FIO CH10

Chapter 10: Alpha and Alpha

The trailers on the screen were dazzling, and Zhou Zheng couldn’t make up his mind for a moment. He turned to the young man beside him, “Do you have any preference?”

“I’m fine with anything. You just pick what you like,” Lu Fangchi replied nonchalantly. He didn’t mind what they watched.

Zhou Zheng turned his head back to the screen, hesitated for a few seconds, and then chose the movie with the most extensive promotion, the highest number of screenings, and the nearest showtime.

Going with the trend was never wrong. “Two tickets for the 1:30 showing of ‘Under the Sun,’ a large bucket of popcorn, a large cup of cola, and a latte,” Zhou Zheng said as he took out his phone.

“Total is two hundred and twenty yuan. Scan here.”

“Ding, payment successful.”

“Here are your tickets. You can pick up the popcorn nearby.”

“Alright, thanks.”

After collecting the tickets, they could line up to enter. The movie was set to start in fifteen minutes, and there was a considerable crowd. The ticket-checking line was quite long, but most of the people were omegas, with a few betas, and only a handful of alphas.

At a glance, aside from Zhou Zheng and Lu Fangchi, there were only two or three other alphas, all of whom were accompanying omegas. Thus, the two alphas walking together stood out conspicuously.

Zhou Zheng was puzzled inwardly. He glanced back at the large promotional poster not far away. The movie cover was brightly colored, featuring a cluster of sunflowers under a blue sky and white clouds, looking positive and uplifting.

Seemed pretty normal?

Before Zhou Zheng could ponder further, he was nudged back to reality by Lu Fangchi’s elbow. It turned out that the line had reached the front, and it was their turn to have their tickets checked.

Never mind what they were watching; being with Lu Fangchi was what mattered.

The two of them took their seats according to the tickets, and as they waited, more people filed in. By two minutes before the movie started, the entire cinema was packed, with not a single empty seat.

So impressive? It was rare for a movie to sell out and for everyone to actually show up. Lu Fangchi’s curiosity was piqued, and he sat up straighter.

The overhead lights suddenly went out, and the advertisements on the big screen came to an abrupt halt. In the pitch darkness, the surrounding noises gradually diminished until it was quiet.

A few seconds later, the screen lit up again with a line of white text: “This film is rated restricted. No one under eighteen is allowed to watch.”

Oh? Lu Fangchi raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the text.

The title “Omega’s School Enrollment Guide” appeared on the screen. In the next moment, it was crumpled by a pair of hands so soft that even the fingernails were pink, and then thrown forcefully into the desk drawer.

The camera moved upward to reveal the owner of those delicate hands. The skin was smooth and fair, with a cherry-red mouth pursed tightly above a delicate, small nose. The round, blunt eyes were filled with annoyance, and even in a state of great anger, the omega’s features were unmistakable.

“Knock knock,” came two urgent raps on the door, followed by a voice urging, “Bai Xiao, are you up yet? Look at the time. Do you want to be late on your first day of school?”

The omega reluctantly got up, pulled out the chair with a grating “squeak,” and used the harsh sound to vent their dissatisfaction.

The world was set in a strict ABO hierarchy. Alphas were at the top, enjoying the best educational opportunities. Even if they had poor grades and bad character, being an alpha meant they could rise above others and become superior.

Betas were ordinary and equally distributed to various vocational schools for training. After graduation, they took on different roles, serving society as well as alphas and omegas.

As for omegas, their situation was the most precarious. From the moment they were identified as omegas, they had to attend specialized omega schools to learn omega-specific knowledge, such as how to manage alphas’ heat periods and how to nurture newborns.

What was the difference between this and being a parasite? It would have been better to be a beta, at least they could learn a skill and not be dependent on others. This was also the reason why the protagonist Bai Xiao, who was identified as an omega at the beginning, tore up the manual.

Zhou Zheng understood why most of the people in the ticket-checking line were omegas. They had picked the wrong movie; they shouldn’t have watched this one.

It wasn’t that he disliked this kind of theme. To be honest, as a beneficiary, it was hard to empathize. Claiming to feel the same would be too fake. Zhou Zheng lost interest in the movie and his gaze drifted to Lu Fangchi beside him.

In the dim light, only the vague contours of the young man’s features were visible: his prominent eyebrows, a straight nose of just the right height, and that unique little mole on the tip of his nose, which added a captivating charm to his usually aloof demeanor.

Before Zhou Zheng could fully take in the sight, the surrounding sighs and gasps drew his attention back. It seemed that the plot had reached a point that sparked discussion among the audience.

Zhou Zheng looked up at the screen and was stunned. The tone of the plot had taken a sharp turn for the worse. How did it suddenly become like this?

The intimate sounds of saliva exchange, the stringy white lines between parted lips, the ever-lowering boundaries, the swirling, blurry camera work, and the thumping heartbeat sound effects that struck again and again, leaving one blushing.

Two extremely fair-skinned omegas with rosy lips and distinct features intertwined on the big screen were a visual feast, and the impact made Zhou Zheng’s ears hot. He wiped his face with his hand, then scratched his hair, feeling restless and itchy all over.

Damn it, what kind of movie was this?

Unlike the usual subtle filming techniques, the degree was so bold that it unveiled the most primitive desires without any shame, presenting them in a straightforward yet not vulgar way, with extremely aesthetically pleasing visuals.

But Zhou Zheng’s mind wandered off somewhere, his ears burning fiercely, and his face felt like it was on fire. He swallowed hard, feeling extremely parched.

No way, he couldn’t watch this anymore. Zhou Zheng took a big gulp of cola and kept grabbing popcorn to stuff into his mouth to soothe his restless heart.

Zhou Zheng’s frequent popcorn-grabbing coincided with Lu Fangchi’s actions, and their fingertips touched. In the dim space, with the provocative visuals and sounds playing, their senses were infinitely amplified.

It felt like an electric shock, and Zhou Zheng quickly retracted his hand with a “whoosh.”

Lu Fangchi: ?

Zhou Zheng clenched his fist in mid-air, rubbing his thumb back and forth on the tip of his index finger where they had touched, trying his best to ignore Lu Fangchi’s presence and the lingering sensations. With a mind full of thoughts, he looked back up at the screen to continue watching the movie.

The movie’s charm lay in its ability to weave a plot amidst the explosive visuals. Even though he wasn’t fully engaged, by the end of the second half, he had grasped the general storyline. It was about Bai Xiao, who encountered Meng Hecheng, another omega, after starting school. Bai Xiao initially despised Meng Hecheng, who was a very typical omega—extremely diligent in reproductive studies, with a dream of getting married and staying at home to support and educate children after graduation, despite having a good-looking face.

However, by chance, Bai Xiao discovered a hidden side of Meng Hecheng. He was rebellious and wild, indulging in smoking and drinking, with several tattoos and piercings. The idea of getting married and living a domestic life was all nonsense; his dedication to reproductive studies was genuine, though, and he intended to apply what he learned to omegas, something Bai Xiao later experienced firsthand.

The ending was a BE (Bad Ending), with one character dying and the other going insane. In this world with its strict hierarchical divisions, their love was not tolerated, and such an ending seemed fitting.

The pessimistic and painful plot caused the surrounding omegas to sigh and murmur, with some emotional ones already taking out tissues to wipe their tears. Zhou Zheng also frowned, but his focus was on a different level. The combination of omega and omega was somewhat delicate.

So this was an R-rated and forbidden homosexual film.

After the one-and-a-half-hour movie ended, Zhou Zheng felt a bit dazed, his vision wandering and unable to focus. He wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start. On one hand, he had chosen to watch this kind of movie and wasn’t sure what Lu Fangchi would think. On the other hand, his own mind was in turmoil. The movie seemed to have opened a wound in his heart, with some emotions stirring and trying to surface, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what they were. It was like a tangled ball of yarn that got more knotted the more he tried to sort it out.

Human joys and sorrows do not always connect. While Zhou Zheng was experiencing a tumultuous upheaval inside, Lu Fangchi, unaware of it, asked with a calm expression, “Are you hungry?”

After a while, with no response, Lu Fangchi looked at Zhou Zheng and saw that he was standing there in a daze, his eyes open but unfocused.

Lu Fangchi snapped his fingers in front of Zhou Zheng’s eyes, and the sound brought him back to reality. He blinked and responded with a distracted “Huh?”

Lu Fangchi repeated, “Are you hungry?”

They had set off at ten in the morning and only had bread in the car for breakfast and lunch. It was now three o’clock, and it seemed about time to eat.

Zhou Zheng, who was in no state to feel hunger or fullness, nodded absentmindedly.

“Shall we eat something?” Lu Fangchi suggested.

From sitting down at the restaurant to ordering the meal, Zhou Zheng’s gaze was wandering and unfocused. It wasn’t until the dishes were served and the aroma of the food triggered a gut reaction that he realized he was indeed a bit hungry. This was followed by the sound of his stomach growling.

Lu Fangchi, hearing this, smiled warmly. His smile was naturally pleasing, like a melting glacier, clearing away the fog in Zhou Zheng’s heart.

“Eat up,” Lu Fangchi said, pushing the plate a little closer to Zhou Zheng.

It only took a smile for Zhou Zheng to shift from contemplation to determination. He nodded and began to eat. The meal was tasteless but filled his stomach. When Zhou Zheng put down his chopsticks, Lu Fangchi was still chewing slowly.

Zhou Zheng licked his lips and began to probe, “What did you think of that movie just now?”

Lu Fangchi’s response was very objective: “The movie had good quality, beautiful visuals, a smooth plot, and the actors’ performances were a bit raw. The living conditions of omegas are more severe than I imagined.”

The answer was comprehensive but lacked what Zhou Zheng wanted to hear.

Zhou Zheng rubbed his nose tip with his hand, “Anything else?”

Lu Fangchi thought for a moment and added in summary, “It’s R-rated and quite interesting.”

Zhou Zheng, who was drinking water, choked a bit. Looking up, he saw Lu Fangchi’s slightly raised eyebrow and said, “You were just waiting for me to ask that, weren’t you?”

Yes, and no.

After all the beating around the bush without getting the answer he wanted, Zhou Zheng decided to just ask directly. He gritted his teeth and said, “They were homosexual.”

“Ah,” Lu Fangchi nodded, paused for a moment, and asked, “Do you discriminate?”

“Of course not,” Zhou Zheng denied, and then said, “I’m asking what you think.”

“It doesn’t matter to me. As long as they like each other, that’s fine,” Lu Fangchi’s expression was indifferent, and his answer was casual, as if this kind of question was no question at all.

So, Zhou Zheng’s eyes brightened a bit and pressed on, “Could you accept being with an alpha?”