Chapter 8

Chapter 8

By participating in the 100-day live streaming plan and completing the 100-day check-in, streamers can receive a participation fund of 5,000 yuan regardless of the number of views.

Even though Mrs. He's gifts alone exceeded 200,000 yuan during the first live stream, 5,000 yuan is still money. Thinking of his impoverished old father, Wu Heng wasn't about to turn down the money.

The He Family didn't know whether to laugh or cry, awkwardly watching Wu Heng.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Wu Heng reluctantly put down the last piece of pastry, shouldered his backpack full of tools, asked Mr. He to help him with the phone stand, and instructed the He Family to carry He Yunxiao to the He Family's garden.

Yes, they had to carry him.

He Yunxiao couldn't even walk now, let alone get too emotional, as he might go into labor right then and there.

Everyone arrived at the He Family's garden, where Wu Heng sat down at the stone table, timed it just right to open his phone and enter the Shark Live streaming platform, starting the live stream.

Yesterday's first live stream made Wu Heng famous overnight. The Chengde Medical Hall's Shark account gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight, with many more keeping an eye on it.

As soon as the live stream started late at night, tens of thousands of fans flooded the chat.

"Ahhhh Dr. Wu is live streaming, I finally waited! I've been in a daze all day, my mind full of the image of the patient vomiting a live snake during the day."

"If the recording is real, then a massive wave of viewers is coming."

"Hey streamer, are you still in high school?"

"What happened to the patient who vomited a live snake last time? Before the stream ended, I saw his belly was still quite big, so it probably wasn't fully resolved, right?"

The live chat was scrolling too fast to read specific messages.

Apart from some netizens fangirling over Wu Heng's appearance, many were still analyzing He Yunxiao's condition.

Some netizens had looked it up: unlike humans, who usually have one child, snakes can lay dozens of eggs at once! So He Yunxiao's condition probably isn't fully resolved yet.

Being able to diagnose the illness but not cure it doesn't help much.

Mrs. He anxiously asked, "Dr. Wu, how will you treat my son next?"

As the butler clumsily pushed the live camera forward, netizens finally saw the patient from earlier, He Yunxiao, and his parents.

"Wow, that was fast! They already met in person? It hasn't even been 24 hours!"

"Time is of the essence, urgent illnesses can't be delayed, I understand."

"I said it, a real doctor must be responsible for his patients, how could he run away halfway? So the sudden log off this morning, no yesterday morning, was to rush to the capital city. Truly, a doctor's heart is benevolent."

"It must be a follow-up appointment, we also need follow-up appointments when we go to the hospital."

Wu Heng, however, took his time. As he opened his cloth backpack, he asked He Yunxiao, "Did anything unusual happen before you got pregnant?"

He Yunxiao flinched at the word "pregnant" and shook his head after recalling.

Wu Heng took out a box of herbal dyes from his backpack, glanced at He Yunxiao's left arm, and chuckled, "Never been bitten by a snake?"

He Yunxiao was so startled he almost jumped, his stomach turning even more.

Seeing He Yunxiao's expression, Mr. He knew there was more to it and snapped, "Are you still hiding something?!"

He Yunxiao touched his left arm, which had long since healed from the snake bite marks, and unable to meet his parents' anxious gazes, he lowered his head and said, "Well, about three months ago, during our class's swimming exam, those guys from the Li Family thought the guy next door was acting too cool, so they secretly threw a non-venomous water snake in."

The guy next door.

The He couple immediately knew who He Yunxiao was talking about—Shi Xuan from the Shi family next door!

The Shi family was pretty creepy, especially that Shi Xuan. Despite being an 18-year-old high school boy who should be full of vitality, he was lifeless. Just his gaze could give you chills, even in the middle of summer. So, although they were neighbors, the two families didn’t interact much.

The live-stream viewers, though, were going crazy.

"??? So this is school bullying, right? I’m totally speechless."

"I used to feel sorry for him, but now I can only say he deserves it!"

"+1."

"He Yunxiao, you moron, what the hell are you talking about? Do you believe I’ll tear your mouth apart?"

"Seriously, this is so messed up. Why are you spouting nonsense? Don’t let me see you when school starts."

The Li family boys had a wild day today, hearing that He Yunxiao, the so-called "nice guy," was pregnant with a snake fetus and that the news had spread everywhere.

Earlier, someone in the class group shared the live-stream link, and Li Hao and the others immediately clicked in to watch the drama.

Who knew they’d get dragged into this?

That idiot He Yunxiao just blabbed and exposed them!

He Yunxiao, still live-streaming and unaware that Li Hao and the others already knew, was now desperately trying to clear his name, looking all wronged as he quickly explained, "I wasn’t involved! I was the one who caught the snake. It was startled and bit all of us, but I released it."

Seeing that no one believed him, He Yunxiao was so worked up he almost popped out a snake baby right then and there.

Everyone got bitten, but Shi Xuan was fine. In fact, the water snake seemed scared of him and wouldn’t even come near.

Wu Heng spread out a bunch of tools on the stone table—bells, masks, ribbons, ox horns, and more—and added, "Well, that snake was indeed here to repay a favor."

Repay a favor? He Yunxiao was about to cry. "Wait, isn’t animal gratitude supposed to be about the snake turning into a beautiful woman years later, meeting me for some passionate romance, and then giving herself to me? Why am I stuck with a snake fetus? This isn’t how you repay a favor!"

Wu Heng: "Think about it, did you say something or maybe make a wish?"

He Yunxiao suddenly remembered something and said, totally shocked, "Ah? I, I happened to see the guy next door changing in the locker room, and I jokingly said something like, ‘If I could give birth, I’d even have a monkey for him.’ Is that considered making a wish?"

He was just being a smartass at the time, no dirty thoughts...

Shi Xuan never made friends at school and was always kind of a ghost. Even in swimming class, he wore a men’s one-piece swimsuit. That day, He Yunxiao happened to run into him changing in the locker room and just blurted out something stupid.

Besides, who would dare to have dirty thoughts about Shi Xuan? Everyone at school just talked big, but when it came to actually interacting with him, they’d run faster than a dog.

Wu Heng was slightly curious. Just how good-looking was the guy next door to make He Yunxiao blurt out something like that?

Wu Heng picked up a small brush from the table, dipped it lightly in red paint, and drew a stroke on He Yunxiao’s smooth face, saying, "It can’t make you give birth to a monkey, but a snake? That it can do."

After all, snakes and monkeys are both animals, so why be picky? What’s the difference?

What? Are we discriminating against species now?

He Yunxiao: "..."

The He parents: "..."

The viewers went quiet. Is... is that really how it is?

"So the guy wasn't a victim of campus bullying, that's good, but... why is it so funny? Is this a dumb snake? Who repays a favor like this?"

"Is the streamer doing makeup? So beautiful, a total knockout!"

"Sorry, I really can't stop laughing hahaha, what a freak accident!"

"Snake: Yay, helped the benefactor fulfill their wish √ secretly pleased; Patient: Wahhh how can a big man like me be pregnant with a snake fetus? Help!"

"These young people really have no sense of reverence, they had it coming. And this guy even has a northern accent."

In southern China, there are many gods and ghosts, while in the north, there are legends of supernatural beings. In the northeast, there's the legend of the Five Great Immortals: Fox, Yellow Weasel, White, Willow, and Gray, where Willow refers to the snake, often associated with wisdom and transformation. This young man spoke bluntly when facing the snake.

In the live stream, Li Hao and the others suddenly felt a sudden chill—was that water snake one of the legendary Five Great Immortals, the Snake Immortal?

He Yunxiao helped and got stuck with a snake fetus, what about them...

They were instantly horrified, immediately looking down at their own bellies, wondering if they would also catch some weird disease.

Meanwhile, the He Family parents, thinking their son was now a 'pregnant man,' held back from smacking him and focused on the key point: "This, this isn't the child of the neighbor, is it?"

He Yunxiao almost jumped up, he had absolutely no thoughts about the neighbor Shi Xuan, they barely interacted, what a load of nonsense!

Dr. Wu glanced and said, "No, the snake can't do what a matchmaker does, it just channeled its own feelings and desires to form the snake fetus."

Talk about a forced thank-you!

He Yunxiao looked completely crushed, pleading with Dr. Wu, "Dr. Wu, I'll never speak carelessly again, please help me get rid of it, give me some abortion medicine or something? Or do I need surgery? I don't want to keep it!"

He Yunxiao had checked online during the day, snakes lay eggs in three months, he must be in the third trimester.

If abortion medicine doesn't work, then only a surgical abortion is left. It's tough on the body!

Thinking of this, He Yunxiao was even more pissed off.

Next time he sees that stupid water snake, he'll demand an explanation even if it kills him! What the hell is this?

Dr. Wu didn't respond, instead continuing to paint on the clean face with a brush. He was naturally handsome, with pale, flawless skin, and the plant pigments blended perfectly with his complexion. Unlike the typical makeup women wear, Dr. Wu's makeup was more vibrant.

Dr. Wu didn't limit himself to painting the face, he even etched intricate patterns on his exposed fair arms.

"Ahhhh total heartthrob! The streamer's looks are really too much!"

"Knows metaphysics, knows medicine, and is so good-looking, you're slaying me, woe is me!"

"Fingers so white, long, and slender, hubby! I'm calling it, the streamer is my new wife!"

"What is this makeup for? Looking at the equipment on the stone table, I've got a hunch..."

Dr. Wu put down the makeup brush, picked up two strings of bells, one worn on the left wrist and the other on the ankle. It's said these bells were once offered before the Nuo gods and have serious mojo.

He took out a large snake-shaped silver earring and put it in the piercing on his left ear, a raw, untamed allure emanating from him.

The ear piercing was done by his grandfather with a needle when he was seven, in Nan Nuo Village, both men and women get their ears pierced and wear earrings.

On the table were also several face masks, also called Nuo masks, that old lady Lai had insisted on giving him.

Dr. Wu's fingers slid over them, finally picking up a Guan Gong mask made of camphor wood, Guan Gong's authority was evident even without anger.

As the saying goes, wearing a mask plays the god, taking it off reveals the person, wearing a mask borrows divine power.

Wu Heng had never worn a mask before; he was the most powerful shaman in the world, so why would he need to borrow divine power from others? But now that he was here, he wanted to follow local customs once.

Donning the Guan Gong mask and clutching a tasseled scarf in his right hand, he strode into the center of the garden lawn.

With his left hand, he tossed a few yellow papers into the night sky, and Wu Heng's entire body began to move.

As he danced, he chanted a wordless melody, haunting and ancient, reminiscent of primordial shamanic incantations.

He's... dancing??

Everyone present was stunned, yet their anxious hearts inexplicably calmed down.

"Damn, the patient asked Dr. Wu for abortion pills or a surgery, and he just... started performing a shamanic dance? Is this some kind of shamanic ritual?"

"I was about to dismiss this as feudal superstition, but given it's a snake fetus, conventional logic doesn't hold, so I suppose it's acceptable."

A few savvy netizens chimed in: "This differs from typical shamanic dances and isn't quite like the Nuo ritual dance either."

"I don't know much, but wow, the streamer dances incredibly well! That slim waist, those long legs, so fluid! Wu Heng, how many more surprises do you have that I don't know about?!"

"Forget boy bands, just watch Wu Heng! He's absolutely wild!"

Wu Heng wasn't performing a typical shamanic dance, nor was he doing the Nuo ritual dance like old lady Lai. He was performing an ancient shamanic dance, imitating birds and beasts, communicating with spirits.

As Wu Heng danced, the bells on his wrists and ankles chimed with the wind. His movements accelerated, and He Yunxiao and the others could scarcely discern his figure, as though multiple Wu Hengs were dancing.

The dance's elegance and masculine vigor melded wildly, with the earring on his left ear swaying and shaking, exuding an exotic, enigmatic wild beauty.

"Jingle—jingle—"

One sound crisp, one deep.

Each sound seemed to slice through the night and settle into the ears of those nearby, landing in the crumbling courtyard where a young man clutched the collar tightening around his neck.

With every movement Wu Heng made, the sound of the bells drifted over, and the collar tightened, bringing a profoundly real sense of suffocation. Shi Xuan's typically somber eyes, devoid of light, brimmed with an unusual brilliance, even sparking excitement in him for the first time.

Breathless, he crouched by the small gate, gazing at the He Family's garden.

Someone was watching him, Wu Heng realized.

That gaze was different from He Yunxiao and the others.

Wu Heng didn't dwell on it. As he danced in front of He Yunxiao, he gently waved the tasseled scarf toward He Yunxiao's belly.

The force wasn't strong, but He Yunxiao suddenly arched his back, as if struck by something both heavy and light. His weary body, under the repeated motions, began to feel ethereal.

There was no pain!

Indeed, watching Wu Heng's dance and hearing his otherworldly, unfamiliar shamanic chants felt like a singular, indescribable delight.

"Deity of birth, spirit of life. Dissolve the fetus, transform the energy, do not harm its life." [Note]

Everyone was captivated by Wu Heng's dance until he finally halted, slightly breathless, tilting his head to remove the Guan Gong mask, unveiling his handsome face adorned with vibrant colors.

A bead of sweat trickled down his face, rolled off his chin, and fell silently into the grass.

He was Wu Heng.

The live stream chat went wild.

This isn’t just a person; this is a celestial being.

"Ahhh, bro is so hot, and that mysterious shaman is next-level strong!"

"Is this the ancient shamanic dance? The raw energy is through the roof, not a trace of fakeness! This is what I should be watching!"

"It’s so powerful—men dancing can be stunning, both strong and elegant. Honey, give me a kiss!"

"Does shamanic dancing actually do anything? I thought it was just for exorcisms—seems like pure superstition to me."

"It’s cool to watch, but if it doesn’t work, what’s the point? I mean, treating illnesses still needs meds or surgery—what’s dancing gonna do?"

"+1, either go the traditional route or just cut to the chase with surgery."

Even though it was late at night, Chengde Medical Hall’s livestream was still popping off.

The chat had to admit the streamer’s dance was fire, but unless it actually cures the illness, it’s all just talk.

Meanwhile, Wu Heng, the man of the hour, casually pulled out a tissue, tore it in half, rolled it into two little balls, and stuck them up his nose, muttering a shamanic spell under his breath.

As the chatter continued, He Yunxiao suddenly grabbed his huge belly.

"Pfft—"

A massive fart blasted through the livestream.

He Yunxiao’s face turned beet red: "Huh??"

Did he seriously just rip a thunderous fart?

Before He Yunxiao could explain, Mrs. He pointed at his belly, ecstatic: "His belly—it looks smaller!!"