Doctor Lu Always Wants To Steal My Baby! Chapter 46
byChapter 46 The Onlookers Are Shocked Again
“Xiao He, I am truly ashamed that my family produced such a disgrace.”
While having breakfast in the common mess hall, Elder Fang specifically sat across from He Chen to apologize.
“You saw it too?” He Chen asked.
“Wen Song told me. He called me in the middle of the night, asking for my account to post a statement.”
“What did he post?” He Chen raised an eyebrow.
“I haven’t seen it yet either,” Elder Fang said, opening his account on a certain platform. His expression turned complicated upon seeing the post.
[@FangWenZhuo: Grandson! Spreading nonsense and framing the loyal and good [Furious][Furious]. Family rules can no longer handle a little white flower like you. I hereby declare that we are no longer family!]
He Chen saw the bizarre statement along with Elder Fang and couldn’t help but smile.
Lu Changqing glanced at him, then swept his eyes over the post, speaking calmly, “The final exams are coming up soon, why was he still online in the middle of the night?”
That’s right. Elder Fang’s face darkened at the reminder. “That child. I’ll teach him a lesson when I get back.”
“Elder Fang, please forgive me,” Lu Changqing added. “The video Fang WenZhuo posted is inconsistent with the facts and constitutes intentional slander. We may have to pursue legal action against him.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Elder Fang sighed. “When a family gets too big, it falls apart. That branch of the family only maintains a superficial relationship with us.”
“General He, Dean Lu, you should handle it however you see fit.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Elder Fang.” He Chen poured Elder Fang a cup of tea as an apology.
“What is slander?” He Leyan propped up his little head and asked.
“It means lying and saying bad things about your dad,” Lu Changqing replied.
“Who is so mean?!” He Leyan’s chubby little hand immediately gripped his small fork tightly.
He Moyan, dressed in his uniform, remained silent, but his fork had the intensity of a knife, slicing his omelet into pieces.
Lu Changqing smiled faintly, adding another omelet to each of their plates. “Don’t worry, bad people will get their bad fruit.”
The “bad fruit” for the bad people came quickly.
That morning, the Star River Network exploded with several videos showing Xia Zhenye abusing different people on different occasions.
Someone also dug up Fang WenZhuo’s medical records: he had been healthy for decades, but in the past year, he had frequently been treated for external injuries. The timeline coincided precisely with when he met Xia Zhenye.
Tsk, some netizens lamented: What was he thinking?
The rumors collapsed without being attacked. Netizens were not worried about He Leyan, but rather about the custody of Xia Zhenye’s young son, Xia Kai.
As for the other rumor, there was much debate online. Some suspected: [Maybe there really is a hidden agenda. It’s not uncommon for nobles to collude with space pirates. The garrison troops here often act as protection for space pirates in exchange for benefits.]
Others strongly supported He Chen: [Your area doesn’t represent Han River. Didn’t we hear news a couple of days ago that Han River wiped out two very strong space pirate groups? What kind of “protection umbrella” is so sinister that it protects them to the death?]
[Exactly. I think if there’s any collusion, it’s the He family colluding, not He Chen. These noble families are rotten to the core, disregarding even the bond between mother and son.]
Initially, the two voices were evenly matched, but gradually the latter gained the upper hand. However, within a few days, the discussion about this matter was quickly replaced by another:
He Siyuan, the other protagonist in the He family’s child-swap scandal, was sentenced to death for endangering the security of the Empire.
The official statement did not explain how he “endangered the security of the Empire,” but the case implicated several people who had been closely associated with He Siyuan, including Xia Zhenye.
For “selling military combat readiness weapons and funding He Siyuan’s illegal activities that endangered the security of the Empire,” Xia Zhenye was urgently escorted back to the Star Capital shortly after returning to his garrison base.
“Did he really fund him?” He Chen finished reading the news in a military hovercar and looked up to ask Lu Changqing.
“That’s the result of the Patrol Bureau’s investigation. Why ask me?” Lu Changqing countered.
He Chen paused, then looked at him. “Because you have connections everywhere?”
Lu Changqing curved his lips and turned his head to look at him. “Is that a compliment?”
Their eyes met, and He Chen suddenly shifted his gaze.
“The Emperor ordered the Patrol Bureau to handle the case strictly. This case doesn’t involve the He family, but any of the He family’s associates who are implicated won’t escape,” Lu Changqing explained seriously.
He Chen’s expression straightened. He looked out the window at the cemetery they had just arrived at.
“We’ve arrived.”
The hovercar stopped. He Chen opened the door and carried He Leyan out.
“Where is this, a park?” He Leyan didn’t understand where He Chen had brought him, only that the scenery was beautiful.
The natural environment of Hanxiao Star was not comparable to the Star Capital, and places with such lush greenery were rare.
“I’m taking you to see someone,” He Chen said, taking his hand and walking toward the “park” entrance.
Lu Changqing and He Moyan walked behind them.
Inside the “park,” Lu Changqing stopped, scanning the dense cluster of gravestones. He Moyan, however, instinctively picked up a broom and began sweeping the graves one by one.
He Chen led He Leyan straight to a gravestone further inside.
He Leyan seemed to understand something, gripping He Chen’s hand tighter and tighter.
“Leyan, you know who he is, don’t you?”
He Chen crouched down in front of Han Jin’s grave and spoke gently to He Leyan.
He Leyan hesitated, then nodded.
“How do you know?” He Chen asked.
“Prince Uncle,” He Leyan whispered.
So it was him. He Chen understood and didn’t ask further, lovingly rubbing He Leyan’s head.
Did the cub think too much, worrying that he didn’t love him?
Lu Changqing was right; he should clarify things sooner.
“Leyan, this is your biological father. His name is Han Jin, and he was Dad’s good friend, a friend like a brother.”
“If he were still alive, Dad might only be your godfather. Yes, he would definitely be your godfather. You might have several godfathers, but Dad would definitely be the one who loves you the most and plays with you the most.”
He Chen indulged in the fantasy for a moment, then stopped.
“Leyan, your biological father was a great hero. He saved Dad’s life.”
He Leyan nodded innocently, looking at Han Jin on the gravestone: a man who looked very serious. Was he a great hero, like Dad?
He Chen sat down in front of the gravestone—a familiar movement, as if he did this often—and pulled a few candies from his pocket. “Don’t let his serious face fool you, he loved to secretly eat candy.”
He Chen placed the candies in Leyan’s palm, signaling him to put them in front of the gravestone.
“His favorite movie was League of Adventures. He loved listening to instrumental music, and his routine was so regular he could serve as the team’s alarm clock.”
“He was very dedicated and persistent about anything he set his mind to. He could go without eating or sleeping just to master a move.”
“He was skilled himself and also excellent at teaching others. Your Uncle Ning Tian was a soldier he trained.”
He Chen spoke ramblingly, and He Leyan listened attentively.
“Before he left, the person he worried about most was you. Leyan, if he were alive, he would love you very much. Just like Dad, no, even more than Dad.”
He Chen’s voice lowered. Through his clothes, he touched the small wolf pendant hanging on his chest.
Lu Changqing saw his movement from afar and paused. Just as he was about to step closer, He Leyan hugged He Chen and whispered something in his ear.
He Chen’s face broke into a smile. After a while, he composed himself, took He Leyan’s hand, and together they bowed to the silent gravestone. Then, they turned and walked toward Lu Changqing and He Moyan.
“You and your brother play here first. Dad and Papa have something to do.” Handing Leyan over to He Moyan, and signaling Ning Tian, who had come with them, to follow the boys, He Chen led Lu Changqing out of the cemetery and onto a small path.
“Is it nearby?” Lu Changqing asked.
He Chen nodded.
They were talking about the mineral vein.
“Hanxiao Star is sparsely populated, and many areas are considered no-man’s-land. This area has never been developed, so there are no roads,” He Chen explained, clearing a path through the dense woods ahead. They started from the higher ground behind the cemetery and proceeded downward.
He was wearing a camouflage training uniform, his movements sharp, combining strength and grace. Lu Changqing followed him for a moment, then suddenly asked, “What did Leyan just tell you?”
Huh? He Chen stopped and turned around, his expression steady, but his eyes full of laughter. “Leyan said he likes me the most.”
“Among all the dads,” he added smugly.
Lu Changqing glanced at him, took the knife from his hand, and replaced him at the front to clear the path.
“Are you jealous?” Watching Lu Changqing’s sharp, decisive movements, He Chen put himself in his shoes and began to speculate.
“Actually, Senior Brother, you don’t need to mind. Leyan probably just said that to make me happy. He’s probably told you he likes you the most in private, right?”
He asked casually, but there was a hint of concern.
Lu Changqing heard it and deliberately played along. “He did say that.”
Oh? He Chen looked a little lost.
“But that was before we went to Han River to find you,” Lu Changqing added, stopping again.
“Don’t worry. You are Leyan’s closest father. No one is competing with you.”
“I wasn’t worried, I—”
As He Chen spoke, he missed a step and lost his balance. He quickly adjusted his center of gravity, but because they were too close, he inevitably stumbled into Lu Changqing.
Lu Changqing caught him steadily. Their eyes met, faces inches apart.
The valley was quiet; everything seemed to stand still until Lu Changqing spoke in a low voice, his breath brushing He Chen’s cheek. “You what?”
He Chen’s ears flushed. He suddenly took a step back. “I mean, I’m not that petty.”
“Mm.” Lu Changqing responded huskily, turning to continue clearing the path. His movements were no longer as effortless as before. He only refocused when a thorn pricked his finger.
“We’re here, it’s nearby.” They had almost reached the bottom of the valley. He Chen stopped, looked around briefly, confirmed they weren’t being followed, and opened a camouflaged manhole cover.
A long tunnel appeared before them.
He Chen led the way, with Lu Changqing following. They continued down the tunnel until they reached a deeper, relatively open space.
A low but narrow mine shaft snaked off to both sides. The cave walls shimmered with a faint phosphorescence. When He Chen shone his light on them, they revealed a moss-like, dark green stone surface.
Lu Changqing leaned in to examine the texture. He Chen bit the flashlight, pulled a miniature electric drill from his pocket, and with a whirring sound, drilled a piece of rock for Lu Changqing. He then pulled a small bottle of water from another pocket and rinsed the stone clean.
“Is that a bag of holding?” Lu Changqing took the stone He Chen tossed him, looking at the pockets on his thigh.
“I’m bringing you to inspect the goods. How can I not be fully equipped?” He Chen said, putting the drill back in his pocket.
Lu Changqing paused, then looked up at him. “I thought we weren’t in a transactional relationship.”
“I know, it’s a collaboration.” He Chen shone the flashlight for Lu Changqing so he could see the stone.
Lu Changqing glanced at him, wanting to say something but holding back. He just said, “Closer.”
He Chen took a step closer to him.
“A little closer.”
Fine. He Chen stood almost touching Lu Changqing, with only the stone separating them.
Lu Changqing pulled He Chen’s hand, positioning the light source in his hand against the stone. Finally, he lowered his head to look at the rock.
The outside of the stone was a layer of dark green skin, but the side He Chen had just cut was closer to milky white, displaying a sharp glow indicative of highly concentrated energy.
“Is this it?” He Chen asked. His fingers twitched.
Lu Changqing must have been overjoyed to see this broken stone, as he was still holding his fingers.
He Chen inexplicably pursed his lips.
“I don’t know how much you need, but I’ve roughly measured this mine shaft. It’s over five hundred meters wide, but I don’t know the depth,” He Chen said.
“It’s enough. We only need it for the core; the entire energy block doesn’t need to be made of it,” Lu Changqing replied, finally releasing He Chen’s fingers and looking at him. “The first mech will be for you.”
In the darkness, his eyes were exceptionally deep, revealing a hint of obvious indulgence.
Unfortunately, He Chen had been staring at the flashlight for too long and was momentarily blinded.
“What about the rest? Who will use it?” he asked tentatively in the dark.
He was unsure who Lu Changqing was serving or what he was pursuing. As a healer, why was he secretly developing and controlling “Zero”?
Lu Changqing said he couldn’t relax and didn’t want him to enter the deeper layers of his mental domain. This was probably the reason.
Lu Changqing was silent for a moment, then answered in a deep voice, “It will be used by those who are suitable.”
What did that mean? He Chen frowned.
But before he could ask, Lu Changqing suddenly lunged at him, shielding him against the stone wall.
A piece of rubble rolled down from the cave ceiling, landing exactly where He Chen had just been standing.
“Thank you.” After listening to Lu Changqing’s and his own heartbeats for a moment, He Chen reacted. He raised the flashlight and scanned the surroundings, his face slightly changing.
“Earthquake.”
More and more stones rattled down, and the ground beneath them trembled slightly. Lu Changqing released He Chen and decisively said, “Let’s get out.”
He looked toward the tunnel, about to step forward, but noticed He Chen hadn’t moved.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Changqing frowned. In the faint light, he saw that He Chen’s state was off. His breathing was rapid, and his face was exceptionally pale.
But just as he prepared to pull him out, He Chen suddenly snapped back to attention. “I’m fine, let’s go!”
Their location was too low. Falling rocks would easily accumulate, and if they delayed, they would be sealed inside.
He Chen suppressed the sudden appearance of many bloody faces in his mind. His expression was stern. He released the Snow Wolf immediately.
The Snow Wolf appeared above the tunnel, bit the manhole cover they had used to enter, and dragged it away. He Chen and Lu Changqing quickly climbed out of the tunnel, one after the other.
The ground was shaking, making it difficult to stand. Trees swayed violently, birds scattered, and dark clouds gathered overhead.
He Chen’s and Lu Changqing’s communicators rang almost simultaneously.
He Chen answered Ning Tian’s call first. “Where are you? Are you alright?”
Ning Tian said something on the other end, and He Chen sighed in relief. “Go to the nearest shelter first.”
He ended the call, his relaxed expression tightening again. While quickly climbing up the path they had taken, he opened the command channel and issued a series of orders.
The urgent deployment matters were mostly arranged, and he and Lu Changqing had returned to the vicinity of the cemetery.
“Senior Brother—”
“You go handle your business. I also need to go check the medical area,” Lu Changqing said concisely.
His people and He Chen’s subordinates arrived almost at the same time. They each boarded a hovercar. Lu Changqing looked deeply at He Chen. “Be careful.”
“You too,” He Chen tossed back, quickly departing.
[Ahhh, what happened? Why did I hear the broadcast shouting “earthquake evacuation”?]
[Cub, are you alright?]
[Where is your dad??]
When the live stream started that day, He Leyan had just been brought into the evacuation point by Ning Tian. Because of a crush at the entrance, Ning Tian instructed He Moyan to protect him nearby and went to deal with the congestion.
But the audience didn’t recognize He Moyan. To them, Leyan seemed to be left alone at the evacuation point, looking around for something.
[Ah, Cub, watch out!] Several adults carrying boxes and other heavy objects entered. They didn’t see the tiny He Leyan and were about to step on him. The audience was worried.
But the next second, a black thing coiled around He Leyan’s waist, pulling him aside and clearing the path.
[! Did I see that right? What was that??]
[It looks like… a snake.]
The camera adjusted, and the audience saw clearly. It was indeed a snake. Of course, in He Leyan’s words, it was called “Little Black.”
“Thank you, Little Black. Thank you, Brother.” He Leyan had learned his lesson and stopped wandering. Protected by Little Black, he stood tightly next to He Moyan.
He tentatively reached out and carefully grabbed He Moyan’s finger.
He Moyan stiffened but ultimately didn’t move.
He Leyan felt a little safer. He looked up at He Moyan. “Where is Dad?”
He Moyan shook his head. He didn’t know either.
[Who is this? Leyan, when did you get a brother?!]
[Same question! A hundred of us combined can’t produce one cub, is He Chen going to have two all by himself!!]
[Wait, is this right? Leyan, you have a snake wrapped around you, why aren’t you scared at all…]
[Leyan’s courage has probably been trained out of him. But what exactly is going on? Are Leyan and the others still on Hanxiao Star? Did Hanxiao City have an earthquake?]
Just as the comments were wondering, the screen on the wall of the evacuation point lit up. The voice of the Hanxiao City administrator sounded: “Everyone, please remain calm. The Han River Base has dispatched garrison troops to the affected areas for rescue operations. Evacuated citizens, please wait calmly at the shelter. Contact staff if you have any issues. Do not leave without authorization. Repeat, do not leave without authorization…”
[Garrison troops? So, Cub’s Dad went to disaster relief?]
The comments were quiet for a moment, then one or two appeared: [Praying for safety]. Soon, more and more [Safety] messages snowballed across the screen.
[Look at Hanxiao City’s official platform, there’s a report, and a live stream!]
Many people immediately opened the website and watched both streams. They saw many people in garrison uniforms moving skillfully, shuttling through the street ruins to rescue people.
[It looks like there are still aftershocks…]
The live stream footage was still shaking occasionally, and one of the split-screen cameras had just lost its feed after being hit by something.
[Han River Garrison troops are amazing!]
[Sigh, maybe I’ve been a bit narrow-minded. I often complained about the old-man army.]
[You weren’t wrong to complain! Han River is Han River, and the noble lords are noble lords. Didn’t someone expose it a few days ago? Ninety-nine percent of the Han River Garrison are commoners. The He family specifically sends so-called cannon fodder soldiers for He Chen to lead!]
[Damn it, why are commoners cannon fodder? These nobles deserve to die!]
[There’s something even darker. My buddy is serving. I won’t say which army, but their garrisoned administrative planet also encountered a natural disaster. They did rescue people, but the superiors specifically sent their commoner squad. Guess what happened after the rescue? The credit went to the superiors, and they immediately demanded a huge “consolation fee” from that administrative planet!]
[Did your buddy get a share of the “consolation fee”?]
[You guess.]
[I won’t guess. That’s truly dark.]
[But there’s still Han River! They feel different!]
[Yes, go Han River, go Hanxiao Star!]
[Hey, wait, is that Cub’s Dad’s Snow Wolf?] Amidst the cheers, someone with sharp eyes spotted the large wolf—mainly because its white fur was so conspicuous.
But what was more conspicuous than the white fur right now was its repeated leaping and jumping movements.
The camera zoomed in, and the netizens finally understood. A partially collapsed building had its entrance blocked. Each time the Snow Wolf leaped, it pulled a figure out of a second-floor window.
Most of the figures were screaming. With another leap, the wolf “spat” them onto the ground, where rescue personnel quickly pulled them away.
“It’s the big wolf!” Leyan at the evacuation point also spotted the Snow Wolf on the large wall screen. He quickly tugged He Moyan’s hand, wanting to run to the bottom of the screen to see.
[Is Leyan thinking of himself?]
[My Wolf Bro has great teeth!]
He Moyan picked up He Leyan and walked toward the screen. There were too many people, and he didn’t like crowds, but he had a snake to clear the way.
Anyone who suddenly felt a black, slippery thing tap the back of their neck, only to turn around and meet a pair of indifferent eyes, would be startled and instinctively move aside.
He Leyan would then politely add a “Thank you.”
[Why are they so well-coordinated…]
“Are you… Leyan?” Hanxiao Star was remote, but not disconnected from the network. Gradually, people recognized He Leyan. More and more people actively made way for the two brothers… and one snake.
“Dad!” He Leyan shouted again, hugging He Moyan’s neck and staring intently at the screen.
He Moyan found him blocking his view. Without a word, he lifted him onto his shoulders, and his eyes also focused on the screen.
[So, Cub’s Dad is inside the building rescuing people?] The camera moved closer to the window. Through the window, netizens saw an agile figure moving quickly.
[It’s so dangerous! Look, the ceiling inside is still falling!]
[But that’s He Chen, he’ll definitely be fine!]
The audience watched nervously, and He Moyan and He Leyan were also tense. He Moyan tightly gripped He Leyan’s two little legs, and He Leyan tightly grabbed two tufts of He Moyan’s hair. Neither of them felt any pain. It wasn’t until Ning Tian walked over, patted He Moyan, and waited for him to lower his guard that he took Leyan down from his shoulders.
Just then, on the screen, a semi-alloy hand grabbed the window frame, tossing the last person to the Snow Wolf. Then, a person leaped out of the window, moving swiftly like a rabbit and a falcon, disappearing from the camera.
His voice still lingered in the video: “Area A Building 2 cleared. All mobile teams report progress.”
Also lingering was the fleeting image of his face, with blood streaming down his forehead—a face that was indescribably beautiful and handsome.
Both live stream channels were silent for several long seconds, as if a vacuum had been pulled. No comments appeared.
Then, an exclamation mark appeared.
Followed by a question mark.
Finally, someone typed normally: [F*ck]
Finally, more and more comments poured out, one after another:
[Is that… Cub’s Dad?]
[Oh my god…]
[No, this isn’t right. What happened to the rough guy we were promised?]
[No one told us he looked like this!!!]