Chapter 64 The Same Place

Chapter 64 The Same Place

After completing the onboarding procedures, Fang Liyu led Fang Ran to an open-air balcony on the 10th floor.

It was a beautiful, sunny day.

A cool breeze swept away the summer heat.

The balcony was spacious, adorned with several rows of ornamental plants.

The two found an unoccupied corner and settled onto a long bench.

“Fang Ran.”

Fang Liyu paused, a hint of hesitation in her voice, before finally speaking.

“The other day… when I received your application, I was truly surprised.”

“I never expected you to take this step on your own.”

“But there are some things… I must make clear to you first.”

“As I told you before…”

“Fu Zhangzhou… he’s awake.”

Fang Ran looked at her and nodded.

He knew.

The person—no, the “Spiritual Body”—had been staying in his apartment for days.

Though, given Fu Zhangzhou’s condition, it was debatable whether it could even be called a Spiritual Body.

“But…” Fang Liyu’s expression grew solemn. “A few days ago, he fell into a deep coma again.”

“Ah?” Fang Ran was taken aback.

But he quickly composed himself.

Before Fu Zhangzhou left, he had mentioned that his physical body had fallen into a coma after his Spiritual Body separated.

Faced with this situation, even District 12 was at a loss.

Fang Liyu had likely received the news from Jin Ming.

However… it was probably outdated.

Fang Ran wasn’t actually worried, but he remembered that, in Fang Liyu’s eyes, he was supposed to be unaware.

His gaze flickered slightly, and he lowered his eyes, feigning a sorrowful expression.

Fang Liyu leaned closer, patting his shoulder reassuringly.

“Director Jin is still in District 12, and the situation is very uncertain.”

“Even the Central Department has placed him under surveillance.”

“I know he said some… semi-coercive things to make you Fu Zhangzhou’s guide.”

“But in reality, if you hadn’t confirmed that temporary contract back then…”

“You might have been taken away by the Research Institute long ago.”

What?

Hearing this, Fang Ran’s head snapped up, his voice laced with disbelief. “Why?”

Fang Liyu looked at him and sighed softly.

“Your hospital report was leaked.”

“Director Jin handled it, so I can’t say too much about the specifics. But the Research Institute wasn’t willing to give up. Later, Sentinel Fu Zhangzhou… made another deal with them.”

“He traded almost half his blood… for your freedom.”

Fang Ran’s eyes widened, and he froze in shock.

Half his blood?

For his freedom?

Why had Fu Zhangzhou never mentioned this?

No.

Perhaps he had.

“I went to make a deal with the Central Department yesterday.”

“Want to know what I got out of it?”

“No.”

Fragments of memory suddenly flooded Fang Ran’s mind.

He didn’t know how to react.

At the time, Fu Zhangzhou’s condition had indeed been very unstable, but he had said those words with a playful grin, and Fang Ran had thought it was just casual banter.

He never expected that he actually…

“This happened just before the DT332 mission set out.”

Fang Liyu’s words confirmed his thoughts.

“Some of us even suspected that your abduction at the camp was probably…”

“Probably connected to the Research Institute.” Fang Ran finished her sentence for her.

Fang Liyu nodded silently.

“Now, people outside are spreading rumors that Sentinel Fu Zhangzhou is unconscious, and may even… possibly die.”

She paused, her tone deadly serious.

“It’s actually a possibility.”

Hearing this, Fang Ran’s head shot up.

Ah!

Huh?

He might die?

Then who was the one who just sent him that high-definition abs selfie?

He met Fang Liyu’s eyes.

Serious, yet sincere.

The anxiety in them truly didn’t seem like a lie.

Then…

He suddenly felt conflicted.

Was Fu Zhangzhou not telling the truth?

Could it be that his physical body was really in trouble?

What about now?

His heart began to race, a throbbing sensation at his temples.

His chest felt like a stone was lodged within it.

The cool breeze blowing toward him couldn’t dispel this oppressive feeling.

It can’t be…

Just then.

The terminal on his wrist vibrated.

Fang Ran’s gaze fell on the incoming message.

A moment later, he opened the message box from an angle Fang Liyu couldn’t see.

“Darling, want to see more? I can go even bolder.”

…

The heaviness in his chest instantly vanished.

Still capable of talking dirty…

Probably not dying anytime soon.

Fang Ran looked away and back at Fang Liyu.

She had been studying his expression, and now her eyes seemed somewhat puzzled.

Fang Ran twitched the corner of his mouth.

He hesitated.

Should he tell her about his experiences these past few days?

After all, Fang Liyu was Jin Ming’s confidante. If he told her the truth…

But this information concerned Fu Zhangzhou’s safety.

No.

He should be more cautious.

Just as he hesitated, Fang Liyu spoke again.

“Was that message just now… from Sentinel Zheng Mingyu?”

Huh?

Fang Ran froze.

Why bring up Zheng Mingyu all of a sudden?

What did he have to do with this?

Fang Liyu sighed, turned sideways, and stared blankly into the distance.

“I’ve heard some rumors lately.”

“Sentinel Zheng Mingyu seems to have been in contact with you.”

“That day, I also saw… at the camp, Zheng Mingyu discreetly handed you a document.”

She turned her head and stared intently at Fang Ran.

“That was a Guide contract, wasn’t it?”

Well…

She wasn’t wrong.

Fang Liyu smiled, taking Fang Ran’s silence as confirmation. She turned her head away again, looking into the distance once more.

“Fu Zhangzhou… is like a child I watched grow up.”

“He had a very difficult childhood.”

“Director Jin’s rank fell to save him, and he could no longer serve as a Guide.”

“That day when we found you two by the lake, he was barely clinging to life.”

“Those two S-Class mutants… later, when the Central Department examined them, they found that the mutants had even undergone multiple mutations. Their strength was nearly on par with Fu Zhangzhou’s. At the time, both of your terminals had been lost. We couldn’t even imagine…”

“How he protected you and killed both mutants.”

“The only possibility is that he burned his Spiritual Sea, forcing himself into a berserk state.”

“For a Sentinel, that’s a death sentence.”

Fang Liyu paused, hesitated for a moment, then continued:

“After he was taken to District 12, he had countless emergency treatments and even survived two assassination attempts.”

“That’s why I said… he might die…”

Fang Ran suddenly looked up and grabbed her hand.

“Sister Fang.”

“I…”

“will not give up on him.”

A cool breeze swept through, as if suddenly dispersing some shackles.

He had already made his decision when writing that application.

Fang Liyu’s words earlier felt like knives stabbing into his heart.

He rarely allowed himself to recall the memories of that day.

He wasn’t a Sentinel.

He couldn’t imagine how dangerous Fu Zhangzhou’s battle had been.

But in that moment when he turned back in the cave—

he knew he was destined to be entangled with this Sentinel for life.

Yes.

Being chosen so firmly by someone.

Being resolutely protected behind someone’s back.

Even a heart of stone would melt…

These past few days, whenever Fu Zhangzhou faced him, he still wore that same playful, shameless expression.

He never mentioned what happened at the lake that day, nor did he mention the dangers he faced in District 12.

He didn’t—

He never used any of it to deliberately bring the two of them closer.

“Sister Fang, I will not give up on him.”

Fang Ran repeated again.

Fang Liyu turned to him and smiled.

“Fang Ran, I’m sorry.”

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have said these things to you, shouldn’t have interfered with your choices.”

“No.”

Fang Ran shook his head.

This was a choice he made himself.

She patted Fang Ran’s hand, her face softening into a gentle smile.

“You’re still the same as when you were young.”

“Just as kind, just as soft-hearted.”

“Me? When I was little?”

Fang Ran looked at her, utterly stunned by her words.

“Fang Ran, perhaps you’ve forgotten.” Fang Liyu’s gaze turned distant, as if recalling something.

“But we…”

“come from the same place.”