Chapter 47: Mutated Essential Oil part 1
Interstellar people were very inclusive regarding sexual orientation. The proportions of homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual populations were approximately 1:1:0.4. No one would look down on others because of their sexual orientation.
If same-sex couples wanted offspring, they could use high-tech methods to fuse their genes and nurture life in a technology gestation pod.
There was no trouble regarding reproduction, so Interstellar people were very direct about their sexual orientation and wouldn’t hide it.
Heterosexuality had been the mainstream where Zhu Ran lived before, and homosexuality was relatively niche.
However, because Zhu Ran experienced the end times when he was seventeen, the only thing on his mind was survival; he had never considered love or affection.
So… regarding love and the like, Zhu Ran was quite oblivious.
Z’s direct statement did give Zhu Ran a great shock to a certain extent. They were talking about essential oil massage just a moment ago; how did the topic suddenly shift to “liking men” in the blink of an eye?
However, Zhu Ran recovered quickly after being dazed for a moment.
Interstellar people had freedom of love. If Z liked men, then he liked men; it was no big deal.
Zhu Ran replied: “I don’t mind.”
However, although he said he didn’t mind… he and Z had just said their relationship was that of friends, and then Z confessed he liked men.
It felt a bit strange.
Could Z be hoping that he would… keep his distance?
“Is that so? It’s great that you don’t mind. You know, even good friends might have disagreements because of their sexual orientation.”
Z asked nonchalantly: “Then what about you, Zhu Ran? What’s your sexual orientation…?”
Zhu Ran pondered for a moment: “I haven’t met anyone who makes my heart flutter yet, so I’m not sure for now.”
Hearing this, Z smiled shallowly, but he immediately restrained his smile.
The fact that Zhu Ran hadn’t met anyone who made his heart flutter was naturally a good thing; it meant Z had a chance to be Zhu Ran’s first love.
But it also wasn’t that good; it meant Z wasn’t very attractive to Zhu Ran.
At least there was no love at first sight.
It seemed there wasn’t even… love growing over time yet.
Z’s eyes darkened.
He quickly adjusted his mood and masked his disappointment: “Weren’t we going to test the new essential oil? Let’s go try it now.”
Zhu Ran didn’t stand up immediately. He hesitated for a moment before asking: “I’m giving you a massage; will you find it a bit inconvenient?”
Z gazed at Zhu Ran for a while. The other person asked very seriously, and those green eyes lacked a single trace of other colors.
Z suddenly felt a bit defeated.
He told Zhu Ran he liked men not to make him think about these things.
Z turned around and squatted in front of Zhu Ran, slightly raising his head and looking at Zhu Ran with his beautiful heterochromatic eyes.
Z’s gaze was very pure and clean, different from his usual serious look.
Being gazed at by such eyes, it was a bit like being relied on wholeheartedly by a small animal, which moved Zhu Ran.
Z’s tone was rarely gentle: “Don’t overthink it. If I weren’t willing, or if I found it inconvenient, I would have rejected you the first time you gave me a massage.”
“I really like it when you massage me.”
Zhu Ran knew Z was telling the truth because Z seemed like a man of his word.
If he liked it, he liked it; if he wasn’t willing, he wasn’t willing.
Zhu Ran didn’t hide it either and directly asked his question: “Then you told me you like men, and I thought… you wanted me to keep my distance.”
Z didn’t expect Zhu Ran to think this way, his pupils expanding slightly in surprise.
In the next moment, he reached out and proactively touched the tips of Zhu Ran’s hair. It felt as soft as imagined, carrying Zhu Ran’s scent.
Zhu Ran looked at Z’s behavior with a bit of confusion, tilting his head.
Z retracted his hand, raised his eyes, and said seriously: “I hope you understand. Although we are both male, in my eyes, you are very attractive.”
After saying that, he smiled, as clear as a spring flowing in the mountains, reflecting the green grass and trees.
He smiled very gently and relaxed; it was a side of him Zhu Ran had never seen before, and it also made Zhu Ran’s heart skip a beat.
“You are… very attractive to me…”
Zhu Ran was a bit stuck because of this sentence.
Z said he liked men.
Z then said Zhu Ran was very attractive to him.
So… did this sentence mean that Z liked Zhu Ran?
Zhu Ran’s eyes widened slightly, surprised but also confused.
A layer of light red gradually spread across his fair neck.
And this light red continued to spread upward until Zhu Ran’s entire face was dyed with the faint color of rosy clouds.
It was very red and very good-looking.
Z couldn’t help but be mesmerized, his gaze fiery.
Zhu Ran opened his mouth as if to ask something, but in the end, he closed his mouth and made no sound.
He was a bit confused, uncertain, and at a loss.
If… Z really admitted to liking him, how should he respond?
Zhu Ran had never thought about such a thing, nor had he figured it out.
So he decided not to break the ice for now; it wouldn’t be too late to ask when he figured it out one day.
“I understand.”
Zhu Ran turned his face away to hide his expression.
Z restrained his gaze, which seemed capable of melting Zhu Ran; he could see that Zhu Ran was a bit uncomfortable.
Z changed the subject, intending to ease the awkwardness: “Didn’t you say you wanted to test the essential oil? Let’s go!”
Having just talked about such a topic and now having to do a massage, Zhu Ran felt a bit uneasy.
He dawdled before standing up and followed Z into the room.
Upon arriving in the room, Z sat on the bed naturally, seemingly unaffected.
After pondering for a moment, Z looked up and asked Zhu Ran: “Do you want me to take off my clothes?”
As he spoke, his hands were already on the buttons of his clothes, and he unbuttoned one, revealing a patch of fair chest skin.
Z was clearly asking normally, but after the conversation just now, Zhu Ran always felt that Z seemed to be… using his body to catch his attention?
Zhu Ran paused and tried to stay calm: “No need. I’ll only massage your head today.”
“Okay.”
With that, Z put down his hands and stopped unbuttoning, but he didn’t intend to button up the one he had already undone.
Z lay on the bed as obediently as usual. He closed his eyes, his expression incomparably peaceful.
Next to him, the spiritual sea testing instrument was operating.
[Spiritual Sea Damage Value: 91.0%] [Fluctuation Value: 14]
Z’s state was clearly much better than when he was in the electric chair room; the overall damage value had decreased by 3.4%, and the fluctuation value had remained stable.
Zhu Ran, who had entered his work state, looked serious and stopped thinking about other things.
He dripped the Mutated Lavender Essential Oil into the humidifier.
Once the humidifier started working, a fragrance slightly different from the previous lavender oil was released.
A hint of berry sweetness was mixed into the originally peaceful fragrance.
Zhu Ran didn’t start the massage immediately but waited for Z to adapt for a moment before asking: “How do you feel? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
This was the first time Zhu Ran had used the mutated oil on someone else; he couldn’t confirm its effect.
Z shook his head: “I don’t feel uncomfortable for now, just a bit hot.”
Zhu Ran explained: “Heat is normal; it’s the mutated plant factors taking effect.”
Lavender’s original effect was soothing and sleep-inducing, but the mutated vine was aggressive. Therefore, it wasn’t strange for the mutated lavender oil to make one feel hot.
However, for safety reasons, Zhu Ran still waited for fifteen minutes to observe Z’s state.
Within fifteen minutes, Z’s cheeks became pinkish-white because of the heat, and some sweat appeared on his forehead and the tip of his nose.
He unbuttoned his remaining buttons and opened his clothes to dissipate the heat.
The abnormality brought by the mutated oil was much more obvious in Z than in Zhu Ran.
At least when Zhu Ran tested it on himself just now, he didn’t feel his body getting this hot.
Zhu Ran reached out and touched Z’s cheek. His body temperature was indeed much higher than usual, feeling like 38°C.
This symptom seemed a bit severe.
Zhu Ran lowered his eyes: “Your temperature is quite high. I suggest we don’t continue.”
Z, who was soaked in heat, shook his head.
He could endure even the most painful times; what was this bit of heat?
“It’s okay. Didn’t the test report say this is normal? I want to continue.”
The state of his spiritual sea had always been a thorn in Z’s side.
He was like a vase full of cracks; if he wasn’t careful, he might break into pieces one day, fall to the ground as shards, and be thrown into the trash can without a trace of existence.
In the past, Z didn’t care much about his own state, nor was he active about treatment.
But now, after meeting Zhu Ran, Z’s broken world was being repaired, soothed, and healed by streaks of greenery full of life.
He felt warmth, happiness, and sweetness; he had desires and… things he wanted to possess and cherish.
Z wanted to heal his spiritual sea and then… stay with Zhu Ran for a long, long time.
So now that there was a rare possibility of treating the deep spiritual sea, Z didn’t want to give up.
It was just a bit of heat and discomfort; Z could endure it.
Seeing Z’s persistence and that the test report also listed that the body would become hot when using the mutated oil, Zhu Ran nodded: “Okay. If you feel uncomfortable halfway through, speak up.”
After dipping into the mutated oil and heating it in his palm, Zhu Ran applied it to Z’s temples.
As before, he massaged gently.
Once the oil was spread, it quickly left a layer of moisture on the skin on both sides of Z’s temples, shimmering under the light.
“Is there any discomfort?”
“Your skin… is so hot.”
“You’re sweating so much; is it really okay?”
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