OFTLHFRO C67

Chapter 67: Truly Not His Birth Mother…

After swallowing one pill, Chen Xiuyue’s heartbeat grew a bit stronger.

Realizing the medicine was working, Luo Mingchen fed her another.

After a while, Chen Xiuyue slowly opened her eyes and looked weakly at Luo Mingchen.

Seeing her awaken, Luo Mingchen let out a breath. “Auntie, it’s good you’re awake. I’ll take you to see a doctor.”

With that, he hoisted her onto his back and hurried out.

Lying against his back, Chen Xiuyue said weakly, “I’m a little tired. I want to sleep for a while… Help me tell Yun’er to take good care of himself.”

“Auntie! You can’t sleep! If you sleep, Wen Liuyun will have no father, no mother—no family at all!”

Luo Mingchen couldn’t help remembering his own mother, who had also said she was tired and wanted a nap, and then never opened her eyes again.

Hearing him, Chen Xiuyue tried to force her eyes open, but her eyelids felt so heavy.

“Don’t sleep!”

Power gathered in Luo Mingchen’s legs, and he moved as fast as the wind, leaving passersby stunned.

The trip to the clinic that normally took a quarter of an hour was completed in no time.

The moment he entered, Luo Mingchen shouted, “Doctor! Help!”

Those inside the clinic jumped, and one medicine boy was nearly knocked over by the gust he brought in.

The doctor, a man who had seen much of the world, stood and said, “Quick, lay the patient on the wooden couch.”

“Alright.”

Luo Mingchen set Chen Xiuyue down. Her sleeping face was pale, her hands and feet icy, her whole body cold.

While taking her pulse, the doctor asked, “What’s her medical history? Did she faint suddenly?”

“I—I’m not sure. I heard she’s worn down by years of toil and has angina. She probably passed out from the chest pain. I gave her some medicine. On the way, she said a few words to me, then fell asleep…”

The doctor shot him a reproachful look, but still took the pulse carefully, his brows knitting deeper and deeper.

Luo Mingchen’s heart climbed to his throat. “Doctor, is she… beyond saving?”

The doctor said, stung, “How could you curse your own mother like that? Her pulse is steady. It seems she’s simply fallen into a deep sleep, not fainted as you said…”

Asleep…?

Luo Mingchen and the doctor stared at each other, and he said awkwardly, “She’s not my mother.”

The doctor blinked. “Then why did you run so fast and shout so loud?”

“Well…”

Scratching his head, Luo Mingchen said, “She’s a friend’s mother.”

“Oh.”

The doctor examined her again. “But for her to still be sleeping after you carried her here at that speed—and showing no sign of waking now… What did you give her?”

“Just… a pill given by a man of great skill. He said it could save a life. I fed her two.”

The doctor chose not to judge, merely saying, “Very well. Leave her here at the clinic for observation. Also, bring her son— I need to know her prior conditions and what medicines she’s taken.”

“Alright.”

Before leaving, Luo Mingchen still asked, “She’s really alright?”

“…She’s fine. And even if she weren’t, what could you do? Go, fetch the family.”

That made sense. He’d already brought her to the clinic and given the pills. If she didn’t make it, there was nothing more to be done.

But when she lay against his back, Luo Mingchen had remembered his mother, and panic had seized him.

On his resigned way home to get help, he ran into Huo Yan coming to find him.

Luo Mingchen strode quickly toward him.

Seeing he was unharmed, Huo Yan asked, “Was it Aunt Chen who fainted?”

“Mm… Why did you come?”

It hadn’t felt like he’d been gone that long.

“I saw the shop door open but neither of you inside,” Huo Yan said. “I asked around. They said you’d left carrying someone. I guessed you’d gone to the clinic.”

“Let’s go back for Wen Liuyun. The doctor needs him to explain her medical history.”

On the road, Luo Mingchen suddenly felt his hand being taken.

He looked at Huo Yan, puzzled. “What is it?”

Huo Yan felt a deep sadness radiating from him—different from before. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Still low in spirits, Luo Mingchen felt the warmth in his palm and couldn’t help a faint smile, squeezing Huo Yan’s hand tight.

Now, he wasn’t alone.

If his mother could see him, she would be glad for him, surely?

Back home, they found Wen Liuyun in the room adjusting the zither strings. “Set the zither down. There’s something we need to tell you.”

“Hm?”

As told, Wen Liuyun set the zither aside and came over. “What is it?”

“Aunt Chen collapsed at the shop not long ago. I took her to the clinic. The doctor says you should come and describe her prior medications and exact conditions.”

At his words, Wen Liuyun went blank for a moment; darkness edged his vision, and he stumbled toward the door.

“Hey! Wait!”

Suddenly remembering something, Luo Mingchen caught him and pressed a silver ingot into his hand. “Take this. If it’s not enough, tell me.”

When all was said and done, her collapse had something to do with them. The recurrence of an old illness could lead anywhere; fronting the medical costs was only right.

Forcing himself to steady, Wen Liuyun accepted the silver and bowed. “Thank you.”

Then he hurried out.

Seeing their two fathers so grave, Huo Xiang asked carefully, “Daddy, will Granny Chen be alright?”

“The doctor said she’s in a deep sleep. It’s nothing serious.”

Luo Mingchen didn’t really know whether those two pills had side effects; he’d never taken them himself, nor seen anyone else take them.

In his panic, he’d given her two. The condition had only somewhat improved; who knew if it wouldn’t worsen later, despite the doctor saying her pulse was steady?

Hearing this, Huo Yuhui and Huo Xiang relaxed a little.

After dinner, seeing that Luo Mingchen was still worried, Huo Yan offered to go check on things.

But it was late, and Luo Mingchen didn’t feel safe leaving the three children at home, so he told Huo Yan to go and come back quickly, while he himself sat at the gate with Huo Xinyue in his arms to wait for news.

After washing the dishes, Huo Yuhui, and after wiping the table, Huo Xiang, both noticed their Little Daddy sitting at the door and went to join him.

They felt he seemed a little different from before…

Huo Yuhui glanced at Huo Xiang, then said, “Little Daddy, why don’t you rest first? We can keep watch here.”

Coming back to himself, Luo Mingchen smiled at them. “That’s what I should be saying to you.”

“But…”

Before Huo Yuhui could finish, Huo Xiang pointed and shouted, “They’re back!”

“Hm?”

Looking in the direction Huo Xiang pointed, Luo Mingchen saw a carriage.

When it drew nearer, Huo Xiang’s face fell. “It’s not Daddy…”

That smell of blood…

Luo Mingchen’s guard went up sharply. He stood and said, “Xiaohui, take your brother and sister inside.”

Hearing the change in his tone, Huo Yuhui didn’t ask a thing—he scooped up his sister, grabbed his brother’s hand, and headed for the house.