“Xiao Wang?” Lu Jianchuan was still hesitating whether to make one last attempt to resist. “Why do I have to take the surname ‘Wang’ for the hospital internship?”
The meat they ordered arrived. Fang Xingzhou asked the server to place the plates on Lu Jianchuan’s side and spoke naturally, “Didn’t you introduce yourself as Xiao Wang? You’ve interned twice already, and no one knows your full name. Qin Hongbo even came to ask me about it last time.”
Lu Jianchuan: “…”
For a moment, the only sound at their table was the bubbling of the hotpot.
After a dozen seconds, Lu Jianchuan picked up the cooked meat and placed it in Fang Xingzhou’s bowl, his smile growing increasingly strained.
He remembered… one day when they had an argument, he had gone to the hospital pretending to be Xiao Wang, accusing Zhouzhou of leaving him at home and even emptying his meal card in the hospital cafeteria.
Even as a monster, Lu Jianchuan was so embarrassed that he wanted to bury his head in the hotpot and turn himself into an extra dish for Fang Xingzhou.
“I just missed you so much, baby,” he desperately explained. “The baby in my belly was the same. It would act up whenever it couldn’t see you. In the end, we couldn’t help but come up with this plan. It allowed us to be with you without disturbing your work.”
Fang Xingzhou nodded: “It was indeed a perfect solution. You’re a medical student, so interning at the hospital is perfectly normal.”
Although his lover was considerately speaking up for him, Lu Jianchuan still felt uneasy. He tried to mask his nervousness by continuously serving food to Fang Xingzhou.
Where had he slipped up? He racked his brain, trying to find a clue, but no matter how hard he thought, the identity of “intern Xiao Wang” seemed flawless.
Completely different height, appearance, age, and voice—how could Zhouzhou have connected it to him so quickly? Had his wife suspected he wasn’t human from the very beginning?
The more he thought about it, the more memories of his clumsy disguises flooded back. Lu Jianchuan’s scalp tingled, and his pace of serving meat noticeably quickened. In no time, Fang Xingzhou’s plate was piled high.
“I thought you’d never find out,” Lu Jianchuan said weakly. “How did you know Xiao Wang was me?”
Fang Xingzhou pushed the plate of meat, which Lu Jianchuan had diligently served for several minutes, back in front of him and said, “Eat first. We’ll talk while we eat.”
Lu Jianchuan mechanically stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth, still fixated on the question: “So, how did you know?”
Fang Xingzhou poured him a glass of orange juice and smiled. “You have a certain smell.”
Lu Jianchuan was stunned. He lifted his sleeve and sniffed carefully, but all he could smell was the fresh aroma of the hotpot.
“A smell?”
“Indescribable,” Fang Xingzhou said, looking at him. “Very unique, impossible to compare to any known fragrance. Sometimes it reminds me of death, especially when you’re angry.”
Lu Jianchuan had never heard such a thing before.
He had absolute confidence in his monster senses, but he had never detected any particular scent on himself.
“Is it an unpleasant smell?”
Fang Xingzhou shook his head.
“It’s not something that can be classified as ‘pleasant’ or ‘unpleasant.’ I often wonder if this scent isn’t related to smell at all, but rather a brainwave suggestion projected directly into the brain’s reflex area, creating the illusion of ‘smelling,'” Fang Xingzhou calmly explained. “Overall, I like this scent. It’s addictive.”
Lu Jianchuan’s heart skipped a beat.
“I’ve never projected such a suggestion, baby,” he said. “Before the pregnancy, I spent most of my time adhering to human norms. Please believe me.”
Fang Xingzhou smiled: “If you had projected it, you would have known to hide the scent when pretending to be Xiao Wang.”
Lu Jianchuan: “…”
That made sense.
He was at a loss for words.
Fang Xingzhou didn’t want to disrupt his meal and temporarily ended the conversation. “Focus on eating. We’ll talk more when we get home.”
Lu Jianchuan lowered his head, not daring to meet his lover’s eyes, and began to eat quietly.
The hotpot meal ended with them eating half the restaurant’s stock. The nutrients from the blind Eunice hadn’t been fully consumed yet, and Lu Jianchuan thought he had kept his appetite within the normal human range. However, when it came time to pay, the server was utterly shocked, repeatedly glancing at the two of them and asking excitedly in a low voice, “Are you guys competitive eaters or something?”
Fang Xingzhou smiled politely, scanned the QR code to pay the four-digit bill, and said, “No, my lover is pregnant, so he has a big appetite.”
The server slowly shifted their gaze to the tall, handsome man across the table, their mouths twitching: “Huh?”
Fang Xingzhou stood up, gathered their things, and didn’t offer further explanation. He said to Lu Jianchuan, “Let’s go.”
Lu Jianchuan stood up, and only then did the server notice his belly. Their eyes widened, their expression gradually turning horrified.
But the two of them seemed completely unfazed by the stares. Lu Jianchuan wrapped an arm around Fang Xingzhou’s waist, and they left the hotpot restaurant and got into the car.
Once they got home, Lu Jianchuan quickly disappeared into the study.
He stayed there from afternoon until evening. Fang Xingzhou quietly pushed the door open at one point, and the person inside immediately closed the book in his hands, turning to him with a smile and hastily explaining, “I’m reviewing medical knowledge.”
Fang Xingzhou’s gaze slowly swept over the books piled on the desk.
“The Classic of Mountains and Seas,” “Legends of Monsters,” “One Hundred Incredible Magical Creatures,” “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio,” “The Snake’s Love,” “Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” “The Evolution of Foxes”…
Fang Xingzhou suppressed a smile and simply said, “Alright, make sure to balance work and rest.” Then he closed the door again, giving Lu Jianchuan enough time to process the fact that his identity had been exposed.
By around ten o’clock, Lu Jianchuan seemed to have finally made up his mind. He left the study and took an unusually long shower.
Through the frosted glass of the bathroom door, Fang Xingzhou could vaguely see the figure inside shifting between different forms, sometimes taller, sometimes shorter, like a monster shedding its skin to prepare a new human disguise.
Fang Xingzhou was looking forward to it.
Half an hour later, Lu Jianchuan emerged, damp and quiet, and slipped under the covers. He pulled Fang Xingzhou, who was leaning against the headboard reading a research paper, into his arms, kissed his forehead, and said nervously, “Time to sleep, baby.”
Fang Xingzhou put down the tablet, turned off all the lights in the room except for a dim reading lamp, and lay down under the covers, turning to face Lu Jianchuan.
In the dim light, his lover’s pale eyes gleamed like precious gemstones, carrying an otherworldly beauty. They stared at Fang Xingzhou with a mix of focus and hesitation, as if holding back many unspoken words.
Fang Xingzhou dimmed the reading lamp further, a faint smile on his lips.
The darkness shrank the space around them, encasing the glow of the reading lamp like a shell, creating a private and safe sanctuary. Fang Xingzhou studied Lu Jianchuan in the faint light, his hand slipping under the pajamas to rest on Lu Jianchuan’s pregnant belly, slowly caressing it before moving upward, as if using the skin of his palm to confirm his lover’s true nature.
After a while, Fang Xingzhou spoke in a soft, enticing voice: “Show me.”
Here it comes.
Lu Jianchuan’s expression instantly tensed.
“Show… what?”
Fang Xingzhou’s hand finally grasped his wrist, feeling the rapid pulse beneath the thin skin.
“Show me your true form, Deer,” Fang Xingzhou said, kissing the corner of his mouth. “Even just a part of it.”
The pulse quickened.
Lu Jianchuan fell silent for a moment. Even though he had spent the entire afternoon preparing, hearing Fang Xingzhou say those words still filled him with fear and unease.
He knew very clearly that their love had begun with this perfect human disguise.
Ten years ago, before “coincidentally” meeting Fang Xingzhou again, a former special agent from the Special Research Institute had spent a month studying human aesthetics with him, showing him countless pictures of beautiful people, both male and female. They even used AI to analyze Fang Xingzhou’s personality and upbringing, synthesizing a recommended facial blueprint based on his aesthetic preferences.
Lu Jianchuan had spent a week crafting this face, ensuring every feature was exquisite and every inch of skin flawless. Then he created a flawless human identity, becoming Fang Xingzhou’s classmate, observing him, following him, until he found the perfect opportunity to “coincidentally” meet Fang Xingzhou again at a freshman orientation event.
The moment their eyes met, Lu Jianchuan saw his carefully prepared disguise reflected in Fang Xingzhou’s pupils, along with his lover’s unmistakable awe and excitement.
He knew Fang Xingzhou liked “it.”
From then on, he had never taken “it” off. The mask had been worn for so long that it had almost fused with his flesh.
—But now, Fang Xingzhou wanted to see his true form.
Lu Jianchuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared blankly at the reflection in Fang Xingzhou’s eyes. His fear grew stronger, and he began to regret admitting his monstrous nature so easily earlier that day.
Was Zhouzhou serious about wanting to see it? Was he truly ready to accept a monster as his lover? Would the love and focus in those eyes turn to horror and disgust the moment he shed this human skin?
Lu Jianchuan instinctively put some distance between them, his back damp with sweat. He whispered hoarsely, “Baby…”
Fang Xingzhou pulled him into an embrace, leaving no room for retreat.
The massive belly pressed between them, and the embryo seemed to sense its host’s frantic heartbeat, shrinking nervously inside the amniotic sac, not daring to make a sound.
Fang Xingzhou repeated softly but firmly: “Show me.”
Lu Jianchuan’s expression grew stiffer, like a puppet that had lost its composure, unable to control the subtle human expressions.
Fang Xingzhou, however, didn’t show any surprise. He simply smiled tenderly, leaning closer and whispering, “I’ve actually seen it before.”
These words were like a thunderclap, instantly throwing Lu Jianchuan into a state of panic.
His pupils contracted to the size of a snake’s, his face pale as he stared at Fang Xingzhou in disbelief, instinctively denying it: “Impossible.”
He had only shown his true form in front of Fang Xingzhou once—in the kitchen, to heal the horrific wound in his lover’s abdomen. And he was absolutely certain that Fang Xingzhou wouldn’t retain any memory of it.
Because such memories were inherently polluting. To ensure absolute safety, Lu Jianchuan hadn’t just altered the memory—he had completely erased it.
Other than that, he had never…
Fang Xingzhou spoke: “During those two days when you were unconscious, your right hand uncontrollably reverted to its true form.”
Lu Jianchuan: “!!!!!!!!”
“I saw it. My retinas were irritated, so I kept tearing up,” Fang Xingzhou continued. “When you woke up, you asked me why I was crying. Remember?”
Lu Jianchuan’s mouth fell open slightly, his face growing paler.
He frantically searched Fang Xingzhou’s expression, trying to find even a hint of fear or disgust, but—
Fang Xingzhou’s eyes were shining faintly, as if he were in a state of extreme excitement.
“It was beautiful,” he praised his lover without reservation. “The morning light shone on its patterns, and the tentacle’s skin glowed as if it were luminous. I traced the texture with my fingers and felt something like a mouthpart, filled with densely packed sharp teeth… about eighteen of them. The teeth felt healthy, with no signs of decay, and they were gentle, not biting me but just grazing the pads of my fingers. Deep inside the mouthpart, something like a tongue even extended, continuously licking me, tickling me.”
Lu Jianchuan’s mind went completely blank.
He understood every word Fang Xingzhou said, but when put together, they became a coded language that he had to process slowly, one sentence at a time.
However, some words didn’t need translation.
He heard “beautiful,” “luminous,” “healthy,” “gentle,” and “tickling.”
In the dim light, his face turned red from his collarbone to his ears, then to his entire face. He stared blankly at Fang Xingzhou, all his brain cells frantically processing his lover’s praise.
Even half of his soul seemed to float up, hovering in the bedroom like a balloon ready to drift away, its string held firmly in Fang Xingzhou’s hand.
His heart pounded, and his breathing quickened. Fang Xingzhou kissed the back of his hand again, coaxing, “Don’t disguise yourself as those boring monsters. I just want to see your true form. Show me again, Lu Jianchuan.”
Before Lu Jianchuan’s brain could react, his body had already succumbed to the temptation.
The hand Fang Xingzhou was holding grew warm, and the skin began to writhe unnaturally, as if terrifying parasites lived beneath the veins.
“Your eyes won’t be able to handle it…” he said weakly, clinging to the last shreds of rationality. “Your retinas might rupture.”
Fang Xingzhou’s smile deepened.
“You’ll find a way. There’s no monster in City C more powerful than you.”
Lu Jianchuan: “…”
The writhing of his skin grew more intense. His five fingers began to merge, gradually losing their human shape but still retaining human skin, making the sight doubly horrifying.
“Just a little,” Lu Jianchuan said, dizzy and weakly holding onto his last principle. “Not the whole thing. It could hurt you.”
Fang Xingzhou’s blood was boiling. He stared intently at the snake-like human skin, eagerly urging, “Okay, hurry up.”
The hand disappeared.
The beautiful tentacle he had been dreaming of reappeared in his vision. Just as his eyes began to ache, something cold and slimy dripped into them, quickly forming a temporary transparent film over his retinas.
In the dim glow of the reading lamp, Fang Xingzhou finally saw it clearly.
Lu Jianchuan was so tense that his entire body stiffened. He stared unblinkingly at Fang Xingzhou, watching as his lover’s pupils shone brightly in the dark, a thin layer of sweat forming on his face. Fang Xingzhou’s gaze traced every inch of the tentacle, and then, overcome with excitement, he grabbed it, lowered his head, and pressed a burning kiss against it.
Then.
Lu Jianchuan heard him ask politely, “Can I taste it?”
“…What?” He didn’t understand.
But Fang Xingzhou took it as consent. He extended his tongue and began carefully licking along the texture of the tentacle’s skin.
Lu Jianchuan’s mouth fell open. His mind exploded into a dazzling firework display in some unseen space, and the shared tail of his human and monster forms was lit like a fuse, ready to explode along with his brain at any moment.
translaters notes:
YESYESYESYESYESYEEEEEEEAAAAAA
ROLLS OVER IN MY BED YELLING AND KICKING MY FEET FR FR OMGGGG
THESE 55 CHAPTERS FELT LIKE FOREVER, BUT IM SOOOP HYPED RN, god i hope this comment doesnt get flagged as spam because of the caps. genuinely losing my mind
I love this sooo much… and since the biggest problem so far is solved the two will just become sweeter and sweeter yay!!
He´s finally seen it omg!!