FIO CH57

Chapter 57: Young People Need to Exercise Restraint

Lu Fangchi’s brows furrowed instantly. He reached out with the back of his hand to feel Zhou Zheng’s forehead, which was scorching hot. His hand slid down, and the heat from Zhou Zheng’s face was almost unbearable. This reaction was not right. Alpha pheromones should repel each other; he shouldn’t be emitting his own scent.

Lu Fangchi gently patted Zhou Zheng’s cheeks with his hand, trying to wake him up: “Zhou Zheng, wake up.”

The alpha showed no response, his sword-like eyebrows tightly knitted together, and his expression was slightly pained.

Lu Fangchi’s eyes sharpened, and he immediately lifted Zhou Zheng’s arm over his shoulder, gripping the alpha’s waist and lifting him from the sofa to walk outside.

Sui Zhuoyang, noticing something was off with Lu Fangchi’s expression, reached for the thermal container on the dining table, quickly signed the bill at the front desk, and hurriedly followed outside.

They made their way to the underground garage. As Lu Fangchi was placing Zhou Zheng in the back seat of the car, Sui Zhuoyang lent a hand, took out the car keys from Lu Fangchi’s pocket to unlock the vehicle, and opened the door.

He watched as Lu Fangchi adjusted Zhou Zheng’s long legs, positioning the alpha in a more comfortable posture. Then he walked around to the driver’s seat, opened the storage compartment in the dashboard, rummaged around for a moment, and returned to the back seat with a barrier patch. He tore it open and stuck it on the back of Zhou Zheng’s neck, significantly reducing the pungent pheromone scent.

Sui Zhuoyang exhaled through his nostrils, trying to expel the remaining pheromone scent, and then got into the passenger seat next to Lu Fangchi.

The series of actions had caused Lu Fangchi to break into a light sweat on his forehead. He was breathing slightly heavily and took a swig of mineral water, swallowing it down with a “glug glug” sound, feeling a bit better.

Lu Fangchi looked at Sui Zhuoyang, who spoke up on his own: “I’ll go with you to the alpha center.”

Having someone to assist was always a good thing. Lu Fangchi nodded and stepped on the gas.

It was rush hour, and the roads were congested. They were stuck at a traffic light twice without being able to pass. Suppressing his slightly annoyed mood, Lu Fangchi apologized to Sui Zhuoyang with a hint of regret: “Sorry about today. I’ll make it up to you next time.”

“No problem,” Sui Zhuoyang replied nonchalantly, rubbing his nose tip with his hand, “Just a bit uncomfortable, you know, alpha repulsion among the same sex.”

Moreover, he was more curious, “What’s really going on with him?”

Sui Zhuoyang glanced back at the unconscious alpha. How could he emit two different pheromone scents? Could he be a pervert?

Lu Fangchi licked his lips, suspecting it had something to do with him biting Zhou Zheng but not wanting to be too hasty in his conclusion, so he replied vaguely: “I’m not quite sure.”

The traffic jam continued all the way to the hospital. To make matters worse, they had to circle around twice before finding a tricky parking spot. After a lot of effort to squeeze the car in, they rushed Zhou Zheng, who was almost convulsing with heat, into the clinic.

Having Sui Zhuoyang’s help made things much easier. They quickly registered, paid, and then waited outside the examination room for their turn.

Alphas are generally strong and healthy, with fewer common illnesses like headaches and fevers. As a result, the fever department of the alpha center was not crowded. Within ten minutes, it was Zhou Zheng’s turn. Lu Fangchi helped Zhou Zheng into the examination room.

The doctor, who had seen many cases, calmly pointed to the examination bed. After Lu Fangchi laid Zhou Zheng down, the doctor pumped some disinfectant gel onto white rubber gloves, rubbed them together, stood up, and listened to the heart rate with a stethoscope. He then examined the eyelids and finally tilted Zhou Zheng’s neck, lifting the gauze covering the gland area slightly. After a quick glance, he put it back down.

Lu Fangchi watched as the doctor walked back to his seat without a word, sat down, and began typing on the computer keyboard. There was no indication that he was about to discuss the condition.

“Doctor, what’s his condition?” Lu Fangchi couldn’t help but ask.

The doctor didn’t respond, focused intently on the computer screen, typing away. Finally, he pressed the Enter key and stopped. Only then did he look up at Lu Fangchi, then at the alpha standing behind him.

“Which one of you is…?” The doctor paused, his eyes shifting back and forth, and added very carefully, “Or are you both?”

Sui Zhuoyang blinked in confusion, what?

Lu Fangchi reacted first, speaking quickly: “I am, he isn’t.”

Sui Zhuoyang noticed Lu Fangchi’s ear tips turning noticeably red before he could understand why. Then he heard the doctor say, “Oh. Young people should exercise a bit more restraint. Even if an alpha can’t be marked, you shouldn’t bite indiscriminately. This isn’t the first time, is it?”

Sui Zhuoyang’s eyelashes fluttered rapidly as he tried to process this information.

Lu Fangchi’s ears turned even redder as he nodded in acknowledgment, “Yes, it’s the second time.”

“The aftereffects of an alpha being bitten are cumulative, with each reaction becoming more severe than the last. You didn’t soothe him after biting, did you? He’s now experiencing pheromone disorder, extreme instability, and a pseudo-marking reaction,” the doctor explained.

“Huh?” Lu Fangchi didn’t understand what a pseudo-marking reaction was.

After the evolution of the six sexes, AA relationships were neither extremely popular nor rare. The alpha center had seen many such cases. Although the doctor was inwardly impatient, he still explained, “An alpha can’t be marked, but they can have a pseudo-marking reaction, needing the marker to soothe them, just like an omega. Do you understand?”

Lu Fangchi nodded and asked, “How do I soothe him?”

“Just like you would with an omega,” the doctor replied, emphasizing the word “same.”

Lu Fangchi felt a tingling sensation on his scalp and his face grew warm. He licked his lips and nodded, “I understand.”

The doctor finished writing the prescription and handed it to Lu Fangchi, adding, “Pay for the medicine, then come back here for a dressing change. He can lie here and wait.”

“Okay,” Lu Fangchi took the paper, stood up, and without daring to look at Sui Zhuoyang, quickly walked outside.

During the dressing change, the doctor shook his head repeatedly and couldn’t help but comment, “The young man looks so gentle, yet he bites so fiercely.”

It was no wonder the doctor said that. Perhaps it was due to a lack of proper care, but the dog bite marks on Zhou Zheng’s gland area looked much worse than half a month ago. The two bloodied holes were now oozing pus and yellow fluid, a sight that was both shocking and distressing, as if he had been abused by something.
The doctor worked skillfully, swiftly squeezing out the pus, disinfecting the wound, applying ointment, and reapplying the gauze. The pain caused Zhou Zheng, who was in a stupor, to frown and groan, which in turn made Lu Fangchi’s lips purse into a straight line.

Supporting Zhou Zheng, whose wound had been treated, Lu Fangchi walked out of the examination room. He was met with an indescribable look from Sui Zhuoyang. His usually smooth and relaxed eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his mouth was half-open, casting a very strange glance at Lu Fangchi.

Lu Fangchi, who generally didn’t care much about what others thought of him, couldn’t help but defend himself: “It’s not what you think…” His voice trailed off, weak and guilty.

Sui Zhuoyang’s strange look seemed to solidify into a judgment—”You big lecher.” He raised his hand and made a “shh” gesture, nodding understandingly, “I get it, I understand.”

From his expression, Lu Fangchi was certain that Sui Zhuoyang had misunderstood. But Sui Zhuoyang had already changed the subject, leaving Lu Fangchi with a mouthful of unspoken explanations, stuck in his throat, neither going up nor down.

In summary, Zhou Zheng was not seriously injured. Not wanting to be a third wheel anymore, Sui Zhuoyang, with his hands in his pockets, prepared to leave, “Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.”

“Where do you think you’re going? I’ll drive you home,” Lu Fangchi looked up at him.

“No need,” Sui Zhuoyang waved his hand in refusal, winking and nudging his eyebrows, “You should hurry back and… soothe him…”

“I already said it’s not…” Before Lu Fangchi could finish, Sui Zhuoyang had already taken off, walking quickly away.

Lu Fangchi stood there, feeling awkward for a good while, then, with ears burning as if about to explode, he resignedly supported Zhou Zheng and walked towards the car.

Lu Fangchi brought Zhou Zheng back to his home. The alpha remained unconscious throughout the journey, so Lu Fangchi had to support him out of the car, into the elevator, through the door, and finally dumped him onto the bed.

After the series of actions, Lu Fangchi was left panting, his chest heaving slightly. He lay down on the other side of the bed to catch his breath. After about five or six minutes, he got up, walked to the gym, and stopped in front of a pile of cardboard boxes, letting out a soft sigh before resignedly tearing them open.

Thanks to Zhou Zheng’s stubbornness in not taking his things, they were now put to use.

Lu Fangchi rummaged through and found a robe. He didn’t know how long Zhou Zheng’s pseudo-marking period would last, but for now, they would have to stay together. As he thought, he also found two towels, two bath towels, toothbrushes, a razor, and other toiletries.

Carrying a large pile of items back to the room and putting them down, Lu Fangchi bent down to take off Zhou Zheng’s shoes and socks. When changing his pajamas, he was careful to avoid the wound on the back of his neck. He then went to the bathroom to dampen two hot towels, using one to wipe Zhou Zheng’s face and the other to gently clean his body, making him more comfortable as he slept.

Free from the constraints and feeling refreshed, Zhou Zheng sank into the covers, his furrowed brows relaxing slightly.

Lu Fangchi stood by the window and watched him for two minutes, then turned and walked towards the living room. He picked up the hospital bag he had thrown on the sofa when he came in and returned to the bedroom, sitting in front of the bed.

Lu Fangchi took out the items from the bag and looked at them: a bottle of disinfectant, a tube of ointment, and more than ten square gauze pads.

These were all for treating the gland wound, but the doctor had not prescribed any medication for the alpha’s fever and stupor.

Lu Fangchi took out the medical record and flipped through it. The diagnosis read: Alpha bite to the gland, gland wound bleeding and purulent, causing pheromone imbalance and disorder, with symptoms of fever, stupor, anxiety, and restlessness, determined to be a pseudo-marking reaction.

Treatment plan:

1. Regular dressing changes.
2. Marker’s soothing, such as: releasing pheromones, exchanging saliva, forming a bond, etc.
3. Maintaining a good emotional state.

Note: Do not touch the marked gland during the recovery period!

Lu Fangchi stared at the second item of the treatment plan for a long time until his eyes ached. He then massaged his eyelids and wiped his face.

The doctor’s words “like with an omega” echoed in his mind. Lu Fangchi had had an omega partner and naturally understood what needed to be done and how intimate it would be.

There was no problem with the statement itself, and it didn’t conflict with being an A. The problem was that they had already broken up.

So what did doing these things mean? The situation had become a complete mess.

Most importantly, he was the culprit.

Lu Fangchi’s mind was in chaos when he heard some movement behind him. He turned around and saw Zhou Zheng open his eyes and laboriously prop himself up on his elbows.

The moment their eyes met, a glimmer of light flashed in the alpha’s eyes. He looked around and, realizing where he was, his face showed a look of astonishment.

Lu Fangchi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he turned to face Zhou Zheng and said, “Do you know what happened to you?”

Zhou Zheng’s lips moved slightly as he nodded lightly, “Aftereffect.”

“Right,” Lu Fangchi agreed, “but it’s not as simple as last time. You fainted during the meal. I took you to the hospital for a check-up, and the doctor said it’s a ‘pseudo-marking reaction.'”

Clearly encountering a knowledge gap, Zhou Zheng blinked, looking somewhat bewildered.

“Marker’s soothing is needed, releasing pheromones, and so on,” Lu Fangchi pursed his lips and said, “So how about you stay with me for now?”