FIO CH67

Chapter 67: Pat the Fur, No Frightening

Lu Fangchi raised an eyebrow, his eyes carrying a hint of intrigue.

Seeing the expression on Lu Fangchi’s face, Zhou Zheng felt extremely guilty. His plump lips pouted slightly, and he casually jiggled his wrist as he hurriedly said, “Really.”

Afraid that Lu Fangchi wouldn’t believe him, he grabbed Lu Fangchi’s hand and placed it on his forehead, saying, “I have a headache.”

Lu Fangchi checked the temperature; it was normal. He was just pretending. His fingers curled, and without mercy, he flicked Zhou Zheng’s forehead, producing a “pop” sound, “You’re such a joker.”

Realizing his trick had been seen through, Zhou Zheng raised his hand to cover his forehead and dramatically let out an “Ouch,” as he lay back in the chair.

Lu Fangchi knew he was pretending, but still reached out to tug at his arm. Zhou Zheng feigned unhappiness, covering his forehead and lightly shaking his arm.

He had quite the temper. Lu Fangchi couldn’t help but chuckle, leaning in to coax in a low voice, “Let me see if it’s red.”

After a few more seconds of pretending, Zhou Zheng reluctantly took his hand away.

Seeing the alpha’s antics, Lu Fangchi’s mischievous side took over. He raised his hand and flicked his forehead again, producing a “thud” sound, and this time it really turned red.

A miscalculation. Lu Fangchi quickly bent down and kissed Zhou Zheng’s still-dazed forehead, then ruffled his hair, cooing, “Pat the fur, no frightening.”

The alpha, now realizing what had happened, pushed away Lu Fangchi’s hand with a huff, his face full of discontent, “You’re so annoying.” He then dramatically turned away, ignoring him.

Lu Fangchi laughed, reaching out to touch him, but the alpha shrugged his shoulders, not allowing it.

“Leave me alone,” he said indignantly.

Lu Fangchi’s eyes curved into crescents. Knowing he wouldn’t be cheered up anytime soon, he lightly pursed his lips and restarted the car.

Zhou Zheng had spoken those words, but he was actually waiting to be coaxed. However, he hadn’t expected Lu Fangchi to really leave him alone. He glanced up at the glass, which reflected Lu Fangchi’s focused expression as he drove, showing no intention of paying attention to him.

Zhou Zheng pouted and made a show of moving around, trying to create some noise to get Lu Fangchi’s attention. Lu Fangchi, however, ignored him and simply turned up the air conditioning to make the air warmer.

The warm and cozy atmosphere, combined with the slight swaying of the car, made Zhou Zheng gradually close his eyes and fall asleep.

Zhou Zheng slept for a long time, and deeply. He didn’t even wake up when Lu Fangchi stopped at a service area to use the restroom. He slept all the way until they reached the apartment building. As soon as the car stopped, he jolted awake as if he had stepped into a void in his dream, his leg jerking and his eyes snapping open in surprise.

The alpha sat up straight like a carp jumping out of water, beads of sweat forming on his temples. He rubbed his swollen temples and heard a clear and gentle inquiry, “Did you have a nightmare?”

Zhou Zheng looked towards Lu Fangchi, still shaken, and nodded, responding in a low, hoarse voice, “Yeah.”

Lu Fangchi opened the thermos, poured a small cup of hot water, and handed it to the alpha, saying, “Warm up a bit.”

Zhou Zheng took it and took a couple of sips. The car was parked, and he looked outside; it was a familiar area.

“Are we here?” the alpha asked, somewhat surprised, “What time is it?”

“Half past twelve,” Lu Fangchi replied.

They had set off at a little after five in the morning, and it had been over seven hours now. The timing seemed about right.

“I actually slept for so long,” Zhou Zheng muttered.

The alpha sipped the warm water slowly, dragging out the moment. But even the smallest cup of water would eventually be finished. Once the cup was completely empty, Zhou Zheng reluctantly handed it back to Lu Fangchi.

Lu Fangchi took it, wiped the lid dry with a couple of tissues, and screwed it back onto the thermos. He heard Zhou Zheng say, “I just had a nightmare.”

Lu Fangchi looked at him and nodded, pretending not to understand, “I see, but you’re so strong, could you be afraid?”

This flattery elevated Zhou Zheng to a certain height. It wouldn’t have been a problem to admit being afraid, but Lu Fangchi hadn’t agreed from the start. Now, having driven all the way to his apartment building, it was likely that nothing would happen.

Not getting what he wanted, he still had to save face. Zhou Zheng swallowed his words and raised his chin, “Of course not.”

“Thought so,” Lu Fangchi nodded, then shrugged, “We’re here.”

“Oh,” Zhou Zheng felt a sense of helplessness, got out of the car, and went to the trunk to take out his luggage.

He pulled the suitcase around to the driver’s side, intending to say goodbye to Lu Fangchi, but to his surprise, Lu Fangchi got out of the car as well. The car lights flashed a few times and then locked.

Zhou Zheng blinked, stunned in place.

Lu Fangchi raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “After driving for such a long time, it’s not too much to rest at your place, right?”

Zhou Zheng regained his ability to speak and nodded vigorously in agreement, “Not at all, not at all, it’s very reasonable.” He was more than happy to oblige.

Zhou Zheng, holding the suitcase in one hand and Lu Fangchi’s hand in the other, walked cheerfully towards the apartment building.

Lu Fangchi looked at the alpha’s joyful back and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. What a silly boy.

The timing of the two previous visits had been wrong, both rushed and without time to experience anything. This time, as soon as they entered the entrance hall, Zhou Zheng bent down and took out a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet, placing them in front of him—one dark blue and one dark green.

Meeting Lu Fangchi’s inquisitive gaze, Zhou Zheng scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, “New ones, I bought them specially for you. I always thought you might come by one day and need them.”

Lu Fangchi changed into the slippers and followed Zhou Zheng into the living room, where he sat on the sofa. Zhou Zheng put down the suitcase, took off his coat, and went to the kitchen to busy himself, asking, “Coffee, juice, or milk?”

After driving for so long, he couldn’t stomach anything. “Just warm water,” Lu Fangchi replied.
After about a minute, Zhou Zheng walked over to the sofa with two mugs in hand.

Lu Fangchi raised an eyebrow. The mugs in the alpha’s hands could perhaps be described as “kawaii.” They were two bright yellow, plump, banana-like figures hugging each other, topped with red lids—one lid had green dots, and the other was white. The mugs were adorned with different expressions, and one had a >o< face.

They were a pair of couple’s mugs. Zhou Zheng handed one to Lu Fangchi and began sipping from the other with the >o< face.

…Alright, not bad, quite playful. Lu Fangchi tugged at the corners of his lips and took a couple of sips.

About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang with a “ding-dong ding-dong.” Zhou Zheng, puzzled about who could be visiting at this hour, headed towards the entrance hall.

Lu Fangchi realized and said, “It’s probably the takeout I ordered.”

Zhou Zheng nodded, opened the door, and sure enough, it was the delivery. The alpha brought in a large bag of takeout and placed it on the dining table, unpacking it one by one. Lu Fangchi had ordered home-style dishes—three meat dishes, two vegetables, and a soup, all heavy on the meat.

The aroma wafted through the air, making their stomachs growl with hunger. Zhou Zheng gestured for Lu Fangchi to come over and eat quickly.

Both of them were famished and quickly devoured the five dishes and one soup. After eating, their stomachs began to feel bloated, and they lay sprawled on the sofa.

To be precise, Lu Fangchi was sitting, while Zhou Zheng lay down, using his lap as a pillow. With his right hand, Zhou Zheng rubbed his stomach and complained in a low voice, “I’m so full.”

Lu Fangchi glanced down at him and said, “You shouldn’t have eaten so much.”

Zhou Zheng’s lips were coated with honey as he nuzzled his face against Lu Fangchi’s abdomen and began to speak sweetly, “You’re so appetizing. I couldn’t help but eat more when I looked at you.”

Lu Fangchi’s lips twitched, and he reached out to touch the alpha’s coarse hair, curling the ends around his fingers and letting them fall to Zhou Zheng’s earlobes, which he pinched gently. He then said, “You overate, that’s all. Don’t blame it on me.”

“Just being honest,” Zhou Zheng replied, his eyes closing in contentment as he wrapped his arm around Lu Fangchi’s waist and hugged him tightly.

“Shall I get you some digestive tablets?” Lu Fangchi suggested.

Zhou Zheng, genuinely feeling full, nodded and mumbled, “The medicine box is in the study.”

About two seconds later, Zhou Zheng’s eyes suddenly snapped open, and he quickly sat up like a carp jumping out of water, grabbing Lu Fangchi who was just getting up.

The alpha had a strong grip, and Lu Fangchi, caught off guard, was pulled back down onto the sofa. He looked puzzled and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Zhou Zheng’s alarm bells were ringing. His eyes blinked rapidly, he licked his lips, and his expression was quite unnatural. “It’s nothing, no need for digestive tablets. I’ll just get up and move around,” he said, then stood up and began to stretch and kick his legs, performing a hundred and eight fake movements within three minutes.

Seeing Lu Fangchi’s puzzled and slightly furrowed brows, Zhou Zheng gave up the act and pushed him towards the bathroom to wash up. “Are you tired? You must be exhausted from driving for so long. Take a hot shower and go to bed,” he said.

Half-heartedly resisting, Lu Fangchi was pushed into the bathroom. He noticed that everything in there was also in pairs—cups, toothbrushes, towels, and even his usual brand of toiletries were all prepared.

He didn’t know when Zhou Zheng had secretly prepared all this, but it was thoughtful. Feeling a bit weary, Lu Fangchi began to undress.

Zhou Zheng’s figure lingered suspiciously outside the bathroom door for a good while. Only after hearing the sound of water running did he tiptoe and quickly move away. Still uneasy, he kept looking back like a thief, ensuring that Lu Fangchi wouldn’t follow him.

Feeling like a thief, Zhou Zheng hurried into the study and locked the door. He took a deep breath, walked over to the bookshelf, and looked at the photos from top to bottom. From elementary school, where Lu Fangchi was already unforgettable in his delicate good looks; to junior high, where he was a spirited teenager with a bright smile and rosy lips; to high school, where he became more reserved, with a youthful and charming face that still made one’s heart flutter; to college, where he grew into a dazzling young man, a light that one could chase for a lifetime.

Zhou Zheng gently touched these photos with his hand, lingering the longest on the photo of Lu Fangchi from junior high, his eyes filled with countless thoughts. Then, he piled the photo frames together and locked them in the safe.

The moment he locked it, Zhou Zheng opened it again, kissed the face of the Lu Fangchi in the top photo of the two of them, and then firmly locked it once more.

As soon as he left the study, he ran into Lu Fangchi at the door. Zhou Zheng, who had just been sneaking around, felt so guilty that his hair seemed to stand on end.

Lu Fangchi didn’t notice his odd behavior. He simply took Zhou Zheng’s hand and led him to the bedroom, pulling him onto the bed. He found a comfortable position in his arms, closed his eyes, and softly said, “Stay with me while I sleep.”

Zhou Zheng, who had just woken up after a long drive, couldn’t possibly fall asleep, but he didn’t refuse. He tightened his arms around him, held him closer, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Lu Fangchi was truly exhausted. Normally, it would take him a while to fall asleep, but this time, as soon as he closed his eyes, he began to snore softly. Feeling the warm breath and the faint scent of lotus in the air, Zhou Zheng also felt sleepy. His eyes slowly closed, and he drifted off to sleep…