FIO CH53

Chapter 53: Being Human or Not

Zhou Zheng, who had been driven out, bent down to put on his shoes at the door. He stood there for several minutes, staring at the tightly closed door, before reluctantly turning and leaving. As he took the elevator down to the entrance of the building, he got into his car and rolled down the window. His eyes slowly scanned upward from the ground floor, stopping at the sixth floor. He gazed at the light shining through the window, lost in thought, his mind in chaos and his emotions indescribable.

The good news was that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, and Lu Fangchi was genuinely sincere towards him. The bad news was that Lu Fangchi didn’t want him anymore.

What should he do? Zhou Zheng rested his forehead on the steering wheel, feeling utterly powerless. Suddenly, a whiff of fragrance drifted into his nostrils. He sniffed the air, detecting a faint floral scent that was pleasant and somewhat reminiscent of Lu Fangchi’s pheromones.

Zhou Zheng looked up to trace the source of the scent, his gaze gradually settling on the window of the sixth floor, which had somehow opened. The alpha frowned slightly. Could he really smell it from such a distance? He sniffed again, trying to get a clearer whiff.

A gentle breeze blew by, causing the leaves to sway gently. The faint floral scent, barely perceptible, wafted towards him. This time, Zhou Zheng was certain—it was Lu Fangchi’s pheromone scent.

What had happened to him? Lu Fangchi wasn’t the type to release pheromones indiscriminately. Zhou Zheng’s brows furrowed into a frown as he quickly got out of the car and hurried upstairs.

“Ding—” The elevator doors opened, and the alpha strode out, stopping in front of Lu Fangchi’s door. He pressed the doorbell, “Ding-dong.” There was no response.

Now that he was closer, Zhou Zheng could distinctly smell the overwhelming pheromone scent emanating from inside the door. What on earth had happened? His expression anxious, Zhou Zheng pressed the doorbell again, “Ding-dong,” “Ding-dong,” “Ding-dong,” his actions agitated and restless.

There was still no response. It was unclear whether Lu Fangchi was ignoring him or simply too preoccupied to answer. Zhou Zheng worried that it was the latter. The faint scent of Lu Fangchi’s lotus pheromones filled his nostrils, and the top-A pheromones pressed down on him, causing a thin layer of sweat to form on his temples.

One last time. If there was no response, he would have to resort to more drastic measures. “Ding-dong—” Zhou Zheng waited for a full minute, realizing that no one was going to open the door. He then placed his hand over the electronic lock and began to try the password.

112233, Password incorrect. Please try again.

123123, Password incorrect. Please try again.

147258, “Click,” the lock successfully opened. Welcome home.

Zhou Zheng let out a sigh of relief. During the time he had lived with Lu Fangchi, he had discovered that Lu Fangchi was actually quite simple. He only used these three passwords, unable to remember any others. The alpha pressed down on the doorknob and pushed the door open.

Although he had mentally prepared himself, the overwhelming pheromone scent that hit him made his eyes almost unable to open. He stepped back outside the door and coughed a few times.

It was too strong, and there was an underlying sense of suppression. This was normal. During an alpha’s susceptible period, they would often become territorial, irritable, and aggressive, with heightened possessiveness and combativeness.

Zhou Zheng took a deep breath, held it, and then stepped back into Lu Fangchi’s territory. He was no longer in such a hurry, realizing that the reason for Lu Fangchi’s pheromone chaos was his susceptible period, and at least there was no immediate danger to his life.

Zhou Zheng entered the entrance hall, closed the door, and took off his shoes before heading towards the bedroom. He reached for the doorknob, but it wouldn’t budge.

The bedroom door was locked. Lu Fangchi always did this, locking the door even when he was home alone.

Zhou Zheng knocked on the bedroom door, “Knock knock.”

A few seconds later, there was a “clang” from behind the door, as if something had been thrown against it.

He must be in a terrible temper. But at least he still had the strength to throw things, which eased Zhou Zheng’s concern somewhat.

“Knock knock,” Zhou Zheng knocked again.

“Who is it?” came Lu Fangchi’s voice from inside, tinged with wariness.

“It’s me, Zhou Zheng,” Zhou Zheng replied softly, “I’m taking you to the control center.”

There was no response, and the door remained silent.

Zhou Zheng waited for a moment, then knocked again, coaxing in a low voice, “Open the door first, let me see you.”

…After a moment of silence, Zhou Zheng heard a series of “thumps” from inside the door, like footsteps on the floor, followed by a “click” as the lock opened, and then more “thumps.”

Zhou Zheng reached for the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door. The room was pitch black; Lu Fangchi hadn’t turned on the light. Darkness could provide a sense of security for an alpha in his susceptible period.

Zhou Zheng sniffed the air, struggling to suppress the impact of the pheromone bomb, and softly announced, “I’m turning on the light.”

There was no response, so Zhou Zheng reached up and flicked on the light. The warm orange glow illuminated a lump on the bed.

Zhou Zheng stepped into the bedroom, walked up to the bed, and stood still, asking the lump, “May I take a look at you?”

The lump remained motionless, without any response.

Zhou Zheng reached out and grasped the corner of the blanket, preparing to lift it, and warned again, “If you don’t respond, I’ll take your silence as consent.”

As expected, there was no answer.

So Zhou Zheng took it as his implicit permission, exerted a bit of force, and lifted the blanket.

Two long, straight, and bare legs immediately caught his eye. He was wearing an oversized white shirt that didn’t even cover his underwear, playing the game of “missing lower half.”

The alpha’s pupils contracted slightly, his breathing became rapid, and a hint of tea fragrance subtly leaked out, colliding and blending with the scent of the lotus.

Zhou Zheng’s eyes were uncontrollably drawn, and what was worse, he noticed that Lu Fangchi was wearing his shirt, and the pillow he was hugging had a very familiar T-shirt on it.

The T-shirt featured a large hand with the index finger pointing upwards, an invincible and somewhat awkwardly abstract design. When Zhou Zheng had bought it, Lu Fangchi had harshly criticized it as being too ugly. He never expected that Lu Fangchi would now be hugging it.

Zhou Zheng felt his eyes growing warm, and his nasal passages followed suit. No, he couldn’t look anymore. He painfully averted his gaze and covered Lu Fangchi back up with the blanket.

Zhou Zheng paced anxiously back and forth at the foot of the bed, his anxiety causing him to stick his fingers in his mouth and start biting his nails. He was caught in a struggle between being human and not being human.

Before the angel and the devil could reach a conclusion, a hot body pressed against Zhou Zheng from behind. He looked down to see Lu Fangchi’s arms wrapped around his waist.
Lu Fangchi’s face nuzzled affectionately against Zhou Zheng’s back, sending a tickling sensation climbing up his spine. Zhou Zheng’s body shuddered, and his mind went momentarily blank.

The taut string snapped unexpectedly. Zhou Zheng spun around abruptly, ready to throw caution to the wind, but he slammed on the brakes when he saw Lu Fangchi’s eyes.

He couldn’t even contemplate taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable state.

He reached out and gently pushed Lu Fangchi’s shoulders back, creating some distance between them. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his throat dry. Zhou Zheng averted his gaze, looking disheveled, and said, “I’ll take you to the control center.”

Lu Fangchi, likely overwhelmed by his susceptible period, seemed to have lost his wits. His eyes were dazed, clearly not understanding, as he tilted his head and uttered a questioning “Huh?”

Lu Fangchi was usually cool and aloof, but he looked extraordinary now. He was adorable, incredibly cute.

Zhou Zheng licked his lips, feeling that he couldn’t stay in the same room with Lu Fangchi any longer. He took two more steps back, increasing the distance between them, and explained, “It means going to the control center for isolation, getting a sedative, and then you’ll be fine.”

“Does getting a shot hurt?” Lu Fangchi asked, his brows furrowing slightly, his almond-shaped eyes drooping with grievance, and his long eyelashes quivering, looking quite distressed.

“A little, but it’s bearable,” Zhou Zheng replied, unable to help but take two more steps back. His back hit the door straight on, and the impact of his lower back against the doorknob caused a sharp pain, but he didn’t have time to tend to it before a warm presence pressed against him.

Lu Fangchi reached out and grabbed the front of Zhou Zheng’s shirt, looking up with a flushed face, his rosy lips parting and closing as he spoke in a voice full of allure: “Can’t you help me?”

Zhou Zheng swallowed hard, averting his gaze from Lu Fangchi’s, and muttered quietly, “You’re not in your right mind right now…”

“Can you?” Lu Fangchi pressed, taking advantage of the situation.

Zhou Zheng gritted his teeth, sweating profusely. With his back against the door, he had nowhere else to retreat. On the verge of being driven mad by Lu Fangchi, he closed his eyes and asked, “Will you forgive me then? Only if you forgive me can I help you.”

Lu Fangchi responded quickly, nodding without hesitation: “Forgive, forgive.”

No way, answers given in such a moment couldn’t be trusted. As an alpha himself, Zhou Zheng understood all too well how tormenting the susceptible period could be, how one would say anything to achieve their goal. While giving in might feel good in the moment, the consequences were simply unbearable. He didn’t want their relationship to deteriorate further.

Zhou Zheng clenched his teeth, continuously swallowing saliva, and raised his hand to push away the clingy Lu Fangchi.

Before he could make a move, Lu Fangchi suddenly released his grip, took two steps back, and created some distance.

Zhou Zheng caught his breath for a moment, feeling a mix of relief and a hint of disappointment. He wiped his damp forehead with his hand and heard Lu Fangchi concede: “Alright.”

Zhou Zheng saw Lu Fangchi extending his arms towards him, “Then can you hug me? Before the people from the control center arrive.” He was being obedient.

Zhou Zheng couldn’t possibly refuse. He stepped forward and embraced Lu Fangchi tightly.

It had been over a month since Lu Fangchi had run away, and Zhou Zheng hadn’t held him like this. He buried his face in Lu Fangchi’s neck, inhaling deeply as if drawing in oxygen.

He heard Lu Fangchi’s muffled voice: “You’re a bit heavy.”

Zhou Zheng slightly straightened up, shifting his weight.

“Hold me and take me to the sofa,” Lu Fangchi made another request.

Zhou Zheng obliged, lifting Lu Fangchi horizontally and carrying him steadily to the edge of the sofa, intending to put him down.

Lu Fangchi wouldn’t let go, wrapping his arms tightly around Zhou Zheng’s neck and poutingly turning his face to bury it in his collarbone, acting like an ostrich.

Feeling the warm, damp breath on his neck, Zhou Zheng realized what was happening. He bent his waist while still holding Lu Fangchi in a princess carry and sat down, allowing Lu Fangchi to sit on his lap.

Only then did Lu Fangchi react, looking up and asking, “When will the people from the control center arrive?”

“I’ll call them now,” Zhou Zheng said, struggling to reach for his phone in his trouser pocket.

Lu Fangchi moved slightly, his leg conveniently pressing right on top of the pocket, making Zhou Zheng’s attempt to blindly grab his phone even more difficult.

Lu Fangchi buried his face back in Zhou Zheng’s neck, sniffing and slowly moving backward along the collarbone, finally settling on the gland area at the back of the alpha’s neck.

As he shifted his leg, Zhou Zheng finally managed to reach his phone in his pocket. He had just taken it out and hadn’t even unlocked the screen when a sharp pain shot through the back of his neck…