Jiang Jingyuan had already informed Zhong Zhuohua on his way home that he would be bringing Zhou Yunlian’s son back with him tonight, and the little boy would be staying over for one night.
“If you find it annoying, I’ll take the kid to stay downstairs. I won’t come upstairs to bother you.”
Zhong Zhuohua said, “The kid can come upstairs; you don’t have to.”
Jiang Jingyuan had gradually grown accustomed to her saying one thing but meaning another.
She would complain about being bothered, but as soon as he held her, after a few hums, she would quietly lean against him.
Most of the names Zhong Zhuohua usually heard from him were Zhou Yunlian and Lu Jianbo’s. She was curious what Zhou Yunlian’s son looked like.
Less than half an hour later, Jiang Jingyuan’s car stopped in front of their home.
He got out first and personally opened the door on the other side for the little guy. “We’re here, get out.”
Little Zhou Shiyi habitually stretched out his arms toward him.
That was the universal sign for wanting to be carried.
Jiang Jingyuan didn’t pick him up but held out his hand instead. “How old are you? Still need to be carried?”
Zhou Shiyi didn’t grab his hand or say anything, maintaining his arms wide open.
Such a stubborn child—Jiang Jingyuan had never seen one like this before. He had no choice but to lift him out of the car.
Zhou Shiyi clung tightly to his neck and, after being lifted out, didn’t intend to put his feet down.
Jiang Jingyuan smiled helplessly and asked, “So I have to carry you into the house, huh?”
Zhou Shiyi nodded confidently. “Daddy carries me.”
Jiang Jingyuan thought to himself, this kid has been spoiled by Zhou Yunlian. He’s three and a half and still refuses to walk.
What he hadn’t expected was that an even more spoiled child was yet to be revealed.
There were quite a few servants at home, as well as a young nutritionist and a childcare specialist.
So when Zhou Shiyi saw Zhong Zhuohua, he wasn’t shocked; he just thought this ayi was as pretty as his mother.
Zhong Zhuohua looked at the little guy. “He’s so handsome!”
Jiang Jingyuan put down the child. “That’s his only good point.”
Zhou Shiyi retorted, “Uncle, I have lots and lots of good points.”
Jiang Jingyuan said, “Come on, tell me what good points you have.”
Zhou Shiyi looked serious. “I’m not picky about food.”
If Jiang Jingyuan hadn’t overheard Zhou Yunlian asking his son what he wanted to eat at the F1 Grand Prix site before, he might have believed him.
“You’re the ancestor of picky eaters!”
Zhong Zhuohua asked again, “How old are you?”
“Auntie, I’m three and a half.”
“Three and a half and this tall already!”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Jiang Jingyuan turned to Zhong Zhuohua. “You think he’s tall too, right? A kid this tall and Zhou Yunlian still carries him every day.”
He ruffled little Zhou Shiyi’s hair. “You can’t be carried anymore, got it? If you get carried every day, how will you find a girlfriend? Girls don’t like spoiled brats like you.”
Zhou Shiyi was too young to understand.
Of course, he wasn’t afraid of such threats.
Before coming, Daddy told him not to listen to anything Uncle said; Uncle was just scaring him. He was the most obedient kid in the world.
After spending an hour together, Zhong Zhuohua found that Zhou Shiyi really did have many good qualities.
He was very quiet, didn’t wander off, and when the TV was turned on for cartoons he didn’t like, he would just play with his own toys.
He’d take them apart piece by piece, then put them back together himself.
Zhong Zhuohua had thought Zhou Shiyi would need to be fed at mealtime because he refused to walk, but when dinner came, he sat straight at the table, neatly placed his napkin, and picked up his knife and fork to cut the fish elegantly.
Zhong Zhuohua was surprised a child could eat so gracefully and pulled out her camera to take a few photos of the little guy.
Jiang Jingyuan was unimpressed. Elegance alone was useless; with Zhou Shiyi’s spoiled and stubborn temper, no one could handle him when he grew up.
“Where’s your mother? Didn’t she come to the island?” Zhong Zhuohua asked after putting down the camera.
Zhou Shiyi shook his head. “Mom’s busy taking care of me and Daddy.”
Zhong Zhuohua was amused. She hadn’t liked kids much before, but ever since having her own baby, she found every child quite adorable.
Jiang Jingyuan wasn’t so relaxed; he was already getting a taste of what it meant to be a father.
After dinner, he played with the boy, then gave him a bath. After dressing him, he found an animated show online and patiently watched it through, then told stories as bedtime tales.
Zhou Shiyi tossed and turned in bed, not paying any attention.
Jiang Jingyuan checked his watch. Bedtime took more than half an hour, actually closer to an hour, and the boy showed no sign of wanting to sleep.
“Zhou Shiyi, if you don’t sleep, you won’t grow tall.”
Zhou Shiyi rolled over. “Uncle, when are you going to lull me to sleep?”
“I’ve been telling stories all night. Isn’t that lulling?”
Only when Zhou Shiyi climbed out of bed and spread his arms to be carried to the yard to be soothed did Jiang Jingyuan almost lose it.
It turned out that the times he’d seen Zhou Yunlian carrying his son around the Beicheng Old Hotpot Restaurant courtyard weren’t just because Zhou Shiyi was jet-lagged and hard to put to sleep, but because that was their daily routine.
Jiang Jingyuan carried Zhou Shiyi and paced the yard more than ten times. The little guy lay on his shoulder, watching the sea view, slowly falling asleep.
He sighed deeply. If this kid continued to be raised by Zhou Yunlian, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance he would grow up to be the next Zhou Yunlian or Lu Jianbo.
When his own child was born, he would never indulge them so endlessly.
When that day came that Jiang Jingyuan became a father, he would have long forgotten the grudging thoughts he’d had about Zhou Yunlian in the yard months earlier.
***
On the morning of September 5th, everything was as usual when Jiang Jingyuan left home.
He changed into a fresh shirt and kissed Zhong Zhuohua goodbye.
Zhong Zhuohua had just woken and planned to go back to sleep for a while.
Jiang Jingyuan asked, “Which restaurant’s chef do you want me to book for lunch?”
The kitchen was on the first floor. Each time the chef team finished cooking, they would leave. During the entire pregnancy, no one outside the family knew she was living here.
Zhong Zhuohua wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want a fancy meal today. Suddenly craving fish soup noodles—Ayi can make that.”
“All right.” Jiang Jingyuan kissed her forehead again.
“I have a meeting today, then some business in the evening. I’ll try to come back early. If you’re bored during the day, have the driver take you to explore Deep City.”
Zhong Zhuohua shook her head. “No, I just got a script for next year’s filming. I’ll stay home and study it.”
After coaxing her for months, she could finally talk to him calmly.
After Jiang Jingyuan left, Zhong Zhuohua tried to nap again but couldn’t fall asleep. Her belly was slightly uncomfortable.
She gently touched her lower abdomen. The baby’s movements weren’t very obvious today.
Uneasy, she quickly threw off the covers and got up to call Li Secretary, asking him to book a doctor’s appointment. She wanted to have a prenatal checkup today.
Li Secretary assumed Zhong Zhuohua’s memory had gotten worse since pregnancy and reminded her, “Your appointment isn’t until next Monday.”
Zhong Zhuohua sat down on the sofa. “I know, but I feel a little unwell.”
Li Secretary didn’t hesitate. “I’ll make the appointment right now.”
Before the call ended, Zhong Zhuohua suddenly felt something flowing out beneath her. Looking down, her nightgown was soaked through, and the sofa was damp.
“Li Secretary, don’t hang up! Don’t hang up! Hurry, call an ambulance!”
“Madam, what’s wrong?” Li Secretary picked up the landline and dialed 999 immediately.
“My water broke.”
Zhong Zhuohua murmured, “My water broke.”
There was already bleeding.
She panicked and shouted for the housekeeper, tears streaming down her face. She knew what water breaking meant, but the baby was only seven months!
She hadn’t eaten anything bad or run around recklessly. How could her water break?
She cried as she called Jiang Jingyuan. “Jiang Jingyuan, come back now! Please save the baby, okay?”
“Save the baby!”
“If we go into surgery, what if… what if only one can be saved? Jiang Jingyuan, I beg you, save the baby first, okay? A seven-month-old baby can survive. Please, okay?”
“Honey, you and the baby will be fine. I’m here.” Jiang Jingyuan’s voice choked up. “I’m on my way to the hospital. The ambulance is almost at home. I’ve arranged the best doctor. Don’t be afraid. I’m waiting for you at the hospital.”
“Jiang Jingyuan, promise me! Save our baby first, okay?”
“Jiang Jingyuan, say something!”
***
Just before entering the operating room, Zhong Zhuohua was nearly fainting but still gripped Jiang Jingyuan’s hand tightly.
“You can’t not save the baby. If you dare, Jiang Jingyuan, then it’s over between us.”
Outside the operating room, after a long, agonizing wait, Jiang Jingyuan received news of the child’s critical condition and Zhong Zhuohua’s severe postpartum hemorrhage.
His daughter weighed only a little over two pounds, less than three pounds.
The doctors, familiar with him, told him to prepare mentally but left the rest unsaid.
Tears streamed down Jiang Jingyuan’s face as he nodded. “Can I hold my daughter?”
“She’s still being resuscitated.”
Until Zhong Zhuohua was discharged, Jiang Jingyuan still hadn’t held their daughter.
During that time, the hospital issued another critical condition notice.
Zhong Zhuohua was extremely weak. Sitting in the lounge chair soaking up the sun, she instinctively reached for her belly and suddenly remembered their daughter was in an incubator.
Jiang Jingyuan told her the baby was fine but needed the incubator because she was born prematurely and very small.
Still, she couldn’t shake the unease, always feeling Jiang Jingyuan was hiding something.
At that moment in the study, Jiang Jingyuan had been staring blankly at the computer screen for nearly half an hour.
He didn’t even know what he was looking at.
Since their daughter was born, he hadn’t returned to the company. He didn’t trust Zhong Zhuohua and the baby alone and had no mood to do anything else.
The hospital’s implication was clear: there was little hope left.
He chose not to understand. After seeing their daughter’s condition, he couldn’t accept it.
In these days, he had tried everything, bringing in top medical teams, but the baby showed no improvement.
He didn’t know what to do.
Fearing Zhong Zhuohua would see through his emotional cracks, after discharge he spent most of his time in the study, pretending to be busy.
The phone on his desk rang—it was the hospital.
Jiang Jingyuan snapped out of his daze and answered quickly.
The doctor asked him to come over: “Don’t you want to hold your daughter? Come and hold her.”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Jingyuan didn’t realize his voice was trembling.
What did it mean?
Did it mean that if he didn’t hold her now, he might never see her heartbeat again?
But the doctor couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Everyone had done their best. Now, it was up to fate.
There was a long silence over the line.
Then the doctor said, “Come. I’ll wait for you.”
Jiang Jingyuan forgot how he left the study, how he left the house.
He didn’t even remember how he got in the car or what he was thinking on the way to the hospital.
Before the car reached the hospital, the phone rang again. The doctor told him not to come just yet—they were still resuscitating.
It was the third critical condition notice.
Jiang Jingyuan had no strength or courage left to go to the hospital. For the first time in his life, he wanted to run away from something.
He thought if he didn’t go hold his daughter, maybe she’d keep waiting for him.
If he avoided going for a month, would she get past the danger?
The driver asked, “Mr. Jiang, where to now? Home?”
Jiang Jingyuan’s response was slower than usual. After a moment, he said, “Just driving around.”
When he left, he told Zhong Zhuohua he had an engagement that night and it was too early to go back now.
As he zoned out staring out the car window, Yu Laoshi’s call came in.
Yu Laoshi said the pomegranates in the yard were ripe—sweet and sour—and thought Zhong Zhuohua would like some. “I’ll have someone bring some to you.”
Jiang Jingyuan said, “She’s not eating now.”
Yu Laoshi said, “Changing tastes so fast? Didn’t you say she wanted pomegranates not long ago?”
“That was because the baby was still inside her. Now she doesn’t want any fruit.”
Jiang Jingyuan next heard from his friend a month later. By then, the small town had already settled into autumn.
Yu Laoshi excitedly told him on the phone, “The house is bought. It’s by the river, with a yard even bigger than mine. Just waiting for your baby to be born.”
Jiang Jingyuan said, “My daughter was born early. Today she’s already 45 days old. Tomorrow I’m going to pick her up from the hospital.”
After all those painful days, they had finally passed.
Their daughter had grown from just over two pounds to nearly four.
The next morning, Jiang Jingyuan found a new shirt and suit, ready to pick up his daughter.
Zhong Zhuohua woke with swollen eyes. It wasn’t until last night that Jiang Jingyuan had told her what their daughter had gone through these 45 days.
Everyone had hidden it from her, so she thought the baby was just weak from premature birth and needed the incubator.
During this time, rumors about her pregnancy forced marriage had surfaced from time to time, and paparazzi had even exposed old photos of Jiang Jingyuan and his first love.
Yet Jiang Jingyuan seemed indifferent, as if he didn’t care.
She thought he felt hurt seeing those old photos, which was why when he suggested naming their daughter Chong Yi, she refused.
“You don’t like me, and I don’t like you either, so don’t use that name. The kid should have her own name.”
Turns out, he just wasn’t in the mood to care.
But Zhong Yi was also a nice name.
After all, no one could guarantee she and Jiang Jingyuan would stay together forever.
Zhong Zhuohua took a moment and got out of bed to find him.
“Jiang Jingyuan?”
“In the dressing room.”
Jiang Jingyuan was buttoning his shirt.
Zhong Zhuohua approached from behind and hugged him. “I really want to go pick up the baby with you.”
Jiang Jingyuan said, “Okay.”
Zhong Zhuohua hesitated. “Never mind. What if there are paparazzi? The baby’s just barely made it through. I don’t want her disturbed.”
“You can just sit in the car and not get out.”
“Then wait for me a few minutes!” Zhong Zhuohua hurried to freshen up. “Honey, help me pick a dress.”
Jiang Jingyuan’s hands paused briefly at the buttons; she had finally called him that.
He had tried many ways in bed before, but she just wouldn’t call him “husband.”
At eight o’clock, the two set off for the hospital.
Jiang Jingyuan pinched her cheek. “Still too thin. Eat more.”
“When the baby comes home, I’ll eat more.”
Though she hadn’t known the truth and hadn’t worried as much as Jiang Jingyuan, she still felt uneasy without the baby nearby, and had no appetite for anything.
Bloating.
On the way to the hospital, Jiang Jingyuan kept building himself up mentally—happy days, soon he’d see his daughter, no room for sadness.
But when he took the stubborn little bundle, who weighed only four pounds, from the nurse, he couldn’t hold back the sting in his heart.
The little one had been crying but stopped suddenly once in his arms.
Their daughter stared at him blankly, not sure if she could see him clearly.
Jiang Jingyuan gently kissed her forehead. “Baby, I’m Dad. Have you missed Dad these days?”
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