FIO CH36

Chapter 36: Wife’s Strict Management

When one’s luck is down, even drinking cold water can lead to a toothache. Lu Fangchi’s experience of placing two orders before successfully calling a car seemed like an ominous sign. He arrived at the airport an hour earlier than his flight time, smoothly passed through security, checked his luggage, and waited for boarding.

With fifteen minutes left before the scheduled departure, there was still no boarding announcement at the gate, and an uneasy feeling began to creep into Lu Fangchi’s heart.

Sure enough, one minute before takeoff, the sound of “Do-Re-Mi-Fa” played over the loudspeaker: “Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention. This is an important announcement. Due to weather conditions, Flight UB123 from City A to City B will be delayed. The new boarding time is 10:30 PM. Please wait in the lounge for further notifications. Thank you…”

The bad news was that the flight was delayed, but the good news was that it was only a half-hour delay. Half an hour wasn’t too long to wait.

As time passed, the half-hour flew by in the blink of an eye. The unlucky “Do-Re-Mi-Fa” played again, bringing the news that the flight was delayed by another half-hour. Passengers on this flight began to whisper and murmur among themselves, with complaints rising in waves.

Lu Fangchi remained silent, tapping his fingers on the boarding pass. He decided to wait another half-hour.

After another half-hour, the “Do-Re-Mi-Fa” sounded like a curse, once again broadcasting a cold announcement: the flight was delayed again, with the duration of the delay to be determined.

This statement seemed like a form of trickery. Whether to continue waiting was up to the passengers, and there was no certainty about how long they might have to wait. Or perhaps they would wait in vain, with no guarantee of taking off at all.

Passengers who had already spent an hour waiting couldn’t accept this answer and began to complain at the check-in counter, questioning what was really going on.

Passenger 1: “What does this mean? Can we take off or not, and when?”

Staff: “I’m sorry, but due to weather conditions, the departure time is to be determined.”

Passenger 1: “What weather conditions? I don’t see any rain or snow outside, and I checked the destination weather—it’s normal. So what exactly is the weather reason that prevents us from taking off?”

Staff: “Hello, sir/madam, it’s not just about rain or snow. It could be low visibility in the air…”

Before the staff could finish, Passenger 2 rudely interrupted: “I don’t understand what you’re saying, and I don’t care. I just want to know when we can take off and get a definite answer.”

Staff: “I apologize, but we really can’t give a precise answer right now. We’re waiting for notifications too, and we’ll inform everyone as soon as we know.”

Passenger 3: “If you can’t fly, just say so. Half an hour here, half an hour there—it’s like boiling a frog in lukewarm water.”

Other passengers chimed in: “Exactly, exactly…”

“It’s inconvenient. I’ve already booked a hotel and my schedule is full.”

“This is ridiculous. I’m never flying with your airline again!”

The complaints continued, with no resolution in sight.

Lu Fangchi walked back to his seat and sat down again, glancing at his wristwatch—it was 11:15. Even if he boarded smoothly at this moment, he wouldn’t land until 2:30 AM. Considering the time it would take to get to the hotel and freshen up, it would be nearly 5 AM before he could rest.

He could change his ticket, but the next reasonable flight was at noon the next day. The anniversary dinner started at 5 PM, and the schedule was too tight and tiring.

The earliest alternative was a 5 AM flight, but that would mean he’d only get a few hours of sleep at home before having to rush back to the airport. It seemed better to wait here and hope this flight would take off smoothly.

Lu Fangchi sighed, but there was nothing he could do. If the flight could take off, it would; there were too many uncontrollable factors that could prevent it, and arguing with the staff wouldn’t change the reality.

It was just annoying, frustrating, and disappointing. Lu Fangchi’s hand reached into his pocket and touched the cigarette case. He stood up and headed to the smoking room to have a cigarette.

He raised his hand, took out a cigarette, and lit it with an electronic lighter. He took a drag, inhaled deeply, and exhaled, feeling his brows relax and the irritation in his heart slowly dissipate with the curling gray smoke.

After a couple more drags, his phone vibrated twice. He slid the screen open and checked the message.

Little Zhou: I see your location is still at the airport.

Little Zhou: Haven’t taken off yet?

Lu Fangchi typed a reply with one hand: Yeah, delayed.

The other party is typing… After a few minutes, a video call popped up.

He pressed the answer button, and Zhou Zheng’s handsome face appeared on the screen. The background showed he was still working overtime at the company.

Zhou Zheng’s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, “I’ll come over and wait with you.”

“No need,” Lu Fangchi exhaled a ring of smoke as he spoke, “You keep working. When will you be home?”

“Soon,” Zhou Zheng’s mouth moved, but his expression seemed to hold back words, perhaps regretting his earlier fussiness that had led to this troublesome chain of events.

Lu Fangchi could sense the underlying meaning in the alpha’s expression, even without seeing his face directly. He gently but firmly said, “Don’t overthink it.”

Zhou Zheng nodded slightly, but his furrowed brows didn’t ease at all.

Lu Fangchi opened his mouth to say something to change the subject when the loudspeaker outside announced: “Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention. Passengers for Flight US123 to City B have begun boarding. Please take your carry-on items and proceed to Gate 45 with your boarding passes. Have a pleasant journey, thank you.”

“Boarding,” Lu Fangchi chuckled softly, “Go home early once you’re done. I’ll message you when I land.”

Zhou Zheng nodded and waved his hand.

The call ended, and Lu Fangchi took two quick drags before stubbing out the remaining half-cigarette in the self-extinguishing ashtray and walked outside.

Finally boarding, he took his seat according to the boarding pass, fastened his seatbelt. The flight attendants checked the overhead compartments one by one, reminding everyone to switch their phones to airplane mode.

After the safety briefing video finished playing, the plane began to move forward in a straight line.

Lu Fangchi sighed in relief, thinking that the flight would finally take off smoothly. However, after the plane taxied on the ground for fifteen minutes, he began to frown. Why was it still circling in the same spot?

Before long, the flight attendant’s voice came over the loudspeaker, announcing that due to air traffic control, the takeoff time would be delayed by another fifteen minutes.

With past experiences in mind, no one believed this so-called “fifteen minutes.” The cabin became restless and agitated, with passengers’ emotions extremely unstable.

This included Lu Fangchi, who furrowed his brows and pursed his lips into a straight line. He was really about to lose his temper.

Fortunately, this time it was just a false alarm. Fifteen minutes later, the plane taxied up a slope and took off smoothly.

It was much later than expected, landing at 3:30 AM. By the time he collected his luggage and walked to the exit, it was almost 4 AM. After taking a taxi to the hotel, freshening up, and getting into bed, the clock jumped from “4” to “5,” already 5 AM, with the sky outside beginning to lighten slightly.

The continuous schedule of the past two days had left Lu Fangchi exhausted, so tired that he could hardly keep his eyes open. Suddenly remembering something, he took out his phone and sent a message to the top conversation: “I’ve arrived.”

Lu Fangchi slept very soundly until his phone buzzed incessantly and a phone call rang, waking him up.

Pressing the answer button, Lu Fangchi responded with a nasal “Mm.”

“…” The assistant on the other end of the line reminded him, “Are you still sleeping? It’s already 2:30 PM. You need to get ready for the dinner.”

In his drowsiness, Lu Fangchi didn’t quite catch what the other person was saying. His brain slowly started up and began to function. After two minutes, he finally understood and abruptly sat up, rubbing his face and answering in a hoarse voice, “Got it, I’m getting up right away.”

Lu Fangchi raised his hand and rubbed his swollen temples, then got out of bed with a sore body to freshen up.

After a quick tidy-up, he took out his computer and started a video conference. Business trips were like this: one had to socialize and entertain while also not neglecting the daily tasks, essentially working in a different place with double the workload.

The video conference didn’t end until 4:10 PM. Lu Fangchi took out some eye drops and applied them to his dry eyes before opening the door and stepping out of the hotel room.

He arrived at the banquet hall at exactly 5 PM, showed his invitation, and entered the bustling hall filled with people clinking glasses and mingling.

The banquet followed the usual procedures: leaders took the stage to give speeches filled with positive energy to boost everyone’s morale, and the employees clapped in affirmation. Then there was small talk with the senior leaders, envisioning the future, discussing work, and catching up on recent events.

Lu Fangchi never liked these events and rarely attended them, but this time, a potential investor had specifically requested a face-to-face meeting with him.

Reluctantly, he had to come.

The assistant whispered in his ear, “He’s here, the executive president of Lu Xin, who has just been transferred back from overseas and has significant influence within the company.”

Lu Fangchi looked up and saw a tall alpha walking towards him and stopping.

Upon seeing the man’s face clearly, Lu Fangchi noted his androgynous features, with medium-length hair that made him look even more beautiful and dazzling. His robust and tall physique balanced out the feminine look of his facial features, making him a very handsome alpha.

This kind of appearance was unforgettable once seen. Lu Fangchi was certain that he had never met him before, but for some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity. His brain was racing, but he just couldn’t place him.

The alpha tilted his glass, initiated a toast, and the clinking of the glasses produced a clear “ping” sound. He took a sip and smiled, saying, “Brother Chi, don’t you recognize me?”

This nickname awakened distant memories. The tall alpha before him gradually overlapped with the image of the once tearful, thin little boy from the past. Lu Fangchi exclaimed in surprise, “Yang?”

Yang’s eyes were filled with laughter as he nodded, “It’s me.”

The change was too drastic. Lu Fangchi scanned him up and down, his tone filled with astonishment, “I thought you would differentiate into an omega.”

“Didn’t expect that, did you?” Yang laughed heartily and suggested, “How about we grab some late-night snacks later? The little follower from back then finally has a chance to repay Brother Chi.”

Listening to Yang’s teasing words, Lu Fangchi shook his head helplessly and agreed, “Sure.”

Seeing Yang again, Lu Fangchi was undoubtedly delighted. He was his childhood playmate, a neighbor who had grown up together from kindergarten to junior high school, like a childhood sweetheart. As a child, because of his soft personality and girlish appearance, he was often bullied by peers. After being rescued by Lu Fangchi, he became a clingy follower behind him. The change occurred in the first year of junior high school when Yang’s parents’ relationship broke down, and he was awarded to his mother in the divorce, immigrating abroad with her, and the two lost contact.

After the banquet, Lu Fangchi got into Yang’s car, who asked, “What would you like to eat? Any dietary restrictions?”

“Anything is fine,” Lu Fangchi replied casually, looking down at his phone.

Zhou Zheng had sent a barrage of messages.

Little Zhou: Is the banquet over yet?

Is the banquet over yet?

Is it over yet?

Is it over yet?

…

Lu Fangchi replied: Just ended.

The next second, a video call from Zhou Zheng popped up, which Lu Fangchi declined.

Lu Fangchi: I’m with someone, not convenient to answer.

Little Zhou: Who? Am I not allowed to see you?

Who?

Who?

Who?

…

Lu Fangchi’s phone was not on silent, and it kept making “ding-dong” noises, drawing Yang’s attention: “Is your partner checking up on you?”

Lu Fangchi, not afraid of being teased for being strictly managed by his partner, nodded in acknowledgment: “Yes, asking what I’m doing.”

“Why don’t you just answer? It’ll prevent any misunderstandings, and it’ll also let me see him,” Yang suggested.

Since Yang had spoken, and Zhou Zheng kept sending video calls, Lu Fangchi pressed the answer button.

The first thing Zhou Zheng said was, “Who are you with?”

Lu Fangchi, being open, tilted his phone slightly, capturing Yang in the frame.

Yang raised his hand and waved in greeting: “Hi.”

Zhou Zheng’s brows furrowed, and he hung up without a word.

Yang awkwardly withdrew his hand, which was still in mid-air, scratched his nose, and muttered, “Quite a temper he has.”

Zhou Zheng’s anger was palpable, and the meal was naturally cut short. Yang instructed the driver to turn around and take Lu Fangchi back to the hotel.

Before getting out of the car, Lu Fangchi said apologetically, “Sorry to make you witness this. Let’s talk in detail at the company tomorrow.”

Yang waved his hand nonchalantly, “No problem, no problem. You hurry back and smooth things over.”

Lu Fangchi nodded and got out of the car. As he raised his hand to wave, the rear window of the car rolled down. Yang, with a thoughtful expression, said, “I feel like I’ve seen your partner somewhere before. He looks familiar.”