Side Story (5): It's the adorable little He Sui! ...

Zhu Xu was ultimately unable to give birth naturally.

Because the baby was still breech and had engaged in the pelvis when the due date was approaching, but there were no signs of labor, we went to the hospital to schedule a cesarean section.

I remember that the weather was beautiful that day, with fluffy clouds in the azure sky.

But Zhu Xu felt a little uneasy; this was the first time in her thirty-odd years of life that she had been on an operating table. The pre-operative wait was extremely difficult; her body trembled involuntarily, and the little baby in her belly seemed to sense that it was about to come into the world, kicking its little legs excitedly inside.

Zhu Xu lay in the corridor outside the operating room, separated from He Yanzhou by a wall.

She texted him: "Are you still waiting outside?"

He Yanzhou replied almost instantly: "I'm here."

"Don't go."

"I guarantee you'll see me the moment you come out."

Zhu Xu stared at the line of text, his eyes inexplicably burning with emotion: "I'm a little scared."

Unfortunately, before he could reply, his phone was taken away and he was wheeled into the operating room.

In addition to spinal anesthesia, she also received a small amount of inhaled anesthesia before the procedure, so she was dizzy throughout and did not feel any fear or pain.

I only faintly heard the baby's weak cries halfway through the journey. The doctor said it was a girl.

She struggled for a moment, then fell asleep again.

When she woke up, medical staff were wheeling her to her ward.

Zhu Xu was still not very clear-headed. He squinted as he watched the incandescent lights flash by. He pushed open the door and saw He Yanzhou's face.

"Xiao Xu?" He bent down, stroked her forehead, and asked softly, "Can you hear me?"

Zhu Xu forced a smile.

He Yanzhou seemed to slowly exhale, turning his head away and blinking his slightly moist eyes. He had consulted a leading obstetrician and knew the surgery would go smoothly; all his anxiety stemmed from her last message.

He tried to comfort her, but received no response. In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through his mind, making him anxious and restless.

The hour she spent in the operating room felt like an eternity to him.

Zhu Xu arrived at the ward first, and the child was sent back after taking a bath.

Wang Yajie and He Cheng, along with their husband, came over, and He Xi also stood quietly around the crib, watching. The three of them couldn't hide their excitement, but they communicated entirely in sign language, not daring to disturb the sleeping mother and baby.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhu Xu groggily opened his eyes. Apart from He Yanzhou, there was no one else in the ward.

She secretly watched him as he stood next to the crib taking pictures of the baby and then editing something on his phone.

Mr. He, who rarely appears on his WeChat Moments, posted an update on this day.

The picture shows a baby wearing a pink top, sleeping peacefully in bed with its little hands raised.

The accompanying text reads: "At 7 a.m. this morning, my beloved wife gave birth to a daughter. Both wife and daughter are safe and sound, and everything is now complete."

It was a few days later that Zhu Xu saw this while browsing his WeChat Moments. He couldn't help but chuckle at how old-fashioned Zhu Xu was, yet he could almost sense the excitement and joy Zhu Xu felt at that moment.

Zhu Xu recovered well after childbirth. She was able to get out of bed and walk around with the help of others on the second day. The dreaded abdominal massage was not as scary as she had imagined.

The doctor said it was partly due to her physical condition, and because she had been exercising regularly for many years, she was in good physical shape, so she didn't suffer much during the whole process.

During her postpartum period, Ms. Wang Yajie stayed at home to recuperate, with a nanny, nutritionist, and two housekeepers. Even so, she still visited on time every day, just like she would go to work.

Besides missing her granddaughter, she also took great care of Zhu Xu.

Overall, this somewhat harsh mother-in-law would get an 8 out of 10.

He Yanzhou named his daughter "Sui," which means "year." His name reveals his hopes for his daughter: that she will be content with the world and grow up carefree, year after year.

Except for the first few days, He Yanzhou returned to his usual busy state. The annual bidding conference was about to begin, and he had to run back and forth between Lincheng North Island and the city.

He missed his wife and daughter terribly while he was away. He watched the videos Zhu Xu sent him over and over again, and only then did he realize that having a daughter added another layer of longing to his life.

After the bidding meeting ended, he immediately flew back, arriving home at eight o'clock in the evening. He was an atheist, but since his daughter was born, he had developed a habit of lingering at the door when he got home, wanting to smoke but trying hard to resist. During the time they were planning to have a child, he and Zhu Xu had already quit smoking.

He patted his clothes a few times, coughed lightly three times, and then unlocked the door and went inside.

The house was quiet, and everyone's routine had changed to accommodate the baby.

He took a shower and changed into clean clothes before quietly pushing open the bedroom door. Just then, Zhu Xu was lying on his side on the bed and looked at him.

He Yanzhou gently kissed her forehead and looked at the baby in her arms. In just a few days, she seemed to have grown a bit and her appearance was different from when she was born.

Narrow, elongated eyes; curled eyelashes; small, rosy lips...

He Yanzhou wanted to touch it but dared not, and kept his head down, unable to look away for a long time.

Zhu Xu took a pillow from behind him and gave it to him to rest his head on.

He Yanzhou lay down facing the mother and daughter, looked at Zhu Xu, and whispered, "You're becoming more and more like you."

Zhu Xu said, "It would be better if my nose looked like yours; my nose bridge is actually a bit low."

"Look?" He raised his hand, pinched her chin, and shook it from side to side. "You're very pretty."

Zhu Xu wrinkled his nose, knowing that he was very good at coaxing people.

He stopped: "Did your daughter cause you any trouble?"

"It's okay, she cries occasionally at night."

Sui Sui is now two months old, which is the stage where her bloating is most severe. Fortunately, the postpartum nanny takes care of her most of the time, and apart from breastfeeding, she can generally get enough sleep at night.

He Yanzhou asked, "Can you recognize people now?"

"It's still early."

When will we hear her call me "Dad"?

Zhu Xu chuckled: "It will take at least eight or nine months before they start making sounds similar to 'Dad.'"

She answered him softly, her tone carrying a hint of languidness. She glanced up unintentionally, her eyes meeting his dark, bright gaze. For a fleeting moment, the atmosphere became subtly enigmatic.

She wasn't wearing a bra, and from this position, her private parts were partially visible, appearing much fuller than before.

He Yanzhou raised his hand and stroked her neck, his thumb slowly caressing her cheek: "Could you leave for a while?"

"……what?"

What do you think?

They hadn't made love for a year; the only time they'd been intimate with lust was during her pregnancy. He brushed past the door, as if using up all his willpower.

She has been out of the womb for more than two months now, and her body has already fully recovered.

They both missed each other terribly, so they tacitly slipped out of bed.

Zhu Xu told the nanny that he was going out for a while and asked her to take over looking after the child. However, after the two went downstairs, they turned around and went into a guest room.

He Yanzhou pinned her against the door and kissed her passionately.

When they reached the bedside, their clothes had all fallen off. The process was restrained and suppressed, yet also incredibly exhilarating.

In the final moments, He Yanzhou leaned down and gently bit her shoulder, his teeth chattering. Sensing that Zhu Xu was just a hair's breadth away from climax, he kissed her lips and reached down to assist.

Soon, Zhu Xu was also swept up by the huge tide. She dodged his lips, turned her head away, and bit down hard on the crumpled sheets to keep herself from making any noise, but her heavy breathing and heart-pounding heartbeat prolonged the pleasure of being suspended in mid-air.

It took them a long time to come to their senses.

After a quick clean-up, He Yanzhou pulled Zhu Xu into his arms. It was a rare moment of tenderness since the birth of Sui Sui.

Zhu Xu checked the security camera footage from the upstairs bedroom and, after confirming that Sui Sui hadn't woken up, turned off his phone.

She raised her hand and stroked He Yanzhou's chin: "Is everything going smoothly in Lincheng?"

"There's basically no suspense," He Yanzhou said, "but the necessary procedures still need to be followed."

When will you go there again?

"It shouldn't be for at least another month." He twirled a strand of her hair with his finger.

"Really?"

"I can spend more time with you and our daughter."

Zhu Xu was overjoyed. She said, "Now that this month is over, it's time for me to go back to work."

During her maternity leave, Zhao Siqiao was overwhelmed with work. Accustomed to a leisurely life, she couldn't handle some contract and technical issues and came to her house every day.

He Yanzhou agreed with her decision: "As long as you feel healthy, you can try working, but do what you can and don't overwork yourself."

Zhu Xu agreed.

After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "I want to eat spicy hot pot."

"Now?"

She nodded.

He Yanzhou checked the time: "Let's go."

"...I was just saying it casually." Zhu Xu was conflicted. "Mom said that eating spicy food will reduce milk production."

"We have formula to stop breastfeeding." No problem ever comes easy for him. He's already scooping his clothes from the floor: "Hurry up."

Zhu Xu then slipped out the door with He Yanzhou, and the two walked hand in hand quickly toward the commercial street across from the residential area.

The evening breeze blew, causing her hair to flutter slightly, and her mood was as carefree and joyful as a kite in flight.

However, Zhu Xu didn't dare to eat too much spicy food. He only ate a couple of bites to satisfy his craving. No matter how much Ren Heyanzhou tried to persuade him, he only ate some mutton and vegetables from the clear soup pot.

For Zhu Xu, having a partner who puts her wishes first is already a blessing.

Zhu Xu was very happy that night.

Before he knew it, Sui Sui was three months old. Only when her little neck had gained some strength did He Yanzhou dare to reach out and hold her.

Once you hug someone, you don't want to let go.

The baby is sweet and soft, with tiny arms like Michelin tires; you have to part the chubby flesh to see her slender wrists. When held by her father, she stares intently at him, making little "ooh ooh da da" sounds.

He Yanzhou's heart melted, and he often spoke to her in baby talk that he himself couldn't understand.

When Sui Sui got a little older, the two of them would take her for a walk in the wetland park in a stroller after dinner.

The child sat in the car, his big, dark eyes looking around, full of curiosity about the world.

It was early autumn, and the night breeze was cool.

The commercial street is lined with a wide variety of restaurants and brightly lit.

He Yanzhou held the cart with one hand and held Zhu Xu's hand with the other.

The two chatted casually.

There's a basketball court deep in the park. Every time we pass by, Sui Sui claps her little hands excitedly and blows little bubbles.

She likes to look at round objects, and even more so at moving objects.

He Yanzhou then pulled Zhu Xu to sit down on a bench, turned the stroller towards the field, and Sui Sui watched intently as a group of young people played basketball.

Zhu Xu said, "I've never seen you play basketball." Then she suddenly remembered how amazed she was when he showed off his billiards skills that year.

So she raised her eyebrows and said to herself, "It's probably something you're tired of playing with again."

He Yanzhou smiled and said, "It's been many years since I've touched it."

Is it still okay now?

He Yanzhou said, "This problem is very dangerous."

Zhu Xu patted his shoulder and said reproachfully, "I know I wasn't talking about that."

He chuckled silently, took a bottle of mineral water from the stroller's mesh pocket, unscrewed it, and handed it to Zhu Xu first: "Want some water?"

She thought for a moment and said, "No, thank you."

"Have a drink."

Zhu Xu had no choice but to take it and sip it slowly.

He Yanzhou fed Sui Sui some more water, then turned around and looked at her with amusement. He had always known that she didn't like to drink water, so he couldn't help but flick her forehead lightly: "Why is it harder for you than taking medicine?"

"Plain water to soothe the throat."

"How strange." He Yanzhou chuckled, watching her slowly swallow a few sips before taking the bottle and drinking about half of it himself.

At this moment, the baby in the stroller seemed to have gotten tired of sitting, turned over, and started whining for a hug.

He Yanzhou then got up, picked her up, and walked to the bushes behind to reach for leaves. Suddenly, something touched his foot. He looked down and saw the basketball rolling over from the other side of the court.

Someone shouted, "Dude, can you pass the ball?"

He Yanzhou pressed down and flicked the ball with his toes, sending it soaring into the air.

Sui Sui looked down, intently watching the basketball bouncing in her father's palm.

He Yanzhou held her firmly in his arms, dribbled the ball with one hand, and walked towards the court. Reaching the two-point line, he lifted the basketball, flipped his wrist, and shot.

The basketball spun along the edge and fell into the hoop.

Zhu Xu watched from afar, his heart pounding with emotion.

Their eyes met briefly before they looked away.

The young man on the field whistled: "Let's have a game, buddy."

He Yanzhou smiled and politely declined, saying, "I have to take care of the child."

At this moment, the little boy in his arms was waving his arms and legs, extremely excited.

He asked, "Is Daddy handsome?"

Sui Sui was very supportive, her rosy lips pouting into an "O" shape: "Oh~"

He Yanzhou, holding Sui Sui, walked towards Zhu Xu: "Call me Mom."

As if understanding, Sui Sui's big, dark eyes searched for her mother's location, and she kicked her chubby little legs, shouting loudly, "Mwah! Mwah~"

Zhu Xu's gaze remained fixed on the father and daughter.

He Yanzhou said somewhat childishly, "Tell Mom that Dad is very handsome."

When the little one saw his mother, his eyes crinkled with a smile, and he stretched out his little arms, wanting her to hug him.

Zhu Xu stood up and took Sui Sui.

He Yanzhou pulled them both into his arms and repeated, "Tell Mom that Dad is handsome."

Sui Sui looked into her mother's eyes and said, "Oh!"

Zhu Xu leaned against He Yanzhou and softly drawled, "I know, you're so handsome, I love you so much!"