Chapter 37 Loading

After completing various examinations at the hospital and confirming that her body was recovering well and her wounds were healing smoothly, Su Mu transferred to a postpartum care center with a more comfortable and private environment and more professional services.

Baby Crane now has its own special crib with a soft mattress.

From birth, Xiao He displayed an unusually calm demeanor. He rarely cried, and when awake, he would quietly open his big, dark eyes. When hungry or uncomfortable, he would only make a few token whimpers.

As he grew a little older and his neck became able to hold up on its own, this composure was further demonstrated in his ability to be held by anyone. Whether it was a nanny, his maternal grandparents, or his paternal grandparents, the little guy wasn't shy at all when held in their arms. He would lean against them softly, occasionally letting out a satisfied little yawn, or babbling a few meaningless syllables, appearing completely at ease and calm.

The only thing that made me uneasy was probably eating and sleeping, two of the most important things in life.

Little Crane has a great appetite. She slurps her food quickly and eagerly, and sleeps soundly. Once she's full, she falls asleep contentedly, her little fists loosely clenched against her cheeks, her long eyelashes drooping down, her breathing even and long. She can sleep for quite a while.

So, the originally wrinkled little body became round and plump day by day at a speed visible to the naked eye, and its little arms and legs were like sections of tender lotus root, soft and chubby to the touch.

Jiang Ran absolutely adored this soft, tiny life. Whenever she had a spare moment, she loved to go to the crib and carefully pick him up.

He loved feeling the little guy's warm, soft body against his chest, and loved watching him perch on his shoulder, quietly observing everything around him with his clean, innocent eyes.

The experienced nanny would advise, "Mr. Jiang, it's best not to hold the baby too often. Let him get used to lying down and playing by himself, and to sleeping on his own. Otherwise, he may develop a dependency and need to be held and soothed to sleep, which will be very tiring for the adults."

Jiang Ran tried her best to restrain herself after hearing this, only burping the baby after feeding, or holding the baby when it was awake and needed interaction.

Su Mu didn't hold him much. His body was still recovering, and holding him for too long would easily cause back pain. He mostly leaned against the headboard or sofa, watching the nanny and Jiang Ran busy themselves, or taking a brightly colored little rattle and gently waving it in front of Xiao He to amuse him.

Little Crane especially loves Su Mu. Sometimes when her aunt holds her and feeds her, the little one tries hard to suckle while also turning her big, dark eyes to look for Su Mu.

If Su Mu happens to be sitting next to him, he will drink his milk while stretching out his soft little hand and trying to grab one of Su Mu's fingers, holding it tightly in his palm, as if only then can he feel at ease.

He would pause between drinking milk and look at Su Mu.

Seeing this, the nanny would always smile and say, "Little Crane really likes her dad. Look how intently he's watching her."

Upon hearing the word "father," Jiang Ran immediately came over and pointed to herself, saying, "Xiao He, I'm a father too."

The nanny was amused and jokingly said, "Mr. Jiang, if you say it like that, the baby won't be able to tell which one is the father!"

Jiang Ran paused for a moment, looking a little troubled: "You can't just call me uncle, can you?"

Su Mu: "Are you stupid? Don't you know to add a prefix?"

"You're Jiang's dad, and I'm Su's dad, isn't that enough?"

Jiang Ran lowered his head and gently touched Xiao He's little head with his forehead: "Yes, I am Father Jiang, remember that, Xiao He?"

Little Crane, of course, couldn't understand. After drinking her fill of milk, she contentedly released her little hand that was holding Su Mu's fingers, and then closed her eyes drowsily.

Jiang Ran moved most of her work to the postpartum care center ward, leaving her laptop in the small living room outside the suite.

Fearing that Su Mu might be bored, he searched for all the movies that Su Mu might be interested in and projected them onto the wall in the room.

Jiang Ran had specifically chosen a comedy. Su Mu had a very low threshold for laughter, and he would often find himself leaning into Jiang Ran's arms while laughing.

Jiang Ran usually only smiles when she sees Su Mu smiling.

Su Mu is a very clean person, and even during her postpartum period, she couldn't stand not washing her hair for a long time. After enduring it for a few days, she finally couldn't help but make a request.

Without saying a word, Jiang Ran immediately began preparations. He turned the bathroom heater to its highest setting, making it warm and cozy so that Su Mu could lie down and shower.

Jiang Ran's fingers were long and strong, yet she controlled the pressure of her massage on the scalp perfectly. Su Mu closed his eyes, feeling the warm water and the just-right pressure; the fatigue and stickiness of the past few days seemed to be washed away.

The hum of the hairdryer stopped, Jiang Ran put down her tools, placed her hands on Su Mu's shoulders, and leaned slightly forward: "Sir, the service is complete. Could you give me a good review later?"

Su Mu hooked Jiang Ran's chin with his hand: "Hmm, not bad. I'll order from you again next time."

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

Two days later, Su's mother arrived, carrying a newly knitted little hat.

It's not for Xiaohe, it's for Sumu.

The worst thing for a new mother is to catch a cold and develop a flat head. It was a light yellow woolen hat, made of the softest baby yarn, with two small, fluffy white pom-poms on the top. The style wasn't exactly fashionable; in fact, it was a bit too cute.

Su Mu looked at the hat and felt that he could not let down this heavy maternal love. He put it on his head. The hat was very soft and warm, but the style was really hard to describe.

When he takes the hat off after a while, his hair, which has been pressed down by the hat, always becomes messy, with a few strands sticking up unruly. Combined with his cheeks, which have become increasingly fair and rosy from the food at the postpartum care center, he looks exactly like a Monchhichi doll with its hair all frizzy, as if it has just crawled out of bed.

Fortunately, postpartum hair loss did not seem to occur in Su Mu; his hair remained thick, and his pregnancy symptoms were not severe. His obstetrician had also mentioned that if the quality of the sperm provided by the other partner was good enough, many discomforts during pregnancy and postpartum would indeed be alleviated, and the mother would suffer much less.

The restoration of the sappanwood was indeed excellent.

This was certainly due to his youth and solid physical condition. But more importantly, it was the meticulous, almost extravagant, care he received in every aspect.

Money, in a sense, is indeed the most effective tonic.

If he were to give birth in his hometown, his parents would naturally do everything in their power to take care of him, and the warmth and care based on family affection would be no less.

But there will never be a team of nutritionists who get involved from the beginning of pregnancy, precisely adjusting the daily diet according to the changes in his body indicators at each stage, ensuring that the nutrition is balanced and easy to absorb.

There wouldn't be such a professional postpartum care specialist, nor such a tranquil environment, well-equipped facilities, and attentive service in a postpartum care center, allowing him to avoid external disturbances to the greatest extent possible and rest peacefully.

With such scientific and thorough care, Su Mu's complexion became rosier day by day, and the swelling accumulated in her body due to pregnancy subsided quickly. Apart from the scar on her abdomen that needed time to heal, there was almost no trace of her having just undergone major surgery.

The day the moon rose was a rare sunny winter day.

Sunlight streamed brightly through the large glass windows of the postpartum care center, filling the room with warmth.

Jiang's mother arrived early, having changed into a brand-new, soft cheongsam. She carefully picked up Xiao He, who was wrapped up like a red lucky bag with only her fair face showing, from the small bed.

The little one had just finished nursing and wasn't crying or fussing. He stared at his grandmother with his big, bright eyes, while Jiang's mother held him in her arms and gently rocked him.

The ward had already been tidied up, but there was an astonishing amount of stuff inside.

The suitcases alone contained several of the largest sizes, as well as various large and small bags, which were filled with new clothes and hats that Su's mother had knitted for her grandson, all kinds of baby supplies sent by Jiang's mother and relatives and friends, nutritional supplements and tonics that Su Mu had not finished during her postpartum period, and some personal items brought from home.

The sheer scale of the event was enough to demonstrate how much material support the two families had poured into this place over the past month.

Mr. and Mrs. Su stayed in Jiangzhou for a whole month.

Now that Su Mu has finished her postpartum confinement and is recovering well, and Xiao He is also healthy, they plan to return to their hometown after holding their grandson's one-month celebration. When Jiang's parents found out, they tried their best to persuade them to stay.

“In-laws, the New Year is just around the corner,” Jiang’s mother said earnestly, holding Su’s mother’s hand. “Why don’t we celebrate the New Year here? It’ll be more lively with more people, and it will save you the trouble of traveling back and forth.”

Su's mother smiled gently, but her attitude was firm. She patted Jiang's mother's hand and said, "In-laws, we understand your good intentions. However, although our business is not as big as yours, we also have our own things to take care of at home."

She looked at Xiao He beside her and said, "When Xiao He gets a little older and can fly, we will definitely bring him back to see his grandparents often, or invite you to stay with us. Our place has beautiful mountains and clear waters, and the air is so fresh."

Upon hearing this, Jiang's mother knew that her in-laws were honest people with their own lives and responsibilities, so she couldn't insist on keeping them. She could only nod and say, "Okay, okay, it's settled then. You must come often."

Although the two families have different family circumstances, backgrounds, and lifestyles, they are both pragmatic, simple, and reasonable people.

During the past month, they spent every day together, working and worrying about Su Mu and Xiao He. They respected and understood each other, and got along very well without any misunderstandings or conflicts.

As we prepare to part ways, though there is a touch of reluctance, there is also a great deal of reassurance and blessings for the children's future.

Little Crane yawned softly in her grandmother's arms, completely unaware of the adults' comings and goings, only immersed in the warmth of the sun and the comfort of the embrace.

The full moon celebration was not a grand affair. Only a few of the Jiang family's closest and most frequently visited relatives were invited. Three or four tables were set up in a private club, with no unrelated outsiders present. The atmosphere was more like a warm and lively family gathering.

Su Mu and Jiang Ran, carrying the newly dressed Xiao He, made their appearance in the banquet hall, receiving round after round of curious, surprised, and blessing glances from the elders.

The little one was exceptionally well-behaved today, neither crying nor fussing. Wrapped in a bright red brocade swaddle, his fair and round little face was exposed, allowing his great-grandparents, uncles, aunts, and other relatives to look at and comment on him. Occasionally, he would even blink his big, bright eyes in a cooperative manner, making the group of elderly people overjoyed. They repeatedly praised, "This child is so good-looking," and "His features are delicate; he looks like he has good fortune."

After less than half an hour, Jiang's parents took Xiao He from Jiang Ran and gestured for Jiang Ran to take Su Mu to rest.

Jiang Ran understood immediately. She put her arm around Su Mu's shoulder, greeted the elders, and quietly left the banquet hall.

As soon as he left the warm and slightly noisy indoor space and walked to the quiet garden corridor behind the club, Su Mu immediately took a long, deep breath of the crisp, free winter night air, feeling as if he had come back to life.

"I was about to burst..." he muttered under his breath. The month-long ordeal of being surrounded by all sorts of soups and bland, nutritious meals was finally over.

In the evening, they arranged to have dinner with Skinny Monkey.

When Hou Yuncong came over, he was carrying a thermal bag that looked like a takeout container. He leaned close to Su Mu and winked, "Here you go, buddy, aren't you nice? I was passing by Jiangzhou University, so I specially went to get this for you. It's all the things you've been craving."

Su Mu's eyes lit up. He took the insulated bag and, without bothering to be polite, sat down on the bench under the corridor and eagerly opened it.

Back when they were in college, Su Mu's favorite snacks were those from the area near the school gate.

Inside were still-warm grilled skewers and crispy fried stinky tofu, their aroma wafting through the air, instantly awakening his cravings that he had suppressed for a month.

Jiang Ran couldn't help but remind him, "Eat less, you still have to eat a proper meal later."

Looking at him like this, Hou Yuncong said, "Wooden head, you've just finished your postpartum period and you're already eating such heavy food. Is your baby okay?"

Just as Su Mu took a bite of the sizzling, oily meat skewer, she heard this and innocently replied, "What's the problem? I don't need to breastfeed."

Hou Yuncong: "…………"

Well, he couldn't refute it.

He watched Su Mu eat with great satisfaction and asked, "Mu Tou, are you going to stay home and take care of the kids from now on?"

After Su Mu finished eating a skewer, he wiped his mouth, and Jiang Ran, who was holding a bottle of water, handed it to him at the right moment.

Su Mu took the water and drank a sip before saying slowly, "It seems like our child doesn't really need both of us to take care of him."

He was telling the truth. Xiao He was naturally quiet and had a regular routine, making her an exceptionally easy baby to care for. With a professional nanny and grandparents from both sides vying to take care of her, the new fathers did indeed have a lot of free time, except for the occasional hug and playtime.

Jiang Ran: "If you want to work, you can come to our company, or do something you like."

Watching Jiang Ran's indulgent and considerate treatment of Su Mu, and then thinking about his own lonely and desolate situation, Hou Yuncong couldn't help but sigh to the heavens and wail half-truthfully: "Young Master Jiang, do you have any other eligible brothers or sisters in your family? Marry me too! I don't have high requirements, just treat Su Mu half as well as you do!"

Su Mu laughed out loud at his words, saying between laughs, "Jiang Ran does have a younger sister, who is very beautiful, smart, and capable, but..."

Hou Yuncong immediately straightened his back and patted his chest: "What's wrong? I'm a handsome man with a promising future, uh, it's pretty bright."

Su Mu laughed even harder: "Yes, yes, he's quite handsome. But his sister is very fashionable."

Hou Yuncong looked down at himself and sighed, "Life is tough, don't rub it in."

After the joke, Hou Yuncong remembered the serious matter. He looked at Su Mu and said in a more serious tone, "Seriously, Mu Mu, are you still planning to work in our field? It's really heartbreaking. It feels like I'm the only one still sticking with my major after graduation."

Jiang Ran, listening from the side, said, "Does that count too?"

Su Mu: "I need to think carefully about what I want to do."

After the full moon celebration, Jiang Ran drove Su Mu and Xiao He back to their own home.

The house had been cleaned in advance, so it was spotless and the heating was on full blast.

The aunt carried the little crane into the door.

Su Mu and Jiang Ran stood by the crib, looking at the tiny bundle on the bed.

A few days later, Jiang Ran drove Su's parents to the airport. There was no direct route back, so they would have to transfer. As they parted at the security checkpoint, Su's mother took Su Mu's hand and led him aside. She took a bank card from her bag and, without a word, shoved it into Su Mu's hand, gesturing for him to keep it safe: "The password is your birthday."

Su Mu was stunned for a moment, then quickly refused, "Mom, what are you doing? We have money, Jiang Ran, he..."

Su's mother interrupted him, squeezing his hand tightly. Her hands were rough, the marks of years of hard work, her palms warm and strong. She looked into Su Mu's eyes: "Xiao Jiang treats you very well, we see that and we're relieved. But Mu Mu, the important thing is that you also have to be good, you know? I heard from Xiao Jiang before that you're considerate of your parents, and you always went out to work part-time during college. We felt so sorry for you when we heard that. Can you love yourself as much as we love you?"

“Go do what you want to do. I know the Jiang family has the ability and is willing to support you. But your parents also want to do their part.”

She pressed the card into Su Mu's hand again, her gaze passing over Su Mu's shoulder to Jiang Ran, who was holding Xiao He and talking quietly with Su's father not far away. Her eyes were full of relief and entrustment.

"Take it, don't push it away. Take good care of yourself, and also our little crane."

After saying that, she let go of Su Mu's hand, gently patted Su Mu's arm, turned around and walked towards Su Mu's father and Jiang Ran who were waiting, her face regaining its usual gentle and simple smile.

Su Mu stood there, clutching the bank card that still held his mother's warmth, watching his parents' increasingly upright figures walk away into the distance, and his throat suddenly tightened.

On the way back, the city lights rushed past the car window, dazzling and colorful. Su Mu held Xiao He in his arms and at first just silently looked out the window at the flickering lights.

For some reason, looking at the little crane staring at him, a wave of sadness welled up in his heart.

He just became a father.

The little life in his arms was soft, fragile, and completely dependent on him. At that moment, he suddenly understood that feeling all too well, wanting to give him the best of everything in the world, to shield him from all storms, and to watch him grow up safely and happily, even if it meant giving up everything himself.

His parents first brought him to Jiangzhou to send him to school. He was still young and naive then. Now, they are saying goodbye for the second time, because he has his own family and a little life that needs his protection.

Su Mu's eyes welled up with tears without warning, and she hurriedly lowered her head, not wanting Jiang Ran, who was driving, to see. But tears flowed uncontrollably, one drop, two drops, falling silently and soaking the soft fabric at the edge of the baby crane's swaddling clothes.

Xiao He hummed twice, as if comforting Su Mu.

Jiang Ran slowed down and turned her head during a red light. She didn't ask anything, but simply stretched out one hand to firmly grip the steering wheel, and placed her other hand on Su Mu's hand, her palm warm and dry.

"Let's take Xiaohe back to see them after the New Year, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mu's tears flowed even more fiercely, but he nodded vigorously and gave a heavy "hmm" sound.

In the evening, after washing up, Xiaohe was looked after by a nanny in the nursery next door.

Only a warm yellow bedside lamp was on in the bedroom. Su Mu had taken a shower, and he lay on Jiang Ran's firm, warm chest. The surging emotions from before had subsided, leaving only a sense of security from being enveloped in warmth.

He twirled the buttons on Jiang Ran's pajamas with his fingertips and asked softly, "What positions are you currently looking for at your company?"

Jiang Ran's hand was gently stroking his back. She looked down at Su Mu's fluffy hair and said, "You can come work for me, then I can openly give you preferential treatment."

Su Mu was amused by his blunt, almost shameless statement. She raised her head, rested her chin on his chest, and looked at him, saying, "Isn't this inappropriate?"

Jiang Ran's expression instantly became somewhat distorted, as if she had recalled some unbearable past events. Her voice carried a hint of gritted teeth: "What's wrong with this? This is the privilege that I, the young master, have earned after enduring so much hardship and years of struggle to climb to this position."

He leaned close to Su Mu's face, their noses almost touching: "So, Su Mu, you absolutely must use your husband's connections and resources. It's only natural, you know?"

A warm yellow light enveloped the two of them, and the air was filled with the freshness of their bath and the familiar scent of each other.

Su Mu reached out and pinched Jiang Ran's chin: "Okay."

His livestream account's backend, private messages, and comment section were practically flooded with messages from fans. He'd disappeared for over a month without any warning, as if he'd vanished into thin air. Fans were frantic, speculating wildly, and flooding the internet with messages urging him to go live again.

—Where did you go? Why are you disappearing again!

—Please stream! I want to see you!

Looking at the familiar IDs and concerned greetings, Su Mu felt a warmth mixed with guilt. He couldn't very well tell his fans the truth—that he had disappeared to give birth and recover after childbirth—so he could only vaguely reply with a post saying that he hadn't been feeling well recently and had gone to the hospital for treatment, thanking everyone for their concern.

Fans immediately flooded in with comments, all telling him to take good care of his health and not to rush into live streaming, as health is the most important thing.

Su Mu was again tormented by his conscience. Lying was really not a good thing, even if the lie was well-intentioned and he was forced to do it.

He leaned back in the soft chair next to the crib and suddenly felt that since he had decided to return to reality and try a real job, it might be time to reduce his live streaming.

A few days later, the weather was fine. Su Mu carried Xiao He to the living room, sat cross-legged beside him, and played with him using a brightly colored rattle. Xiao He's big, dark eyes followed the rattle. Su Mu, feeling playful, gently took the pacifier out of Xiao He's mouth.

The little guy paused for a moment, unconsciously pursed his lips twice, making a soft "smack" sound, then blinked and looked at Su Mu. He didn't cry, but his little nose wrinkled and he made a slight whimpering sound from his throat, as if expressing his protest of "Why did you take my things?", but the degree was extremely mild.

Seeing his calm demeanor, Su Mu couldn't help but reach out and poke his chubby cheeks.

As evening fell, Jiang Ran returned. He took off his coat, hung it up, changed into slippers, sat down next to Su Mu, and naturally put his arm around Su Mu's waist from behind, resting his chin on Su Mu's shoulder. Looking at Xiao He drinking milk, he said with a hint of relief that he had accomplished his task: "All done."

Su Mu turned his head to the side: "Hmm?"

Jiang Ran kissed his earlobe: "The formalities are all done, you can start work anytime. The position is an administrative post arranged by my assistant, it's easy, so get used to it first."

Su Mu was somewhat surprised by his efficiency, nodded, and replied, "Okay."

The day before starting work, Jiang Ran insisted on taking Su Mu shopping for clothes. She claimed that work should look professional. The two went to several boutiques that Jiang Ran frequented. Jiang Ran had a discerning eye, holding up clothes to Su Mu and comparing them back and forth. In the end, she picked out a few well-tailored, high-quality but understated shirts, trousers, and casual suits.

While Su Mu was trying on the clothes, Jiang Ran leaned against the door of the fitting room with her arms crossed, watching with undisguised admiration and satisfaction in her eyes.

On the way home, Su Mu sat in the passenger seat, looking at the paper bags with logos printed on them in the back seat. After thinking for a moment, he said to Jiang Ran, "After I join the company, you shouldn't reveal our relationship. I prefer normal working relationships. I don't want to be treated specially, and I don't want my colleagues to have any ideas."

Jiang Ran, who was driving, said, "Okay, whatever you say."

That "don't worry, I understand" attitude reassured Su Mu a little.

The next morning, Su Mu changed into a newly bought light gray shirt and black trousers, and styled her hair neatly. Looking in the mirror, she did indeed look like a newcomer to the workplace.

He deliberately arrived at the company one after the other, just as Jiang Ran did.

Allen greeted him, saying, "I'll take you to my office."

Su Mu said, "Hello, may I ask if my supervisor is easy to get along with?"

Su Mu was traumatized by his previous despicable boss.

Allen said, "You'll see when you get there."

Allen knocked on the door, and a familiar voice, but sounding unusually businesslike, came from inside: "Come in."

Su Mu pushed open the door and went in.

This is an extremely spacious office with a superb view, offering a panoramic view of most of Jiangzhou CBD. The decor is modern and minimalist, with sharp lines and a color scheme dominated by black, white, and gray. Behind the huge desk, Jiang Ran is sitting in a leather chair, a document spread out in front of her, her brows slightly furrowed, looking focused on handling important matters.

In front of the desk, by the window, there was a brand new, obviously expensive solid wood desk, paired with a high-backed chair in the same color scheme. The desk was fully equipped with a computer, stationery, green plants, and even a small coffee machine.

"Mr. Su, this is your workstation."

Su Mu stood still, then moved to the desk that was clearly tailor-made for him, with an absurdly superior location, and then to the face of General Manager Jiang behind the desk, who was focused on reading documents, seemingly oblivious to everything.

Su Mu: "…………" Loading the cargo.

-

A note from the author:

Young Master Jiang wants to have an office romance.

Our little wooden friend is going to explore and start his own business! [Starry eyes][Starry eyes]

Our little crane baby is so emotionally stable! I'm thinking of a proper name for her, let me flip through the dictionary. Haha, don't ask why she doesn't have a name yet, because I haven't thought of one! [milk tea emoji]