Chapter 62: Exactly the Same

After it was over, neither of them could bear to hang up. Zhu Zhixi snuggled under the covers, staring at the screen. On the other side, Fu Rangyi leaned against the headboard, his eyes closed, breathing deeply.

The last time he had seen him so moved was during his susceptible period. His mouth was slightly open, and even though he had just found relief, his canine teeth didn’t seem to have retracted much.

As he watched, Zhu Zhixi reached out and touched Fu Rangyi’s head on the screen with his fingertip.

“Can’t see clearly?” Fu Rangyi suddenly sat up a little, looking at him from the other end of the camera, his eyes a little dazed.

Only then did Zhu Zhixi realize that the deliberately flirtatious words from just now seemed to have been processing in the drunkard’s mind for a long time, and the response system was only just now finished loading.

He couldn’t help but laugh. Just as he was about to tease him about something, in the next second, the camera suddenly zoomed in. It was Fu Rangyi holding the phone right up to his face. It was so close that he could only see an eyebrow.

“This is an eyebrow…” Fu Rangyi said very slowly.

The camera moved down.

“An eye.” The drooping eyelashes trembled slightly as Fu Rangyi looked up at the camera. His eyes were long, narrow, and deep, with a lighter pupil color. Behind his lenses, they appeared cold, but without his glasses, his gaze was sharp and bright, like a beast hunting.

But at this moment, soaked in both alcohol and desire, those eyes were misty, and the way he looked at him was like a puppy, a little dazed.

“A nose.” The camera shakily moved down as the puppy slowly introduced.

Only then did Zhu Zhixi realize that Fu Rangyi was trying to let him “see” him clearly.

He laughed. “What a handsome nose. What’s next?”

“And a mouth…” His most familiar lips.

Zhu Zhixi felt himself getting turned on again. Was Fu Rangyi pretending to be drunk? Or pretending to be silly? Was he deliberately seducing him?

He said, “I want to see your teeth.”

The lips on the screen pursed for a moment, as if hesitating, but two seconds later, they still parted slightly. The canine teeth, stimulated out, were still very sharp, not having retracted.

Zhu Zhixi could even imagine the feeling of those teeth piercing his own skin; it was so real.

“I also want to see your tongue,” Zhu Zhixi said with a smile, suddenly finding it very exciting, as if he were forcing a virtuous family man.

Even though this family man was already his.

However, those lips closed. The moment Zhu Zhixi saw this as a refusal, he got worked up. Just as he was about to speak, the lips opened again, like a puppy sticking its tongue out, the tip resting on his lower lip, though only for a second or two.

“Is that enough?” The camera shook a little and moved further away, revealing the whole face. He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but Zhu Zhixi felt that Fu Rangyi’s ears were even redder.

“I’ve shown you everything,” Fu Rangyi said. “You can see clearly now.”

“Everything?” Zhu Zhixi smirked, rolled over under the covers, and lay on his stomach. “Let me see your abs.”

Fu Rangyi showed a confused expression.

Zhu Zhixi blinked, using the most innocent expression to be mischievous. “And what’s below the abs.” He didn’t really want to see, just wanted to tease Fu Rangyi and see if his face would get even redder.

The screen shook. Zhu Zhixi thought Fu Rangyi had agreed and was so scared he quickly said, “Hey, hey, hey, no, I was just kidding. Don’t, Professor Fu, there are internet police!”

“Mm… my hand is sore,” the camera came back, and Fu Rangyi said slowly. “I almost dropped the phone.”

Zhu Zhixi: “…I was overthinking it.”

Fu Rangyi blinked twice, nodded, and said, “Eat more leafy greens.”

Zhu Zhixi was completely baffled. “What?”

Fu Rangyi was still continuing his random replies. “And beef, shrimp, high protein…”

Zhu Zhixi wanted to laugh. “Are you a fitness coach? Are you starting to plan a fat-loss meal for me?”

“Part-time?” Fu Rangyi shook his head. “We can’t do part-time jobs.”

Zhu Zhixi couldn’t stop laughing. He really wanted to cup his face and kiss him. He must be burning hot right now.

“Eating protein is good for your body,” Fu Rangyi muttered to himself. “Growing a reproductive cavity requires more nutrition…”

Zhu Zhixi was stunned. So that’s what he was talking about.

“Don’t worry. I was just teasing you. I know you’ve been concerned,” he said. “I’ll go for a check-up at the hospital tomorrow. I’ll call you then.”

Fu Rangyi nodded. He seemed really tired. He turned over, shifting to lie on his side, and arranged the pillow to create a small, temporary support for his phone.

Then he said, “Call me more often.”

“I’m afraid of disturbing your work.”

On the screen, his broad shoulders were in full view. The warm yellow reading light illuminated the lines of his muscles, their outlines clear.

“Professor Fu,” Zhu Zhixi called him softly.

Fu Rangyi was drowsy. It took several seconds before he looked at the screen. “Hm?”

Zhu Zhixi said teasingly, “Do you know what clothes would suit you right now?”

Fu Rangyi couldn’t think of anything. “…What?”

“An apron,” Zhu Zhixi said.

“An apron…” Fu Rangyi murmured, repeating it. “I wear one every time I cook.”

“No,” Zhu Zhixi moved closer and said in a super low voice, “Just like this, worn directly.”

Fu Rangyi once again showed that confused expression. He probably imagined it, and his brow furrowed. “You’re trying to mess with me.”

“Mess with you?” Zhu Zhixi felt so wronged. “You can call Zhu Zhixi a pervert, but you can’t make malicious assumptions!”

Fu Rangyi closed his eyes. “Zhu Zhixi, I’m sorry.”

Zhu Zhixi raised an eyebrow. “Then if you say you’ll wear it for me next time, I’ll forgive you.”

Fu Rangyi closed his eyes and nodded. “Next time I’ll wear it for me to see…”

Zhu Zhixi almost rolled his eyes. “It’s ‘wear it for…’ Forget it. You say, ‘Next time I’ll wear it for Zhu Zhixi to see.'”

This time, the drunkard finally got it right. “Next time I’ll wear it for Zhu Zhixi to see.”

“Where’s my little rabbit?” Zhu Zhixi asked. “You didn’t really use it to stick pins in, did you?”

Fu Rangyi lifted his heavy eyelids, moved his phone slightly, and the camera panned down a little. Only then did Zhu Zhixi see that he was holding the little rabbit in his arms, its face buried in a certain someone’s chest muscles.

Was he holding the little rabbit the whole time just now? How does it feel like the substitute is living a better life than the real thing?

“Alright,” Zhu Zhixi pouted. “Bad rabbit.”

Fu Rangyi: “Good rabbit.”

Zhu Zhixi got anxious. “Fake rabbit!”

This time, Fu Rangyi didn’t reply immediately. He looked down, glanced at it, and agreed, “Mm, fake rabbit.”

That was more like it. Zhu Zhixi snorted a couple of times. In the room, the scented candle had already burned out. The limited-time pheromone experience card had expired.

Belatedly, a sense of emptiness took its place, welling up and surrounding him. It was all Fu Rangyi’s fault, Zhu Zhixi thought. He had gotten used to Fu Rangyi’s comfort after every time, holding him in his arms, stroking his back, kissing his forehead and shoulders, and speaking to him in a very gentle tone.

“Baby.”

Zhu Zhixi was stunned and looked at the screen. “Hm?” He thought Fu Rangyi had already fallen asleep.

Fu Rangyi’s eyes were indeed closed, not open, and his words were very slurred. “…Miss you.”

Zhu Zhixi’s expression softened. A certain part of his heart suddenly became very, very soft. With just a gentle press of a finger, an endless longing would pour out.

“Me too,” he said softly. “Come back quickly. I’m waiting for you every day.”

Fu Rangyi seemed to be very sleepy already. He didn’t hear this sentence, nor did he reply.

He didn’t know how long he stared. Slowly, the sound of long, even breathing came from the earpiece. Zhu Zhixi still couldn’t bear to hang up. He looked at him and said softly, “Good night, Nian Nian.”

The next morning, Zhu Zhixi went to the museum to work. He hurriedly took a mirror selfie in the elevator and sent it to Fu Rangyi along with his breakfast check-in photo. But he seemed to be busy too and didn’t reply.

[Teacher Xiao Xi: You drank so much last night. Do you have a headache?]

No reply to this one either.

Remembering what Fu Rangyi had said last night—”call me more often”—Zhu Zhixi hesitated for a moment. He was just about to dial when his assistant called him.

“Coming right away.” Zhu Zhixi put his phone away and went over with the documents.

He was busy until three in the afternoon, without even having time for lunch. The time for his scheduled follow-up appointment was approaching. He handed over his work and drove to the hospital.

On the way, he received a call from an unknown number. When he answered, the voice on the other end was very familiar.

“Xiao Yu?” Zhu Zhixi was a little surprised. “Xiao En bought you a phone?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a sullen, honest confession. “It’s a phone watch.”

Zhu Zhixi was stunned for a second, then burst out laughing.

“Why?”

“Because he said it’s easier to find me with it around my neck,” Xiao Yu added, “…when I’m a dog.”

Zhu Zhixi laughed mercilessly again, almost crying with laughter.

“So what are you now?” Zhu Zhixi asked with concern after he finished laughing.

Xiao Yu: “A person, of course. How else could I make a phone call?”

“That’s true.”

Xiao Yu got down to business. He told Zhu Zhixi that he had been following Snowball’s owner recently, but Snowball had not shown up at all, not even once. It felt like he was deliberately hiding. He suspected that Snowball thought he would be captured if he appeared.

“Then what should we do?”

“That old lady fell ill again recently and has been hospitalized,” Xiao Yu said. “I think this is an opportunity. Maybe Snowball will go to see her.”

“I’m on my way to the hospital right now. She’s being treated at that same hospital.”

“I know. Xiao En said you have a follow-up today. He said you grew a reproductive cavity.” Xiao Yu asked, “Can an Alpha grow a reproductive cavity?”

Zhu Zhixi blinked. “You’re really asking the right person… I’d like to know too.”

Xiao Yu was silent for a few seconds, then gave an address. “Can you come pick me up? I can’t get into the hospital as a dog. I need someone to bring me in before I can transform.”

“No problem.”

Twenty minutes later, at a nearby mall popular with anime fans, he picked up Xiao Yu, who was being swarmed by a group of young girls in cosplay for photos.

“I just searched it up. An Alpha’s reproductive cavity is atrophied.”

“So is mine,” Zhu Zhixi said casually. “Fu Rangyi made mine undergo secondary development. Anything is possible.”

In the passenger seat, Xiao Yu turned his face, looked at Zhu Zhixi, and nodded meaningfully.

Entering the hospital and parking the car, a flash of golden light passed. After it dissipated, Xiao Yu had turned into a small hamster, hiding in the pocket of Zhu Zhixi’s overcoat, following him to sneak into the hospital.

Zhu Zhixi went upstairs for his check-up. He stayed curled up at the bottom of the pocket, resting. But when Director Wang got the digital images and began to analyze the results of the secondary development, he climbed up a little, his two small ears perked up.

“You’re developing very well. It’s basically formed. You haven’t had any discomfort recently, have you?”

“It’s still just a dull ache. It’s probably just growing,” Zhu Zhixi said casually.

“Any abnormal reactions?”

“Abnormal…” Zhu Zhixi thought of last night and was about to ask, but he looked down and saw a small, plump furball in his pocket, its ears still twitching.

He couldn’t possibly talk about the faint leakage from down there last night in front of Xiao Yu.

“No,” he said, steeling himself.

Director Wang nodded. “The indicators look okay too, but you are a Beta after all. Your reproductive cavity is two sizes smaller than an Omega’s, and Professor Fu is a top-tier Alpha. When you usually have intercourse…”

“Cough, cough, cough!” Zhu Zhixi coughed violently, interrupting him.

Director Wang glanced at him. “What’s wrong? Did you catch a cold?”

“It’s the change of seasons. My throat is a little uncomfortable,” Zhu Zhixi said with a smile.

“Oh, drink more water,” Director Wang continued. “Anyway, just be more careful. You don’t need to take the medicine anymore, just eat more nutritious food. Any other questions about the reproductive cavity?”

“No…” Just as he finished, he felt a tug on his pocket. The little white rat was causing a commotion inside, pulling and tugging.

Zhu Zhixi immediately understood and asked, “Director Wang, I have a question.”

Director Wang pushed up his glasses. “Go on.”

Zhu Zhixi asked bluntly, “Can an Alpha develop a reproductive cavity through secondary development?”

Hearing this question, the expression on Director Wang’s face visibly contorted, a mixture of confusion and disbelief, with a hint of shock.

“You…” he scratched his head. “You two…”

Zhu Zhixi quickly shook his head. “No, no, no, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not us. Um, I have an Alpha friend…”

Director Wang gave a dry laugh. “A friend, I understand. This sort of thing is quite rare, but not unheard of. It’s usually caused by strong pheromone stimulation, and it’s considered a pathological development. Try not to pursue this kind of thing, understand?”

Zhu Zhixi smiled and nodded. “I know, Director Wang. I’ll tell them to be careful.” After speaking, he put his hand in his pocket and pinched the fat rat. Understand?

After coming out, he left the outpatient department, went downstairs to buy a fruit basket and milk, and called the old lady. Hearing that he was coming to visit, the little old lady was very happy and gave him directions.

And so, Zhu Zhixi successfully transported the little hamster to Snowball’s owner’s hospital room.

Don’t get mistaken for a rat and swatted to longevity… Zhu Zhixi watched him hide behind the curtains on the windowsill, a little worried.

After chatting with the old lady for a while, Zhu Zhixi learned that her heart had always been weak. The last heart attack had also left sequelae, and the doctor recommended that she have surgery as soon as possible. But she was always worried about Snowball, afraid that if her surgery failed, she would never find Snowball again.

“You’ll definitely find him,” Zhu Zhixi comforted her.

Leaving the inpatient department, Zhu Zhixi returned to his car. Xiao Yu’s phone watch was still on the passenger seat. He first sent a message to Liang Yi’en, reporting Xiao Yu’s whereabouts, then opened the pinned chat.

Of the 6 messages he had sent today, Fu Rangyi hadn’t replied to a single one.

This wasn’t normal. Usually, even when Fu Rangyi was busy, he would reply during meals, and he would quote each message one by one.

Zhu Zhixi thought for a moment and called him. He called three times in a row, but there was no answer.

What’s going on?

He sent a few more messages and was about to call again, but his phone suddenly vibrated. A call was coming in. He thought it was Fu Rangyi calling back, but when he looked, it was Zhu Zeran.

Zhu Zhixi was a little disappointed, but he still answered, greeting him listlessly, “Hello? What’s up?”

“I can’t call you if there’s nothing?”

“Da Zhu, why do you always have to be so snarky? Be careful you’ll be single for life,” Zhu Zhixi retorted, put him on speakerphone, and went back to Fu Rangyi’s chat window.

“Thank you very much.” Next, Zhu Zeran’s tone became more serious. “But I really do have something this time. That bastard who was harassing you last time, I found some new clues.”

Zhu Zhixi frowned, stopped what he was doing, and asked, “Xiao Xiang?”

“Mm. Didn’t I tell you last time that in order to get military resources, I took on a messy project, paying off the accounts of a real estate company? More than a dozen projects, all of them damn unfinished. And wouldn’t you know it, the house that bastard bought was actually one of them. He even went to protest for his rights, though it was useless. It’s impossible for the building to be completed.”

Speaking of this, Zhu Zhixi suddenly remembered that Fu Rangyi had mentioned before that after the incident, Father Fu had used some connections to make it impossible for Xiao Xiang to stay in S-City or continue teaching. He couldn’t even open a tutoring center and could only go back to his hometown to settle down, where he had bought a house. He had been very angry at the time, thinking how could such a person be allowed to settle down?

Could it be that the house he bought was never even built in the end? What was this, karma?

Zhu Zhixi sneered. “Serves him right.”

“I think so too. I followed up on his property registration form and asked a few acquaintances. I found out that he’s not doing so well either. His medical insurance has been cut off several times, but he’s been getting reimbursements intermittently, which means he probably has a long-term illness that requires treatment. I’m still having someone help me look into the specifics… Do you think he’s a psychopath?”

“He’s more than just a psychopath,” Zhu Zhixi was a little angry but didn’t want to say more.

There was a moment of silence on Zhu Zeran’s end, but then he suddenly asked, “The person he was harassing, it wasn’t you, was it?”

He really couldn’t hide it from him. Zhu Zhixi didn’t intend to struggle either and directly admitted, “Mm, he’s the high school physics teacher who was beaten up by Fu Rangyi, that Omega.”

Hearing this, Zhu Zeran seemed to let out a sigh of relief, but he still instructed, “Contact me immediately if anything happens, you hear me? If you go all out for your dear husband and get yourself involved, you just wait.”

“I know,” Zhu Zhixi replied, listening to Zhu Zeran’s nagging while opening the wristband monitoring app.

He hadn’t received any alarm texts today, so the pheromone index should be fine, but he was still a little uneasy.

But when he opened it, he was stunned. The wristband was offline.

Zhu Zhixi felt something was very wrong. It was as if countless tiny needles were pricking his face. Countless dangerous images flashed through his mind, along with the clues that had troubled him before—the slashed tire, the recurring harassing text messages, the dangerous Omega who had a history of malicious inducement. His trembling fingertips continued to scroll up. The data before it went offline was all a scarlet red, the danger level extremely high, exactly the same as his last susceptible period.

“Zhu Zhixi? Hey, Zhu Zhixi?”

He regulated his breathing and asked as calmly as possible, “Brother, the unfinished building you mentioned just now, the one Xiao Xiang bought, where is it? In S-City?”

“No,” Zhu Zeran said. “It’s in his hometown, a county under the jurisdiction of C-City.”