Chapter 30 Is It Him?

Chapter 30: Is It Him?

That tone...

Fu Changzhou had likely regained full consciousness.

Fang Ran pushed himself up to examine the sentinel’s eyes. Though the red glow hadn't entirely faded, the original color of his pupils was now visible.

The eyes that met his blinked. "Were you worried about me?"

Fang Ran shot him a glare, then meticulously checked the areas with the most bloodstains on his body, finding no significant injuries.

"You... weren't hurt?"

"No," Fu Changzhou’s gaze followed his movements, his expression somewhat deep. "That’s not my blood."

"But I kinda wish it was," the sentinel half-propped himself up and leaned closer, a smile playing on his lips. "That way, I could’ve enjoyed your care."

Heh.

Being able to talk nonsense meant he had largely recovered.

Fang Ran rolled his eyes again in exasperation. A slight downward glance revealed the contours of the sentinel’s neck.

Perhaps due to years of rigorous training and combat, Fu Changzhou always exuded a sharp, formidable aura.

His long neck was covered with lean muscle, with veins that seemed poised to bulge and blood vessels hidden beneath, all radiating an overwhelming sense of power.

Fang Ran genuinely felt like strangling him.

Preferably hard enough to silence this madman’s lewd remarks for good.

But noticing that Fu Changzhou’s breathing was still a bit ragged and there was a bruise on his temple, Fang Ran sighed inwardly.

Forget it. No use arguing with a madman.

Fang Ran looked away, turned his back to the sentinel, and sat up, his left hand still holding Fu Changzhou’s as he continued to Purify.

"How did you go berserk again?"

The sentinel behind him let out a low chuckle.

"Yeah, the dark energy instantly exceeded the critical threshold."

Fu Changzhou also sat up, his gaze intense as he watched Fang Ran’s back. "This place is very strange."

Fang Ran turned to look at him.

"Strange?"

"Mhm," the sentinel’s expression was uncharacteristically serious. "It seems to be targeting me."

As he spoke, Fu Changzhou’s eyes roamed over Fang Ran’s body. "I never realized my little guide has such a great build too."

Fang Ran paused, looking down to realize he was also in a sorry state.

His shirt was stained with blood, and during their earlier tussle, a large tear had been ripped in it.

He quickly tugged his clothes closed and shot the sentinel a glare.

Fu Changzhou smiled, a hint of regret in his eyes, as he handed over the backpack from the bedside.

"Change your clothes."

Huh?

This took Fang Ran by surprise—it didn’t seem like something the madman would do.

Noticing his confusion, the sentinel’s lips curved into a smile again.

"Did you not check your terminal messages?"

After a sentinel and guide are paired, the sensors on their terminals are also linked.

"Sweetheart, there are people everywhere outside."

???

Fang Ran immediately shook off his hand, picked up the terminal from the ground, and flipped it over to see an alarm signal flashing persistently.

His face went pale.

The bed had already collapsed on one side earlier...

With such a commotion, what must the people outside be thinking?

Fang Ran jumped to his feet in fright.

Fu Changzhou was amused by his reaction and smacked the bed frame with his large hand.

The newly recovered sentinel had no control over his strength.

"Crack!"

"Crash!"

The entire makeshift bed collapsed.

Fang Ran: "..."

Dammit, I should’ve strangled him earlier!

There were indeed many people gathered outside.

Lu Wenchuan stood at the forefront, with dozens of A-class Sentinels behind him.

Fang Liyu, Zhong Wan, and a group of guides waited in the distance, alongside more than a dozen therapists. Shen Ke also stood among the crowd.

It could be described as a "heavily guarded" scene.

As the two stepped out of the tent, Lu Wenchuan was the first to react. He was about to raise a Psychic Shield when he noticed that Fu Changzhou’s pupils seemed... to have returned to normal.

He looked at Fang Ran in astonishment. "Guide Fang Ran? Fu Changzhou, he..."

"Yes," Fang Ran nodded. "Mostly recovered."

Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhong Wan and Fang Liyu rushed up to Fang Ran, both examining him nervously.

"Fang Ran, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

*What could be wrong?*

But he didn’t want to explain, feeling that the more he explained, the more suspicious it would seem...

"It was just a pleasant Purify. Why are you all so tense?"

Fu Changzhou’s lazy tone once again made the atmosphere ambiguous. Fang Ran immediately turned and glared at him.

*Did you have to say that?*

"What’s wrong?" The Sentinel grinned mischievously. "Wasn’t it a Purify just now?"

Just as the two were glaring at each other, the sound of rapid footsteps came from behind.

Zheng Mingyu, along with a dozen Sentinels, was approaching them.

"Guide Fang Ran!"

The S-class Sentinel moved faster than the others, rushing up to Fang Ran with a concerned look. "Guide Fang Ran, are you alright?"

*What could be wrong with me?*

Fang Ran also felt like rolling his eyes at Zheng Mingyu.

*Why is this guy showing up again?*

As soon as Fu Changzhou saw Zheng Mingyu appear, he placed his hand on Fang Ran’s shoulder, subtly pulling him closer.

"Thanks for the concern, but my Guide is doing just fine."

The Sentinel was smiling, but his eyes were full of provocation.

"Is that so?"

Fang Ran, caught between the two, felt two invisible pressures clashing.

*Are they insane?*

He was already feeling drained from the earlier Purify—dizzy, head throbbing, and his legs a bit weak. He nearly stumbled into Fu Changzhou.

Fu Changzhou’s expression shifted, and his Psychic Shield instantly activated, forcefully pushing Zheng Mingyu back a step.

"Captain Zheng!" Fang Liyu interjected, breaking their standoff.

She fixed a sharp gaze on Zheng Mingyu. "Captain Zheng, what are the Guardians doing here?"

Although both camps were established in close proximity, there was an unspoken rule against crossing boundaries.

Zheng Mingyu bringing his people here could be seen as violating protocol.

"We received word that Sentinel Fu Changzhou had lost control."

Zheng Mingyu remained remarkably calm. He adjusted his uniform neatly and said calmly:

"We’re just here to assist under the Sentinel-Guide Protocol."

The embedded reporter behind him rushed forward, setting up a camera and aiming it directly at the group.

"Did Sentinel Fu Changzhou get injured and lose control during the operation?"

"No!"

Fang Liyu categorically denied the claim.

She knew the military had been trying to discredit the Center. They had been closely monitoring Fu Changzhou’s condition for years.

*Thank goodness...*

She gave a grateful look at Fang Ran.

"Since being paired with Guide Fang Ran, Sentinel Fu Changzhou’s condition has remained very stable."

"What I don’t understand," she said, her tone growing firmer and more questioning, "is where the Guardians got this information?"

Zheng Mingyu paused, then took a closer look at Fu Changzhou’s condition.

Although his energy seemed somewhat unstable, his pupils were normal, and his behavior was rational—well within normal parameters...

There were indeed no signs of him losing control.

*Was the intelligence incorrect?*

Seeing him standing there silent, Lu Wenchuan also released the distinctive pressure of an S-class Sentinel.

"Our Center still needs to hold a mission briefing. Captain Zheng, please leave!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Changzhou’s energy flared dramatically.

Caught between two powerful forces, Zheng Mingyu briefly lost his balance.

He gritted his teeth and steadied himself. "Guide Fang Ran, we’ll be going now."

"If anything comes up, you can always contact me."

Seeing Zheng Mingyu’s meaningful look, Fang Ran wasn’t sure how to respond, but Fu Changzhou behind him was the first to retort.

"My Guide doesn’t need your concern, Sentinel Zheng." His tone was heavy with sarcasm.

Zheng Mingyu didn’t say anything else, only gave Fang Ran one more intense look before turning and leading the Guardians away.

Fang Ran watched him leave but was secretly watching Shen Ke’s reaction.

The young therapist was talking to someone beside him, seemingly utterly indifferent to Zheng Mingyu’s departure.

The two didn’t exchange a single glance. So, was it really him?