Doctor Lu Always Wants To Steal My Baby! Chapter 62
byChapter 62 The Little Wolf’s Troubles
“You don’t look old.”
Lu Changqing paused for a moment before speaking.
“You are very handsome.”
Ah. He Chen took another large gulp of tea, his hands and feet seeming unsure where to rest. He clutched the teacup, his face flushed. “Don’t joke.”
“I’m not joking. But more important than your appearance is your strong inner self, your firm will, your skill in commanding troops, and your ability to manage subordinates. That’s why I could never treat you like a child.”
Is that so? Yet, He Chen felt like he was currently being treated exactly like a child…
“Ahem, you returned so quickly. Did the Emperor in Star Capital let you go?” He Chen steered the conversation toward business.
“Yes. He suffers from headaches, but the root cause is not in his mental domain, so his reliance on me is not heavy,” Lu Changqing said. “The Emperor is currently displeased with the He family. You can rest assured about He Hongsheng’s matter; there is a ninety percent chance he won’t pursue it.”
“His displeasure is because you convinced him that He Hongsheng was the one who set fire to Chu Yunqi’s residence?” He Chen asked.
Lu Changqing shook his head. “It wasn’t me; it was Consort He.”
“And it’s not because He Hongsheng set the fire; it’s because of other matters,” Lu Changqing continued. “You might not know the Emperor well, but his paternal affection is basically negligible compared to his lust for power.”
“His dissatisfaction with the He family stems from learning, via Consort He, that the He family has secret dealings with the Second Prince.”
“The Second Prince?” He Chen frowned. “The Second Prince and the He family?”
This was truly strange. Chu Yunlan and Chu Yunqi were natural competitors. The He family was Consort He’s maternal clan and Chu Yunqi’s natural ally. How had Chu Yunlan managed to pry open this corner?
“Precisely because it seems impossible, their alliance is safer and less likely to arouse suspicion,” Lu Changqing said.
“The Emperor values the art of checks and balances. He uses the nouveau riche to control the economic lifeline, ensuring that the aristocratic families who hold military power must rely on the Empire’s military budget to operate. Meanwhile, the nouveau riche have no military power, so to survive, they must tightly depend on the Emperor who backs them.”
“This mechanism seems flawless, but the aristocratic families, relying on their military might, are inherently greedy. If the military funds allocated by Star Capital are insufficient, they naturally resort to exploiting the local regions. However, if the exploitation is too severe, the local economy will collapse, which is detrimental to them.”
“So, even when they exploit, they must exercise restraint. It’s like raising sheep to shear wool; they also need the help of the nouveau riche to make the sheep fatter and produce more wool.”
“The He family is an old aristocratic house. Most of the planets covered by the He family’s influence are also old resource and industrial stars, and for various reasons, most are in decline.”
“The wool is getting scarcer, so they cooperate with the Second Prince because the Second Prince can give them money, while Chu Yunqi can’t give them anything?” He Chen interjected.
“It’s also a matter of betting on both sides,” Lu Changqing said. “The Second Prince is much older than Chu Yunqi, is seasoned in his actions, and is also highly regarded by the Emperor. So, the He family openly supports Chu Yunqi but secretly maintains good relations with Chu Yunlan.”
“And the Second Prince, who openly suppresses the nobility, secretly shows favor to them, hoping to gain their support. The two sides hit it off.”
“Then Chu Yunqi is quite pitiful,” He Chen muttered.
“Not necessarily. Doing nothing might actually lead to a final, passive victory. Because the Emperor would rather have a foolish son than a shrewd one who constantly eyes his position.”
“Just yesterday, the Emperor revoked the Second Prince’s assignment regarding the distribution of Blood Crystals and handed it over to the Council. Previously, with the Second Prince protecting them, the He family, despite facing many accusations, was never truly crippled. But yesterday, the Emperor secretly ordered a thorough investigation.”
“He plans to use the He family as a warning to others.”
“A warning to others? Is Senior Brother still talking about the Blood Crystal distribution?”
He Chen also paid attention to the situation in Star Capital. He knew that regarding Blood Crystal distribution, none of the major aristocrats were willing to concede, and they were all attacking each other, trying to weaken their rivals to benefit themselves. The Emperor previously seemed to enjoy watching them fight.
“Yes. The Emperor’s intention to weaken the aristocracy has always been there, but it’s difficult to express openly. Regarding Blood Crystal distribution, he actually agrees with Lu Jingshan’s proposal for a merit-based points system. It favors commoner warriors, however, and is collectively resisted by the nobility. He and Lu Jingshan cannot push it through forcefully.”
“They have been waiting until those aristocrats become desperate, unable to maintain their alliance, and urgently need to end the current situation of mutual attack. Then, the new plan can be implemented.”
He Chen was silent for a moment, then looked up at Lu Changqing. “It sounds simple, but every step, I imagine, involves careful planning behind the scenes.”
“Implementing the new plan is also Senior Brother’s goal, isn’t it?”
He Chen had a hunch that the Emperor, Lu Jingshan, and the aristocratic families were all just pieces on Lu Changqing’s chessboard. His good Senior Brother had a knack for making everything proceed in the direction he desired.
“It is our goal,” Lu Changqing answered his question. “Do you remember what I asked you on the first day we met? Did you want revenge that merely broke off a branch of the enemy, or one that completely uprooted them?”
“What you desire in your heart is about to be achieved. Although the He family is deeply entrenched, it cannot withstand having so many enemies. He Hongsheng’s matter is just the beginning,” Lu Changqing said, his eyes deep and gentle, making it easy for someone to accidentally fall into his spell.
He Chen was momentarily lost in thought, then snapped back to reality, shifting his gaze away from Lu Changqing’s eyes. “What I desire in my heart is just the He family. Senior Brother’s goal is different from mine.”
“How is it different?” Lu Changqing asked. “You want to defeat this one He family, and I want there to be no new ‘He families’?”
He Chen paused. “That’s not what you want. You want to control everything to defeat your father. You want him to watch success slip away at the last moment, everything turning to dust.”
Lu Changqing’s hand, holding the teacup, stilled. He lowered his eyelids and chuckled softly. “How could you be foolish?”
“It’s not that I’m smart; Senior Brother clearly told me.”
He Chen said, nervously clenching his fingers, then spoke up. “I have one more thing I want to ask Senior Brother.”
“Go ahead.”
“I just found out yesterday that Senior Brother established a free clinic center.”
“Yes. Seeing how busy you were, I didn’t tell you about these minor matters.”
“I want to know why Senior Brother did this. Is it out of genuine goodwill, or is it for—” He Chen paused. “—for public support?”
“Are those two things in conflict?” Lu Changqing asked, after a moment of stillness.
“No,” He Chen replied. The purpose was important, but the action was equally important. Regardless of the purpose or its complexity, what Lu Changqing was doing genuinely benefited the people.
He Chen had already figured this out last night. What he cared about was—”Senior Brother’s good deeds don’t need to include my name.”
“I have said that Hanhe does not participate in the struggle for power. Senior Brother can gain this public support alone.”
“The location was provided by you, security is maintained by your people, and the medicine is drawn from the Hanhe stores. It is reasonable and appropriate for me to include your name.”
Lu Changqing spoke calmly, then suddenly put down his teacup. “However, I understand what you mean.”
“You are worried that I am tying you to my war chariot.”
As the words fell, both men were silent for a while. Outside the window, it seemed Wen Yi was passing by with He Leyan, and He Leyan’s happy, childish laughter drifted in.
Listening to that pure, joyful sound, He Chen hardened his resolve, suppressing his inner turmoil. He stood up. “It’s good that Senior Brother understands my meaning.”
“Senior Brother is busy; I won’t disturb you further.”
He turned to leave, but Lu Changqing spoke then. “Wait a moment. There is one more thing we need to discuss.”
“It’s about the ownership of the Pingshan Base.” After He Chen sat down again, Lu Changqing said with his usual composure, “Although the Emperor won’t pursue He Hongsheng’s personal fate, he might have thoughts on who controls the Pingshan Base.”
“I originally planned to leave this matter to Lu Jingshan. He dreams day and night of having his own army and territory. He considers you part of his faction, so he would naturally try to secure Pingshan for you.”
“But now that I think about it, perhaps you don’t want the Pingshan Base?” Lu Changqing looked at He Chen.
His eyes were calm, seemingly devoid of emotion, purely rational discussion.
He Chen tapped his alloy fingers on his knee. “If I genuinely don’t want to take over Pingshan, what does Senior Brother plan to do?”
“I will advise Lu Jingshan to let other forces take over Pingshan, which will also lower the Emperor’s vigilance,” Lu Changqing answered methodically.
“If you advise him, will he listen?” He Chen asked.
“I have my ways of persuading him,” Lu Changqing replied.
“‘Other forces’—are you referring to Shen Xingzhou’s former subordinates, like Zhao Huai? I checked. His garrison is miles away from Pingshan. It would be difficult to find a sufficient reason to move him here,” He Chen asked again.
“Zhao Huai is not my only card,” Lu Changqing said. “Even within the Chu family, things are not monolithic.”
Did that mean even within the Emperor’s faction, he had hidden pieces?
He Chen looked at his steady and confident demeanor, then suddenly lowered his head, feeling a bit awkward: So, he didn’t need himself that much either? Was he nothing special to him?
“As long as you don’t want it, I won’t drag you into the subsequent matters. I will keep my word.” At that moment, Lu Changqing spoke again.
He Chen tightened his fingers. “I will consider it and give Senior Brother an answer within two days.”
“Alright,” Lu Changqing replied.
He Chen stood up to take his leave again. This time, Lu Changqing did not try to keep him.
Lu Changqing simply watched him leave, sitting alone behind his desk for a long time before finally opening his optical computer and resuming his usual busy work.
*
“Daddy is here! We can eat now!”
At noon, walking into the mess hall with Ning Tian, He Chen’s attention was immediately drawn by He Leyan’s cheerful shout before he could even clearly see who was seated.
He then saw Lu Changqing sitting next to He Leyan.
Nodding slightly, He Chen sat down in the empty seat clearly reserved for him on Lu Changqing’s other side.
“Sorry, you don’t need to wait for me in the future.” After sitting down, He Chen said to everyone around the table, his demeanor composed, no different from usual, except for one thing: he consistently avoided looking into Lu Changqing’s eyes.
“It’s not that we wanted to wait; it’s your Leyan who insisted,” Chu Yunqi complained, then suddenly stopped when he met Ning Tian’s gaze. “Let’s eat, let’s eat. I inspected the construction site today; I’m exhausted!”
While saying he needed to eat, as if starving, he “inconspicuously” began to talk at length about how he had contributed money and effort to the disaster relief project, how he had personally been on site, working tirelessly…
And occasionally stealing a glance at the expressionless Ning Tian, who was focused on eating.
Ning Tian gave no reaction, but He Chen occasionally humored Chu Yunqi. However, most of the time, he kept his head down and ate.
He spoke noticeably less than usual.
Lu Changqing seemed normal, except he was placing food on He Leyan’s plate a bit too frequently.
He Leyan found it strange: his bowl was already overflowing, so why was Dadby still adding food? Normally, he would have stopped him from eating too much…
“Thank you, Dadby. This is for Daddy. Daddy likes this!”
He Leyan finally couldn’t help but speak when Lu Changqing placed another piece of stir-fried beef—which Daddy clearly liked more—onto his plate.
Lu Changqing’s chopsticks paused for a moment. He placed the meat into He Chen’s bowl. “Your injury hasn’t healed yet. You need more protein.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother, you too,” He Chen said. After a pause, he scooped a spoonful of crab roe tofu into Lu Changqing’s bowl.
Everyone around the table fell silent, watching their interaction, feeling something was odd: usually, these two were just ambiguous, but today, they were both ambiguous and overly polite?
He Leyan, however, didn’t sense anything wrong: this was right; good friends should be like this!
But wait, He Leyan’s small hand, scooping rice, paused. “Did Daddy get hurt again? And Dadby too?”
Lu Changqing and He Chen simultaneously realized: Oops, they had let it slip.
They hadn’t told He Leyan about their injuries.
“Ahem, we were sparring, and we used too much force, so we got a few scrapes,” He Chen quickly explained.
“That’s a bit too much force, isn’t it?” Chu Yunqi muttered softly.
He Leyan didn’t quite believe He Chen—Daddy was, after all, a habitual liar. The cub turned his gaze to his always-trusted Dadby. “Is that true?”
“If it’s not true, what is?” Lu Changqing replied easily, flawlessly. “Your father and I often sparred together in the past.”
“Oh.” He Leyan believed most of it, but was still worried. He thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up on his dining chair. “Where did you get scraped? I know how to bandage things! Let me see!”
Eager to practice medicine, he wanted to examine his two fathers right then and there. Unfortunately, his arms were too short. As he leaned out halfway, he couldn’t reach them. Instead—he knocked over the soup bowl on his chair!
He Leyan’s body blocked Lu Changqing’s view of the falling bowl, but He Chen saw it.
“Watch out!” Seeing a bowl of hot soup about to spill onto Lu Changqing, He Chen quickly reached out to stop it. He managed to stop the bowl, but not the soup. Most of the hot liquid splashed onto Lu Changqing’s leg.
“I’m sorry, Senior Brother.” He Chen quickly reached for a napkin for Lu Changqing, but Lu Changqing grabbed his hand.
A hand that was red from the heat.
“Bring cold water,” Lu Changqing quickly instructed Wen Yi, who was sitting near the door.
Wen Yi immediately acted, quickly fetching a basin of cold water. Lu Changqing pressed He Chen’s hand into it.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” He Leyan knew he had caused trouble and apologized, clutching his small hands, both remorseful and worried.
“It’s okay, Daddy’s hand isn’t afraid of heat,” He Chen quickly said. A large part of his hand was alloy, so it really wasn’t afraid of heat…
Chu Yunqi scoffed, “I can see that. Besides, how hot could that soup be? I think your Dadby is making a fuss—”
“If His Highness thinks it’s not hot, he can try putting his hand in,” Lu Changqing suddenly looked up and interrupted Chu Yunqi, his tone unusually impolite.
…Chu Yunqi twitched his mouth. Naturally, he wouldn’t try.
He was just habitually sharp-tongued. Also, one shouldn’t mess with someone blinded by love…
He Leyan grew even more anxious. “Does Daddy hurt?”
“No, it doesn’t hurt.” He Chen genuinely didn’t feel pain. If the cold water treatment was delayed any longer, he would already be healed.
However, the child still needed to be educated. “Daddy knows you meant well, but don’t move around so much while eating in the future. Knocking things over can easily hurt others and yourself.”
He Leyan nodded vigorously. He really wanted to check He Chen’s hand but obediently sat on his chair, not daring to move.
Lu Changqing calmed down then and rubbed his head. “It’s a small matter. Leyan, keep eating. Dadby will have someone bring ointment for Daddy.”
“No need for ointment,” He Chen looked at Lu Changqing, his eyes briefly scanning his long legs before looking away. “Senior Brother, are you alright? Should you go back and change your pants first?”
“I’m fine,” Lu Changqing said, but he still stood up. “Come back with me to apply some medicine?”
Ah, He Chen’s hand, soaking in the cold water, curled up. “No need! I have something to discuss with Elder Fang later!”
You’re changing your pants; how can I go with you!
Lu Changqing glanced at the redness behind his ears, guessing he had misunderstood again—he was oblivious when he should be perceptive, and overly perceptive when he shouldn’t be.
Lu Changqing couldn’t do anything about him and knew He Chen was trying to avoid him today. He said nothing and left the dining hall.
However, the Lu Changqing who left the dining hall was slightly different from the one who arrived.
The light in his previously dark eyes was back, becoming firm again…
*
“What did Little He need to see me about?” After lunch, He Chen had forgotten his excuse, but Elder Fang remembered and came to find him.
“Oh, it’s about what you said, asking me to look at those beast-men—”
“Yes, I figured that’s what you meant!” Elder Fang, like a hunter who had cornered his prey, immediately enthusiastically grabbed He Chen. “Let’s go, let’s go, we’ll go right now.”
“But I have to go to Shangyun Star immediately. I can only stay for a few minutes,” He Chen was a bit overwhelmed by his enthusiasm and found it strange.
“A few minutes is fine, it doesn’t matter. It’s mainly for a fresh perspective. I’ve already had everyone else visit them,” Elder Fang said as they walked.
He Chen then dismissed his slight suspicion.
He followed Elder Fang back to the beast-men’s area. However, the beast-men’s rooms had changed. They were now in individual rooms. There were still isolation measures, but the furniture was complete. Compared to the previous room, it looked less like a cage and more like a hospital room.
“Wait here for a moment,” Elder Fang specifically told He Chen to stop at the doorway.
He walked into the room first, speaking gently to the beast-man in the isolation zone. “Number 3, our Little General He has come to visit you today.”
“You are also a soldier. Let General He talk to you about his time in the military.”
He said this, winking at the dazed beast-man in the isolation zone.
The beast-man seemed to receive some signal. His expression remained rigid, but a flicker of light appeared in his eyes. Then, he seemed to catch the sound of footsteps and instinctively turned around quickly, presenting his back to the arriving He Chen.
“He’s also a soldier?” He Chen asked Elder Fang in a low voice after entering.
“Ninety percent likely. We deduced it from his behavioral patterns,” Elder Fang said earnestly.
“What… should I say?” He Chen asked, examining the beast-man in the isolation zone.
The person had his back to him, so He Chen couldn’t see the “improvement” Elder Fang mentioned.
“Just talk casually. Maybe talk about your experience when you first enlisted.”
“Oh.” He Chen had experience with this—he had talked about it plenty with Xu Lin.
He treated the person in front of him as another Xu Lin, chatting briefly, then turned to Elder Fang. “Elder Fang, I really have to go.”
“Alright.” Elder Fang naturally didn’t stop He Chen from attending to business. He patted He Chen. “Good boy, go be busy. You are a good soldier, just like your father. He must be proud of you.”
“My father?” He Chen paused.
“Yes, your father.” Elder Fang glanced at the back of the figure in the isolation zone. His words seemed directed at He Chen, but he raised his voice, as if afraid someone wouldn’t hear. “Your father was a man of steel, a soldier who never backed down from difficulties. He will surely make you proud!”
“Thank you, Elder Fang,” He Chen said. “It was his luck to have a friend like you, despite the age difference.”
“Not at all, not at all,” Elder Fang said modestly, though his grin was wide.
After seeing He Chen out and confirming he had left far away, the old man happily walked back to the isolation zone. “Did you hear that? Having me is your luck!”
The beast-man had his back to him and didn’t speak.
Fine, fine, no reaction, is it? “He called you ‘my father.’ You heard that, right?”
The beast-man finally reacted a little. His semi-beastified fingers scratched at the wall. It looked like he was… writing a character?
The radical for jade… “Chen, you want to write the character ‘Chen,’ right?” Elder Fang leaned closer, joy flashing in his eyes. “First, write the ‘bald top’ radical. The bald top looks like this…”
By the time Elder Fang finally explained how to write the character “Chen,” He Chen had already boarded the small shuttle heading to Shangyun Star.
Settled in his seat, for some reason, he recalled Elder Fang’s words: Your father was a man of steel, a soldier who never backed down from difficulties…
He Chen touched the little wolf badge on his chest.
What kind of person was his father? If it were him, how would he choose now?
Would he truly be proud of himself? Or… would he consider him a deserter?
Was revenge against only the He family enough, or should he ensure there were no more “He families” in the world? To ensure that people like his father, Jin Ge, and Xiang Ge received true fairness?
He Chen was confused.
In his confusion, he opened his terminal and looked at a photo he had saved long ago.
It was an advertisement for hiking gear. The image showed a father and two sons, wearing matching hiking outfits, climbing a sunny hillside together.
That was the ideal life He Chen had long imagined.
For some reason, looking at it now, it felt slightly incomplete.
So troublesome.
He Chen put away his terminal, looked at the fingers where he had applied burn ointment, lowered his gaze for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes, summoning his subordinates and swiftly setting up the next steps.
———————–
Author’s Note: Little Wolf Side A: Senior Brother wants to use me as a chess piece? Unacceptable.
Little Wolf Side B: What? Senior Brother has so many chess pieces! My defenses are shattered [cracks open]