Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Fu Yanhuai was still in a meeting when his assistant received a call from Butler Yan. With a grave expression, the assistant hurried to Fu Yanhuai’s side, bending to whisper a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing the news, Fu Yanhuai’s movements froze. He politely turned to his collaborator and murmured, "Let’s pause for twenty minutes."

Fu Yanhuai entered the lounge, and the assistant quickly explained, "The surgery is already underway. Neither Master Fu nor Madam Fu has returned yet. It was Butler Yan who contacted you."

Butler Yan had tried to reach Fu Yanhuai, but his phone had been with the assistant during the meeting. By the time the message was relayed, Lu Yao was already in labor.

Fu Yanhuai’s face darkened as he frowned and said, "Book the soonest flight back to the capital..."

He suddenly stopped, his words trailing off. He recalled Lu Yao’s recent message—had he fallen because of his reply?

The assistant hesitated, "Mr. Fu?"

Fu Yanhuai remained silent. He had never intended to hurt Lu Yao.

Lu Yao was actually...

Fu Yanhuai reined in his wandering thoughts. Rationality was what he needed most at this moment.

"In that case," Fu Yanhuai’s voice sounded slightly hoarse, "have the lawyer bring the documents as well."

Perhaps now was the perfect opportunity to finalize all arrangements before Wen Zheng returned.

Lu Yao might have difficulty accepting it at first, but he would soon realize that his future life would be no different from the present.

This small adjustment—surely Lu Yao would understand.

The assistant looked up in disbelief. "Mr. Fu, isn’t this going too far..."

Only now did Fu Yanhuai realize he felt a moment of hesitation. Had work truly kept him so busy these past months that he couldn’t spare even a little time to return home earlier?

That wasn’t the case. Fu Yanhuai had always been decisive in business decisions, never making mistakes. Every time, he had made the right choice.

But this time, Fu Yanhuai wasn’t sure if what he was doing was right.

He couldn’t face Lu Yao. Seeing Lu Yao waiting for him would shake his resolve.

Unwilling to admit he was running away, he settled on a justification he could accept: "Also, include the readmission notice and give it to him."

Wasn’t this ideal? The child would have a perfect family in the future, and Lu Yao could continue pursuing his own life.

Fu Yanhuai looked down. "Arrange the flight immediately."

The epidural needle was long, but Lu Yao could no longer feel the pain. Nian Nian had been an active fetus since six months, but from the moment he fell until now, the baby had stopped moving. Lu Yao was terrified.

His worry for the child helped him suppress the fear of being alone in the operating room. Premature birth carried serious complications, even in today’s advanced medical landscape.

No one spoke inside the operating room. The only sounds Lu Yao heard were the rhythmic beeping of unfamiliar medical machines.

He desperately wanted to ask about the baby’s condition, but the oxygen mask covered his face.

Dr. Xu frowned as she changed instruments. A nurse, noticing Lu Yao’s tension, leaned in and reassured him softly, "A C-section won’t take too long. Please don’t worry too much."

Lu Yao turned his head slightly to look at her. His eyes were still wet. Through the mask, the nurse barely made out his question about the baby.

She glanced at the fetal heart monitor nearby. "The baby isn’t showing signs of oxygen deprivation."

Dr. Xu’s voice was calm and reassuring. "I’ll finish the surgery as quickly as possible. Don’t worry—the baby’s condition is stable."

Perhaps to comfort Lu Yao further, the nurse added lightly, "After all, it’s an S-class baby (highest genetic rating). There’s a high chance everything will be fine."

Still, the birth was undeniably premature. The nurse felt a pang of pity—how could a child from such a wealthy family face this kind of problem?

Whether it was genuine reassurance or not, Lu Yao managed a weak smile.

Noticing Lu Yao’s tension, Dr. Xu began intermittently engaging him in light conversation to distract him.

Not long after—Lu Yao felt less than an hour had passed since entering the operating room—Dr. Xu instructed the nurse to step out and inform Butler Yan to wait outside.

Lu Yao tried to turn his head toward the doctor. Dr. Xu said gently, "The baby will be born soon. As a preemie, they’ll need immediate evaluation in the observation room’s incubator. This is normal protocol, so please don’t worry. Just hold on a little longer—it’ll be over soon."

Lu Yao’s heart raced. How could he not worry?

He had been feeling dizzy, and now his heart pounded violently. Seeing this, Dr. Xu had no choice but to speed up. "Please hold on for the baby’s sake."

The nurse hurried out of the operating room but didn’t see Butler Yan outside. This high-end private hospital was a subsidiary of Fu Group, and the staff knew the Fu family well. However, the man in a tailored suit waiting outside was unfamiliar.

The nurse asked cautiously, "May I ask who you are...?"

"I’m the lawyer Mr. Fu hired to handle contract execution."

Lawyer Chen gave a slight nod. "There’s a document here that requires Mr. Lu’s signature. Has the surgery finished?"

The nurse was momentarily confused. "Not yet. You can wait in the recovery area."

"No." Fu Yanhuai had instructed that the contract must be signed before he arrived at the hospital. Though Lawyer Chen was taken aback by Fu Yanhuai’s callousness, he wouldn’t refuse his employer’s request.

"Once the surgery is over, may I enter briefly?"

The nurse frowned. "That would require the doctor’s approval."

Lawyer Chen took a step back. "Then please hurry."

The nurse re-entered the operating room just as the surgery reached its most critical stage. She stopped abruptly a few steps away from the doctor.

"Breathe—yes, deep breaths. Good—"

Dr. Xu carefully completed the delivery. Lu Yao strained to look toward the end of the table, but his view was completely blocked.

Unable to remove the breathing mask, he managed to gasp out as loudly as he could, but his words came out muffled.

"Nian Nian... Why isn’t Nian Nian crying?"

Dr. Xu’s expression turned grave as she began neonatal resuscitation procedures. The nurse could delay no longer. Gathering her courage, she stepped forward and whispered, "There’s a lawyer outside who is demanding to enter to have Mr. Lu sign a document."

Dr. Xu nearly cursed aloud. What kind of document needed signing at a time like this? If Fu Yanhuai weren’t the hospital’s controlling shareholder, she would’ve called this insanity.

The baby still hadn’t cried. Dr. Xu immediately ordered, "Open the neonatal intensive care unit."

The nurse hastily carried the baby out while the doctor began closing the incision. She had no time to spare—Lu Yao’s condition was also critical.

"Tell him he can enter in sterile gown and mask after sutures."

The operating room became hectic. Lu Yao’s head swam, but he struggled to remain awake.

He hadn’t heard Nian Nian cry. Why had the baby been rushed to NICU? What had happened to his baby?

Dr. Xu spoke rapidly, "The baby is showing signs of asphyxia. We need to use a ventilator, and the baby will need further observation in the ICU. You can visit from outside the ward."

Lu Yao's face turned even paler, and Dr. Xu couldn’t bear to meet his gaze.

Dr. Xu finished dressing the wound as quickly as possible and finally stepped forward to temporarily remove the oxygen mask. Lu Yao didn’t notice that the nurses had already begun to leave.

"There’s also a document that needs your signature."

Dr. Xu had no idea where Fu Yanhuai was or what he was doing at that moment, nor could she predict how much the baby would recover. She couldn’t offer Lu Yao any clear reassurance.

She looked exhausted, but the mask concealed it well. "After this, you can get some real rest."

Lu Yao didn’t want to rest—he wanted his baby.

Struggling, he managed to speak, "Nian Nian..."

The doctor leaned down. "The baby still needs further examinations, and you must focus on regaining your strength."

Lawyer Chen didn’t give Lu Yao time to collect himself. He entered the operating room, and though Dr. Xu hesitated, she ultimately stayed, standing a little farther away.

She needed to monitor Lu Yao closely until he was safely transferred to the ward and connected to the monitoring equipment, in case his condition worsened.

Lu Yao’s extreme frailty even startled the seasoned lawyer, but having witnessed countless shady dealings, Lawyer Chen took a deep breath and pulled out a document.

"Please sign your name on the last page."

Lu Yao could hardly make out the words or hold the document. His voice was faint.

"Did Yanhuai send you? Is he back?"

"Yes," Lawyer Chen replied vaguely. "Mr. Fu is on his way back. This document was prepared earlier per his instructions."

Lawyer Chen held the document in front of Lu Yao. "Please sign here. Here’s the pen."

The lawyer had intended for Lu Yao to review the terms carefully—some of the asset distribution were quite favorable to him—but Lu Yao only saw five words on the cover: *Divorce Agreement*.

From that moment on, Lu Yao tuned out everything around him.

His eyes were wide open, but they were blank and unfocused.

"Why?"

Lu Yao’s voice was barely audible. "Is this because I failed Nian Nian?"

Or had he done something else wrong?

The lawyer silently flipped to the last page. "Mr. Fu is just protecting his interests. Your living conditions won’t change."

Lu Yao mused faintly that Fu Yanhuai didn’t have to do this.

Bringing the agreement right after childbirth—he would’ve signed anytime. He wasn’t the type to cling desperately.

Lu Yao felt a pen being pressed into his hand. With his last bit of strength, he murmured, "He only wanted a child."

He didn’t hear any response, not that it mattered anymore. His vision had already blurred completely, and he had never realized how exhausting even lifting a hand could be. Lu Yao scrawled his signature weakly before losing consciousness entirely.

Lawyer Chen finally sensed something was wrong—the metallic tang of blood pierced through his mask, setting his nerves on edge.

His voice rose alongside the shrill alarm of the machines. "Doctor!"

Dr. Xu, fighting panic, immediately pressed the code button. Nurses rushed in and ushered Lawyer Chen out of the operating room.

"Heart rate crashing—administer hemostatics!"

"Continue blood transfusion. Pressure dressings, now!"

Dr. Xu turned and asked hastily, "How’s the baby?"

A nurse quickly responded, "Vital signs have stabilized. Running tests now."

Dr. Xu frowned. Stable vitals weren’t the same as out of danger—the premature baby still had a long way to go before leaving the incubator.

"Administer Factor VII."

Exhausted, Dr. Xu added, "Go ask again—what’s ETA on Mr. Fu?"