Doctor Lu Always Wants To Steal My Baby! Chapter 3
byChapter 3 Reunion (Part 3)
“Xiang Heng, bring Leyan over. We cannot keep tiring His Highness.” He Chen clasped his hands behind his back, took half a step back, and instructed.
“Yes.” Xiang Heng stepped forward, looking at He Leyan with gentle calm, speaking with respect and equality, “Hello, Leyan. Shall Uncle Xiang hold you?”
He Leyan, who had been silent the entire journey, glanced at Xiang Heng. Moved by something in the man, he nodded, releasing Chu Yunqi’s collar.
Chu Yunqi frowned, pulling He Leyan closer. “I’m not tired. Leyan is shy around strangers, don’t force him.”
Force? He Chen, Xiang Heng, and the officers behind them all looked displeased.
“It’s not shyness. It was a long journey; the child is tired and slow to react.” Wen Yi, who had been half a step behind Chu Yunqi, stepped forward. He nodded to He Chen, then turned to Chu Yunqi. “Your Highness, your arms must be sore from holding him so long. Leyan isn’t shy with me. Let me take him.”
“No need.” Chu Yunqi shot a dissatisfied look at Wen Yi for contradicting him, hugging the slightly squirming He Leyan tighter. “He’s my godson. I don’t mind holding him for any length of time.”
“You said what?” He Chen raised his sword-like eyebrows, his deep-set eyes piercing Chu Yunqi.
“My godson!” Chu Yunqi wavered for a moment, then raised his voice. “Every Awakened cub should have a godfather. Leyan and I have a connection, and I plan to be his godfather. My Imperial Mother—”
“Cough!” He Chen suddenly coughed heavily, interrupting Chu Yunqi. He stood still and sniffed. “What is that smell?”
Smell? What smell? Disturbed, Chu Yunqi also sniffed.
“Oh dear, he’s soiled himself!” He Chen suddenly stared at Chu Yunqi’s right hand and exclaimed loudly.
Chu Yunqi’s right hand was resting right under He Leyan’s little bottom…
Chu Yunqi looked at He Leyan. He Leyan looked back, bewildered, then glanced at the “Dad”: Soiled what? Who soiled themselves??
Before his little brain could process the question, Chu Yunqi’s expression changed drastically, and he instantly let go of the child.
Completely unprepared, He Leyan’s small body plummeted downward!
“Leyan!”
“Young Master!”
Wen Yi, Xiang Heng, and the silent Ning Tian simultaneously reached out, but none of them caught him—a massive, snow-white creature, moving like the wind, snatched the cub and bolted!
[F*ck f*ck f*ck!]
[What the hell?!!!]
[Leyan!]
A dense, heartbreaking wave of bullet comments exploded, and the next second, the screen went black. The live stream ended.
At the moment it absolutely should not have ended.
This caused an absolute uproar.
Viewers who had just witnessed the cub being snatched by a wolf went frantic. “#HeLeyanSnatchByMisterWolfTribeAtHanRiverBase!!” This sensational topic shot to the top of the trending list within two minutes, spreading across the entire Star River Empire.
But a minute later, it was taken down.
The official account of the Imperial Children’s Rights Bureau personally stepped in to dispel the rumor: “There was no wolf tribe. That was Colonel He Chen’s Spiritual Body. Leyan is safe now.”
Mister was the Star River Empire’s old neighbor and rival. Mister people were various types of demi-beasts who could switch between human and beast forms. At first glance, it was easy to confuse a beast form with a Spiritual Body.
The misunderstanding was cleared up, but netizens remained agitated. So, two minutes later, the official account posted a photo: little Leyan sitting close to Wen Yi on a sofa, looking relatively calm and completely unharmed.
The public outcry finally cooled down somewhat. Indignation turned into complaints and condemnation, mostly discussing the unreliable father. A few discussed the fleeting glimpse of the large wolf—the Snow Wolf Spiritual Body was, after all, the “patent” of the old aristocratic He family, rarely seen in public.
“The He father and son have just met. Colonel He Chen is still unfamiliar with raising a cub. Deploying his Spiritual Body was clearly motivated by fear of Leyan falling and getting hurt. Everyone should be understanding and give the father and son some time.”
In Star Capital, at a high-end cafeteria in the Imperial Medical Academy, a leading authority in child psychology who had been reviewing the live stream as an expert posted a blog entry using his verified account. After watching the comments surge, he picked out two to reply to before looking back at the person across from him:
“I posted it, but I can’t guarantee how effective it will be. Changqing, is this child’s father reliable?”
“Whether he is reliable or not, Elder Fang is the professional.” The young man across the table slowly filtered the tea leaves, poured two cups of clear tea, and replied with calm composure.
“I can’t tell much in such a short time. I can only see that he needs proper training.” Elder Fang said, glancing at the unflappable Lu Changqing. “Are you truly at ease, my boy?”
That child was essentially raised by Lu Changqing. Elder Fang mused that if it were him, he would never possess such composure and steadiness. However, coming from Lu Changqing, it seemed quite natural.
Lu Changqing was the legitimate son of the Lu family, the Empress Dowager’s grand-nephew, and the only double S-rank Healer in the current era, truly a national treasure. A person with such background and status naturally possessed an extraordinary demeanor. Those who had seen Lu Changqing from afar often described him as noble and pure, like a divine child in a temple, observing the world without joy or anger.
But Lu Changqing was definitely a man, not a god—he had spent only a few months in office yet had already reorganized the Medical Academy’s internal complexities, firmly controlling the entire system. Such a person possessed means and worldly desires; he was not a detached deity.
He also had human attachments: He Leyan was one of them.
Elder Fang had seen Lu Changqing interact with He Leyan, like any ordinary, loving father and son.
“What did Wen Yi say? Is little Leyan really okay? If he was frightened, don’t take it lightly. I’m free and can talk to the child anytime.” Elder Fang asked again.
“We will call on you if needed.” Lu Changqing presented the clear, emerald-green tea to Elder Fang. The hand holding the cup was more lustrous than the white porcelain, yet it was distinctly jointed, steady, and strong—more like hard jade than fragile porcelain.
Elder Fang, however, was not interested in tea at the moment.
“You must call on me if needed.” The old man recalled the child’s soft, sweet voice calling him Grandpa, and an expectant smile unconsciously appeared on his face. Then, feeling he shouldn’t, he cleared his throat and said solemnly, “Of course, it’s best if he’s fine.”
*
He Leyan was mostly fine.
After the photo was taken, the little fellow sat silently on the sofa, his eyes red from crying, hiccupping softly, clinging tightly to Wen Yi. Wen Yi gently comforted He Leyan, while Xiang Heng, a base military doctor, and two kind-faced logistics officers spoke in soft voices, explaining something.
He Chen sat on the opposite sofa, excluded from the comforting group, watching with apparent composure.
He is so small.
Completely different from how he looked on the monitor.
His nose was red, his skin soft and white, looking like… it would bruise if pinched.
So small. No wonder he was scared by him.
“That was my mistake just now.” He Chen pinched himself, then suddenly stood up, attempting to join the comforting.
He was very tall. When he stood, his shadow fell over the opposite sofa. He Leyan instinctively hid further into Wen Yi’s embrace.
He Chen stiffened, then quickly sat back down.
“Doctor Wen, please bear with us today and spend more time with Leyan.” In that brief moment, He Chen made a decision and looked politely at Wen Yi.
“It’s my duty.” Wen Yi took another look at the cub’s father. The man possessed a tall, sharp military bearing and strikingly good looks, but he also possessed strikingly… clumsiness and nervousness.
Healers were excellent judges of character, and Wen Yi trusted his intuition. He Chen was genuinely nervous around Leyan.
Yet, He Chen maintained a calm and steady exterior.
Seeing Wen Yi nod, he turned to the officers, giving measured instructions: “You are dismissed. Doctor Wen and Leyan have traveled a long way and need rest. Instructor Xiang, please take them to Leyan’s room.”
“Yes.” Xiang Heng accepted the order. “Doctor Wen, Leyan, please follow me.”
He led the way. Wen Yi, holding He Leyan’s hand, followed.
As they passed He Chen, who remained motionless on the sofa, Wen Yi paused, bent down, and spoke softly into He Leyan’s ear: “Leyan, say goodbye to Dad.”
He Leyan kept his small head bowed, biting his lip, staring at He Chen’s rugged black military boots, completely still.
“No need.” He Chen spoke, staring at the fluffy little head.
Heaven knows he tried hard to make his voice sound gentle, but somehow, it came out even stiffer.
It must be Ning Tian’s influence.
“Commander He, please don’t mind,” Wen Yi reassured He Chen. “The Dean instructed me that Leyan will be unfamiliar with you when you first meet and won’t open up immediately. Please don’t rush.”
“Mhm.” He Chen responded, then suddenly paused—who did he say gave instructions?
He Chen’s expression became slightly unnatural. “Thank you… and your Dean. Why did this trouble him?”
“Who?” someone among the officers whispered.
“The Dean of the Medical Academy, who else? That one, Lu Changqing.”
“Hiss, our Commander actually knows him…”
The officers’ whispers were low, but Wen Yi was unaffected. He answered He Chen, “The Dean has always taken Leyan’s matters seriously. He repeatedly instructed me to hand Leyan over to you properly.”
“Mhm, thank you.” He Chen looked even more uncomfortable. “Please convey my thanks to Dean Lu.”
“Yes.” Wen Yi replied politely, patted He Leyan’s head, and took his hand again, walking toward the door.
After two small steps, He Leyan stopped.
The child paused, as if gathering immense courage, then turned his head to look at He Chen. “I didn’t soil myself!”
His voice was soft, and if listened closely, slightly shaky, but very firm.
He did not soil his pants! He had to make this clear, even if it killed him!
After saying this, he didn’t dare look at the big monster’s reaction. He clutched Father Wen’s large hand, anxious to leave.
Father Wen probably guessed his fear and picked him up. He felt much safer, pressing his face against Father Wen’s neck, smelling the familiar scent on him.
It was the smell of disinfectant he inhaled every day at the Medical Academy.
He really wanted to go back…
He Leyan buried his head, his eyes welling up with tears.
Just then, he heard the big monster’s voice: “I’m sorry.”
I won’t forgive you! He Leyan shouted internally.
“I know you didn’t soil yourself. And, well, I don’t kill people without blinking either.” The big monster said again.
He Leyan froze, unconsciously lifting his head. He saw the big monster standing up again, looking at him with bright eyes. He Leyan was startled and instantly buried his head back into Wen Yi’s shoulder…
*
“Father Wen just laughed at me.” Once they entered the room and the “outsiders” were gone, He Leyan became much livelier. He struggled free from Wen Yi, who was looking around the room, and said with a serious little face, unhappy.
“I didn’t laugh at you.” The cub’s mind had been developing recently, and he was very sensitive about his dignity. Wen Yi tried his best to look serious—but failed. A smile still lingered on his face. He decided not to hide it and told the truth. “I didn’t laugh at you. I laughed at your dad.”
“He’s not my dad.” He Leyan pursed his small lips.
Wen Yi’s expression became slightly more serious. He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. He lifted He Leyan onto the sofa, squatted down to be at eye level, and asked gently, “Were you scared by that big wolf?”
“No.” He Leyan looked away.
He wasn’t scared! He wasn’t scared of big wolves, or big tigers!
Though he thought this, recalling the moment the big wolf opened its mouth and lunged at him, he unconsciously hugged his knees, burying his head in the crook of his elbow, curling himself into a small ball.
From inside the “small ball,” came the sound of soft sniffing.
In the monitoring room, there was dead silence.
Several subordinates furtively cast glances at He Chen, who was sitting in the center, then furtively withdrew them.
They didn’t dare say anything, yet it was as if they had said everything: Look at you, look at what you’ve done.
He Chen sat upright, not saying a word, looking very composed.
But in his non-physical Spiritual Domain, a cold wind howled. A large white wolf paced anxiously across an ice field, whimpering softly. Suddenly, it raised a paw and slapped its own face with a loud smack.
It didn’t hold back at all. The sound alone suggested it hurt terribly.
“Silly little one, if you’re scared, just cry out loud. You’ll feel better if you cry.” In the room, Wen Yi rubbed He Leyan’s soft hair, his eyes filled with distress.
He Leyan was only three years and two months old. Although he was an Awakened from birth, with a highly developed brain and cognitive abilities far exceeding those of ordinary children—his intelligence was comparable to a six or seven-year-old—his emotional maturity was still lacking. Suddenly changing his living environment must have made him uneasy, especially after receiving such a “big surprise” upon arrival.
“I wasn’t scared.” The child did not follow Wen Yi’s advice to cry loudly—he was a big brother over three years old; crying loudly would be too embarrassing. He merely buried his small head deeper, like an ostrich, sobbing and saying in a milky voice, “I’m not a great man.”
“What?” Wen Yi didn’t hear clearly for a moment.
“I’m not a great man, I don’t want to be a great man!” He Leyan still refused to look up, whimpering.
He didn’t want to be a great man? Did he want to retract his “irrevocable” words? Wen Yi felt both distressed and amused.
He stood up, sat on the sofa, and held the curled-up He Leyan in his arms, guiding him softly: “Leyan, do you remember the lesson Father Wen taught you? What is the biggest characteristic of a Spiritual Body?”
He Leyan’s face was buried in his chest. His small body twitched. After a while, with a stuffy, nasal voice, he answered, “I remember. Honesty.”
“That’s right,” Wen Yi said approvingly. “Spiritual Bodies never lie. They always present the owner’s truest emotions and feelings.”
As soon as he finished speaking, He Leyan’s twitching body calmed down slightly. Wen Yi smiled. “Leyan is very smart. Did you realize something?”
He Leyan lifted his tender, tear-stained little face. “The big wolf was trying to catch me.”
“The Young Master is so smart!” someone in the monitoring room exclaimed happily.
He Chen didn’t say anything, but his back straightened considerably.
“That’s right. More accurately, your dad was anxious to catch you.” Wen Yi said.
He Leyan fell silent again.
What did that mean? Acceptance or rejection? The people in the monitoring room looked at each other, then simultaneously and secretly glanced at He Chen.
“What are you looking at? It’s because so many pairs of eyes are staring that Leyan got scared.” He Chen was more anxious than anyone, but he acted calmer than anyone. He stood up, appearing unconcerned about how He Leyan viewed him. “Leave two people on watch to prevent any accidents. Everyone else, go do what you need to do.”
He gave his instructions and turned to leave, but then stopped—
In the monitor screen, He Leyan spoke softly and sweetly: “Father Wen, I want Daddy.”
Daddy? Him?
He Chen’s face remained calm, but his heart suddenly sped up.