FIO CH59

Chapter 59: Will You Take Responsibility for Me?

Lu Fangchi was almost amused by his own irritation. How could he possibly admit to such a thing? If the emperor isn’t in a hurry, why should the eunuch be? Since Zhou Zheng himself didn’t seem to care, Lu Fangchi decided to let things be. He nodded, “OK, do as you please.” With that, he stepped aside.

Zhou Zheng left without looking back.

The sound of the door closing made Lu Fangchi’s heart tremble. He stood there, hands on hips, pacing back and forth, his brows furrowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and his molars clenched. He was far from the calm exterior he was projecting.

Within just two minutes, Lu Fangchi couldn’t hold back any longer and quickly strode out after him.

He hated being threatened, but he had a feeling that Zhou Zheng wasn’t joking. Forget it, what was the point of arguing with him?

As Lu Fangchi opened the door, he was met with Zhou Zheng, who stood there like a stick. The alpha seemed surprised that he had opened the door, his dim eyes flashing with astonishment, quickly followed by a sheen of moisture. Tears began to fall like broken beads, pattering down and turning his eyes bright red in an instant.

Lu Fangchi pursed his lips and reached out to pull the tearful Zhou Zheng back into the entrance hall.

The alpha cried fiercely but stopped just as quickly. He furrowed his sword-like brows, trying hard to suppress the sourness, wiped the corners of his eyes with his hand, and asked stubbornly, “Are you going to take responsibility for me now?”

Only then did Lu Fangchi notice the mark on Zhou Zheng’s right hand, where it had been pinched by the door. It hadn’t healed yet; the swelling was gone, but the bruised area was still a purplish-blue, needing time to recover.

Perhaps because Lu Fangchi hadn’t answered for a while, Zhou Zheng visibly grew anxious. His brows furrowed tightly as he urgently sought confirmation: “You opened the door, looked for me, and pulled me in. You’re ready to take responsibility for me, right?”

He seemed terrified that Lu Fangchi would say “no.” His plump, pouting lips turned downward in a sullen expression, his eyes reddening again with urgency. His helpless demeanor looked pitiful.

Lu Fangchi’s heart pounded, beat after beat. The steel-reinforced glass encasing his heart cracked, the fissures spreading like a spider’s web until it finally shattered.

Admit it, you can’t stand to see his tearful eyes.

Lu Fangchi clenched his fists, watching as Zhou Zheng extended his injured right hand and tugged at his sleeve, cautiously seeking an answer, “Right?”

Alright, Lu Fangchi took a deep breath and decided not to torment himself any longer. He looked into Zhou Zheng’s eyes and finally relented: “Stop lying to me.”

Zhou Zheng’s tears fell before the answer, his eyes blinking rapidly as large, glistening tears dropped. This time, they were tears of joy. The alpha nodded vigorously and hugged Lu Fangchi tightly, crying out “Ugh” sounds.

The person in front of him trembled with sobs, and a damp spot spread on his shoulder. Lu Fangchi reached out and hugged him back, gently patting the alpha’s broad back to soothe him with pheromones.

After about three or four minutes, the alpha’s crying gradually subsided and stopped. He sniffed, his voice heavy with a nasal tone, “Apart from lying about when I regained my memory, I haven’t deceived you about anything else.”

“I didn’t play around, nor did I do it on purpose. I’m not like that,” Zhou Zheng paused, then added, “I’ve always liked you.”

Only then did Lu Fangchi understand what Zhou Zheng was explaining from that night when he had questioned him.

“Hmm,” Lu Fangchi lowered his eyelids, not sure whether to believe it or not, and responded, “It’s all in the past.”

After the extreme highs and lows, Zhou Zheng grew weak again, his steps floating as if he might fall.

Lu Fangchi urged Zhou Zheng to quickly take a hot shower and then go to bed. The alpha nodded listlessly.

The bathroom door opened, and the room was filled with steam. Zhou Zheng emerged from the bath, his hair tips still dripping water.

Lu Fangchi looked at him and said, “Dry your hair.” As he spoke, he got up and walked to the bathroom, took out a hairdryer from the drawer of the washbasin, and returned to the bedroom.

Zhou Zheng sat on the edge of the bed and obediently dried his hair until it was half-dry. Lu Fangchi turned on the hairdryer and helped him finish drying his hair.

After about ten minutes, Lu Fangchi felt the hair in his hand become dry and fluffy, and he turned off the hairdryer.

His gaze fell on the gauze on the back of the alpha’s neck. He reached out and touched it; it wasn’t wet.

Zhou Zheng, feeling the movement, turned his head and looked at Lu Fangchi, his eyebrows slightly raised with a hint of pride, “I was especially careful when I took a shower just now.”

“Hmm,” Lu Fangchi responded, winding the cord of the hairdryer around his hand, circle after circle. He casually asked, “Does it hurt?”

Zhou Zheng pouted, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with grievance, and he exaggeratedly nodded, “It hurts.” He then wrapped his arms around Lu Fangchi’s waist, buried his face in his stomach, and took a deep sniff.

The culprit, Lu Fangchi, wasn’t sure what to say. He reached up and pinched Zhou Zheng’s ear.

Zhou Zheng’s face rubbed back and forth, and he mumbled, negotiating, “Could you be gentler next time?”

There wouldn’t be a next time. Lu Fangchi pushed him away and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

Zhou Zheng lifted his head, his hands still around Lu Fangchi’s waist, his expression reluctant. He wanted to stick to Lu Fangchi every single moment without parting.

“Be good,” Lu Fangchi said.

“Okay,” Zhou Zheng replied in a very soft voice, then added, “But hurry back.”

“Alright,” Lu Fangchi nodded, taking the hairdryer and heading towards the bathroom.

After a long day outside and a trip to the hospital, Lu Fangchi felt like he was covered in germs. He washed meticulously, not missing a single spot from head to toe, but he did speed up the process. About twenty minutes later, he emerged from the shower.

He dried his body, put on a robe, and used a dry towel to wipe his head. He plugged in the hairdryer, then unplugged it again.

Forget it, he’d dry his hair outside.

Lu Fangchi took the hairdryer to the bedroom and found Zhou Zheng already nestled into the bed, fast asleep with his eyes closed.

Lu Fangchi walked quietly to the bedside and looked down at the sleeping alpha. He probably hadn’t been resting well lately; there was a bluish hue under his eyes, and he was even snoring, which only happened when someone was extremely tired.

Lu Fangchi reached up and turned off the overhead light, leaving only a dim orange bedside lamp on. He took the hairdryer and turned back to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Lu Fangchi had dried his hair and tiptoed back to the bed, lifting the covers and slipping in.

Before he could even warm up the spot, Zhou Zheng wriggled over, still with his eyes closed, and pressed himself against Lu Fangchi’s side. He draped his arm over Lu Fangchi’s legs, tucked his hand under the other leg, and held on tightly.

He let out a couple of “hums” without opening his eyes.

Lu Fangchi reached out and pinched his earlobe, releasing a burst of pheromones to help him sleep more soundly. Then he reached for the phone on the nightstand, planning to catch up on the news before drifting off to sleep.
As soon as he swiped open the screen, the floating window flipped quickly, revealing that someone had sent him many messages.

Lu Fangchi clicked to check them:

20:01, Sui Zhuoyang: I’m home.

20:02, Sui Zhuoyang: I have a question to ask you.

20:30, Sui Zhuoyang: Where are you?

21:10, Sui Zhuoyang: [Smile]

Five minutes ago, 21:30, Sui Zhuoyang: The doctor said you guys need to be restrained!!!

Three exclamation marks were enough to express his feelings.

Lu Fangchi extracted the relevant information and, citing the second message, replied: What question?

Sui Zhuoyang almost instantly replied: Are you done?

…… Lu Fangchi raised his hand to type a response, but two white message boxes quickly popped up on the screen.

Sui Zhuoyang: How about AA relationships?

Sui Zhuoyang: You’re the dominant one, right? Is it comfortable?

If anyone else had asked this question, it would be considered sexual harassment. Lu Fangchi:.

Lu Fangchi: What’s the real question?

Sui Zhuoyang: Oh, it’s about a friend of mine.

A classic start to gossip, Lu Fangchi raised his eyebrows slightly and continued reading.

Sui Zhuoyang: When he studied abroad, he met an omega who was weak and cried easily, couldn’t do anything well, and was ridiculed by classmates as “dark batch.” My friend, having been bullied as a child, felt a sense of empathy and became friends with this omega.

Oh, it’s almost like he’s talking about himself without naming names.

Lu Fangchi saw through it but didn’t say anything: And then?

Sui Zhuoyang: Then they became friends, got closer, and even moved into the same apartment. The omega was actually quite capable, proficient in laundry, cooking, and cleaning. He was soft and fragrant, and when he cried, his nose and eyes would turn red, like a little white rabbit. You know… it’s natural for an alpha to like an omega.

Hmm… it sounds like that’s the case, but there are some preconditions, and Lu Fangchi felt that things weren’t that simple.

He tapped on the screen and typed three words: What happened next?

Sui Zhuoyang: The result! woc, he turned out to be an alpha. The omega transformed into an alpha, and his… you know… was bigger than my friend’s. Isn’t that terrifying?!

Whoa, Lu Fangchi raised his eyebrows in surprise. He asked the question on his mind: But omegas and alphas are quite different. Is he shorter than your friend?

Sui Zhuoyang:……

Sui Zhuoyang: A little bit taller.

Sui Zhuoyang: By two or three centimeters.

Lu Fangchi thought about Sui Zhuoyang’s height, estimating he was just over 180 cm. If he was two or three centimeters taller, that would be between 184 and 186 cm. That’s quite tall, with distinct alpha features.

Sui Zhuoyang: He is tall, but there are also tall omegas. The main thing is that he’s as thin as a bamboo pole. Once he takes off his clothes, he transforms completely, looking as strong as a bullfrog. Can you imagine that?

…… To be honest, Lu Fangchi: I can’t.

Sui Zhuoyang: Right! Who could imagine that? The most important thing is that he never emitted the aggressiveness of alpha pheromones and instead had a scent that belonged to an omega. My friend often released a provocative scent to attract him, and he looked very much enjoying it. Alphas usually fight when they smell each other’s pheromones. So he’s really strange.

He is a bit strange, like he had a hidden agenda. Lu Fangchi asked: Do you like him?

Sui Zhuoyang: How to put it……

Sui Zhuoyang seemed very conflicted. The “typing…” indicator showed for a long time before four words popped up: Maybe a little.

Sui Zhuoyang: It’s my friend, he said it.

Trying to cover up, Lu Fangchi smiled and replied: There’s nothing wrong with AA relationships. As long as you’re attracted to each other, it doesn’t matter if the person is an omega, beta, or alpha. But this is just my personal opinion. It also depends on what your friend thinks.

Sui Zhuoyang: He’s a super straight A.

Lu Fangchi cited the previous “maybe a little” and replied: Then doesn’t that mean he likes him?

Sui Zhuoyang: It seems so.

Sui Zhuoyang took two seconds to accept that he had been bent, and asked: Then do you think my friend has a good chance of being the dominant one? It’s not about being embarrassed or not; it’s his last bit of stubbornness. I don’t see you being taller than Zhou Zheng, but you still took the dominant position. So there’s still a chance, right?

This needs to be based on the actual situation, such as the level of pheromones, as well as the thoughts and personalities of both parties, and who is willing to make compromises. More straightforwardly, it’s about who has a bigger… you know… and who is stronger, able to gain… Lu Fangchi hadn’t finished his message when a hand grabbed the phone and turned off the screen.

Zhou Zheng had opened his eyes at some point, his sword-like brows furrowed, and said somewhat domineeringly: “No more playing.”

Lu Fangchi bargained: “Just let me reply to the last one.”

“No way,” Zhou Zheng forcefully took the phone and placed it on the bedside table, his face moving closer to Lu Fangchi’s, “You’re mine.” With that, he leaned in…