No matter what, at the very least, he had to hide the fact that he had disguised himself as a pet jellyfish twenty years ago.
And it would be best to alter the appearance of his true form… into something more acceptable to humans…
Fang Xingzhou: “What are you thinking about?”
Lu Jianchuan took a step forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Fang Xingzhou. He intertwined their fingers, hesitated for a moment, and then asked in a low voice, “Zhouzhou, why did you lie to me?”
Fang Xingzhou pushed open the fireproof door and walked into the obstetrics waiting area. “I wanted to see how you would handle all the gossip.”
Lu Jianchuan: “…”
He slowly took a deep breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His smile was forced, and he was already planning to buy a few illustrated books on supernatural creatures later, to study what kinds of monsters humans found most appealing.
“So, do you like Venus flytraps?” Lu Jianchuan gave up on explaining and instead probed, “Or frogs? Snakes? Or maybe something more ordinary, like cats or dogs?”
Fang Xingzhou paused mid-step.
The question brought back memories of the half-tentacle he had accidentally glimpsed.
In the faint light of dawn, his aching retinas had captured the beautiful, resilient skin of the tentacle. It resembled a dangerous python from the forest, yet it was far more beautiful, so beautiful that it instantly evoked thoughts of deadly venom.
Such patterns didn’t belong to any known Earth creature, nor could they be described in normal human language.
The only thing that could compare… was the mysterious creature he had encountered in the shallows twenty years ago. It was equally awe-inspiring, equally seductive and dangerous, and equally impossible to describe in human terms. But back then, the “jellyfish” had been so small, its translucent head revealing a hint of brain matter, with delicate jellyfish tendrils floating beneath it—no longer than two fingers. It was impossible to connect that image to the tentacle covered in mouthparts.
Fang Xingzhou remained silent for a long time.
“If I had to choose a known creature…” he finally spoke, his voice carrying a deep, complex emotion that Lu Jianchuan couldn’t understand, “I like ‘jellyfish.'”
Lu Jianchuan’s pupils contracted sharply.
The embryo in his belly also stirred, pushing against the belly skin.
The family of three fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they quietly walked to Dr. An’s examination room. Fang Xingzhou knocked on the door, then smiled at Lu Jianchuan, pushing the chaotic memories to the back of his mind. “Let’s see the baby.”
Lu Jianchuan instinctively straightened his back, covering his belly, and smiled as well. “Okay, let’s see our baby.”
Fang Xingzhou pushed the door open.
Dr. An sat behind his desk, not looking up, staring at the name on the computer screen that had just been called. “Lu Jianchuan? …That name sounds familiar.”
Lu Jianchuan, having been through this once before, confidently lay down on the examination table. “Yes, Dr. An. Good morning. It’s been a while.”
Dr. An turned around and met Lu Jianchuan’s eyes.
Fang Xingzhou: “Morning. We’re seven months along now, so we came for a follow-up check on the baby.”
Dr. An: “…”
His gaze slowly shifted, first landing on Lu Jianchuan’s Adam’s apple, then moving to his belly. His mouth fell open, and his expression gradually went blank.
An awkward silence filled the room.
“Last time…” Dr. An began, confused, “it seems…”
Fang Xingzhou: “Last time, I explained it to you. Don’t you remember?”
Dr. An looked up at his colleague and friend, his mind in a storm of confusion, completely unable to recall how Fang Xingzhou had explained this physiological phenomenon.
Fang Xingzhou kindly reminded him: “High testosterone, polycystic, hormonal regulation.”
Dr. An: “……”
This time, his silence lasted even longer. His trembling hand reached for the vitamin bottle on his desk, unscrewed the cap, and popped an orange-flavored vitamin C into his mouth, using the sharp sourness to stimulate his taste buds and calm himself down.
He tried to ignore his completely scrambled memory, pulled up Lu Jianchuan’s medical records on the computer, and read through them several times. Then, he looked again at the belly that seemed ready to burst, disbelief written all over his face. “…Seven months?”
Lu Jianchuan patted his belly like it was a ripe watermelon, and it made a hollow thumping sound. “Yep! Seven months.”
“Don’t—don’t do that,” Dr. An said, his heart trembling at the sight. “A single fetus at seven months shouldn’t be this big. Are you sure you didn’t miscalculate the due date? The last ultrasound also showed the baby was a bit larger than average.”
Lu Jianchuan: “No miscalculation. It’s just been eating really well lately, so it’s a bit chubby.”
The embryo, deeply dissatisfied with its father’s explanation, immediately kicked out, creating a terrifying bulge in the belly.
Dr. An’s eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend how a seven-month-old human fetus could produce such movement.
Lu Jianchuan quickly looked up at Fang Xingzhou and said, “Honey, it kicked me.”
Fang Xingzhou: “…”
The embryo: “…”
Fang Xingzhou sighed and placed his hand on the belly, speaking seriously, “Don’t cause trouble. The doctor is going to check on you soon.”
The little monster inside seemed to understand. It trembled slightly, cautiously nuzzling against its father’s palm, and quickly settled down.
Fang Xingzhou turned to the doctor: “Let’s begin.”
Dr. An, witnessing this bizarre family, looked dazed. He applied the ultrasound gel to Lu Jianchuan’s belly and pressed the probe against the thin, almost translucent skin, carefully searching for the fetus.
This time, the fetus didn’t wait for the doctor to find it. It eagerly moved under the probe, can’t wait to show it’s fathers its new skin.
The black-and-white ultrasound screen displayed a bizarre, top-heavy creature with a massive translucent head and countless tiny tentacle-like tendrils beneath it. It clumsily imitated some kind of marine creature, floating back and forth in the nutrient fluid of its host—just like the stranded “jellyfish” Fang Xingzhou had found on the beach twenty years ago.
This scene instantly caused all three people in the room to lose control of their expressions.
Fang Xingzhou’s breathing quickened as he stared intently at the jellyfish-like creature on the screen. His rationality was instantly blown to pieces, like an invisible firework.
Lu Jianchuan was so startled that he nearly jumped off the examination table. He quickly moved the ultrasound probe away, cold sweat dripping as he glanced at Fang Xingzhou’s expression. A tentacle extended from his stomach, delivering several hard smacks to the embryo in a place invisible to the naked eye.
Dr. An hadn’t even processed what he had just seen before the image on the ultrasound disappeared. He was dazed for a few seconds, then looked at Lu Jianchuan and asked, “…What happened? I don’t think I’ve found the fetus yet.”
Lu Jianchuan’s voice was tense as he forced a dry laugh. “Yes, you haven’t found it yet. What you just saw was just some oddly shaped internal organs, right?”
Dr. An: “Huh?”
Lu Jianchuan repeated with an unshakable tone, “Yes, just some oddly shaped internal organs!”
“?”
“Sorry, Dr. An, I suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable, so I wanted to change positions,” Lu Jianchuan said, shifting his body while secretly beating up the little troublemaker in his belly. “I’m fine now. Please continue.”
As he spoke, he sneakily glanced at his wife. Fang Xingzhou was staring straight at him, his pupils dark and filled with complex emotions that Lu Jianchuan couldn’t decipher. The intensity of the gaze made his scalp tingle, and he couldn’t help but reach out to hold Fang Xingzhou’s hand. “Zhouzhou, don’t look at me. Look at the baby.”
Fang Xingzhou gazed deeply at him for a few seconds, then pressed his lips together.
Lu Jianchuan had moved the probe away too quickly, so Fang Xingzhou hadn’t actually gotten a clear look at the embryo’s appearance.
But even that fleeting glimpse was enough for him to confirm what had just flashed across the screen.
It had been so long since he had last seen it. Over the years, it had become more like an illusory vessel, carrying the weight of his obsession. When he caught sight of that figure again, he was immediately plunged into doubt, unsure if he was hallucinating.
His heart clenched, and he couldn’t think deeply about it. He mechanically shifted his gaze back to the screen.
As the probe moved, a new ultrasound image soon appeared before the three of them.
A nearly fully developed human fetus was curled up in the abdominal cavity, a bump on its forehead from being smacked. Its delicate features bore a clear expression of distress.
Lu Jianchuan let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed onto the examination table.
Fang Xingzhou, from the grayscale image, could make out the fetus’s already distinct facial features.
He was slightly stunned.
His shattered rationality began to piece itself back together, and his nearly runaway emotionalso calmed down. An indescribable, miraculous feeling welled up inside him.
Even though he knew full well that this was just a disguise the little monster had put on, he could still vaguely see traces of both himself and Lu Jianchuan in the baby’s features.
The impact of facing new life head-on made his emotions surge. Even the fleeting glimpse of the jellyfish no longer mattered. What mattered now was only this—this little one was a testament to their love, a product of their blood and genes, a continuation of their bond…
Dr. An, who had been staring at the fetus for a while, exclaimed in amazement, “Its facial features are already so well-defined! It’s quite beautiful. The mouth looks like the father’s, and the nose resembles the mother’s… or, well, the mother, right?”
Lu Jianchuan: “It doesn’t matter what it is… Thank goodness. Thank you, Doctor.”
Dr. An continued to move the probe, but as he did, his brows gradually furrowed again. “This is definitely close to being born, right? How can it be this big at seven months? Are you sure you didn’t miscalculate the due date?”
Lu Jianchuan said earnestly, “Absolutely not. It’s just been eating well and gotten a bit chubby. Please believe me.”
Dr. An: “…”
He turned to his friend and said, “I suggest you start preparing a hospital bag early, just in case.”
Fang Xingzhou tightened his grip on Lu Jianchuan’s hand and said softly, “Yes, I’ll prepare it.”
Dr. An carefully examined the fetus for a while longer, then clicked the screen to freeze the ultrasound image and began writing the examination report.
The room fell silent for a moment. As Dr. An wrote, his headache grew worse, and his memory became increasingly muddled. He couldn’t help but mutter, “Something’s definitely wrong here. How could this be? It shouldn’t be like this. Last time, it was clearly… a woman… something about high testosterone…”
Lu Jianchuan grew restless.
Click, click, click—the report was finished and spat out by the printer. Lu Jianchuan snatched it up, grabbed Fang Xingzhou, and said to the doctor, “Thank you. We’ll be going now. See you next time.” Then he hurriedly pulled Fang Xingzhou out of the examination room.
Dr. An was left sitting alone inside, utterly bewildered. He thought for a long time but couldn’t recover the correct memory.
Finally, he picked up his phone and called Dr. Li downstairs.
“Hey, Old Li, I think my mental state might be a bit off. Are you on duty today?”
…
By the time the examination was over, it was already noon. The two of them left the hospital and went to a nearby hotpot restaurant for lunch.
Fang Xingzhou ordered every type of meat on the menu. While waiting for the food to arrive, they sat facing each other, separated by the steam rising from the boiling pot.
Lu Jianchuan twitched his nose, trying to catch Fang Xingzhou’s scent amidst the strong aroma of the hotpot, hoping to gauge his emotions.
Unfortunately, the spices were too overpowering, and his attempt failed.
Lu Jianchuan’s expression was tense. The more he thought about the details of today’s hospital visit, the more anxious he became.
“Xingzhou…”
Fang Xingzhou spoke up: “During the ultrasound, I thought I caught a glimpse of a little jellyfish.”
As soon as he said this, the embryo in his belly stirred excitedly. It didn’t yet understand what “jellyfish” meant, but it vividly remembered Fang Xingzhou saying he “liked jellyfish.” Eager to let its father know that it was a tiny version of a jellyfish, it longed for more attention and love from him.
Lu Jianchuan covered his belly.
He didn’t continue with the clumsy lie. No matter how obtuse he was, he was gradually realizing that Zhouzhou might have already figured out that he wasn’t human.
Or perhaps the conversation on the stairs had given him an inexplicable courage.
His wife would love him as always… whether he was a Venus flytrap, a frog, or something else.
—Even a jellyfish would be fine, as long as it wasn’t the “jellyfish” from twenty years ago.
So, Lu Jianchuan pulled himself together, adjusting every tiny expression on his face to one he knew Fang Xingzhou would like. He gave him a perfect smile and said, “Yes, it did seem like something strange flashed by for a moment. After all, you said you liked ‘jellyfish’ before the examination.”
“To a child, the world is simple. There are only two things that matter: eating and being loved. And both are equally important to it. It craves your love just as much as it craves fresh flesh and blood… Even though it ended up backfiring and almost scared you.”
“Baby, don’t you think it’s a bit silly?”
Fang Xingzhou stared intently at Lu Jianchuan.
This statement was almost an indirect admission that he and the child weren’t human—but it only admitted to “not being human.”
No matter how naturally Lu Jianchuan tried to act, Fang Xingzhou could still see that he was extremely nervous, so nervous that he could barely breathe.
It seemed that if Fang Xingzhou showed even the slightest hint of disgust or indifference, Lu Jianchuan would instantly lose all vitality, withering away into a dried-up mummy along with the child in his belly.
Fang Xingzhou smiled.
He gently gave Lu Jianchuan some time to adjust, not immediately delving into the insurmountable species gap between them. He stood up, leaned over the steaming pot, and lightly kissed Lu Jianchuan’s lips.
“Not silly at all. I think it’s quite adorable,” he said. “Both you and the baby are.”
Lu Jianchuan let out a long breath, his stiff body visibly relaxing bit by bit.
Fang Xingzhou’s knee brushed against Lu Jianchuan’s under the table, and his smile deepened.
Today, he had only intended to lay the groundwork, forcing Lu Jianchuan to reclaim his identity as an intern and secretly return to the hospital to alter everything back to the way he wanted it.
But he hadn’t expected Lu Jianchuan to take the first step on his own.
Fang Xingzhou seized the opportunity and casually added:
“Dr. An said the baby is developing well. Plus, after you two went fishing alone by the sea the other day because you were so hungry, I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone at home. So, I applied for an official intern position for you.”
“Can you come to work with me tomorrow? Intern Xiao Wang.”
Lu Jianchuan was stunned.
His body, which had just started to relax, tensed up again.
His expression froze, his handsome face increasingly resembling a human mask. He stared blankly at the person across from him, suddenly feeling a chill run down his spine, as if his wife had stripped him naked in the middle of winter.
Zhouzhou… even knows about this.
He slowly took a deep breath.
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