FIO CH25

Chapter 25: A Thousand Households Aglow

Turning the steering wheel, he backed the car into the garage with a smooth motion. After getting out of the car, Lu Fangchi walked around it, checking the even and neat gaps on all sides. The parking job was perfect, with no need for a second attempt. The young man reached into the trunk and lifted out two boxes of gifts—tea and fruit. Last year, he had sent cigarettes and alcohol, which were promptly returned. Lu Jingfeng’s expression at that time was still fresh in his memory—his brows furrowed in disdain, and with a wave of his hand, he had dismissed them mercilessly: “I am not you; I don’t need these. Take them away.”

As a university professor, Lu Jingfeng was known for his integrity and self-discipline, abstaining from smoking and drinking. Thus, he couldn’t stand to see Lu Fangchi with his vices—smoking, drinking, and staying up late, all of which were bad habits in his eyes. Oh, it was a bit of a reversal of priorities. It should be that he couldn’t stand Lu Fangchi as a person, so everything he did was wrong.

Lowering his eyelids, Lu Fangchi walked slowly towards the entrance of the apartment building, glancing at his wristwatch—it was half past seven. It had only been twenty minutes since he left home. Lu Jingfeng lived in an employee dormitory allocated by the school, a two-bedroom apartment in a bustling location with all the necessary amenities nearby. Most importantly, it was very close to Lu Fangchi’s home.

But proximity didn’t matter; they only met twice a year—once on Christmas Eve and once on New Year’s Eve. Both were supposed to be days of family reunion, but in reality, they were far from it.

With slow, deliberate movements, Lu Fangchi stepped into the elevator and pressed the floor button. As the “ding” sounded and the elevator doors opened, he walked out. The first thing he saw was a pair of red couplets, their strokes strong and vigorous, exuding an air of grandeur. One could almost see the fluidity of the brush as it was written—A strong wind blows a thousand sails, and a hundred birds sing as ten thousand trees renew.

The horizontal banner read: The Spring of Nine Provinces is Rich.

Lu Fangchi recognized the fine calligraphy as Lu Jingfeng’s work. He stepped onto the red carpet in front of the door, staring at the scratches on the brown door for a moment, took a deep breath, and knocked.

After about a minute, the door opened from the inside.

The stern, perpetually frowning face he had imagined did not appear. Instead, a young, unfamiliar face greeted him. The young man had small eyes, a thin nose, and a small mouth. He wasn’t particularly good-looking, but his fair skin and scholarly demeanor made him quite presentable.

His eyes first flickered with surprise, then shifted to delight as he smiled and asked, “You must be Lu Fangchi, right?”

He knew him? Lu Fangchi hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Come in quickly,” the young man stepped aside to make room and explained, “I’ve seen your photo in Professor Lu’s study.”

Lu Fangchi bent down to change his shoes, nodding absentmindedly.

As he stood up, he met the young man’s extended hand. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Chen Siheng. I’m Professor Lu’s student. The Spring Festival train tickets were hard to get, and I couldn’t secure one to go home. Professor Lu took me in to spend the Spring Festival together.”

Lu Fangchi politely shook his hand lightly and nodded. He walked into the living room and immediately saw Lu Jingfeng sitting at the dining table.

Lu Jingfeng was in his fifties, with a head of neatly combed white hair. His usually relaxed brows suddenly bent downward upon seeing Lu Fangchi, and there was no trace of a smile on his face.

It’s often said that a son takes after his mother, but Lu Fangchi had inherited everything from Lu Jingfeng, being a carbon copy of him.

In his early years, Lu Fangchi had whimsically thought that if he resembled his mother more, perhaps his relationship with Lu Jingfeng wouldn’t be so strained. But this fantasy was quickly dismissed with a shake of his head. How could that be possible? His very existence seemed to be a mistake.

Lowering his eyes and nodding slightly, Lu Fangchi said, “Dad.”

“Humph,” Lu Jingfeng exhaled through his nose, not kindly saying, “You knew it was New Year’s Eve today and still didn’t come back early. Fortunately, Xiao Chen helped with the cooking.”

Lu Fangchi kept his head down in silence, enduring Lu Jingfeng’s complaints.

The usual routine would follow—eating in mutual silence—being scolded—ending the meal on a sour note.

Sure enough, Lu Fangchi’s passive attitude greatly displeased Lu Jingfeng. His brows furrowed, and he was about to start berating him.

But this year was different; there was an extra person in the house.

Chen Siheng was very perceptive. He walked up to the dining table, sat down, and gently shook Lu Jingfeng’s arm, cooing in an affectionate tone, “Professor Lu, harmony brings prosperity. Today is New Year’s Eve.”

The frown between Lu Jingfeng’s brows visibly smoothed out, and he turned his face away, falling silent.

Chen Siheng turned back and beckoned Lu Fangchi to come and sit down quickly.

Lu Fangchi placed the gift boxes on the coffee table, walked over to the dining table, and sat down. He glanced at the table full of delicious dishes. They were beautifully presented, and it was clear that Lu Jingfeng hadn’t made them. He and Lu Fangchi were both kitchen novices.

Lu Fangchi noticed Chen Siheng serving Lu Jingfeng some dishes. He looked amiable, waving his chopsticks and encouraging his student to eat as well.

No wonder Lu Jingfeng liked him; he was indeed more likable than Lu Fangchi.

Lu Fangchi averted his gaze and ate his meal tastelessly.

Chen Siheng was considerate. While taking care of Lu Jingfeng, he didn’t neglect Lu Fangchi either. Noticing that Lu Fangchi had barely touched his food, he quietly asked, “Is the food not to your taste?”

Before Lu Fangchi could shake his head and say no, Lu Jingfeng spoke up first: “Those who don’t cook have no right to be picky.”

The targeting in Lu Jingfeng’s words was too obvious. Chen Siheng gave Lu Fangchi an apologetic smile; he hadn’t meant it that way.

Lu Fangchi nodded to show he understood. The conflict between the two didn’t involve others.

Since there was company this year, Lu Fangchi felt he didn’t need to stay and cause more discomfort.

Lu Fangchi put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and said, “I’m full. So, you two…”

Before he could finish, Lu Jingfeng’s face darkened. He slammed his chopsticks on the table with a “bang,” causing the bowls and dishes to tremble slightly.

Lu Fangchi gritted his teeth, swallowed hard, and picked up his chopsticks again.

He didn’t want to have a direct confrontation with Lu Jingfeng today, at least not with someone else present.

Lu Fangchi’s concession softened Lu Jingfeng’s expression. He condescendingly picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Lu Fangchi’s bowl as a gesture of reconciliation.

Lu Fangchi stared at the piece of meat for a while, but in the end, he didn’t pick it up. He pushed it aside and continued eating his rice.

The New Year’s Eve dinner finally came to an end without any major incidents. After the meal, Chen Siheng accompanied Lu Jingfeng on the sofa to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Chen Siheng seemed to have a low threshold for humor; he would laugh heartily at scenes that were not particularly funny, his eyes crinkling with mirth. Lu Jingfeng, on the other hand, watched him with a kind and indulgent gaze.

This heartwarming scene was quite touching, but Lu Fangchi felt somewhat out of place and redundant. He got up, intending to retreat to his room.

As soon as Lu Fangchi made a move, it was caught by Lu Jingfeng. Without turning his head from the TV, he casually mentioned, “You and Xiao Chen can share a room tonight.”

Lu Fangchi halted in his tracks. Setting aside his fastidious cleanliness, he tactfully objected, “It’s not quite appropriate, is it?” He was implying that it was not customary for an omega and an alpha to share a bed.

Chen Siheng, also taken aback by Lu Jingfeng’s arrangement, quickly waved his hands in refusal, “No need, Professor Lu, I’ll head back to school later.”

“The school has no water or electricity,” Lu Jingfeng glanced at Chen Siheng and lightly teased, “Didn’t you say you had a good impression of him?”

This was too direct. Chen Siheng was at a loss for words, his secret thoughts laid bare before the person in question. His fair face instantly flushed red, and he pursed his lips, turning his head away without a word.

Lu Jingfeng’s gaze returned to Lu Fangchi.

Lu Fangchi’s brows furrowed, and his voice rose with discontent as he addressed his father, “Dad.”

“What?” Lu Jingfeng deliberately ignored the emotion in Lu Fangchi’s words, picking at a sensitive topic, “I think Xiao Chen is quite good, much better than your so-called ex-boyfriend Xie Xing. Your taste is really poor.”

Lu Fangchi felt his temples throb. He closed his eyes, pressed his hand to his forehead to calm himself for a few seconds, and then turned to head towards the entrance.

Seeing Lu Fangchi’s reaction, Lu Jingfeng’s words became even more sharp and grating: “Your temper has grown so much that you can’t take a single word. Am I wrong? He didn’t…”

Seeing that Lu Jingfeng was about to spill everything, Lu Fangchi could no longer contain himself. He turned around, his chest heaving, feeling his fingertips tremble, “Have you said enough?”

Lu Fangchi was almost gritting his teeth.

In front of Lu Jingfeng, Lu Fangchi was usually taciturn, enduring any lecture like an emotionless puppet, passively accepting without ever arguing back.

But Lu Jingfeng knew that not arguing back did not mean compliance. He was always silently conveying, “No, I won’t do as you say.”

This was the first time such strong emotions had been openly displayed. Lu Jingfeng, intrigued yet angered by the defiance, retorted, “Is this how you speak to me?”

The flames of anger around Lu Fangchi instantly extinguished. He wearily pinched the bridge of his nose, “Dad, I don’t want to argue with you. Happy New Year. I’m leaving now.” He left without looking back.

As the door slammed shut, the irritation and anxiety were completely shut out, left behind the door.

He walked all the way to the building’s entrance in one go. The cold wind blowing in his face made Lu Fangchi shiver. He rubbed his arms vigorously, realizing he had left in such a hurry that he hadn’t brought anything with him.

He hadn’t worn a coat, and his phone and car keys were still upstairs.

Lu Fangchi leaned against the door, watching the warm lights shining through the small windows of the building not far away. The lights of a thousand households were on; what were they all doing?

Eating, perhaps, or playing cards and watching the Spring Festival Gala. They wouldn’t be like him, hungry and standing in the cold wind downstairs.

Recalling the scene just now, Lu Fangchi let out a soft laugh, which soon changed in tone.

He frowned, suppressing the sourness in the corners of his eyes, stopping his thoughts from wandering, and reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

He found nothing.

Right, he had forgotten to bring it, along with everything else.

He would never go back up to get it.

While Lu Fangchi was lost in his confusion, a noise sounded behind him, followed by a panting voice: “Phew, you haven’t left yet.”

Lu Fangchi turned around to see Chen Siheng jogging over, with his coat draped over his arm. He raised his hand and said, “Your coat. Your phone and keys are in the pocket.”

Lu Fangchi reached out and took it, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Chen Siheng paused, then advised, “Professor Lu… was indeed a bit too harsh today, but he usually isn’t like this. He actually misses you. He started cleaning early this morning, waiting for you to come back and celebrate New Year’s Eve together.”

Here we go again.

Lu Fangchi looked at Chen Siheng’s mouth moving, but he barely heard anything beyond the first sentence.

He was so tired of hearing these excuses. Although, but… these phrases were like a broken record.

Yes, he got along well with everyone else, but he just couldn’t get along with himself. Because I caused my mother’s death, he was too heartbroken, and I have to understand and not be too demanding.

These sanctimonious words made him want to vomit.

Lu Fangchi nodded with a forced smile, “Mm, you go up.”

Chen Siheng looked up at the alpha in front of him. His expression was indifferent, with little emotion showing. His strong emotional control was impressive, and he was truly handsome, with a mole on the tip of his nose that was quite charming.

“Well, I’m going up,” Chen Siheng waved hesitantly, “Drive safely.”

Lu Fangchi: “Mm.”

After seeing Chen Siheng off, Lu Fangchi quickly turned and walked back to his car, took out a cigarette from his coat pocket, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

He inhaled deeply and exhaled, the smoke swirling around and blurring his face.

Exhausted and empty, every encounter felt like a slow torture, draining all his strength.

When the cigarette burned out, Lu Fangchi felt a bit more energetic and drove home.

He parked the car and went upstairs. “Ding,” the fingerprint unlock was successful.

Lu Fangchi pushed open the door and stepped inside. A figure quickly moved to the front, smiling brightly and saying, “You’re back!”