Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Then Dr. Wu got up from the stool and said, "Please wait a moment, I need to get some paper and a pen."

After saying this, Dr. Wu disappeared from the live stream camera.

The viewers in the live stream were baffled by Dr. Wu's actions.

"? Tying a red string on the wrist? Is this the start of pulse diagnosis over the internet?"

"Ancient doctors used silk threads for pulse diagnosis, but this streamer is even more amazing, diagnosing from a distance."

"What do you know? It's all an act for talent agents. If the performance is good, maybe he'll get signed by an entertainment agency and make big money in the future."

"OK, it's time to judge the streamer's acting skills. I have very high standards for actors' performances, and being handsome is the most basic requirement."

"So, is the connected viewer a plant by the streamer? That's not interesting."

The boy in the hospital bed didn't really expect to find out the cause of his illness through a live stream, but seeing his mother's worried expression, he wanted to comfort her. Plus, the streamer Dr. Wu was indeed good-looking, so he was willing to cooperate.

He Yunxiao laughed a few times and joked, "Mom, maybe we'll find out the cause of the illness right away."

Mrs. He didn't have much hope in Dr. Wu, but she still followed his instructions. In the all-white private hospital room, she could only find a red ribbon used for decoration on a fruit basket sent by relatives and friends. She tied it around He Yunxiao's left wrist.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wu had already arrived at the counter. Eugene was wrapping various herbs in yellow paper. Dr. Wu reached out and took a piece, then took a pen from the pen holder on the consultation table before returning to the live stream camera.

Dr. Wu lowered his head and carefully folded the paper, asking, "Auntie, can you tell me your son's name and birth details?"

Mrs. He, being married to a businessman, was somewhat superstitious about these things and couldn't possibly announce her son's birth details in front of the live stream audience. She said, "Streamer, I'll send it to you in a private message, but I hope you won't display it in the live stream."

"They're really getting into the act, this mother and son are really getting into the act."

"If they're not plants, I'll cut off my head and let everyone use it as a soccer ball."

"Regardless, Dr. Wu's craftsmanship is really good. Is that a little paper figure he's folding?"

With a few flips of Dr. Wu's slender fingers, a light yellow paper gradually took the shape of a little figure, which amazed many viewers with his dexterity.

Dr. Wu opened the cap of the gel pen, blocked the camera with his palm, and wrote He Yunxiao's name and birth details in seal script on the little paper figure. After writing, he flipped the little figure over to completely block the private information.

Dr. Wu then pulled a short black hair from his head and placed it on the little figure's tiny palm.

He Yunxiao, leaning on the hospital bed, couldn't help but laugh at Dr. Wu's serious demeanor and asked, "Now, Dr. Wu, can you check my pulse?"

Mrs. He saw her son laughing and smiled with relief. Since Yunxiao fell ill, she hadn't seen him smile. As long as Yunxiao felt better, anything was fine!

Dr. Wu nodded, and his slender fingers mimicked the action of taking a pulse on the little figure's left wrist, which amazed many viewers with his acting skills.

Having seen too many talent shows by good-looking streamers online, this live acting was quite interesting. The key was that Dr. Wu had a strong sense of belief, perfectly portraying the role of a doctor. Many viewers wished they could drag those high-paid actors who perform poorly to see this; even amateurs perform better than them!

The red ribbon tied around He Yunxiao's wrist, though there was no wind, seemed to be gently tugged. He was suddenly startled.

He Yunxiao felt a sensation on his wrist, as if someone was really checking his pulse from thousands of miles away!

He Yunxiao silently wondered, was he hallucinating due to his severe illness?

Dr. Wu was very quiet while taking the pulse, lowering his head and closing his eyes as if in deep thought. After just a few dozen seconds, he withdrew his hand.

The slight sensation on He Yunxiao's wrist suddenly disappeared, and he couldn't help but ask, "Dr. Wu, what's wrong with me?"

Wu Heng pondered for two seconds and then asked, "Can I say it outright? Or should we discuss the diagnosis in private?"

Both the mother and son nodded in agreement. Although the cause of the illness had not been identified yet, they had already prepared themselves mentally, considering it might be a malignant condition like a tumor, which isn't something to be ashamed of.

Once he got the green light, Wu Heng didn't hold back, "You're pregnant, with a bunch of snake babies."

Both the mother and son from the He family were stunned! What the...?

Pregnant?

Even the live stream audience frowned in disbelief.

"Is the streamer pushing it for the sake of drama? A dude getting pregnant? What a joke! Or is this world a huge BL novel with mpreg?"

"Are people actually buying this? These three are clearly in cahoots; it's all staged."

"Snake babies? Forget the gender, this is clearly a setup. How can a human be pregnant with snakes?"

"BTW, I've been meaning to say, have you noticed the patient's belly is kinda huge?"

Even though He Yunxiao was all covered up, some attentive viewers in the live stream had noticed the abnormal protrusion of his abdomen, which indeed looked like a pregnancy.

"All wrapped up like that, who knows if it's a girl in disguise?"

"Those eyes look like they're only sixteen or seventeen? Pregnant at that age... seriously?"

"Probably just reckless, young and dumb, tasting the forbidden fruit but too cheap to buy protection."

Mrs. He's face turned sour as she read through the flood of speculative comments.

She was already regretting agreeing to the live stream consultation. Even though He Yunxiao was all covered up, she wasn't wearing a mask. Who knows if someone they know might see it?

People would definitely link this to her only son, He Yunxiao, and that's just ridiculous!

Mrs. He was ready to pull the plug on the broadcast right then and there, but He Yunxiao, lying in the hospital bed, just yanked off his mask, revealing his undeniably masculine, handsome face, complete with stubble from not shaving due to his recent bad mood, and snapped, "Take a good look! What pregnancy for a guy like me?"

As he shifted, the blanket slipped, revealing part of his bulging belly. His belly was bigger than a woman's at seven or eight months pregnant, like a giant inflated balloon.

"I've looked it up; there are cases where intersex people have gotten pregnant. Maybe this guy looks like a dude but is actually intersex."

He Yunxiao, seeing this comment, couldn't help but laugh and grabbed the ultrasound report from the bedside, "Open your eyes wide and get a good look."

He Yunxiao covered up the personal info and showed it on the live stream. The ultrasound report did not say he was pregnant, nor that he was intersex.

"Some people just love to spread yellow rumors, it's really enough. Fortunately, there's a medical report, otherwise, rumors would be flying everywhere. Boys also need to protect themselves well outside."

"Is the belly really that big? Is he really sick, not the streamer's plant?"

"If not pregnant, why is the belly so big? Is the young man suffering from a tumor?"

A passing medical student also commented, "Have you checked for conditions like ascites or liver dysfunction?"

Mrs. He shook her head at the comments, "We've done a full body check-up, consultations with top experts, and no results, it's not a tumor."

The viewers were extremely surprised, strange diseases are really becoming more common these days.

Seeing that the young man could stay in a VIP private ward, his family must be quite well-off, with access to much better medical resources than ordinary people, yet they still couldn't find the cause, making many viewers feel sorry for him.

Wu Heng spoke up, "This patient is indeed pregnant, all with snake fetuses."

Mrs. He initially liked Wu Heng, a handsome young streamer, but her opinion soured after he repeatedly claimed her son was pregnant.

"A snake fetus? How can someone be pregnant with a snake?" Mrs. He's tone turned icy. "Prove it! Show me the snake!"

Wu Heng had encountered pregnant women who insisted on giving birth on specific dates before, so he wasn’t surprised. Moreover, this pregnant individual should be nearing their due date.

Wu Heng lowered his eyes slightly and coughed lightly, saying, "Auntie, I can help with the delivery, but... that’ll cost extra."

The small rocket earlier? That was just for the consultation.

As a village doctor, he should focus on helping others, not chasing money, but he couldn’t just watch his future father die in poverty! It’s okay for him to earn a bit of money, right?

Heaven must understand, right?

A 300-yuan gift like a small rocket meant nothing to Mrs. He; she wouldn’t bat an eye at giving a hundred more. But Wu Heng’s words had angered her, so she refused to tip again.

Mrs. He said coldly, "I’ll pay after I see the snake you mentioned."

Upon hearing this, Wu Heng asked seriously, "Auntie, any preferences for how the snake fetus is born?"

"What? Different birth methods? Besides the usual way, is there another? Can it come out from the top by spitting it out?"

"Haha, my mom once told me I was born from her armpit, and I totally believed it!"

"Wu Heng, listen, don’t get too into the act, streamer. This kind of performance is too advanced; it’s not good."

Mrs. He’s mouth twitched in annoyance: "No."

With the family’s response, Wu Heng nodded in understanding.

He’d deliver one first, to show them how it’s done.

Wu Heng was already at Dr. Wu’s consultation desk for the live stream, so he simply stood up and opened a package of silver needles that Dr. Wu had placed on the desk, intending to borrow them.

From the array of silver needles, Wu Heng picked out an unusually long one, two inches in length, then lit an alcohol lamp and heated the needle in the flame.

"The streamer knows his stuff—sterilizing needles with heat, though alcohol works too."

"He knows a bit about medicine, but not a lot."

"Keep going! Show us how Wu the midwife delivers a snake baby. I've never seen 'childbirth' before, haha."

Wu Heng pressed one hand on the little paper figure, his right hand gripping the terrifyingly long silver needle. His warm, spring-like eyes turned deadly serious.

He Yunxiao watched the silver needle gleam oddly under the light, his heart tightening inexplicably.

In the next moment, Wu Heng plunged the slender silver needle into the little paper figure’s abdomen.

He Yunxiao’s eyes shot wide. His body, beyond his control, arched violently, like a grotesque bridge. A sharp, indescribable pain shot through his abdomen, as if the silver needle had truly pierced his own body. He faintly heard a soft, cracking sound, like an egg breaking.

How... how is this possible?

They were clearly separated by the internet; this was too surreal.

Seeing her son's bizarre reaction, Mrs. He was terrified and quickly supported He Yunxiao. "Yunxiao, what's wrong?"

An indescribable, abnormal sensation surged within his body. It felt as if something alive was churning inside his abdomen, and all his internal organs seemed to be affected, as if pulling one would move the entire body.

He Yunxiao suddenly felt nauseous. His internal organs were being violently squeezed upward, and his body felt as if it were being tossed in a stormy sea. He grabbed his mother's arm, his face pale to the extreme.

When Mrs. He noticed something was wrong with her son, she quickly pressed the call button.

The nurses rushed in quickly, but before they could even ask what was wrong, He Yunxiao struggled to say, "I feel nauseous, I really want to vomit!"

There was an unusual itch in his throat.

As soon as he finished speaking, He Yunxiao suddenly arched his back and, in full view of the live stream audience, violently retched out a living creature from his mouth!

Upon closer look, it was indeed a small snake!

The wriggling little snake was still covered with fragments of snake eggshell, He Yunxiao's saliva, a faint trace of blood, and some unknown mucus. The snake slid down from He Yunxiao's lips and fell onto the pristine hospital bed.

The small snake was only the size of an adult's index finger, its body a gray color, starkly contrasting with the pure white sheets, making it hard to miss.

Especially as it continuously tried to slither towards He Yunxiao, it was obviously alive.

A snake...

It really was a snake!

He Yunxiao could only gape at the living snake less than a meter away from him, his mind completely blank, stammering, "Holy crap, did I... did I really give birth?"

And to a snake, no less?

The nurse who had just entered screamed in terror at the sight: "Ah——!!"

The young nurse was so scared her legs buckled, and she fell to the ground, the stainless steel tray in her hands, filled with various nursing items, clattering noisily on the tiled floor.

The viewers in the live stream were not faring much better, everyone was in shock, their eyes subjected to a massive shock.

"A snake... he really vomited out a snake! Could it be special effects?"

"I saw it too, I didn't blink, it really came out. Help, I'm scared to death."

"My god, really pregnant with a snake? Has this world gone completely magical with no reproductive barriers?"

"Wu Heng... what the streamer said was true!"

"Holy crap, the streamer actually has some skills? Wait, what kind of village doctor has these skills?"

"He had previously claimed to be a shaman..."

The live stream blew up instantly, with thousands of viewers shaking as they frantically shared the stream, and within moments, tens of thousands of people poured into the live stream.

Mrs. He was so terrified she collapsed to the ground: "This... this..."

Mrs. He thought she had seen it all in her decades navigating high society, but this scene truly left her bewildered.

He Yunxiao clutched his swollen belly, staring straight at the cold, newly born little snake as it wriggled up his goosebump-covered arm towards his face. He Yunxiao dared not move, only managing a stiff smile and stammering to Mrs. He, "Mom, mom, you... you quickly take your grandson away."

Grandson? There's still time for jokes at a time like this! Mrs. He wished she could jump up and slap He Yunxiao a few times.

Mrs. He then realized, she immediately retreated to the wall to keep her distance from them, and then picked up her phone, frantically pressing the keys.

"User 'Tomorrow Will Be Better' gifted ten Carnivals!"

"User 'Tomorrow Will Be Better' gifted ten Splendid Castles!"

"User 'Tomorrow Will Be Better' gifted ten Grand Fireworks!"

The live stream page was overrun with flashy, over-the-top effects, with gifts pouring in for Wu Heng like they were nothing.

A netizen roughly calculated that Mrs. He's recent spree had cost nearly two hundred thousand!

Good grief, what new streamer has that kind of pull?

The He couple had been seeking medical help for their son for so long, consulting countless experts, none of whom could figure out what was wrong, and they were considering taking their son abroad for treatment, but Wu Heng gave them a ray of hope.

Mrs. He pleaded, "Streamer, can you save my son?"

But then, for some reason, Wu Heng's expression shifted, his shoulders slumped, and he looked helpless and a little embarrassed, saying, "Sorry, ma'am, I can’t treat your son right now—I’ve got to log off."

Mrs. He: "?"

What?

Log off? He's going to log off?

Mrs. He and her son panicked, having found no solution after seeking help everywhere, and now they saw a glimmer of hope with Wu Heng. How could he just bail on them like that?!

Mrs. He remembered how Wu Heng had hinted at wanting gifts earlier and immediately said, "Streamer, as long as you can cure my son’s illness, cost isn’t an issue!"

With that, Mrs. He was about to pick up her phone to send more gifts.

"No, it’s just that my grandpa put my phone on youth mode, and I can only use it for an hour a day."

As Wu Heng's slightly embarrassed voice fell, the live stream screen went completely black, showing that the streamer had completed the activity check-in and had now logged off.

Mrs. He was stunned: ...Wait, youth mode??

Is Wu Heng still a minor?