Chapter 160 Because I Miss You So Much

Chapter 160: Because I Missed You So Much

As Fang Ran’s consciousness returned, the low, rhythmic hum of medical equipment filled his ears.

"Beep... beep..."

His vision, initially blurred, gradually sharpened. The dim light, sensing his stirrings, slowly brightened, settling into a comfortable glow.

A gentle, healing energy enveloped him, leaving his body feeling remarkably light.

He seemed to be curled up inside a medical pod.

Still not fully awake, Fang Ran shifted slightly, immediately sensing a profoundly familiar presence—an arm tightly wrapped around his waist...

Behind him, he felt the warmth of another person’s body.

Instinctively, he moved closer, nestling deeper into that embrace.

The chest he leaned against was warm and solid, radiating a comforting sense of security.

"You’re awake?"

Fu Zhangzhou’s voice came from behind him.

"Mm."

Fang Ran murmured softly. Feeling the arm around him ease its grip slightly, he slowly turned around.

Their eyes met instantly.

Under the soft glow of the lights, the Sentinel’s gaze was fixed on him, luminous and tender.

The medical pod was already cramped, and with the two of them squeezed inside, it felt even more confined—especially given Fu Zhangzhou’s significantly larger stature.

Seeing him so awkwardly folded and cramped, Fang Ran couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Noticing Fang Ran’s smile, Fu Zhangzhou’s lips also curved upward.

"Fang Ran, what are you smiling at?"

Fang Ran looked at him. "Why are you crammed in here with me?"

Fu Zhangzhou slowly lowered his head, naturally resting his forehead against Fang Ran’s. His voice was husky and low.

"Because I missed you so much."

"Fang Ran, you’ve been unconscious for ten full days."

"Ten days?"

Fang Ran was momentarily stunned.

Had it really been that long?

Memories flooded back to his mind like a tidal wave.

The murky lake water, the ferocious basilisk, and the swarms of mutated giant shelled insects...

Those heart-pounding scenes now felt like a distant dream. He murmured, "Did you... manage to deal with all those monsters in the end?"

"Of course."

Fu Zhangzhou’s reply was light and casual, but Fang Ran knew the ordeal must have been incredibly perilous.

The Sentinel wasn’t wearing his combat uniform on his upper body.

Even in the dim light of the medical pod, Fang Ran’s eyes traced downward, taking in the scars of varying depths marking Fu Zhangzhou’s skin.

The physical resilience of a 3S Sentinel was formidable, and their self-healing abilities astonishing. For these scars to still be visible after ten days indicated how severe the injuries must have been.

Looking at the scars, Fang Ran felt a wave of emotion tightening his chest, making him uncomfortable. He changed the subject, half-jokingly saying,

"Fu Zhangzhou, you’ve done it again... played my savior."

Instead of responding to the remark, the Sentinel said, "Fang Ran, thank you."

"Huh?" Fang Ran looked up, confused. "Why are you thanking me?"

Wasn’t he the one who had been saved?

Why... was Fu Zhangzhou thanking him in return?

Fu Zhangzhou held his gaze for a moment longer, his expression growing more profound.

"Shortly after I descended into the fissure, I fell into Wen Qi’s trap."

A trap?

Fang Ran went still. So, it was as he had suspected?

"What did he... use to deceive you?"

A flicker of something passed through Fu Zhangzhou’s eyes. "My mother’s blood."

"Huh?"

How was that possible?

Did Wen Qi have Fu Zhangzhou’s mother’s blood?

"Do you remember... the night we first went to the District 5 headquarters?"

Fu Zhangzhou took his hand and brought it to his lips, brushing them lightly against it.

"The chaos the Marauders caused on the rooftop that night was just a distraction. Their real target was something stored in the headquarters’ basement."

Fang Ran’s eyes widened in realization. "You mean... what District 5 lost that night was your mother’s blood sample?"

That made sense.

No wonder the District 5 headquarters had been on such high alert that night...

After all, it was the blood sample of a former 3S-class Sentinel!

Fu Yanhua had once mentioned that he used Fu Zhangzhou’s mother’s psychic energy to unlock Fu Zhangzhou’s abilities.

Its value was self-evident.

"Fu Zhangzhou, did that blood preserve your mother’s psychic energy?"

"Exactly." Fu Zhangzhou nodded, scooting a bit closer to him. "Wen Qi's consciousness... is actually bound to that mutated Protea. That’s the consciousness core of the entire forest. Though it has no offensive power, it excels at transforming into various forms."

"It absorbed my mother’s blood, transformed into her spiritual body, and seized the opportunity to lock my physical body down. But my consciousness kept resisting, and I found an opening to escape."

"Your consciousness turned into a spiritual body?" Fang Ran looked at him and asked, "And then... did you lose your memory?"

"Yeah." The Sentinel kissed his hand again. "Spiritual bodies initially have no memories, but just like last time, it instinctively found you."

No wonder...

Fang Ran recalled what Wen Qi had said back then.

He had been so certain that Fu Zhangzhou’s consciousness had been destroyed because he didn’t know that Fu Zhangzhou’s spiritual body was unique—it could serve as a vessel for consciousness and escape.

After a moment of thought, Fang Ran said to the Sentinel, "Wen Qi initially thought his plan had succeeded, so he tried to trick me into being his guide."

"But later, he wanted to kill me."

"Because by then, he had already guessed that the giant beast was my spiritual body," Fu Zhangzhou said. "He could control all the mutated creatures in the forest, but he couldn’t control me."

"After realizing his plan had failed, he wanted to absorb my body and turn it into nourishment for the forest."

Hearing this, Fang Ran pretty much understood what had happened.

If Wen Qi wanted to seize Fu Zhangzhou’s body, he had to keep him around as a guide. But once he realized the plan wouldn’t succeed, he turned deadly and tried to eliminate both of them using the basilisk.

"Fang Ran." Fu Zhangzhou called his name softly, his eyes still brimming with emotion.

"If you hadn’t found me when you did, Wen Qi’s plan might have succeeded. So..."

"You are my savior."

After saying this, Fu Zhangzhou fell silent, simply holding Fang Ran’s hand and gazing at him.

Fang Ran was mesmerized, almost lost in the Sentinel’s eyes.

More than ten days had passed since his heat period, and the temporary mark had long since faded.

But even without the influence of pheromones, Fang Ran found that his underlying dependence and flutter of emotion hadn't diminished... He still desperately wanted to be close to the person in front of him.

The treatment pod was tight, and the two were already very close.

The dim lighting cast a soft ambiance over the space. The Sentinel slowly lowered his head, and Fang Ran closed his eyes, not pulling away.

Just as they were about to touch—

*Beep.* The treatment pod door slowly slid open.

Light instantly streamed in, revealing several figures standing outside.

Zhong Wan stood at the front, followed by Lu Wenchuan and the medical team.

He had just called out "Fang Ran" when he froze mid-word.

"You two..."

Zhong Wan hadn’t expected Fu Zhangzhou to be crammed in there as well.

Does this guy have any shame at all?