Chapter 10 Stay-at-home Dad 10

Chapter 10: Nanny Dad 10

Night fell.

The lights in the luxurious hospital room went out.

Fang Zhixu turned off the alarm clocks set for 8:00, 8:05, 8:10... 8:30, lined up like a row of soldiers, and lay down comfortably on the soft bed.

No work tomorrow; he was starting a two-week paid vacation, with over eighty thousand in daily interest coming in.

His head was spinning. The number on his bank card was so long it felt like a scam—he told himself to stay grounded, but couldn't find any reason to complain—only pure bliss.

"Indeed, when Heaven is about to entrust a great task to a man..."

Fang Zhixu concluded before bed. He was just born lucky.

"Rustle, rustle—"

The sweet smile on Fang Zhixu's lips vanished abruptly. His eyes snapped open. What was that sound?

He shrank his neck and burrowed under the covers.

"Scratch, scratch—"

It came from the window.

The noise was especially jarring in the silent night. Something sharp seemed to scrape against the glass, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, producing a crisp and eerie sound.

The lump of blankets trembled slightly.

Fang Zhixu was afraid of ghosts.

His cousin had scared him before.

Could there be something wrong with this money?!

The noise outside continued, a thin, sharp scraping sound slowly across the glass, followed by a *creak* as the window seemed to be pushed open.

Fang Zhixu gasped, his mind going blank.

"...Brother~"

"Brother, are you asleep?"

"Brother~"

A light *thump* as paws hit the windowsill, then a familiar voice called out.

Fang Zhixu's mouth twitched. "..."

He angrily threw off the covers and sat up. "Lu Yanli!"

"Here!"

The Little Wolf King, who'd climbed up and snuck into the ward, stood on all fours by the bed, looking up at him. "Hey there."

Fang Zhixu: "I'm not."

"Why not?!" Lu Yanli's tone was urgent. He hastily jumped onto the bed.

But just as his paws touched the bed rail, he slipped and *thudded* onto the floor.

His legs were too short.

"..."

Fang Zhixu: "..."

Lu Yanli acted as if nothing had happened, scrambled up, then thought it over and felt wronged. He looked up again. "Brother, I hurt myself falling."

He even lifted a front paw toward him.

To raise the left front paw, he had to lift his right foot to keep balance.

This Little Cotton looked like he was doing Pilates.

"Little Cotton, are you here to—" Fang Zhixu laughed, sat on the edge of the bed, and lowered his feet.

A sliver of light from outside came through the window, casting a shadow over the delicate top of his foot. The hospital gown's pant legs were loose, making his ankles look extremely slender, with elegant bones and no extra flesh.

Lu Yanli shuffled over to Fang Zhixu's feet, rubbed his nose against the ankle bone, and swayed his furry head side to side.

"...That tickles a bit." Fang Zhixu couldn't help but laugh, lifting his foot.

Then he felt a warm, wet tongue licking the sole of his foot—quick, eager little licks that sent a wave of tingling and numbness through his skin.

Fang Zhixu was super ticklish, and he toppled sideways onto the bed.

*Knock, knock—*

"Xiao Zhi, you asleep?"

Just then, a soft knock came from outside the door, followed by Su Yanche's gentle voice.

Fang Zhixu sat up. "Not yet."

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

The hospital door opened from outside, light seeping in along the crack, and a tall, slender figure stood at the entrance.

"Can I turn on the light?"

Fang Zhixu was touched by Su Yanche's polite demeanor—so courteous. He nodded. "Go ahead."

*Click*, the light came on.

The ward was brightly lit.

Su Yanche's gaze swept the room, landing on Fang Zhixu sitting on the bed. The hospital gown hung loosely on him, making him look particularly thin, his cheeks flushed.

His gaze dropped, and he saw the elder brother he'd been looking for sprawled by Fang Zhixu's feet. He sneered inwardly.

Quite the nighttime activity—sneaking in here to lick feet.

"So here you are."

Fang Zhixu saw Su Yanche walk in and was taken aback. "What's here?"

Su Yanche picked up the windbreaker from the sofa, gently unfolded it, then walked to the bedside and draped it over his shoulders. "I thought the Little Wolf King had gone to bed, but when I went to his room, I found he had 'escaped.'"

"Huh?" Fang Zhixu tilted his head and laughed. "Lu Yanli escaped from his birdcage again?"

Su Yanche met those bright, sparkling eyes, so different from the blood-soaked person that day, and his heart eased. "Yeah."

"Hey."

Lu Yanli, blocked by the bed, quickly backed away. Seeing the two of them smiling at each other, he erupted in jealousy, spinning furiously and thumping his tail on the ground. "Fang Zhixu, I ran out for you, and you're smiling at him! He's going to take me back!"

"You're so fierce after escaping?" Fang Zhixu gripped the edge of the bed and pointed a finger at him from a distance. "Don't you know Teacher Xiao Su was worried about you?"

He knew Principal Su was punishing Lu Yanli by keeping him in the birdcage all week, but such confinement seemed nothing to Lu Yanli.

This also made him realize that this little guy wasn't what he seemed—his pretty, cute appearance was just a facade.

This guy had a big temper.

"But I missed you." Lu Yanli nuzzled against Fang Zhixu's feet.

Yet the moment he stuck out his tongue, someone grabbed the scruff of his neck and lifted all four paws off the ground.

"Go back. Don't disturb Teacher Xiaozhi's rest." Su Yanche picked up Lu Yanli with one hand and wrapped him in the windbreaker, bundling him into a ball of fluff.

"Su Yanche!!" The cotton ball struggled angrily.

A fierce but adorable roar echoed through the ward.

Fang Zhixu watched the cotton ball, completely powerless, wrapped in the coat, with only his voice putting up a bluff.

He raised his hand and waved slightly at Lu Yanli. "Oh, go back. I'll see you when I start work."

"Wuwuwu... no..." Lu Yanli looked up in despair, his eyes teary. "Brother, we haven't even parted, and I'm already missing you."

Fang Zhixu softened, but then said seriously, "But you made a mistake, and you have to accept the punishment."

"This lousy birdcage can't hold me!" Lu Yanli growled angrily.

"There are plenty more birdcages," Su Yanche said mercilessly.

Lu Yanli bared his teeth in rage.

"You go back." Fang Zhixu reached out and patted the cotton ball wrapped in the coat, smiling at him. "As long as you reflect seriously on what you did, we can meet again."

"Really?" Lu Yanli choked out, sobbing, his eyes full of hope as he looked at him. "Brother, you'll plead for me and let me out of the birdcage, right?"

Fang Zhixu scratched his head. "...Uh."

Lu Yanli: "No 'uh.'"

Fang Zhixu smiled. "I'll try." After all, he was a patron who could make him rich; there was no reason not to humor him.

"Alright then." Lu Yanli gave in reluctantly. He awkwardly poked a paw out of the coat. "You have to remember to miss me."

"Mm-hmm."

"Every day."

"Mm-hmm."

"Don't hate me."

"Mm-hmm."

"Then say you like me."

Fang Zhixu's lips curved into a faint smile, and his eyes crinkled. "I like you."

"Then get some rest." Su Yanche's expression was indifferent.

Fang Zhixu looked at Su Yanche and nodded. "Okay, you be careful on your way back."

"The temperature difference in the reserve is big—remember to dress warmly."

Su Yanche added a few more words of advice, then unceremoniously grabbed the cotton ball in his arms and left.

The ward door closed slowly.

"Brother, if you sneak out again to find Xiao Zhi in the middle of the night, don't blame me if I ask Father for a bulletproof birdcage."

Lu Yanli lounged like a lord in his brother's arms. "What are you jealous of?"

"Jealous of what?" Su Yanche chuckled. "Staying up all night being jealous would mean I have too much free time."

"Brother, you're jealous that I marked him."

The Little Wolf King's tone no longer sounded like his usual childish whining.

"How could that be? I won't fight my brother over something."

.

After half a month of rest and several nighttime operations to catch the Little Wolf King, Fang Zhixu finally left the medical building.

During the follow-up checkup, Doctor Li still fussed over him: "Xiaozhi, you're too thin. Eat more."

"And remember, avoid strenuous exercise for the next half year. Avoid running and jumping to give all your organs enough time to recover."

Fang Zhixu tucked Lu Yanli under his arm, lifted his shirt, and glanced down at his belly. "So I can't work out?"

"You work out?" Su Yanche, standing nearby, asked with a smile.

Lu Yanli's eyes narrowed, and he reached out a paw to pull Fang Zhixu's shirt down. "Brother's tummy is round."

Fang Zhixu, annoyed, ruffled the cotton ball's head. "You're the one who's round!"

After he was discharged, Su Yanche dragged the howling Lu Yanli away.

He first went back to the dorm to pack his things.

The base had handled all the paperwork for his work injury without him having to worry about anything, including taking him to collect a check for fifty million, accompanying him to the bank to deposit it. The bank manager looked at him as if he were a deity, nearly ready to worship him.

Then he opted for a large certificate of deposit, and every month he could simply wait for 85,000 in interest to arrive.

He had become rich overnight.

Fang Zhixu lay on the soft large bed, staring at the balance in his mobile banking app, so excited that he kissed the screen.

He would go through fire and water for the base without hesitation!

...

The next day.

"Zhixu, are you sure you can go back to work? Don't you need to rest a bit more?"

Fang Zhixu walked side by side with Principal Su on the corridor leading to the snow wolf activity room, demonstrating his limbs: "Yeah, I'm fine. See, nothing's wrong."

Now he wished he could work every day and fight for the base!

Principal Su touched his head: "What about your head? Still dizzy?"

"No, I haven't felt dizzy or thrown up after resting for so long."

Principal Su lowered his hand and asked knowingly: "Any discomfort anywhere on your body?"

Fang Zhixu shook his head: "No."

Principal Su pondered for a moment: "Any discomfort in your stomach?"

Fang Zhixu: "?" He didn't know why Principal Su was asking that. "No."

"Doctor Li said you still haven't had that ultrasound, right?"

Fang Zhixu remembered what Doctor Li had told him the day before, hesitantly nodded: "Yeah." Then he asked curiously: "Why do I need an ultrasound? I didn't even fall there."

"The Wolf King's Blood of the snow wolf has powerful abilities. I'm worried it might change your constitution. Currently, we can't determine what other effects it might have on your body; we need to keep observing. Doctor Li should be checking on your condition for a while," Principal Su said. "If it really does change your constitution, would you be scared?"

Fang Zhixu waved his hand: "Scared of what? I'm not afraid at all. I fell that badly and came out unscathed. This Wolf King's Blood must be a great treasure. I'm really lucky!"

Over the past half month, he ate well and slept well. The nurses in the medical building were so gentle, and Su Yanche even came by occasionally to keep him company, saying he would take him on for graduate studies and guide him through research projects.

He didn't dare say he felt like he was on vacation, afraid his thoughts might be overheard, scared to lose this job that gave him such a strong sense of happiness.

Anyway, he absolutely couldn't lose this job!

"Are you sure there's no discomfort?"

"It's fine, Principal Su. I think the Wolf King's Blood is so powerful that it must be a good thing. I've accepted it."

Seeing Fang Zhixu smile so innocently and naively, Principal Su felt quite guilty inside.

This whole thing happened because of his eldest son's antics. He couldn't be sure if Fang Zhixu would be affected like he himself was, becoming able to bear children. All he could do was have Doctor Li keep a close eye on the kid and find a way to keep him here.

No matter how much money it took, he had to keep Fang Zhixu.

He knew this guy was a little money-grubber. Fortunately, money meant nothing to him. As long as problems could be solved with money, they were the simplest.

"Xiao Zhi, how about I give you a raise?"

Fang Zhixu froze: "?"

Not again! This was terrifying. Was the base suffering from inflation or something?

Principal Su's tone was gentle and persuasive: "If it weren't for Yanli, you wouldn't have gotten into trouble. And thanks to you, his temperament has improved a lot during this time. So giving you a raise is only right."

Fang Zhixu felt a bit embarrassed: "Actually, the base has already given me great benefits..."

"How about this: I'll add another ten thousand to your monthly salary, give you a year-end bonus of two hundred thousand, and besides the ten days of annual leave, an extra half-month of free travel vacation. You can choose any place in the world, and I'll cover all expenses."

Fang Zhixu's mind went blank.

Let all industries set their internal competition standards this way, instead of piling work for multiple people onto one person.

Monthly salary of forty thousand, year-end bonus of two hundred thousand—that adds up to an annual salary of six hundred and eighty thousand, plus weekends off, winter and summer breaks, no overtime, half-month free travel, and a car and apartment provided.

Excluding the compensation, he had landed such a job so young, and so easily.

He wanted to work here for a lifetime!

"Any concerns?" Principal Su saw his hesitation and thought he might have been too conservative. "How about I add another twenty thousand to your monthly salary?"

Fang Zhixu was so startled he waved his hands frantically: "No, no, no, no need. I'm not worth that much. That's enough, that's plenty. Let's talk again after I get into graduate school."

"It's fine. As long as you stay, these things are nothing," Principal Su said sincerely, thinking to himself that his younger son had done well—guiding him to study hard and do research, willing to stay at the reserve—this was the best outcome.

Fang Zhixu thought, this was too sincere. His eyes welled up as he took Principal Su's hand: "Don't worry, Principal Su, I'll work hard!!"

Principal Su couldn't help but laugh: "Good. But you still need to take care of yourself at work. Yanli managed to turn into a human in a critical moment, even if not for long—that's also thanks to you. But don't indulge him too much."

"Mm-hmm, I'll criticize him when he deserves it! I'll be a strict Teacher Xiaozhi!"

"There's one thing I hope you can keep confidential."

Fang Zhixu asked: "What?"

"The Wolf King's Blood of the snow wolf clan is extremely precious, and it's something evildoers will go to great lengths to obtain. So you must never tell anyone that the Wolf King's Blood saved you. Don't tell any other researchers besides Yan Che. As for you falling into the pit and coming back to life, we've officially told everyone you just had some scratches and bruises."

Fang Zhixu listened in silence, his heart shaken. Even though he taught and raised wolves, protecting rare animals was still a very meaningful job!

"Besides me, Yan Che, the doctor, you, and Lu Yanli, no one else will know."

Fang Zhixu heard the seriousness in Principal Su's tone and nodded firmly: "Okay, I definitely won't tell."

"Teaching Yanli to transform into a human is the top priority for the entire base. It's tough on you. He only listens to you now." Principal Su saw Fang Zhixu's thin frame—after resting for a while, he looked even skinnier—and couldn't help but worry: "Starting today, I'll have the kitchen give you extra meals. You need to eat more; you're too thin."

Fang Zhixu scratched his head: "I'm trying hard to eat. No need for too much."

Principal Su smiled: "What, can't I be good to you?"

Fang Zhixu lowered his hand and looked down: "I just feel a sense of unreality. The base is great, everyone is great."

The money he got when he first joined paid off his parents' debts, freeing him from those burdens.

But those who were blood-related instead treated him like a bloodsucker, constantly questioning where he got so much money, why he didn't help out the family first.

Even during his recovery, they kept calling from different numbers demanding money, saying they raised him and he didn't know how to support the household, calling him an ungrateful wolf, saying they wished they had never taken him in.

"Is there anyone else in your family?"

Fang Zhixu looked at Principal Su. The other was so gentle that he let down his guard: "My parents passed away when I was 13, and then I lived with my uncle and aunt."

"Did you suffer any grievances?"

Fang Zhixu rarely talked about his family matters with others, because he felt there was no need to make people pity or sympathize with him, nor did he want to burden them with his story.

But he was the first person ever to ask him that.

—"Have you been wronged?"

He was orphaned and had to live with relatives just to get an education. When did he ever have time to feel wronged? He wished he had 48 hours a day to work and support himself.

"It's not about being wronged or not. They raised me out of kindness; if they hadn't, I couldn't have forced them to. Now that I have a job, I'm in charge of my own life from now on." Fang Zhixu smiled calmly. "It's all in the past."

"As long as you're willing, the base is your home." Principal Su noticed Fang Zhixu's straight back—though thin, he had a quiet, stubborn strength. "If they give you trouble, I'll back you up."

Fang Zhixu was deeply moved. "Don't worry, Su Yuan. I will definitely raise Yanli well!

I'll raise him as if he were my own son!"