The 317th operation concludes, ending the 13-minute countdown.
Gu Mingxia's phone call immediately woke Xiao Yan up. He got up and ran to Lan Garden, not forgetting to call for an ambulance while running.
"Xiaxia, how are you now?"
Upon entering the bedroom, one would see Gu Mingxia lying on the bed, her face pale and her body weak.
"I...my stomach hurts so much."
Upon seeing Xiao Yan, Gu Mingxia felt as if she suddenly had a pillar of support, and all the fear in her heart immediately disappeared. She grabbed Xiao Yan's hand and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Isn't there still two weeks until my due date? Why is my stomach hurting now?"
Although Xiao Yan was a first-time father, he had started reading parenting books after learning that Gu Mingxia was pregnant, so he was quite knowledgeable about the symptoms of impending labor.
"I...I don't know, my stomach just started hurting suddenly while I was sleeping."
Gu Mingxia frowned as another wave of pain struck, causing her to unconsciously tighten her grip on Xiao Yan's hand. Seeing this, Xiao Yan also became nervous. After thinking for a moment, he reached under the covers and touched her face, after which his brows furrowed even more deeply.
"Xiaxia, don't be nervous. Trust me, I'm here. You and your daughter will be alright."
"I... Xiao Yan, I'm nervous and scared."
No matter how strong a woman is, she will feel fear and unease at this moment, and Gu Mingxia is no exception. It would have been better if Xiao Yan hadn't said these words, because as soon as he said them, Gu Mingxia's tension and fear immediately surged up.
"It's okay, it's okay, Xiaxia, you have to believe me."
As Xiao Yan spoke, he placed a pillow under Gu Mingxia. If his estimation was correct, Gu Mingxia's water had already broken, which was definitely not a good thing for a woman in labor. Although Xiao Yan was also worried, he had to suppress any nervousness in order to avoid putting any further burden on Gu Mingxia. Otherwise, it would only increase her psychological burden.
"Xiaxia, I've already called for an ambulance. It will be here to take you to the hospital soon. Trust me, you and your daughter will be fine."
While comforting Gu Mingxia, Xiao Yan nervously checked his watch. He had never felt time pass so slowly before, but now it felt incredibly slow, so slow that he wished he could sprout wings and fly Gu Mingxia to the hospital.
Gu Mingxia's forehead was covered in cold sweat. She held Xiao Yan's hand tightly, enduring the pain as she looked at him nervously and anxiously.
Despite the constant waves of pain, Gu Mingxia noticed Xiao Yan's frequent checks of his watch, and her expression darkened further as her worry intensified.
"Xiao Yan, tell me the truth, am I in a bad situation right now?"
"Xiaxia, don't think too much. Just wait for the ambulance, okay?"
Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat from Gu Mingxia's forehead, lowered his head and kissed her on the cheek, looking at her with a smile.
"Don't worry so much, okay? I'm here for you."
"Then can you tell me the truth? The more you try to comfort me like this, the more nervous I get."
Xiao Yan's evasiveness made Gu Mingxia feel uneasy from the bottom of her heart. She disliked the feeling of being out of her control. For someone who was used to being in control, this situation was indeed hard to accept.
Gu Mingxia's grip on Xiao Yan's hand was painful, but Xiao Yan didn't feel anything. He held Gu Mingxia's hand back and smiled gently.
"Actually, there's nothing wrong with the situation. It's just that our daughter wanted to be born early, so her water broke first."
"Your water broke first? How can you say it's not serious? If all the amniotic fluid is lost, our daughter will be in danger. Xiao Yan, you need to get me to the hospital right away, hurry!"
Gu Mingxia was about to sit up when Xiao Yan had to hold her shoulders to stop her from doing so. After forcing Gu Mingxia to quiet down, Xiao Yan looked at her gently.
"Xiaxia, listen to me. Breaking your water first is a bit dangerous, but it's not as dangerous as you're saying. I've put a pillow under you, and the amniotic fluid is flowing out very little now. As long as you don't vomit, everything will be fine once the ambulance arrives."
"Xiao Yan, you must ensure our daughter's safety. She absolutely cannot be allowed to get hurt!"
Gu Mingxia looked at Xiao Yan with tension and anxiety. This was her first child, and absolutely nothing could go wrong.
"Xiaxia, you can't get hurt either."
Even though Xiao Yan loves the child in Gu Mingxia's womb very much, he is still a selfish person. The safety of the child is important, but he hopes that Gu Mingxia will be safe as well. If something happens to Gu Mingxia, what is the point of having this child?
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Gu Mingxia immediately showed an uneasy expression. She anxiously grabbed Xiao Yan's hand and spoke urgently.
"No, don't worry about me. As long as our daughter is alright, that's all that matters. Don't worry about me, okay?"
Xiao Yan knew that every woman's mind would be completely focused on her child after becoming a mother, but he still couldn't accept Gu Mingxia's choice, which was absolutely cruel to him.
In his heart, no matter what, Gu Mingxia would always be number one. But now she was asking him to give up his life in a moment of crisis in order to choose an unborn daughter, which Xiao Yan found hard to accept.
After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Yan finally spoke with difficulty.
"Xiaxia, no matter what, you must understand that you are the most important person to me..."
"No, Xiao Yan, if it really comes down to saving the mother and the child, you must remember my words. You must protect our daughter no matter what."
"If I can save my daughter but lose you, Xiaxia, please forgive me, I can't do it!"
This was really difficult for Xiao Yan, but after hearing his words, Gu Mingxia suddenly let go of Xiao Yan's hand that she had been holding tightly and looked at him in disbelief.
"I never imagined you were this kind of person! Xiao Yan, you're terrifying, absolutely terrifying! You actually don't want our daughter!"
"Xiaxia, don't get agitated. As long as you're here, we can still have our own child. But if you're gone, have you thought about what will happen to me?"
Xiao Yan grabbed Gu Mingxia's hands and looked at her with an excited expression.
"Can't you live a good life without me? Those seven years are a perfect example, aren't they? That was our daughter, such a young life, how could you bear to do that?"
Seeing the resentful look in Gu Mingxia's eyes, Xiao Yan felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he had to pretend that nothing was wrong and even put on a smile to comfort her.
"Xiaxia, look at what we're thinking. Your water just broke, it doesn't mean it's a matter of saving the mother or the baby. Okay, stop thinking so much, the ambulance should be here by now."
Gu Mingxia relaxed after hearing Xiao Yan's words, and gave him a weak smile. The tension between the two of them was greatly relieved.
Sure enough, Lin Fu arrived shortly after with medical staff carrying a stretcher. Under their care, Gu Mingxia was lifted into an ambulance, and less than half an hour later, the ambulance arrived at Maria Hospital.
"Xiao Yan, you must remember what I told you. If you really have to choose, you must choose to save your daughter, understand?"
“Xiaxia…”
"Remember, you must choose to save your daughter. If you don't listen to me, I will hate you for the rest of my life!"
Seeing Gu Mingxia's insistence, Xiao Yan nodded helplessly. After seeing him nod, Gu Mingxia smiled with relief and was then wheeled into the delivery room by the nurse.
Xiao Yan sat alone on a chair outside the delivery room, his hands clasped tightly together, his mind blank. He couldn't think of anything at all, and he was in a state of extreme tension.
He didn't know what would happen to Gu Mingxia in the delivery room, nor did he know if she and his daughter would be in danger. All he knew was that he was powerless to help, and this feeling was really uncomfortable. He had never been so afraid before.
Time passed very slowly; for Xiao Yan, every minute and every second of waiting felt exceptionally long.
So much happened that night that Xiao Yan couldn't quite process it all. He never imagined that his and Gu Mingxia's daughter would be born on such a chaotic night.
Two hours passed quickly, and Lin Fu returned from outside carrying large and small bags of things needed for the new mother and baby.
"Mr. Xiao, has Miss Xiao not come out yet?"
"Not yet, and I don't know how it is."
Xiao Yan looked at Lin Fu gratefully. He was all alone now. Liu Yan was at the hospital with Zheng Liu, and Qin Yueru was also hospitalized. Xiao Yan was facing this situation all by himself. He had to admit that he was a little uneasy and scared at the moment, and he especially hoped that someone would be there to face it with him.
"Mr. Xiao, don't worry too much. Miss will definitely be alright."
Lin Fu awkwardly comforted Xiao Yan. Although he had experienced a lot, he was not good at comforting people. However, for Xiao Yan, such clumsy comfort was already a rare treat.
"I'm not worried, Xiaxia and the baby will be fine!"
Xiao Yan looked at the closed door of the delivery room with a firm gaze. He believed that his Xiaxia would be the bravest one, and that his daughter would be fine too!
Not long after Xiao Yan finished speaking, the door to the delivery room, which had been tightly closed, finally opened, and a nurse came out carrying a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.
"Which one of you is a family member of the woman in labor?"
"I am the child's father."
"Congratulations, you have a precious daughter."
"How is the master?"
"The mother is not experiencing any problems. It's just that there is a little less amniotic fluid. This baby was delivered via cesarean section, so the mother is still being stitched up. Please wait patiently for a while."
Clumsily taking the swaddle from the nurse, inside which was a wrinkled little baby, Xiao Yan was so excited that he didn't know what to do. This was his daughter, his and Gu Mingxia's daughter!
"Uncle Lin, this is my daughter, Xiaxia's and my daughter. I...I'm a father now!"
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