FIO CH27

Chapter 27: First Kiss, You’re Responsible

Zhou Zheng’s mind was in a daze. He raised his hand and used his thumb to rub back and forth on his lower lip, the moist softness lingering for a long time.

Huh?

Oh.

Damn it!

The alpha seemed to have just come to his senses, and he quickly chased after, jogging to the elevator entrance and reaching out to stop the closing elevator doors.

Zhou Zheng squeezed into the elevator, “Wait for me.”

Lu Fangchi glanced up but didn’t say a word.

Zhou Zheng’s gaze fell on his lips, which were red and slightly glistening with moisture. He couldn’t believe that they had just kissed.

Zhou Zheng’s Adam’s apple moved as he cleared his throat and edged closer to Lu Fangchi, his face full of caution as he asked, “What do you mean?”

Lu Fangchi looked up and replied, not quite answering the question, “What do you think?”

His eyes were bright, as if they held galaxies within them, and just one look could make someone lose their footing and fall. Zhou Zheng didn’t dare to think too much and just muttered, “That was my first kiss; you have to take responsibility.”

“Oh?” Lu Fangchi raised an eyebrow, looking as if he understood, “No wonder the experience was just average.”

Zhou Zheng’s cheeks heated up at the comment, and he blushed as he argued, “Practice makes perfect; it will get better in the future.”

“So you know it was the first time?” Lu Fangchi shifted the conversation to another level.

He was actually questioning him! Zhou Zheng’s mouth opened and closed, and finally, he said in a small voice, “If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.” His face was full of grievance.

This guy still hadn’t remembered; he was really out of it.

Lu Fangchi pursed his lips, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward.

“Ding,” the elevator arrived at the floor.

Lu Fangchi stepped out, and Zhou Zheng followed closely behind, urgently asking, “You still haven’t answered?”

“Ah,” Lu Fangchi casually nodded.

What kind of answer was that? Zhou Zheng was confused and frowned as he whispered, “What does ‘ah’ mean?”

Lu Fangchi: “It means ‘responsible.'”

Happiness came too suddenly. Zhou Zheng looked bewildered, his eyes blinking rapidly before they lit up with excitement. He tentatively asked, “Boyfriend?”

“Mm,” Lu Fangchi didn’t even glance at Zhou Zheng, just nodded as he reached up to unlock the door with his fingerprint.

Zhou Zheng’s heart pounded fiercely, his lips trembled, and his limbs felt numb. He clenched and unclenched his hand before finally hooking it into Lu Fangchi’s.

Lu Fangchi compliantly held back, leading Zhou Zheng into the entrance hall.

Zhou Zheng stood at the door, unmoving, his face filled with a dazed happiness, feeling as if he were floating and couldn’t ground himself.

A faint, delicate orchid tea fragrance rose, enveloping Lu Fangchi, playfully nuzzling against him, touching his cheeks, curling his fingers, and pressing against his stomach.

He liked it, really liked it, and was extremely happy.

Lu Fangchi could actually sense the alpha’s pheromones expressing affection.

This was the first time Zhou Zheng had consciously released pheromones while sober. Lu Fangchi glanced at him and reminded, “Control it.”

Even if the intentions were kind, the instinctual repulsion between alphas meant that pheromone contact should be gradual. The air was filled with a strong tea scent, which was a bit overwhelming.

“Okay,” Zhou Zheng agreed, trying to retract his pheromones, but they kept overflowing uncontrollably.

“You go take a shower to calm down,” Lu Fangchi stepped back, creating some distance.

The pheromone overflow was too intense. Even though Zhou Zheng really wanted to stay close to him for a while longer, he had to let go and go to the bathroom to control his pheromones.

About ten minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and a cloud of steam floated out. Zhou Zheng walked out bare-chested, his damp hair tips continuously dripping water, which flowed over his well-defined abdominal muscles, swirled around the V-shaped groove at his hips, and finally disappeared into the towel.

The contrast between his fair skin and his solid physique was visually striking, and Lu Fangchi thought Zhou Zheng smelled of meat at the moment.

Alright, the identity shift was fast; he wasn’t even wearing clothes.

“Bring the hairdryer over; I’ll dry your hair for you,” Lu Fangchi said.

Zhou Zheng nodded, turned back to the bathroom to get the hairdryer, and grabbed a towel to casually wipe and drape around his neck.

He plugged it in, and as the hot air blew out, Lu Fangchi’s fingers weaved through the hair tips, feeling the chill emanating from Zhou Zheng’s body.

He frowned slightly and asked, “Did you use cold water?”

“Mm-hmm,” Zhou Zheng admitted honestly.

“If you get sick, no one will take care of you,” Lu Fangchi expressed his disapproval.

“Oh,” Zhou Zheng pursed his lips and explained in a low voice, “But hot water wouldn’t calm me down.”

Lu Fangchi: …

He didn’t respond, the whooshing sound of the hairdryer filling the air as he looked down at the broad back in front of him, lost in thought.

It had happened quite suddenly, a spontaneous declaration in the heat of the moment. Lu Fangchi had known just two seconds earlier than Zhou Zheng. But it didn’t feel bad; making the decision actually made his heart more open, without any hesitation or second thoughts. It was simply following the most primal desires of his heart.

Alright, admit it, he had fallen for those sincere, almond-shaped eyes.

Lu Fangchi wanted a home, and the desire grew stronger when he saw Zhou Zheng waiting for him to come back and cook dumplings together.

The hair under his fingers became dry and fluffy, and the “whoosh whoosh whoosh” sound suddenly stopped as Lu Fangchi pressed the pause button. “It’s done.”

He unplugged the device, coiled the black cord around the body, and stored it in the bedside table drawer.

Regaining his focus, he met Zhou Zheng’s blazing eyes by the bed.

He took a step forward, then another, and with his arms wide open, he lunged forward.

A whirlwind of motion, and with the back of his head hitting the soft mattress, Lu Fangchi felt a sense of déjà vu. The only difference this time was that the back of his head was cushioned by a pair of warm palms. He looked up into Zhou Zheng’s clear and deep eyes.

His Adam’s apple moved as he licked his lips and leaned down, his breath hot on Lu Fangchi’s face as he spoke, “Practice makes perfect. You said my technique was lacking; I need to practice more.”

Fine, you want to indulge in some meat but still need a pretext. That’s not honest.

Lu Fangchi curved his eyes and blew out a breath of air. Zhou Zheng’s pupils contracted, and it felt like a string in his brain snapped.

He lowered his head and pressed down. He kissed haphazardly, purely out of instinct, with no skill at all, and it was far from comfortable.

But Lu Fangchi’s breathing was disordered, his chest slightly rising and falling. The immature actions were not bad either, different from a mere physiological reaction, and the heart-stirring feeling was not bad.

A few minutes later, Zhou Zheng stopped his actions, suddenly relaxed, and half-pressed his body on Lu Fangchi’s.

He buried his head in the other’s neck, and the warm breath he exhaled tickled the heart. “Is it okay?” he asked. The erection was hard and upright, and the meaning of his question was self-evident.

Lu Fangchi was a few years older than Zhou Zheng, had been in relationships, and had intimate experiences. There was nothing wrong with it. However, Lu Fangchi got up, turned over, and the situation reversed instantly. He slid his fingers along the bulging muscle lines and looked down, asking, “Is it okay?”

The places his fingertips brushed felt hot. Zhou Zheng understood the implication of Lu Fangchi’s words and bargained with pursed lips, “Let’s compare sizes to determine dominance.”

Ha, bullying. Zhou Zheng was four centimeters taller and his erection was longer as well. But being bigger isn’t necessarily better. Lu Fangchi narrowed his eyes and admitted, “You don’t know how to do it anyway.”

The first round of confrontation ended in failure. The two alphas held their own opinions and neither was willing to back down. Zhou Zheng, unwilling to give up, nibbled on the protruding collarbone, leaving circles of red teeth marks. The close contact intensified their senses, making them feel more and more explosive, swelling and aching.

Zhou Zheng resignedly lay on his side, spread-eagled on the bed, and panted, “Let me catch my breath.”

Lu Fangchi sat up, his chest lightly heaving, his red eyes and disheveled hair showing that he wasn’t feeling much better either. He needed to create some distance to calm down. Lu Fangchi swallowed hard, got up, and took a shower in the bathroom.

When he came out, Zhou Zheng had turned off the main light, leaving only a dim bedside nightlight on. He lay obediently in his spot with his eyes closed, proving through his actions that he had surrendered. Lu Fangchi smiled silently. Yes, it was even more frustrating to see and touch but not be able to have. He felt the same way.

Alright, let’s leave it at this for today. Lu Fangchi moved gently to the side of the bed, lifted the quilt, and lay down. Just two seconds after he lay down, there was some rustling behind him. Zhou Zheng snuggled up, wrapped his arms around Lu Fangchi from behind, and pulled him into his embrace.

A chill made him half-open his eyes, and he spoke in a deep, husky voice, “You’re complaining about me, but why did you use cold water too?”

Lu Fangchi closed his eyes, comfortably nestling into the embrace to absorb the warmth, and responded intermittently, “Mm.”

After such a tussle, both of them were exhausted. Zhou Zheng reached up and turned off the nightlight, tightened his arm around Lu Fangchi, pressed his lips to his eyebrow ridge, and fell asleep.

In the morning, a series of “crackling” sounds rang out, continuing for a long while and disturbing their peaceful sleep. Lu Fangchi frowned tightly, burying his face deeper into the quilt, only to encounter a wall of flesh that exuded a certain aroma. He took a couple of whiffs and detected a tea fragrance. Lu Fangchi wrinkled his nose, wanting to move away but couldn’t resist taking a few more breaths.

Strange, it was both unpleasant and pleasant. Lu Fangchi’s continuous sniffing woke Zhou Zheng, who reached out and pressed down on the restless occiput in his arms, rubbing it gently. The two were about to drift back to sleep when the “crackling” sounds downstairs started again, jolting them awake and making them shiver.

Lu Fangchi was fully awakened, but he frowned and didn’t want to open his eyes. Zhou Zheng, however, reluctantly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the handsome and perfect face of the young man. Long and curly eyelashes, a small mole on the high bridge of his nose, and red, thin lips—such a good-looking person was his, and Zhou Zheng felt secretly delighted. He pulled his numb arm, which had been under the pillow, closer.

Zhou Zheng’s gaze was too intense, and Lu Fangchi couldn’t bear being stared at. He opened his eyes and said irritably, “It’s annoying. Stop looking.” Oh, his morning temper was worse than usual. It was only with those close to him that he would get angry, and this reaction was much more human than his previous indifferent and cold demeanor.

Zhou Zheng felt pleased to be scolded and smiled, saying, “Good morning, boyfriend.” He raised the tone and emphasized the word “boyfriend”.

Lu Fangchi’s morning temper was still acting up, and he kept his eyes closed, not wanting to talk. After a couple of minutes, he finally opened his eyes and responded to Zhou Zheng with a “Mm”. Zhou Zheng smiled, kissed Lu Fangchi’s cheek, and said in a coaxing tone, “Are you up?”

Lu Fangchi: “Mm”.

Zhou Zheng withdrew his hand, got up, and after his feet touched the ground, he stealthily rotated his wrist and shook his arm. He pulled open the curtain and looked downstairs, saying, “It seems there’s some good news, so they set off firecrackers”.

Lu Fangchi: “Oh”.

“What do you want to eat?” Zhou Zheng turned his head and asked.

“Anything”. Lu Fangchi lazily turned over and sat up.

Zhou Zheng gave Lu Fangchi some time to recover, rolled up his sleeves, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

He had bought a lot of food yesterday, and also to celebrate the New Year and their changed relationship, Zhou Zheng worked hard and prepared a very sumptuous breakfast.

After Lu Fangchi finished washing up and sat at the dining table, he was somewhat stunned by the grand array of dishes. He looked at Zhou Zheng, who was still busy in the kitchen, and called out to him, “That’s enough, it’s too much. We can’t eat all of this”. Only then did Zhou Zheng stop.

During the meal, Zhou Zheng suddenly asked a question: “What does your pheromone smell like? I’ve never smelled it”. “You just don’t remember,” Lu Fangchi took a bite of the crystal shrimp dumpling and said, “You will know in the future”.

“Tell me now,” Zhou Zheng propped his chin on his hand and stared at Lu Fangchi, pestering him to speak.

“Tell me”.

“Tell me”.

“Tell me”.

Feeling helpless under the repeated urging, Lu Fangchi finally replied, “Noon Lotus”.

Zhou Zheng immediately took out his phone to search. The meaning of the Noon Lotus flower is “dreamy, indifferent love”.

Zhou Zheng’s surroundings suddenly released a large amount of pheromones, and the tea fragrance became so strong that it was almost choking.

Lu Fangchi frowned and held his breath, “Has your pheromone been acting a bit too abnormal lately?”