

This damn brat! Lu Fangchi retracted his previous hasty judgment—completely a drunk dog!

The next second, another scent rose in the air, light but so strong it overpowered the tea fragrance, even threatening to overshadow it.

There it was. Zhou Zheng’s eyes brightened as he sniffed vigorously, then furrowed his brows and looked up, pulling away.

Alpha and alpha, same-sex repulsion. Lu Fangchi’s pheromone grade was above Zhou Zheng’s, and his reaction was only natural.

“You smell it yourself,” Lu Fangchi said.

Zhou Zheng responded with action, turning his head away for a moment before coming back to sniff again, mustering his pheromones and gritting his teeth in determination.

The pheromones kept rising, the tea fragrance spreading, but it couldn’t cover the layer of light floral scent.

Zhou Zheng’s eyes reddened at the corners, while Lu Fangchi looked relaxed and natural. The contrast made it clear who was superior.

Damn it, damn it, why!

Lu Fangchi, however, poured more fuel on the fire at this moment, half-raising his eyebrows and lifting his chin, teasing, “Get up.”

Annoying, underestimated.

Zhou Zheng frowned and bit his lip, determined to show him.

Seeing the alpha still lingering, Lu Fangchi released more pheromones, and a fresh fragrance filled the air again, causing beads of sweat to form on Zhou Zheng’s nose.

Before Zhou Zheng could react, Lu Fangchi was no longer in a hurry. He leisurely watched the alpha’s slightly trembling arm, seeing how long he could keep up the act.

He usually despised using pheromones to dominate others, but now he had to admit it was really effective.

Lu Fangchi noticed that the grip on his hand was loosening, and Zhou Zheng was clearly reaching his limit. Seizing the moment when he wasn’t paying attention, Lu Fangchi smoothly pulled his hand free.

Lu Fangchi rotated his sore wrist, and suddenly a shadow loomed over him, followed by the soft touch of lips and the overwhelming tea fragrance.

Lu Fangchi’s eyelashes fluttered twice, and he looked up close to Zhou Zheng’s high arched eyebrows. His hazy almond-shaped eyes were closed, with thick eyelashes curving into a gentle arc.

What… was going on? Lu Fangchi’s mouth slightly parted, touching a bit of moisture, and he pushed Zhou Zheng away with force, quickly sitting up and wiping the corner of his lips.

It didn’t matter, it wasn’t the first time he had been kissed. Lu Fangchi tried to console himself, but his heart kept pounding, “Thump, thump,” unable to calm down.

Stop it, already. After countless attempts to calm down failed, Lu Fangchi realized he was truly angry, and it was all because of that drunkard, Zhou Zheng.

Lu Fangchi turned around with an annoyed expression, ready to have a serious talk with the culprit, only to see him still lying there with his eyes closed, in the same position he had been pushed into.

Lu Fangchi leaned in for a closer look, his eyes hastily avoiding the red, moist lips, and noticed that his breathing was even and he was sleeping soundly.

Damn it, this idiot.

Lu Fangchi’s chest heaved up and down continuously, and this time he was genuinely upset.

A ray of sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains and shone on the bed. The alpha, sprawled out in a starfish position, smacked his lips, his eyelashes twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the off-white ceiling. Zhou Zheng’s eyes closed again, then opened, closed, and opened once more. It took two rounds before he was fully awake, his expression one of contentment from a good night’s sleep.

He turned his head and saw that Lu Fangchi was still asleep, the quilt pulled up to his chest, revealing his slender back and shoulder blades. There was nothing more blissful than waking up to see the person you liked sleeping beside you. The overtime had finally ended, and with the annual vacation starting, he could finally spend some quality time with Lu Fangchi. A glimmer of joy rose in Zhou Zheng’s eyes, and he subtly shifted closer to Lu Fangchi.

This slight movement woke Lu Fangchi. He rolled over to face Zhou Zheng, his eyes opening just a slit.

Their gazes met, and Zhou Zheng’s eyes curved into a smile as he opened his mouth to greet him.

Unexpectedly, Lu Fangchi’s brow furrowed, and he exhaled sharply, “Get off.” He seemed to have had a restless night, his spirits low, his voice deep and hoarse, and most of all, his tone was quite poor.

Zhou Zheng’s expression turned flustered as he glanced down and realized he had taken up most of the bed, leaving Lu Fangchi squished to the edge. No wonder he was upset.

Zhou Zheng quickly moved back, giving Lu Fangchi plenty of space.

Lu Fangchi shifted towards the center and closed his eyes again.

Zhou Zheng remained silent, his eyes fixed on Lu Fangchi’s sleeping face. It had been a while since he had been able to observe him so closely, and he wanted to.

Even with his eyes closed, Lu Fangchi could feel a direct and intense gaze wandering over him. How could he sleep with that?

While Zhou Zheng was still contentedly admiring Lu Fangchi’s sleeping face, he suddenly opened his eyes and irritably said to him, “What are you looking at?”

Huh? Was it illegal to take a glance? But he did as he was told, averting his gaze and cooing, “Not looking, not looking.”

Lu Fangchi didn’t bother to respond to Zhou Zheng and turned his face to adjust his sleeping position.

But sleepiness is a peculiar thing, especially for someone with average sleep quality like him. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. After several failed attempts to drift back to sleep, Lu Fangchi resignedly opened his eyes, sat up with a huff, and glanced at Zhou Zheng, who was leaning against the headboard.

He started to vent, “What are you doing?” implying that since he was awake, why wasn’t Zhou Zheng getting up.

“I’m taking my time,” Zhou Zheng replied, though he just wanted to spend more time with Lu Fangchi.

“Do you have a headache?” Lu Fangchi asked.

“Ah?” Zhou Zheng thought for a moment, then said, “No, I slept quite well last night. The alcohol content seemed low, and I don’t feel anything now.”

Zhou Zheng did look quite spirited and lively, much better than Lu Fangchi, which only added to his irritation.

Without another word to Zhou Zheng, Lu Fangchi got up, shuffled into the bathroom in his slippers, and closed the door with a gentle “bang.”

The sound, though not loud, made Zhou Zheng’s body involuntarily shiver in response.

Something was off. Lu Fangchi usually didn’t show his morning grumpiness so blatantly.

Zhou Zheng scratched his face and began to reflect on whether he had done something to upset Lu Fangchi.

Recalling the night before, last night… he couldn’t remember. It was a complete blank.

Zhou Zheng’s pupils dilated in panic as he quickly grabbed his phone from the nightstand, unlocked the screen, and sent a message to Xiao Liu: Are you there?

No response.

He kept refreshing the screen: Are you there!

Are you there!

Are you there!

Are you there!

… He sent a dozen or so messages in a row, and the chat box finally showed that the other party was typing.

Xiao Liu: Are you crazy?

Xiao Liu: It’s only eight. Looks like you didn’t have much fun last night.

Zhou Zheng stared at the word “last night” and began to type furiously: How was last night? What was my behavior like when he came?

The alpha’s eyes were glued to the chat box, waiting for the “other party is typing…” message to produce some response, but it remained silent for a long time.

He grew impatient: It was all your bad idea, drinking, drinking, what a load of crap! This whole “flirt but don’t pursue” thing is nonsense. It would have been more straightforward to just buy a bouquet of flowers and confess.

Xiao Liu replied quickly this time: ?

Xiao Liu: Who the hell knew you couldn’t handle three drinks.

Xiao Liu: What do you mean by your last message? Did you black out?

Zhou Zheng bit his back teeth and frowned in admission: Yeah.

Xiao Liu: [Thumbs up]

Xiao Liu: You were quite normal at the KTV. We played a few games together, and you went up to sing a song.

Zhou Zheng pondered over these words, and some fragmented memories fleetingly crossed his mind: the delicate profile of Lu Fangchi shaking the dice under the ambient lighting, the undercurrent of emotions during their gaze while singing a love song, him pulling his wrist and walking outside…

Xiao Liu: Then you guys left. If there’s anything else, you’d have to ask yourself.

Xiao Liu: [Mischievous smile] So, what’s the situation now?

There was no need to ask. Zhou Zheng irritably turned off the screen and threw the phone aside. He sat on the bed, trying hard to think and recall something.

He almost fell while walking down the stairs, he got into the car and fastened his seatbelt for him, and then they went home. What did he do when he got home?

Oh, he took a shower. What happened after the shower?

Zhou Zheng’s mind flickered with extremely vague and abstract fragments, almost grasping a clue, when suddenly the sound of the toilet flushing echoed from the bathroom. Lu Fangchi opened the door and walked out with a calm expression.