FIO CH39

Chapter 39: Never Speak Again

Lu Fangchi’s brows furrowed instantly, and his lips pursed into a straight line. Still not giving up, he sent another message: 1.

A conspicuous red exclamation mark popped up immediately, followed by a string of small black text: The message has been sent, but it was rejected by the recipient.

Zhou Zheng had really blocked him.

Sliding his finger across the screen, Lu Fangchi brought up the phone’s dialing page and called Zhou Zheng.

“……The number you dialed is currently in a call and cannot be connected.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Lu Fangchi’s eyes. It was so late, and Zhou Zheng was still on the phone. He stood in place, pacing back and forth with his arms folded across his chest, lightly tapping his fingers on the back of the phone.

Why had Zhou Zheng blocked him? Never speak again until death?

It shouldn’t come to that. Although there had been more arguments this time than usual, it shouldn’t be over such a trivial matter. Deep down, Lu Fangchi was more inclined to think that Zhou Zheng was just throwing a tantrum.

After about fifteen or sixteen minutes, Lu Fangchi flipped open his phone and called Zhou Zheng again.

“……The number you dialed is currently in a call and temporarily cannot be connected.”

Still on the phone? Lu Fangchi lightly bit his lower lip.

He switched to the messaging interface and sent Zhou Zheng a text: “Let’s talk. Call me back when you’re done.”

Thinking that waiting idly was not productive, Lu Fangchi walked into the bathroom, took off his clothes, and prepared to take a shower. But he deliberately brought his phone in and placed it on the washbasin, ensuring he could answer the call the moment it rang.

Hot water splashed on his face, washing away half of his fatigue. It should have been a pleasant experience, but he was a bit restless, his eyes always inadvertently glancing towards the washbasin, fearing he might miss something.

Rinsing, pressing the body wash, lathering up, and then rinsing clean. Lu Fangchi methodically finished his shower and walked out of the bathroom, seven or eight minutes earlier than usual.

He hastily wiped his hair, with water still dripping from the ends. Lu Fangchi couldn’t care less and quickly reached for his phone. It had just lit up; it might have been a message from Zhou Zheng.

The water droplets on his fingertips interfered, and it took three swipes of the screen to unlock it.

A news article popped up.

Oh, it wasn’t from Zhou Zheng.

Lu Fangchi pursed his lips, lifted the towel from around his neck to press against his damp hair, and while drying, he glanced at the messaging page, which was empty. Zhou Zheng hadn’t replied.

It had been twenty minutes since the last call attempt. He should try again. Lu Fangchi dialed directly from the call log.

“……The number you dialed is currently in a call and temporarily cannot be connected.”

Lu Fangchi’s brows furrowed into a small V-shape, and his expression became more serious. It had been nearly an hour. At one in the morning, who could be on the phone for so long?

His lips tightened as he opened the location tracking.

Come to think of it, this was the first time he had used this feature since he left on the business trip. Firstly, he didn’t have the habit of using it, and secondly, Zhou Zheng always reported his whereabouts, so there was no need.

Now that he couldn’t get in touch with him, the necessity became apparent.

Lu Fangchi refreshed the screen several times until his brows were completely furrowed.

Unable to find the location.

It was obvious that Zhou Zheng, in his huff, hadn’t forgotten to turn off the location tracking.

Then, a sudden thought struck Lu Fangchi.

Could the phone calls and messages be exceptions?

He opened Baidu and began to type in his query: What does it mean when the other party is always in a call?

He didn’t expect that there were quite a few people asking this question, and the most upvoted answer was very comprehensive.

After a few beeps indicating the other party is in a call, it means they are indeed on the phone.

If it says the other party is in a call and asks you to call back later, it means they are indeed on the phone.

If there are no beeps and no prompt to call back later, congratulations, you have been blocked by the other party.

PS: If the text message does not have a “delivered” status, it means you have been blocked as well.

The service provider is more tactful than them. I hope none of you have to come across this piece of knowledge. If you do, it means you are going through it. Wishing you all the best.

That was good; he got two answers at once, highly efficient.

Come to think of it again, Lu Fangchi frowned and stubbornly dialed back.

“……The number you dialed is currently in a call and cannot be connected.”

It was true.

Lu Fangchi took two seconds to accept the reality, then stared at his phone, puzzled. What on earth did Zhou Zheng mean?

Logically, Lu Fangchi couldn’t understand Zhou Zheng’s fuss over nothing. Emotionally, breaking up over such a trivial matter was really a pity.

After a fierce internal debate between his rational and emotional sides, Lu Fangchi bit his lip and declared the rational side the winner.

He slid open his phone and checked the weather forecast: moderate snow tomorrow. High-speed trains and flights would naturally be suspended.

He opened the map to check the route. Many highways were closed. If this route didn’t work, he’d try another. After studying several routes and confirming that he could detour to reach City A, Lu Fangchi placed an order on the ride-hailing app, adding a five-hundred-yuan gratuity.

Money talks. An hour and a half after placing the order, his phone “ding-dong”ed. Lu Fangchi received a call from the driver.

“Hello, I see you placed an order on the platform. You’re heading to City A, right?”

Lu Fangchi rubbed his temples, which were swollen from being woken up, and replied, “Yes.”

“Oh, let me just say this upfront. You know the weather. Many highways are closed, so we have to take a detour,” the driver hinted.

Lu Fangchi understood the driver’s implication and reassured him, “I understand. We’ll settle all the extra costs together.”

“Alright,” the driver breathed a sigh of relief and began to discuss, “But with this weather, the car can’t go too fast. Plus, taking a detour, we might have to switch between city roads and highways. It’s going to take a long time.”

Lu Fangchi had considered this issue and, just in case, asked again, “Driver, how long do you think it will take?”

“It’s hard to say,” the driver paused for a moment and gave a rough estimate, “At least eighteen or nineteen hours. If we’re unlucky, even longer.”

Hmm… that’s acceptable. Lu Fangchi agreed, “Alright, driver.”

“Okay, how about I pick you up around nine or ten tomorrow morning?” the driver said.

“Can’t it be now?” Lu Fangchi said, “I’m ready to leave anytime.”

“Young man, you’re in a hurry, aren’t you? I could go, but with this weather, I need to put on some chains for safety. No auto repair shops are open in the middle of the night.”

“How about this? I’ll go get them first thing tomorrow. Seven or eight in the morning, does that work for you?” the driver asked.

Lu Fangchi glanced at the time in the top-left corner, 3:15 AM. It wasn’t much of a difference.

“Alright, thank you, driver,” Lu Fangchi said.

“Not at all, not at all, it’s my duty.”

After hanging up the phone, Lu Fangchi got out of bed and started packing his luggage, putting all his clothes and toiletries into his bag, leaving only one set for tomorrow. He also plugged in his laptop to ensure it had enough battery to work on the road tomorrow.

Once everything was ready, Lu Fangchi got back into bed, closed his eyes, and dozed off into a drowsy sleep.

Lu Fangchi slept very soundly, dreamless, with a completely blank mind. He was awakened by the incessant ringing of his phone. Struggling to open his eyes, he reached for the phone and saw that it was six in the morning. He had slept for less than three hours, which was barely enough.

With his eyes, filled with red bloodshot veins, still closed, he croaked, “Mm?”

“Sorry to disturb you so early, young man. I’m afraid you might be in a hurry, so I’m calling ahead to let you know that the earliest we can depart today is at nine o’clock. But it won’t be later than that, alright?” the driver negotiated.

At this moment, Lu Fangchi’s head was pounding as if it were about to split, and sleepiness was overwhelming him. His drowsy mind didn’t care about the one-hour difference. “Alright,” he replied, as he just wanted to sleep.

The call was disconnected by the other party. Lu Fangchi’s phone was still lit in his hand, and he fell asleep again in the same position.

The young man lying on the pure white sheets suddenly opened his eyes, quickly turned over, and reached for his phone to check the time.

It was 7:55 AM. He was relieved that he hadn’t overslept.

He put down his phone, closed his eyes, and snuggled back into the covers.

After about five or six minutes, he opened his eyes, slowly got up, and shuffled into the bathroom in his slippers to freshen up.

He squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush, brushed his teeth, spat out the foam, and rinsed his mouth.

Cold water splashed on his face, and the chill made Lu Fangchi shiver. He immediately reached for a towel to dry his face.

Looking up, he saw his reflection in the mirror, no longer drowsy. His eyes were clear, except for a few thin red bloodshot veins, and he looked presentable.

He calculated that he still had some time, so he got dressed and walked to the door, turning the doorknob.

There was someone squatting outside the door.

Lu Fangchi’s steps halted, and he hesitated for a few seconds.

The person made a move, lifting his head to reveal a familiar face.

Lu Fangchi’s mind went blank for a moment. He blinked and his voice was filled with surprise, “How did you get here?”

The protagonist, who had blocked everyone in a fit of temper last night, had suddenly appeared, which was quite a surprise.

Zhou Zheng didn’t reply but stood up, stamped his numb feet, and faced Lu Fangchi. Only then did he notice that the alpha looked travel-worn, with disheveled hair and a nose red from the cold.

He was underdressed; such a thin jacket couldn’t provide much warmth. Lu Fangchi reached out and took Zhou Zheng’s hand, which was as cold as ice, and led him into the room.

While the water was heating up, Lu Fangchi asked, “How did you get here?”

“By high-speed train, then a train, then a bus,” Zhou Zheng lightly described the arduous journey in just eight words.

Lu Fangchi had naturally checked this route when he planned to go back. It was faster by several hours than driving, but it was dismissed due to the multiple transfers.

“When did you arrive?” Lu Fangchi asked.

Zhou Zheng, sitting on the sofa, remained silent, still sulking over yesterday’s events.

Lu Fangchi sighed inwardly, leaned against the kitchen island, and watched the kettle. The red light turned green and the water boiled, bubbling up.

He poured half a cup of hot water, mixed it with half a cup of mineral water, and walked over to the alpha, holding out the lukewarm water to him.

Zhou Zheng looked up at him but didn’t take it.

Lu Fangchi’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he was about to talk to him when he noticed the bruised area under his eyes and the stubborn yet aggrieved look in them.

“Ring ring ring…” The phone rang.

Lu Fangchi put the cup on the coffee table in front of Zhou Zheng, took out his phone, and walked into the room, answering, “Hello.”

“I’m at the pick-up point,” the driver said.

Lu Fangchi almost forgot. He pursed his lips and said apologetically, “Sorry, but I’ve changed my plans and won’t need the car. I’ll cover the cancellation fee and the cost of the chains you bought.”

There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by a cheerful laugh, “No problem, no problem. Just cancel it. Forget about the chains; I’ll need them myself anyway.”

“Sorry to trouble you,” Lu Fangchi said before hanging up.

He walked back out of the room and saw that the person who had been fuming on the sofa just moments ago was now half-buried in the cushions, eyes closed.

Lu Fangchi walked quietly, gently took a blanket from nearby, and covered him. He stared at the alpha’s handsome face for a while. The sleeping alpha looked innocent and naive, a stark contrast to the madman in last night’s video call.

Little mad dog, Lu Fangchi couldn’t resist pinching his nose tip. He quickly let go when Zhou Zheng frowned and hummed, then raised his hand to tuck the blanket around him. He got up to leave.

As soon as he turned around, his wrist was grabbed and pulled back. Lu Fangchi was pulled into the sofa.

Zhou Zheng buried his face in Lu Fangchi’s neck, his breath hot and moist as he spoke, “I’m sorry.”