FIO CH64

Chapter 64: Do You Feel Sorry for Me?

The electronic prompt sounded, “Exit on the far right lane of the xx Highway. The estimated arrival time to the destination is still fifteen minutes away.”

Lu Fangchi signaled right and changed lanes, exiting the highway. Likely due to the remote location, there were only two lanes in total, and at this time, there wasn’t a single car on the road; even the safety officer at the window seemed drowsy.

Lu Fangchi followed the artificial intelligence navigation, which led him onto a one-way side road after leaving the toll booth. Surrounded by trees and ridges on both sides, it was truly a rural lane.

He glanced towards the horizon, where the rising sun quietly painted the sky a gentle pink. Lu Fangchi rolled down the car window, allowing the fresh air to dispel the fatigue of the night.

Indeed, Lu Fangchi had packed his things last night and drove straight to the address given by Liu Zhu. Looking back, he felt a bit impulsive, but he didn’t regret it.

“Destination reached. Navigation ended.” As the electronic prompt sounded, Lu Fangchi slowed down and parked by the roadside.

There were many short, flat houses in front and behind, but it was impossible to tell which one was the right one. In the countryside, precise positioning was probably not feasible. Lu Fangchi took out his phone and checked the time: half past four in the morning.

He did something he had never done in his life—made a harassing call to Zhou Zheng at this absurd hour.

Just one call; if it wasn’t answered, that would be the end of it.

“Beep—beep—beep—…” After three rings, the call was answered.

“What’s up, at this hour?” Zhou Zheng’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

“Come pick me up,” Lu Fangchi said concisely.

“What……” The alpha didn’t finish his sentence before being interrupted by Lu Fangchi again, “Longhe Street. I’m parked by the roadside with my hazard lights on. Come pick me up.”

As soon as Lu Fangchi finished speaking, he heard a “thud,” as if the phone had fallen to the ground, followed by a series of “creak” noises and heavy breathing.

After another few minutes, probably three or four, a tall figure appeared on the road illuminated by the car’s headlights, running quickly towards him.

Lu Fangchi had just unbuckled his seatbelt, preparing to get out of the car, when the tall figure reached the side of the car. The figure pressed a hand on the car door, panting heavily and looking up to meet Lu Fangchi’s gaze—it was Zhou Zheng.

Lu Fangchi unlocked the car, and Zhou Zheng got in. He carried the scent of morning dew. Lu Fangchi saw his current state: his hair was tousled and sticking up, his eyes were bloodshot and filled with red veins, the area under his eyes was dark, and his chin was covered with stubble, as if he hadn’t slept for days.

Lu Fangchi’s sudden appearance brought Zhou Zheng great joy. His eyes sparkled as he wanted to say something, but he was silenced by Lu Fangchi’s slightly furrowed brows.

The atmosphere became silent. The alpha pursed his lips into a straight line and lowered his eyelids.

Lu Fangchi hadn’t come to make a fuss. Seeing Zhou Zheng’s disheveled appearance, a wave of bitterness welled up inside him. He reached out and wrapped his arms around the alpha’s sturdy waist, answering the question from the phone call and explaining his presence, “I missed you, so I came to find you.”

At first, Zhou Zheng’s body was stiff, but it relaxed after just a couple of seconds. He buried his head in Lu Fangchi’s neck, reached out to hug him back, and his grip tightened.

Zhou Zheng’s hold was a bit too tight, and Lu Fangchi felt like he couldn’t breathe, as if his ribs were about to be crushed. Just as he was about to push him away a bit, the grip around his waist suddenly loosened. The alpha buried his forehead in Lu Fangchi’s neck, rubbing it affectionately and whispering, “I’m sorry…”

Here we go again, too little, too late. Lu Fangchi pinched his earlobe and said, “So are you going to explain yourself?”

The alpha hummed and rubbed his face against Lu Fangchi’s neck, acting coquettish and trying to get away with it by being cute.

Lu Fangchi wasn’t buying it. He pushed Zhou Zheng’s restless head away and said with a hint of disdain, “It tickles.”

Zhou Zheng touched his unshaven chin, which hadn’t been shaved for two days, and it felt rough. He looked around with his eyes, mischievously leaned in, and deliberately rubbed his stubble against Lu Fangchi.

Lu Fangchi found it both annoying and amusing. He pushed the alpha’s face away, saying with a mix of irritation and amusement, “Stop it. How childish can you get?”

“Who told you to dislike my stubble,” Zhou Zheng grumbled.

“It tickles and you still complain,” Lu Fangchi retorted with a raised eyebrow, “So, back to my question, you still haven’t answered.”

The atmosphere instantly became heavy again. Zhou Zheng stopped smiling, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he licked his lips and softly said, “Can we not talk about it?”

Lu Fangchi didn’t respond, his eyes clearly asking, “What do you think?”

Seeing Lu Fangchi’s earnest expression, Zhou Zheng knew he couldn’t avoid it this time. He sat up straight, averted his gaze, and rubbed his nose, pretending to be nonchalant as he said, “My mom passed away.”

Lu Fangchi’s pupils contracted slightly, and he opened his mouth, not expecting such an answer.

The alpha let out a bitter laugh and continued, “It happened just the day before yesterday. I was about to leave work when I got the call, and I rushed back immediately.”
“The cause of death is quite absurd,” the alpha said, wiping his face with his hand. “She died in a man’s bed, which is particularly disgraceful. How am I supposed to tell you about it?”

Lu Fangchi’s eyebrows furrowed as he listened to Zhou Zheng continue, “I was planning to quickly finish up and go back, but I really can’t stand these feudal remnants in the countryside.” His chest heaved as he took a deep breath and explained in a few words, “We have this thing called ‘joyful mourning’ here, where we hire people to play drums, gongs, and suona horns. But she was too young for that.”

Zhou Zheng’s eyes turned red as he recalled the situation, and his breathing became heavier as he spoke, “They said she liked that kind of thing, that she was always showy and loved the excitement when she was young. I feel like I’m being unfilial for not even allowing her to have that.”

The alpha’s palm clenched into a fist, “They did it on purpose, just to be恶心(nauseating). Yes, I admit she deserved it to some extent, but she was still……”

Zhou Zheng couldn’t continue and summarized, “Anyway, I argued with them and even smashed my phone.”

He took out a phone of an unknown brand from his pocket and showed it to Lu Fangchi as proof, unable to help but complain quietly, “I was out of contact for two days because I didn’t have a phone. The first thing I did after buying a new one was to find you, but you……didn’t……reply……to……me……”

Zhou Zheng’s voice grew quieter and eventually died in his throat. This was because he saw Lu Fangchi’s long eyelashes blinking rapidly, and those beautiful eyes were now covered with a layer of crystalline moisture. A single glance downward caused a large, transparent, round pearl to fall.

What was going on? Zhou Zheng was very flustered for a moment, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet, and he didn’t dare to ask why Lu Fangchi was crying. In the end, he could only reach out and pull him into his arms.

Zhou Zheng felt the wetness on his chest; he was truly crying. The alpha’s eyebrows were tightly furrowed as he gently patted Lu Fangchi’s back to comfort him.

After about five minutes, Lu Fangchi felt better. He pushed against Zhou Zheng’s chest with his hand, creating some distance between them, and said with a red nose tip, “I’m hungry.”

Usually, Lu Fangchi kept his emotions in check, and his feelings were always subdued. The only two times he had cried were the last time and now. Each time he cried, Zhou Zheng felt utterly helpless. He would do anything Lu Fangchi asked, even if it meant plucking the stars from the sky and giving them to him.

Hearing Lu Fangchi say he was hungry, Zhou Zheng quickly said, “Let’s go eat. How about rice noodles? There are also fried dough sticks, buns, and pan-fried dumplings.”

Lu Fangchi wasn’t picky and nodded in agreement.

“Then get out of the car and let me drive,” Zhou Zheng said, lifting his chin.

The two switched places, with Zhou Zheng taking the driver’s seat and Lu Fangchi moving to the passenger seat.

The countryside was small, with narrow roads that were barely wide enough for two cars to pass. When they met another vehicle, they had to back up to a corner to let the other pass. The upside was that it was only a short drive to their destination. The rural people were hardworking, and even at this hour, they could quickly serve a hot meal.

Zhou Zheng ordered a large amount of food: rice noodles as the main dish, and a serving each of fried dough sticks, buns, and pan-fried dumplings, filling the table.

Lu Fangchi said he was hungry, but he actually ate very little, stopping after just a few bites and watching Zhou Zheng eat heartily.

After hearing Lu Fangchi say he was full, Zhou Zheng casually moved the bowl of rice noodles in front of him to his own side, slurped it up in a few bites, and then quickly finished the rest of the food on the table.

After the meal, the initial joy of their reunion had faded, and Zhou Zheng regained his senses. Looking at Lu Fangchi’s eyes, which were bloodshot, he asked, “Did you drive all night to get here?”

“Mm-hmm,” Lu Fangchi admitted.

“Are you tired?” Zhou Zheng got up to pay the bill, noticing that Lu Fangchi was also standing up and walking to his side, reaching out to hold his left hand.

He replied, “Tired.”

Zhou Zheng held Lu Fangchi’s hand, interlocking their fingers tightly, and led him out of the breakfast shop. He couldn’t help but caress the smooth back of Lu Fangchi’s hand with his fingers. Why was Lu Fangchi being so docile right now…?

Zhou Zheng took Lu Fangchi to the most expensive hotel in town and booked a room. Although it couldn’t compare to a five-star hotel, it was said to have very good accommodation conditions for such a backward rural area.

Zhou Zheng, with one hand pulling the suitcase and the other holding Lu Fangchi’s hand, took the elevator upstairs to find the room.

Since earlier, Lu Fangchi had been very clingy. When Zhou Zheng was busy with the suitcase or paying, he didn’t make a sound, but as soon as Zhou Zheng was free, he would hold his hand again. Of course, Zhou Zheng also enjoyed this feeling.

“Ding,” the room card was swiped to enter. The room’s cleanliness was much better than expected, and the hardware facilities were not bad either, living up to the “luxurious” label on the door frame outside.

Lu Fangchi and Zhou Zheng went into the bathroom one after the other to take a shower. After coming out of the bath, Zhou Zheng dried Lu Fangchi’s hair, adjusted the lighting to a soft glow mode, tucked the blanket around him, and patted him gently, saying, “Sleep now.”

After driving all night, Lu Fangchi was so tired that his eyes could hardly stay open, but he still reached out and grabbed Zhou Zheng’s wrist, which was resting on the edge of the bed, and asked, “Are you leaving?”

…Technically, he was supposed to leave. The body was to be kept in an ice coffin at home for three days before cremation, and Zhou Zheng, as the only son, had to stay by its side to receive the aunts and uncles who came to mourn.

But with Lu Fangchi looking at him like that, how could he leave?

After hesitating for two or three seconds, Zhou Zheng gave up struggling, lifted the blanket, and got into the other half of the bed, “Not leaving, sleep now.”

Lu Fangchi moved closer to Zhou Zheng, resting his head on Zhou Zheng’s shoulder. The alpha naturally opened his arms, wrapped them around Lu Fangchi, tilted his head, and nestled close to him.

After a while, in a drowsy state, a thought crossed Zhou Zheng’s mind, and he said, “Do you feel sorry for me?”