TMDP CH 5

Chapter 5: Look at the kind of scum you’ve chosen!

At the entrance of the lakeside villa, Han Mingxiu frowned as he looked at Xia Ye, who was lying unconscious in a puddle. What kind of stunt is this? he thought, annoyed. Playing the pity card now, are we?

He squatted down to pull Xia Ye up, but as soon as he grabbed his wrist, he felt an abnormal heat. Checking Xia Ye’s forehead and chest, he realized he was burning up with a fever. Xia Ye’s body trembled slightly, the fever was bound to spike even higher.

“Uncle Gao, get the car ready!” Han Mingxiu shouted, sliding an arm under Xia Ye’s shoulder and hooking his other arm under Xia Ye’s legs to lift him up.

Butler Gao had been informed by Han Mingxiu the night before to prepare the lakeside villa for guests. Early in the morning, he and the staff were ready, but Han Mingxiu had stayed holed up in his room, only coming down a moment ago to glance outside through the window in silence. When he finally stepped out, Butler Gao had been on standby, immediately throwing a coat over Xia Ye’s shivering frame and hurrying to get the car.

On the way, Han Mingxiu had already contacted Han Junzhou, and as soon as the car pulled into the emergency lane, Junzhou met them with a gurney and medical staff. Amid a flurry of activity, Xia Ye was quickly admitted, hooked up to an IV, and stabilized in a hospital room.

“What’s going on here? Who is he? A friend of yours?” Junzhou asked, studying Xia Ye’s bloodwork with a frown. His vitals were poor. “He’s quite weak. I’d suggest a full check-up once his fever’s down. Also, his pheromone levels are unusually low—there could be a problem.”

Han Mingxiu nodded, recalling Xia Ye’s barely functional gland the last time they’d met. After seeing Junzhou out, he sat by Xia Ye’s bedside, quietly observing him. He’d lost weight. Though he’d known Xia Ye was already much thinner than he was three years ago, in just the past two weeks, Xia Ye looked even more frail lying there on the bed.

The room was silent, save for Xia Ye’s labored breathing. Suddenly, a ringtone echoed in the quiet room—an unfamiliar tune coming from Xia Ye’s bed. Han Mingxiu reached over and retrieved a phone from Xia Ye’s pocket just as the call ended. It immediately began ringing again with a persistent urgency.

The caller ID read: Mama Wang. After a moment of hesitation, Han Mingxiu answered the call.

“Mama Wang here! Xia Ye, where are you? Hurry and come back,” Mama Wang’s voice was immediate and bustling the moment the call connected. “Little Li woke up and has been fussing to see you. I have to head out soon myself and can only wait for another hour.”

“Hello, Mama Wang. This is Han Mingxiu,” Han Mingxiu replied, immediately recognizing the familiar, rapid, and lively voice. Mama Wang was Xia Ye’s former landlord, living right next door to his old apartment. He hadn’t expected them to still be in touch.

“Han Mingxiu?” Mama Wang paused for about thirty seconds, recalling who he was. “Oh! Little Han, it’s you! Finally back, huh? You don’t know how tough it’s been for Xia Ye, raising the child on his own all these years. I kept saying, out of all the times you could’ve chosen, you had to pick then to go abroad to study… Ah, forget it. You’re back, and that’s what matters.” Mama Wang’s voice held a mixture of relief and satisfaction.

Han Mingxiu, however, was filled with questions. Why had Xia Ye told people he went abroad? And why was he raising a child on his own? Where was his Alpha? He’d asked Xia Ye last time, and Xia Ye had claimed he didn’t have an Alpha. Han Mingxiu thought it had been a deflective answer, but now, hearing what Mama Wang said, it seemed he really had been on his own all these years. Why? Did his Alpha abandon him?

The thought of Xia Ye, once someone he had cherished, being treated so carelessly ignited a surge of anger within him. Despite his bitterness towards Xia Ye, when he had faced him pregnant in the office that day, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt him. He had reined in his anger and kept his pheromones in check to avoid causing distress to Xia Ye or his baby.

He glanced at Xia Ye lying asleep on the hospital bed, thinking to himself, Look at the kind of scum you chose.

“Hello? Hello?” Mama Wang’s voice interrupted his thoughts, her tone growing louder, assuming a bad signal. “Is anyone there? Can you hear me? Little Han? Where’s Xia Ye? Can you both get back soon?”

“Mama Wang,” Han Mingxiu pulled the phone slightly away from his ear to shield against her loud voice. “Xia Ye has a fever and is currently in the hospital. Are you unable to watch the child? If so, I can send someone to pick him up.”

“Xia Ye’s back in the hospital? Honestly, he never takes proper care of himself! A young man’s health worse than mine, an old lady’s! You need to give him a good talking-to and make sure he actually rests and recovers this time before he leaves. Go ahead and send someone to pick up the child.”

Back in the hospital?

Mama Wang continued to vent, grumbling about Xia Ye’s neglect for his own health. But beneath her words was a subtle urging for Han Mingxiu to show him more care.

Han Mingxiu hung up the phone in silence and called Butler Gao, instructing him to pick up the child. His thoughts were a tangle of emotions after learning that Xia Ye had been raising a child alone in the same cramped, rented apartment and had been living frugally all this time. He’d even heard that Xia Ye’s only remaining family had passed away.

His grandfather had passed away. No wonder Xia Ye had broken down crying the last time he’d mentioned his grandfather.

“Young Master,” Butler Gao quickly retrieved the child and called Han Mingxiu, sounding somewhat puzzled. “I’ve picked up the young master. Where would you like me to take him?”

“The young master?” Han Mingxiu, lost in his thoughts, momentarily forgot about sending Butler Gao to pick up the child. “Oh, you mean the child,” he muttered, feeling a bit troubled. Toddlers around two or three were notoriously difficult to manage, and he doubted that Butler Gao, a lifelong bachelor, had any experience caring for children. “Find someone trustworthy to look after him. Aunt Juan should be good with kids. Have her care for him for a few days.”

“You want me to take him home?” Butler Gao was astonished by Han Mingxiu’s request to bring the child back to the house, his tone a mix of disbelief and excitement. “Alright, alright! I’ll bring him back right away.”

What’s he so thrilled about? Han Mingxiu frowned. He was well aware that the family had been pressuring him to settle down and provide them with a grandchild, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell them the truth—that he was infertile. This was hardly the time to let Butler Gao parade a child around as a substitute; it would only add to the chaos.

Xia Ye still hadn’t woken up, and Han Mingxiu continued to keep vigil by his bedside. He was just considering stepping out to grab a bite to eat when his father’s call came in, the tone immediately thunderous.

“Han Mingxiu, get back here this instant! I can’t believe you’ve got the nerve to pull such a reckless stunt—bringing a grandson into this family without a word?!” His father’s booming scold was only interrupted by his mother’s emotional, tear-filled voice in the background. “Oh, please, just bring the child home safely…”

Han Mingxiu rubbed his temples and sighed. “Dad, Dad,” he interjected loudly, cutting off his father, “that’s not my child.”

“Don’t you give me that nonsense!” his father shouted, his disbelief fueling his anger as he struggled to accept his son’s apparent attempt at dodging responsibility. “The kid looks exactly like you did as a child! I don’t need a test to know he’s yours! You come home right now and explain everything, including who the mother is, and we’ll arrange for the family to formally propose!” Before Han Mingxiu could get a word in, his father hung up, leaving him with the dial tone and the lingering refrain of “Dad, Dad…” echoing in frustration.

He put the phone down, resigned, only to look up and find Xia Ye’s eyes open, watching him. Xia Ye’s expression was slightly dazed, his brows knitted faintly, his large eyes misty with confusion. Noticing Han Mingxiu’s gaze, he quickly averted his eyes, lips pressed tightly together.

“You’re awake? Do you feel unwell anywhere?” Han Mingxiu approached the bed and pressed the call button for the nurse. Xia Ye closed his eyes and shook his head faintly.

Han Junzhou soon came in, and within the brief span of two or three minutes, Xia Ye had already drifted back into sleep.

“What’s going on?” After checking Xia Ye’s condition, Han Junzhou found nothing abnormal. The patient was probably just too exhausted, causing him to fall asleep again. Turning to Han Mingxiu, he asked, “Mom told me Butler Gao brought a child back home. Is that your son?”

The news spread this fast? He’d only just heard about it himself five minutes ago.

“When Butler Gao arrived home, Mom happened to be visiting with your mother. She caught the whole scene, up close and personal,” Han Junzhou said with a teasing smile before his expression turned more thoughtful. “What’s going on with you? Rumor has it the kid’s two or three years old—how have you kept this a secret all this time?” He glanced at Xia Ye, then back at Han Mingxiu, as though suddenly struck by a thought. “Xia Ye… He’s that Omega who was pregnant, right? Is that child… yours and Xia Ye’s?”

Worried that their conversation might disturb Xia Ye’s rest, Han Mingxiu led Han Junzhou outside. After closing the door to the hospital room, Han Mingxiu exhaled heavily and shook his head. “I don’t know… it probably isn’t,” he said, his thoughts muddled by the strange resemblance between himself and the child.

“Little Uncle,” Han Mingxiu raised his head, using the same childhood nickname for Han Junzhou, his eyes filled with a mix of confusion and sorrow. “I… I have infertility. I can’t have children.”

Finally, he had said it out loud.

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– End of chapter –

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