The Child Raised by a Golden Retriever Boy-Mom - Chapter 5

After Feng You failed for the countless time to get Lu Yubai to speak, he felt that something was very wrong. He remembered that the child used to cry, so reasonably, there should not be an issue with his vocal cords. To be safe, Feng You took Lu Yubai to the children’s hospital once again.

After a series of examinations, the medical report confirmed that Lu Yubai did not have any congenital deformities or physical developmental problems. The doctor adjusted his glasses and seriously flipped through the latest reports.

“In medicine, there is a professional term for childhood speechlessness called Selective Mutism,” the doctor explained. “This is a natural human self-protection mechanism triggered by psychological trauma. It is particularly easy to form before the age of three when a child lacks rational understanding. It is a stress response belonging to the category of anxiety disorders.”

Lu Yubai, who was sitting quietly on Feng You’s lap, looked up at the unfamiliar doctor and then turned to look at his familiar Golden Retriever Mommy. He did not say a word. He simply lowered his eyes and stared blankly at the report on the desk.

Feng You almost immediately thought of Lu’s father and that wealthy marriage partner. He recalled Qin Xiaotang saying that when Lu Yubai was younger, his life was filled with the sounds of crying and arguing. Perhaps there were even physical fights between the adults. Arguments and violence had saturated all the time the newborn child had spent in that home.

“So, what should I do?” Feng You asked.

“Avoid placing him in scenes that cause trauma and keep him in a stable, secure environment,” the doctor instructed carefully. “He is too young now and lacks independent consciousness, but his instinctive perception is highly developed. His perception of the environment is even sharper than that of an adult. When he gets older, if he still cannot speak, we will arrange professional guidance and treatment.”

Psychological healing is a long process. Given that Lu Yubai was truly too young, the doctor did not prescribe any medication. Feng You stroked the child’s fluffy head, smoothing down the short hair that had just grown in. Sympathy and the urge to protect the weak triggered Feng You’s Golden Retriever genes. Even the gaze he directed at Lu Yubai was filled with tender pity. For the first time, he felt that it would have been wonderful if he had known Lu Yubai even sooner, even though that possibility did not exist.

Lu Yubai stared at Feng You for a while, likely sensing the shift in atmosphere. He tilted his head against Feng You’s neck and gently rubbed his face against him.

Feng You stopped rushing to teach Lu Yubai how to speak, but he became more talkative than before. He wanted to speak to Lu Yubai more often, attempting to use a gentle voice to overwrite all the unpleasantness in the child’s memory. Speaking was not something to fear. While some people used sharp voices to argue and curse, others like Feng You would use soft, fine words to tell Lu Yubai stories. Feng You hoped this realization would gradually be carved into Lu Yubai’s mind.

When Feng You was free, he would flip through the storybooks Qin Xiaotang had given him and read them slowly to Lu Yubai. His voice was steady, clear, and warm. When he controlled his emotions and told stories slowly, it sounded like he was singing a gentle, rhythmic lullaby. He also occasionally told stories about the Omega Hybrid Factory, talking about the fluffy creatures he remembered leaving that place. There were cats, dogs, and other uncommon small animals.

The cub nestled entirely within the crook of his arm, blinking as he looked at the colorful pictures before him. He tilted his head and rested it on Feng You’s arm. The relaxed, solid muscle was even more comfortable than a pillow.

Lu Yubai listened very seriously at first, but eventually, his eyelids began to droop. He could not fully understand the meaning of every sentence, so Feng You’s narration sounded like a meaningless, slow beat that had a very hypnotic effect. Golden Retriever Mommy created a peaceful and warm atmosphere for him. Even if he fell asleep immediately, he did not have a single worry.

Humans instinctively resist exposing their weaknesses unless they trust someone enough. Lu Yubai became dependent on this warm embrace, and his mind built up an instinctive perception of warmth, softness, pleasant scents, and Mommy. As Lu Yubai drifted off to sleep, Feng You lowered the tone of his storytelling even further.

Feng You was always talking to a child who would not respond, but he did not feel it was a waste of time. He knew Lu Yubai could hear him. Repeatedly telling these stories would eventually allow the child to build a new understanding and become willing to open his mouth. This could not be rushed. Lu Yubai was only two years old. In the long trajectory of his life, the time when Golden Retriever Mommy was not in his life would eventually become a very small portion.

Lu Yubai could not speak, but his physical mobility was much better than that of an average child. When he began to actively crawl around on the floor, a tiny follower appeared behind Feng You. No matter where Feng You went in the house—whether he was doing chores in the kitchen or watering the flowers on the windowsill—the cub would follow closely behind him.

Occasionally, he could not keep up with Feng You’s pace. He would hurriedly scramble up from the floor, stumble for a few steps, and then fall with a thud. Even if he fell, he would not cry or make a sound. He would simply crawl back up and continue to follow. Feng You would intentionally slow down and wait for the child to catch up.

He watched as Lu Yubai, who had strong motor skills, taught himself how to walk and began pacing around the small space near Feng You’s feet. The cub marked out a territory around Feng You’s legs. As long as Feng You left that territory, the child would follow immediately. He dominated Feng You’s time and silently guarded his own territory.

Feng You covered the floor with a newly purchased thick carpet made of wool fleece so that it would not hurt no matter how the child fell. He also attached silicone soft tips to every table corner and thick sponge pads to any sharp edges. He carefully created a safe environment where Lu Yubai could roll and fall without feeling pain.

Since falling did not hurt or cause injury, Lu Yubai became even more reckless. He would run and crawl, often tripping over himself and landing face-first. He would climb back up from the floor dazed and sit on the soft, thick carpet without crying or making a fuss.

“Little one, come to me,” Feng You said. He stood a short distance away and opened his arms to Lu Yubai, who had just climbed up after a fall. Standing against the light, Golden Retriever Mommy looked like a solid wall, with his golden hair glowing. His shadow almost completely enveloped Lu Yubai, shielding the child’s small body. The warm light created a soft glow around him, giving him a gentle radiance.

Lu Yubai stood up and stumbled toward Feng You. The distance was only a step or two for an adult, but Lu Yubai had to move his short legs quickly to run over. He lunged into Feng You’s arms, burying his face in Feng You’s soft chest.

“You are so brave, little one,” Feng You said. He rubbed the child’s head and picked him up, letting him sit on his arm. “You are heavier than before. It seems you have been eating and drinking your milk well lately.”

Lu Yubai was now almost at eye level with Feng You. He looked out over his territory from his high vantage point, seeing the creamy yellow plush floor and the table corners that Feng You had wrapped up so securely.

Feng You carried Lu Yubai into the kitchen to cook. Even without using a waist stool for support, he could hold the child steadily with one arm. He made soft, finely chopped meals for children and even spent a little money to consult with nutritionists. A “Mommy” always has the ability to raise a child to be healthy and chubby, and Feng You was no exception.

The steam from the cooking surrounded them, feeling comfortable and warm in the winter. The entire kitchen was hot, and soon a thin layer of sweat appeared on Feng You’s forehead. The fragrant meal was soon ready. Lu Yubai stared intently at the bubbling small pot and instinctively swallowed his saliva.

“Our good boy is hungry after playing, right?” Feng You teased with a smile when he saw the child’s eyes light up. He placed Lu Yubai on his lap, blew on the soup in the spoon to cool it, and fed him bite by bite. Lu Yubai was very well-behaved while eating. He perfectly matched every online description of a “good child.” At an age where children are most prone to crying and screaming, he was incredibly quiet, nestled obediently in Golden Retriever Mommy’s arms day after day.

As the end of the year approached, Lu Yubai reached his second birthday. This was the first birthday for which Feng You was present in his life. A two-year-old child does not have many memories, but Feng You did not want to miss this occasion. Life requires a sense of ritual. Starting with this birthday, Golden Retriever Mommy would never miss another one of the child’s birthdays.

Feng You did not choose an expensive gift. He needed to save money for future treatments. Instead, he bought some velvet yarn, intending to knit a hat for the child to wear during the winter. A custom-made hat would fit better than one bought from a store, and it would be cheaper.

Feng You had never learned to knit. He only remembered the aunties at the factory knitting sweaters or cotton shoes for their children in their spare time. He found tutorials online and, being quite talented, learned how to do it just by following along.

It was rare to have bright sunshine in the winter, and it spilled diagonally into the room. Feng You sat on a rattan chair by the window wearing a fluffy old sweater. His fingertips hooked a light blue velvet thread as he carefully worked the stitches. The winter sun shone around him, making his golden dog tail glow beautifully. He knitted the brim of the hat row by row and then held it up to inspect it.

“Yubai, come here and try this on.”

Lu Yubai, who was chewing on a toy, turned his head and stumbled over, using both his hands and feet to climb onto Feng You. Feng You leaned down, picked him up, and placed him on his lap.

“Let us check the head circumference. I need to see if I need to add a few more stitches.”

Lu Yubai sat obediently and did not move, staring intently at Feng You’s movements. The brim of the hat went around his head, but it was a bit short and a little tight.

“I need to add a couple more stitches,” Feng You said. He took off the knitted brim and got back to work. Lu Yubai was attracted by the yarn in Feng You’s hands. He turned around to sit in Feng You’s lap and pinched the brim with his small hands.

“Do you want to play too? Shall I teach you?”

Lu Yubai nodded. His small hands got tangled in the velvet yarn, and somehow he managed to tie a knot around his own hand.

“I will teach you. First, do it like this.” Feng You patiently untied the knot on the child’s hand, held his hand, and looped the yarn over together. The large hand enclosed the small one, and their warm body temperatures pressed against each other, soon becoming sweaty.

It is hard for a child to sit still. Lu Yubai stared at the unchanging crochet hook for a while, then felt bored and began to lose focus. However, he seemed to love the feeling of being held tightly by Mommy. Even though his gaze had drifted to the patterns of the window shadows on the floor, he did not try to leave Feng You’s embrace.

Feng You saw that the child was distracted. He did not intend to make things difficult for Lu Yubai, so he picked the child up and set him down nearby.

“Go play, little one.”

Having received the instruction, Lu Yubai crawled toward the window. He followed the shadows of the window panes, jumping and stepping from one square to another. Lu Yubai, who had lost the ability to speak, seemed to have an even richer inner world and sense of perception. Feng You often did not quite understand his thought process, but it was very cute, like a little elf.

Feng You looked down at the crooked stitches, shook his head with a smile, unraveled the messy section, and began re-knitting the rows neatly. He softly hummed an unknown tune, lazily rocking on the rattan chair as he knitted the hat. The child jumped and played beside the rocking chair, listening to Mommy’s gentle song and entertaining himself.