Chapter 99 A Bit Awkward

Chapter 99 A Bit Awkward

"Click."

Fang Ran opened the room door.

The two small creatures on the floor simultaneously paused, both looking up at him.

The white cat was the first to react, nodding at him before coolly stepping past him and entering the room.

The little black dog, however, remained crouched in place, head tilted up, staring at him motionlessly.

It was already late at night, and the corridor lights were dim, with only a faint moonlight filtering in through the window.

The dog's jet-black fur was outlined by a soft glow, making its eyes appear even brighter.

Fang Ran knelt down and extended his hand.

The puppy let out a soft whimper and nuzzled its head against his palm.

Feeling its warm, soft touch, Fang Ran quietly asked, "Why did you come back?"

The dog tilted its head, bent its front legs, and leaped onto his lap in one swift motion. Once in his arms, it curled up and let out a sigh-like breath.

Fang Ran smiled. Was the mission really that exhausting?

He scooped it up, stood, and closed the door.

The room was even darker than the corridor; the bedside lamp that had been left on earlier had been turned off by someone.

Zhong Wan was still fast asleep, and the white cat was nowhere to be seen, though a small mound was visible under Zhong Wan’s blanket.

After a moment’s thought, Fang Ran didn’t head toward the bed but instead carried the puppy into the bathroom.

The bathroom was only about five or six square meters, not particularly spacious.

Fang Ran first placed the puppy on the vanity, then turned to close the bathroom door.

The puppy watched his movements, seemingly puzzled, and let out another soft whine.

"Shh—"

Fang Ran turned and made a shushing gesture, whispering, "Don’t wake them up."

He then turned off the overhead light in the bathroom, leaving only a small wall lamp. The dim, yellowish light cast a hazy glow over everything and everyone in the room.

Fang Ran pulled a low stool over to the puppy and sat down, bringing himself almost eye-level with it.

"Fu Zhangzhou," he called softly.

The puppy raised its head slightly, its bright eyes fixed on him. In this form, its pupils were amber-colored, and under the dim light, they took on an almost mesmerizing quality.

It was captivating.

Fang Ran thought it was beautiful in every way.

He knew his feelings toward the Sentinel were gradually changing.

He found himself thinking about him more often, paying attention to him for longer periods.

As humans, once we confirm our feelings, we unconsciously start to notice the other person’s strengths.

Fu Zhangzhou’s appearance and physique...

Well.

He recalled the first time they met.

That corner, looking up and seeing the Sentinel’s face.

In truth, he had felt positively about him in his heart at the time, but due to his preconceived notions about Sentinels back then, his attitude had been distant.

As for his personality...

Well, it had its ups and downs, but as long as he was on his side, that was what mattered.

In the past, when he encountered problems in the ABO world, he would retreat. At the beginning of this post-apocalyptic world, he had also harbored a desire to withdraw from society.

Looking back now, it seemed ridiculous.

Where could he possibly escape to? It was better to live freely with this person.

Once he had made up his mind, he naturally wanted to understand this person better, which was why he had been so concerned about the expression on Fu Zhangzhou’s face when he looked at the statue.

Fang Ran glanced around with the corner of his eye—the cramped space, the dim lighting. He never imagined that their first heart-to-heart conversation might happen in this small bathroom, and with Fu Zhangzhou still in his puppy form, no less.

Seeing that Fang Ran had been silent for a while, the puppy bent its front legs, as if preparing to jump into his arms again.

Fang Ran gently restrained it.

"Fu Zhangzhou, stay right there."

The puppy paused, then nodded slightly.

Fang Ran looked into its bright eyes and slowly began, "I heard from Fang Liyu before that Director Jin... Jin Ming is your uncle."

The puppy nodded again.

"What about the rest of your family? Are they... still around?"

The puppy stood motionless on the vanity, neither nodding nor shaking its head, simply gazing quietly at him.

It seemed either unwilling to answer or unsure how to respond.

Fang Ran thought for a moment and rephrased his question:

"That statue in the square today... was she someone very important to you?"

"Was she a family elder? A friend? Or..." Fang Ran hesitated.

"Your mother?"

The puppy visibly paused, then slowly extended its paw.

Its warm paw pad gently touched Fang Ran’s face, like a caress or a search for comfort.

Fang Ran had his answer.

That statue was his mother—no wonder Fu Zhangzhou had had such an expression.

But this also meant... Fu Zhangzhou's mother had already died in battle.

When Jin Ming came to the subcenter that time, he had mentioned that he’d been raising Fu Zhangzhou since he was eight. Fang Liyu had even said that saving Fu Zhangzhou cost him his rank, and he could no longer be a guide.

Something must have happened.

What about Fu Zhangzhou’s father? Was he gone too? Otherwise, why would Jin Ming have raised him, and why had the sentinel never brought him up?

Fang Ran reached out and softly held the paw that was touching his cheek, then asked:

"Fu Zhangzhou, what about your father?"

Fang Ran felt its whole body give a slight tremble.

Those amber pupils dilated abruptly, then just as quickly narrowed.

Its expression was complex—anger, defiance, and even a trace of helplessness.

It was hard to imagine such an expression in a powerful sentinel’s eyes.

For a moment, Fang Ran said nothing else.

The only sound in the bathroom was the faint whir of the ventilation system.

Clearly, it didn’t want to answer.

Fang Ran let go of the dog’s paw, intending to comfort it and pat its head, but the space was too cramped. Inadvertently, his hand not only knocked over the toiletries on the vanity but also hit the faucet handle.

Water sprayed off his hand, drenching the little dog almost completely.

To make things worse, he had turned on the hot water, so the water that sprayed out was warm, and steam immediately fogged up the bathroom.

Fang Ran quickly stood up, fumbling to turn off the faucet.

When he turned back, he saw that the dog’s fur was already soaked through in places.

"......"

The water pressure was crazy high; it got this wet.

He turned around, grabbed a dry towel from the rack behind him, and plopped it over the dog’s head.

Just as he was about to dry it off, he felt the body under the towel go rigid.

What’s wrong? Did it get burned just now?

Fang Ran leaned down to check on the dog but suddenly noticed a fresh smell—a sweet, fruity fragrance emanating from the towel.

It was his pheromones.

Fang Ran lifted the towel and sniffed it. It was probably the bath towel he had used yesterday.

"......"

The little dog tilted its head again, its gaze dazed, as if a little drunk on it.

Fang Ran winced awkwardly.

In his previous world, enveloping someone with one’s pheromones was almost equivalent to coming onto an alpha.

He turned slightly to avoid the dog’s gaze.