Doctor Lu Always Wants To Steal My Baby! Chapter 84
byChapter 84 Father
“Who are we seeing?”
He Chen asked, following Lu Changqing as they took the elevator down to the medical area located below the temporary command center.
Wounded soldiers and medical staff saluted them. In the crowded corridors, everyone did their best to move aside respectfully to let them pass.
He Chen’s gaze swept over the wards and hallways, mentally assessing the condition of the injured. Suddenly, he heard a hearty laugh: “That’s right, your dad is very impressive, the smartest warrior, number one in the entire command department!”
He Chen abruptly stopped, stunned for a moment, and looked at Lu Changqing.
Lu Changqing was standing at the entrance of a ward—the one the voice came from—and gave He Chen a confirming look.
He Chen’s throat bobbed. He unconsciously took two steps forward, standing at the doorway, looking at the back of the person sitting in the wheelchair.
“Dad!” He Leyan, who was facing the wheelchair and the door, spotted He Chen immediately and quickly rushed toward him. He Chen was hit by the little cannonball and only then reacted sluggishly, picking him up to check on him, before his gaze returned to the wheelchair.
The wheelchair had already been turned around.
The person sitting in the wheelchair, whose face was both familiar and strange, gave him a carefree smile. Seeing him standing motionless, he couldn’t help but speak: “Idiot.”
Xu Lin controlled the wheelchair, actively sliding toward the idiot: “Don’t you recognize your brother?”
He Chen opened his mouth, finally speaking: “I don’t like the way you’re sitting up.”
“…” Xu Lin laughed in annoyance: “Then get used to it slowly. Your brother is tired of lying down. I’ll sit up even when I sleep from now on.”
This tone, it really was him, not some fake person…
He Chen silently put Leyan down and walked toward the wheelchair. Without a word, he suddenly lifted Xu Lin off the wheelchair and hugged him.
“Idiot, be gentle.” Xu Lin still couldn’t control his body well. He leaned on He Chen’s shoulder, speaking casually, but his eyes reddened.
“I know about Jin Ge and Xiang Ge. I’m sorry, I made you face it alone,” he whispered.
He Chen’s body tensed, offering no response.
Xu Lin, though clearly on the verge of tears himself, forced a laugh: “Hey, are you dropping golden beans? Leyan is watching, and also—”
Xu Lin looked up, meeting Lu Changqing’s eyes, and lowered his voice: “And that person is watching too. My idol, how did you two get together? Tell me the details—hiss!”
Mid-sentence, Xu Lin was let go by He Chen and dropped back into the wheelchair, his tailbone aching from the impact!
After tossing him, seeing Xu Lin wince, He Chen felt a little regretful: “Um, did you have a doctor look at you? I—”
“I did,” Xu Lin cut him off from fussing. “I’m fine. As long as no one recklessly throws me around, I’ll be able to stand up sooner or later.”
He finished, exchanged another look with Lu Changqing, and looked back at He Chen: “Don’t worry about me. There’s someone more important than me you need to see.”
“Who?” He Chen was puzzled.
“The person who saved Leyan,” Xu Lin looked at him, gauging his level of acceptance, and slowly said, “And also—”
“And also Grandpa!” He Leyan didn’t have the same adult reservations. He grabbed He Chen’s hand and led him toward the inner suite. “Grandpa is in here!”
What “Grandpa”? The grandpa who saved him? He Chen was initially confused, but noticing the complex looks from Xu Lin and Lu Changqing, his heart suddenly jolted.
He stopped abruptly.
He Leyan’s small strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree; he couldn’t pull him forward.
“Dad?” He Leyan shook his hand curiously. “Why aren’t you moving?”
“I—” He Chen uttered one word, then opened his mouth dryly, looking at Lu Changqing, his eyes somewhat lost. “Who exactly are you talking about?”
His lips were trembling slightly.
“It’s who you think it is.” Lu Changqing squeezed his hand, only then realizing He Chen was stiff and cold all over.
Was he afraid? Afraid of gaining hope only to be disappointed.
Lu Changqing felt a pang in his heart and stopped beating around the bush: “It’s your father, your biological father. Elder Fang has already done the genetic testing for you.”
As he spoke, he rubbed He Chen’s cold face. The warmth of his palm slowly brought He Chen’s vision into focus, and the man slowly “came alive.”
“His situation is a bit special,” Lu Changqing whispered to He Chen. “I didn’t tell you earlier because he wasn’t ready. He didn’t want to himself.”
“He doesn’t want to acknowledge me?” He Chen’s face paled, and he clenched his fingers.
From the inner room, there was the sound of something crashing down, a clatter.
“Of course not!” Lu Changqing glanced at the inner room, then back at the pale and clearly distressed He Chen. “He Chen, Xiao Chen?”
He gripped He Chen’s shoulders, finally making He Chen focus his attention: “He really wants to acknowledge you. He’s just worried you won’t be able to accept his current appearance.”
“What is there for me not to accept?” He Chen was confused.
“That’s what I said too!” Elder Fang walked in at some point. His first sentence was matter-of-fact, but the next was lowered: “However, your father is quite stubborn at this stage, so you need to be understanding.”
He patted He Chen and pushed open the door to the inner room ahead of him.
“He Xiangye—” He looked at He Xiangye, who was standing with his back to the door, retreating another step into the shadows, and sighed. “The child is about to cry, do you have the heart?”
Cry? He Xiangye’s tall body stiffened. He clenched his fists, wanting to turn around, but unable to do so.
“Grandpa!” He Leyan let go of He Chen and scurried in, hugging He Xiangye’s leg and looking up with his small face. “Grandpa, Dad thought you didn’t want him!”
He Xiangye’s heavy chest rose and fell.
“Grandpa, I’m not afraid of you, so Dad definitely won’t be afraid!” He Leyan added.
Though small, he understood some things: Grandpa was worried Dad would be afraid of him, just like he was afraid of the big wolf at first.
But Dad wasn’t as silly as him!
Besides, Grandpa wasn’t scary at all. Although… he was a bit tall, a bit hairy, and somewhat resembled those Mi Mi wolves, he made him feel especially safe!
“Dad—” He Leyan looked back at He Chen and ran back to his side. “Dad, I was almost caught by bad guys in the air-raid shelter. Grandpa protected me!”
“Is that so?” He Chen stroked his head, saying distractedly, and then looked at… that back.
He had seen him before.
The No. 3 Beastkin whom Elder Fang had repeatedly asked him to “chat with,” but whom he had only superficially humored.
Even earlier, during their first encounter in Xingdu… A wave of intense fear washed over He Chen, making his vision momentarily black: Fortunately, “he” had dodged back then. Otherwise, could he have unknowingly killed his own biological father?
The father who made him little tags and locks, anticipating his birth…
He Chen’s hand went to his chest. His fingers suddenly exerted force, pulling off the cord holding the little wolf tag.
Holding the cord, he walked toward the “No. 3” in the corner.
“Father…” He Chen uttered the two words dryly, holding the cord forward. “Does Father still remember this?”
“I am—”
“I am your—”
He tried to speak twice but couldn’t complete the sentence.
“He is your baby!” He Leyan, anxious, spoke for his father!
He Chen looked down, so embarrassed that tears almost came out: “What nonsense are you saying…”
He, he wasn’t a baby…
Just then, his raised hand moved. It was… “him,” taking the tag from his hand.
Compared to a human hand, “his” hand was closer to a wolf’s paw. The sharp claws, however, were extremely careful as they brushed over the little wolf tag.
He Chen noticed his movement, and also the marks on his wrist from long-term chaining. His nose stung: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was you.”
Blinking back tears, He Chen looked up at the back of “his” head, which was almost a head taller than his own. He clenched his fingers and asked:
“Can you turn around and let me see you? I don’t mind… your appearance.”
He Xiangye’s breathing deepened. He held the tag in his palm and finally, slowly turned around.
He Chen held his breath and looked up, but then froze: He Xiangye’s face was covered by a strange mask, clearly the handiwork of He Leyan, which he must have found somewhere.
“Oh my heavens…” Elder Fang almost fainted from the ugliness of the mask. “Ahem, Xiao Chen, your father’s mind hasn’t fully recovered, and he’s genuinely afraid of scaring you.”
Although the current effect was even more terrifying…
“I know.” He Chen, who had been very tense, smiled instead. Then he took off his military cap. His head fluttered twice, and a pair of gray wolf ears sprouted in public view. He looked at He Xiangye: “I can also undergo Beastification. It’s very normal.”
With that, he raised his hand and, without obvious resistance from He Xiangye, slowly grasped the edge of the mask and gently took it away.
“Very handsome.”
He Chen smiled again.
He wasn’t lying. Although He Xiangye’s features were half-human, half-wolf, the combination was not ugly.
Especially his eyes, which largely overlapped with the ones He Chen had seen in photos.
“Father…” He Chen murmured.
He Xiangye clenched his fists, his breathing grew heavier, and he opened his mouth, but only a “ho-ho” sound came from his throat.
Realizing the sound, he tightly closed his mouth, staring intently at He Chen without blinking.
“His language function hasn’t recovered yet,” Elder Fang explained from the side.
“It doesn’t matter,” He Chen immediately said. “It doesn’t matter at all.”
“No, no, I mean, it’s not that it doesn’t matter, I mean we’ll treat it slowly.” He looked at He Xiangye, explaining somewhat incoherently.
“I know, I know, let me say it,” Leyan, seeing his smart dad getting clumsy again, quickly stood between Grandpa and Dad, acting as a little translator. “Dad isn’t saying it’s okay that Grandpa can’t talk, Dad is saying Grandpa shouldn’t worry!”
“You’re right…” He Chen looked down at his cub. When he looked up, his forehead was touched.
He Chen had a wound from his brow bone to his forehead. He Xiangye’s claws were sharp and dark, so he didn’t dare touch the wound, only carefully stroked the air above it. Then, involuntarily, he traced the contours of He Chen’s face, inch by inch.
He Chen remained silent, feeling a mix of shyness and… an indescribable sensation, like a fountain of warmth bubbling up from his heart.
Was this feeling called happiness?
He Chen even felt a little dizzy.
He Xiangye’s gaze slowly moved down. When it passed over He Chen’s alloy right hand, his brow furrowed, and the “ho-ho” sound started again in his throat.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Elder Fang understood him best. “Xiao Chen’s injury was a long time ago, it’s completely healed!”
“It is healed, no impact at all,” He Chen also said, raising his right hand and moving it flexibly. But He Xiangye’s “ho-ho” sounds grew louder. His fingers reached toward He Chen’s lower abdomen, wanting to touch but not daring to, his expression clearly agitated.
Lu Changqing looked closely at He Chen, then suddenly stepped forward, turned He Chen’s body, and looked at his lower abdomen, his expression grave: “You have an injury?”
He Chen’s usually neat military uniform had, at some point, soaked through with a patch of blood.
“It was bandaged…” He Chen looked down at his left abdomen, which was starting to hurt more. “Maybe the wound split when I hugged Xu Lin just now.”
As he spoke, he felt another wave of dizziness from lowering his head.
This might… not be a symptom of “happiness”?
He Chen couldn’t say how long it had been since he last rested. He had only briefly dozed off twice on the battlefield, each time for only ten minutes or so.
Coupled with the recent emotional upheaval, his heart rate was still fast, and his vision was darkening.
He felt unwell and quickly spoke: “Senior Brother, lean on you for a moment…”
Before he finished, his body went limp and he started to fall toward Lu Changqing. Lu Changqing quickly reached out, but was a step too late—
He Xiangye scooped He Chen up before Lu Changqing, half-supporting and half-cradling him in his arms. He took a step back, looked at Elder Fang, and his chest vibrated, emitting a primal, beast-like roar.
“Don’t panic, don’t panic!” Elder Fang quickly soothed. “Doctor, the doctor will be here immediately.”
Lu Changqing looked directly at He Chen’s adjutant, who understood and immediately ran out to call a doctor.
“Uncle He,” Lu Changqing tentatively addressed He Xiangye, “Could you put Xiao Chen on the bed? The way you’re holding him now might press on his wound.”
More blood was seeping out; Lu Changqing had to remind him.
He Xiangye glanced at him, then at He Chen’s wound. Finally, he took two steps, bent down, and gently placed He Chen on the sickbed in the corner of the room.
He didn’t leave after setting him down. Instead, he stood guard by the bed. Sharp blades grew from his fingertips. Avoiding the wound, he cut open He Chen’s outer jacket.
He Leyan walked forward two steps, circled around He Xiangye, and saw the blood-soaked white bandage on He Chen’s lower abdomen. He couldn’t help but turn and hug Lu Changqing, tears welling up: “Daddy…”
“Dad is fine. This wound isn’t vital, he’ll be okay.” Lu Changqing picked him up, calmly wiped away his tears, but when his fingers dropped, he silently clenched them, veins bulging.
The doctor arrived then. Lu Changqing handed Leyan to Elder Fang, calmly communicated with the doctor, and soothed He Xiangye, allowing the doctor to take He Chen away for treatment.
He Chen woke up late at night.
The monitoring equipment in the ward was beeping. Lu Changqing was sitting in a chair beside his bed, eyes closed, breathing evenly. He appeared to be asleep.
Would he catch a cold sleeping like that?
He Chen thought, and his body moved slightly. Lu Changqing immediately woke up.
He Chen then realized that Lu Changqing had been holding his hand the entire time.
“You’re awake?” Lu Changqing went from a state of sleepy confusion to fully alert in just one second.
He released He Chen’s hand, felt his forehead, and then got up to pour him water.
While feeding him water, Lu Changqing couldn’t help but speak: “Why didn’t you say you had a bullet inside you earlier? Were you planning to carry it around and give birth to a cub?”
“…I already have Mo Yan and Leyan,” He Chen said sheepishly.
Lu Changqing’s tone finally calmed down: “Your intestine was infected, and shrapnel damaged your left kidney. The doctor said they’ve seen people who can endure pain, but never someone as resilient as you.”
He put the water cup away, checked the time, and asked He Chen: “The anesthetic should have worn off. Does it hurt?”
He Chen shook his head and looked at him: “My… Father,” he uttered the still-unfamiliar title, his expression changing slightly. “Is it real?”
Could it be that he had fainted and had a beautiful dream?
“It’s real.”
“Xu Lin too.” Lu Changqing anticipated the next question before He Chen could ask.
He Chen sighed in relief, looked at the ceiling, and smiled foolishly.
“I feel like I’m dreaming,” he said, looking at Lu Changqing. “Senior Brother, pinch me.”
He was covered in injuries; why pinch him?
But since he actively invited it, Lu Changqing couldn’t resist and pinched his cheek.
“The doctor said you need at least three days of bed rest. Don’t worry about anything else during these three days; rest well.”
“I can’t do that,” He Chen suddenly propped himself up to sit. “There are so many things to handle. The He family—”
“Shen Xian and Zhao Huai have the He family covered.”
“They don’t understand the situation in Pingliao Star Sector as well as I do.” He Chen tried to sit up again, then hissed, clearly pulling his wound.
“If you’re really worried, you can discuss things with them from bed,” Lu Changqing said, pressing He Chen’s restless body back down. The force was just right—it didn’t hurt He Chen, but it kept him from struggling free.
It must be because he was too weak right now to break free… He Chen obediently lay back down, looking at Lu Changqing’s ethereal face. He suddenly became shy: “Who changed my clothes?”
“What about it?”
“Ahem, I was a bit dirty…”
He Chen vaguely remembered that he hadn’t showered in days…
“You were cleaned.”
“Oh.” He Chen averted his gaze, his already red face flushing deeper. The wolf ears he hadn’t retracted twitched.
Lu Changqing clenched his fingers, wanting to touch him, but held back.
He pulled the blanket up for him, his expression turning serious: “Do you have the energy? I want to talk to you about something important.”
“I do.” He Chen stilled, looking up at Lu Changqing: “What does Senior Brother want to say?”
“Regarding what Lu Jingshan mentioned in the mine shaft,” Lu Changqing spoke calmly, looking at He Chen. “How much did you hear, and is there anything you want to ask me?”
“I heard everything,” He Chen said. “But I’m not in a hurry. When Senior Brother wants to tell me, you naturally will.”
Lu Changqing was somewhat surprised: “I concealed… some very important things from you. Aren’t you angry?”
“I’ve also been hiding something from Senior Brother,” He Chen said. “Like those 500-kiloton explosives.”
At this, Lu Changqing was momentarily distracted and asked: “When did you plant them?”
“A long time ago,” He Chen answered frankly. “I planted them before I knew L was you. It was to prevent you from producing Zero, if the purpose was unjust.”
He Chen added: “I thought you were backed by the Second Prince at the time.”
He Chen instinctively felt that Zero would cause massive upheaval. He planted that card to prevent the powerful from fighting among themselves and dragging ordinary people into the chaos.
“I understand.” Lu Changqing didn’t need further explanation.
“Even after I knew L was you, I didn’t tell you about it,” He Chen continued. “So Senior Brother and I are equally at fault. I also understand that Senior Brother has your own privacy, your own secrets.”
“It’s not the same.” Lu Changqing looked at his clear eyes and couldn’t help but stroke his hair. “You acted out of public interest. I am different. The thing I concealed was out of private interest.”
He spoke, finally resolving to start, but not with himself— “You must have heard something about Shen Xingzhou and Fu Chen?”
He Chen nodded.
“Is the version you heard that Marshal Shen lost control due to seeing Fu Chen’s research, causing a rampage and accidentally killing Fu Chen?”
He Chen nodded again and asked: “Is that not the case?”
“Not entirely. Shen Xingzhou lost control not because he saw some unethical research by Fu Chen, but because he saw Fu Chen.”
“He saw the real Fu Chen.”
The real Fu Chen? He Chen was startled: “Could it be that Fu Chen was also—”
“Also?” Lu Changqing looked at He Chen, his voice tightening: “You already know something, don’t you?”