Gu Mingyue leaned against his palm, and her tense nerves suddenly relaxed a little. Tears mixed with cold sweat fell down, but not because of pain, but because of peace of mind.
Lu Lin gently wiped away her tears with his sleeve, his forehead pressed against hers: "I'm sorry I'm late, I've made you suffer."
The doctor smiled and said, "It's just in time. Having family members around gives the mother more confidence."
Lu Lin nodded, his gaze never leaving Gu Mingyue's face, and he kept saying encouraging words.
The physical pain continued, but Gu Mingyue felt very at ease.
Her man returned, travel-worn and filled with longing, to accompany her as she awaited the arrival of their new life.
The pain on the delivery bed came in waves, and Gu Mingyue's hands, gripping the sheets, turned white. But out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Lu Lin's military uniform.
His epaulets were covered in dust, and his trouser legs were speckled with mud, indicating that he had come directly from the mission site.
Her heart tightened, and she pushed his arm away despite the pain, saying, "Get out."
Lu Lin was taken aback, thinking she was in pain and agitated, so he quickly bent down and said, "Mingyue, I'll stay here with you."
"Your clothes are so dirty, and you came in without disinfecting them. What if you infect the child?"
Gu Mingyue's voice was trembling with tears, but it was exceptionally firm. "This isn't being dramatic. The baby's immune system is weak right after birth. Go out and change into some clean clothes."
As soon as he said those words, Lu Lin suddenly realized his mistake.
He had just returned from a field mission, and his military uniform was covered in wind, frost, and mud, making him unsuitable to stay in the delivery room.
He felt both guilty and anxious, and could only hold her hand tightly: "It was my oversight. I'll go out now and wait for you outside. Don't be afraid."
After saying that, he glanced at her reluctantly before turning around and quickly walking out of the delivery room.
As soon as he entered the corridor, he saw Lu Wanwan and He Xiao sitting on a bench. Both of them had bloodshot eyes from staying up all night. When they saw him come out, they immediately stood up and asked, "Brother, how is sister-in-law?"
Lu Lin shook his head, his voice a little hoarse: "I'm still inside. My clothes were dirty, so Mingyue kicked me out."
He paused, looking at their exhausted appearance, his heart filled with gratitude: "Thank you for bringing it over at night. You can go back and rest for a while now. You have to go back to work. Mom and I are enough here."
Lu Wanwan waved her hand, saying, "I'm not going back. I want to wait for my sister-in-law and the baby to come out."
He Xiao nodded in agreement: "I won't be in a hurry."
When fighting outside, it's normal to not sleep for three or four days, let alone one night.
Lu Lin patted his shoulder, his tone resolute and leaving no room for refusal: "Listen to me, go back and rest well so you can work properly. I'll let you know as soon as the baby is born."
After hearing his words, the two went back.
Zhong Yuxiu went home to get some things, and when she returned and saw Lu Lin standing at the door, she quickly asked, "Lin, what are you doing here? How is Mingyue?"
Lu Lin told Zhong Yuxiu about the dirty clothes, and she immediately pulled out the clean casual clothes he had brought from her bundle: "Change into these quickly, I prepared them for you a long time ago."
Lu Lin changed into clean casual clothes, but his steps seemed to be nailed to the door of the delivery room. He pressed his ear tightly against the door, carefully listening to every sound inside.
Whenever Gu Mingyue let out a soft groan of pain, his body would involuntarily lean forward, his hands clenched tightly until his knuckles turned white, and his heart would burn with intense anxiety, as if it were on fire.
He paced back and forth in the corridor, his shoes clattering on the floor. He walked from the doorway to the end of the corridor, then immediately turned back, his eyes fixed on the closed door of the delivery room, muttering to himself, "Why isn't it done yet? Why is it taking so long?"
He looked even more nervous than when he was on a mission on the battlefield.
Zhong Yuxiu couldn't help but grab his arm as she watched him turn around and say, "Sit down and rest for a while. I'm getting dizzy from all this turning."
She pressed Lu Lin down on the bench and handed him some brown sugar water. "Have a sip of hot water to calm yourself down. Giving birth doesn't happen that quickly. There's no use in you being anxious here. You'd better rest so you'll have the energy to take care of her when Mingyue comes out later."
Lu Lin took the bowl, but had no appetite for it. His eyes were still glued to the delivery room door, and his voice was urgent: "Mom, I heard Mingyue in a lot of pain. I want to go in and be with her."
Zhong Yuxiu patted the back of his hand and sighed, "The doctor doesn't allow family members in. Even if you go in, you won't be able to help; you'll only cause trouble. Let's just wait here and trust Mingyue. She can do it."
Lu Lin nodded, but less than two minutes after his bottom touched the chair, he couldn't help but stand up and move closer to the door of the delivery room.
The light in the corridor illuminated his anxious profile. Although he had changed out of his military uniform, the composure characteristic of a soldier had long been washed away by his concern for his wife.
At this moment, he is not a soldier defending his country, but just an ordinary husband and father hoping for the safety of his wife and children.
As the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, the first golden rays of sunlight pierced through the windows of the hospital corridor, falling on the blue bricks of the ground and spreading out a warm patch of light.
Just then, a loud and clear cry suddenly came from the delivery room.
Lu Lin, who had been pressed against the door, suddenly jolted and straightened up as if burned. His eyes were fixed on the door of the delivery room, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
Just as he was about to rush over, the doctor pushed the door open from the inside.
"Congratulations!" The doctor, carrying a baby wrapped in a blue swaddle, walked towards them with a smile. "You've given birth to a strong little boy, weighing six pounds and six ounces. Look at his cry, so lively!"
Lu Lin anxiously pressed on, "Doctor, how is my wife? When will she be able to come out?"
"The mother is being cleaned up inside, don't worry, she'll be brought out in a little while," the doctor reassured her with a smile. "The delivery went smoothly, she just used up some energy."
Lu Lin nodded, his gaze fixed on the child in his arms. His steps faltered, the swaddling clothes were bulging, and the little one was still crying loudly, his cries echoing throughout the corridor.
Zhong Yuxiu was the first to react, quickly stepping forward and smiling broadly: "Good, good, six pounds and six ounces, a sturdy baby."
The doctor handed the baby to Lu Lin: "Baby's dad, come and hold him?"
Lu Lin suddenly stood up from the bench, but his steps faltered. He looked down at himself.
Although he had changed into clean civilian clothes, he was still covered in dust from rushing back from the mission site, and his palms were smudged with dirt from clenching his fists too tightly.
He took two steps forward, then quickly pulled back, his voice a little flustered: "Doctor, I... I'm not clean, will I touch the baby?"
The doctor was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's alright, the baby is wrapped up tightly, just support the bottom of the swaddle."
But Lu Lin was still worried and turned to give Zhong Yuxiu a look.
Zhong Yuxiu immediately understood. She quickly stepped forward, wiped her hands with a clean handkerchief, and then carefully took the child from the doctor's hands: "Let me hold him first. Xiao Lin, go wash your hands."
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