PTGWD Chapter 43: Delicacy

The family dinner finally ended with Lu Jianchuan finishing all the food.

The Lu family had grown accustomed to his appetite, and no one found it strange. Mr. Lu even managed to find a moment amidst the chaos to ask his second son, “Are you full? Should we add a few more dishes?”

After receiving Lu Jianchuan’s polite refusal, he turned back to engage in a heated discussion with Madam Lu over whether their daughter should get married.

Unsurprisingly, Madam Lu, as the lady of the house, emerged victorious in this debate.

By the time it was almost midnight,  Madam Lu stepped in to restore order, first sending Lu Jianchuan and Fang Xingzhou home.

The two stood up to say their goodbyes. Lu Heyin hummed a tune, in high spirits as she walked them to the parking lot, hugging each of them in turn. Then she curiously looked at Lu Jianchuan’s belly and asked, “When is Second Brother baby’s birth date?”

Good question.

Fang Xingzhou, as the child’s father and a professional surgeon, was at a loss for words.

He couldn’t even determine the species of his own child, let alone the due date… Maybe it was the same ten months as a human pregnancy.

He looked at Lu Jianchuan, who was also stumped by the question. After a moment of contemplation, Lu Jianchuan finally said tactfully, “I’ll try to give birth before you.”

Lu Heyin: “…Huh?”

Fang Xingzhou quickly changed the subject. “Take good care of yourself, stay in a good mood, and do what you want to do.”

Lu Heyin smiled. “Okay! Goodnight, brothers.”

Lu Jianchuan, imitating Lu Hejing like a proper human brother, patted her hair. Then he drove the car away from the Lu family home place.

….

Two days later, Fang Xingzhou gave Lu Jianchuan a gift before heading to work.

Lu Jianchuan’s sleep time had been getting longer and longer. In order to have breakfast with his wife, he forced himself to get up at the same time as Fang Xingzhou, even though he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He leaned against the bathroom sink, lazily moving his toothbrush around in his mouth, brushing half-heartedly.

Fang Xingzhou wrapped his arms around him from behind and placed a dark green velvet gift box in his hand.

Lu Jianchuan, too exhausted to open his eyes, mumbled, “Darling… what is this?”

“A gift,” Fang Xingzhou said with a smile. “It’s almost been five months. I wanted to give you something nice.”

Lu Jianchuan immediately opened his eyes and looked down, his pupils shining with anticipation.

He carefully set the gift box aside, rinsed his mouth, dried his hands, and then solemnly picked up the box again. He glanced at Fang Xingzhou with a smile. “What kind of gift is it?”

Fang Xingzhou: “Open it and see.”

Lu Jianchuan eagerly opened the velvet box.

—Inside was a necklace.

The chain was made of a sturdy braided cord, black threads intertwined with gold strands, giving off a subtle shimmer in the sunlight. It wasn’t overly flashy but still had a touch of elegance. The material was soft enough to be worn all day without irritating the skin.

Hanging from the braided cord was a small jade pendant, about the size of a thumbnail. The jade was of excellent quality, flawless and emerald green, with a rich, warm luster.

Lu Jianchuan’s pupils slightly contracted as his gaze fell on the two small beads at the top and bottom of the pendant. After a moment, he looked up at Fang Xingzhou with a calm smile. “It’s beautiful! Zhouzhou, help me put it on.”

Fang Xingzhou took the necklace out of the box and personally fastened it around his lover’s neck. The beautiful jade pendant rested against Lu Jianchuan’s collarbone, making his skin look like fine silk.

The two stood close in front of the mirror. Fang Xingzhou leaned down slightly, kissing Lu Jianchuan’s cheek and inhaling his strange yet sweet fragrance. “Do you like it?”

Lu Jianchuan turned his head to kiss him.

The lingering scent of strawberry toothpaste mingled between their lips. Lu Jianchuan turned around, wrapping his arms around Fang Xingzhou’s waist, effortlessly lifting him onto the bathroom counter and pressing him against the mirror.

Fang Xingzhou stared mesmerized at the jade pendant swaying against Lu Jianchuan’s collarbone. He couldn’t help but reach out and tug on it, pulling Lu Jianchuan closer to him.

Lu Jianchuan laughed.

He tangled their tongues together, reluctantly pulling away after a long kiss. “I love it,” he said.

Then he brought the pendant to his lips and kissed it, tilting his head thoughtfully for a few seconds before adding, “It’s kind of like Liu Bang’s necklace.”

Fang Xingzhou was taken aback. “Liu Bang?”

“Yeah, the neighbor’s spotted dog,” Lu Jianchuan said. “Mr. Lin told me while walking the dog that Liu Bang’s necklace has a chip in it. As long as Liu Bang wears it, he’ll never get lost.”

Fang Xingzhou: “…”

He remembered that the little dog next door did indeed wear a dog tag—a piece of jade shaped like a bone, engraved with its name and the owner’s phone number.

He looked up at Lu Jianchuan with a teasing smile.

Lu Jianchuan’s pupils were translucent in the morning light, clearer than the mirror behind him, reflecting Fang Xingzhou’s image.

“The first time I saw that dog, I thought its necklace was really cute,” Lu Jianchuan said earnestly. “I even asked Mr. Lin where he bought it, but he said it was custom-made, one of a kind in the world.”

“Is mine like that too?” he asked Fang Xingzhou.

Fang Xingzhou couldn’t help but laugh.

“Of course, every piece of jade in the world is unique, just like you are to me,” he said. “But why compare yourself to a dog?”

Lu Jianchuan: “Humans shouldn’t use ‘dog’ as an insult. Dogs are very loyal animals. I like them.”

Fang Xingzhou smiled even wider. “You’re right. As long as you like it.”

Lu Jianchuan tucked the pendant inside his shirt, letting it rest against his warm skin. He spoke naturally, “I’ll wear it all the time. Will you be able to find me anytime, anywhere through this pendant?”

Fang Xingzhou’s eyes flickered.

…Lu Jianchuan knew the pendant contained a tracker and a monitor.

Perhaps he had known from the moment he opened the gift box.

Fang Xingzhou recalled Li Xuan’s description of Lu Jianchuan.

“Self-imposed confinement out of love and desire does not mean he has truly lost his power. No human would dare to deceive or harm him.”

Lu Jianchuan opened his arms and pulled Fang Xingzhou into a hug. “As long as I wear this, you’ll have no reason to lose me, Xingzhou.”

Fang Xingzhou was slightly stung by these words.

If he had implanted a tracker in the jellyfish twenty years ago, would he have been able to know where it had gone and whether it was still alive?

He nuzzled Lu Jianchuan’s cheek, looking into his eyes, and said softly but firmly, “Of course, I’ll never lose you. You must wear it well, no matter what happens. You’re not allowed to take it off.”

Lu Jianchuan nodded, smiling as he kissed Fang Xingzhou again. Fang Xingzhou’s hand rested on Lu Jianchuan’s belly. It had been almost five months, which meant the pregnancy was halfway through by human standards, but the bulge was still slight, almost unnoticeable under clothes.

His palm pressed against it, and the little life inside immediately became active, as if greeting him.

Fang Xingzhou’s heart slowly calmed during the kiss.

…

After giving this gift, Fang Xingzhou removed the cameras at home, giving Lu Jianchuan enough freedom to move around. He only monitored Lu Jianchuan’s heart rate and location through his phone at all times.

Before his second meeting with Li Xuan, he first checked Lu Jianchuan’s whereabouts.

The location was pinned to a farm near City B.

As soon as his gaze fell on the location information, Lu Jianchuan’s message came through, explaining guiltily, “Darling, I heard there’s a farm in the west district that sells really good snakes, so I came here to buy some. I’ll make snake soup for you tonight.”

Even though Fang Xingzhou was the one monitoring Lu Jianchuan, it had turned into a mutual surveillance. The moment his attention turned to Lu Jianchuan, the latter would immediately notice.

Fang Xingzhou thought for a moment, turned off his phone, and made sure he wasn’t carrying any electronic devices connected to the tracker before stepping into the café.

Li Xuan was still sitting in the same spot as last time. Because the weather had warmed up, he had finally swapped out his unchanging long coat for a light-colored shirt, making him look much softer.

As soon as he saw Fang Xingzhou, Li Xuan said, “I believe what you said last time.”

“Oh?” Li Xuan smiled in surprise. “I was still worrying about how to explain things to you. Did Lu Jianchuan prove it for me? Or did something I say get confirmed?”

Fang Xingzhou: “Anyone who directs their gaze at him, even through a camera, will catch his attention,” he repeated Li Xuan’s words from last time. “I believe your relationship with him is indeed a voluntary collaboration.”

Li Xuan laughed. “No one can force Mr. Lu. Sit down. Are you having a sandwich again today?”

Fang Xingzhou: “A sandwich won’t do this time.”

Li Xuan: “Huh?”

Fang Xingzhou: “I’m going to eat something expensive because I’ve discovered a new secret about you.”

Li Xuan: “…”

He looked at Fang Xingzhou in confusion. His secret? What secret?… Surely Lu Jianchuan hadn’t told Fang Xingzhou everything about the Institute, right? The five-thousand-word leak report from last time had nearly driven him mad.

Li Xuan’s expression half-froze. “What do you mean?”

Fang Xingzhou rang the service bell and said calmly, “Progress Report on the Male Pregnancy Research Project, Phase 004.”

Li Xuan: “……………”

The other half of his expression froze as well.

The waiter quickly approached the table, asking what they needed. Fang Xingzhou opened the menu, selected the most expensive coffee, and then added a ridiculously overpriced tomahawk steak.

After placing the order, he smiled at the waiter. “The gentleman across from me will be paying.”

The waiter turned to Li Xuan, showing the payment QR code. Li Xuan stiffly took out his phone, obediently scanned the code, and paid, asking sheepishly, “Do you need anything else? Feel free to order, feel free.”

Fang Xingzhou: “Not for now, thank you.”

The waiter left with the menu. Once he was out of earshot, Fang Xingzhou spoke again. “The report was very well-written, highly professional. Is the author the ‘pregnancy specialist’ you mentioned? I’d like to meet him sometime to exchange medical knowledge.”

Li Xuan let out an awkward but polite chuckle. “Haha, Mr. Lu told you about that too.”

“He didn’t tell me,” Fang Xingzhou said, looking at him. “Because of that report, we had a major conflict. He altered my memory, and it wasn’t until last week that I remembered everything.”

Li Xuan broke out in a cold sweat under Fang Xingzhou’s gaze. “A conflict?… Ah, I’m sorry, Dr. Fang. We thought you, as a doctor, would be more open to a scientific explanation. We didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

Fang Xingzhou gave a meaningful smile. “Officer Li, you must not be married.”

Li Xuan: “…”

He could tell Fang Xingzhou was genuinely angry, to the point of making personal jabs.

The idea for the report had come from Yan Xin… Well, that guy spent all his time underwater studying monsters, so obsessed that he practically lived at the Institute. He probably wasn’t married either.

Li Xuan had no defense and sincerely bowed his head to the victim. “I apologize.”

Fang Xingzhou didn’t dwell on it too much. Given Li Xuan’s position, it was understandable.

He said, “It’s fine. We’re all just doing our jobs. Let’s get started.”

Li Xuan downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp and pulled out a thick document from his briefcase.

[Confidentiality Agreement for Unconventional Events]

“I applied for an external personnel position for you,” Li Xuan said. “Fortunately, the Institute has heard of your reputation and approved it quickly. Otherwise, it could have taken half a year to go through the process.”

Fang Xingzhou took the document, leaned back in his chair, and began flipping through it rapidly.

A special agency established twenty years ago… directly under central authority… handling unconventional secret missions unknown to the public… conducting research in theology, physics, and biology… aiming to uncover the secrets of the universe…

The Institute for Unconventional Research

Such a massive, complex organization was actually submerged in the seabed near City C, managing over a thousand special creatures.

They referred to “special creatures” like Lu Jianchuan as “managed entities,” categorized by their danger level and management level. The two were mostly positively correlated—the more dangerous the creature, the stricter the control.

Li Xuan added, “The ‘delicacy’ I brought today has a danger level of E and a management level of E-. It’s almost harmless to humans. You can rest assured.”

Fang Xingzhou flipped through the pages one by one. “What’s Lu Jianchuan’s danger level?”

Li Xuan paused.

He answered cautiously, “Mr. Lu is the most unique managed entity in our Institute. His danger level is rated A+, the only A+ in the entire Institute, but his management level is only D, indicating extremely low harmfulness.”

“This rating was groundbreaking. Our former director staked his career on it. Ten years have passed, and it’s proven that his bold judgment was correct. Lu Jianchuan has been of immense help to us.”

Fang Xingzhou noticed a key point in time: ten years ago.

His first encounter with Lu Jianchuan had also been ten years ago.

Lu Jianchuan’s flawless identity and deep understanding of human society were likely achieved with the Institute’s support. But before that, what form had he existed in?

All questions seemed to circle back to the initial question Li Xuan had refused to answer.

Fang Xingzhou brought it up again, as if casually, “What is Lu Jianchuan’s true form?”

Li Xuan immediately fell silent.

After a few seconds, he said, “Information about him is classified at the highest level in the Institute. Although everyone in the Institute knows his name, I’ve been a formal employee for decades, and it wasn’t until I was selected as his handler that I gained access to his files. I can’t tell you more about this.”

Fang Xingzhou pursed his lips.

The two stopped talking, and the only sound at the table was the rustling of paper.

When Fang Xingzhou reached the last page of the document, he didn’t hesitate much. He took out the pen he had brought with him and signed his name on the paper.

The moment the final stroke was completed, the air seemed to twist imperceptibly.

Something invisible entered his mind, like a strange higher-dimensional creature, casting a brief glance at his brain before quickly disappearing.

He stared at the name on the paper for a moment.

“Don’t try to violate the confidentiality agreement,” Li Xuan warned. “You don’t want to know the consequences.”

Fang Xingzhou nodded. “I understand.”

Li Xuan carefully placed the signed documents back into his briefcase.

“Can I see the ‘delicacy’ now?” Fang Xingzhou asked. “Or do we need to go somewhere more private to take it out?”

Li Xuan: “No need. It’s just an E-level managed entity.”

He pulled a black canister out of his bag.

Fang Xingzhou took the canister, surprised by its weight. It seemed to contain liquid.

Li Xuan smiled, looking expectant. “I hope you’ll be satisfied with this delicacy.”

Fang Xingzhou lowered his head, his expression tightening as he carefully examined the canister. Finally, he cautiously opened the sealed lid.

—The inside of the canister was pitch black, so dark that it seemed as if darkness itself had taken on a physical form. Nothing could be seen.

He tilted the canister slightly toward the light.

In the next second, countless eyes opened within the darkness, their pupils turning in unison to stare at the opening.