Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Four months later.

It was a Wednesday afternoon in a small city on the outskirts of the capital.

Yao Jun tied his apron. "I’m so sorry I was a little late today. You haven’t had your lunch break yet, go eat first."

Lu Yao’s face was hidden behind a mask. He shook his head gently. "It’s fine."

He showed Yao Jun the orders for the afternoon and quietly explained the parts he had already prepared.

The hand that pushed the cake base toward him was very thin. Even with his hat and mask on, Lu Yao’s pale complexion was still noticeable.

Yao Jun couldn't help but say, "Alright, I understand. Go rest now. We won’t have that much work this afternoon, so we should be able to close early."

Lu Yao quietly assented and then silently left. He walked to the break area and put on his jacket. But he didn’t go to eat lunch; instead, he opened the bakery’s back door and sat on the steps.

Lu Yao hadn’t been able to get off the train in L City. After being sick for a week in a budget hotel, he no longer had the strength to continue to his original destination.

Moreover, train tickets were not cheap, and Lu Yao’s savings were meager.

Fortunately, finding a job and renting a place went surprisingly smoothly. It was rare for Lu Yao to experience such good fortune in his life. The apartment’s location and layout were just right, and the rent was much cheaper than comparable places.

The new bakery owner was very kind and even advanced Lu Yao a month’s rent.

And besides, this place was closer to Nian Nian.

Though Lu Yao couldn’t see the Fu family’s young heir, gossip traveled much faster in the capital’s outskirts than in L City. While hesitating, Lu Yao overheard customers chatting with the shop owner about how the Fu family had hosted an elaborate full-month banquet.

So Lu Yao no longer felt he had to leave.

Lu Yao buried his face in his knees and sat quietly for a while. The work intensity wasn’t particularly high, but standing and bending all morning still left him lightheaded and with a particularly sore back.

On top of that, he hadn't fully recovered before he rushed out, making him prone to falling ill now.

Only when the dizziness subsided did Lu Yao lift his head and stare vacantly into the distance.

He wasn't very hungry and didn't have much of an appetite, but skipping meals would only make him dizzier in the afternoon. Getting sick and buying medicine would be an extra expense. After some thought, Lu Yao decided to buy a bowl of instant noodles from the convenience store next door.

Although this small city wasn’t particularly far from the capital, its pace of life was very slow. Since it was a weekday, the bakery’s back alley was rarely frequented. Lu Yao carried the instant noodles back to the steps and sat down, silently waiting for them to cook.

Lu Yao unconsciously opened a news app—any developments concerning the Fu Group would be reported there. For instance, Lu Yao had seen coverage of Nian Nian’s hundred-day banquet on his phone.

But aside from that one occasion, Lu Yao hadn’t seen any related entertainment news since. Nevertheless, he had developed a habit of searching for such information.

The only good thing in the past three months was that his gland had completely failed. Lu Yao no longer spent a single cent on related expenses, nor had he gone to the hospital for a check-up. Lu Yao didn’t think it was necessary.

Returning to being a beta, the whole world felt much quieter.

The instant noodles were ready. Lu Yao opened them and ate very slowly. His appetite had weakened significantly after giving birth to Nian Nian, and Yao Jun always thought he was too thin whenever he saw him.

He couldn't finish the noodles today—Lu Yao only ate half before setting the cup aside. With an hour and a half left for his lunch break, he wasn’t in a hurry to return.

He opened a shopping app to compare several scar repair creams, hesitating as he examined them closely. "This one looks better," he murmured.

The cesarean scar still itched a bit, and recently, it had started to redden—perhaps due to the changing seasons.

Lu Yao glanced at the price, unable to make up his mind to buy it. He whispered to himself with a touch of heartache, "So expensive."

Lu Yao decisively switched to another product to buy. He focused intently on his phone, unaware that the remaining half-bowl of instant noodles had attracted a curious new customer to the bakery.

A tiny, fluffy white puppy, drawn by the smell of braised beef, waddled over. It stopped a few steps away from Lu Yao, tilting its head left and right to look at him.

Lu Yao didn’t notice it; it was just too small.

The puppy tried to nose at the instant noodle cup, but the step was too high for it to reach. Its tail wagged like a rattle drum as it whined, only succeeding in pushing the noodles further away.

Lu Yao heard the noise and looked down, then his eyes widened in surprise as he met the puppy’s wet, dark eyes.

The puppy initially backed up two steps in fear, but it couldn’t resist the aroma of the noodles. It wagged its tail timidly and took two steps closer to Lu Yao’s feet.

"So cute."

The puppy’s ears, head, nose—its entire body—was round and soft, covered in fluffy white fur. Lu Yao hesitated before reaching out, wanting to pet its head.

The puppy lifted its head, sniffed Lu Yao’s palm, and then rubbed its head against his hand.

The puppy was warm and lively. After Lu Yao stroked its head a couple of times, the puppy showed a very bright "smile."

Lu Yao briefly forgot everything else. He picked the puppy up and settled it on his lap. "Where did you come from? Where’s your mom?"

Holding the puppy, he stood up. The street was still empty, with no one around and no large dogs.

The puppy obediently curled up in Lu Yao’s arms, its two eyes like black beans, peeking out slightly to look around.

"You’re so tiny. Where did you wander from?" Lu Yao walked around twice but still couldn’t figure out where the puppy had come from.

He carried the dog to the small grocery store next door, where the owner was watching TV under an electric fan.

"Did you see anyone pass by here just now?"

The owner clearly recognized Lu Yao. She paused when she saw the puppy in his arms. "No, it’s the middle of the day—who’d be out now? This little dog is quite cute, though. Come here, pup-pup-pup."

The puppy whimpered timidly and buried its snout in the crook of Lu Yao’s arm, not moving.

Lu Yao said awkwardly, "I don’t know, it just suddenly appeared. I was wondering if someone owned it."

"That’s impossible," the owner scoffed. "No one around here has had puppies. It’s probably a stray that ran off somewhere."

Lu Yao looked down. The puppy secretly looked back at him, its little tail wagging.

The owner chuckled. "If you like it, just keep it as a pet. A dog this small—if it accidentally got lost, its owner would have come looking by now."

Lu Yao’s heart softened. It was so small, just a baby; it must be very scared.

So today, Lu Yao had an extra expense: a sausage for the puppy.

Lu Yao’s rented apartment wasn’t far from the bakery. After bringing the puppy home, he found a cardboard box. The puppy stood on its hind legs, clinging to the edge of the box, whining at Lu Yao by the door.

Lu Yao walked back and patted its head. "I’ll be back after work. Be good at home, okay?"

At the Fu family’s ancestral home in the capital, Wen Zheng sat on the sofa holding a sleeping Nian Nian. She looked somewhat haggard, as if she hadn’t slept well.

"What did Dr. Xu say?"

Fu Jizhong shook his head and sighed. "Artificial soothing agents aren’t pheromones. They can only fool Nian Nian temporarily; he’ll still sense that something is wrong."

Nian Nian had been in the NICU for nearly a month. Logically, the offspring of an S-rank parent shouldn’t have such a low level, yet Nian Nian’s developmental speed was slower than the normal standard.

Wen Zheng didn’t trust Fu Yanhuai to take care of the child alone, especially since Fu Yanhuai himself was barely coping, so she brought the child to live with her directly.

However, Nian Nian struggled immensely to fall asleep each time, needing to be comforted to the point of exhaustion until he was too tired to even cry before he could barely doze off.

Dr. Xu explained that this was due to the limited effectiveness of artificial soothing agents. The first month after birth was the most critical period for needing the biological father’s pheromones, and during this time, Nian Nian had received too much artificial compensatory pheromones, which caused him confusion and a lack of security.

Helpless, Wen Zheng looked down at Nian Nian, who was frowning slightly, clutching a white toy deer tightly in his hands.

"He really likes this toy," Wen Zheng murmured. "He often plays with it; it probably carries his father’s scent."

Fu Jizhong had a headache. "But it’s been almost four months. Any scent would have long faded by now."

Yes, four months would have certainly dissipated any lingering pheromones, yet Nian Nian stubbornly clung to this toy, only letting it go for cleaning when he wasn’t paying attention.

Wen Zheng frowned and looked up. "Where’s Fu Yanhuai? Has he moved into the company?"

Fu Jizhong, distressed about the baby, was distracted. "Who knows? Probably."

Wen Zheng was furious. "What’s going on? Is the Fu family going bankrupt? Is he really living with the company now?"

Fu Jizhong couldn’t help but say, "Why not just bring Lu Yao back? We’ve already found him. You’ve seen it—his daily routine is fairly normal, and he misses the child too."

Wen Zheng, agitated, replied, "Fu Yanhuai was the one who drove him away. If I suddenly bring him back without a word, what kind of message does that send? We’re in the wrong here. If you want him back, you have to ask if he’s willing. What if he refuses?"

Deep down, Wen Zheng naturally hoped Lu Yao would return to the capital. But life wasn’t that simple. If Lu Yao had been willing to stay, why would he have left just three days after giving birth?

Fu Jizhong also fell silent. Wen Zheng made up her mind. "Tell Fu Yanhuai to come back."

Fu Jizhong asked casually, "When?"

Wen Zheng scoffed. "Now. He hand-selected Lu Yao’s job and apartment, and even arranged for someone to look after him. I refuse to believe he’s truly at ease leaving Lu Yao alone."

Wen Zheng had found Lu Yao before Fu Yanhuai did. She didn’t avoid Fu Yanhuai; right in front of him, she had intended to get Lu Yao properly settled in his new life.

But it was Fu Yanhuai who stopped her and took the initiative to handle it himself.

Wen Zheng was utterly bewildered. "What is he thinking? What does he even want?"

Fu Jizhong answered without hesitation, "I have no idea."

Nian Nian suddenly stirred. Wen Zheng quickly patted him to soothe him, but Nian Nian still woke up.

Babies his age should sleep deeply, yet Nian Nian was easily startled awake.

Nian Nian woke up, clutching the toy deer’s antlers tightly, whimpering softly, too exhausted for full cries.

Wen Zheng’s heart ached. "How can the child go on like this? He doesn’t even have the strength to cry."

She felt immense guilt. Lu Yao had suffered so much to bring this child into the world, yet now he was being raised in such a state.

"Here, let me hold him."

Fu Jizhong was even worse at soothing children than Wen Zheng, but in a panic, he took Nian Nian into his arms.

Nian Nian hiccuped through sobs, his face slick with tears.

Wen Zheng immediately said, "Call Fu Yanhuai back. Let him see for himself what he’s done—what he’s reduced Little Deer and the baby to because of him."