Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Lu Yao's eyelids were drooping as he spoke. Xia Shiyue quickly asked, "Are you going to the hospital tomorrow?"

Tomorrow?

Lu Yao curled up further under the blanket and mumbled vaguely, "Maybe."

Xia Shiyue let out a sigh of relief but then grew cautious, telling Lu Yao, "It’s not safe for you to go to the hospital alone. If you’re visiting Fu Yanhuai, I’ll go with you, okay?"

The tuft of hair sticking out from Lu Yao’s blanket bobbed slightly as he nodded, and Xia Shiyue felt reassured.

It wasn’t that Xia Shiyue was being overly wary of Fu Yanhuai—it was just that the man was cunning and had a shady past, while Lu Yao looked easily deceived.

Lu Yao had thought he wouldn’t sleep well that night, but apart from Xia Shiyue suddenly returning in the middle of the night, he slept dreamlessly.

Both he and Xia Shiyue woke up late. By the time they went downstairs for breakfast, Nian Nian was already sitting on the sofa, watching Wen Zheng braid Cream’s fur.

Guiltily, Lu Yao crouched in front of Nian Nian and asked, "Did you sleep well last night, baby?"

He had secretly carried Nian Nian back to the nursery and hadn’t fed him breakfast that morning. Lu Yao carefully observed whether Nian Nian was upset.

Nian Nian puckered his lips dramatically, turned his face away, and sniffed indignantly.

Even though he was having a little fit, Lu Yao still found him adorable. He picked Nian Nian up and kissed him. "Daddy was wrong for not eating with you."

Nian Nian’s little outburst dissipated as soon as Lu Yao coaxed him. Happily, he wrapped his arms around Lu Yao’s neck and babbled happily.

Wen Zheng teased with a smile, "Look at you. You always say Grandpa and I spoil him, but you’re the one who’s spoiling him rotten."

Lu Yao cleared his throat. "Am I?"

He knew he had a soft spot for Nian Nian—whatever the little one wanted, Lu Yao would give in without hesitation.

The four months of separation after Nian Nian’s birth had left Lu Yao with lasting trauma. Now, seeing Nian Nian full of energy every day was enough to make him happy.

"Put him down and eat," Wen Zheng admonished. "You’ll starve if you skip breakfast."

Lu Yao plunked Nian Nian into his high chair, and the nanny brought out the food.

"Mom, I was thinking… I’d like to take Nian Nian to the hospital today," Lu Yao said hesitantly after some deliberation. "Just for a quick visit."

Xia Shiyue immediately jumped in, "I’m going too."

Before Wen Zheng could respond, Xia Shiyue turned to her for approval. "Auntie Wen, can I go too?"

Wen Zheng seemed taken aback. "Of course."

Xia Shiyue piped up, "Thank you, Auntie Wen."

Wen Zheng laughed lightly. "What’s there to thank me for?"

After finishing Cream’s braid, she added with concern, "It’s flu season now, and Nian Nian just recovered from a fever. Maybe put a mask on him? And don’t stay too long—hospitals are full of patients. We don’t want him catching anything else."

In just one night, Wen Zheng seemed back to her normal self, at least outwardly composed.

Lu Yao swallowed a mouthful of soup and turned to her. "Aren’t you coming, Mom?"

Wen Zheng hesitated. Lu Yao visiting Fu Yanhuai was actually a good opportunity for them to spend time together, but she hadn’t considered going along.

But it had been a long time since she’d seen Fu Yanhuai.

Xia Shiyue’s eyes lit up. "Yeah, Auntie Wen, you should come too. Otherwise, Little Deer might have trouble managing Nian Nian alone."

That settled it for Wen Zheng. Nian Nian was still too young to be left unattended.

"Alright," she said, standing up. "Let me change first."

After finishing his meal, Lu Yao began packing for the trip. Though they’d only be out for a few hours, the bag was soon packed to the brim.

Finally, Lu Yao took out a little face mask and tried to put it on Nian Nian. The little one didn’t like it and kept pawing at it to take it off.

"Just put up with it for a little while, okay? You can take it off when we get home," Lu Yao coaxed patiently. "Getting sick would be really uncomfortable."

Nian Nian refused, shaking his head in protest.

Lu Yao sighed and relented. "Fine, we’ll put it on when we get to the hospital."

He carried Nian Nian to the car, where the little one sat in his baby seat, lapping up the attention of everyone around him.

Nian Nian’s mood improved quickly. He wasn’t a cranky baby to begin with, and now that he was happy, he became very cooperative. Though he still resisted the mask, a little coaxing kept him from wriggling around.

Overall, Lu Yao thought Nian Nian was an easy baby—most of the time, he was very well-behaved.

Fu Yanhuai had been moved to an isolation ward for observation the previous night. With his weakened immune system, he was restricted to a special room for recovery, leaving him with nothing to do but lie in bed, stir-crazy.

The injections from yesterday had no effect. The only bright side was that his scent gland still responded with pain—meaning it hadn’t completely failed yet.

Fu Yanhuai had assumed Lu Yao wouldn’t visit for a few more days, so he hadn't made an effort to get up. His fever hadn’t broken, and his head felt heavy, so he dozed fitfully.

When Lu Yao walked into the room carrying Nian Nian, he saw Fu Yanhuai lying pale and drawn on the bed.

Fu Yanhuai had always made sure to present himself impeccably in front of Lu Yao. His sharp features gave him a commanding presence when he was energetic, masking any signs of illness.

But now, with his eyes closed and his face gaunt, Lu Yao truly realized—Fu Yanhuai was sick and needed care.

Wen Zheng, too, had never seen Fu Yanhuai in such a fragile state. She couldn’t help but step forward, the sound of her heels rousing him.

Fu Yanhuai opened his eyes and turned his head, going still at the sight of the group at the door.

He frowned and sat up. "You should’ve told me you were coming."

Wen Zheng hurried to his side and pushed him back down. "What’s wrong with showing up without warning? Do we need an appointment to see you now?"

She couldn't help scolding. "Look at you… you’re just…"

Fu Yanhuai noticed the tears in her eyes and lowered his voice apologetically. "That’s not what I meant."

Seeing the atmosphere getting heavy, Lu Yao placed Nian Nian on the bed, facing Fu Yanhuai.

Xia Shiyue quietly took a seat to the side, keeping his distance from the family moment.

He was only there to keep tabs on Fu Yanhuai and make sure he didn’t pull any stunts with Lu Yao.

Wen Zheng looked away to collect herself, while Fu Yanhuai looked down at Nian Nian, who goggled at him confusedly from behind his little mask.

Nian Nian slowly furrowed his brows, looking at Fu Yanhuai in confusion.

He seemed somewhat familiar, yet also a stranger, with no recognizable scent of pheromones.

Nian Nian was deeply torn, sitting there as a chubby little bundle, wearing an adorable bunny hat on his head.

Fu Yanhuai silently judged in his heart—*Looks kinda dumb.*

In the past, Fu Yanhuai would have openly voiced this thought. But times had changed. If he said it now, Lu Yao would likely get angry, scoop up Nian Nian, and walk away in a huff. So Fu Yanhuai kept quiet.

Lu Yao crouched down, holding Nian Nian steady, and gently adjusted the bunny ears on his hat. "It's your father. Don’t you remember, Nian Nian?"

Nian Nian’s round, dark eyes gazed curiously at Fu Yanhuai. Faced with those eyes, so strikingly similar to Lu Yao’s, Fu Yanhuai’s gaze softened.

"Nian Nian looks a lot like you."

Fu Yanhuai poked Nian Nian’s cheek. "His eyes are beautiful."

Wen Zheng could tell Fu Yanhuai was subtly showing off. She coughed lightly, pretending to adjust Nian Nian’s collar.

Xia Shiyue went on alert, head snapping up. *Of course Fu Yanhuai is trying to flirt—even with his gland messed up, he can’t behave!*

Lu Yao felt awkward. With Nian Nian wearing a mask and hat, only his eyes were visible. Fu Yanhuai had said Nian Nian resembled him and praised his eyes—it made Lu Yao feel weird.

Lu Yao gave a noncommittal "Hmm" and said nothing more. Xia Shiyue nodded in satisfaction.

Fu Yanhuai also stayed silent. As much as he wanted to talk to Lu Yao, he wasn't about to flirt in front of Wen Zheng and Xia Shiyue. Besides, saying too much now might backfire—Lu Yao still wasn't really talking to him.

Seeing the two fall quiet, Wen Zheng couldn’t help but ask, "How’s your gland? What did the doctor say? After a whole day in the hospital, has there been any improvement?"

Fu Yanhuai reassured her, "It won’t be that fast. The doctor said my gland still reacts to stimuli, so it’s not the worst-case scenario."

Wen Zheng’s heart lifted, then sank, leaving her suspended in nervous limbo.

A bandage covered the side of Fu Yanhuai’s neck. Wen Zheng’s heart ached at the sight. "What does the wound look like? Let me see."

"Just changed the dressing," Fu Yanhuai dodged smoothly. "It can’t be removed until tonight."

If Wen Zheng saw it, she’d only feel worse. Until it didn't look so scary, Fu Yanhuai had no intention of showing it.

Hearing this, Lu Yao couldn’t help but glance at the large white bandage. Noticing Lu Yao’s gaze, Fu Yanhuai said offhandedly, "Let me hold Nian Nian."

Fu Yanhuai, ever the shrewd CEO, knew exactly how to win Lu Yao over. Right now, romance wasn’t the best approach. Showing he could be a good dad and emphasizing that Nian Nian needed a happy family—that was the key to Lu Yao’s heart.

Wen Zheng was happy to see Fu Yanhuai bonding with the child. She let go, letting Nian Nian settle against Fu Yanhuai, and reminded him, "Be careful not to tug the IV line."

Fu Yanhuai was still on an IV drip—if Nian Nian sat carelessly, it would surely get pulled out.

Lu Yao automatically reached over to steady him, bringing the two closer. Fu Yanhuai lowered his head, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

Neither Lu Yao nor Wen Zheng noticed, but Nian Nian, looking up at Fu Yanhuai, saw it. He let out two small grumbles, staring at him.

Fu Yanhuai quickly wiped the smile off his face. Though a little awkward, he held Nian Nian in a proper position.

After a moment, Fu Yanhuai remarked, "He’s gotten heavier."

Lu Yao shot him a glare. "He’s growing up!"

As if Nian Nian had only gained weight! Lu Yao bristled. "Give him back to me."

Fu Yanhuai didn’t comply. Instead, he sincerely apologized, "You’re right. He has grown a bit—heavier now."

Lu Yao sniffed and turned away. Fu Yanhuai found the motion oddly familiar.

Nian Nian did that exact thing when mad—sulking silently with his head turned.

Nian Nian really did take after Lu Yao. Fu Yanhuai liked that.

Xia Shiyue kept a close watch on the two. Clearing his throat, he stood. "Isn’t it time for Nian Nian’s milk?"

Wen Zheng checked the time. "Almost."

Fu Yanhuai tactfully handed Nian Nian back to Lu Yao, who immediately put distance between them. Xia Shiyue felt somewhat mollified.

Wen Zheng spoke gently, "I’ll take him for his feeding. Little Deer and Xiao Yue, go see the doctor if it’s time to change the IV."