Chapter 8: The Bump
The news that Fei Luo had injured a few hooligans in the woods should not have alarmed Fei Zhiyan, the Council President. But who could help it that Fei Luo was Fei Zhiyan’s adopted son? So, after the report was filed, the case made its way all the way to Fei Zhiyan’s desk.
When Fei Zhiyan saw the news, his first reaction was surprise.
Unlike his two older brothers, Fei Luo’s presence in this family was almost nonexistent. Fei Luo was born with an emotional deficiency, unable to perceive many things, which made him seem particularly distant and reclusive. He was quiet and silent, like a doll with no thoughts of its own, doing everything by the book and never actively asking for anything.
That’s why his actions surprised Fei Zhiyan. Fei Zhiyan felt that in such a situation, it would have been more in line with Fei Luo’s character to just leave silently.
Moreover, when Fei Zhiyan thought about what the Yuncheng city mayor had reported to him—that the male parts of those hooligans had all been cut off—his expression couldn’t help but change.
“Fei Luo, you should remember what I told you before.”
Fei Zhiyan’s tone was cold, even carrying a hint of a warning, not softening in the slightest because of Fei Luo’s young age.
Hearing Fei Zhiyan’s voice, Fei Luo seemed to be pulled out of his own world. A hint of fear appeared in his eyes, and he nodded lightly. “I remember.”
Fei Luo’s voice, unlike his cute, boyish appearance, was slightly hoarse, as if it had been ground by gravel, a bit grating. This was likely due to his long-term lack of communication, which had made his vocal cords hoarse.
Fei Zhiyan stared at Fei Luo quietly, his words slow. “Before I control all the continents, do not do anything that will ruin my plans.”
Fei Luo nodded, glanced at Fei Zhiyan, and then lowered his head again.
Fei Zhiyan had no particular feelings for this adopted son. After giving his instructions, he waved his hand, dismissing Fei Luo.
As Fei Luo reached the door, Fei Zhiyan suddenly thought of the little ball of fluff, Nuonuo, downstairs and asked, “How are you and Nuonuo getting along?”
Fei Luo’s hand on the doorknob paused for a moment before he turned to answer. “Very well.”
So little brother’s name is Nuonuo. Thinking of his little brother’s small, round form, Fei Luo thought the name suited him well.
After his papa and brother went upstairs, Nuonuo also wiggled his little body, wanting to go upstairs too. Auntie Wu thought he was tired, as children get tired easily, and took him upstairs to wash up and go to sleep.
But no sooner had Auntie Wu placed Nuonuo on the bed than he climbed down from the small bed himself and toddled out.
After practicing walking all day, although Nuonuo still walked unsteadily, he could now go to many places on his own.
006, having recovered a little bit of energy, finally woke up from its dormant state. Seeing Nuonuo wobbling out, it asked in confusion, “Nuonuo, where are you going?”
Startled by 006’s sudden voice, Nuonuo, who was already unsteady on his feet, tripped and fell to the floor.
Fortunately, Nuonuo just wiped his little face, which had gotten a bit dusty, and climbed back up. “Going to find Papa and brother. Liuliu, where did you go?” Nuonuo asked in his mind.
In the past two years, 006, to conserve energy, would often disappear suddenly. But every time it came back, it would make up a reason to avoid worrying Nuonuo. This time, 006 said it had gone to fight pirates. Nuonuo didn’t even know what pirates were but still let out a “wow,” thinking Liuliu was really amazing.
Flattered by Nuonuo’s praise, 006 was feeling smug when it saw Nuonuo stop in front of a bedroom door.
“Papa!”
Nuonuo didn’t remember which room was his papa’s from yesterday. Seeing that this bedroom door was open, he poked his little head in and called out for his papa.
No one answered from inside.
Just as Nuonuo was about to leave, he turned his head and saw a small blue backpack on the sofa.
It’s third brother’s bag!
Only his third brother had a small backpack, so Nuonuo remembered it well. He pushed the door open and went inside to look for his brother.
“Bwo-bwo, ya!”
Nuonuo walked to the sofa where the backpack was and craned his little neck, looking for Fei Luo.
After calling for a while, Nuonuo got tired. He tilted his head and saw a doll on the small sofa.
“Wow!”
The little doll was hanging on the blue backpack, about the size of an adult’s palm. It had the same chestnut-colored curly hair as Fei Luo, and its small face looked incredibly cute. The doll seemed to be filled with a lot of cotton, making its little body look round and soft, very nice to touch.
Nuonuo had never seen a doll before. Driven by curiosity, he took a few steps closer to the little doll.
006 also saw the doll. Remembering Fei Luo’s identity in the original plot, it was suddenly alarmed. “Nuonuo, don’t go over there! Let’s leave quickly!”
Nuonuo was already walking unsteadily. Startled by 006’s shout, his left foot tripped over his right, and he fell right in front of the doll. The little doll was knocked over by Nuonuo and landed face down.
Seeing this, 006 felt its core glitching, almost forcing it offline again.
“Nuonuo, are you okay?”
This time, Nuonuo had hit his forehead. A small area on his head instantly swelled up.
The bump had dazed Nuonuo. It took him a long moment to stand up. He didn’t even feel the pain and just shook his head foolishly. “No… no, ya.”
Nuonuo held his slightly dizzy head. Seeing that he had knocked the doll over, he reached out, set it upright, and even gently patted its slightly messy hair.
Seeing Nuonuo’s action, 006 panicked. It unconsciously used a bit of its energy, completely depleting it. With no energy left, 006 was once again forced into hibernation.
Nuonuo called for Liuliu a couple of times. When there was no answer, he assumed Liuliu had gone to fight pirates again and turned to continue looking for his brother.
Behind Nuonuo, unseen, a faint blush quickly flashed in the eyes of the doll whose head had just been patted.
As a dizzy Nuonuo continued his search for his brother, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside.
“Bwo-bwo!”
Nuonuo turned in pleasant surprise, only to find a strange young girl at the door.
Seeing Nuonuo, the girl’s already pounding heart almost jumped out of her chest in fright.
After calming her overly nervous heart, the girl forced a smile. “It’s the young master. What are you doing here?”
Nuonuo tilted his head and looked at her blankly, not responding.
The girl briefly introduced herself. “My name is Xiao Qing. I’m in charge of cleaning Young Master Luo’s room. Young Master, you…”
It was only when the girl got closer that she saw the swollen bump on Nuonuo’s head and froze.
“Your forehead…”
Looking at the increasingly swollen bump on Nuonuo’s head, the girl remembered there was a first-aid kit in the small living area of Fei Luo’s room and quickly went to find it.
“Young Master, your forehead is swollen. Let me put some medicine on it for you.”
Xiao Qing walked over with the medicine, her voice full of concern.
Nuonuo covered his forehead and quickly ran away from her.
Xiao Qing knew the young master didn’t know her, so she didn’t press forward. She stopped and gently soothed him. “Young Master, if you don’t let me put medicine on it, then I’ll take you to see Mr. Fei. Your forehead is very swollen; it needs to be treated quickly.”
Such a long string of words was a bit difficult for Nuonuo to understand, but he caught the words “Mr. Fei,” and a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.
“Papa, ya?”
Xiao Qing quickly nodded. “Yes, I’ll take you to see your papa, okay?”
Nuonuo nodded emphatically, took a step forward, and followed behind her with his little face tilted up.
Seeing Nuonuo’s clear, glass-like eyes, Xiao Qing couldn’t help but want to rub his fluffy little head.
What a well-behaved child, Xiao Qing thought, a smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.
Holding Nuonuo’s little hand, Xiao Qing led him out the door. She was just about to go to the study to find Mr. Fei when, after just a few steps, she saw Fei Luo.
“Bwo-bwo!”
Wriggling free from Xiao Qing’s hand, Nuonuo stumbled and lunged towards Fei Luo.
Fei Luo saw his little brother running over. His hand shot out first, steadying Nuonuo, who had almost fallen.
“Bwo-bwo!”
Nuonuo tilted his head up, grinning foolishly.
Fei Luo looked at his brother’s forehead and was taken aback. He raised his hand, wanting to touch his brother’s swollen forehead, but quickly pulled it back.
No, it will hurt him.
Fei Luo looked at the prominent red and swollen bump on his brother’s fair, tender forehead, a strange tightness in his chest. He had never encountered such a problem before. For a moment, besides panic, he didn’t know what to do.
Nuonuo still hadn’t registered the pain. He tugged at his brother’s clothes, afraid he would disappear again.
Xiao Qing also walked over. Before she could speak, she saw Fei Zhiyan following behind.
“Mr… Mr. Fei.” Xiao Qing lowered her head nervously, stuttering a greeting.
Fei Zhiyan gave her a cool glance, his dark eyes exuding a sharp coldness.
Xiao Qing was almost scared to her knees by that threatening look. Just as her fear reached its peak, Fei Zhiyan spoke in a deep voice. “What are you holding?”
Only then did Xiao Qing remember that she had wanted to put medicine on Nuonuo. She quickly explained in a low voice.
Fei Zhiyan also saw the bump on Nuonuo’s head, and his brow furrowed. “Go call Dr. Li over.”
The villa was equipped with a dedicated private doctor who, along with other servants and nannies, lived in a small villa behind the main one. Fei Zhiyan disliked living with other strangers, so only he and his children lived in the main villa.
Xiao Qing quickly nodded and went downstairs on wobbly legs to call the doctor from next door.
Dr. Li arrived quickly. By the time he got there, Fei Zhiyan was just carrying Nuonuo downstairs.
“I’m sorry to trouble you, Dr. Li. Please take a look at the injury on Nuonuo’s forehead.”
Because of the swollen bump on Nuonuo’s head, Fei Zhiyan didn’t dare to use much force in his arms, afraid he would crush the child.
Dr. Li put down his medical kit and examined Nuonuo’s forehead.
Nuonuo’s skin was fair, which made the swollen bump on his head look particularly frightening. It was red with a hint of purple, truly a bit scary.
It was also the first time Dr. Li had seen a child who didn’t cry or make a fuss after being injured. He just sat quietly in his father’s arms, looking at him with watery eyes.
A genuine fondness grew in Dr. Li’s heart. When he applied the medicine, his touch was even gentler.
“He must have bumped it. But children recover quickly. I’ll put some medicine on it for him, and by tomorrow morning, it should be mostly gone.”
It was only then that Nuonuo belatedly felt the pain. He tugged at his papa’s clothes, and tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
Nuonuo’s voice was thin, and his crying sounded like a kitten’s meow, tugging at one’s heart.
Fei Luo stood to the side. Seeing his brother’s tears, he wanted to raise his hand to wipe them away. But seeing his father’s somber face, he could only lower his hand again.
He wanted to hold his little brother too, Fei Luo thought. He was small and wouldn’t hurt his little brother.
“The bravest little baby who gets medicine is the best. Is Nuonuo a good little child?”
Dr. Li pushed up his glasses, his voice unconsciously softening as he coaxed Nuonuo to continue with the medicine.
Nuonuo nodded. “Yes… yes, ya.”
I am a very good little baby.
Hearing Nuonuo’s milky voice, Dr. Li’s heart instantly melted. “Nuonuo is so brave!”
After finishing, Dr. Li generously praised Nuonuo.
Nuonuo was quite embarrassed. He turned his little body into his papa’s embrace, no longer looking at Dr. Li.
Dr. Li packed up his medical kit, glanced at the still-somber-faced Fei Zhiyan, and after some thought, decided to speak. “Mr. Fei, a child’s skin is delicate, and they can easily get bumped and injured. It’s better to cover any sharp corners on the tables.”
After speaking, Dr. Li’s heart tightened. He couldn’t imagine where he had found the courage to even offer advice to Mr. Fei.
But to Dr. Li’s surprise, Fei Zhiyan was not displeased. On the contrary, he nodded, indicating he understood.
Relieved, Dr. Li quickly left with his medical kit.
Nuonuo was probably tired from crying. He lay in Fei Zhiyan’s arms, let out a small yawn, and in less than two minutes, his eyes closed.
Fei Zhiyan held Nuonuo, feeling as if he were holding a ball of cotton. He didn’t dare to use too much force, afraid he would hurt the little one.
With his arms stiff, Fei Zhiyan carried Nuonuo back to the bedroom.
Nuonuo seemed to be extremely insecure, clinging to Fei Zhiyan’s clothes even in his sleep. His little hand clutched the corner of his shirt tightly. Fei Zhiyan tried for a long time but couldn’t pull his shirt free.
Afraid the child would wake up and cry in the middle of the night, Fei Zhiyan finally gave in and lay down.
Looking at the still-wet tear tracks on Nuonuo’s face, Fei Zhiyan’s fingers twitched, and he reached out to wipe them away.
Fei Zhiyan felt he had never seen such a fragile child. He began to doubt that the little one had been sent by Baizhou at all. Otherwise, how could he be so clingy?
A sliver of hope even grew in his heart.
If the child really has nothing to do with Baizhou, then raising him like this… seems quite nice.
