Chapter 38
The night was quiet, and the lights at the Nanye Villa were soft.
The clock on the wall pointed to 1:30 a.m., and everything was asleep.
Suddenly, a low groan of pain broke the silence.
"Sakura?"
Shuichi Minamino was jolted awake from his sleep almost instantly.
He turned on the bedside lamp and saw that Sakura's face was pale and her forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat.
She was pressing her hand against her stomach, breathing rapidly.
"Shuichi... I think I'm starting to feel pain."
Her voice trembled slightly, filled with suppressed emotion.
Minamino Hideichi's heart tightened, and he almost reflexively reached out to support her.
He took a deep breath and quickly calmed himself down, but his voice still trembled noticeably.
"Don't be afraid, Sakura, we'll go to the hospital now."
As he spoke, he bent down and picked up Sakura. Sakura instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead against his neck.
"Xiuyi, it hurts..."
"I know."
He reassured her in as calm a tone as possible.
"Slow down your breathing, follow the doctor's instructions, okay? I'm here."
Shuichi Minamino rushed out of the bedroom, his steps steady yet hurried.
As he walked, he called out, "Butler! Prepare the car immediately!"
The lights downstairs immediately turned on, and the butler and driver came out of the room almost simultaneously.
"Quickly, the lady is about to give birth! Drive the car to the door immediately!"
"yes!"
The air suddenly became tense.
The maids hurriedly went to fetch the maternity kit that had been prepared in advance, and the butler opened the front door, the night wind carrying an air of anxiety.
Minamino carefully lifted Sakura into the back seat, and then got into the car himself.
He let her lean against him and gently stroked her hair.
"Shuichi...isn't this too sudden...?"
"It doesn't matter,"
He bent down and kissed her forehead.
"The baby just can't wait to see us."
Sakura's lips twitched slightly, and she whispered with a half-smile:
"Then you must let him know that Mom is in a lot of pain right now."
"I know."
He held her even tighter.
"Just bear with it, we'll be at the hospital soon."
The driver sped up and drove forward.
The car headlights pierced the night, illuminating the road ahead.
Shuichi Minamino looked down at Sakura in his arms.
Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, and he was so anxious he felt like he was in pain too.
"Hang in there a little longer, okay, baby?"
"……Um."
The sounds of the wind and tires rubbing against the ground outside the car all became background noise.
Inside the carriage, only his soft words of comfort and her labored breathing could be heard.
A few minutes later, the hospital lights came into view.
"arrive!"
He immediately got out of the car, picked up Xiaoying, and rushed to the obstetrics emergency room.
Medical staff were already waiting at the door and brought over a stretcher.
"Mrs. Minamino, right? We've already arranged a delivery room, so please don't worry."
"Thank you for your trouble," Minamino Shuichi said in a low voice, but his insistence left no room for argument.
"I'll go in with her."
The nurses exchanged a glance and nodded: "Okay, but please remain calm."
“I’m very calm,” he said through gritted teeth.
The light outside the delivery room turned on, indicating "labor in progress".
The corridor was so quiet that only the ticking of the clock could be heard.
Shuichi Minamino sat in a chair, his hands clasped together, his knuckles white.
As the morning light shone through the window, he dared not relax for a moment.
He had only one thought in his mind:
He doesn't want anything as long as Sakura is safe.
That night was the longest and most profound night of his life.
The lights in the delivery room were bright and glaring, and there was a faint smell of disinfectant in the air.
Sakura lay on the delivery table, her face pale, her forehead soaked with cold sweat, and her fingertips almost sinking into the sheets.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
She tried to breathe at the rhythm the doctor had taught her, but the pain was so intense she almost bit her lip.
Shuichi Minamino, dressed in sterile clothing, held her hand tightly.
He lowered his head, his eyes filled with heartache.
"Shuichi...it hurts..."
Her voice choked with emotion, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I know, I know, Sakura."
He leaned down and whispered soothing words in her ear, his voice almost hoarse.
"Breathe, relax... You're doing great, just keep going, okay?"
Sakura's nails dug deeply into the back of his hand, almost breaking the skin.
She looked up at him, biting her lip and sobbing as she screamed:
"It's all your fault! It's all your fault!... It hurts so much—!"
"Yes, it's my fault, it's all my fault."
Nanno Hideichi nodded hurriedly, his eyes already red-rimmed.
"You can scold me, hit me, anything... just don't hurt me like this anymore..."
She was so angry that she punched him in the chest, but the pain made her cry out again.
"You bastard Shuichi—I don't want to do it again... I don't want to have any more children!"
"Okay, there really won't be a next time, honey."
He forced a smile, suppressing his heartache.
"We only need this one, that's enough."
The doctor calmly instructed from the side: "Very good, Mrs. Minamino, push a little harder! We'll see the baby soon!"
"ah--!!"
Sakura screamed with almost all her might.
Minamino Shuichi held her hand tightly, pressed his forehead against hers, and whispered:
"Sakura, I'm here, I'm right beside you—hang in there, just a little bit more."
Time seemed to stretch out infinitely.
Then--
A clear baby's cry pierced the air.
"Wow—wow—!"
In that instant, all sound fell silent.
The doctor smiled and looked up: "It's a baby! A healthy boy!"
Sakura still had tears in the corners of her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile, her breath weak yet incredibly gentle.
"A boy...it really is a boy..."
Minamino Shuichi's heart tightened suddenly, and he leaned down to place a trembling kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you, Sakura...you're so brave."
She weakly raised her hand and gently touched his face.
"...It's all your fault."
"Yes, it's my fault." He smiled through his tears, his eyes were wet, and his voice trembled. "I'll listen to you from now on."
The nurse carefully wrapped the baby up and placed him in her arms.
Sakura looked down at the tiny life—a pink face, soft breathing, and delicate fingers moving in her palm.
"Shuichi...he looks like you."
"That's wonderful." Minamino Shuichi reached out and stroked his son's head, his voice incredibly gentle.
"I hope he can be as gentle as you."
Sakura smiled, her eyes showing both exhaustion and satisfaction.
She whispered to the baby in her arms:
"Huiyi, welcome to this world... Mom and Dad have been waiting for you for so long."
At that moment, Minamino Hideichi could no longer hold back, lowered his head and kissed her lips, tears streaming down his face.
"I love you, Sakura."
Thank you—for making me a father.
As dawn broke outside, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains.
A gentle golden light bathed the delivery room.
As dawn broke, a faint orange glow emanated from the hospital windows.
The delivery room door was gently pushed open, and a nurse walked in with a gentle smile on her face.
"Mr. Minamino, both mother and baby are stable. Your wife and baby can be moved to a ward to rest."
Minamino Shuichi gave a soft "hmm," still reluctant to let go of Sakura's hand.
He looked down at her sleeping face, his tear stains still wet, but with a peaceful smile on his face.
The baby in my arms was wrapped in a soft baby blanket and was sleeping very peacefully.
That was a delicate little face—
His features, particularly his eyebrows and eyes, bore a striking resemblance to his own.
But her closed eyes had long, curled eyelashes, just like Sakura's gentle nature.
“Like me.” Minamino Shuichi chuckled softly, his fingertips gently touching the little guy’s hand.
"But your eyes are like yours, Sakura."
At that moment, he truly felt the weight of the word "father" for the first time.
That warmth spread through my chest, as if the world itself had become softer.
In the corridor, the morning light cast long shadows.
Minamino Shuichi stood by the window and took out his phone to dial a few numbers.
"Mother, it's me."
On the other end of the phone, Minamino Shihori's voice still sounded a little sleepy.
"Shuichi? What's wrong—"
"Mother, you're a grandmother now."
His short sentence was tinged with barely suppressed trembling and laughter.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by an almost uncontrollable burst of joyful laughter.
"Really? Sakura gave birth?!"
"Yes, mother and child are safe."
"Oh my goodness... I'll be right there! I need to prepare some gifts, this is the Minamino family's little grandson."
"Mother, there's no need to rush. Come after you've had breakfast this morning."
"Sakura and I are both at the hospital, please take your time."
After hanging up, he dialed the Hoshino family's number again.
"Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I am Shuichi."
Hoshino Yuuji, not fully awake yet, spoke in a hoarse voice: "Shuichi? So early—"
"Sakura gave birth smoothly, it's a boy."
This time, it was Hoshino Lily who reacted first, her voice filled with obvious excitement:
"Really?! Is Sakura alright?"
"She is very brave and is resting now."
Minamino Shuichi looked towards the hospital room door, his tone gentle.
"I have never seen her so strong."
"Oh dear, we're coming right away!" Lily's voice was a little choked up.
"This child... has finally become a mother."
Yuji Hoshino sighed softly beside him, "You've worked hard, Shuichi."
“No,” he said with a smile, “I should be thanking you all. With her, I truly have a home.”
At nine o'clock in the morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains in the ward and fell on the clean white sheets.
Sakura had woken up and was leaning against the headboard, holding the baby in her arms.
Although she still looked a little weak, her happiness was undeniable.
"good morning."
Shuichi Minamino walked in, carrying a glass of warm water.
“Shuichi.” Sakura looked up and smiled, her gentle gaze melting away all weariness.
Have you notified your family?
"Yes, they are all on their way."
He walked to the bedside, bent down, and gently touched his son's face.
"Huiyi,"
He whispered the name, his smile impossible to hide.
"Dad is here."
The baby seemed to hear a familiar voice, his eyebrows twitched slightly, and he opened his little mouth and softly hummed in response.
That soft, sweet voice made Sakura's eyes crinkle into a smile.
"It seems he really can understand his father's voice."
Minamino Shuichi smiled, his eyes full of doting affection.
He sat on the edge of the bed, gently putting one arm around her shoulder and placing the other hand on the baby's little hand.
"He looks like me, but these eyes are yours."
"Um."
Sakura smiled, her lips pursed, her voice as soft as a breeze.
"That's perfect, half like you, half like me."
"That would be perfect."
He looked tenderly at the mother and child, and added softly,
"I have no other desires in this life."
Shortly after, the door to the ward was gently pushed open.
Minamino Shihori, Hoshino Yuuji, and Hoshino Riri walked in together.
"My goodness—" Zhi Baoli exclaimed immediately upon seeing the baby.
"This child looks exactly like Xiuyi when he was little! Except for his eyes!"
Hoshino Lily walked over with a smile and gently stroked Sakura's hair.
"Sakura, you've worked hard. You're such a beautiful baby."
Sakura smiled and nodded, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.
"Thank you, Mom. Thank you everyone."
Minamino Shuichi simply watched this scene silently.
He stood beside the hospital bed, his fingers still holding Xiaoying's hand.
At that moment, he finally understood—
Happiness, in essence, is just such a simple scene.
She, him, and their child.
The sunlight outside grew brighter and brighter.
A new day begins, and the future of their family of three unfolds.
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