The person standing next to her reached out and supported Ruoke's arm. "Are you alright?"
Although Yan Qiu felt this woman was unworthy of Huo Qingfeng, she was a military doctor, and military doctors were soldiers too; the sense of responsibility and passion of a soldier existed within her. Therefore, she couldn't bear to stand by and watch someone die. Even if she wanted to compete with her for a man, she would only pursue him openly and honestly. Saying those harsh words last time was, in her opinion, the most despicable thing she could do.
Ling Ruoke took a deep breath, enduring the sudden pain. She looked up at the woman supporting her, slightly surprised. However, now was not the time to think about such things. "My stomach hurts; I might be going into labor."
"Can you make it to your room by yourself? Or you can sit here and I'll have someone bring out a gurney." Yan Qiu looked at the distance from here to the hospital; it wasn't far. When the pain first started, someone who could tolerate it should be able to walk back by themselves.
Ling Ruoke took another deep breath. Because it was contraction pain, it wasn't very frequent. She smiled slightly at her. "I can make it back. But, could you please help me back?"
She was worried that if she accidentally fell or bumped into something, she might hurt the child, which would be a real problem.
“Okay.” Yan Qiu had never intended to abandon her. Putting aside her status as a soldier, as a doctor, saving lives was her responsibility. At school, her mentor taught her not so much about medical skills, but about medical ethics. A doctor without medical ethics is more terrifying than an executioner! These were her mentor's exact words, and she always remembered them deeply.
"Thank you." Ling Ruoke smiled at her again. The initial repulsion she felt because they both liked the same man vanished instantly. As long as one's heart is good, many things can be overlooked—that was Ruoke's belief.
Back in her room, Yan Qiu immediately called an obstetrician to come and take a look. Since she had just started experiencing contractions, her birth canal wouldn't be dilated enough so quickly, so they only took some precautions.
Ling Ruoke was a very resilient person, and after being tormented by the Cheetah for some time, this pain was nothing to her. So apart from that initial muffled groan, she didn't groan again. Each time she felt a sharp pain, she took a deep breath.
Yan Qiu looked at her and her opinion of her had changed somewhat. There's a saying that a child's birth is a mother's day of suffering; the pain of childbirth is terrifying. Although it wasn't quite time for delivery yet, there weren't many women who would simply furrow their brows and take deep breaths during contractions without making a sound.
Putting everything else aside, this at least shows that she has a strong will and extraordinary endurance! We should at least admire such a person.
"The doctor just doesn't want you to scream, in case you don't have enough strength when you actually give birth, it doesn't mean you can't moan," Yan Qiu kindly reminded her. It's true that crying out in pain can reduce the feeling somewhat.
Ling Ruoke smiled at her. "I know." She could bear this little bit of pain. Besides, for her, the pain of childbirth was far less than the joy of her child's imminent arrival.
Yan Qiu looked at her silently for a while and then said, "If it hurts, just cry out. No one will laugh at you. I have to go now. I hope you have a smooth delivery and congratulations."
"Thank you." Ling Ruoke nodded, feeling grateful.
Yan Qiu nodded and turned to leave. She liked Huo Qingfeng, but she never intended to destroy his marriage and family. If Huo Qingfeng abandoned his wife for her, then such a man was not what she wanted. She loved him, and that was her business; she didn't necessarily demand possession of him.
Ling Ruoke watched her slender, white figure depart, a smile spreading across her face. Two women who both love the same man can't possibly be friends. Even so, it's good that they don't have to be at odds. Having one more stranger is better than having one more enemy.
Not long after, Yang Ziyun arrived. Upon hearing that Ruoke had already started to feel pain, she immediately became anxious. "Ruoke, is the pain very bad? Can you try to eat first? You'll need to eat to have the strength to give birth later."
Ling Ruoke smiled radiantly, feeling truly blessed to have so many people care about her. "Mom, it's alright, I can handle it."
"Well done." Yang Ziyun also looked at this gentle and frail daughter-in-law with new respect. She set up a small table and placed a sumptuous meal in front of her.
"Thank you, Mom." The contractions were initially frequent, not so painful as to prevent her from eating, but she really didn't have much of an appetite. Ling Ruoke still managed to eat her food. She wasn't afraid of the pain. She was just a little disappointed; Huo Qingfeng probably wouldn't be able to be there for the baby's birth.
Yang Ziyun saw her eating silently, her brows furrowed, and assumed she was in a lot of pain. She reached out and touched her forehead. "If it really hurts, just scream. Mom won't laugh at you. You don't know, when I gave birth to Qingfeng, I screamed so loudly. Later, the doctor came over and said, 'What are you screaming for? The whole hospital could hear you! People outside thought we were slaughtering a pig!'"
Yang Ziyun's tone was extremely exaggerated as she tried her best to describe a particularly exaggerated and funny scene to her.
Ling Ruoke chuckled. Knowing her mother-in-law as she did, she knew this was definitely an exaggeration. "Mom, don't worry, I can bear the pain." She had barely finished speaking when she felt a sharp pain and quickly bit her lip.
Once the pain subsided, she continued, "Mom, I'm just a little sad. Qingfeng isn't here with me right now. I know he definitely didn't want this to happen, and I shouldn't have been so unreasonable, but I just feel sad."
As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears. Childbirth is a major hurdle in a woman's life, and every woman hopes her husband can be by her side to overcome it. Even if he were there, he couldn't help in any way, couldn't take away her pain, or help the baby come out faster. But just having him by her side was enough.
Yang Ziyun smiled and patted the back of her hand. "You're just upset inside. If it were me, I would have already started cursing. I don't care about missions or logic. If Qingfeng's father wasn't by my side when I gave birth, I wouldn't just curse him, I would beat him up. After I finish my postpartum confinement, I'll storm into their leader's house and make a scene, otherwise I won't be able to quell my anger!"
Ling Ruoke was amused by her. When someone is talking to you, especially if they're saying something funny, the pain is easily forgotten.
To ensure she had the strength for childbirth later, Ling Ruoke finally managed to finish a meal. Even though she didn't have much of an appetite, she ate her fill. She has always been someone who knows what's important.
Yang Ziyun put the lunchbox away and set it aside. She gave Ruoke some water and then began to tell her about her childbirth. To amuse Ruoke, she deliberately exaggerated the story. Exaggerated stories are easy to make funny and entertaining.
Ling Ruoke and Huo Qingfeng had discussed the possibility of a vaginal delivery versus a cesarean section. Huo Qingfeng insisted on a cesarean section because he didn't want his wife to suffer, and he didn't care about the so-called scar at all. Ling Ruoke insisted on a vaginal delivery because it's better for the baby. Most mothers want their children to be healthy and strong, even if it means enduring some hardship themselves.
Yang Ziyun also agreed on a natural birth. So now that Huo Qingfeng was absent, the decision was naturally made according to the two women's wishes. However, neither of them expected that Ling Ruoke's delivery would be so difficult this time.
When a person is in pain, time seems to pass incredibly slowly. Although Yang Ziyun was with her, she was also struggling as the intervals between contractions became shorter and the pain intensified. The birth canal seemed to be working against her, dilating extremely slowly.
By evening, large beads of sweat were dripping from Ling Ruoke's forehead.
As Yang Ziyun wiped her sweat with a tissue, she said, "Why is it so difficult? This brat, why does he always have to torment his mother? When he's out, I'm going to spank his little bottom. And his father is even worse; he wasn't even there when his wife was giving birth..."
“I think they didn’t do it on purpose.” Hearing her mother-in-law’s angry tone, Ling Ruoke subconsciously spoke up for her child and husband.
Yang Ziyun pouted. "They've all wronged you, and you're still helping them!" She felt even more sorry for her.
Ling Ruoke smiled slightly, knowing that her mother-in-law was even more reluctant to scold them than she was. But the smile lasted less than two seconds before turning into a frown due to a new wave of pain.
This situation continued from noon until evening, and then from evening until after 11 p.m., but the baby still couldn't be born.
Ling Ruoke was on the verge of tears, not from the pain, but from worry. Although the doctor said the baby was fine, the fact that she hadn't been able to give birth for so long was terrifying. But the person beside her was Yang Ziyun, not her husband, so she could only grit her teeth and endure it. Her clothes were soaked through, but she kept going. Sweat dripped from her forehead instead of tears, falling one by one, the sound of it landing on the blanket audible.
Huo Qingfeng had just returned from a mission, still thinking about how to get paternity leave from his captain. But he was only halfway there when he was told that his wife had been in labor for a day and still showed no signs of giving birth. It sounded incredibly ominous, and half of Huo Qingfeng's body stiffened. He wished he could hop on a rocket and rush straight to the hospital.
To his surprise, the situation was even more serious than he had imagined when he arrived at the hospital. He had been experiencing contractions every two minutes for half a day, and even the doctors were at a loss.
He felt this was very abnormal. He had studied it in his spare time before, so he understood: contractions every two minutes were only so frequent when the baby was about to be born. The doctor said that everyone's situation is different, the pain of childbirth varies, and some people are very sensitive to pain—his unfortunate wife was one of them!
Ling Ruoke hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day since noon. When she saw her husband, she suddenly burst into tears, as if she'd finally found someone to vindicate her after being bullied by so many people. This left Yang Ziyun, the doctor, and the nurses exchanging bewildered glances. Especially after receiving Huo Qingfeng's murderous gaze, everyone shrank back, carefully considering whether they had mistreated the pregnant woman. If so, they'd better turn themselves in as soon as possible.
Yang Ziyun, who was originally sitting behind her massaging her lower back to relieve the pain, immediately moved aside when she saw her like this.
Huo Qingfeng took her place and, disregarding the presence of others, kissed his wife twice.
Ling Ruoke, her eyes brimming with tears, leaned against him, looking utterly aggrieved. "Husband, it hurts." The pain wasn't unbearable for her. But this was her man; she could be coquettish, she could be unreasonable—everything was different.
Huo Qingfeng felt a sharp pain in his heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys; even his stomach cramped as if it were hers. "Wife, when she comes out, I'll beat her up for you. Wife, if the pain is really bad, then beat me up!"
Ling Ruoke was in so much pain that she was drenched in sweat and her mind was a little hazy. But she still didn't blame him. She smiled weakly. "After the baby is born, I'll give you two a good beating. I'll save my strength for now and give birth to him first."
They laughed, but tears kept flowing, making everyone's hearts ache.
Huo Qingfeng wished he could take her place and give birth himself. He felt that even when he was suffering the most, he hadn't experienced this excruciating pain. "Doctor, a C-section!" Huo Qingfeng shouted, making his decision.
Ling Ruoke was also in a lot of pain and was worried that not being able to give birth would affect the baby. At this point, the most important thing was to give birth safely; nothing else mattered. So she didn't say anything, which was taken as agreement.
The doctor initially disagreed, but Huo Qingfeng insisted. Whenever the doctor tried to persuade him, he would glare at them as if he wanted to devour them. Later, they dared not push his limits any further; a man who loves his wife will behave horribly when he sees her suffering, so they had no choice but to proceed with the surgery.
So, after more than ten hours of suffering, Ling Ruoke was stabbed in the abdomen again.
Thinking of this, Huo Qingfeng felt a pang of pain in his heart.
The little guy has finally arrived in this world. He's not very big, but he has a large lung capacity and a very loud voice. His loud cry woke up the sleeping patients and their families in the hospital.
Huo Qingfeng was preoccupied with his wife, and at first, when the doctor said it was a boy, he didn't react much. He ignored the crying baby and went to see his wife.
Only after his wife had fallen asleep, exhausted, and stopped looking at him with teary eyes, did his mind finally start working. It was a son? A boy?
Huo Qingfeng was startled, and this startle was no small matter. He rushed to the nursery like a cannonball to confirm the baby's gender. When he saw that small but unmistakably male thing, it was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Seeing its horribly ugly appearance only made him more depressed. Ugly, utterly ugly. Sparse hair, eyes barely slits, and a wrinkled face—it was as ugly as could be!
On the way back, Huo Qingfeng was rather dejected. Wasn't it supposed to be a daughter? How did it become a son? Perhaps he was mistaken, so he went back to check again. After checking three times, he finally accepted the fact: it was indeed a son!
When I returned to my wife's hospital room, I ran into my mother.
Yang Ziyun was excitedly about telling her son how wonderful her grandson was, but then she noticed her son looking dejected and frowned in surprise. "What's wrong? You're a father now, aren't you happy?"
She remembered how overjoyed Huo Zhixun was back then, grinning from ear to ear like a fool. He stood by the crib watching the baby, laughing to himself like an idiot, and even talking to the baby in a silly way.
"It's a son," Huo Qingfeng said weakly. His son was born to steal his father's woman—what was he to do?!
Yang Ziyun was taken aback. So what if it's a son? Yang Ziyun had never discussed with her son whether he preferred a grandson or a granddaughter, so she didn't know that her son desperately wanted a daughter and didn't want a son. "It's a son, is there a problem?"
Huo Qingfeng pursed his lips and complained, "It's a son, and he's ugly." He and his wife are a handsome couple, how come they had such an ugly child?
Huo Qingfeng was filled with resentment. His beloved daughter, whom he had longed for, was gone, and he had been given a son instead. It was said that once a woman was involved between men, they would inevitably become enemies, even if they were younger men or father and son. He had only heard this saying before, but in the long years to come, he would truly experience this truth, living this miserable life day after day.
Yang Ziyun glared at him and said with dissatisfaction, "Where is it ugly? I think it looks much better than when you were a baby! All newborn babies look like this, it will be fine in a couple of days."
Huo Qingfeng continued to purse his lips, clearly not believing it. "Mom, you should go back and rest. I'll go keep my wife company." Just as he was about to leave, his mother stopped him.
"The anesthesia hasn't worn off yet, she won't wake up so quickly. You should go back and tidy yourself up first, you look like a wild man, don't scare my precious grandson. But you still need to hurry, I heard she should wake up in an hour."
Huo Qingfeng thought about it and agreed. So he stood by his sleeping wife's bedside, kissed her forehead, and went home to get ready. Afraid that his wife wouldn't see him when she woke up, he ran like a leopard in the night.
Yan Qiu was on duty today. She was standing outside the hospital enjoying the breeze when she saw Huo Qingfeng emerge and disappear into the night like a cheetah. This was the man she loved, outstanding and responsible. Although he wasn't hers, she couldn't help but feel proud of him.
As soon as he left, Yang Ziyun secretly ran to see the child. Although his face was still wrinkled, he seemed more and more adorable, and she really wanted to touch him.
After tidying himself up, Huo Qingfeng changed his clothes in less than ten minutes and immediately ran to the hospital.
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