Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Fu Yanhuai’s sleep was restless, a vague sense of presence in his dreams, yet he couldn't awaken.

It was past eight in the evening when he finally stirred awake, grateful for the severe fever that had granted him a long, deep sleep.

The room was quiet and empty. Unless absolutely necessary, the butler would never intrude upon his bedroom.

Fu Yanhuai rubbed his temples and sat up. The sleep had somewhat alleviated his exhaustion, though his neck still throbbed. Having gone too long without food, his stomach gnawed with a burning ache.

Loss of appetite was a common side effect of gland damage. Fu Yanhuai had been indifferent to food for a considerable time—a physiological response beyond his control.

Listless, Fu Yanhuai glanced at the other side of the bed, still vacant. The pillow’s owner had left home and never returned.

Fu Yanhuai languidly descended the stairs for water, surprised to find the butler in the living room.

Upon seeing Fu Yanhuai, Butler Yan immediately rose and hurried over. "Mr. Fu, you’re awake?"

Fu Yanhuai raised an eyebrow casually. Frequent fevers had become common for him lately, so why was the butler so agitated today?

"Yes," Fu Yanhuai said flatly as he walked past him. "Slept a bit longer than usual."

The butler followed hesitantly, a myriad of unspoken words on his lips. "Mr. Fu, you…"

Fu Yanhuai set down his glass, turned, and frowned at him. "What happened?"

The butler fumbled for words, looking troubled. "Well… nothing serious, actually."

Brushing him off, Fu Yanhuai finished his water and headed straight back upstairs to his bedroom.

"It’s about Mr. Lu."

Fu Yanhuai paused at the foot of the stairs. The butler sighed. "Mr. Lu visited today."

When Fu Yanhuai turned around, his expression was far from pleased. He frowned and asked, "What exactly does Lu Yao know?"

The butler, though reluctant, had no choice but to speak truthfully. "He probably knows… almost everything."

Fu Yanhuai took a deep breath. "Why did he suddenly come back today? Who allowed it?"

The butler dared not lie. "It was Mrs. Wen. Mr. Fu, it’s pointless to dwell on how this happened now. It couldn’t have been kept secret forever—Mr. Lu was bound to find out eventually."

"I know," Fu Yanhuai said, weariness etched on his face. "I just hoped he’d discover it after his gland had fully recovered."

The timing was awkward. Although Lu Yao had decided to discontinue gland treatment, learning now that the inducer was made from his own glandular fluid would likely make him feel pressured all over again.

After a moment of silence, Fu Yanhuai collected his thoughts. "The fever hasn’t completely broken. I’ll still return to the old house this weekend. Don’t disturb them these next few days."

The butler suggested cautiously, "Perhaps Mr. Lu doesn’t see it that way. Would you consider reaching out to him?"

Fu Yanhuai rejected the idea without hesitation. "That would make me seem too aggressive. It’s not good."

Fu Yanhuai stated firmly, "We’ll proceed as I said."

Unable to dissuade him—no one ever could once Fu Yanhuai made up his mind—the butler stood silently, watching him ascend the stairs.

Lu Yao dreamed again—this time, a serene and beautiful dream, so wonderful it felt as if all past hurts had never existed.

At 38 weeks into the pregnancy, Nian Nian was born full-term and healthy. Not only Fu Yanhuai, but also Fu Jizhong and Wen Zheng were present in the post-delivery room.

Fu Yanhuai clumsily spoon-fed Nian Nian milk. Nian Nian was uncooperative, and Fu Yanhuai frowned at him but patiently spooned the milk, bit by bit, into his mouth.

Wen Zheng bustled about the hospital room, directing Fu Jizhong to arrange everything perfectly. She insisted that even for a few days’ stay, it had to be comfortable.

The homemade soup was delicious. Lu Yao leaned back on the bed, smiling, content to simply watch them.

Just watching them like this filled him with such happiness that he wanted to cry.

When Lu Yao woke, the corners of his eyes were slightly damp. He blinked twice, looked down at the blanket, and murmured to himself, "It was a beautiful dream."

He then went to the adjacent nursery to check on Nian Nian. The fever had completely subsided, and after an exhausting day and night, Nian Nian was fast asleep, clutching his little dog toy.

Lu Yao quietly closed the door and went downstairs.

As soon as Lu Yao reached the living room, he saw Wen Zheng sitting there, attempting to dress Cream in a new puppy outfit. She was clearly distracted, as she had put the front legs on the back.

"Mom."

Lu Yao walked over calmly. "It’s on backward."

Only then did Wen Zheng realize her mistake and look down at the tiny outfit. Cream looked up innocently with wet eyes. Wen Zheng offered a tired smile. "I wasn’t paying attention."

Lu Yao crouched down to pet Cream. Without looking at Wen Zheng, he lowered his eyes and said softly, "The doctor treating my gland is very authoritative and experienced."

Wen Zheng instinctively replied, "You don’t have to force yourself because of this, Little Deer. Mom has always just hoped—"

"I know, Mom," Lu Yao said, looking up at her. "I’m not doing this against my will."

The way Fu Yanhuai was now made it seem as though he was putting Lu Yao through immense hardship. But regardless of Fu Yanhuai’s true intentions, Lu Yao couldn’t ignore the sacrifices others had made for him.

Lu Yao said frankly, "Our relationship issues are separate from this. I think there are some things we should discuss openly."

Wen Zheng froze for a moment. "That’s true."

But she quickly recovered, looking at Lu Yao hesitantly. "Then you…"

"Mom." Lu Yao didn’t want Wen Zheng to worry about him, nor did he want her to be torn between him and Fu Yanhuai.

Lu Yao knew that Wen Zheng loved him like her own child, but she was still Fu Yanhuai’s mother—that would never change.

"We’ll handle it ourselves," Lu Yao promised. "I’ll be back soon."

Fu Yanhuai didn’t know Lu Yao was coming. He had planned to go to the company as usual today, but a minor setback occurred.

His gland’s condition had worsened since yesterday. Fu Yanhuai was running a high fever again, suffering from stomach cramps, and the skin on the side of his neck had turned a deep purple.

Fu Yanhuai examined it closely. Logically, his gland should be necrotic by now.

He felt a sense of resignation. From the very beginning, when he decided to use his own glandular fluid to create the inducer, he had prepared himself for irreversible gland damage. Still, this situation was more severe than he had anticipated, and the process was proving to be agonizingly difficult.

Regardless, Fu Yanhuai had always been an S-class alpha, the golden boy of the capital, who had effortlessly navigated life until now. To claim he was entirely indifferent to the impending loss of this status would be a lie.

He felt some regret, but what he regretted more was not being able to go to the company.

This might have been his last opportunity to enter Fu Group as an S-class alpha. When he returned in the future, he would no longer possess a gland.

It would be a sensational piece of news. All his rivals, both overt and covert, would seize the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Fu Yanhuai and the Fu Group. The situation would undoubtedly be challenging, as rank suppression was absolute.

But going to the company in his current state would be tantamount to announcing the news prematurely. After some thought, Fu Yanhuai had no choice but to abandon the idea.

Fu Yanhuai didn’t want to go to the hospital; even if he did, it would be difficult to reverse this process. Rather than adding more unnecessary trouble and pain, he preferred to confront this harsh reality alone.

The sensation of his gland gradually withering was unpleasant, but Fu Yanhuai forced himself to actively accept it.

When Lu Yao arrived, Fu Yanhuai was in the upstairs bedroom. The butler was in the underground freezer, taking inventory of supplies, so Lu Yao didn’t encounter anyone familiar.

A maid nervously asked if Lu Yao needed water, but he shook his head.

"Where’s President Fu? Did he go to the hospital?"

"No," the maid replied cautiously. "President Fu was supposed to go to the company today, but he felt unwell at the last minute and decided not to go."

Lu Yao was surprised. "To the company? Wasn’t he still feverish yesterday? Is he better now?"

The maid looked bewildered. "We wouldn’t know. President Fu doesn’t like being disturbed too much."

A sudden surge of anger welled up in Lu Yao’s chest. He couldn’t quite explain why he was angry, but he was undeniably furious.

"I’ll go upstairs to check on him. Don’t bother announcing me."

The maid dared not utter another word. She watched Lu Yao ascend the stairs, then hurried off to find the butler.

When Lu Yao reached the bedroom door, he hesitated for a moment before pushing it open without knocking.

The room was dark, with blackout curtains drawn. It took Lu Yao a couple of seconds to adjust before he could barely discern the shapes inside.

Hearing the noise, Fu Yanhuai frowned deeply. Without opening his eyes, he snapped with irritation. "I said not to disturb me. Can’t you understand that?"

Lu Yao replied coldly, "Apparently not."

Hearing Lu Yao’s voice, Fu Yanhuai’s eyes snapped open in surprise, and he hastily sat up. "Lu Yao? What brings you here so suddenly—"

Lu Yao stood by the bed. Though he couldn’t clearly see the exact condition of Fu Yanhuai’s neck, he noticed there was no gauze or gland patch in place.

They were standing less than a meter apart, yet Lu Yao couldn’t smell anything.

The once-pervasive scent of Silver Fir seemed to have vanished entirely. Lu Yao knew how dominant an S-class alpha could be—even when he was still a beta, Fu Yanhuai’s pheromones had caused him discomfort, even triggering his secondary presentation into an omega.

But now, standing this close, Lu Yao detected nothing.

His voice turned razor-sharp. "What’s wrong with your gland?"

Fu Yanhuai automatically averted his gaze. "Nothing. Did Mom say something to you? I can’t go back to the old house today. Perhaps this weekend, in the afternoon—"

Lu Yao forcefully turned Fu Yanhuai’s head back, kneeling by the bed and fixated on the dark bruising on his neck.

"What is this?" Lu Yao glared at Fu Yanhuai furiously, as if to release pent-up frustration. "Is this your way of making it up to me? Destroying your own gland—do you think this will make me forgive you? That I should forgive you?!"

"I didn’t."

Fu Yanhuai’s voice sounded hoarse. "That was never my intention, Lu Yao. I’m sorry. I’ve failed you."

"I don’t want your apology!"

Lu Yao couldn’t keep his voice from rising. "Your apology isn’t what I want!"

He didn’t want Fu Yanhuai like this, yet he himself didn’t know what he truly wanted.

A tear splashed onto Fu Yanhuai’s hand. His heart twisted with guilt, and in that moment, he acknowledged his powerlessness.

"I don’t know what to do to bring you even a moment's happiness."

Fu Yanhuai offered a pained smile. "Just tell me what to do."