âThe three words I love the most are not Ren, Min, and Bi but Qiao, Jiu, and Sheng.â
When Qiao Jiusheng heard Fang Yushengâs words, her heart stirred. Starting from her heart, a numbing feeling slowly spread throughout her body.
Happiness and emotions surged in her heart.
Qiao Jiushengâs throat rolled as she opened her mouth. Just as she was about to say that she loved him too, Wei Shuyi suddenly said, âDonât do anything intimate in front of me.â
Wei Shuyiâs words reflected Jiaren Wuâs inner thoughts.
Qiao Jiusheng giggled as Wei Shuyi interrupted her.
âAh Sheng, letâs go inside and talk.â Before Fang Yushengâs suggestion gained Qiao Jiushengâs approval, Jiaren Wu and Wei Shuyi had raised their hands in approval. Qiao Jiusheng stood up and followed Fang Yusheng into the house.
Of course, the two of them didnât go into the house to be lovey-dovey. Instead, they were going to help Aunt Jin prepare dinner. Aunt Jin was the only one in the house, and since guests had come to the house, she was quite busy cooking.
When Jiaren Wu saw that the two of them had gone to the kitchen, she immediately removed her gentle and sensible mask. Putting on a charming expression, she moved closer to Wei Shuyi.
Jiaren Wuâs eyelashes fluttered in slow motion. With a bit of thought-provoking charm, she said, âBig Brother.â When she called him big brother, it was even more seductive than vixens calling out for Elder Tang.
Wei Shuyi subconsciously wanted to put some distance between them.
He tried to move the chair under him and found that it was fastened to the wooden floor. In the end, he had to give up.
Sitting upright, Wei Shuyi lowered his head and glanced sideways at Jiaren Wu, who was sitting very close to him. He maintained his silence. In front of this person, if he spoke too much, it would be easy for him to fall into a trap.
Jiaren Wu couldnât help but laugh in her heart when she saw his straight posture. She placed an arm on Wei Shuyiâs shoulder and asked, âWhen are you going to give me an empty box?â Her breath entered Wei Shuyiâs ear, and he felt uncomfortable.
Wei Shuyiâs heart skipped a beat. He looked down at the arm on his arm and felt that his skin was burning.
âMiss Wu, you are very thick-skinned.â Wei Shuyi raised his arm and avoided Jiaren Wuâs touch.
Jiaren Wu leaned back in her chair in amusement and said, âDonât you think this is fate? Madam Fangâs marriage was also fate. You and I are tied together by an invisible string.â
Wei Shuyi was speechless.
âI donât know if itâs fate or not.â He coolly shoved his hands into his pockets before saying, âI know youâre shameless.â
Jiaren Wu chuckled. âBrother, you actually like my face, right?â
She looked at Wei Shuyiâs heart and continued, âI really like you, really.â
Resting a hand on her heart, Jiaren Wu said, âPreviously, every time I saw you, my heart would beat especially fast.â Feeling the violent beating of her heart under her fingertips, Jiaren Wu curled her lips up into a smile like a cat that had successfully stolen a fish.
Her smile faded as she narrowed her eyes and stared at Wei Shuyiâs chest. She confidently said, âJust like your heartbeat.â
Having his thoughts seen through, Wei Shuyi suddenly stood up. His actions were so fast that Jiaren Wu couldnât react in time.
Wei Shuyi lightly coughed and said, âI have something to do.â Then, he put on his windbreaker and left. âAh Sheng, Yusheng, I remember that I still have some things to settle. Iâll go back first.â
Then, Wei Shuyi fled before Qiao Jiusheng could ask him to stay.
Qiao Jiusheng was confused.
Why did he leave so suddenly?
She apologetically turned around and smiled at Jiaren Wu. âBrother Wei might have something urgent to attend to. Donât mind him!â
Jiaren Wu had already put away her cunning expression. She gently nodded, looking serious again. âMr. Wei is very funny.â
Seeing the smile in Jiaren Wuâs eyes, Qiao Jiusheng thought that this was indeed a bad fate.?From Jiaren Wuâs expression, she seems to have a very good impression of Brother Wei.
After leaving the Fang residence, Wei Shuyi rubbed his beating heart and took a deep breath.
He didnât think that he liked that woman, whom he had met only a few times.
Humans were sensitive creatures, especially men in their twenties. He firmly believed that he had been single for too many years, and that young lady had momentarily seduced him. At the end of the day, he was also a normal man, not a monk with pure desires.
Ever since that meeting with the Fang family, Wei Shuyi had a rare peaceful life. He was somewhat surprised. He thought that Jiaren Wu would chase after him, but she seemed to have given up.
Wei Shuyi heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he was also angry.
Such a woman who ran away after flirting was annoying.
As time slowly passed, Jiaren Wu seemed to have truly disappeared from Wei Shuyiâs world. Gradually, Wei Shuyi forgot about this personâs existence. Occasionally, he would open his WeChat and glance at her abs that never changed. He would also not take the initiative to ask what she was doing.
***
In a flash, December arrived.
The new year was a month away.
By the end of the year, all sorts of lively events were happening.
Firstly, Qiao Jiushengâs two babies were already thirty-one weeks old. Twins were usually born earlier than single babies, and they would be considered to be in their full-term by the end of the 36th week. During this period, Fang Yushengâs mind had been tense. To stay closer to the hospital, Fang Yusheng had bought an apartment near the hospital despite being so stingy.
If Qiao Jiusheng flared up, he could immediately send her to the hospital.
Qiao Jiusheng, who initially did not feel nervous, also became a little nervous because of Fang Yushengâs actions. In the last few weeks, the frequency and time the two babies moved in her stomach were less than before. It was as if they were preparing for their birth.
On this day, the couple went for another checkup. This time, they could confirm the babiesâ placement.
The results of the examination were somewhat surprising. Among the two children, oneâs head was facing down, while the other was in the horizontal position. The doctor was an experienced person. He told Qiao Jiusheng that in this situation, she could try giving birth naturally, but the risk of giving birth naturally was higher.
Whether they wanted a natural or cesarean delivery depended on their choice. One doctor suggested that Qiao Jiusheng try a natural delivery, but the other suggested a cesarean delivery.
Qiao Jiusheng wanted to try giving birth naturally. She had heard that natural childbirth meant a quick recovery, but Fang Yusheng hesitated.
After having all the checkups done, Fang Yusheng suggested that they go to the Inpatient Department and ask the pregnant women who had given birth before making a decision.
This was the second time Fang Yusheng had come to the obstetrics ward. The last time was to visit Aunt Jinâs daughter. When he passed by a ward, Fang Yusheng saw a mother lying on the bed with her eyes narrowed. It looked like she had just passed through the gates of hell and was on the verge of death. He couldnât help but frown.
To find out more about the situation, Fang Yusheng asked Qiao Jiusheng to wait outside while he entered the delivery room shamelessly.
Two pregnant women were inside the delivery room, and a few family members accompanied them. The moment Fang Yusheng entered the room, everyoneâs gaze fell on him.
Such a handsome person is not our relative.
The corners of Fang Yushengâs lips curled up into a beautiful smile. The woman who was on the verge of death became much more energetic when she saw his smile.
Fang Yusheng said, âMy wife is about to give birth and is planning to come to this hospital to give birth. Iâm here to see your baby.â
When they heard his words, the doubt in their eyes faded a little.
Fang Yusheng looked at the baby in the crib and thought:?Itâs so ugly.
However, Fang Yusheng had a sweet mouth. âYour son is lovely,â he said to the mother, who lay still.
The childâs father said, âItâs a daughter.â
Fang Yusheng was speechless.
That looks quite unfair to the gender.
âIs that so? No wonder youâre so cute.â Fang Yusheng changed his words very smoothly. The newly-promoted couple didnât mind at all and smiled until their eyes became like slits. After praising their baby, Fang Yusheng then asked the mother, âYou had a cesarean section?â
That mother hummed, her voice soft and weak. Fang Yusheng felt terrible when he thought about how his Ah Sheng would also lie there without moving.
âHow are you feeling?â he asked again.
âAll that is worth it to see the baby healthy,â the mother said.
Fang Yusheng looked at the mother with a hint of admiration. âWhatâs the reason for your cesarean section?â
âThe fetus wasnât in the right position. My child had always been around the hips. We arranged a time with the doctor in advance for the operation to take her out.â As the mother spoke, her eyes kept darting towards the crib, her face filled with love.
âYouâve worked hard.â
Fang Yusheng asked the other mother, who seemed to be in good spirits and could even sit up and drink soup. Seeing her like this, he guessed that she had given birth naturally. He asked, âDid you give birth naturally?â
âYes.â This mother was quite pretty. Even though she had just given birth, her cheeks were still pretty, and her upper body that was exposed outside the blanket was very slim.
âIs it painful to have a natural birth?â
Upon hearing this, the woman who was still drinking the soup suddenly burst into tears. âIt hurts! Why wouldnât it be painful? It hurt even after I was given a painless injection.â As she spoke, she started hitting her husband beside her. As she hit him, she said, âYou have it easy. Iâm in so much pain that Iâm crying. You still say that Iâm useless and that other women can endure it, but why canât I?
âYou only see other women who can tolerate it. Why donât you see other women who are ugly!â
Fang Yusheng was speechless.
The woman was a little confused and she was in so much pain that she was crying. Yet, her husband had still said that about her. He was really not a man.
Fang Yusheng narrowed his eyes at the man. When the man caught Fang Yushengâs gaze, he felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly put down the bowl and held his wifeâs hand. He innocently explained, âNo, I know youâre in pain, but youâve also bruised my hand! Iâm in pain too! Besides, how would I know that epidural anesthesia is ineffective for you? If I had known earlier, I would have let you undergo a C-section.â
The man was helpless. His hand was still hurting.
After watching this farce, Fang Yusheng had a vague idea of the outcome.
Fang Yusheng left the ward and walked to Qiao Jiushengâs side. He said, âMy conclusion is that youâre not allowed a natural birth. It wonât go smoothly.â The fetal position was not right to begin with, and the natural delivery was painful. Fang Yusheng did not allow Qiao Jiusheng to have a natural birth.
Qiao Jiusheng still wanted to persist.
âYou said before that when you were brought to the hospital for surgery after the car accident, you could maintain some consciousness even if you were anesthetized. This means that anesthesia is less effective on you than others. If you give birth naturally, it will hurt even if you get epidural anesthesia.â When Fang Yusheng said this, he did not allow anyone to object. Qiao Jiusheng was very touched when she heard this.
Fang Yushengâs heart ached for Ah Sheng when he recalled how that woman was crying and scolding her husband.
Before Qiao Jiusheng could speak, an old lady carrying an egg passed by them. When she heard Fang Yusheng asking for a cesarean section, she stopped in her tracks and said to Fang Yusheng, âYoung man, donât choose a cesarean section. The child that you cut out is not as smart as the child born naturally. Besides, itâs inconvenient to feed the baby after a cesarean section. Will the child drink formula milk?â
Fang Yusheng frowned and unhappily looked at the old lady.
She is so controlling.
The old lady was here to visit her newborn daughter. She did not notice that Fang Yusheng was already angry.
At the thought of her daughter-in-law requesting a cesarean section, the old lady got angry. She said, âWhen a woman gives birth, itâs just like how a hen lays eggs. Itâll be fine after giving birth. It hurts once, but just bear with that. My daughter-in-law gave birth to a male grandson a few years ago. At that time, she was afraid of the pain, so she went under the knife. In the end, the result was great. But now that heâs in the first grade, other peopleâs children have exam scores above 90 every time. Only he is always stuck at the passing line. Besides, itâs tough to undergo a cesarean section and breastfeed your child. Many people have given their children milk powder. Milk powder is expensiveâ¦â