【Extra】-Gift
The 26th birthday party of the head of the Atobe zaibatsu family decorated the top hotel on the shores of Tokyo Bay into a flowing river of stars.
Amidst elegant attire, clinking glasses, and a gathering of political and business luminaries, the spotlights shone on every distinguished face. The ever-growing commercial powerhouse of the Atobe Zaibatsu and the Long family, forged through their marriage, is sailing towards ever-greater waters.
My story with Keigo Atobe has long surpassed the expansion of the business empire. With the persistent and exaggerated "recording" and "popular science" of Rie Tanaka, the president of the "Fog Disperses and Scenes Appears" fan club, it has become a "model of rich love" that is repeatedly chewed over and has its own halo in the upper social circles and even the public eye.
Every public appearance triggers a wave of envy or exploration.
At this moment, the afterglow of the feast gradually cooled on the late-night terrace. In the distance, the surface of Tokyo Bay reflected the dazzling lights of the city, like a field of scattered diamonds.
Atobe had just finished showering, his slightly wet hair fluttering in the night breeze. He was leaning back in a wicker recliner in a silk robe, gazing at the bustling night scene. His expression had a hint of laziness as if he was slightly tipsy, and there seemed to be a hint of imperceptible grievance.
I walked over with two cups of warm milk. My footsteps were light, but he still noticed them.
He tilted his head, his eyes misted in the night, with a hint of childish coquettishness and dissatisfaction, his voice drawn out:
"I received a lot of stuff... a custom-made Swiss watch, an Italian sports car model, a share of a South African diamond mine... but why didn't I get a gift from Xiao Yin?"
He looked at my empty hands accusingly, like a boy who didn't get his favorite candy.
I couldn't help but laugh, placing the glass of milk on the small table next to me. I teased him, "Their gifts are so expensive and so 'important,'" I emphasized. "Well, I'm more low-key. I wouldn't dare compare."
He snorted, obviously dissatisfied with the answer, frowned slightly, and was about to say something.
As if by magic, I pulled out a small, simply wrapped white box from behind my back and handed it to him, smiling broadly: "Here, a low-key birthday present. Happy birthday, Jingwu."
The slight grievance vanished instantly, and Atobe's eyes lit up with anticipation and curiosity. He took the box, gently shaking it, but it made no sound. His slender fingers deftly untied the ribbon and opened the lid.
Inside lay a rolled-up piece of paper, tied with a clumsy pink bow. This plain, even childish packaging was in stark contrast to the other gifts he had received.
"Hmm?" Atobe raised an eyebrow, his confusion deepening. He carefully untied the bow and, with a hint of inquiry and playfulness, slowly unfolded the paper tube.
Time seemed to be paused at this moment.
The night wind seemed to have stagnated.
The lights of Tokyo Bay outside the terrace are still bright, but it seems as if it has been isolated in another world.
The smile, curiosity, laziness... all the expressions on Atobe's face faded like the tide, leaving only an extreme blankness and confusion.
He held the unfolded paper, his fingers trembling slightly, his eyes fixed on the clear printed words in the middle of the paper, as if he was seeing them for the first time.
He stood there frozen, as if under a spell.
After more than ten seconds, he slowly and with a sleepwalking uncertainty, his lips moved and he uttered very softly, almost silently: "Pregnancy..."
Then, he suddenly raised his head, his deep blue pupils suddenly dilated, filled with a turbulent wave of disbelief, piercing straight into my eyes, as if silently shouting: Is this true?!
Seeing him completely stunned, as if his IQ had dropped, I was already laughing inside, but I tried to keep a straight face and nodded seriously, my voice clear and firm: "Yes, yes, I'm studying 'pregnancy'. Two months pregnant."
"Pregnancy... two months..." Atobe repeated unconsciously, his eyes still empty, as if he was digesting this explosive information.
Sudden!
A flash of lightning suddenly split his chaotic mind!
Early July! Wimbledon!
The Wimbledon trophy he had dreamed of, the one he had fought for for countless days and nights, was finally lifted high by him! Golden sunlight, thunderous cheers, champagne bubbles, a huge ecstasy and exhaustion swept over him.
At the celebration party, he drank a few more glasses than usual and returned to his room feeling tipsy, indescribably excited and satisfied. He just wanted to hug his beloved girl and share this incomparable joy, just wanted to cuddle close to her and absorb the warmth and peace from her.
However, alcohol magnified his senses and blurred the boundaries of his rationality. The soft touch in his arms, the familiar fragrance of her body, mixed with the extreme excitement of winning the championship, instantly ignited the long-suppressed desire.
Everything was getting out of control and boiling hot.
The dizziness brought by the tipsiness made him move more anxiously, more aggressively, and more carelessly than usual. The safety measures that had been strictly followed for years were thrown out of the window at that moment.
He relied solely on his most primitive instincts, clinging to her tightly, experiencing bliss together. Sweat soaked the sheets, their breaths intertwined with gasps, until, exhausted, they embraced each other and fell into a deep sleep...
"Is...is it the night of Wimbledon?" Atobe stood up suddenly, his voice rising and even a little distorted due to extreme shock and excitement.
He clutched the thin piece of paper tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, staring at my lower abdomen, then suddenly raised his eyes to look at me, eagerly seeking confirmation.
I glared at him unhappily, my cheeks flushing slightly, a touch of embarrassment. "What else? I usually... always take precautions. Just that day, seeing you so happy about your hard-earned championship..."
My voice dropped, with a hint of helplessness and indulgence, "I was just trying to make you happy... Even though I cleaned it up afterwards, who knows..."
Who knew that a single mistake would hit the bull's eye so accurately.
A huge, pure, and overwhelming ecstasy crashed down on him like a tsunami, instantly destroying all of Atobe's composure and ability to think.
He stood up suddenly, and his tall body seemed a little helpless in front of me.
He wanted to reach out and touch my belly, but his fingertips suddenly retracted when they were still a few centimeters away from me, as if it was some rare treasure that would shatter if touched.
The hands that turned the tide in the business world and controlled the overall situation on the court now didn't know where to put them.
"Xiao Yin..." His voice trembled, tears welling in his eyes, filled with excitement, ecstasy, disbelief, and a huge, almost terrifying sense of responsibility as a new father.
"Are you feeling unwell? Feeling nauseous? Dizzy? Hungry? I...I'll call a doctor right away! No, I'll call the best obstetrics team! Home! Yes, the house needs to be redecorated! Replace all the carpets with non-slip ones! Wrap the edges of the furniture! Upgrade the air purification system! Nutritionist! Contact the top pregnancy nutritionist right away! And..."
He spoke incoherently and became more and more excited, wishing he could just pull out his phone and put the whole world in order.
Looking at him, the young master who has always been known for his gorgeousness, confidence and control over everything, now like a young boy who is so excited that he doesn't know what to do after getting his favorite toy for the first time, my heart softened and I found it funny.
“Stop, stop, stop!” I quickly reached out and grabbed his restless arm, interrupting his “crazy” plan. “It’s only been two months! It’s still unstable.”
"According to Chinese tradition, we have to wait three months before making any announcement to the public. We need to be cautious." I softened my voice with a soothing tone.
I pulled Atobe back, as if the pause button had been pressed.
He took a deep breath, and then another, trying to calm his heartbeat that was like a galloping horse in his chest.
He lowered his head, his gaze once again fixed on the examination form that was wrinkled from being held in his hand, then he suddenly opened his arms and hugged me tightly and tenderly in his arms, with such strength that it seemed as if he wanted to knead me into his bones and blood.
His chin rested against the top of my head, his voice was heavily nasal, with a barely perceptible sob. Every word seemed to roll down from the tip of his heart, carrying a scorching temperature:
"Xiao Yin..."
"This is……"
“The best birthday present ever.”
I snuggled in his warm embrace, feeling the violent vibrations of his chest and listening to his powerful heartbeat. I raised my head and looked into his eyes, which were filled with the sea of stars and shone only for me and the new life in my belly. I curled the corners of my lips and whispered:
"Congratulations, Keigo."
"I'm going to be a father."
The night breeze gently blew across the terrace, and the distant hustle and bustle of the city seemed to transform into the background music of blessing. He held the light yet weighing over a thousand pounds piece of paper with great care, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.
Medical research may have a point.
Thanks to Atobe's sperm, which Rie Tanaka jokingly called "the best asset of the Atobe zaibatsu," my pregnancy reaction was indeed textbook smooth.
There was a brief, symbolic period of morning sickness in the early stages of pregnancy, but it was enough to make Keigo Atobe feel like he was facing a major threat. He almost turned down all non-essential meetings and kept an eye on the nutritionist team around the clock like the most stringent supervisor.
At that time, I inexplicably only wanted to eat fruits, so cherries from South America, mangoes from the Philippines, strawberries from Japanese greenhouses, and even some rare tropical fruits that required special cold chain transportation... rare fresh fruits from all over the world were delivered to me like water.
Watching him video-chatting with his parents far away in the UK, discussing the baby room renovation and home safety details, while at the same time calling each of his eight brothers and sisters-in-law in China, especially my seventh brother, to report my condition and their "upgrade" plan in detail, with a look of more serious concentration between his brows than when he was handling a 10 billion merger and acquisition case, I often felt that he was the "pregnant woman" whose nerves were tense due to pregnancy reactions.
Every prenatal checkup is a top-level display of the Atobe Zaibatsu’s medical resources.
He accompanied her throughout the entire visit to the best private hospital and the most authoritative obstetrics team, never leaving her side. He scrutinized every ultrasound image and every blood and urine test report more carefully than he would an annual financial report.
As a doctor and good friend, Yuushi Oshitari was "harassed" by him countless times late at night, repeatedly confirming the meaning of those professional terms and indicator values until they were familiar with them.
He carved out time in his already packed work schedule to read the thick "Hill's Encyclopedia of Pregnancy", "American Academy of Pediatrics Parenting Guidelines", and even unpopular books such as "Psychological Adjustment and Partner Support During Pregnancy".
I worried he'd burn out and urged him to take a break, but he always held his chin high with a gorgeously confident expression: "My time management is impeccable. Don't worry, all the nighttime hours," he leaned over and kissed my forehead, "are all reserved for Xiaoyin."
The care of the Long family has never been absent.
My aunt sent me a sachet for pregnancy protection that was said to be made with an ancient secret recipe; my seventh brother found a set of top-quality natural plant pregnancy oils from somewhere that were said to be able to "prevent stretch marks and make the baby's skin white and tender", and came with detailed and almost harsh illustrations of massage techniques (with a threat: if Tomokazu dared to be lazy and not massage properly, he would fly over and do it himself); my sixth brother even gave me a blessed "natural delivery amulet" in a mysterious way, and calculated an "auspicious day" for me to carry it with me.
As the months went by, prenatal education every night became an unshakable ritual for Tebe.
He would first apply pregnancy oil with a light plant fragrance on me, and then use his warm big palms to massage my increasingly heavy back and swollen calves with moderate force.
Then he would lie on his side, gently put his ear against my bulging belly, and begin his "evening broadcast."
Sometimes he would recite "The Little Prince" or Shakespeare's sonnets with great emotion, and sometimes he would sit at the piano and play a soothing Chopin nocturne or his own discordant "Baby Lullaby".
More often, he would mutter to my stomach in a low and gentle voice:
"Xiao Lin, were you good today? Did you kick your mother and hurt her?"
"Do you like gold or silver? Daddy has prepared a lot of small clothes for you."
"You have to listen to your mother and don't be too naughty. Your mother works very hard."
"When you come out, Daddy will take you to play tennis, okay?"
The name of the child has been decided, it is Atobe Rin, and the Chinese name is Long Rin.
He overturned countless names, looked up many dictionaries with me, and discussed it with the Long family. Finally, the sixth brother counted on his fingers for a long time and finally decided on the final answer with the word "the best name in the world".
This name is suitable for both men and women.
Tezuka was very stubborn and refused to know the baby's gender in advance. He said that the baby should tell him himself.
The baby in my belly was quiet most of the time, occasionally moving lazily, as if responding to his father's whispers. Everything was beautiful, like a carefully choreographed movement, until that sunny afternoon, when the movement was completely interrupted by an unexpected high note.
That day, Atobe and Oshitari were having a long-awaited competition practice at the indoor tennis court of their own manor.
With my pregnant belly, I nestled comfortably in a wicker lounge chair beside the court, enjoying the warm sunshine shining through the glass dome and watching the two agile figures playing on the court.
Atobe was in excellent form, and a signature "Tannhauser serve" hit Ozawa's half of the court like a precision-guided artillery shell. After the ball landed, it almost stayed close to the ground and rushed forward, causing him to raise his racket proudly, ready to welcome the cheers of victory.
At the moment the racket is swung!
"ah--"
Without warning, a tearing pain suddenly exploded from my lower abdomen. The pain was so fierce and swift that it instantly drained all my strength and voice. I didn't even have time to think. I only let out a short and sharp cry of pain, and my whole body curled up uncontrollably.
The racket slipped out of his hand and hit the smooth floor with a sharp sound.
The smugness on Atobe's face instantly froze, transforming into extreme fear. He practically teleported to my side, his voice distorted by shock. "Xiaoyin?! What's going on?! Isn't the due date still ten days away?!"
The pain surged like a tide, each wave stronger than the last. I clutched his hand tightly, my nails digging into his flesh. A broken sob escaped my throat: "It hurts... Keigo... It hurts so much..."
Immediately afterwards, a stream of warm liquid flowed out uncontrollably from between her legs, quickly soaking the cushion beneath her body.
My water broke!
A huge fear seized me in an instant!
All the information I'd read about the risks of childbirth and unexpected birth events flooded my mind uncontrollably. Although I'd rehearsed countless times, when the cold reality, accompanied by excruciating pain and a sense of loss of control, hit me, all my mental defenses collapsed in an instant.
I clutched Atobe's hand tightly as if it were a lifeline, tears mixed with cold sweat pouring out of my eyes, and my voice was shaking: "Keigo... I'm scared... I'm scared..."
Atobe's face paled frighteningly at that moment, but his grip on my hand remained remarkably firm and strong, without the slightest tremor. He forced himself to calm down quickly, the storm in his eyes instantly fading, leaving only the almost cold, absolute control of a decision-maker.
He quickly pressed the emergency call button with his other hand and began to issue instructions in an incredibly calm and steady voice. Every word was clear and powerful, piercing through my chaotic fear:
"Medical team! Immediately initiate emergency plan A! Madam's water broke and she's having severe contractions. Prepare the delivery room immediately!"
"Notify Professor Yamamoto's team at Tokyo General Hospital to take up their positions according to the planned plan! Preheat the helicopter! Butler! Seal off the passage from the main residence to the medical wing! Clear all unnecessary personnel!"
"Oshizuka! Get the first aid kit ready and follow me!"
The entire manor was efficiently mobilized in an instant, like a precision instrument starting to operate.
Well-trained medical staff arrived quickly, pushing a stretcher and gently but efficiently transferring me onto it. Atobe, holding my hand tightly, strode briskly alongside the stretcher, while continuing to issue instructions methodically, soothing the panicked servants and coordinating resources.
Only my hand, which was pressed against his palm and held tightly by him, could clearly feel the cold sweat oozing out of his palm, silently revealing the equally turbulent waves in his heart.
The painkiller shot was injected into my spine, and the excruciating pain was finally separated by a thick layer of numbness, allowing me to breathe again. When I was wheeled into the family delivery room, which resembled a top-tier hotel suite but was equipped with the most advanced medical equipment, Atobe, already dressed in sterile clothing, stayed close to me, his hand never loosening.
The real battle has begun.
The midwife's gentle but firm voice guided me: "Ma'am, the cervix is fully dilated! Very good! Follow my rhythm, inhale - hold your breath - push!"
"Yes! That's it! Come on! I can see the baby's hair!"
I fought with all my might, and every contraction felt like I was fighting an invisible beast.
Sweat soaked his hair and stuck to his pale face.
His breathing was rapid and broken, all his strength concentrated at that point.
Atobe half-knelt beside the delivery bed, holding my hand tightly in one hand and wiping the sweat from my forehead with a damp cloth in the other. His eyes were fixed on my face, filled with heartache, anxiety, and a sense of helplessness.
He is not a doctor, and at this moment he cannot share my pain. He can only repeat in my ear over and over again in his low but strangely soothing voice:
"Xiao Yin, you are great, very great!"
"Don't be afraid, I'm here! I'm here!"
"Hold on a little longer, it will be successful soon! Our baby will be here soon!"
"Harder! Yes! That's it. I love you, Xiaoyin..."
Outside the delivery room, the atmosphere was equally solemn.
Atobe's parents, Oshitari Yuushi, his seventh brother Long Yao who rushed over after hearing the news, and several other brothers and sisters-in-law of the Long family in Tokyo were all waiting anxiously.
Seventh Brother paced back and forth in the corridor like a raging trapped animal, his fists clenched and crackling, muttering to himself, "Why hasn't he come out yet?! What's that kid Atobe doing for a living?"
Oshitari was relatively calm, but his furrowed brow revealed his worry.
Time passed by minute by minute, as if it was infinitely stretched.
"Madam! Push! Push a little harder! The baby's head is almost out!" The midwife's voice took on a subtle urgency. "The baby's heart rate has dropped a bit. We need to deliver it as soon as possible!"
My strength was almost exhausted and my consciousness began to blur.
The prolonged exertion left me exhausted, and every attempt felt like a futile struggle. It was as if the baby was playing hide-and-seek with me, clearly within reach, yet stubbornly refusing to completely leave the warm nest.
Atobe's heart sank.
He looked at the midwife's solemn expression, then at my pale, weak, sweaty face, and a huge panic gripped him.
He suddenly leaned over and growled at my bulging belly in a tone that he had never used before, full of command and pleading:
"Xiao Lin, be obedient! Come out quickly! Don't let your mother suffer anymore."
"After you get out, Daddy will teach you how to play tennis and show you the most powerful moves! Hurry up!"
Perhaps it was his voice that penetrated the barrier of amniotic fluid, or perhaps it was the deep fatherly love and anxiety in those words that stimulated the last bit of potential in me.
At the moment when Jibe finished speaking, an unprecedented force derived from the instinct of life suddenly burst out from deep within my body!
"ah--!!!"
I used up my last bit of willpower, let out a cry that was almost a roar, and pushed down with all my strength!
What followed was a baby's full-throated cry so loud that it almost blew the roof off!
“Wow! Wow!”
The cry was so loud, full of the tremendous power announcing the arrival of new life!
The world seemed quiet at this moment.
I collapsed on the delivery bed, gasping for air and sweat pouring down like a stream. Still half conscious, the deafening cries echoed in my ears, like the most beautiful music.
"Congratulations, Madam! Congratulations, Mr. Atobe!" The midwife's voice was filled with joy and relief. "It's a very healthy little boy!"
Atobe seemed to be nailed to the spot by the crying.
The hand he was holding was shaking violently, and his eyes, which were always sharp and confident, were now filled with tears.
He leaned over and kissed my sweaty forehead and cheeks over and over again in a trembling voice filled with tears. The hot tears finally fell uncontrollably and mixed with my sweat.
"Xiaoyin... Xiaoyin..." He choked and spoke incoherently, "You are so great... You did it... Our child... Our son..."
I was so tired I didn't even want to move a finger, and could only force a pale smile at him. My eyes passed over his excited face and looked at the red little ball of flesh, carefully wrapped by the nurse and still crying loudly.
Listening to that piercing cry, an inopportune thought, with a sense of fate that made me laugh and cry, came to my weary mind:
This kid just happened to start the serve when his father was hitting the "Tannhauser serve"... Could it be...
Just like his flamboyant and show-off father, he's a future Prince of Tennis, right?
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