FIO CH58

Chapter 58: I Want to Kiss

Zhou Zheng could hardly believe his ears. Not only did he wake up in Lu Fangchi’s home, but he was also given permission to stay. It was like finding a bright village after a dark path.

Zhou Zheng forcefully suppressed the corners of his mouth from curling up, his eyes sparkling as he nodded vigorously.

Lu Fangchi averted his gaze and released a burst of pheromones. The familiar, elegant, and light floral scent of the noon lotus filled the air, bringing a completely new sensation to Zhou Zheng. Previously, he had found it pleasant but after a while, it became a bit overwhelming, almost provocative, making him want to release his own pheromones to compete. Now, however, it was purely delightful, warm, and reassuring, like a gentle morning breeze that soothed his anxiety and restlessness.

Zhou Zheng couldn’t help but lean closer to the source of the pheromones, wanting to take in more. He just wanted to be nearer to Lu Fangchi, to smell him more clearly, and he didn’t dare to reach out and touch him.

Instead, it was Lu Fangchi who noticed the alpha’s cautious probing. He raised his arms and embraced Zhou Zheng openly. The alpha in his arms stiffened for two seconds before realizing what was happening and returning the hug, gripping tightly as if to merge with him.

Zhou Zheng sniffed, his voice slightly choked, “I missed you.”

Lu Fangchi’s nose twitched, catching a whiff of the green tea fragrance. The pseudo-reaction affected both of them; he was such a pleasant scent. Almost controlled by the hormones, Lu Fangchi nuzzled his face against the alpha’s chest.

The feeling was so wonderful that Zhou Zheng adored the scent of the noon lotus, sniffing Lu Fangchi’s neck frantically like a cat with mint, the warm breath hitting the sensitive gland and causing a slight shiver in the person he held.

Zhou Zheng’s eyes turned red, and he asked in a hoarse voice, “I want to kiss.”

Lu Fangchi didn’t respond, his fingers leaving marks on Zhou Zheng’s robe, his attitude ambiguous, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Zhou Zheng took it as the answer he wanted and leaned in. His moist lips touched the pale neck, gently brushing against the pulsating veins as he moved upward, landing on Lu Fangchi’s rolling Adam’s apple.

The alpha’s features were quite deceptive. Without his overbearing expression, he looked like a puppy, his slightly pouting lips appearing to be coquettish, obediently looking up for a kiss, waiting to be favored. It was with such an innocent expression that he had been deceived before.

Lu Fangchi’s eyes flickered as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on the alpha’s plump lips.

Zhou Zheng was not greedy at all. He showed no discontent, his eyes sparkling as he stuck out his tongue to savor the taste of his lips. The fleshy lips seemed to be coated with a layer of glossy lip gloss, looking moist and rosy. Ignoring the tall and strong physique, he did have a bit of an “omega” vibe.

The aftereffect made Zhou Zheng extremely clingy. With Lu Fangchi’s implicit consent, he wanted to be close to him every moment. He raised his hand and hugged Lu Fangchi again, resting his chin on Lu Fangchi’s shoulder, and began to act up.

At first, he just lightly bit the shoulder, like grinding his teeth, feeling something but not causing pain.

Like a dog, he bit his way from the shoulder to the neck, leaving a trail of transparent, shiny saliva.

Biting the gland seemed to be an instinctive reaction for every alpha. Zhou Zheng gradually moved to the side of Lu Fangchi’s gland, leaving red marks around it.

Unlike the omega’s gland, which is naturally meant to be marked, the alpha’s gland only serves to store pheromones and is an absolute no-go area, not allowing anyone to touch even a bit.

Lu Fangchi felt Zhou Zheng’s canines occasionally rubbing against his gland. The intense discomfort made him frown tightly, his body tensed, and his neck slightly tilted backward, showing a sign of refusal.

Lu Fangchi’s hand was placed on Zhou Zheng’s chest, creating some distance between them, and he frowned, saying, “No.”

Zhou Zheng, of course, knew it was not allowed. The aftereffect of being bitten was very hard to bear. These days, he felt dazed, with a heavy head and floating steps, as if he were walking on the edge of a cliff, about to fall and die at any moment. The only thing he looked forward to every day was to come and get the lunch box because it had Lu Fangchi’s scent on it.

He knew how uncomfortable it was, and he certainly wouldn’t do it.

“Okay,” the alpha agreed, raised his hand, and pinched the hand that Lu Fangchi pushed against his chest, playing with it for a while, feeling the smooth skin on the back of the hand, and then pinched along the long bones of the fingers, finally bending his knuckles and interlocking his fingers with him.

Zhou Zheng raised his hand and kissed Lu Fangchi’s hand. He loved it so much that it seemed like a precious treasure he had lost and found again.

With their fingers interlocked, Zhou Zheng raised his hand and hugged Lu Fangchi again, resting his chin on the other’s collarbone. Driven by instinct, his canines itched, and he subconsciously wanted to find something to rub against. Unconsciously, his head moved closer to Lu Fangchi’s gland again.

The tense Lu Fangchi in his arms suddenly relaxed. His voice was very soft, like a sigh, “You can bite, just consider it as something I owe you.”

Just one sentence, and the alpha immediately stopped his action. He quickly retracted his canines, buried his face in Lu Fangchi’s neck, as if to admit a mistake.

Lu Fangchi was not angry at all. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he clarified things in advance, “Given your current state, I have to take full responsibility.”

“So before the pseudo-marking reaction ends, whatever you ask for, I will agree.”

These words were like a poisoned apple, tempting to hear, but one bite would lead to fatal consequences. The haze in Zhou Zheng’s eyes disappeared instantly. He pursed his lips and looked into Lu Fangchi’s clear eyes, “What about after it ends?”

“Everything will go back to the way it was,” Lu Fangchi said.

The previous warmth was like a mirage, easily shattered.

Zhou Zheng nodded, understanding. It was a disclaimer.

The alpha suddenly released Lu Fangchi, threw off the covers, and got out of bed.

Seeing Zhou Zheng’s action, Lu Fangchi frowned slightly and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Going home,” Zhou Zheng replied, looking around as if searching for his clothes.

“The clothes have been washed,” Lu Fangchi reminded him.

“Okay,” Zhou Zheng agreed and walked towards the gym in his slippers.
Just then, Lu Fangchi had come to get some things. Zhou Zheng bent down and rummaged through the unpacked cardboard box to find a set of sportswear. He stood up again, preparing to go to the bathroom to change clothes.

Lu Fangchi blocked the doorway and frowned at him, asking, “What are you doing?”

“I just said, I’m going home,” Zhou Zheng replied, lowering his eyes and not looking at Lu Fangchi, his voice cold.

“No,” Lu Fangchi said, “You won’t get better without my pheromones to soothe you.”

“I’ll be fine. There will be a way,” Zhou Zheng said.

“What way?” Lu Fangchi asked. There was no other way for the marked to be soothed except by the marker’s pheromones.

“None of your business,” Zhou Zheng said.

Lu Fangchi’s eyebrows furrowed into a frown. He didn’t understand why Zhou Zheng was suddenly being so stubborn. He took a deep breath and tried to reason, “Once you’re better, I won’t interfere in anything else.”

However, he didn’t expect that this sentence would hit a nerve. Zhou Zheng suddenly looked up, his eyes red, and accused emotionally, “Lu Fangchi, do you even have a heart?”

Lu Fangchi’s frown deepened. What kind of tone was that, and what did the sentence mean? Considering the alpha’s physical condition and the doctor’s advice to maintain a good emotional state, Lu Fangchi didn’t argue with him, “Calm down.”

But this sentence seemed to ignite a bomb inside the other person. Zhou Zheng’s emotions erupted like a volcano. He roared, “I deserve my own tantrums. I admit I was wrong. I apologized. If you don’t forgive me, that’s fine, but why stab my heart with a knife?”

What? The topic changed too quickly. Lu Fangchi was bewildered. Before he could digest it, another round of accusations came.

Zhou Zheng: “What do you mean ‘before it ends’? What do you mean ‘go back to the way it was’? You kiss me, hug me, and bite me, and then you just want me to leave after you’re done. Am I some kind of trash?”

These words were a bit one-sided. But to some extent, Lu Fangchi did owe him. He was silent for two seconds, then asked, “So what do you want?”

Zhou Zheng was still in a frenzy, his eyes red as if about to bleed. He felt like an uncontrollable madman, shouting and yelling, while Lu Fangchi remained calm, a contrast that almost drove him out of control. Why, why was that?

As if he had lost his mind, Zhou Zheng began to make demands that the other party would never agree to, “Take responsibility for me, give me a chance to make up for it, let me chase you.”

As if afraid that Lu Fangchi would find a loophole, Zhou Zheng added, “You have to treat my pursuit fairly and justly. You can refuse what you don’t want, but you can’t reject me just because I’m Zhou Zheng.”

Lu Fangchi’s eyebrows furrowed into a frown, his expression turning cold. He said, “I seem to have clearly refused this before.”

Yes, Zhou Zheng remembered, which was why he was asking again, “Will you or won’t you?”

Lu Fangchi pursed his lips into a straight line, hesitated for a while, and then said, “This one is not possible. Choose something else.”

“I want this one,” Zhou Zheng insisted, his expression stubborn.

They stood in silence, facing each other. Lu Fangchi’s Adam’s apple moved, but he still didn’t give in: “This one is not possible.”

Zhou Zheng nodded, no longer bargaining with Lu Fangchi. He raised his hand, moved Lu Fangchi’s arm that was blocking the door, and strode towards the bathroom.

The alpha quickly changed clothes, stormed out of the bathroom, and faced Lu Fangchi standing in front of the door.

Lu Fangchi’s frown hadn’t eased since just now. He looked worriedly at the alpha in front of him. Although he spoke loudly and seemed very assertive, his condition was terrible. His face was pale, his lips bloodless, and he looked like he was about to faint at any moment.

He couldn’t go on like this, “Stop making a fuss,” Lu Fangchi said.

The outburst just now seemed to have drained Zhou Zheng’s energy, or maybe he had calmed down now. He listlessly agreed, “I’m not making a fuss. Let me go.”

Lu Fangchi stood firmly in front of the door, blocking the way, and said, “Do you know what can happen if the marking reaction gets out of control?”

Probably no one in the country didn’t know.

Three years ago, a sensational news story landed on the hot search list, sparking heated discussions among the public.

“A Marked Omega in the War Zone” — An omega had just been permanently marked by his alpha partner and hadn’t yet passed the marking reaction period when the alpha heroically sacrificed himself. The omega, unable to receive comfort, died of agitation.

The country had specifically issued relevant documents at that time, strongly urging alphas to pay attention to the marking reaction period of omegas.

The mortality rate was not one hundred percent, but it was a survivor bias. This incident had sounded the alarm for everyone. No one would gamble with their life, betting on that fifty percent chance of luck. Lu Fangchi hoped Zhou Zheng could be more sensible.

Zhou Zheng clearly understood the implication of Lu Fangchi’s words. He pursed his lips stubbornly and replied evasively, “If you don’t plan to take responsibility for me, then leave me alone. My life or death has nothing to do with you.”

Lu Fangchi frowned. The unyielding attitude of the alpha in front of him made his temper rise. He narrowed his eyes and retorted, “Are you threatening me?”

Zhou Zheng nodded, with a calm expression, “Yes.”