Chapter 53

Chapter 53

"Both heart and lung development are within normal parameters," the doctor carefully reviewed Nian Nian's medical report. "Hearing and vision are also normal."

Lu Yao breathed a sigh of relief, cradling Nian Nian back into his arms. Nian Nian, clearly displeased by the doctor's prodding, pouted and huffily tugged at Lu Yao's shirt.

Lu Yao pulled the zipper down a bit, letting Nian Nian play with it.

"Next, we need to examine your gland," Dr. Xu said, appearing slightly uncomfortable seeing Lu Yao again, though Lu Yao showed no particular reaction. "Please place the child on the bed first."

Lu Yao hesitated for a moment before removing his jacket as well. Nian Nian sat on the thin coat, gripping the zipper while staring intently at Lu Yao.

Dr. Xu spoke softly, "This will be quick."

There was no need to dwell on past grievances with the doctor. Lu Yao knew Dr. Xu had to answer to Fu Yanhuai.

Lu Yao had just arrived in the capital yesterday, and early this morning, Fu Yanhuai brought him and Nian Nian to the hospital. He hadn’t entered the old mansion, waiting only at the gate instead.

Nian Nian was being fussy, so Fu Yanhuai held him on his lap. Lu Yao complied by exposing his gland.

Dr. Xu applied a cool gel to the gland before scanning it back and forth with a device.

The gel was cold, and Lu Yao couldn’t help but look at the screen. Though he couldn’t understand it, he hoped there might still be some gland fluid left for Nian Nian.

Dr. Xu’s brows gradually furrowed. "The condition isn’t good."

She put it delicately, "It might be worse than we anticipated. Mr. Lu, aside from inhibitors, did you take any other medications within the first week after giving birth?"

Lu Yao’s expression darkened. He exhaled and tried to recall, "When I left the hospital, I had a fever. In the car, my pheromones began leaking uncontrollably. I was afraid of causing a disturbance, so I got off early and checked into a hotel. I don't remember that time clearly—I had a fever, stomach pain, and body aches. I took all sorts of medications."

Fu Yanhuai’s heart tightened. He knew Lu Yao’s body would be weak after childbirth, but he had never truly imagined what Lu Yao might have endured.

Those few words couldn’t convey the reality of that time. Fu Yanhuai didn’t dare think about how Lu Yao had managed to endure it.

Dr. Xu glanced hesitantly at Fu Yanhuai. "Postpartum glands are unstable. Some medications are prohibited, and certain components might conflict with inhibitors. After that, did you experience any other discomfort in your gland?"

Lu Yao answered uncertainly, "Not really. After a few doses of inhibitors, my gland stopped reacting, so I didn’t pay attention anymore."

This was clearly Fu Yanhuai’s responsibility, but Lu Yao didn’t even acknowledge his reaction. Instead, he asked the doctor worriedly, "Then… can my gland still heal?"

The gland assessment was worse than Dr. Xu anticipated. She didn't answer directly. "We’ll do our best."

She then checked the other reports. "The child is in good health. Mr. Lu, you must ensure proper rest and regular meals. Physical weakness can also affect normal gland secretion. I’ll prescribe some supplements and an inducer. The inducer can gently stimulate your gland. Come back in a week to check if there’s any response."

Lu Yao was willing to do anything for Nian Nian. He carefully noted each instruction. "Alright, I will."

Preoccupied with thoughts, Lu Yao stood up. Fu Yanhuai stepped forward and handed Nian Nian to him. "I’ll get the medicine. You wait in the car—Nian Nian is getting sleepy."

Lu Yao looked down at the child. Sure enough, Nian Nian yawned, his eyelids drooping.

Afraid Nian Nian might cry and catch a chill, Lu Yao quickly covered him with his jacket. But he didn’t respond to Fu Yanhuai, simply carrying Nian Nian out.

The hem of Lu Yao’s jacket slipped from Fu Yanhuai’s fingers. He didn’t manage to hold on.

Fu Yanhuai stood still, watching Lu Yao leave. Dr. Xu cautiously asked, "Mr. Fu?"

Fu Yanhuai clenched his empty hand, pretending everything was normal as he turned to the doctor. "It’s fine. Let’s go prepare the medicine."

Extracting gland fluid from an alpha is much harder than from an omega. Unlike omegas, whose glands lie just beneath the skin, an alpha’s gland is deeply embedded in the neck, hidden between bones and tendons, making extraction much more painful.

But what truly worried Dr. Xu wasn’t this—S-rank individuals had excellent pain tolerance. However, in Nian Nian’s first month, without Lu Yao’s pheromones, they had to use Fu Yanhuai’s as a medium to help Nian Nian accept artificial soothing agents. During that month, Fu Yanhuai had already had multiple extractions done.

Yet glands also needed time to recover and stabilize, especially since Fu Yanhuai suffered from pheromone insensitivity. Dr. Xu wasn’t sure if such frequent extractions would cause permanent damage.

Fu Yanhuai himself didn’t seem overly concerned. He had once asked Dr. Xu what the best treatment was for an omega’s gland damage.

Dr. Xu gave the standard answer: "A fully marked omega has difficulty accepting other pheromone-based substances—their body will reject them. To gently guide the gland into responding step by step, the marking alpha’s gland fluid must be used alongside an inducer. Once the gland’s reaction level reaches a certain point, other medications can be introduced for combined treatment."

Fu Yanhuai agreed immediately, though he didn’t tell Lu Yao.

He was certain Lu Yao wouldn’t accept this treatment—he probably already hated Fu Yanhuai’s pheromones. Dr. Xu had mentioned… Lu Yao often removed his oxygen mask.

Lu Yao had no idea what Fu Yanhuai was doing. He returned to the car and got Nian Nian to sleep. The baby fell asleep in his car seat.

With the partition up, the driver silent, the surroundings suddenly became quiet. Lu Yao glanced at the time, frowning.

"Why is it taking so long?" he muttered to himself. "Nian Nian will need milk when he wakes up."

Over twenty minutes had passed—what medicine could take this long?

Lu Yao was usually patient, but anything related to Fu Yanhuai irritated him. Just seeing Fu Yanhuai made him feel uncomfortable all over.

After waiting a while longer, Fu Yanhuai finally appeared but remained outside the car, not opening the door to get in.

Lu Yao rolled down the window. "I’m taking Nian Nian home to rest."

Hearing the impatience in his voice, Fu Yanhuai bent down and handed him a paper pharmacy bag. "Something urgent came up at the company. Take Nian Nian back—this is the medicine."

Lu Yao’s expression instantly turned cold. He took the bag without another word. Fu Yanhuai stood silently, watching the car drive off. His face was slightly pale, and only when the car was out of sight did he press a hand to his neck.

The extraction had been too frequent and excessive this time—unlike the previous month, Fu Yanhuai wasn’t handling it as well.

His assistant soon pulled up in front of him, immediately sensing his boss’s poor condition.

"Where to…?" the assistant asked, turning back.

Fu Yanhuai forced himself to ignore the discomfort. "To the company."

The next medicine pickup was in three days. Fu Yanhuai needed to handle urgent work matters beforehand to free up time for Lu Yao’s hospital visit.

The assistant could only nod. "Alright."

Nian Nian still hadn’t woken by the time they got home. Lu Yao gently tucked him in.

"Bad nights make him sleepy during the day," Lu Yao murmured, looking at Nian Nian. "I wonder when my gland will heal."

Remembering the medicine Fu Yanhuai had given him, Lu Yao stood and left the baby's room, returning to his own room.

"An inducer?"

A small bottle of clear liquid lay inside the paper bag. Lu Yao picked it up, hesitantly sniffed it—there was no scent.

He sighed in disappointment. "Guess I can't use it yet."

As per the instructions, Lu Yao poured the liquid into a small dish to let it vaporize. He waited quietly, but there was no effect.

The liquid evaporated quickly, disappearing within ten minutes. Lu Yao touched his gland, checking for any reaction—but there was none.

Sighing again, he put everything away.

Perhaps it was normal. Dr. Xu said the dosage of the inducer would be determined based on his condition and advised Lu Yao not to rush.

On a rational level, Lu Yao knew this wasn't an overnight fix, but emotionally, he still couldn't help feeling down. After returning to the capital, Nian Nian was now under the care of a more professional team, and Lu Yao wanted to find a new job.

Lu Yao thought of something, and it made him uneasy.

He hadn't been in contact with Xia Shiyue for a long time, unsure if it was due to the impact of his divorce from Fu Yanhuai.

Since leaving the capital, Lu Yao had shut down his social apps, only reopening them a few days ago when Nian Nian returned. Unsure if he'd stay in the capital, he hadn't contacted Xia Shiyue.

After thinking it over, Lu Yao decided to drop by Xia Shiyue’s shop. The business had already been thriving when Nian Nian was born, and he wondered how it was doing now.