Chapter 177 Daddy's Daily Life with the Baby Alone
Si Yan returned to China safely with his half-year-old baby Baoer and began his life as both a father and a mother.
At 6:30 in the morning, Si Yan's biological clock woke him up before the alarm clock.
He reached into the crib, moving so gently as if he was afraid to disturb the night that was still lingering in the air.
When his fingertips touched the warm and soft little body, Si Yan's heart finally relaxed a little, and he started the new day with peace of mind.
Baoer was not fully awake yet, his little brows were furrowed, and his little mouth was sucking unconsciously, as if he was looking for a familiar source of milk.
Si Yan carefully picked him up, supporting his waist and hips with his arms, and protecting the back of his head with his palms. He had practiced this posture countless times, from being stiff and clumsy at first to being proficient and natural now. Even Sister Wang said that he was more careful than many mothers.
"Is our baby awake?" He lowered his head to look at the little one in his arms, his voice soft and gentle, completely different from the professor he sounded in a university classroom.
After changing diapers, preparing milk powder and feeding, the whole process was completed and the daylight had already shone into the living room through the gaps in the curtains.
Si Yan held Bao'er, who had eaten and drunk his fill, and sat on the sofa. The little one leaned against him, his eyes curiously staring at the buttons on his shirt. He stretched out his fingers and gently touched Bao'er's little face. The soft touch made the corners of his mouth curl up unconsciously.
The phone was placed on the coffee table next to her, and the screen lit up. It was a good morning message from Su Nian, with a photo of the sunrise she took from the window of her apartment in France.
Si Yan picked up his phone and stroked the scene in the photo on the screen with his fingertips.
Su Nian has been studying in France for half a year. In the early days, the two of them had video calls until late at night almost every day.
He would tell her what new moves Baoer had learned today, and she would share with him what she had learned in class, and occasionally complain about the complexity of French and the loneliness of being in a foreign land.
Later, as Baoer's daily routine gradually became regular and their studies and work gradually got on track, the frequency of video calls gradually decreased, but the good morning and good night messages every day never stopped.
"Mom will be back soon." Si Yan lowered his head and whispered to Baoer in his arms, as if he was cheering himself up.
Su Nian said on WeChat that he would return to China during the Lunar New Year, and this news made him excited for several days.
He had even started planning that the day Su Nian came back, he would pick her up at the airport and then the two of them would be together fiercely.
He imagined Su Nian's surprise when she saw Bao'er's current appearance - when he took Bao'er away from France half a year ago, Bao'er could only lie on the bed and kick his legs, but now he can move his steps by holding on to the sofa, and can even utter the vague syllables of "Dad".
At nine o'clock in the morning, Si Yan handed Bao'er to Sister Wang and rushed to the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine with a canvas bag containing lesson plans and handouts. He was not worried about home because his mother-in-law Su Hong would come over to take care of Bao'er soon.
On the way, he habitually turned on the radio, which was playing a soothing love song. The lyrics about waiting and reunion made him feel warm in his heart.
Although Si Yan was reluctant, he still supported Su Nian in pursuing her ideals.
He remembered bringing Bao'er back from France. Bao'er was sleeping soundly in his arms. Su Nian hugged them both, her eyes red, and repeatedly told him to take good care of himself and Bao'er.
"Wait until I come back," she whispered in his ear, "then our family will never be separated again." These words became his warmest comfort in the past six months.
After arriving at the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Si Yan first went to the office to organize the key points of the "Basic Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine" course to be taught today, and then looked through the case analysis assignments submitted by the students last week, marking the places that needed key comments.
After the bell rang, he walked into the classroom with the lesson plan. His originally slightly tired expression instantly became focused and rigorous.
"In the last class, we talked about the application of the Five Elements Theory in TCM diagnosis. Today, we will analyze the practice of the Five Elements Theory in treatment based on specific cases..." He spoke in a loud and clear voice. From time to time, he picked up the chalk to write down key knowledge points on the blackboard. Occasionally, he would ask students questions to guide them to think actively. The classroom atmosphere was both serious and active.
Halfway through the class, his phone vibrated. It was a video sent by his mother-in-law Su Hong. In the video, Baoer was sitting on a crawling mat playing with toys, with a smile on his little face.
Si Yan paused in his lecture, a hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes, and then he quickly immersed himself in teaching.
After class, he immediately replied to his mother-in-law, asking if Baoer was crying and how lunch went.
Professor Li, a colleague and friend, passed by the office and jokingly said, "Si Yan, ever since you became both a father and a mother, your phone has become your 'exclusive contact for Bao'er.' You used to be the 'academic paper king' who would dive into the lab after class, but now you can't stop talking to your little one."
Si Yan listened and smiled helplessly yet happily.
There was no class in the afternoon, so Si Yan left school early. He was going to the mall to buy things for Su Nian and Baoer.
He remembered that Su Nian had said before that winters in France were colder than in China, so he specially picked out a thick down jacket for her and her favorite light gray scarf.
Then we went to the baby products section and bought Baoer a new onesie and a plush toy that could help him develop his grasping ability.
Looking at the dazzling array of baby products on the shelves, he remembered that Su Nian always said that she would personally choose every item for Baoer, but now they are separated by thousands of miles. Su Nian can only watch Baoer grow up through video, and a pang of sadness arises in his heart.
When he got home, Baoer had just woken up. When he saw him come back, he immediately stretched out his little arms and asked him to hold him.
Si Yan put down what he was holding, walked over quickly, picked up Baoer, and kissed him on the face.
"Dad bought Baoer a new toy." As he said this, he took out a singing duck from the shopping bag. When Baoer saw the toy, he immediately stretched out his little hands to grab it, making cheerful sounds.
At night, after coaxing Baoer to sleep, Si Yan sat in the study, turned on the computer, and while organizing the courseware from the day's class, he looked through the photos and videos sent by Su Nian.
There are scenes of her working on designs with classmates at school, landscape photos she took on the streets of Paris, and scenes of her telling stories to BoA in front of the camera.
He looked at it again and again, as if this would bring him closer to her.
He remembered when he brought Bao'er back from France. Bao'er might have felt that her mother was not around because of the endless preparation of milk powder, so she always cried at night. He paced back and forth in the living room with the child in his arms, and could only coax her into sleep until the early morning.
During that time, he had to take care of Baoer, prepare courses, correct homework, and advance research projects, and he was exhausted.
But whenever he saw Baoer's sleeping face and thought of Su Nian studying hard abroad, he felt that it was all worth it - they were all working hard for this family and for a better future.
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