Chapter 31: Happy New Marriage, Ha

    “Ding—” The elevator door opened, and Lu Fangchi stepped out, encountering two female employees.

    “Good morning, Mr. Lu.”

    Lu Fangchi nodded.

    “Happy new marriage, Mr. Lu.” One of the female employees suddenly offered her congratulations.

    “Wishing you a hundred years of good union, Mr. Lu.” The other followed suit. Their heartfelt blessings were tinged with a hint of gossip.

    Lu Fangchi gave a helpless smile, nodded in acknowledgment, and replied, “Thank you.”

    One good turn deserves another, and as he made his way, employees greeted him with congratulations. By the time he entered his office, Lu Fangchi was parched. He took off his coat, hung it up, picked up his coffee, and took a couple of sips before dialing the intercom to his assistant: “Add some cake to this afternoon’s tea for everyone.”

    “Sure, Mr. Lu,” the assistant responded, then subtly probed, “Is it to celebrate the new marriage?”

    Having received so many blessings along the way, it seemed necessary to acknowledge them. Lu Fangchi hummed in agreement.

    The assistant: “Congratulations to you and Mr. Zhou on your marriage! May you have a long and happy union!”

    Lu Fangchi chuckled, shook his head, and accepted the well-wishes: “Thank you for your kind words.”

    As he hung up the intercom, Lu Fangchi was about to catch his breath when a WeChat video call popped up on his computer screen.

    What had to come eventually did. Lu Fangchi sighed and pressed the green answer button.

    On the screen, Jiang Mingyi’s dashing and handsome face appeared, and the next second, Yu Yao also joined the call with a refined smile. The three of them were together.

    Jiang Mingyi, with the top three buttons of his shirt undone, sat casually in his office, looking down at his phone. He read the news headline in an exaggerated tone: “Breaking news: An alpha proposes to another alpha on the street!”

    “A sweet proposal scene from a high-profile double-A couple.”

    “A pair of alpha lovers kissing on the street—super sweet!”

    “Wow, this person looks so familiar. Chi, do you recognize him?” Jiang Mingyi turned the phone towards the camera, playing the proposal video in real-time.

    “Would you be willing to become my legal husband?” The alpha asked, taking out a red velvet ring box from his pocket and kneeling on one knee.

    The host gasped in astonishment, and the passers-by stopped to watch. The proposed-to alpha remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded, extending his hand and replying, “I do.”

    The ring was placed on the ring finger, and the onlookers began to clap and chant: “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

    The kneeling alpha felt a bit shy, but the proposed-to alpha was bold and straightforward. He tugged the other’s tie to bring him closer and kissed him with closed eyes.

    The video ended there. Jiang Mingyi put down the phone, clapped his hands, and shook his head in admiration: “Touching, truly moving.”

    Yu Yao, who had been quietly watching, spoke up: “Alright, Mingyi, stop teasing Fangchi.”

    Jiang Mingyi clicked his tongue, propped his right hand on his chin, and tilted his head: “Bro, you’re about to step into the grave of love. So, when’s the wedding?”

    “I just can’t understand,” Jiang Mingyi frowned, then changed the subject, “What kind of spell did he cast on you? You’re getting married after just getting together. What if he has ill intentions?”

    After Jiang Mingyi finished speaking, Lu Fangchi found a gap to explain: “It’s not that fast, we’re just together now.”

    “Ah?” Jiang Mingyi blinked, instantly catching the implication and understanding.

    He immediately relaxed, smoothing his chest, “Phew, that’s a relief. You’re not that foolish. It’s fine to date, but marriage shouldn’t be rushed.”

    The worry in Yu Yao’s eyes disappeared in an instant, and he nodded in agreement: “I was startled when I saw the trending topic. It was too sudden. If I remember correctly, he still has amnesia, right?”

    Lu Fangchi nodded, “He hasn’t regained his memory yet.”

    This sentence implied countless changes and uncertainties. “How about you guys?” Yu Yao asked.

    “Not bad.” Far from it.

    After the small talk, Lu Fangchi ended the video call and, while browsing his Moments, saw Zhou Zheng’s latest update: [Wilted][Heartbroken]

    He clicked on the profile to switch to the chat box and sent a message: “Have lunch together?”

    About a minute later, the other party replied leisurely: “No time.”

    Alright, Lu Fangchi typed again: “How about dinner then?”

    Little Zhou (Heartbroken version): “Might have to work overtime.”

    Seeing this reply and matching it with his WeChat nickname, Lu Fangchi was almost amused into anger. He patiently replied: “I’ll wait for you.”

    Little Zhou (Heartbroken version): “Maybe I’ll have to pull an all-nighter.”

    Lu Fangchi: [Speechless]

    Little Zhou: “Oh, right, 6 PM, right? See you in the underground garage.”

    Lu Fangchi walked into the underground garage, and Zhou Zheng was already leaning against the car door with his hands in his pockets. He straightened up upon seeing Lu Fangchi, his hands unconsciously resting on the sides of his trousers. Lu Fangchi unlocked the car door, got in, and Zhou Zheng followed, pulling the door open and sitting in the passenger seat. He had just fastened his seatbelt when the car started and drove away.

    The atmosphere was silent. Zhou Zheng moved his mouth, wanting to start a conversation, but upon glancing at Lu Fangchi, who was looking straight ahead with a faint, indifferent expression, he felt a sudden chill. Although Lu Fangchi’s face showed no emotion, there was an inexplicable sense of coldness about him, which made Zhou Zheng’s heart sink.

    The ride home was silent. Zhou Zheng was the first to take off his shoes, rolled up his sleeves, and went to the kitchen to cook, asking, “What do you want to eat?” Lu Fangchi swallowed the word “talk” that was on the tip of his tongue and replied to Zhou Zheng’s broad back, “Anything.”

    Lu Fangchi still had some work to finish for their 6 PM appointment, so he left the kitchen and went to the study to deal with the remaining tasks. Time flew by, and by the time the meeting ended, it was already two hours later. He rubbed his sore neck, got up, and walked towards the living room, his gaze falling on Zhou Zheng’s busy figure in the kitchen.

    Not done yet? It’s already 8:30 PM, which is unusual.

    With suspicion in his heart, Lu Fangchi stepped into the kitchen and found the alpha cutting vegetables, clearly distracted, with slow knife movements and unevenly sliced potato chips—some were extremely thick, while others were paper-thin. This wouldn’t cook properly.

    Lu Fangchi opened his mouth to remind him but froze when his gaze fell on Zhou Zheng’s face. The alpha’s lips were pursed, eyes downcast, with red rims and a glistening tear on the verge of falling.

    Their eyes met, and Zhou Zheng hastily turned his body slightly, raised his arm, and wiped his face, mumbling, “It’ll be ready soon.”

    Lu Fangchi reached out and grabbed Zhou Zheng’s arm, which tensed up at first but gradually relaxed as Lu Fangchi gently pulled him back. Sure enough, the alpha’s eyes were red, and a tear fell with each blink, splashing into Lu Fangchi’s heart and causing a sour ripple.

    Lu Fangchi swallowed the sourness in his throat, pulled the alpha into his embrace, and began to soothe him, one hand on the back of his head and the other on his back. “What’s wrong? Tell me.”

    Zhou Zheng’s tears flowed uncontrollably. He buried his head in Lu Fangchi’s shoulder, rubbed against it for a while, and after a moment, he sniffed and reflected in a muffled voice, “I shouldn’t have acted out. Don’t be angry with me.”

    Lu Fangchi understood. He released him, looked into Zhou Zheng’s eyes, and explained, “I wasn’t angry. I was just thinking about work on the way, and my face might have seemed cold.”

    “I didn’t think you were acting out,” Lu Fangchi continued, reaching for the necklace around his neck, a men’s ring dangling in the air. “Didn’t I promise? The video is still trending on the hot search.”

    Zhou Zheng, who had just admitted he shouldn’t have acted out, hesitated for a moment, then began to push his luck again: “But you didn’t agree to get the marriage certificate. We’re not legally protected.”

    [Author’s Note]

    Zhou the puppy has a glass heart.

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