Doctor Lu Always Wants To Steal My Baby! Chapter 75
by“You’re awake?”
He Chen opened his eyes, and Lu Changqing was right in front of him.
He was holding two cotton swabs, moistening his lips.
He Chen was slow to react, opening his mouth before finally finding his voice: “Where is Leyan?”
His voice was extremely hoarse.
“He went back with Deng Tie and Moyan. Should I video call him?” Lu Changqing seemed to know what he was worried about.
He Chen nodded.
But as Lu Changqing opened his terminal, He Chen spoke up again: “Wait.”
“What is it?”
He Chen tugged at his face, pulling down a transparent tube: “What is this?”
“An oxygen tube. Your blood oxygen is a bit low, and you have inflammation in your lungs.”
Lungs, inflammation? These words were quite unfamiliar to an S-class martial artist like He Chen.
Lu Changqing put the oxygen tube back on him: “You haven’t rested properly for too long; your body has been operating under constant overload.”
So now he was defeated? He Chen’s head was still spinning, his chest felt tight, and his body was burning with a hollow feeling, as if all his strength had been drained, and even his bones were softened by the heat.
“Is my fever from pneumonia, or a toxin?” he asked hoarsely.
“Both,” Lu Changqing said, handing a straw cup to his lips. He Chen took a few sips of water, coughing twice.
Lu Changqing used a tissue to wipe away the water, his fingers brushing against He Chen’s scorching hot neck. He Chen shivered, as if he feared the cold.
“Cold?” Lu Changqing asked.
He Chen nodded.
Lu Changqing covered him with a quilt, but didn’t dare to make it too thick, leaving his hands and feet exposed—because his body temperature was too high.
“Ask Deng Tie to send me a video of Leyan. I want to see it,” He Chen said weakly, lying in the quilt.
“No video call?” Lu Changqing asked.
“No.” He Chen felt his complexion must look terrible right now, and Leyan would worry.
Lu Changqing did as he wished, lowering his head to send a message. After sending it, he saw He Chen close his eyes again.
His breathing was very uneven, and the air he exhaled was scorching.
“Fallen asleep again?” Lu Changqing leaned closer and asked softly.
“No.” He Chen opened his eyes, then closed them again—keeping them open made him dizzy.
“Where did you go just now? Did something happen?” he asked with concern.
“Something happened on the Star Capital side,” Lu Changqing replied. “The Second Prince, he committed treason.”
“What?” He Chen abruptly opened his eyes.
“The situation isn’t fully clear yet,” Lu Changqing said.
“Chu Yunlan probably only intended to target Consort He, but Consort He found out his plan ahead of time and deliberately invited the Emperor to her palace—”
“And the poison ended up on the Emperor?” He Chen finished the thought.
Lu Changqing nodded.
“Then the Emperor?”
“It wasn’t a fatal poison. What Chu Yunlan used was an aphrodisiac.”
Huh? “He wanted… to disgrace Consort He?”
Lu Changqing nodded: “That was the fastest way to make the Emperor despise Chu Yunqi.”
But the poison ended up on the Emperor. The Emperor was fine, though; he slept with a palace maid to neutralize the poison and then immediately began an investigation. Consort He was one step ahead, having already preserved evidence, and the investigation quickly pointed to the Second Prince.
“Now Chu Yunlan is under house arrest in his own residence.”
“How will the Emperor deal with him?”
“It’s not clear yet. But according to the news from the Star Capital, the Emperor looked extremely unwell after the poison took effect. He believes his lifespan is still long, but his physical foundation is already depleted. After this incident, his body will inevitably suffer a severe blow. Based on that alone, he won’t let Chu Yunlan off lightly.”
“That poison, it’s quite potent?”
“You can tell by looking at you now.” Lu Changqing fed him two more sips of water.
That was true. He Chen felt sorry for himself, closing his eyes, almost drifting off to sleep.
But the pain in his body woke him up again. He half-opened his eyes, enduring the dizziness, and looked at Lu Changqing, asking: “So, is everything about to fall into chaos?”
“Chaos is an external matter. You are weak right now, so rest first and don’t strain your mind anymore.”
“There’s no ‘external’ or ‘internal.’ You said everyone is caught in the middle…” He Chen’s eyes looked somewhat unfocused as he spoke, “With Chu Yunqi and Zero in Han River, it’s even more impossible to stay out of it. You told me I could ignore it, but you were just humoring me…”
His low energy caused him to stop suppressing his thoughts, speaking his mind plainly.
Only then did Lu Changqing realize that He Chen harbored such thoughts.
“I wasn’t humoring you.” Lu Changqing stroked his head. “You can retire. I will find someone else to take over Han River. If you don’t retire, I can transfer Zero elsewhere. The important thing is what you think, what you choose… Xiao Chen, are you listening?”
“I am.” He Chen replied woozily after a moment. “Brother Xiang, I miss you so much…”
He was delirious from the fever.
The antipyretic medication had already been used in excess, yet it had no effect. Lu Changqing replaced the ice pack on He Chen’s forehead and went to wring out a towel to prepare for a sponge bath.
When he returned, He Chen was temporarily lucid again and was reaching for his chest: “Senior Brother, help me inject an inhibitor.”
“I’ve already given you one. Three doses have been used; we can’t use any more for now.” Lu Changqing gently pulled his hand away.
“Have you really used them?” Then why was he still so uncomfortable?
“I wouldn’t lie to you about this. Do you feel any issues with your five senses?”
Using three doses was already beyond the safe limit; side effects should be manifesting.
At this mention, He Chen finally noticed something was wrong: “My vision is a little blurry.” He had initially thought it was just the fever and dizziness, but now he realized that even when he wasn’t dizzy, he couldn’t see things clearly.
He frowned, looking at the IV bag above his head, and then at Lu Changqing: he couldn’t make out the shape of the bag, nor could he clearly see Lu Changqing’s features.
“Don’t panic, it’s temporary.” Lu Changqing seemed to understand his feelings and explained.
“Temporary?” He Chen relaxed slightly, asking with skepticism.
“Temporary, I swear. But using more could cause irreversible damage.” Lu Changqing said, unbuttoning He Chen’s shirt to wipe his body.
The towel was warm, not cold, but the moment it touched his skin, He Chen still shivered violently.
“Cold?” Lu Changqing asked.
No. He Chen turned his head away in embarrassment: “Let, let someone else do it.”
Lu Changqing saw his fingers gripping the bedsheet and his throat bobbing: “Who do you want to come?”
“A nurse, an orderly, anyone…”
“Are you comfortable letting someone else see you like this?”
He Chen fell silent.
Lu Changqing didn’t press the issue. He knew He Chen was suffering, and verbal teasing might only make him feel worse.
He Chen stared at the blurry ceiling and changed the subject himself: “If we really need to capture a Siriusian to solve this problem, I have an acquaintance we could bring in.”
Lu Changqing narrowed his eyes slightly: “The one who appeared in Han River last time?”
“Mhm.” Siriusians were people too. He Chen felt it was dishonorable to arbitrarily capture two for his own detoxification, and he worried about causing conflict. But if it was Rupert, the matter could be negotiated; he could at least offer him enough benefits.
As He Chen thought, he was about to drift into a hazy sleep, but he felt his ear being vigorously wiped.
His ear… He Chen wanted to reach up and touch it, but he lacked the strength. He weakly opened his mouth and asked, “Did that, did that pop out again?”
“Yes.” Lu Changqing had wanted to touch it but had held back, knowing where He Chen was particularly sensitive.
Sure enough, just mentioning it made He Chen’s face flush a little more, and his breathing became heavier.
“Should I put on a movie to distract you?” Lu Changqing asked.
“Can’t watch, too dizzy.” He Chen closed his eyes. “Senior Brother, tell me about your childhood. About the little dog, the little flower…”
He spoke half-deliriously, half-lucidly.
Childhood stories? Lu Changqing paused for a moment, then his voice became calm as he slowly began: “It was a small gray and white dog. Its ears… were very much like yours.”
Lu Changqing glanced at the top of He Chen’s head.
“It was fluffy, very soft to touch, and very clingy. Wherever I went, it followed.”
“It was also very lively, couldn’t stand staying indoors, and loved running in the yard.” A slight smile appeared on Lu Changqing’s face.
He Chen seemed to be in sync with him; though his eyes were closed, he smiled.
“I like little dogs too.” But he had never owned one; he was afraid he couldn’t keep it alive.
“Senior Brother, did you not have anyone to look after you when you were little?”
“Rather than looking after me, it was more like surveillance,” Lu Changqing replied.
Surveillance? He Chen opened his eyes and looked at Lu Changqing. Although he couldn’t see clearly, he still tried hard to discern the expression on his face: “Why did Lu Jingshan treat you like that, Senior Brother? And what happened with your mother being…?”
“My mother—” Lu Changqing paused. “You could understand it as her being Lu Jingshan’s enemy, someone he despised.”
“If he despised her, why would he still—” He Chen asked, confused.
Because the chance of conception was high.
“Because there’s a word called ‘plaything,’” Lu Changqing explained calmly.
He Chen fell silent, his gaze distant and unfocused, but his hand fumbled for Lu Changqing’s hand and grasped his fingers.
Lu Changqing looked down at He Chen’s hand covering his, his eyes deep as the sea.
He moved his fingers, just about to clasp the hand in return, when He Chen suddenly seemed to realize something, pulling his hand away and shifting his gaze to the ceiling.
Knowing He Chen couldn’t see clearly, Lu Changqing brazenly watched his slightly flushed face for a moment, then lowered his head to continue wiping his scorching body.
“Then what did you do when you were sick, Senior Brother?” He Chen asked, staring at the ceiling.
“Take medicine, then endure it.”
“You’re stronger than me. I stole medicine, then endured it,” He Chen chuckled.
Lu Changqing pinched his face, then spread open his palm to wipe it down for cooling. He Chen curled his fingers and suddenly asked, “Senior Brother… are you still mad at me?”
“I was never mad at you,” Lu Changqing said. “What about you? Are you still bothered by my concealment back then?”
He Chen quieted down, not speaking for a long time.
“I understand.” Lu Changqing silently dipped the towel in warm water and continued to wipe him down.
“I’m not bothered by that incident, Senior Brother.” He Chen squeezed his fingers. “I’m thinking about whether my personality is compatible with yours.”
“That incident is in the past, but there might be other things in the future.”
“I take a while to process things. Can Senior Brother give me a little more time?”
“Yes,” Lu Changqing answered. “You can have all the time you need.”
He Chen’s fingers relaxed slightly, and his unfocused eyes brightened a bit: “There’s one more thing. Can Senior Brother promise not to hide things or lie to me again in the future?”
A hint of stiffness and pallor appeared on Lu Changqing’s face, but his mouth was quick: “Yes.”
He Chen couldn’t see his expression, but hearing that “Yes,” he happily curled his lips.
Then he would also promise to trust his Senior Brother from now on.
Once he figured things out, figured out how to proceed with their future, he would confess to his Senior Brother…
As He Chen thought this, he felt a warm towel wipe across his cheek.
His pores opened, and some of the discomfort seemed to be carried away. He Chen watched Lu Changqing’s face approach him in a daze, and he curled his fingers again: “Ahem, Senior Brother, what do you like about me?”
“I like everything about you,” Lu Changqing said without hesitation.
Ah, He Chen’s face felt hot: “Isn’t that… too blind?”
Lu Changqing chuckled softly: “My heart and eyes are clear; you don’t need to worry about me.”
“That’s not certain…” He Chen shivered—Lu Changqing had moved to the other side to wipe his body, having just unbuttoned his shirt and touched his skin.
Whether from cold or sensitivity, He Chen’s body was no longer under his control, tense like a string that couldn’t withstand the slightest touch.
“I, I’m actually not as bright or as good as you imagine,” He Chen said, his lips trembling—his fever was too high. The loss of moisture brought on coldness and dizziness, assaulting him all at once.
Lu Changqing frowned, stopped the sponge bath, and covered He Chen with the quilt again: “Save your energy, try to sleep for a while.”
“But, I really am not good.” He Chen closed his eyes, shivering and confused, yet his mouth didn’t stop moving.
Now that he had started, something seemed to be driving him to finish saying these things.
“If it weren’t for the name He, I wouldn’t have stepped over excellent and hardworking people like Brother Jin and Brother Xiang to take charge of Han River.”
“I knew this all along, but I played dumb and didn’t refuse.”
“I’m not bright at all. I accepted the He family’s training. I wanted to become strong, strong enough never to go back to wandering and being bullied… I even felt a little smug because my name was He.”
He Chen opened his eyes nervously when he reached this point: “Senior Brother, are you listening?”
“I am.” Lu Changqing leaned down, close to him, and said seriously, “I like the smug you too.”
He Chen was stunned.
“Light always has shadows. As long as you are human, there is no pure black or white,” Lu Changqing reached out to wipe the sweat seeping from He Chen’s face. “Where does it hurt?”
He Chen shook his head: “Hot.”
Just moments ago, he was shivering from the cold, but now he was inexplicably burning up again.
Lu Changqing observed his state and pulled the quilt off him. He Chen was still uncomfortable, tugging open his collar, tilting his head back slightly, and restlessly struggling on the pillow.
“Bear with it.” Lu Changqing got up to change the towel to wipe his sweat. When he returned, he found He Chen had taken the inhibitor off his chest and was fumbling with it on his arm, about to inject himself.
“You can’t use any more!” Lu Changqing snatched the inhibitor away.
He Chen was breathing rapidly but didn’t argue or fight. Instead, he released the Snow Wolf, letting it lie on top of him, using the wolf’s icy aura to cool himself down.
The Snow Wolf shared his sensations and was also listless, its breathing very unsteady.
Lu Changqing released a strand of spiritual energy from his hand and stroked the Snow Wolf’s head.
The Snow Wolf showed no reaction, but a low moan escaped He Chen’s lips.
Lu Changqing’s eyes deepened, and he paused his hand.
He Chen and the Snow Wolf made the same movement simultaneously: their heads moved upward…
The Snow Wolf nudged Lu Changqing’s hand, its fluffy wolf head rubbing against his palm.
He Chen, however, bumped the headboard, frowning in his delirium.
Lu Changqing looked complicatedly at the wolf ear that was being pressed, and gently pulled him down into a hug.
Just as he moved, the already disoriented He Chen retracted the Snow Wolf, wrapped his arms around Lu Changqing, and pressed his face toward him, his straight nose searching for and touching Lu Changqing’s cheek.
His body, weak from the fever, was trembling and sliding down, but He Chen’s nose caught a lingering scent:
“Senior Brother… so cold.”
It was the scent of ice and snow. A faint, alluring scent of ice and snow.
He couldn’t smell it anymore… He Chen couldn’t exert any strength, his head falling back onto the pillow. Just as he felt vaguely disappointed, he was powerfully supported by an embrace filled with the scent of ice and snow: “You know, there are some sufferings we don’t need to endure at all.”