PTGWD Chapter 93: Promise

Fang Xingzhou was completely submerged under the writhing mass of tentacles, his vision obscured, able only to hear the heavy breathing of the enormous creature.

He tried to speak, but before any sound could escape, his mouth was sealed shut—tentacles pushing deep into his throat, down to his esophagus.

His nostrils caught the scent of the tendrils in his throat—still that faint, familiar fragrance, but now carrying an unusual edge of spiciness.

The little deer was far angrier than he’d let on.

…What had happened? His mind still moved sluggishly.

Had Fang Xianyuan done something mischievous during his bath that angered the brainflower?

Or… had their father-son secret been discovered?

The intensity of this fury suggested the latter.

Fang Xingzhou tightened his throat, making a muffled, appeasing sound through his nose in hopes of getting a chance to explain. But Lu Jianchuan was already halfway to insanity—human reason swallowed whole by monstrous instinct, leaving only cold, unyielding ruthlessness. It seemed the creature intended to devour Fang Xingzhou entirely.

“You promised… no harm…”

The voice grew increasingly twisted and sharp, saturated with violent emotions beyond human language. Only fragmented words were discernible:

“…broken vow… locked away…”

“…never… nest…”

“…stay… forever…”

Fang Xingzhou clenched his teeth around the tentacle, unable to speak. Saliva dripped from the corners of his lips.

Then, the tendril in his esophagus split like a serpent’s tongue, tapering into needle-thin strands that pierced his flesh. One burrowed into his lungs, supplying oxygen to prevent suffocation. Another slithered through his veins toward his heart, meticulously inspecting the newly restructured organ.

Once satisfied, the tendril branched out, threading through every vital organ in a thorough examination. Fang Xingzhou was spread open like a dictionary before his lover—utterly transparent, powerless against this ruthless probing, domination, and complete conquest.

The inspection lasted a full twenty minutes. Only when the creature obtained the results it sought did it finally withdraw its tentacle from Fang Xingzhou’s throat.

Choking violently, Fang Xingzhou rasped out, “Deer, I—”

“I don’t want to hear it!” The colossal jellyfish lifted him into the air, its crimson brainflower pulsing violently, veins writhing. “You always lie… feeding the egg your blood in secret while working, making excuses to send me away… even stuffing it into your belly… you almost—”

A cold dread gripped Fang Xingzhou. He hurried to salvage the situation. “Deer, my deer, I just wanted to—”

His throat was invaded again.

This time, Lu Jianchuan used his hectocotylus—in state of rage.

Fang Xingzhou froze for half a second before instinctively engaging with the tentacle. He wielded his esophagus and teeth like weapons, attempting to soothe his insecure lover through pleasure.

But his efforts only seemed to backfire.

The brainflower darkened further.

Dozens of eyes dispersed and reconverged before locking onto Fang Xingzhou’s own—his pitifully inadequate pair of human eyes.

Then, a crushing force slammed into his mind like an electric shock, scorching his cerebral cortex.

Fang Xingzhou’s consciousness blanked.

His expression stilled, his pupils rolling back. He hovered briefly at the edge of unconsciousness before a second surge dragged him back.

Every sense was magnified beyond bearing.

The mere slide of slick tentacles over his skin sent violent tremors through him. Heat and itchiness wracked his body, driving him to thrash uselessly. But four thick tendrils wrapped around his wrists and ankles, pinning him midair like an offering to a wrathful deity.

His skin flushed red, tears spilling from his eyes—fear and hesitation flickering across his face for the first time in the monster’s presence. An expression Lu Jianchuan had never seen before.

A single glance was all it took.

The last thread of Lu Jianchuan’s restraint shattered.

Transformed fully into his monstrous form, he coiled his tail around Fang Xingzhou’s waist, his maw gaping as he retracted his fangs—only to gently clamp down on the tip with unbearable tenderness.

Fang Xingzhou’s face instantly drenched in tears. Even with his throat obstructed, a muffled scream escaped.

——

By now, Fang Yanzhou had finished all the lessons on the iPad.

He raided the fridge, then idly perched by the window to watch the neighbor walk their adorable spotted dog.

The sun dipped low, yet his fathers remained in the bathroom. Bored, he returned to the couch, flipping to another educational channel.

Fast-forwarding through, he wrapped up elementary grades one through three before dusk. From upstairs came occasional thumps—along with deep, muffled sounds that suggested his parents were… healthy.

Fang Yanzhou suckled on a tentacle tip, debating whether to go investigate.

Then, the phone on the coffee table—left behind by one of his fathers—rang.

Instantly intrigued, he wriggled over, tilting his head to read the characters flashing on-screen:

Mom.

Mom?

A grandparent? The term was familiar from nursery rhymes. Confidently, he tapped “answer” with a tentacle and chirped, “Hello, Grandma!”

Silence.

Then, a trembling voice:”…F-Fang… Fangtang, ?”

Fang Yanzhou beamed. “Mm-hmm!”

A sharp gasp, followed by a thud—likely the phone being dropped. It was quickly retrieved. “Tangtang! You’ve hatched?!”

His newly acquired language skills flourished. “Yes, Grandma. Today I hatch.”

“You—you—how are you speaking so well?! Sweetheart, are you a genius?!”

Fang Yanzhou’s jellyfish cap flushed pink as he basked in her praise, tentacles curling shyly.

Grandma couldn’t wait to meet him. “We’ll visit tomorrow, okay? Bring your sister too! But—where are your fathers? How could they not call me about this?! Are they alright?”

Fang Yanzhou tattled, “Bathing. Together. Very long.”

“…They’ve been bathing together for hours?”

“Yes.”

“Oh no—did they pass out from lack of oxygen?”

“No, Grandma. There are sounds.”

“…”

A pause. Then, awkwardly: “Ahem. Be a good boy, Tangtang. Watch TV, have snacks, or… should Grandma pick you up now? You could stay with your sister tonight.”

Fang Yanzhou shook his head earnestly. “I guard home. Daddies need me.”

Grandma melted at his mature tone, showering him with praise before reluctantly hanging up.

The bathroom door still hadn’t opened. The noises seemed to intensify—which, he figured, meant they were fine.

Curious, he fiddled with the phone. Scrolling to the contacts, he found only five names:

Grandma, Grandpa, Qin Hongbo, Li Xuan, Wife.

The first two were clear. “Wife” was probably… Dad?

The other names stumped him—he didn’t recognize Qin Hongbo at all, and only the character Li in Li Xuan.

Poking randomly, he dialed Li Xuan.

The call connected instantly. A familiar voice—the tall, scarred uncle who’d brought him delicious food—answered warmly: “Good evening, Mr. Lu. Has the egg hatched? The whole institute’s been waiting.”

Fang Xianyuan blurted excitedly, “Hello! I hatched today!”

“…”

Three seconds of stunned silence. Then—

“YAN XIN! YAN XIN! THE EGG IS CALLING US!!”

Hurried footsteps. Another voice—breathless—joined in: “Tangtang?! Is that you?”

“Yes. Tangtang playing phone. Daddy bathing. Very long.”

“Good heavens, you can already speak?!” Yan Xin’s voice wobbled. “You must be even smarter than your mother—wait, is your mother nearby?”

“Mother?” Fang Yanzhou tilted his head. “Many eyes, mother?”

“Yes! Many-eyed mother! Though you can also call him father—he’s both to you.”

“No mother. No father. Bathroom. Very long!”

Li Xuan and Yan Xin shared Grandma’s initial concern—then dismissed it. A monster and his human wouldn’t drown in a bathtub.

Yan Xin coughed. “Ahem. So… last night, we detected intense electromagnetic fluctuations. Some people even recalled having wonderful dreams—was that your doing?”

The sentence was too complex.

“Dream? Not sleepy,” Fang Yanzhou said. “Waiting for Daddies!”

Their laughter warmed the line.

Mimicking Fang Xingzhou’s manners, he added, “Full moon banquet. You come. Eat.”

“Of course! We’ll bring gifts!”

Excited by the word gifts, Fang Yanzhou rolled gleefully, chatting a while longer before hanging up.

Next, he discovered the camera. After some trial and error, he took his first selfie.

Proudly, he sent it to all five contacts, following up with voice messages:

“Today is my hatching day!”

Before any replies came, a soft click echoed from upstairs—the bathroom door, sealed for what felt like eternity, finally creaked open.

Fang Yanzhou abandoned the phone, darting to the second floor with eager tentacles. “Daddy!”

“Shh—”

The towering monster raised a tentacle to his lips. A gentle tap to Fang Yanzhou’s head conveyed a silent question: “Finished studying?”

Nodding, he floated higher, peeking past his father at the other figure.

Fang Xingzhou was swathed tightly in tentacles, face drenched—whether from water or tears was unclear—eyes swollen, legs dangling with red bite marks, toes twitching sporadically. Muffled murmurs spilled from his lips:

“Promise… fine… always…”

Fang Xianyuan whispered, “Daddy sleeping?”

The big monster said, “Mm, he’s asleep.”

He curled around Fang Xingzhou and carried him into the bedroom. Fang Yanzhou had to spin his tentacles into afterimages just to barely keep up with Dad’s pace.

He saw Monster Dad gently place Human Dad on the bed, tuck the blanket over him, then stand silently at the bedside, dozens of eyes hanging down, staring at the sleeping figure—lost in thought.

For some reason, Fang Yanzhou held his breath, not daring to make a sound.

No one knew how much time passed.

The big monster raised a tentacle to his brainflower, and—expressionless—dug out an eyeball.

Fang Yanzhou: “！！！！”

He wanted to scream, but couldn’t. His eyes widened in disbelief, watching Dad’s insane action as the eyeball was placed right in the center of Fang Xingzhou’s forehead.

The eye, even separated from its body, pulsed with vitality. It burrowed into Fang Xingzhou’s forehead, fusing into his skin like a natural third eye, swirling a few times before vanishing entirely.

The big monster let out a long sigh and slowly shifted into human form.

He leaned down and kissed the center of his lover’s brow.

“No more bad things. You promised,” he whispered. “I’ll be watching you… always.”