The Child Raised by a Golden Retriever Boy-Mom - Chapter 10

Lu Yubai was nearly four years old and had still not spoken a single word.

He had been taken for numerous examinations by Feng You, which repeatedly proved that it was not a developmental issue. It was simply that the child was unwilling to speak. Feng You did not know what kind of trauma could leave such a deep scar in the heart of a child who was too young to even have clear memories.

“The child is still young. I suggest physical therapy and professional psychological counseling,” the doctor recommended.

The doctor advised Feng You to seek help at a more specialized children’s hospital that focused specifically on pediatric psychological issues. From outside the office came the sound of another parent scolding a child, sharply saying, “What does a kid as small as you have to be anxious about?”

Lu Yubai looked back curiously and locked eyes with that child, whose gaze was vacant and expression numb. This was a scene that played out frequently in the pediatric psychiatric department.

The doctor pushed up his glasses and frowned at Lu Yubai’s test results. He did not know how the child’s trauma had started. Seeing Feng You’s calm and patient demeanor, he did not seem like someone who would be hard on a child.

Worried that appearances might be deceiving, the doctor advised, “Life is unpredictable. The child did not choose to have this illness, so please do not blame him.”

Feng You, who was searching for the recommended hospital on his phone, looked up. His slightly drooping puppy eyes narrowed in confusion. He patted Lu Yubai’s head and said as a matter of fact, “Of course I will not blame him. This is not his fault.”

Even if blame were to be assigned, it would be the fault of Lu Yubai’s irresponsible Alpha father and his deceived Omega father.

Feng You contacted a doctor at a psychological hospital for children with special needs through an online appointment. He used a calculator to find the total price for the entire process and counted the zeros in the result. He had never seen so many zeros in a financial figure in his life. The money in his card was definitely not enough.

The wealthy Omega stepfather sent a payment at the beginning of every month, but it was only slightly more than the living costs of an average family. He likely just had his assistant send the money on a schedule.

The simplest way was to ask President Lu for the money. An amount that could crush an ordinary family was nothing more than pocket change to a CEO. Feng You did not care about his pride. He would take the child to the company to ask President Lu for money. Even if just for his public image, President Lu would give it to him.

The child’s treatment could not be delayed. Feng You attempted to send an email to President Lu’s public inbox.

While making dinner, Feng You was busy in the kitchen wearing an apron when he suddenly heard the child crying. He immediately turned off the stove and ran out of the kitchen without even putting down the spatula.

The television was playing a jewelry advertisement, proclaiming it as the brand selected for President Lu’s wedding of the century. The faces of President Lu and his marriage partner appeared on the screen. As a model business couple envied by countless people, they displayed diamond rings on their fingers amidst various dazzling special effects.

Lu Yubai was crying intensely. His heart-wrenching sobs almost drowned out the sound of the television commercial. His voice had not been used in a long time, but the moment he saw those familiar faces and heard those familiar voices, he began to howl in a sudden stress response.

After a period of wailing, he could not catch his breath. He coughed a few times and then started howling again.

Feng You had never seen Lu Yubai like this. He immediately turned off the television, pulled the child into his arms, lifted him from the floor, and held him tightly against his body. Feng You coaxed him just as he did when Lu Yubai was much smaller, his palm gently and rhythmically patting the child’s back. He carried Lu Yubai around the living room, swaying gently as he walked in circles.

His soft, slow voice lingered in Lu Yubai’s ear. The low tone was full of invisible strength, holding him tightly and creating a barrier that shut out all danger.

“Do not cry, little treasure. I have chased all the bad guys away. You will always be by my side.”

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Yubai finally grew tired of crying and his voice softened. The familiar, warm scent slowly peeled away the instinctive stress response and smoothed over the fear etched into his instincts.

He leaned against his Golden Retriever Mommy’s shoulder, his head foggy and unclear. Instinctively, he opened his mouth and rubbed against the crook of Mommy’s neck. When he was stressed, he wanted to bite something most of all, so Lu Yubai bit the nearest thing, which was Feng You’s neck.

Feng You leaned against the window, resting his forehead and rubbing his throbbing temples. Even though the child did not have an Alpha’s ability to mark people, having sharp, hard teeth bite into an Omega’s fragile gland still made Feng You’s vision swim.

He let out a heavy sigh, leaned against the window, and gently squeezed the back of the child’s neck with his fingers.

He could not go to President Lu. He could not let Lu Yubai have any chance of seeing that person. Feng You hoped that President Lu would be sensible enough to see the email and send the money directly. However, he also worried that the man’s malice toward an illegitimate child might lead him to do something to harm the child to eliminate any future trouble once they were found.

He felt a bit of lingering fear. Even in a society governed by law, would President Lu quietly create an accident to make an illegitimate child disappear from the world?

When he snapped back to reality, Lu Yubai was no longer crying. He was seriously licking the beads of blood he had bitten out of his Golden Retriever Mommy. He had completely recovered from the sudden state of stress and calmed down as if he had taken a sedative. The sensation of having the crook of his neck bitten and bleeding was very unpleasant, but Feng You did not stop the child’s unrestrained behavior.

It had not been easy to get Lu Yubai out of that state of stress; it was fine to indulge the child in doing something he liked. Feng You leaned his head against the window, thinking about his next move. A layer of sweat had formed on his body at some point, and his thin shirt was damp and sticking to him.

Feng You felt that the child was growing very fast. He was more effort to carry than when they first met. After walking around the living room for a while, his arms felt a slight, rare ache. He supported his waist with one hand and squeezed it through the belt of his apron.

The child sat on his arm with his legs against his waist, finally letting go of the poor neck. He pressed his cheek against Mommy’s soft chest and listened to the strong heartbeat. His breathing synchronized with the rhythm.

“Little treasure, I will not let anyone else hurt you. I will protect you well. So do not be afraid. Grow up well.”

Feng You held the child tightly, swaying him gently as usual.

“Mommy will protect you.”

This was the first time he had referred to himself this way. Hearing the word “Mommy,” Lu Yubai straightened his body. His arms moved up and down for some reason, and he bobbed in Feng You’s arms. He became happy whenever he heard those two words. Even when Xia Chang’an called for his own mother, Lu Yubai’s gaze would follow the older boy.

Hearing this title from Feng You’s mouth made Lu Yubai visibly even happier. Feng You realized that this way of coaxing the child was more effective than any other method.

“I told you, if you call for Mommy when you need me, I will appear.”

Feng You squeezed the child’s face, which was covered in tear stains but smiling happily.

“Mommy will not lie to a child.”

Lu Yubai still did not speak, but he smiled even more happily.

Feng You cleaned up the luxury goods in the storage room and went to a reputable shop to sell them as second hand luxury items. The money was more than he had imagined. It was enough to last through the early stages, but it was not enough for the entire process.

The email he had sent remained unanswered. Feng You did not intend to send any more. If President Lu knew that his illegitimate child was a burden and a hidden danger that could trigger a public relations crisis at any time, he would surely find a way to eliminate that danger. How could an Alpha who publicized his image as a loving husband across all media have any goodwill toward Lu Yubai?

The second hand shop manager saw their difficulty and kindly suggested, “I cannot take these paintings here, but they look quite valuable to me. I know an auction house. Famous paintings need the right buyer to make an offer. You can go try there.”

Feng You thanked the manager and contacted the auction house. Fortunately, the kind owner of the auction house said he knew someone who was looking for authentic works by famous artists to choose as a birthday gift for a grandfather who loved art.

“Although he is a very young kid, he is the direct grandson of a listed group and a future CEO. His private savings are enough to buy them,” the auction house owner explained.

Feng You traveled around tirelessly with the child and finally met the wealthy nth generation kid who was supposedly interested in his paintings.

“Little President Mu, this is the painting you wanted to select. I have brought it.”

The fifteen year old Alpha youth, Mu Jingyi, the certain future heir of the Mu Group, already looked like a little adult in his custom suit.

“Please do not be so formal, and there is no need for titles. You are older than me; I should call you Brother.”

A child raised with the strict upbringing of a wealthy family, he was refined, humble, and polite.

“I have seen this painting before. It is by an artist my grandfather likes very much. If you want to sell it, what price are you looking for?”

Feng You handed over the written figure with both hands.

“I have some other paintings at home. If Little President Mu wants them, I can package them all together for you.”

“I do not need the other paintings, but I can accept this price for this one alone.”

Seeing the other party’s eagerness to sell paintings in bulk, Mu Jingyi became slightly suspicious. Adopting a business negotiation attitude, he said seriously, “I may need to understand the source of the painting and the reason for the urgent sale. After all, I am using this as a birthday gift. I do not want it to have an unclear origin.”

If it were from stolen funds, it would be even more unlucky. The language of the negotiation was sharp, making it feel as if he would start pressuring the price or negotiating conditions at any second. Feng You felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

He pulled Lu Yubai, who had been sitting idly by, over to him and earnestly told a story, only slightly blurring the true identity of President Lu. He worked hard to keep this promising client, nearly pulling out the medical test results as well. Feng You felt that the assistant, who had been dazing off in boredom, was now casting an eager, gossip seeking gaze toward him.

“Do not be nervous. I understand. If you need money urgently, we can sign the contract and handle the procedures now. Having a father like that is really… it is not easy for a single parent to raise a child.”

Mu Jingyi’s attitude softened. He was well traveled in the world of wealthy families, and this kind of gossip was just a minor matter.

Feng You frowned. Had he not explained clearly enough? How on earth had he made Mu Jingyi misunderstand that he was Lu Yubai’s biological Omega father? Perhaps it was because of his robust physique; he did not look like an underage Omega.

When signing the contract, Mu Jingyi looked at the copy of Feng You’s ID card.

“Wait, seventeen years old? You are a minor?”

Mu Jingyi’s complicated gaze moved to Lu Yubai, who was hugging his Golden Retriever Mommy’s leg.

“How old is this kid? You, thirteen years old… wait, his father broke the law, did he not? Perhaps you need legal aid?”

The gossip filled gazes of the assistant and the bodyguards once again turned toward Feng You in unison.