FIO CH30

Chapter 30: The Puppy Wants Some Meat

That’s going too far, actually setting a trap.

Zhou Zheng opened his mouth to protest, but swallowed his words when he saw the expression on Lu Fangchi’s face. A real man wouldn’t seek temporary pleasure at the expense of others. As long as you have your people, you have your territory. If you keep your green hills, you won’t worry about firewood. It’s time to check on the porridge; it should be ready by now. “I’ll go see how the porridge is doing,” Zhou Zheng said as he got up, giving Lu Fangchi some space to compose himself.

Zhou Zheng walked into the kitchen, opened the lid of the casserole pot, and took a look. The porridge was thick and smooth, with a faint, delicate meat aroma wafting out. It was almost done. He sprinkled some chopped scallions on top, turned off the heat, and let it sit for a minute to steam. Once it was served in a bowl and cooled down a bit, Zhou Zheng stared at the bowl of porridge in front of him, his thoughts drifting far away.

He and Lu Fangchi, yes, had reached a milestone. Their first time together. What should he do? He had to take responsibility, of course. He wasn’t the type to take what he wanted and then leave without a care. Should they get married? It could be an option, but it seemed too casual. He should propose, even if it was after the fact. He couldn’t let Lu Fangchi feel wronged. Hmm, tomorrow then? After all, he needed to give Lu Fangchi a sense of security.

With that decided, Zhou Zheng saw that the porridge had cooled enough, so he carried it to the dining table. He then mysteriously went into the bedroom and took something out before calling Lu Fangchi to come and eat.

Lu Fangchi came at the sound of his voice, pulled out a chair, and his gaze fell on the yellow smiling face. The downward-looking black pupils revealed a large expanse of white, and the smiling lips paired with the unsmiling eyes gave off an eerie vibe. Where did this ugly cushion come from?

Seeing Lu Fangchi staring at the smiling cushion and hesitating to sit, even frowning, Zhou Zheng realized that his male pride was at stake. He understood and tried to persuade him, even using himself as an example. “It’s a normal reaction, nothing to worry about. My knees are sore too, and my legs are a bit shaky when I walk.”

Lu Fangchi glanced at Zhou Zheng with a hint of surprise, then threw the smiling cushion onto the adjacent chair, fetched a thin pillow from the sofa, placed it down, and sat on it before responding, “Is that so? Then you need to exercise more.”

Only after seeing Lu Fangchi’s actions did Zhou Zheng realize he had made a mistake. But words spoken were like water spilled; there was no way to take them back. He could only grit his teeth and swallow his pride.

During a pause in eating the porridge, Zhou Zheng suggested, “How about we go out for a walk tomorrow?”

Having just gone through three days and nights of intense activity, Lu Fangchi was exhausted and shook his head without thinking, “No.”

Perhaps realizing his response was too blunt, he added, “I’m tired and want to rest at home.”

“But our vacation is almost over, and we haven’t gone out much,” Zhou Zheng said.

Whose fault was it that they hadn’t gone out much? Lu Fangchi took out his phone and checked the calendar. Today was the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, and they only had two more days before they had to go back to work.

Zhou Zheng continued to persuade, “Just a short walk, to get some fresh air.”

Lu Fangchi relented, “Alright, what do you want to see?”

“Anything will do, just to get out for a bit.”

In the afternoon, Zhou Zheng went out to take out the trash and came back with a big bag of groceries. He sneaked into the kitchen and fiddled around for a while, who knows what he was up to.

Lu Fangchi didn’t bother to ask and lay on the sofa, enjoying the peace and quiet.

It wasn’t until bedtime that Zhou Zheng came over and hugged Lu Fangchi, smelling of water and seeking a kiss. Lu Fangchi turned his head, and the kiss landed on his cheek. Zhou Zheng’s expression was a bit reluctant as he stretched his neck to try to reach his lips again.

At this moment, Zhou Zheng was as hot as a furnace, his eyes deep and intense. If he took one more step, the situation would be out of control. Lu Fangchi hadn’t recovered yet, and he dodged again, blocking the restless lips of the alpha with his hand, “Stop messing around.”

“Just one kiss,” Zhou Zheng whispered, trying to coax him.

This was the same old lie as “I’ll just rub against you, I won’t go in,” and Lu Fangchi was resolute, determined not to give in.

Seeing he couldn’t succeed, Zhou Zheng could only open his mouth slightly, letting out a bit of saliva. The warm, ticklish sensation traveled from the palm of his hand, up his arm, and he bit down gently with his teeth, not hard enough to hurt.

Lu Fangchi struggled to pull his finger out, wiped the saliva off on Zhou Zheng’s shoulder, and said, “Are you a dog?”

“Woof, woof,” Zhou Zheng shamelessly barked twice, stepped forward, and hugged Lu Fangchi, feeling the erection that was starting to rise. He asked, “The puppy wants some meat, can I?”

Lu Fangchi’s body trembled slightly, his face flushed red, and he sighed helplessly, “Let me rest for a bit, okay?”

Zhou Zheng stared at Lu Fangchi, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and his weary expression.

Alright, Zhou Zheng let go, buried his head in Lu Fangchi’s neck, pulled his arms tighter around him, and mumbled, “Okay.”

This poor little thing, Lu Fangchi reached out and pinched the back of his neck, gently patting his head.

The two of them closed their eyes, still holding each other in this embrace.

Thanks to Zhou Zheng’s well-behaved nature, they had a dreamless night. Lu Fangchi had a good rest, and the alpha’s formidable recovery ability meant that when he sat up, he was as good as new. He got out of bed, slipped into his slippers, and strolled into the living room. At a glance, he saw Zhou Zheng, apron on, cooking in the open kitchen. Today’s dish seemed to be stir-fried prawns. Lu Fangchi sniffed the air and could already detect the fresh and fragrant aroma.

The two of them, sharing three meals a day and the changing seasons, was all Lu Fangchi had ever wanted. It was happening now and would continue into the future. Thinking of this, his heart swelled with a sponge-like satisfaction, filling up more and more until it was completely full.

Lu Fangchi stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Zhou Zheng from behind, resting his chin on the alpha’s broad shoulder and watching him cook. Indeed, it was shrimp, and the final touch of scallions was about to be added before taking it off the stove. There were already stir-fried green peppers with shredded pork and potatoes, as well as steamed eggs on the side. Once the shrimp was served, they could start eating.

The moment Lu Fangchi’s arms encircled him, Zhou Zheng paused, then, still in that position, transferred the shrimp to a plate and tossed the pan into the sink to soak. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the affection, he spoke to the clingy presence behind him: “What’s this about?”

“Nothing much,” Lu Fangchi realized that this posture was restricting the alpha’s movements and let go, leaning against the counter with one hand. “Just wanted a hug.”

Zhou Zheng wiped his hands dry with two sheets of kitchen paper, turned around, and embraced Lu Fangchi again, whispering, “Hug, good morning, wife.” The last two words were spoken so softly, with mumbled diction and rapid speed, as if on double time.

But Lu Fangchi’s ears were extremely perceptive and caught that phrase. Realizing Zhou Zheng’s hidden intentions, he smiled and reciprocated the hug, responding, “Good morning, husband.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zheng tightened his arms and mumbled something else, but this time it was too quiet to make out.

“What did you say?” Lu Fangchi asked.

“Nothing,” Zhou Zheng licked his lips, shook his head, and gently pushed Lu Fangchi out of the kitchen, changing the subject. “Let’s eat first, shall we?”

After finishing their meal and taking a brief nap, Zhou Zheng suggested they go out for a walk, as promised the day before. Lu Fangchi got up and went to the closet to change clothes. He was about to put on a down jacket when Zhou Zheng squeezed in, took the jacket from his hands, and replaced it with a black overcoat. “Wear this one. It looks good on you.”

Alright, whatever, it doesn’t really matter. Lu Fangchi complied.

Zhou Zheng seemed quite excited about going out and fussed around in the closet for a while, eventually choosing a black overcoat in the same color scheme, paired with a white sweater and dress pants, and even styled his hair with gel.

The overcoat was more formal and neat than casual wear, making one look spirited and upright. In nearly three months, Zhou Zheng’s hair, which had been buzzed for a check-up, had grown significantly. At this moment, without speaking, dressed in this outfit, Lu Fangchi was momentarily reminded of Zhou Zheng’s past self.

Of course, this lasted only a second before the illusion was shattered. Zhou Zheng, with a smug look, raised his eyebrows and spun around to show off. “How do I look?”

Silly. Lu Fangchi thought to himself, but the knot in his heart slowly unraveled.

He gave a thumbs-up. “Handsome.”

Zhou Zheng chuckled and led Lu Fangchi out the door.

They said they were just going for a walk, but there was no plan or destination. Zhou Zheng slipped Lu Fangchi’s hand into his overcoat pocket and strolled aimlessly.

Lu Fangchi breathed in the fresh air, feeling the bustling energy of people coming and going, and realized that taking a walk was indeed a good idea.

Inside the pocket, Zhou Zheng’s hand held Lu Fangchi’s, his thumb caressing the skin beneath, tracing half a circle over the knuckle of the ring finger.

Zhou Zheng pursed his lips and, taking advantage of the crowd around them, opened his mouth to speak.

Before he could say anything, a female omega approached them with a microphone. She had a dimple on her left cheek when she smiled, looking very sweet. “Hello, we’re doing a couples’ street interview. Would you mind if we conduct a brief interview with you?” Behind her stood a male omega, shyly smiling, carrying a camera.

Zhou Zheng didn’t respond but looked at Lu Fangchi, silently seeking his opinion.

Lu Fangchi casually nodded in agreement.

The hostess positioned herself, the camera adjusted its focus, and the interview began: “Could you tell us your ages and zodiac signs?”

Lu Fangchi: “27 years old, Year of the Goat.”

Zhou Zheng: “24 years old, Year of the Dog.”

“Who pursued whom first? How did you get together?”

Lu Fangchi looked at Zhou Zheng, who leaned down and spoke into the microphone, “It was definitely me. We got together because I was persistent, and he was moved by my unwavering pursuit.”

“Is that true?”

Lu Fangchi smiled and nodded, “Pretty much. He was relentless, leaving no room for retreat.”

“Wow, that’s so sweet,” the host said, her face beaming with delight, her eyes sparkling.

“Since both of you are alphas, are there any difficulties in your relationship? Do your families mind, or do you face any strange looks from society?”

“No difficulties.”

“I don’t care about others.”

The two of them spoke almost in unison.

The host clapped and approved, going through the motions to ask the final question: “Lastly, do you have anything you’d like to say to each other?”

Zhou Zheng cleared his throat, leaned into the microphone, and gazed at Lu Fangchi with deep, sincere eyes as he asked, “Would you be willing to become my legal husband?”