Chapter 60 Please Provide the Application Content

Chapter 60: Please State the Application Content

It was morning.

Fang Ran opened his eyes.

The blinds by the bed had been drawn open at some point, letting the morning sunlight stream into the room.

He stirred, raising a hand to cover his forehead.

The high fever had completely receded.

His body felt refreshed, free from any sticky, sweaty sensation.

Just as he let out a sigh of relief, he suddenly realized something was amiss.

Had several days passed already?

After all, based on past experience, his heat cycle usually lasted for days.

Fang Ran hurriedly sat up and reached for the terminal beside him.

After repeatedly checking the date, he confirmed it was indeed only the morning of the second day.

What was going on?

Fang Ran rubbed his face with both hands, trying hard to recall the events of the previous day.

He only remembered that after returning to the apartment, his gland had reacted adversely, and he vaguely recalled starting to run a fever.

Afraid that Fu Zhangzhou might notice something unusual, he had rushed into his room and immediately turned on the ventilation system.

Right, Fu Zhangzhou.

A few fragmented images flashed through his mind.

Him standing on the balcony, and the Sentinel under the moonlight.

But that person’s expression had been so gentle...

That must have been just a dream, right?

He instinctively reached out to touch the protrusion at the back of his neck.

The skin over his gland was intact, and the discomfort in his body had vanished.

Had he really just gotten through it like that?

That’s strange.

Something felt off.

He had experienced the final awakening of his secondary gender before.

Back then, he was still in school and had quickly gone to the infirmary to receive an inhibitor injection and taken oral medication to help stabilize his pheromones.

Even with such prompt treatment, he could only return to school a week later.

Fang Ran glanced at the air vent on the window.

He had specifically installed this ventilation system after discovering his gland.

Lowering the pheromone concentration in the environment could effectively alleviate the symptoms of a heat cycle.

Although the scent in the air was more intense than usual, it hadn’t reached the cloying stickiness of a full-blown heat.

What exactly was going on?

Was it because of this "Fang Ran" body? So his heat cycle was easier to subside than he had imagined?

Or was this not a true heat cycle after all?

Fang Ran shook his head.

He couldn’t find an answer.

After spacing out for a while, he got up to go to the bathroom to wash up, but heard faint noises coming from outside the bedroom.

Aside from him, there was only one other person in this apartment.

Had Fu Zhangzhou... noticed his unusual condition last night?

Fang Ran opened the bedroom door.

The scent of food wafted through the living room.

Fu Zhangzhou seemed to be in the kitchen.

Fang Ran was about to walk over and call out to him but suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Several ice packs, used for cooling, were scattered on the sofa.

On the coffee table sat an opened box of fever medicine, along with the backpack he had used for his outing yesterday.

Fang Ran quickly opened the backpack and pulled out the cold storage container.

Inside were four or five vials, but the new Hua Yan drug was missing.

He had already forgotten whether he had used that particular drug yesterday.

What a headache.

"Awake?" Fu Zhangzhou’s voice came from behind him.

He had probably heard the movement in the living room and walked out of the kitchen.

Fang Ran turned around but stopped short.

The tall Sentinel was actually... wearing a cartoon apron.

The sight was rather comical.

"You..."

"Are you making breakfast?"

"Mm." The Sentinel nodded, a frying pan with sizzling eggs still in his hand.

"Did you... sleep well last night?" Fang Ran asked hesitantly.

What he really wanted to ask was...

Had he heard any strange noises last night?

And what was the deal with the ice packs by the sofa and the fever medicine on the coffee table?

But in the end, he chose a different way to phrase it.

"Of course I slept very well," the Sentinel looked Fang Ran up and down again and again, then a knowing smile curved his lips.

"Didn’t you sleep well?" he countered.

"I... I, of course, slept very well too." For some reason, Fang Ran felt his face flush under his gaze.

"Mm, that’s good then."

Fu Zhangzhou’s eyes flickered a few times before he turned and went back into the kitchen.

From his angle, Fang Ran couldn’t see his expression, but he could hear the amusement in the Sentinel’s tone.

Fu Zhangzhou seemed to be in an unusually good mood.

So had he been discovered or not...

Fang Ran felt another headache setting in.

"Breakfast is ready."

Fu Zhangzhou then came out with a plate of sandwiches, gesturing for him to come over to the dining table.

Fang Ran glanced at the plate.

The sandwiches actually looked quite good.

He and the Sentinel sat down facing each other at the table.

"Eat up."

Fu Zhangzhou pushed the sandwiches towards him and casually poured him a glass of milk.

His movements were natural and smooth, as if he were the owner of this apartment.

Fang Ran picked up a sandwich and took a bite, feeling like something was off but couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

"How does it taste?"

Fu Zhangzhou propped his chin in one hand, watching him intently, but not eating himself.

Fang Ran tried to read something from his expression.

After his pupils had lightened, he seemed to possess an added layer of mystery.

And even looked better...

As soon as that thought surfaced, Fang Ran immediately shook his head.

It must be the unstable pheromones acting up.

Beauty corrupts the mind, am I going crazy...

"What’s wrong?" The Sentinel’s lips slowly curved again. "Is it not good?"

"Or would you rather eat..."

"Shut up."

Fang Ran averted his gaze, lowering his head to focus on the sandwich in his hand.

This lunatic was just like before, full of cheeky, inappropriate remarks.

But the sandwich actually tasted pretty good.

He took a defiant bite.

Fu Zhangzhou let out a laugh at the sight.

"No need to be nervous, you had a fever last night."

"I just gave you some fever medicine."

Fang Ran froze mid-bite. "Then why didn’t you say so earlier?"

The Sentinel chuckled: "Because a little kitten warned me that if I dared enter the bedroom, I’d be dead."

"I got scared."

Fang Ran stiffened, his ears heating up. Just as he was about to look up and glare, he heard the Sentinel add:

"Fang Ran, I’ll be gone for a few days."

"Huh?" Fang Ran jerked his head up, startled.

"Gone for a few days?"

He’d never thought this person would take the initiative to leave.

"Mm." The Sentinel nodded, a regretful look in his eyes.

"Are you returning to District 12?" Fang Ran asked again.

"Yeah." Fu Zhangzhou leaned back in his chair and sighed with resignation.

"Being away from my original body for too long isn’t good."

"After my consciousness left my original body, it went back to being dormant."

"I’m just worried those old-timers might figure it out."

"Fang Ran," he suddenly stood up and leaned in close, "take good care of yourself until I get back."

As he leaned in, Fang Ran nodded without thinking.

......

Two days later, Fang Ran returned to the Purification Chamber.

He was still completely baffled.

After Fu Zhangzhou left, he searched the bedroom thoroughly but couldn’t find the used vial.

Did this mean he had made it through his heat cycle without using the medication?

Was the medication... taken?

Fu Zhangzhou left so abruptly that Fang Ran didn’t dare to ask.

Although the duration and intensity of an Omega's first heat can vary from person to person, this felt unusually mild.

Fang Ran’s suspicions grew stronger.

Why couldn’t he remember any of it?

And then there was Fu Zhangzhou’s odd behavior...

That guy just left, just like that.

Before leaving, that damn Sentinel even joked about him missing him.

As if I’d miss him!

Fang Ran smacked the table in frustration, completely unaware that his face was slightly flushed.

"Guide Fang Ran." The terminal finally connected, and the voice of the AI assistant sounded.

"Welcome back to work."

"Good morning."

Fang Ran collected himself and pressed the start button.

"Begin screening appointment applications now."

"Acknowledged. Displaying your—"

"Wait."

Suddenly recalling something, Fang Ran interrupted the AI's instructions.

He gazed at the screen for a moment before speaking.

"First, help me file an application to headquarters."

"Acknowledged. Please state the application content."