Chapter 154 New Life

Suddenly, something incredibly heavy was ripped out of my body, and all the excruciating pain stopped abruptly, followed by a feeling of utter relief.

She collapsed on the delivery bed, gasping for breath, her vision blurring, and she didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.

Smack! Smack!

Two crisp slapping sounds were followed by a loud baby's cry.

Outside the delivery room, the first rays of morning sunlight shone.

Nan Zhiyi thought to herself in a daze that what Sister-in-law Wang said... wasn't entirely a joke after all.

Director Zhang lifted the tiny body covered in vernix caseosa and brought it close to Nan Zhiyi's sweaty cheek, letting her feel the warm touch.

"Your baby is so energetic!"

Then, she spread the baby's legs apart to show Nan Zhiyi: "Look, it's a big, chubby boy!"

Nan Zhiyi looked at the tiny life through her teary eyes, her heart filled with mixed emotions: exhaustion, relief, and the bewilderment of becoming a new mother.

Director Zhang handed the baby to the middle-aged midwife.

She skillfully helped Nan Zhiyi deliver the placenta, stitched up the wound, and gently comforted her: "It will hurt a little, just bear with it, it will be over soon. Your labor was quite fast, and you didn't tear much, so recovery will be easier."

After the stitches were finished, Director Zhang praised her again: "What a wonderful mother you are. You didn't cry or fuss, and you used all your strength in the right place. The baby is very healthy, weighing 6 pounds and 2 ounces, and was born at 5:55 a.m.

The middle-aged midwife brought over the cleaned and swaddled baby, letting Nan Zhiyi take a look: "I'll take him out first to let the family know the good news."

Outside the delivery room, Gu Xiao remained frozen at the doorway.

The pained and desperate cries of Nan Zhiyi inside repeatedly tore at his heart.

He had never heard her make such a sound before; the weak, broken sobs shattered his heart, and he wished he could take all the pain away from her.

The surrounding noise disappeared, and just thinking about the worst possibility made his ears ring and he felt dizzy.

Until a loud baby's cry pierced through the door and reached his ears.

He was jolted and held his breath.

After a long pause, he murmured to himself, "...Did she give birth?"

The door finally opened, and a middle-aged midwife came out carrying a swaddled baby, calling out, "Are Nan Zhiyi's family members here?"

Gu Xiao was momentarily stunned.

With tears still streaming down her face, Aunt Wu replied, "Yes, yes! This is our Commander Gu!"

Wu Ma reached out to take the child, but stopped and looked at Gu Xiao, "Commander Gu, quick, quick, check on the child!"

Gu Xiao's gaze swept over the tiny swaddled baby, fixed on the midwife, and his voice trembled: "How is she? How is my wife?"

The middle-aged midwife smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother and baby are both safe! The mother is having her wound stitched up inside; she had a slight tear, but Director Zhang is handling it personally, and it will be over soon. Her delivery went very smoothly; the two women who arrived earlier haven't given birth yet. She's the first one today, which is fantastic!"

Gu Xiao's tense nerves relaxed a little, and his chest felt throbbing.

Yes, his wisdom is amazing, even his ability to give birth is incredible…

This untimely thought flashed through his mind, but he immediately dismissed it and quickly asked, "How much longer until she comes out?"

"Both the mother and baby need to be observed for two hours. If there are no problems, they can go back to their ward. The family can wait here."

Only then did Aunt Wu come to her senses: "Commander Gu, I need to hurry back and get Zhiyi something to eat to nourish her."

Without even glancing at the child, she hurriedly pulled Xiao Li away.

The midwife carried the baby back to the delivery room.

Gu Xiao stood alone outside the delivery room, motionless.

He listened to the faint sounds coming from inside, his heart still pounding.

The middle-aged midwife returned to the delivery room, placed the baby beside her, and said with a smile, "Comrade Xiao Nan, look how handsome the little guy is, his eyebrows and eyes are just like his father's."

She couldn't see any resemblance to Gu Xiao; she only felt a sense of unfamiliarity and strangeness.

She weakly forced a smile and said, "Thank you."

The midwife went to the table next to her to fill out the delivery record.

Director Zhang carefully examined Nan Zhiyi's condition, confirmed that the bleeding was normal, and patted her arm: "You did a great job, take a rest."

After saying that, she quickly walked to the other side of the delivery room, where the woman in labor was also entering the final stage of delivery, and her moans became rapid and loud.

Nan Zhiyi lay alone, her gaze fixed on the little thing.

She actually...gave birth to a person?

A complete, breathing, crying little life?

The thought shocked her to the point of near terror, mixed with bewilderment.

Director Zhang came over again, checked on her condition, and nodded to the nurse: "Her condition is stable, she can be sent back to her ward now."

The nurses carefully moved Nan Zhiyi onto the transfer bed and wheeled her and her baby out of the delivery room.

Gu Xiao, standing outside the delivery room, felt that these two hours were longer and more unbearable than any of his previous missions.

The silence inside was terrifying. He couldn't hear Nan Zhiyi's voice, which made him even more anxious, and all sorts of bad thoughts uncontrollably entered his mind.

He stared at the door, counting down the seconds.

When the delivery room door opened again.

The nurse wheeled Nan Zhiyi out.

"I understand!" Gu Xiao rushed over.

He grasped Nan Zhiyi's icy hand tightly: "How are you? Are you feeling unwell? Does it still hurt? Is there anything that's bothering you?"

Seeing him so flustered, so different from his usual cold and serious demeanor, Nan Zhiyi felt a mix of warmth and bitterness in her heart, along with a strange sense of embarrassment.

She shook her head and gestured for him to look at the child beside her: "I'm fine...look..."

Gu Xiao glanced briefly at the swaddled baby, then returned his attention to Nan Zhiyi.

He helped the nurse push the bed, holding her hand tightly the whole way, and kept asking, "Are you really okay? Your face is so pale..."

Back in the ward, before the nurses could even touch her, Gu Xiao picked Nan Zhiyi up from the transfer bed, placed her on the hospital bed, pulled the blanket over her, and carefully wrapped her up, tucking even the corners of the blanket tightly.

The nurse following him smiled as she watched his meticulous manner, then stepped forward, picked up the forgotten baby, and placed it beside Nan Zhiyi.

The little one seemed to sense its mother's presence, and its little head moved slightly.

Gu Xiao then truly realized the child's existence, and his gaze slowly shifted from Nan Zhiyi's face to the swaddling clothes.