PTGWD Chapter 71: Growing Taller

Fang Xingzhou gently kneaded the resilient pregnant sac.

The egg inside seemed to have been stirred awake by the movements of its fathers, rolling over lightly and nuzzling against Fang Xingzhou’s palm in confusion.

Fang Xingzhou patiently kneaded for several minutes before asking, “Still hurts?”

Lu Jianchuan, feeling uneasy under Fang Xingzhou’s gaze, quietly coiled his tentacles around his arm, wrapping it multiple times.

“It seems a bit better…” He shifted his massive body, trapping Fang Xingzhou in the innermost part, “But I still feel a little uncomfortable.”

Fang Xingzhou moved his hand from the pregnant sac, barely managing to cup the brain matter, locking eyes with the numerous eyes on its surface.

“Where exactly are you feeling uncomfortable?” he asked, “Your head? Stomach? Or heart?… Oh, you don’t have a heart now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Jianchuan created a beating heart within the transparent brain matter, pumping not blood but brain fluid.

Lu Jianchuan affirmed, “My heart is uncomfortable.”

Fang Xingzhou, with a slight smile, grasped the tip of a tentacle and asked, “How is it uncomfortable?”

Lu Jianchuan emitted strange groans again, slowly rolling on the ground twice, buzzing, “Just thinking about how you were bitten by a deranged patient, your artery torn, blood everywhere, this heart aches terribly, as if it’s about to explode at any moment—do you want to see? I can dig it out and show you.”

Fang Xingzhou leaned down to kiss the brain matter, sincerely declining the horrifying proposal, then fell silent for a moment.

Lu Jianchuan had been unable to transform recently, confined to staying at home or the Institute. If Fang Xingzhou continued his normal commute to work, he would have to be apart from them for half the day.

Moreover, he carried Lu Jianchuan’s scent, which could attract dangerous entities to the hospital, endangering colleagues and patients, as had happened before.

He had been pondering this since waking up, but now, seeing the large monster lying on the ground, Fang Xingzhou simply smiled.

“Still reluctant for me to go to work?” he said, “Someone has to earn the baby’s milk money.”

A tentacle shot out from Lu Jianchuan, opening a drawer and retrieving a bank card.

“I have a salary,” the vocal cord said, “Madam Lu gives me a monthly allowance, part of our contract. The Institute also pays me, at the level of a senior special agent, which is quite decent in human society.”

Fang Xingzhou hadn’t expected him to have secret savings.

The brain matter leaned closer: “…I didn’t tell you before because I was afraid of exposure.”

Fang Xingzhou pocketed the card, confiscating the secret funds, and said, “Then let’s talk about you sneaking a look at my phone and fabricating messages.”

Lu Jianchuan immediately flopped down, flipping his massive body over, tentacles twitching slightly, feigning a state of imminent death, the vocal cord groaning about heartache, stomachache, tentacle-ache, and brain-ache.

Fang Xingzhou grabbed the longest tentacle and dragged him towards the bathroom: “Let me check.”

Given Lu Jianchuan’s size and weight in his true form, it was nearly impossible for a human to drag him, but Fang Xingzhou was the one pulling.

Reluctantly yet willingly, he wriggled his tentacles, following behind his lover, being pulled into the bathroom, then climbing into the bathtub on his own, filling it with warm water, and pulling Fang Xingzhou in as well.

“I was wrong, baby, I shouldn’t have touched your phone, I won’t do it again,” he quickly apologized, then persistently added, “Let’s take a bath, not go to work, okay? Don’t leave here.”

Fang Xingzhou accurately found the slit on the tentacle, pulling out the hectocotylus that is still soft.

At the first touch, countless tentacles instantly climbed onto him.

“Do you want to play with this?” Lu Jianchuan leaned closer, a mix of fear and excitement in his voice, softly proposing, “…I can let you play with it all day, just don’t leave me alone at home.”

Fang Xingzhou rolled up his sleeves, then with one arm hugged the clingy big and little monster, kissing the already extending hectocotylus, a eager smile on his face.

“Deal,” he said decisively, “Agreed.”

Lu Jianchuan hadn’t expected him to agree so quickly, his entire brain matter glowing, afraid his wife might change his mind, he extended the mating appendage: “Promise!”

…

Fang Xingzhou kept his promise.

During the long-awaited vacation, they stayed at home as the big monster wished.

Half a month later, Qin Hongbo and Director Li came again on behalf of the hospital to visit the heroically injured Director Fang.

It was deep autumn, and this time, the villa wasn’t emitting cold air; instead, it was warm inside, apparently the “air conditioner” had automatically adjusted to heating mode based on mood.

The house was so warm that the guests took off their coats upon entering, but Fang Xingzhou was still dressed in a thick high-neck sweater, completely covered, his voice extremely hoarse as he greeted them.

As soon as he spoke, Director Li was startled, asking, “Caught a cold?”

Fang Xingzhou’s lips were crimson, the corner of his mouth slightly swollen as if bitten during a meal.

He coughed, sipping tea to soothe his throat, which ached from overuse, and nodded softly, “Yes.”

Director Li began to earnestly advise him to take care of his health, suggesting he hire a housekeeper, and to speak up if he faced any financial difficulties.

Fang Xingzhou mostly just smiled, occasionally uttering a word of thanks, listening to his colleagues discuss the aftermath of the recent incident.

Qin Hongbo said, “The patient and his family were taken away by military doctors last time, right? They were released after treatment a couple of days ago and came to the hospital to apologize, but you weren’t there, and no one gave them a good reception. However… I noticed that the family member who caused you to be bitten also seemed mentally unstable, his face terrifyingly pale, sitting alone and muttering for a long time.”

Director Li added, “Not pursuing their responsibility is already considering that you’re okay.”

Fang Xingzhou coughed again, his voice as hoarse as if he hadn’t drunk water for days, “It’s nothing, as a doctor, I encounter many patients and their families in a year, some are bound to be difficult.”

A slimy, cold “snake” silently coiled around his ankle.

Fang Xingzhou was slightly startled, instinctively shifting in his chair, looking at his two colleagues who were still passionately discussing troublesome patients at work, not noticing the activity under the table.

The tentacle crept up his pant leg, coiling tightly around his leg, then gently tightened, preventing him from closing his legs.

Fang Xingzhou straightened his back, frowning.

Director Li continued, “Speaking of troublesome patients, we have the most here, working shifts in the psychiatric department is really tough, last time I even doubted my own mental health, and made an appointment with Dr. An to visit another hospital, fortunately, everything turned out to be normal… By the way.”

He turned to Fang Xingzhou, “Your… um, fiancée? Fiancé? Has been pregnant for ten months now, right?”

During the conversation, Fang Xingzhou’s ears had turned red at some point, he slightly lowered his head, tightly holding the teacup, lips pursed, seemingly lost in thought.

Qin Hongbo: “…Zhou?”

Fang Xingzhou quickly looked up, apologetically smiling, his voice even hoarser than before, “Eleven months and three days.”

The table fell silent for two seconds.

The subtle sound of water became more noticeable in the quiet, Fang Xingzhou’s ears turned even redder, but fortunately, the two guests were shocked by the news, not paying attention to the rustling sounds.

“Eleven months? Has the baby been born?” Director Li’s eyes widened, “Why haven’t you mentioned it!”

Faint wet marks appeared on the linen pants, with unimaginable creatures wriggling inside, distorting the fabric into various shapes, like monsters from a horror movie.

Fang Xingzhou let out a very light nasal sound, his voice somewhat on and off: “Not… yet born. When it’s born, I’ll definitely send you invitations.”

Director Li: “…”

Qin Hongbo: “…..”This time the silence lasted a bit longer, the two exchanged glances, Qin Hongbo awkwardly smiled, “Professor, are you still unwell, mistaken about the time? Where is your wife?”

Lu Jianchuan was under the fabric, savoring today’s spoils, contentedly withdrawing the tentacle soaked in soy milk from the pant leg.

Fang Xingzhou suddenly relaxed, his gaze still somewhat scattered.

“He had something to do today and went out,” he said, “His constitution is special, the pregnancy will be longer than usual.”

Qin Hongbo blinked, “Huh?”

As a medical student, he was baffled, unable to think of any special constitution that would result in an eleven-month pregnancy, was it Nezha[mfn]Nezha, a rebellious child-god from Chinese mythology, took him 3 years to get out of his mother’s stomache.[/mfn] they were expecting?

Director Li was also momentarily dazed, just thinking about Fang Xingzhou’s lover made his head ache slightly.

The three tacitly agreed that this topic was not suitable for further discussion, quickly moving on to other matters. After sitting for over an hour, the guests took their leave, Fang Xingzhou stood up to see them off, but suddenly couldn’t stand, nearly falling.

Qin Hongbo hurriedly reached out to support him, but in his vision, a strange shadow quickly steadied the teacher, then disappeared as if it were an illusion.

Qin Hongbo was stunned.

Fang Xingzhou had already steadied himself, his legs still trembling slightly, politely declining the student’s assistance, he saw them to the door.

Once they left, he gently closed the door.

Immediately, a cool shadow enveloped him, the slimy, resilient brain matter pressing against the back of his head, the increasingly swoll pregnancy sac pressing him against the door, the tentacles following closely, skillfully removing his clothes.

For the past half month, except for the Institute delivering “special food” twice, they hadn’t stepped out, even shopping was done online, delivered to their doorstep.

Fang Xingzhou turned around, biting into the brain matter.

He bit hard, breathing rapidly, mumbling, “Deer, you’re getting bolder.”

The spoiled big monster, emboldened by the recent pampering, laughed without fear, excitedly asking, “Want to taste my brain fluid?”

Fang Xingzhou hadn’t eaten all day, only leaving the bedroom when colleagues came to visit.

He half-jokingly nodded, biting deeper, yet human teeth couldn’t harm the monster, not even leaving a mark.

Lu Jianchuan, however, deliberately cut an opening on the brain.

Fang Xingzhou was just sucking on the brain surface when he happened to draw a bit of “brain matter” from the newly opened slit.

Salty, fragrant, with a faint acceptable metallic tang .

Fang Xingzhou hadn’t intended to actually consume it, but he couldn’t help himself. His Adam’s apple bobbing uncontrollably as he swallowed the liquid that had entered his mouth. His skin quickly flushed pink, a wave of heat radiating from his stomach.

He instinctively released his mouth, as if drunk, squinting with moist eyes at the monster before him.

“Was it good?” the vocal cord asked him.

While intoxicated by the brain matter, Fang Xingzhou was also slowly pinned onto the hectocotylus, trembling all over, rapidly developing a high fever, his temperature soaring past 40 degrees Celsius in an instant.

His bones and muscles underwent further transformation, and he let out a long nasal breath, shaking his head, hoarsely saying, “No.”

Lu Jianchuan’s grooves seemed to furrow, insisting, “It’s good, you love it.”

Fang Xingzhou helplessly laughed, tensing up, hugging the brain matter before him, wanting to kiss but finding no place to start, so he randomly kissed an eyeball.

His belly felt uncomfortably swollen, his stomach burning hot, only the door behind him was cool, as if he was caught between ice and fire, his consciousness continuously tumbling and floating.

A tentacle probed into his mouth, wantonly playing with his tongue.

Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth, Fang Xingzhou’s eyes growing increasingly moist, his hand reaching up, wanting a true kiss.

Lu Jianchuan sensed his intention and withdrew the tentacle.

“Darling, you want to kiss me,” he said with confident joy, “don’t you?”

Fang Xingzhou’s pupils trembled: “Your true form…”

Lu Jianchuan’s brain matter gradually shrank.

After more than half a month of rest, the egg’s condition had stabilized, entering the final phase of frantic development, mostly sleeping and growing, except for endlessly influencing the host with hunger.

If development proceeded smoothly, perhaps before the onset of summer, He could successfully deliver a mature egg.

But now, He could still only control a part of His true form, not yet fully able to revert to human shape.

Thus, the brain matter slowly disappeared, growing a long-missed human head from above, a pair of beautiful light-colored pupils deeply gazing at the lover’s descent, the handsome face drawing closer, finally using soft lips to seal Fang Xingzhou’s mouth, prying open the defense of teeth, lingeringly tasting his tongue.

A human head, a monster’s body, controlling a young, slender male form.

It was an absolutely horrifying scene, enough to drive any witness mad.

Yet the two in the scene were utterly unaware, their eyes reflecting each other’s figures, immersed in endless love and desire…

…

The day before the winter solstice, they briefly ceased their battle.

Fang Xingzhou stood before the mirror, finding he had grown taller.

Originally 178 cm, now inexplicably surpassing 180 cm, settling at 183 cm, despite being past his growth period.

His skin still bore the marks of long, wild nights, having not left the house or exercised for an entire month, yet his body had strangely developed a beautiful, even layer of muscle, displaying smooth, graceful lines under the light.

He dressed, walked to the adjacent gym, released his hand, then clenched it into a fist, repeating several times, finally punching the sandbag with full force.

The sandbag immediately fell, the display screen showing a force far exceeding his past strength.

Fang Xingzhou looked at his fist.

The floor rustled again, soon, a tentacle coiled around his fist, tenderly licking the skin with its mouthparts and suckers.

“Are you angry, Zhou Zhou?” the monster pressed against his cheek, breath brushing his ear, “Don’t hit the sandbag, it’s hard, my tentacles are softer.”

Fang Xingzhou turned, meeting the gaze of the human head growing on the monster, gently kissing the corner of his mouth: “I was just testing, not angry.”

The overly dense intimacy of this period made the monster immediately feel active desire from this kiss.

His desire for Fang Xingzhou is like a bottomless black hole, if not for the concern of the human’s fragile body, he can endlessly entwine with his lover, forever enveloping another part of his body within his belly.

The tentacle dangerously caressed the lover’s flat, smooth belly, sounding much more natural with human vocal cords: “Wife, I’m hungry.”

Fang Xingzhou grasped the hectocotylus, seriously examining it for a moment, finding no difference from the previous one: “Where are you hungry?”

As soon as he spoke, a loud gurgling sound came from Lu Jianchuan’s pregnant sac, the egg rolling in dissatisfaction, bumping against Fang Xingzhou’s belly.

Lu Jianchuan: “…”

His ears reddened, having to admit: “Stomach hungry.”

It had only been a day since the last food delivery from the Institute for Paranormal Research. When Yan Xin came, he was frowning, saying this was the maximum frequency they could manage, the institute is nearly emptied by Mr. Jellyfish.

The two silently looked at each other for a moment.

“Snake? Pig? Chicken?” Fang Xingzhou proposed one by one, “Or is it that only food imbued with mysterious powers can provide you energy now?”

Lu Jianchuan: “…Yes. After entering the second stage, human food is of little use.”

Fang Xingzhou sighed.

Lu Jianchuan said: “I think it’s about to be born, Zhou Zhou, let’s hold on a bit longer!”

Fang Xingzhou checked the time, 1 AM, what a great time.

He said: “Then let’s go out and try our luck.”