Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Every morning, Nian Nian’s routine involved clinging to Lu Yao: drinking milk, getting his diaper changed, having his face wiped, and taking a fragrant bath—all while nestled in Lu Yao’s arms.

Nian Nian was still very much attached to his Little Deer Toy, and Lu Yao was subtly becoming a second Little Deer Toy in his eyes. Nian Nian didn't choose; he wanted both.

Lu Yao patiently went through this entire process with Nian Nian every day. All Nian Nian wanted was his father, and Lu Yao did his utmost to fulfill that wish.

"Push it, Nian Nian, just a little push. See? Isn’t it moving now?"

Lu Yao held Nian Nian, coaxing him, "Isn’t that fun?"

Nian Nian’s attention was drawn to the new rocking horse toy. Lu Yao set him down, and Nian Nian obediently leaned against the nanny, watching her demonstrate how to play.

They left the house a little later than usual today, but Lu Yao didn't pay it much mind. He said goodbye to Wen Zheng and headed out.

The moment Lu Yao stepped out the front door, he froze. "Shiyue?"

He could only see Xia Shiyue’s back, with Fu Yanhuai obscured behind him. Lu Yao couldn’t make out Fu Yanhuai’s expression.

"What are they doing?" Lu Yao murmured to himself.

Xia Shiyue and Fu Yanhuai actually had something to talk about? Lu Yao felt a flicker of concern. Wouldn’t they end up arguing? He remembered Xia Shiyue had never been particularly fond of Fu Yanhuai.

Lu Yao’s timing was impeccable; he had just missed the moment when Xia Shiyue had been emotionally accusing Fu Yanhuai. As he approached, Xia Shiyue was regaining his composure, while Fu Yanhuai’s expression was blank, a mix of bewilderment and heartache.

Lu Yao didn’t understand what was happening. He asked, puzzled, "Shiyue?"

Xia Shiyue immediately turned, a bright smile on his face. "Little Deer, you’re here! I was just out for a stroll and happened to run into President Fu. We just exchanged a few words."

A few words—more like a few choice words on Lu Yao’s behalf, aimed at Fu Yanhuai. If Lu Yao hadn’t come out so soon, Xia Shiyue would have had more to say.

He felt a slight regret, as if he hadn't performed as well as he could have.

"Oh, I see." Lu Yao walked over to Xia Shiyue’s side. "It’s still early. Why don’t you go back and get some more sleep? The hospital trip will be quick."

Xia Shiyue had vented enough for the day and was reasonably satisfied. He agreed readily, "Alright, I’ll wait for you."

Before leaving, Xia Shiyue cast one last disdainful glance at Fu Yanhuai—which Lu Yao didn’t notice—then walked to the other side of the car to get in.

Once Lu Yao was settled, the car started moving. Fu Yanhuai seemed to be struggling to control his emotions today. From the moment Lu Yao got in, he had been silently watching him.

Lu Yao finally sensed the unusual atmosphere. He turned hesitantly, and unexpectedly, his eyes met Fu Yanhuai’s.

"You…" Lu Yao frowned. "Is there something you want to say?"

Fu Yanhuai lowered his head, masking his expression. "Nothing. I just wanted to ask… back when you came to the company to find me…"

Lu Yao’s frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"

"You already knew me before that, didn’t you?"

Lu Yao stared at Fu Yanhuai, stunned.

On the surface, Fu Yanhuai seemed no different from how Lu Yao remembered him. But upon closer inspection, his usual sharp edge was gone. Lu Yao couldn’t discern what lay in Fu Yanhuai’s eyes—was it sorrow?

"You knew me beforehand. So, when you heard I wanted to marry a beta, you came to me on your own initiative."

After taking over the group, not everything had been smooth sailing for Fu Yanhuai, but not every challenge was worth dwelling on. He remembered that the day he met Lu Yao, he hadn't been in the best mood—though he couldn't recall why.

To Fu Yanhuai at the time, Lu Yao was a tempting little treat delivered right to his doorstep. No alpha would refuse such an offering, so without a second thought, he temporarily marked Lu Yao, who had no gland.

Fu Yanhuai had initially assumed Lu Yao was either sent by the Lu family or, like others who approached him, was offering himself for some shallow, laughable reason.

Their first encounter had been far from equal. Fu Yanhuai was accustomed to looking down at Lu Yao from a position of power.

But it turned out none of that was the case.

Lu Yao averted his gaze, avoiding the question. "What does it matter? It’s not important."

Fu Yanhuai let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Yes, it’s not important anymore."

Lu Yao found Fu Yanhuai’s behavior strange—he seemed off in every way.

Fu Yanhuai asked softly, "Did that inducer help your gland at all?"

"Not even a little."

Lu Yao snapped, "It’s not just you who’s anxious. I want to recover quickly too, so please don’t pressure me about it."

Fu Yanhuai pressed his lips together. "I wasn’t."

But Lu Yao said nothing more. A profound sense of frustration and disappointment welled up in Fu Yanhuai. No matter what he did, it seemed Lu Yao would no longer spare him a glance.

Lu Yao truly no longer liked him.

For someone like Fu Yanhuai to hesitate and be so timid was unusual. He longed to defend himself, or say something else, but Fu Yanhuai feared it would only make Lu Yao dislike him more.

After speaking, Lu Yao realized that Fu Yanhuai hadn't actually been pressuring him; he had been overly sensitive. Even Fu Yanhuai’s casual question had made Lu Yao feel on guard, bristling with defensive thorns.

Lu Yao wasn’t one to speak ill of others. He instantly felt a pang of regret, but then he remembered that Fu Yanhuai hadn’t treated him particularly well in the past either.

His lips parted slightly, but in the end, he turned to look out the window, saying nothing.

Just being with Fu Yanhuai made Lu Yao restless. Everything felt wrong, and he was overly sensitive to Fu Yanhuai’s words.

Lu Yao knew this was because he hadn't moved on. Five months wasn't enough time to completely let go of a two-year marriage. It was truly difficult.

Lu Yao sighed quietly, hoping time would heal everything.

The hospital visit followed the exact same procedure as last time. The doctor examined his gland again, and there was still no fluctuation.

With a serious expression, the doctor said they needed to adjust the inducer dosage. Lu Yao felt like a highly anticipated student who had turned in a blank exam paper.

No one was pressuring Lu Yao, but he was still deeply discouraged. He didn’t know how he would face Nian Nian when he got home. He felt like an incompetent father, unable to even provide Nian Nian with basic health.

Fu Yanhuai went to get the medicine, and Lu Yao returned to the car to wait.

This process was a bit strange, but Lu Yao was too caught up in his emotional low to consider anything else.

This time, Lu Yao waited in the car even longer than before. When Fu Yanhuai finally returned to the car, his lips were a little pale. Lu Yao frowned and asked, "Why did it take so long again?"

Fu Yanhuai paused for a brief moment. "It won’t take this long next time."

Privately, Fu Yanhuai wished for more time with Lu Yao, but Lu Yao clearly disliked it. Fu Yanhuai decided to arrive earlier next time to prepare the medication in advance.

He wasn't sure if this would compromise the medicine's effectiveness, as the inducer needed to be prepared with freshly extracted gland fluid.

Fu Yanhuai wanted everything to proceed according to Lu Yao’s wishes. His mind was in turmoil, and he felt a deep sense of confusion about his future.

No matter how long the journey, the Fu family’s old residence was finally in sight again.

Fu Yanhuai spoke again, uttering his first words since leaving the hospital.

"Don’t be too hard on yourself."

Lu Yao stiffened slightly, turning his head to look out the window, pretending not to have heard Fu Yanhuai.

Fu Yanhuai didn’t mind. With Lu Yao not looking at him, he could truly and openly gaze at Lu Yao.

Just looking at Lu Yao’s back, Fu Yanhuai’s eyes softened.

"Nian Nian’s condition isn’t your responsibility; it’s my fault. Having a dad like you is the luckiest thing for Nian Nian."

Lu Yao’s breath hitched slightly. He stubbornly kept his gaze fixed out the window, as if something he had never seen before had captivated his attention.

In truth, Lu Yao’s admiration for Fu Yanhuai wasn't solely due to that social event. Fu Yanhuai was powerful, steady, and mature. With him leading the way, it felt as though he could withstand any storm the world might throw at them.

Not long after they were married, it was Fu Yanhuai who took the initiative to go with Lu Yao back to the Lu family home.

Fu Yanhuai also intended to warn the Lu family not to overstep, but during their conversation, he did indeed guide Lu Yao step by step in rejecting Guan Qinglu’s unreasonable demands. Later, Lu Yao became accustomed to refusing, though he still felt sad inside.

What came so effortlessly to Fu Yanhuai was something Lu Yao had fought tooth and nail for. Lu Yao knew that whether it was clothes or the re-enrollment notice, Fu Yanhuai had never taken them seriously, but he had indeed recognized that Lu Yao deserved to have them.

Just like now, Lu Yao didn’t actually need or expect anyone’s affirmation, but he had been trapped in his own emotions for a long time. Fu Yanhuai sensed that this one sentence could bring Lu Yao some comfort. Just like in the beginning, when Fu Yanhuai told Lu Yao that he and Lu Qianxing were both Guan Qinglu’s children, and that Guan Qinglu’s favoritism didn’t change that fact—he could express his unwillingness.

Fu Yanhuai wasn’t invested in him, yet Lu Yao still couldn’t control his admiration. Now, Lu Yao didn’t like this side of Fu Yanhuai, because Fu Yanhuai made it impossible for him to maintain his inner peace.

"He’s my child. I have to take responsibility for him."

Lu Yao’s voice sounded steady, but he still didn’t turn his head.

"It’s what I should do."

"We’re here."

Lu Yao opened the car door to leave, but Fu Yanhuai spoke softly behind him, "If you’re tired, sleep in tomorrow morning. Next time, we’ll go to the hospital in the afternoon."

Lu Yao wouldn’t let the nanny comfort Nian Nian when his pheromone dependency flared up, just because of someone else’s suggestion; he would still do it himself. Fu Yanhuai couldn’t change Lu Yao’s mind, so he could at least change some other small things.

After getting out of the car, Lu Yao’s emotions were complex. Judging by Fu Yanhuai’s tone, he probably knew how much effort it took for Lu Yao to get Nian Nian to sleep at night.

What was the point? If it weren’t for him, Nian Nian wouldn’t be like this.

Back in his room, Lu Yao took out a vial of medicine. The liquid was the same as always. He waited for ten minutes, just like the previous three days, but his gland remained unresponsive.

"Alright."

Lu Yao sighed, put everything away, and opened the window to air out the room. "Looks like it might take a few months to recover."

He opened the door and went to the nursery next door. Xia Shiyue seemed determined to stay with Lu Yao for a while; he had gone home to fetch his belongings.

Wen Zheng was delighted by this. After all, the estate was spacious, and peers had more in common. She was happy that Xia Shiyue could spend time with Lu Yao.

"Almost five months now." Lu Yao sat cross-legged on the carpet, watching Nian Nian play with Cream. "Nian Nian really does seem to have grown a little."

Cream had also grown bigger, but he was still just a puppy.

"Do you feel lucky?"

Lu Yao watched quietly as Nian Nian whimpered and reached out toward him.

Lu Yao smiled, his eyes curving. "Being Nian Nian’s dad is also a very lucky thing."