FIO CH49

Chapter 49: Tied Up + Brawl

The cat-eared omega, whose wrist had been grabbed, frowned in displeasure and slightly opened his cherry-red lips: “Which idiot doesn’t know how to…”

He turned around and was met with the sight of a tall alpha, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and mantis-like legs—literally the perfect “meal” for an omega.

The curse that was about to leave his mouth changed its tune abruptly and turned into a cheerful greeting: “Hello, handsome.”

The handsome alpha, however, didn’t look at him. His eyes were fixed on another alpha, and he asked himself, “Need to boost your performance?”

His voice was incredibly magnetic, although his expression was as sour as if someone owed him eight million. His chiseled jawline was as sharp as if it had been carved with a knife, and he exuded a rare top-A level of testosterone. He decided to take a small taste.

The cat-eared omega’s expression turned ingratiating as he quickly shifted his target, leaning his head towards the broad shoulders of the alpha, “Bro, how about we have a drink together?”

Zhou Zheng, without changing his expression, took a half-step back, slightly shaking off the omega’s wrist with a hint of disdain, and suggested with a raised eyebrow, “Order as much as you drink, how about that?”

He had hit the jackpot, encountering two generous spenders in one night. But why wouldn’t he look at himself and kept staring at that alpha? Never mind, it’s not important. Playing together is fine too. The omega, beaming with joy, reached for the drink menu, preparing to order some high-priced drinks that wouldn’t get him drunk easily.

However, the alpha didn’t give him a chance to hesitate. He took the menu, glanced at it without really looking, and with a rather domineering gesture, slid his finger from the top to the bottom, ordering two full pages, saying, “Bring everything except the drinks.”

“Are you going to finish all that?” The alpha looked at him, his eyes deep and intense.

The cat-eared omega shivered under that sinister gaze, realizing that this person was not to be trifled with. He shrank back, forcing a smile on his lips: “That’s too much. Don’t go to so much trouble…”

“You deserve it.” The alpha narrowed his eyes, snapped his fingers, and signaled the bartender to bring the drinks.

The bar was crowded and efficient, not giving the cat-eared omega a chance to say no. As if afraid that the customer would change his mind, they brought the drinks in about two minutes, filling the entire table with a variety of alcoholic beverages—beer, red wine, and spirits. Just looking at them made one feel like they were going to vomit their bile. Zhou Zheng opened a bottle of Lafite, poured it generously into a tall wine glass as if it were free, and handed it straight to the cat-eared omega’s nose.

Judging by this gesture, he was serious. There was too much alcohol, and it was mixed. Drinking it all would be life-threatening. The cat-eared omega finally felt scared, tears welling up in his eyes as he shook his head, “I can’t drink all that, bro. Don’t make it difficult for me…”

The alpha’s expression turned stern as he brought the wine glass closer. The overfilled liquid spilled a little due to the movement, and his eyes gleamed with menace as he threatened, “Drink.”

Lu Fangchi, who had been watching from the side, finally couldn’t bear it anymore and shouted, “Zhou Zheng, that’s enough.”

Ignoring him, Zhou Zheng curled his sensual lips into a smile and said to the cat-eared omega, “Is my boyfriend huggable?”

The alpha’s magnetic voice now seemed like the devil’s whisper from hell, making one’s hair stand on end. The cat-eared omega shook his head, a bit shivering, “I’m sorry, I don’t know…”

It was too late. Zhou Zheng wasn’t buying it. He held the wine glass high, not lowering it.

The cat-eared omega wanted to seek help from Lu Fangchi, but as soon as his gaze drifted over, the alpha caught it. He reached out, grabbed the omega’s jaw, brought the wine glass close to his lips, and prepared to force-feed him.

Was he out of his mind? Lu Fangchi’s eyebrows furrowed into an inverted V. He reached out, grabbed the wine glass from Zhou Zheng’s hand, and smashed it on the ground. The “bang” echoed as the glass shattered into pieces.

Lu Fangchi gave the cat-eared omega a meaningful look, signaling him to leave. The omega didn’t even bother to wipe the tears from his face and stood up and ran.

Zhou Zheng noticed the omega’s intention to escape, got up to block him, but was tripped by Lu Fangchi’s leg and fell back into the booth in a rather undignified manner.

The cat-eared omega managed to slip away.

Zhou Zheng, with bloodshot eyes, looked at Lu Fangchi. He stood up and was about to leave, seemingly finding it too tiring to even glance at him. Zhou Zheng felt his eyes burning and reached out to grab Lu Fangchi.

Lu Fangchi reflexively shook his hand. It didn’t work.

The second time, he used all his strength, causing Zhou Zheng to stumble and let go.

Lu Fangchi took a step to leave, but a sharp gasp came from behind.

His steps paused. The glass shards on the ground hadn’t been cleaned up yet.

What did it matter if an alpha got a little hurt? He continued to walk.

After two steps, he stopped again, resignedly turning around. Lu Fangchi cursed his impenetrable sense of morality.

He walked back to Zhou Zheng, who was squatting with his head down, his left hand covering his right. The extent of the injury was unclear.

Lu Fangchi kicked Zhou Zheng’s shoe with his foot and asked, “How are you?”

Without looking up, Zhou Zheng’s voice trembled, “It hurts. It’s bleeding.”

Lu Fangchi’s eyebrows furrowed as he squatted down to examine Zhou Zheng’s wound. He removed the left hand covering it, and on the right hand…

There was nothing.

Before Lu Fangchi could get angry, Zhou Zheng swiftly grabbed both of his hands and pinned them behind his back.

What was the meaning of this? Lu Fangchi glared at him. Zhou Zheng, holding both wrists, pulled him up and dragged him towards the exit of the bar.

“Let go.” Lu Fangchi was furious and struggled fiercely. The alcohol had put him at a disadvantage, and he couldn’t break free.

Zhou Zheng held on tightly, determined not to let Lu Fangchi escape. Ignoring the mocking and playful gazes from others at the bar’s entrance, he took Lu Fangchi out of the bar, opened the back door of the car, and threw him into the back seat.

Lu Fangchi was dazed, seeing stars. Before he could react, Zhou Zheng turned him over, pressed his legs with his own, and tied his wrists together with the data cable from the back seat’s charging port—once, twice, three, four times.

As soon as Zhou Zheng finished tying him up, the bar manager came out to settle the bill: “Sir, your bill hasn’t been paid yet.”

Lu Fangchi’s face turned red at the thought of being seen like this, but the next moment, Zhou Zheng closed the car door and quickly scanned the payment code.

He walked around the car, got into the driver’s seat, stepped on the gas, and the car sped forward. During the ride, there were continuous thumping sounds from the back seat. Zhou Zheng glanced into the rearview mirror and reminded him, “Don’t bother. You won’t be able to get free.”

Not only that, but the more he struggled, the tighter it became. Lu Fangchi felt that if he kept moving, his wrists might be cut off, so he gave up struggling.

He lay on his side in the back seat, panting slightly, and with the last bit of his wits, he asked, “What on earth are you doing?”

Zhou Zheng didn’t respond, but pressed the gas pedal hard, speeding all the way back home.

Unlike Lu Fangchi’s spacious apartment, Zhou Zheng lived in a small duplex. This was Lu Fangchi’s first time in an alpha’s home, but he had no mood to appreciate it.

He was placed on the sofa by Zhou Zheng, who immediately sat up straight, staring at Zhou Zheng warily.

Zhou Zheng, however, looked like a deflated balloon, sitting on the sofa in a daze, his eyes lifeless, as if the crazy act of tying someone up had exhausted all his energy.

They sat in silence for about ten minutes, until Lu Fangchi finally broke the stalemate by raising his tied wrists and saying, “Untie me.”

After a moment of calm, realizing that he couldn’t possibly lock up the soon-to-be-listed FC CEO in a dark room, Zhou Zheng hesitated and asked, “Will you leave then?”

Of course not, but Lu Fangchi didn’t tell the truth and simply grunted, “No.”

Zhou Zheng nodded and slowly moved to Lu Fangchi’s side. Under Lu Fangchi’s watchful gaze, he reached out and untied the data cable.

Lu Fangchi had fair skin, and a red, swollen mark from the cable was visible on his leg, as if he had been abused. Zhou Zheng’s eyes widened momentarily, and he murmured, “I didn’t mean to…”

Lu Fangchi didn’t give him a chance to finish and strode towards the door.

Zhou Zheng, still seated on the sofa, instinctively reached out to grab Lu Fangchi. The mark on his wrist was tightly gripped, causing pain that made Lu Fangchi furrow his brows. Before he could say anything, Zhou Zheng immediately let go.

The alpha clenched his teeth and asked, “Don’t you have anything to explain to me?” His tone was harsh, but his expression was on the verge of tears, his eyes red and his nose tip flushed.

Why was he making that face? Lu Fangchi frowned uncomfortably and replied honestly, “No.”

Zhou Zheng gritted his teeth and said slowly, “You danced on the pole at the bar.”

It was him, and Lu Fangchi nodded. It was his personal freedom.

“You let someone shady hug you.”

The term “shady” didn’t sound pleasant, but it seemed accurate. So what?

“If I hadn’t shown up, would you have gone to a hotel room?”

Zhou Zheng’s eyes were almost dripping with hatred.

That wouldn’t have happened, but it had nothing to do with him. Lu Fangchi wasn’t about to give the alpha an answer and simply countered, “What are you trying to say?”

“Did you consider my feelings at all?” Zhou Zheng’s expression seemed about to collapse.

This question stunned Lu Fangchi. Reviewing their conversation, he finally realized the implication: Zhou Zheng’s questions were all based on the identity of a boyfriend.

“I don’t seem to need to consider your feelings.” In other words, who are you?

Understanding Lu Fangchi’s implication, Zhou Zheng, with red eyes, emphasized his identity: “I am your partner!”

That was interesting. A month ago, it was Zhou Zheng who left without saying goodbye. Having shared a bed for more than half a year, Lu Fangchi could easily predict Zhou Zheng’s irrational logic.

• Lu: Didn’t we break up?
• Zhou: Who said that? Did you say it? Did I?
• Lu: You left without a word after regaining your memory. Isn’t that an implicit agreement?
• Zhou: Did I say we broke up?
• Lu: Then when you came back to move your things, that meant we broke up, right?
• Zhou: I never said we broke up.

In Zhou Zheng’s logic, if it wasn’t said, it didn’t happen. Stubbornly, he used to indulge his partner’s petty antics, finding them endearing, a spice in their relationship, a form of intimacy. But not everything could be glossed over with this logic, at least not this time.

Lu Fangchi didn’t want to engage in a pointless back-and-forth with Zhou Zheng. He got straight to the point: “You’re not anymore. We’re breaking up.”

“I don’t agree!”

“Suit yourself.” I’m just informing you. Lu Fangchi turned to leave.

Zhou Zheng stepped in front of the door to block his way, his eyes frighteningly red, but his words still firm: “You think he’s cuter!”

What was he talking about? Lu Fangchi frowned.

On the brink of an emotional breakdown, Zhou Zheng began to growl: “What’s so cute about him? He’s melodramatic and cries easily. Just because he’s a bit sweet-talking, you think he’s cute!”

Lu Fangchi finally understood what he was getting at. Was he playing mind games, comparing himself to someone else?

But come to think of it… Did Zhou Zheng really have no clear understanding of himself? Lu Fangchi couldn’t help but retort, “Isn’t that true?”

The fact that Lu Fangchi was actually defending him was like a match to Zhou Zheng’s powder keg. His sensual, full lips parted, and he spat out increasingly cutting remarks: “Then you’re just too gullible.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the alpha regretted it. He pursed his lips, trying to make amends. The usually calm and indifferent Lu Fangchi suddenly exploded, stepping forward and grabbing Zhou Zheng’s collar. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “What did you say?”

Zhou Zheng felt a wave of pressure, his legs going weak and uncontrollably wanting to kneel. A thin layer of sweat formed at his temples, and the faint scent of lotus that washed over him made it hard to breathe.

Lu Fangchi was using pheromones to attack him. This realization was incredibly disheartening for Zhou Zheng.

He had vaguely sensed before that Lu Fangchi was a step above him, but Lu Fangchi had always let him have his way. When had he ever used pheromones to suppress him?

No, it wasn’t that he let him have his way; it was that he had been holding him back. Zhou Zheng’s heart felt like it was being squeezed and brutally twisted in someone’s hand. It was so bitter that his eyes blurred, and he could hardly see Lu Fangchi’s face. Knowing it was a forbidden zone, he still couldn’t help but jump into it again, blurting out even more cutting words: “You are too gullible! A little bit of tears can make you soft-hearted! Your liking isn’t anything special!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhou Zheng’s face twisted to the left, and he tasted a hint of blood in his mouth. He raised his hand to rub his burning right cheek, but before he could say anything, more punches came flying at him.

The punches thrown by the high-ranking alpha with all his might were not to be underestimated. At first, Zhou Zheng just raised his hands to dodge, but eventually, he couldn’t hold back and started to block and fight back.

It was a lopsided fight, with Lu Fangchi’s punches being too fierce. He fought while saying, “He is cuter than you, a thousand times over.”

Lu Fangchi’s chest heaved violently as his emotions surged out like a floodgate had been opened, spewing out senseless and hurtful words: “You are selfish and malicious, while he is sincere and romantic. When you are angry, I have to drop my work to appease you, but he can cook a meal and wait for me to come home together.”

Lu Fangchi saw the light in Zhou Zheng’s eyes shatter into pieces, and a strange sense of pleasure rose in his heart. “You only know how to stubbornly argue without meaning, while he can softly ask me if I could like him a little more.”

“You overfed my koi fish, while he gave me a fireworks program for the New Year’s countdown.”

“He pretends to be cute even though he is afraid of ghosts, charmingly superstitious about the symbolism of playing in the snow together until our hair turns white, cute when he stands up for me when he is sick, cute when he celebrates my birthday, cute when he drinks, cute when he acts coquettish, cute when he is angry. He is cute everywhere. He is a cute ghost, and you are a detestable ghost, detestable everywhere!”

Lu Fangchi felt a slight pain in his eyes and frowned tightly to suppress it, summarizing, “So you have no right to judge. Shut up.”

“Okay… okay, I’ll shut up,” Zhou Zheng raised his hands in surrender, his face full of caution, shrinking his neck and whispering, “I won’t say anything anymore. But you, don’t cry…”