Chapter 69

Chapter 69

The moment Lu Yao and Xia Shiyue stepped out, Xia Shiyue began to probe Lu Yao with veiled questions.

"How many days will Fu Yanhuai need to stay in the hospital?"

Lu Yao wasn't sure. "When I last asked the doctor, they said it depends on his specific recovery. He's still having persistent fevers, and it's uncertain if his gland will ever fully recover."

Lu Yao didn't want Fu Yanhuai's gland to fail. Regardless of the reason, he wished for Fu Yanhuai to be healthy.

To be honest, Xia Shiyue didn't particularly want Fu Yanhuai to become a Beta either. The inherent advantages and resources of an S-class Alpha were unparalleled. Now that Little Deer had Nian Nian, it was rational to plan for their future.

But then again, if Fu Yanhuai had it too easy, Xia Shiyue would feel even worse. Why should Lu Yao have suffered so much while Fu Yanhuai lived a life free of worries?

Xia Shiyue sighed worriedly. Seeing that the doctor's office was still some distance away, he hesitated, then stopped.

"Little Deer."

Xia Shiyue called out to Lu Yao, his expression hesitant, yet he still asked, "Do you... do you want to forgive him?"

Immediately, Xia Shiyue realized this might be too abrupt for Lu Yao. He reconsidered and rephrased, "Or, do you find it difficult to live with him every day?"

"I know what you're trying to say."

Lu Yao lowered his voice. "Just give me a little more time. Let me..."

Let him examine himself—whether he could truly let go of the past.

"Alright." Xia Shiyue stepped closer to comfort him. "As long as you don't feel pressured, then whatever you choose is fine."

Lu Yao looked up at Xia Shiyue. "Thank you, Shiyue. I know you didn't have to get involved with Fu Yanhuai at all. I also know you don't like him—you're only doing this for my sake."

Xia Shiyue immediately said seriously, "It's not for your sake. You're my best friend. Everything I do is voluntary. No matter what you choose, you have your reasons. I just keep thinking... when you left the capital alone back then, you must have been in so much pain."

Xia Shiyue was Lu Yao's closest friend. He remembered all Lu Yao went through in that marriage—how he left just three days postpartum, how weak he had been, and how exhausted he was through every predawn hour soothing Nian Nian to sleep.

No matter what Lu Yao chose, Xia Shiyue would support him. He only wanted Lu Yao to find true happiness.

Lu Yao gave a faint smile. "That's why I'm thanking you, Shiyue. Thank you for always being by my side."

When Lu Yao and Xia Shiyue returned to the ward with the doctor, Fu Yanhuai noticed that the distance between them had grown closer than when they first arrived at the hospital.

Fu Yanhuai calmly withdrew his gaze, focusing on Lu Yao instead. "Nian Nian seems a little sleepy after his feeding. Mom is holding him in the lounge."

Xia Shiyue checked his watch, puzzled. "Did the hospital visit tire him out? I remember he usually naps at a different time."

Lu Yao replied gently, "Maybe the car motion rocked him to sleep. I'll go check on him."

Xia Shiyue nodded with a smile. As Lu Yao entered the lounge, Xia Shiyue fixed an unimpressed stare on Fu Yanhuai.

The doctor acted like a mere medical tool, not daring to glance anywhere beyond the bed.

Fu Yanhuai reclined casually and openly against the pillow, completely unbothered. The doctor checked a few readings before removing his bandages to change the dressing.

The wound hadn't healed—instead, the purple area had expanded. Xia Shiyue frowned. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

Fu Yanhuai tilted his head and closed his eyes. "I don't understand what you mean."

Afraid that Wen Zheng or Lu Yao might emerge from the lounge, Xia Shiyue gritted his teeth and lowered his voice. "Are you deliberately ruining your gland to act pitiful? Do you really think Lu Yao will forgive you for this?"

"The odds are against it."

Xia Shiyue found Fu Yanhuai's smile downright provoking. Just looking at his face made Xia Shiyue want to punch him.

Fu Yanhuai mused, "But it doesn't matter if he doesn't. I'm Nian Nian's father, and Lu Yao doesn't have any other romantic prospects. We have plenty of time."

Damn this shameless Alpha.

"So you're that confident?" Xia Shiyue's hands and jaw were itching to punch him. "What if Lu Yao never acknowledges you for the rest of his life?"

Fu Yanhuai didn't argue. "If things stay as they are now, that's fine too."

With his gland damaged, Fu Yanhuai was in a period of reduced desires. His possessiveness toward Lu Yao wasn't as overwhelming, and for now, he was content with this distance.

Xia Shiyue looked ready to kill Fu Yanhuai with his eyes. The doctor spoke tremulously, "Mr. Fu, your gland..."

Xia Shiyue immediately asked, "Is it beyond recovery?"

The doctor gave a hollow laugh. "There's still hope for now, but today, we might need Mr. Lu's cooperation."

Just then, Lu Yao and Wen Zheng happened to emerge from the lounge, with Nian Nian cradled in Lu Yao's arms.

The child was still wearing a mask, his bunny hat covered by the hood of his coat as he lay sleeping in Lu Yao's arms.

Everyone automatically quieted down. Wen Zheng whispered, "Nian Nian needs to sleep. It's easy for children to catch a chill when they nap exposed like this. We'll take him home first."

Xia Shiyue was taken aback, but the doctor quickly interjected, "Mr. Lu, could you stay for another twenty minutes? I just examined the gland and found it reacting to your pheromones. But we need further observation. What do you think...?"

Lu Yao was surprised. "His gland is responding? That's great."

He let out a sigh of relief. When he had come to the hospital with Fu Yanhuai the day before and seen the state of the wound, he had feared the worst.

Wen Zheng murmured to Lu Yao, "Will you stay? Let me take Nian Nian first."

After a brief hesitation, Lu Yao handed Nian Nian over. "Sorry to trouble you, Mom. I'll head back once the treatment is done."

"No rush." Wen Zheng patted his arm. "Take your time."

She turned to Xia Shiyue. "Shiyue, let's go."

Wen Zheng offered no further concern for Fu Yanhuai. Her maternal affection had its limits, and Fu Yanhuai wasn't as important as Nian Nian. The child had just recovered from a fever—they couldn't risk him catching another chill.

Before leaving, she only hurriedly threw out a quick, "Cooperate with the treatment."

Fu Yanhuai lay quietly on the bed, tilting his head to look at Lu Yao. He made sure to fully display the uncovered wound on his neck, making sure Lu Yao had a clear view.

The discoloration was impossible to ignore. Lu Yao frowned and looked away. "Doctor, what do you need me to do now?"

"Provide a high-pheromone environment." The doctor showed Lu Yao the readings. "We need it to reach this level. There's specialized monitoring equipment in the closed room."

Finally, the doctor added apologetically, "The treatment principle is the same as when we treated your gland. The only difference is that your gland isn't suitable for extracting gland fluids for inducer production, so we have to use this method instead."

Seeing Lu Yao's frown, the doctor quickly added, "We're just testing the response first. Once we confirm the gland reacts positively, formulating the treatment plan will be straightforward."

"Fine."

The thought of being confined in a room with Fu Yanhuai made Lu Yao uncomfortable. Hearing Lu Yao agree, Fu Yanhuai, still lying on the bed, his lips quirked up involuntarily.

Fu Yanhuai wasn't incapable of moving independently yet. He slowly sat up, feeling slightly unsteady after having been bedridden all morning with a fever. Lu Yao sighed and, in the end, helped him stand.

Fu Yanhuai's gaze instantly became more intense. As soon as he stood straight, Lu Yao withdrew his hand.

Lu Yao took two steps forward but noticed Fu Yanhuai hadn't followed. Frowning, he turned back to look at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Fu Yanhuai lowered his eyes, putting on a meek act. "I just thought... you didn't want to touch me."

Lu Yao felt inexplicably irritated by Fu Yanhuai's current state. He retorted sharply, "Isn't that to be expected?"

Fu Yanhuai gave a soft hum. "This is all my fault."

Lu Yao sighed helplessly. "Enough of that. Let's go in first. The doctor said you're showing gland response, so it seems there's still hope for treatment."

Fu Yanhuai deliberately walked slowly, wanting to stretch out every second with Lu Yao.

In the past, if Fu Yanhuai had known he'd resort to such petty tricks to capture Lu Yao's attention, he would've scoffed in disdain. But now, he was simply thankful for Lu Yao being so trusting and kind-hearted.

Lu Yao didn't question if Fu Yanhuai was intentionally putting on this act. He even considered Fu Yanhuai's feelings in this moment, just focusing on treatment. Fu Yanhuai thought to himself—if he were in Lu Yao's place, he wouldn't have been capable of such kindness.

Lu Yao closed the door. The room was small, so small that sitting face-to-face meant their knees would touch.

Lu Yao simply stood up. He tore off the adhesive patch and held it right up to the monitor, waiting for the concentration levels to rise.

"At this rate," Fu Yanhuai suddenly spoke, making Lu Yao jump - he'd been zoning out at the numbers.

Lu Yao turned back to look at Fu Yanhuai with slight confusion, and Fu Yanhuai's gut clenched.

Fu Yanhuai abruptly paused. Lu Yao had already schooled his features and asked impatiently, "What?"

Fu Yanhuai's expression was strange, but Lu Yao didn't even want to look at him. Fu Yanhuai's throat worked.

"It'll take a while to reach 10. Why don't you sit down."

Fu Yanhuai spoke casually, "You'll hurt your back standing so long. Mom mentioned you sometimes have back pain."

"How thoughtful of you," Lu Yao replied flatly, still not sitting. "Thanks to you, on the third day postpartum, I sat on a high-speed train for hours and walked for ages just to find a decent hotel."

Fu Yanhuai's heart ached sharply. He looked at Lu Yao, guilt written across his face. "I'm sorry."

Lu Yao wanted to sneer, but he lacked the energy to even force a smile.

His sigh echoed clearly in the room. "Fu Yanhuai, I just... I don't understand."

Lu Yao turned back, his voice filled with sorrow. "I know you don't love me. But you agreed to have Nian Nian. I thought... you accepted our family."

Fu Yanhuai stammered, "That's not true. I don't dislike you."

Lu Yao didn't have the energy to argue. "If you want a divorce, I won't refuse. But I always felt that even if it ends, you should at least give me some respect."

At the very least, they had once been happy. Those beautiful moments might have faded with time, but Lu Yao remembered they were real.

"Never mind. What's the point of saying all this?"

Lu Yao said, more to himself than to Fu Yanhuai, "It's not like things can ever be the same."