PTGWD Chapter 31：Psychology

Fang Xingzhou placed his briefcase back in the consultation room and then took Lu Jianchuan to the cafeteria for lunch.

The cafeteria’s menu was quite good today. He ordered one of each dish, occupying an entire table in the corner by himself and maxing out his meal card for the month.

The two sat facing each other.

Even though Lu Jianchuan was right in front of him, Fang Xingzhou kept calling a number that would never be answered while eating, his brows slightly furrowed, showing absent-mindedness and anxiety as he frequently glanced at his phone.

As expected, no one picked up. After trying for over ten minutes, he put his phone down and sighed softly.

Lu Jianchuan watched him without blinking.

“Who are you trying to call?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

Fang Xingzhou replied, “My fiancé. I wanted to ask if he’s eaten, but I guess he’s still angry… so he’s not answering.”

A faint smile tugged at Lu Jianchuan’s lips as he borrowed someone else’s identity to chastise him: “You must have done something really terrible to make him so angry.”

Fang Xingzhou also smiled, picking up a piece of fish and placing it in Lu Jianchuan’s bowl. “I did do something terrible. I’m worried about whether I’ll be able to go home smoothly tonight. Xiao Wang, how do you think I should make it up to him?”

Lu Jianchuan stuffed the fish into his mouth.

Since Fang Xingzhou had returned to his side, the burning hunger in his abdomen had significantly eased, becoming more manageable. The embryo had also quieted down, no longer thrashing around as violently as it had that morning.

He chewed the fish slowly, treating every bite as a compromise with his partner. After chewing thirty or forty times, until all his emotions had settled, he picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and placed it in Fang Xingzhou’s bowl. Then he said, “I think your fiancé must be an easy person to appease. No matter how terrible the thing you did was, he probably wouldn’t have the heart to lock you out.”

“But,” he added, shifting the tone, “he might lock you in the bedroom after you get home and never let you out again.”

As he said this, he averted his gaze, staring at the rice in his bowl as if he were just making an offhand joke.

Fang Xingzhou played along and laughed.

He said, “That does sound like something he’d do, but I think… even if he locked me up, he’d definitely soften within a week and let me out. My fiancé has many wonderful qualities—kindness, simplicity, sincerity, and he loves me deeply. So even if he gets angry sometimes, he’d never do anything to truly hurt me.”

Lu Jianchuan listened to these words, staring blankly at the bowl in front of him. His heart pounded, and his lips parted several times, but no words came out.

Fang Xingzhou asked, “What do you think?”

“…”

Lu Jianchuan silently counted the grains of rice, his ears turning red and betraying his emotions.

His voice softened unintentionally as he said, “I don’t know him, but maybe you’re right.”

Fang Xingzhou replied calmly, “Hmm, I’ll introduce you to him sometime. I think you’d get along well. Eat more—if it’s not enough, I’ll buy more for you.”

Lu Jianchuan nodded with red ears and added, “Can you tell me more about your fiancé? I’m quite curious about him.”

Fang Xingzhou knew he wasn’t as angry anymore.

Seizing the opportunity, he began to naturally praise his partner, his voice steady and patient, just like when he explained medication instructions to elderly patients earlier. He praised Lu Jianchuan so much that the latter’s appetite improved, and he ended up finishing the entire table of food.

Seeing how much Lu Jianchuan enjoyed the meal, Fang Xingzhou finally realized he was hungry too and finished the food in his own bowl. Then he picked up his coat and said, “I don’t have any surgeries this afternoon. You can stay with me in the consultation room—don’t wander off.”

Lu Jianchuan, who wanted nothing more than to stick to Fang Xingzhou 24/7 to prevent him from doing anything drastic, naturally had no objections. He followed Fang Xingzhou back to the consultation room.

Qin Hongbo, who had just lain down for a nap, was startled when he saw Fang Xingzhou bring the intern in. “Dr. Fang, didn’t you say you had an emergency at home and needed to go back?”

Fang Xingzhou glanced subtly at Lu Jianchuan, who averted his gaze, pretending not to be listening.

He said, “…It’s nothing. I’ll go back after work.”

Qin Hongbo said, “You’re working too hard. You need to balance life and work better. I remember you just got engaged, right? Newlyweds should spend time being affectionate. Working like a madman will affect your relationship.”

Fang Xingzhou: “…”

He glanced at Lu Jianchuan again. The person who had been pretending not to listen earlier was now nodding repeatedly, strongly agreeing with Qin Hongbo’s words.

He cleared his throat and said, “You’re right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Qin Hongbo shared a few more relationship tips, then put on his eye mask and said, “You should rest too, Dr. Fang. Good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon.”

Fang Xingzhou fetched his own blanket for Lu Jianchuan and whispered, “You should rest too.”

Lu Jianchuan nodded and leaned in. “Good afternoon.”

Fang Xingzhou went to his small partition.

The consultation room fell silent. Fang Xingzhou leaned back on the recliner, covered himself with his white coat, and felt an unusual sense of calm. He closed his eyes and quietly reviewed the scene in the kitchen that morning, trying to find a reasonable explanation.

Why was he so convinced that Deer needed blood?

And why was his wrist completely unharmed…?

Before he could come up with a satisfactory answer, he suddenly caught a mysterious, faint fragrance. His consciousness was quickly pulled into a deep sleep, unaware that a tentacled creature had silently invaded the room, slowly crawling up his ankle…

…

Fang Xingzhou opened his eyes.

It was strange—both times Lu Jianchuan had been in the consultation room, he had slept exceptionally well.

But vaguely, it seemed like he had dreamed of snakes. Those dark, cold creatures had wrapped themselves around him layer by layer, pressing heavily on his chest, forcing him to open his mouth and gasp for air. And as soon as he opened his mouth, their scheme succeeded—they slyly slipped their tails into his mouth, teasing and claiming….

Fang Xingzhou got up, took a cold shower to calm his restlessness, and opened the partition door.

Lu Jianchuan was standing at the door, handing him a cup of warm tea.

“Dr. Fang, did you sleep well?” he asked with a smile.

Seeing the smile on his lips, Fang Xingzhou felt a slight relief and smiled back. He drank the water and said, “I slept very well, thank you. I need to start work now. You can sit and listen.”

Lu Jianchuan nodded and sat quietly to the side.

The embryo in his belly was still asleep. The scent of the other parent made it feel safe, and all the emotions it had expended earlier had turned into exhaustion. After eating, it had been too tired to move.

Lu Jianchuan stayed with Fang Xingzhou until the end of the workday.

To give his lover time to prepare, Fang Xingzhou deliberately said, “I still need to do some rounds. It’s already the end of the workday—you can go back first.”

Sure enough, Lu Jianchuan immediately stood up, showing no reluctance. “You should leave early too. Don’t overwork yourself.”

Fang Xingzhou acknowledged him and watched him leave. He stayed in the consultation room for another half hour, watching the surveillance footage as Lu Jianchuan hurriedly returned home.

As soon as he got home, Lu Jianchuan sharply noticed the presence of the camera and turned to look directly at the corner, locking eyes with Fang Xingzhou through the screen.

The next second, the screen went black.

Hmm, his awareness was still sharp.

Fang Xingzhou smiled slightly and sat in the office for a while longer before finally packing up and heading home.

By the time he got home, it was completely dark. Before opening the door, he took a deep breath and, instead of using his key, politely knocked.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

On the third knock, the door was suddenly yanked open from the inside.

Lu Jianchuan stood in the entryway in home clothes, his hair slightly damp, as if he had just finished a tedious makeup removal session. Even though he was no longer angry, his expression was still cool as he asked, “Did you forget your keys?”

Fang Xingzhou replied politely, “Yes. May I come in?”

Lu Jianchuan stepped aside, making room for him to enter.

Fang Xingzhou: “Thank you.”

Lu Jianchuan: “…”

He watched as his partner politely walked into the entryway, changed his shoes, and took out a sugar-free cake he had bought on the way, casually saying, “I bought you your favorite egg…”

Before he could finish, Lu Jianchuan had had enough. He snatched the cake, tossed it onto the shoe cabinet, and hoisted Fang Xingzhou over his shoulder. He carried him to the kitchen, pinned him against the fridge door, and left him with no support except for his legs wrapped around Lu Jianchuan’s waist.

He kissed Fang Xingzhou’s lips fiercely, using his tongue like a tentacle, invading his mouth and recklessly plundering.

Their breaths mingled rapidly. Fang Xingzhou’s legs went weak, and he slowly slid down, only to be caught by Lu Jianchuan, who gently tossed him back into his arms.

They pressed closely together.

The slight bulge in Lu Jianchuan’s stomach moved, sending a shiver down Fang Xingzhou’s spine, as if a third pair of eyes was watching their intimacy—

He let out a long moan, trembling as he called Lu Jianchuan’s name.

Lu Jianchuan nibbled on his cheek and earlobe like a dog, his voice hoarse and urgent: “…Every time I step into the kitchen, I see you holding a knife to your wrist, and that day…” He paused here, not continuing, “What should I do with you, Zhouzhou? You don’t know how I’ve been today. Every time I think about it, I want to…”

Fang Xingzhou covered his mouth, not letting him finish.

The fridge tipped backward, almost pulling the plug, so they moved the battle to the counter. The chopsticks and spoons that hadn’t been put away clattered to the floor, but no one had the time to pick them up.

Dinner was also ruined.

Fang Xingzhou thought he would keep pretending to be angry for a while longer, but the sweet soup he had fed Lu Jianchuan at the cafeteria had worked wonders. Lu Jianchuan’s voice quickly softened, and he stuck to Fang Xingzhou like glue, even following him into the shower.

Two hours later, Fang Xingzhou came out wrapped in a towel.

For some reason, Lu Jianchuan had recently developed a habit of sneaking out for midnight snacks.

Lu Jianchuan hugged him from behind, leaving a clear bite mark on his cheek.

Fang Xingzhou pushed his fluffy head away and hoarsely changed the subject: “I ordered takeout.”

Lu Jianchuan made a dissatisfied sound and bluntly pointed out, “You’re avoiding the topic again.”

Fang Xingzhou immediately straightened up. “My mistake, Deer. I’ll make sure to correct it.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“No more feeding me blood?”

“…Hmm, if you don’t like it.”

“I never liked it!” Lu Jianchuan protested.

Fang Xingzhou kissed the corner of his mouth and didn’t comment on that. “The takeout’s here. Someone’s ringing the doorbell.”

Lu Jianchuan held onto him tightly, staring intently at the hickey on his collarbone, and added, “Don’t try to hurt yourself, no matter the reason. If it happens again, I’ll really lose control… I’ll turn into a monster and swallow you whole!”

Fang Xingzhou: “…”

“I’m not joking, baby,” Lu Jianchuan said, lowering his eyes and gently brushing Fang Xingzhou’s long eyelashes with his thumb.

Fang Xingzhou smiled. “That sounds nice—being swallowed by my lover… Like a mantis. The female mantis eats the male from the head when she’s pregnant, using him as nourishment for the next generation. It’s romantic.”

The smile on Lu Jianchuan’s face slowly disappeared.

Fang Xingzhou, at just the right moment, turned around before Lu Jianchuan could get angry again. He hugged him back, patting his back soothingly, and said, “I’ll remember that.”

Lu Jianchuan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze filled with suspicion as he assessed the credibility of Fang Xingzhou’s words. After a moment, he pressed his hand to Fang Xingzhou’s forehead. “Engrave it in your mind.”

“Okay, engrave it in my mind,” Fang Xingzhou parroted.

Lu Jianchuan still held onto him, his hand gripping Fang Xingzhou’s wrist, which was covered in hickeys, and gently squeezed it repeatedly, staying silent.

Fang Xingzhou smiled and said, “I’ve thought it over carefully. I think I did it because I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.” As he spoke, he looked down at the increasingly noticeable curve of his lover’s stomach. “After all, not everyone has a pregnant male partner.”

Lu Jianchuan finally heard a proper reflection and nodded in agreement, his brows relaxing slightly. “I’ve also thought about it seriously today. You’ve indeed been through some… impactful news recently, which might have caused psychological issues.”

“I think we should handle this in a human way,” Lu Jianchuan said. “Next Tuesday is a day off. Let’s go to the hospital together? Mental health is important, and I don’t want you to continue like this.”

He’s really no longer angry, Fang Xingzhou thought, his eyes curving into a smile.

“You can arrange it,” he said. “Which department should we go to?”

Lu Jianchuan: “Psychology.”

Fang Xingzhou: “…”

Well, they had finally reached this point.

Fang Xingzhou sighed softly, accepting the reality that both he and his lover might not be entirely normal. “Okay. By next week, the baby will be fifteen weeks old. You can come with me for a checkup. I want to see how he’s growing.”