Doctor Lu Always Wants To Steal My Baby! Chapter 50
byChapter 50 Le Yan’s Surprise
“Brother Ning, did you see that?” Outside the conference room, the soldier on guard quietly asked Ning Tian, who was patrolling.
“See what?” Ning Tian asked with a cold, stern look.
“The Commander. He ate at the same table as Director Lu at noon, and Director Lu even peeled an egg for him. I saw it!”
“…You’re too idle.” Ning Tian gave him a cold glance.
“So, are they together or not? Does that person actually like our Commander? Everyone online says he’s like an immortal, but I don’t think he’s that much of an immortal if he’s peeling eggs for the Commander…” the soldier muttered softly.
Ning Tian kicked his shin: “Stand straight. If you gossip like this again, you’ll be assigned to guard the mess hall!”
“Fine, I’ll just watch the drama from the front row then.” The soldier straightened up, but relying on the fact that he had been following Ning Tian since he enlisted, his mouth still lacked discipline.
Seeing that Ning Tian was genuinely about to get angry, he finally restrained himself and became serious: “Brother, I have one more question. Why is Instructor Xiang on their side?”
As the soldier spoke, he glanced at the conference room.
Inside, the Han River Base delegation, led by He Chen, was conducting the first round of negotiations with the representatives from Ping Mountain Base.
The opposing negotiation team was clearly headed by Xiang Heng.
Ning Tian’s expression truly darkened this time: “Stand your post. Don’t ask about or interfere with things that aren’t your business!”
As he spoke, he looked toward the conference room himself.
The negotiation had been going on for three full Blue Star hours, and he wondered if it was going smoothly.
Honestly, Ning Tian didn’t really care how much the Han River Base expanded or how powerful it became. There was nothing wrong with staying in a corner and keeping away from those messy whirlpools.
But He Chen, fearing his recklessness, had privately told him that a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Overthrowing the He family wouldn’t happen overnight; they needed to accumulate power, harden their own fists, and soften the He family’s.
Ning Tian knew he was right. Ning Tian wanted to help, and he had been privately studying the collected data with He Chen, but he found it so difficult that his eyes blurred, and He Chen eventually sent him off to do something else.
Ning Tian knew that if it was hard for him, it was just as hard for He Chen. The difference was that Ning Tian had He Chen backing him up, so he could give up if he couldn’t handle it. He Chen had no one behind him.
They both wanted revenge, but He Chen bore a hundred times the burden, and the things he had to do and the path he had to take were a hundred times harder than Ning Tian’s.
If Brother Xiang were here, he could at least help with these matters, but Xiang Heng—
Just as Ning Tian was thinking this, the conference room door suddenly opened.
The Ping Mountain Base delegation filed out, led by Xiang Heng.
Ning Tian stood still with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes locked on Xiang Heng, watching him leave.
Inside the conference room, the entire gold-medal team was still discussing the details of the recent negotiation. He Chen withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at them: “Thank you for your hard work, everyone. We have prepared some simple food in the banquet hall. Please move there, satisfy your hunger first, and then we can talk about work.”
“Thank you, Major General He.” Everyone thanked the composed, respectful, and polite young general and quickly left the conference room, followed by He Chen’s subordinates.
Only then did He Chen raise a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
“Dad!” A clear child’s voice made He Chen turn around, his spirits lifting.
“Le Yan, why did you run over here?” A smile instantly appeared on He Chen’s face.
“I, I have something to do,” He Leyan stammered, not telling the truth.
“Le Yan has a surprise for Commander He,” Wen Yi, who was following He Leyan, answered with a smile.
“Oh? What surprise?” He Chen became interested and stood up, moving toward He Leyan.
But He Leyan said in a childish voice: “Don’t move!”
He Chen was very obedient and immediately stood still.
“Dad, sit down.” He Leyan walked over, made He Chen sit back in the chair, and turned his head to look at Wen Yi, “Father Wen—”
Wen Yi understood, took out a portable connection cable he was holding, handed one end to Le Yan, and the other end to He Chen.
He Chen’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“It’s safe, Commander He,” Wen Yi said before He Chen could speak.
Hearing Wen Yi’s assurance, and remembering that Lu Changqing had told him not to be “overprotective” of Le Yan, He Chen swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and waited for He Leyan to act.
He Leyan stood in front of He Chen, not even as tall as He Chen’s knee, but he grasped He Chen’s hand, his demeanor particularly steady: “Dad, relax.”
He Chen curved his lips: “Okay.”
Almost simultaneously, he felt a slight touch in his spiritual domain, like being nudged by a soft, small tentacle.
He Chen’s eyes softened, and he opened his spiritual domain, letting the little guy in.
“Dad? Can you see me?”
He saw something, but wasn’t sure… until the small mass on the ground jumped: “I’m here!”
“I see you. Why are you like this?” He Chen looked amusedly at the small ball on the ground—He Leyan looked like a palm-sized ball of fluff, soft and light, like a giant dandelion baby.
As He Chen thought this, a gentle breeze came from his fingertips, actually blowing the fluff ball up to land in his palm.
“I, at first, Father Wen said I shouldn’t use too much spiritual power. This is enough,” the fluff ball He Leyan said.
“Father Wen is right, you must listen,” He Chen immediately said.
“Mhm.” The fluff ball answered, moving and flipping over in He Chen’s palm—perhaps he had a front and back…
“Dad, I’m going to give you treatment. Oh no—”
He Leyan had just spoken when his body floated up again—Big Wolf had approached him at some point, and when it brushed against his back, it sneezed from the itch, blowing him even higher.
In the end, the treatment wasn’t completed. He Chen and Big Wolf had to work together to pull the increasingly high-floating little fluff ball back and send him out of the spiritual domain.
After exiting the link, He Leyan was a little frustrated, feeling he hadn’t treated He Chen. But He Chen felt refreshed: “Good boy, Dad feels great now, very comfortable.”
It was true. He Chen’s smile had barely stopped since Le Yan linked with him.
He picked up He Leyan, rubbed his cheek against the boy’s, and felt energized all over.
In fact, He Leyan didn’t need to do anything. When He Chen was tired, just secretly rubbing against him would give him strength again.
This was a secret He Chen didn’t share.
“Let’s go eat! Le Yan used up energy, so you need to replenish it.” As He Chen spoke and took a step, he suddenly remembered something, “Does your Dad-bi know about this surprise?”
He Leyan shook his head: “I haven’t seen Dad-bi.”
“Director Lu has been busy,” Wen Yi added from the side.
“Are there still patients who haven’t stabilized?” He Chen frowned slightly.
“Yes, the situation has improved, but the Director still needs to be in charge,” Wen Yi said, observing He Chen’s expression. “Speaking of which, Le Yan being able to link means his spiritual power must have advanced. We don’t have the right equipment here, so having the Director assess it would be more accurate.”
“Mhm,” He Chen nodded.
“Should I call the Director to inform him then?”
“No need, I’ll go find him myself—” Halfway through his sentence, He Chen met Wen Yi’s gaze and cleared his throat, “Don’t overthink it.”
“Overthink what?” Wen Yi asked, seemingly puzzled.
He Chen stopped talking and walked out with a sullen face.
Wen Yi smiled behind him and slowly followed.
Despite his busy schedule, Lu Changqing still appeared in the mess hall to have dinner with He Chen and the others in a small private room.
“How did the negotiations go?” he asked He Chen after sitting down.
He Chen shook his head: “They were stalling for time and talking nonsense.”
“When is the next round? I’ll go with you,” Lu Changqing said.
“No need, you’re busy. I can handle it,” He Chen avoided his gentle gaze.
“I know you can, but I’m better at dealing with ghosts and monsters,” Lu Changqing said calmly, looking at He Leyan, who had been hesitant and wanting to speak.
Oh, Dad-bi looked at Dad enough, was it his turn now?
“Dad-bi, I can link with Dad now!” He Leyan excitedly announced.
“Is that so?” Lu Changqing rubbed his head and looked at He Chen for confirmation.
“Yes,” He Chen smiled brightly, “A big little fluff ball.”
Lu Changqing watched him, while also listening to Wen Yi explain the situation. He took He Leyan’s hand to check if the child’s spiritual power had advanced.
He Chen watched his movements and suddenly asked: “Were you like Le Yan when you were little?”
Did he also grow from a small fluff ball of spiritual power to the Lu Changqing of today?
“I wasn’t this cute when I was little.” Lu Changqing didn’t like recalling his childhood, but he was happy that He Chen was interested in it, even if He Chen might have just asked casually.
“Does your head still hurt? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” he asked He Chen again.
His voice was low and gentle, his gaze calm and deep.
He Chen felt strange under his gaze, shook his head, and avoided eye contact. He reached for the teacup on the table, but Lu Changqing caught his hand— “It’s hot.”
“Commander, my mistake. That’s freshly poured hot water,” Wen Yi apologized with a hint of a smile in his eyes after glancing at their clasped hands.
Ning Tian also looked at the two of them and suddenly stood up: “I’ll go get cold water.”
But he was a step too slow. He Moyan had left the table at some point and returned with a bottle of ice water, placing it in front of He Chen, and kindly reminded him: “You have a fever.”
“I do not, don’t talk nonsense.” He Chen had already pulled his hand away from Lu Changqing and quickly drank two gulps of ice water.
“Your neck is red,” He Moyan insisted.
…Ancestor, no one will think you’re mute if you don’t speak. “Sit down and eat!”
He Chen commanded with authority—though he didn’t look very authoritative at the moment.
Fortunately, Lu Changqing released He Leyan at this moment and spoke: “He has indeed advanced. We should celebrate properly.”
Everyone’s attention was diverted, and He Chen was no longer the focus of their gaze.
He Chen sighed in relief, curled the hand under the table, and secretly looked at Lu Changqing, who was holding He Leyan and talking…
After dinner, Lu Changqing still had work to do, so He Chen, Wen Yi, and the others returned to their quarters first.
Ning Tian had some matters to report to He Chen, and He Chen also had official business to handle afterward.
But after walking into the living room and glancing at Wen Yi, who was playing with Le Yan, He Chen hesitated for a moment before speaking: “Doctor Wen, I have something I’d like to consult you about.”
*
“Doctor Wen, please sit.”
After inviting Wen Yi into his room and having him sit down, He Chen spoke with a somewhat serious expression: “Doctor Wen, I want to consult you about treatment dependency syndrome.”
“Treatment dependency syndrome?” Wen Yi looked surprised—he hadn’t heard that term in years and was somewhat unfamiliar with it. “Please tell me, Commander He.”
“Mhm.” Before speaking, He Chen organized his words, “I have a friend—”
“He frequently received spiritual comfort from the same therapist over a period of time and has shown some symptoms of treatment dependency syndrome. He wants to ask how to prevent the dependency from worsening if he still needs to continue treatment with this therapist in the future.”
“What exactly do you mean by ‘dependency syndrome’?” Wen Yi asked.
“He unconsciously pays attention to the therapist, wants to see him, craves being treated again, and also,” He Chen paused, trying hard to overcome his embarrassment, “He savors the feeling of contact with him, and even unconsciously desires to close the physical distance between them.”
For example, getting closer to smell him…
“You mean, he wants to be near him?” Wen Yi asked.
He Chen pondered for a moment and nodded, then emphasized: “My friend.”
Wen Yi nodded to show he understood: “That certainly sounds like the manifestation of treatment dependency syndrome. However—”
He looked up at He Chen.
“However what?” He Chen asked.
“However, the problem of treatment dependency was technically overcome more than ten years ago.”
“Research found that treatment dependency syndrome mainly originates from the exchange of spiritual energy during deep linking. As long as the therapist learns to construct a defensive matrix to avoid full-domain contact, this type of problem can be prevented.”
“Oh, right. The person who researched this was Director Lu. The matrix was also invented by him. He had already perfected the theoretical framework and practical steps while he was in school, and after verification, it was quickly promoted universally,” Wen Yi said with admiration.
“Is, is that so?” He Chen asked, feeling a bit bewildered.
“Yes! This matrix is a mandatory course for therapists and a required component of our qualification exams. Everyone must master it. Haven’t you noticed? There have been very few reported cases of dependency syndrome in recent years.”
He hadn’t noticed. He wasn’t a therapist, so how would he know their industry secrets…
No, if that was the case, then what was wrong with him?
Wen Yi looked at He Chen and asked searchingly: “Which therapist did your friend receive treatment from? Could they be self-taught?”
“No, they are not.” They were legitimate. Couldn’t be more legitimate.
He Chen concentrated, thinking hard: “What if he had treatment dependency syndrome many years ago and is now being treated by the same therapist again?”
“In that case, there is a certain possibility, but the probability is still relatively low. How about I consult the Director—”
“No need!”
Before Wen Yi could finish, He Chen moved in a blur—disregarding social distance, he firmly pressed Wen Yi, who had just stood up, back onto the sofa.
“Ahem! No need to consult him. I’ll ask my friend again. Maybe he got it wrong,” He Chen said, stepping back awkwardly. “Thank you for your trouble today.”
“No trouble,” a faint smile was in Wen Yi’s eyes, “But I also think it’s likely a mistake. After all, those symptoms you mentioned could also mean that your friend has fallen in love with the therapist.”
“…”
“Commander He, may I take my leave?” Looking at He Chen, whose expression was somewhat fractured, Wen Yi asked seriously—Director Lu could return at any moment, and he didn’t dare stay in this room too long after all.
“Mhm, take care.” He Chen replied by habit, with authority and composure.
But just before Wen Yi left the door, He Chen suddenly remembered something: “When did your Director invent this matrix thing?”
“The Director is exceptionally brilliant. This set of theories and methods was already formed during his undergraduate studies.”
However, when He Chen met Lu Changqing, Lu Changqing was already in graduate school.
In other words, he never had dependency syndrome??
“Does Commander He have any other questions?”
“No. However, please keep what we discussed today confidential, Doctor Wen,” He Chen replied, his face composed.
But Big Wolf, who was downstairs accompanying He Leyan, let out a “woof-aow” and buried its head in the sofa cushion in shame and indignation…
Wen Yi, who had already stepped out the door, decided to be helpful to the end. After promising He Chen confidentiality, he couldn’t help but offer another reminder:
“However, if that therapist hasn’t been careful about boundaries and has repeatedly engaged in close contact with your ‘friend,’ it’s highly likely that he also likes your ‘friend.’”
“Commander He might want to calm down and think carefully: Is he particularly concerned about you? Does he particularly care about you?”
“Oh, I mean, your friend.”