"This child?!"
Lu Fei was equally shocked when he got a clear look at the baby in the crib.
The baby was asleep, its small body curled up with its head resting on its arm—a posture that immediately reminded Lu Fei of an animal.
"A puppy," he thought instinctively.
However, out of respect for the family, he kept this observation to himself. When he exchanged a glance with Chen Jinfa, they both saw the same realization in each other's eyes.
They finally understood what Jiang Hao meant when he said the child had "something humans shouldn't have."
A human body with a dog's head?
In the pink, princess-themed nursery, the freakishness of the baby seemed even more jarring.
"Ah Hao, are you sure this… child is really your wife's? Was it born looking like this?" Chen Jinfa coughed, sympathy filling his gaze as he looked at Jiang Hao.
"Absolutely sure," Jiang Hao said bitterly. "Xiaoya went into premature labor. I took her to the best maternity hospital, and even the doctors were terrified when they saw the baby. But they said all the child's physical indicators were normal—except for how it looks!"
"Could it be that the premature birth caused developmental issues?" Lu Fei asked tactfully.
"I thought the same thing at first. I hoped that with time, the baby's face might normalize. I wouldn't mind if the child was ugly—plastic surgery can fix that when they're older. But the longer I kept the baby, the stranger things got!"
Jiang Hao frowned deeply and lit a cigarette, ignoring the nursery's no-smoking rule.
"This child doesn't just look odd—it never cries. The only sound it makes is…"
"What sound?" Chen Jinfa and Lu Fei leaned forward, intrigued.
"Something like a dog's bark," Jiang Hao admitted reluctantly, gritting his teeth.
"Ah—"
Chen Jinfa inhaled sharply, stunned.
A dog? How could a human give birth to a dog?
"Ah Hao, no offense, but you're often away for business, and your wife is young. Could it be that she…?"
"Xiaoya isn't that kind of person!" Jiang Hao snapped, defending his wife immediately. "She's pure and devoted to me. She would never do anything to betray me!"
"No, no, I'm not saying she cheated on you. But you do have a lot of dogs at home… I've heard stories about lonely young wives…" Chen Jinfa trailed off, lowering his voice.
"Shut your mouth!"
Before Jiang Hao could respond, an angry voice erupted from the doorway.
Jing Jian barged in, pointing an accusatory finger at Chen Jinfa.
"How dare you! Xiaoya is pure and innocent. She would never do something so disgusting! You're filthy, so you see filth everywhere!"
It turned out he had been eavesdropping the whole time.
"And who do you think you are?" Chen Jinfa retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Ah Hao hasn't said a word, but you're jumping to her defense? What's it to you?"
At that moment, A Long entered the room, placing a heavy hand on Jing Jian's shoulder and glaring coldly at him.
Tiger also stepped into the nursery, positioning himself protectively behind Lu Fei. In truth, he was there for the drama, and he couldn't resist sneaking a glance at the crib. The sight nearly made him cry out, and he quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.
"I'm Xiaoya's friend! I've known her since we were kids, and I know better than anyone what kind of person she is! I won't let anyone insult her!" Jing Jian glared back at Chen Jinfa, unfazed.
A Long tightened his grip, making Jing Jian's face contort with pain.
"Let go!" Jing Jian growled, gripping his peachwood sword. "I don't want to cause trouble in Xiaoya's home or upset her!"
But A Long wasn't the least bit intimidated and only squeezed harder, clearly ready for a fight.
"Enough!" Jiang Hao shouted, his voice echoing through the room.
He was at his wit's end. He had invited people to solve his problem, not create more. Now everyone had seen the freakish baby.
Perhaps it was the commotion, but the baby stirred, its eyelids fluttering open.
"Woof…"
The tiny voice was like a puppy's whimper, instantly silencing everyone.
All eyes turned toward the crib.
The baby, with its fluffy, dog-like head, lifted its furry face and blinked at the crowd in confusion.
It seemed frightened by the attention and began to whimper, the sound eerily similar to a dog's discomforted whine.
"Everyone out! Now!"
Jiang Hao's face turned pale as he hurriedly pushed everyone out of the nursery and shut the door.
"What's going on here?"
A displeased female voice came from the hallway.
Everyone turned to see a young woman in pink pajamas. She was beautiful, with delicate features and fair skin, but her face was pale, and the dark circles under her eyes hinted at exhaustion.
Jing Jian's eyes lit up when he saw her.
"Xiaoya, it's me."
"Brother Jian, you're here."
But the woman barely glanced at him before glaring at Jiang Hao and entering the nursery. She picked up the grotesque baby and held it tenderly, her face full of maternal warmth.
"What are you all doing crowding outside the baby's room? Hao, how many times have I told you not to disturb the child while he's sleeping!"
The baby quieted in her arms.
If the child had been normal, the scene would have been heartwarming.
But with its grotesque dog-like head, the sight was terrifying instead.
Even the maids were too frightened to enter the room, their faces pale with fear.
"Fine, fine, we won't disturb you. Let's go downstairs. Xiaoya, don't overexert yourself," Jiang Hao said, trying to placate her as he ushered everyone downstairs.
Jing Jian lingered, his gaze full of concern.
"Xiaoya, I'm here to help you. If there's anything troubling you, just tell me. I'll do whatever I can to help," he said earnestly.
"Brother Jian, please go downstairs first," Xiaoya replied without looking back.
Jing Jian hesitated but was eventually pulled away by Jiang Hao.
"Everyone's seen the child. Do you have any solutions?" Jiang Hao asked, his face clouded with despair as he lit another cigarette in the living room.
"What about your wife? Can't she see the child isn't normal?" Chen Jinfa asked.
"Xiaoya had a difficult labor. She nearly lost her life giving birth. She says she doesn't care how the child looks—she'll raise him no matter what. She even said the baby is her life. If the child is gone, she won't live either," Jiang Hao said with a heavy sigh.
Chen Jinfa turned to Lu Fei. "Shopkeeper Lu, what do you think? Any ideas?"
Lu Fei had encountered many evil entities, but this freakish baby was a first.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed such a thing could be born to humans.
He had noticed faint traces of yin energy on the baby, which suggested it wasn't a normal creature.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Brother Hao, how many dogs do you keep at home? Could I take a look at them?"
Jiang Hao's face darkened. "What do you mean by that? Are you suggesting my wife and the dogs…?"