PTGWD Chapter 67: Bath Time

While Fang Xingzhou was undergoing his examination, Lu Jianchuan was sprawled outside the window, casting a terrifying silhouette under the lights.

All the researchers had gathered in the hallway, keeping a distance of several meters from Lu Jianchuan, wearing protective goggles and whispering excitedly. A few brave ones even stepped closer, cautiously asking if they could touch one of its tentacles despite their fear.

Lu Jianchuan quickly retracted its tentacles behind its brain, sternly replying, “No touching. I’m married.”

The researcher, startled by the vibrating vocal cords, stumbled backward, nearly knocking over a potted plant.

Soon, Fang Xingzhou finished his examination. Yan Xin stepped out of the room, dispersing the crowd and handing the CT report to the “family member” at the door.

Lu Jianchuan coiled a tentacle around the report, carefully studying the images under the light.

Yan Xin said, “According to the human instruments, Xingzhou is perfectly fine now. But the brain is a complex organ. We can’t rule out the possibility of long-term side effects, so we’ll need you to keep a close eye on him.”

Lu Jianchuan nodded seriously. “Understood.”

Fang Xingzhou, now changed, followed Yan Xin out of the room. “Dr. Yan, I’d like to see the patient who was parasitized.”

Yan Xin led the way. “His physical condition has stabilized, but his mental state is still very poor. He’s been screaming all night, claiming something has burrowed into his brain. We’ve arranged for a professional trauma therapist, and he may need months of rehabilitation.”

At this, he gave Fang Xingzhou a complicated look.

“If I hadn’t seen your medical report,” he said, “I would have requested special containment to study what kind of species you really are.”

Fang Xingzhou looked puzzled. “Huh?”

Yan Xin smiled. “Never mind, just my ramblings.”

The patient and his family were housed in a more strictly controlled research area, unable to leave and under 24-hour surveillance. They could only be released after signing confidentiality agreements.

Fang Xingzhou stopped outside the room, not entering, but peered through the glass at the man who had bitten his artery.

The unfortunate middle-aged man had lost a significant amount of weight in just a few days. He was hooked up to an IV, staring blankly at the ground, muttering incessantly.

Yan Xin said, “This is a classic case of trauma after experiencing a mysterious event. We have a lot of experience dealing with this. Don’t worry.”

Fang Xingzhou frowned, deeply concerned about the condition he had failed to diagnose earlier. “So, he didn’t have a mental illness initially? It developed after the parasite left him?”

Yan Xin sensed the doubt in Fang Xingzhou’s tone and sighed.

“Yes, Dr. Fang. You have to understand, normal humans are easily driven mad by special entities,” he said. “Even harmless E-level entities can cause significant psychological shock.”

Fang Xingzhou thought of the eyeballs and nodded, extending a hand. “Next time we encounter a patient with similar symptoms, we’ll notify the institute more promptly. Thank you for everything. We’ve caused you a lot of trouble.”

Yan Xin was always moved by such polite words. He shook Fang Xingzhou’s hand firmly, sighing, “Thank you. Every time I talk to you, I feel like I’m still human.”

Fang Xingzhou: “…You’ve worked hard.”

Lu Jianchuan coiled around Fang Xingzhou’s hand, slowly inching forward, its vocal cords eagerly urging, “Let’s go home.”

Yan Xin: “Mr. Lu’s food will be delivered to Xiangxing Street later. I hope you enjoy your honeymoon.”

Fang Xingzhou thanked him again and quietly left the controlled area without disturbing the patient.

As they passed the patient’s room, the gestational sac suddenly twitched.

The little monster’s crimson eyes emerged from the egg membrane, staring intently at the patient’s family member, seeing the intricate web of cause and effect.

…Before going to sea, he had a heated argument with his father over a blind date, causing his father to emit intense negative emotions that attracted the parasite lurking offshore…

…After being parasitized, during his first episode of madness, he was too scared to help his mother restrain his father, leading to the patient falling from the first floor and requiring emergency hospitalization…

…After the emergency treatment, out of guilt, he disregarded medical advice and loosened the restraints, causing the patient to go berserk again and bite Fang Xingzhou’s artery…

A flash of fluorescent blue light appeared in the gestational sac.

Lu Jianchuan keenly detected the fluctuations of divine power, extremely subtle, like invisible worms burrowing into the bodies of the patients’ family members in the room.

He twitched his brain, recognizing it as a series of nightmares.

With a smile etched into his furrows, sensing the embryo’s anger, Lu Jianchuan did not hinder its minor actions, allowing it to wield its gradually mastering power to mete out harmless punishments to some certain humans.

……

Fang Xingzhou drove the institute’s car home.

Li Xuan had arranged for a seven-seater SUV, with one-way privacy film on all the windows to prevent anyone from peeking inside. Even so, Lu Jianchuan could only barely squeeze itself into the car, its eighteen tentacles crammed uncomfortably into the trunk.

Fang Xingzhou glanced at his awkwardly positioned lover through the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Darling, do you want me to drive?” Its squeezed vocal cords struggled to make an eager sound. “Is your head still hurting? Is driving too tiring?”

Fang Xingzhou said, “Sit still and buckle up the baby.”

Lu Jianchuan slowly shifted, its tentacles making squelching sounds as they were pressed together. One of them hooked the seatbelt and fastened it around its round gestational sac.

“I’m buckled up, darling. Let’s go home,” Lu Jianchuan urged, coiling its vocal cord around Fang Xingzhou’s neck like a terrifying scarf. “The baby can’t wait either. It doesn’t seem to like staying at the Institute. Maybe the ocean’s humidity is too much.”

Fang Xingzhou was momentarily stunned. “Humidity? Where did you learn that word?”

“Madam Lu shared an article to the family group chat that mentioned it,” the vocal cord buzzed against his neck. “Isn’t that right?”

Fang Xingzhou: “But you’re a giant jellyfish that lives in the ocean. Why would you be afraid of humidity?”

Lu Jianchuan seemed stumped by the question. Its massive brain pondered for a while, and only after the car left the institute’s tunnel did it finally come up with an answer: “Because the baby has your blood! It’s a cute little human baby.”

Yes, a human baby that is oviparous.

Fang Xingzhou’s eyes curved into a smile as he leaned over to nuzzle the brain. “You’re right.”

Lu Jianchuan stared at his beloved without blinking, overjoyed and still unable to believe how easily Fang Xingzhou had accepted its true form, even forgiving the harm and abandonment it had caused.

As it watched, its tentacles grew damp again, overwhelmed by the surge of love crashing through its brain like a stormy wave.

The vocal cord spoke: “Darling, I love you so much…”

Fang Xingzhou focused on driving, freeing one hand to gently squeeze the soft end of the vocal cord. “I know.”

Lu Jianchuan squeezed half of its brain into the passenger seat, pressing tightly against Fang Xingzhou’s cheek. The grooves made a purring sound, as if it were licking his face with an invisible tongue. If anyone were unfortunate enough to peek inside the car, they would see a terrifying monster drooling over a slender young man, seemingly ready to devour him at any moment, which might drive them insane on the spot.

Fortunately, it was the middle of the night, and there weren’t many pedestrians or cars on the streets. The entire Xiangxing Street was deep in a peaceful dream.

Fang Xingzhou discreetly drove the car into the garage and opened all the doors. The tentacles, cramped from the journey, immediately spilled out, coiling around Fang Xingzhou and slithering into the house.

After a few days away, the house had gathered a layer of dust.

Fang Xingzhou, still smelling of blood and disinfectant, tossed his coat into the laundry basket as soon as he entered. The monster’s eighteen tentacles simultaneously grabbed the vacuum, mop, cloth, window cleaner, laundry basket, and trash bags… Then, with dozens of eyes, it eagerly looked at Fang Xingzhou and said, “Darling, go take a shower first.”

Fang Xingzhou, indeed unable to stand the smell, nodded and headed to the bathroom.

Lu Jianchuan, now unrestrained, moved its tentacles at lightning speed.

The vacuum sucked up the dust, followed closely by the mop, which polished the floor to a shine. Other tentacles simultaneously cleaned all the windows, tossed dirty clothes into the washing machine, wiped down the furniture, and tidied the kitchen…

The eighteen tentacles seemed to have minds of their own, working efficiently and methodically. In less than five minutes, the house was spotless.

Lu Jianchuan put away all the cleaning tools and then slithered to the bathroom door, pressing its brain against the door to peer at the person showering inside.

The vocal cord politely knocked.

“Zhouzhou, I’ve washed your clothes,” it said eagerly. “Which pajamas do you want to wear? The silk ones, maybe? I’ll get them for you.”

The sound of running water stopped.

Lu Jianchuan held its breath, waiting. After a moment, the bathroom door opened a crack.

A slender, wet hand reached out, grasping the writhing tentacle—the one with the hectocotylus.

Lu Jianchuan shivered slightly.

The fingers tightened, pulling it into the bathroom. The brain, now flushed pink, slid smoothly into the bathroom, and the door slammed shut behind it. The tentacles writhed, eagerly coiling around Fang Xingzhou’s dripping ankles.

“Xingzhou…”

The brain leaned in eagerly, craving a kiss, but was stopped just five centimeters away by Fang Xingzhou’s hand.

The crimson eyes blinked in confusion, their heated gaze sweeping over Fang Xingzhou’s glistening skin, his slightly pale shoulders, his long, smooth legs, and… the brush in his right hand.

Then, it watched as Fang Xingzhou calmly picked up the showerhead and drenched the brain in water.

Lu Jianchuan froze for half a second, instinctively shaking off the water, splashing it all over Fang Xingzhou. Fang Xingzhou frowned slightly and patted the brain. “Stay still.”

The monster obediently stood still in front of him.

Fang Xingzhou lifted the nearest tentacle, flipping it over to inspect the mouthparts one by one. His frown deepened. “How much strage things did you eat at the Institute? There’s blood and bits of meat stuck in your mouthparts, some even dried black.”

Lu Jianchuan glanced at its tentacle, its skin immediately turning red.

It had been so focused on Fang Xingzhou that it hadn’t noticed the blood, meat scraps, and dust from cleaning all over its tentacles.

It sniffed hard, suddenly feeling like it smelled dirty, afraid of soiling Fang Xingzhou. It tried to retract the tentacle, blushing. “I’ll clean myself right away.”

Fang Xingzhou held onto the tentacle firmly.

He filled the bathtub with warm water and led the dirty monster into it, watching as the eighteen tentacles awkwardly squeezed together, nearly displacing all the water.

After a moment of observation, he said, “Stay here. Wait for me.”

Lu Jianchuan obediently crouched in the bathtub, watching as Fang Xingzhou briefly left the bathroom and returned with a tape measure. Standing in front of the bathtub, he asked, “Which tentacle is the longest?”

All eighteen tentacles immediately sprang to life, each vying to be the “longest,” inevitably splashing water all over Fang Xingzhou, who responded with a light slap.

The tentacles writhed, looking like terrifying forest pythons under the fluorescent light. Lu Jianchuan took a moment to calm the internal squabble among the tentacles, then identified the longest one—the one with the hectocotylus—and lowered its head slightly. “This one should be the longest.”

Fang Xingzhou measured the length of the tentacle, then proceeded to measure the width of the gestational sac and the brain, recording the numbers on his phone. “The bathtub and bed are too small now. I’ll buy new ones tomorrow to fit your size.”

Dozens of eyes lit up simultaneously, the brain excitingly shricked, buzzing, “Darling, you’re so good to me!”

Fang Xingzhou handed over the showerhead. “Hold this yourself.”

The tentacle took the showerhead, aiming it at the brain.

Fang Xingzhou brought over a small stool, standing on it with only a towel wrapped around his waist, dripping wet. He squeezed shower gel onto the brush and started scrubbing the brain from the top.

Lu Jianchuan’s head was extremely sensitive. The moment the brush touched it, it trembled violently, its color shifting from pink to red to blue, like a giant camo-jellyfish.

Fang Xingzhou laughed, his eyes curving into a smile. “Hold still. I’ll be quick.”

The vocal cord emitted strange moans, somewhere between laughter and tears. “It tickles… Zhouzhou… it tickles…”

Fang Xingzhou remained unfazed, quickly coating half the brain in foam. The eyes scurried to the other side, waiting for Fang Xingzhou to finish scrubbing before moving back.

By the time the brain was clean, nearly twenty minutes had passed.

Fang Xingzhou exhaled slowly, admiring the freshly cleaned jellyfish cap, and planted a kiss on it.

Lu Jianchuan, writhing in unbearable itchiness, felt his brain pulsate incessantly. The hectocotylus had already emerged, swollen and pressed firmly against Fang Xingzhou’s forearm.

Fang Xingzhou rested for two minutes, then picked up the pink hectocotylus, examining it for a moment.

With a smile on his lips, he politely asked, “Can I scrub this too?”

 

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translater notes:

I’m so happy translating and checking though these chapters… I feel like I can live for a few more days.  ;…)（amen）