Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Lu Yao had been to this hospital countless times. The monthly routine of prenatal check-ups, traveling from home to the hospital and back, had never been missed.

But today, it would likely be the last.

Fu Yanhuai's villa now appeared utterly foreign to Lu Yao. Standing at the side door, he gazed up at the house as if truly seeing it for the first time.

Lu Yao’s mind drifted. He suddenly recalled the beginning, right after marrying Fu Yanhuai. Every day, he would exit through the side door, walk to the nearest bike-share station, take a bus, and then proceed to the dessert shop.

It hadn't been long, less than a year, yet looking back, it felt like an eternity.

The dull ache in his gland and the high fever left Lu Yao weak, but he pressed on. Guided by memory, he pushed open the side door and crossed the backyard lawn.

This path led directly to the corridor, and the room at the very end was his.

Perhaps he should have realized it sooner—Fu Yanhuai’s bedroom was just that, Fu Yanhuai’s. He had never truly belonged there.

The only solace was that this route, as before, remained deserted. The villa was unusually quiet today, not a single light on. Hesitantly, Lu Yao entered the initial password, and the door opened.

When Lu Yao had resided here, he was still a beta. The room was likely only cleaned monthly, and Lu Yao detected no scent.

A wave of both familiarity and strangeness washed over him. Opening the closet, he murmured, “They’re all still here.”

Fu Yanhuai disliked his old coat. Fu Yanhuai preferred him in dark blue satin, saying Lu Yao looked beautiful in it.

When Fu Yanhuai held him from behind, their white fir and caramel pheromones intertwined, and Lu Yao, filled with sweet delusion, believed his every word.

Lu Yao crouched to pick up his coat. Tears dripped onto it, spreading into dark, concentric stains.

Such a steep price for a beautiful dream. Lu Yao no longer had the courage to continue.

Aside from the clothes on his back, Lu Yao took nothing, just as he had arrived.

He bought a high-speed train ticket to City L, but his condition deteriorated far worse than anticipated.

First, his caramel pheromones began to uncontrollably leak. To avoid affecting other passengers, Lu Yao frantically layered on new gland patches. But the dull ache in his gland soon intensified into sharp, piercing pain. Postpartum pheromones were highly unstable, and with Fu Yanhuai being an S-rank alpha, Lu Yao’s suffering was far greater than that of lower ranks.

If it had merely been pain and fever, Lu Yao might have endured. But even three layers of gland patches couldn't contain the scent. Left with no choice, he locked himself in the train’s restroom, shivering as he leaned against the wall, struggling not to collapse.

Lu Yao disembarked at the nearest station. The discomfort of pheromone imbalance was unbearable—his body was cold, yet his face burned. Staggering into a hotel room, Lu Yao promptly passed out.

Time became a blur during this period. All he remembered between bouts of consciousness was the bitter scent of caramel filling the room. His gland, deprived of an alpha’s comfort, frantically produced pheromones, the stagnant pain unbearable.

He chose to buy suppressants to quiet his gland.

Lu Yao didn’t know how many suppressant shots he’d administered. When he finally regained full awareness, he found himself slumped by the bed, empty syringes scattered across the floor.

Something felt wrong. Slowly, he stirred, lifting his head in confusion.

There was no scent. He couldn’t smell anything.

Hesitantly, he touched the back of his neck. Once brimming with gland fluid, it now felt like a stagnant pool.

The realization dawned on him. “No more pheromones,” he murmured.

He sat there for a long time before letting out a self-deprecating laugh. “Well, suppressants and gland patches are expensive anyway.”

No pheromones meant no need to buy them. Not so bad.

His relationship with Fu Yanhuai had begun with an unexpected heat and ended with a broken gland.

The hospital contacted Fu Yanhuai immediately upon Lu Yao’s disappearance. Fu Yanhuai rushed over from his company.

“President Fu!” Dr. Xu’s panic was palpable. “Mr. Lu, he…”

Fu Yanhuai strode upstairs and flung open the hospital room door. The empty bed brought him to an abrupt halt.

He turned, his voice icy with suppressed fury. “Is this how you care for patients?”

Dr. Xu closed her eyes briefly. “It was our oversight.”

Nurses were in the lounge at the end of the hallway, but the elevator was on the opposite side. By the time they checked the room, Lu Yao had likely already gone downstairs.

Dr. Xu quickly added, “But President Fu, our top priority now is locating Mr. Lu. He just gave birth and lost a lot of blood. Without pheromonal comfort, his body will suffer severe damage. You…”

Fu Yanhuai took a deep breath. “Review the surveillance footage.”

He then turned to his assistant. “Check if he booked any flights or tickets out tonight.”

Fu Yanhuai’s composure offered Dr. Xu slight relief, but she still reminded him, “The baby needs Mr. Lu’s pheromones. The next feeding is scheduled for 3 AM. The postpartum gland fluid reserves have been used up.”

They had planned to extract a small amount the next day to synthesize a calming agent—enough to stabilize the baby without harming Lu Yao.

This was also why Fu Yanhuai’s pheromones were necessary to support Lu Yao’s gland. In this regard, Fu Yanhuai had been quite cooperative, readily providing his own gland fluid when needed.

“Use synthetic stabilizers for now.”

Fu Yanhuai’s expression remained cold. His barely concealed impatience made him seem ill-tempered, and Dr. Xu dared not say more.

The assistant soon reappeared. He hurried over. “President Fu, we found a high-speed train ticket from the capital to City L, departing at 12:43.”

12:43. Fu Yanhuai checked the time. Too late to intercept.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Book a flight to City L immediately. We’ll intercept him there.”

Dr. Xu worried aloud, “It’ll take ten hours to reach City L. Mr. Lu’s body can’t handle that.”

Fu Yanhuai turned to her. “If his body can’t handle it, how was he able to slip away in the first place?”

The hallway fell silent. The crushing pressure of Fu Yanhuai’s S-rank pheromones was overwhelming. Though a beta, Dr. Xu broke into a cold sweat.

After a long pause, Fu Yanhuai finally spoke, his voice thick with anger. “The hospital director will handle this. I expect a satisfactory explanation by tomorrow.”

Without another word, Fu Yanhuai turned and left. Dr. Xu’s heart sank. “This is bad.”

But she couldn’t help muttering, “Why go so far when he hasn’t recovered? This is reckless.”

Ultimately, the blame lay with Fu Yanhuai. Dr. Xu wasn’t too worried about punishment—as Lu Yao and the baby’s primary physician, and with her team overseeing the nurses, she’d probably just get a pay cut.

But Lu Yao…

“That boy was never very healthy to begin with.”

Wen Zheng returned to the capital the day after Lu Yao disappeared, rushing to the hospital with Fu Jizhong.

By then, Fu Yanhuai’s assistant had already arrived in City L. Unless something went wrong, Lu Yao would be back at the hospital that night.

Seeing Wen Zheng made Dr. Xu even more nervous than facing Fu Yanhuai. The crisp click of Wen Zheng’s heels echoed as she hurried over. “Where’s my Little Deer? How’s his recovery going? Where’s the baby?”

Dr. Xu answered evasively, “On the third floor, take these stairs up.”

Wen Zheng walked quickly, asking anxiously, “How could he fall down the stairs when everything was fine? Where’s Fu Yanhuai? Is he with Little Deer?”

Dr. Xu gave an awkward laugh, “Yes, Mr. Fu has been very busy lately…”

Wen Zheng was soon drawn to the tiny infant in the NICU. She hurried forward excitedly, looking at Nian Nian through the glass, her eyes filled with heartache. “Why is he so small? And he’s still on an IV—what are they giving him?”

Dr. Xu replied softly, “Just standard treatments for premature babies to support heart and lung function…”

“Mom.”

Wen Zheng turned at the sound of the voice. Fu Yanhuai hadn’t slept all night, his eyes slightly bloodshot, and stubble showing on his chin.

But Wen Zheng felt little sympathy. To her, a grown alpha like him didn’t warrant much pity.

She reluctantly kept looking back at the baby. “Why did you come down? Where’s Little Deer? Aren’t you staying with him?”

Fu Yanhuai went quiet for a moment. Wen Zheng frowned and urged, “Speak up.”

Fu Jizhong added, “Premature birth is hard on the body. You should let Lu Yao rest properly for a while.”

Fu Yanhuai gazed intently at the baby. Wen Zheng’s heart sank, and her expression turned serious. “What’s going on?”

Dr. Xu nodded to the nurses around them, and they quietly left the room.

Fu Yanhuai looked down. “Lu Yao left the hospital last night.”

Wen Zheng exclaimed in disbelief. “Left? Where did he go?”

“L City. But don’t worry, I’ll bring him back soon.”

Fu Jizhong also frowned at Fu Yanhuai. Wen Zheng’s face went stone-cold. “What happened? Tell me everything clearly.”

If Wen Zheng wanted to investigate, she could quickly find out what happened. Besides, Fu Yanhuai had never intended to hide it.

He paused, then said flatly, “After the birth, I signed divorce papers for him…”

*Slap!*

This was likely the first time Wen Zheng had ever slapped Fu Yanhuai in his memory. Fu Jizhong could no longer focus on the baby either. He said in disbelief, “Divorce? Who told you to divorce?”

Wen Zheng betrayed no anger. She coldly shook out her hand before clasping it in front of her. “Why was the baby premature? Keep talking.”

Wen Zheng had put all her strength into that slap, and Fu Yanhuai could taste blood.

“Because of a news report with photos of me and the child of a real estate developer from H City.”

Wen Zheng gave a bitter laugh. “Fu Yanhuai, you’ve really gone too far.”

Fu Yanhuai didn’t admit he was wrong, nor did he promise to change. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’ll bring him back.”

“Do you think you’re some kind of god, treating Lu Yao like some plaything?” Wen Zheng snapped. “You make him divorce, and now you expect him to come back just like that?”

Fu Yanhuai set his jaw. “I never wanted him to leave. I just thought a different lifestyle would be better for both of us.”

Fu Jizhong looked horrified. “Listen to yourself. Do you even hear what you’re saying?”

“He can still live as before. I’ll buy him a separate property. As long as he—”

Wen Zheng chose to interrupt Fu Yanhuai with another slap.

She wouldn't hear his excuses. “I’ll get to the bottom of everything. I don’t care how you do it, but you *will* bring Lu Yao back. Fu Yanhuai, do you even have a heart? He just gave birth, and you let him leave like this?!”

Fu Yanhuai had nothing to say. The certainty he’d felt began to waver. “My assistant is already in L City. I’ll find him.”

Wen Zheng couldn't even look at him any longer. Finally, the assistant’s call came through. “Mr. Fu!”

Unable to hide his urgency, Fu Yanhuai blurted out, “Did you find Lu Yao?”

The assistant’s voice came through clearly, audible to all three of them. “Mr. Lu never arrived in L City. He likely got off at one of the stops along the way.”

Fu Yanhuai’s certainty and confidence crumbled. He asked, stunned, “Lu Yao isn’t in L City?”

Wen Zheng had only been away on a trip for a month. Now she returned to find the baby born prematurely, Fu Yanhuai and Lu Yao divorced, and Lu Yao missing.

She let out a cold laugh, seething. “From now until Little Deer returns, Nian Nian will be under my care. You won’t get near the child.”

“You love your company so much? You love that omega from H City? Fine. I can’t control you. Go marry your company from now on.”