Chapter 33: Shang Youqing, tell me, why is Momo losing his feathers?

"..."

He Cong's face was grim as he corrected his young son's nonsense. "He's not dying."

He Zhimo, weak and sorrowful, slumped back onto his father's shoulder, rubbing his wet eyes. "I miss Shang Youqing so much, Daddy. I want to call Shang Youqing..."

He Cong paused, and just as he was about to take the phone, the little one quickly fell asleep again. The fever, which had just subsided, returned with a vengeance, even hotter than when he first came back.

When Doctor Lin arrived, the little one was still cuddling in He Cong's arms, alternately crying for Daddy to hold him, then for Mommy, refusing to lie down on the bed.

Finally, forced to do so, He Cong held him while he gave him a fever-reducing injection. While

Doctor Lin continued to discuss the bizarre findings in the test report, He Cong stared down at another feather that had fallen from the cub's body. His fingertips pressed against the soft, thin feather, and a sudden realization dawned on him.

What if... He Zhimo's feather-losing symptom was inherited from Fuying?

When he woke up from bed several times while holding Fuying, feathers would always fall on the bed.

What did Fuying say at that time? She said that it was because she had a habit of collecting beautiful feathers.

But the facts before him were so clear and obvious. Since feathers were falling from He Zhimo, the feathers at that time could only have fallen from Fuying herself.

In other words...

Fuying was most likely not an ordinary human.

So... so is it possible that the fire that ordinary humans would be afraid of could not do anything to Fuying?

"Shang Youqing... Mom..."

He Cong's eyelashes moved slightly, and he lowered his eyes to see the little cub in his arms, who was burning unconscious, weakly grabbing the Buddha amulet under his neck, mumbling and calling in confusion...

The cold bottom of He Cong's eyes seemed to crack the ice layer that had been sealed for many years.

A figure with a similar temperament, even the feel of holding hands was similar. His sleepwalking, which hadn't recurred in nearly a year, suddenly flared up that very night after being alone with Shang Youqing in the wilderness...

Could so many coincidences really happen in the same person?

Furthermore, Shang Youqing even possessed psychic powers with animals, further confirming the suspicion that Shang Youqing was Fu Ying and not just any ordinary human.

He Cong struggled to suppress the gloomy storm that was rapidly welling up in his eyes. He suddenly spoke, interrupting Doctor Lin, "Doctor Lin, please send me a copy of Mo Mo's medical report."

Doctor Lin was startled. Although he had no idea what Mr. He was about to do, he sensed a noticeably colder, more oppressive aura surrounding him. Not daring to ask any further questions, he immediately responded and sent Young Master He's medical report.

He Cong asked Dr. Lin and the others to leave. He held the still-rising feverish child in one hand, rose from the bed, and gently patted him. He walked to the window, his brows deep as he gazed for a long moment at the Metasequoia forest on the other side of the lake.

Finally, his sharp, cold lips pursed in a flat, steady motion.

He picked up his phone, tapped Shang Youqing's number, and dialed.

...

Outside the Lotus Kindergarten in Ning City.

School was approaching, and parents began arriving at the kindergarten gate to pick up their children.

Parked diagonally across the street from the kindergarten was a relatively unassuming gray-black business car.

Inside, the man in the front seat lowered his hat, noting that his watch had finally registered the time for dismissal.

He lowered the window slightly and spotted the most conspicuous child among the crowd: a cute, pink, porcelain doll-like child, neatly dressed in a blue and white uniform, following the teacher's procession toward the door.

"Boss, shall we do it?"

He was asking the man sitting in the back seat, whose figure was shrouded in the shadow of the back seat. After a few seconds, he withdrew his gaze with regret, shook his head gently and said, "I can't do anything. There is a red rope around her neck protecting her."

After that, the man closed his eyes lazily and said, "Let's go."

However, the next second after he finished speaking, the car window in front of him was knocked from outside.

The man lowered the car window on his own initiative, looked at Shang Youqing who appeared outside the car door at some point and stared at him coldly, raised his eyebrows slightly, and greeted him: "Junior sister, long time no see."

Shang Youqing's tone was calm, but her eyes, which were always calm and composed, now faintly raised a touch of scorching golden light: "You'd better give me a reasonable reason for your appearance here."

"I came back to visit my junior sister, and by the way, to see my niece Youyou. Is this reason reasonable enough?"

"Mu Jiuhan, you have been expelled from the sect a long time ago, so don't try to get involved with me."

Mu Jiuhan, whose identity was exposed, was not in a hurry. He put his hand on the armrest of the seat, looked at her and suddenly smiled: "Junior sister, I see you look like this, you must have remembered something, right?"

Shang Youqing narrowed his eyes: "So, the reason why I forgot those things is related to you?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then why did you rush back from North America? Are you afraid I'll remember something? Or are you afraid I'll discover something?"

Mu Jiuhan's smile deepened. "Honestly, Junior Sister, I'm not worried about you remembering. On the contrary, I'm looking forward to you regaining those memories. Once you do, you'll be just like you were back then, eager to get away from that human father and son."

Mu Jiuhan finished speaking, rolled down the car window, and the car sped away from Shang Youqing in a cloud of dust.

Shang Youqing stood there, staring at the departing car, a cold look still on his face.

Just then, his phone rang.

Shang Youqing swiped to answer it. "Hello, who's this?"

There was a moment of silence on the line before a familiar, controlled, calm voice came through. "It's me."

Shang Youqing's fingers shifted slightly around the phone. For some reason, hearing He Cong's voice again made her chest ache, and her previously cold expression softened slightly.

She didn't call him "Mr. He" as she usually did. Instead, she stared down at the plain ring on her left ring finger and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"Shang Youqing," He Cong's voice was deep and powerful as he called her name, telling her, "He Zhimo has a high fever."

Shang Youqing gently grasped the plain ring with the tip of her thumb and heard herself say, "Shouldn't you see a doctor if you have a fever?"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a long time. Then, Shang Youqing heard her phone vibrate. He Cong said on the phone, "Open it and take a look at the medical report I just sent you."

Shang Youqing pressed the speaker button and opened the medical report sent by He Cong, which included He Zhimo's name.

As she lowered her eyes to read the medical report, He Cong continued to speak, his tone calm.

"Momo has been shedding feathers frequently these past few days." On the other end of the line, He Cong held the burning little cub in one hand, staring dully at the Metasequoia forest outside the window. He asked her in a cold and calm voice

, "Shang Youqing, why don't you tell me in person why Momo is shedding feathers?"