ACMS 65

Chapter 65: The Babies Are Born

Ever since Qiao Le confessed by the river, Shen Hechuan had been thinking that he should also give Qiao Le a carefully prepared confession of his own.

He’d thought about organizing a grand fireworks display in Liwan, and even considered a drone light show. But he never imagined that it would happen on such a quiet country road.

There was no music or flowers here, no candlelight or fine wine.

Neither of them had prepared anything, and Qiao Le was even wearing his fuzzy house slippers.

But in this moment, in this place—everything felt just right.

After Shen Hechuan said those words, Qiao Le stared at him in a daze.

Over the time they’d spent together day in and day out, he could feel that Shen Hechuan liked him. In the little details, affection was impossible to hide.

And it was through those little details that Qiao Le, too, had fallen for Shen Hechuan.

But he’d never expected that Shen Hechuan had liked him from the very beginning.

Shen Hechuan said the contract happened because of love, not that love came after the contract.

Under Shen Hechuan’s gaze, gentle and brimming with love, Qiao Le suddenly understood why Shen Hechuan had frozen when he’d confessed that day.

Because reciprocated love always takes you by surprise.

The winter night was cold, but Shen Hechuan’s one sentence made Qiao Le’s heart pound and burn at the same time.

“Why are you two still out here in the cold?”

A voice interrupted them—an elder who had just left came back, holding a string of freshly cooked zongzi. “Want some? I just got these from Old Liang San’s house.”

Qiao Le didn’t even know who “Old Liang San” was. Before he could refuse, the elder had already unwrapped two zongzi and handed them over.

They were still steaming hot, but fortunately strung together with bamboo twine, so they weren’t too hot to hold.

Qiao Le quickly thanked him. “Thank you, uncle.”

The elder waved a hand. “It’s cold, hurry on home,” and walked away with the rest of the zongzi.

Left alone again, the two of them each holding a zongzi, looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Qiao Le waved the zongzi in his hand and said, “Shen Hechuan, other people get flowers and gifts for confessions. You’re special—you even get someone else to deliver zongzi for you.”

Shen Hechuan couldn’t help laughing too. “I didn’t plan to confess today. I had something else in mind.”

It was the same thing Qiao Le had said before. The two looked at each other and couldn’t stop smiling.

“Shall we go back?” Shen Hechuan asked.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

They carried the zongzi and headed back. Their shadows stretched long under the dim streetlights.

Back home, Chen Li asked where the zongzi came from. Qiao Le said it was from an uncle, but he didn’t catch the name.

They had just eaten, so Qiao Le wasn’t hungry, but the freshly cooked zongzi smelled delicious. He opened one out of greed and ate half, leaving the rest for Shen Hechuan.

Shen Hechuan didn’t mind and finished it in a few bites, then urged him to go take a shower and rest.

After his shower, Qiao Le went upstairs. Shen Hechuan was pulled into a long chat with Liang Jiancheng and didn’t come up until later. When he did, Qiao Le was already asleep, a light left on for him at the bedside.

Shen Hechuan walked over quietly, got into bed, and as the mattress dipped, Qiao Le stirred and turned over.

“Did I wake you?” Shen Hechuan whispered.

“No…” Qiao Le blinked sleepily, reaching for the glass on the nightstand.

“I’ll get it.”

Shen Hechuan leaned over and poured him some warm water from the thermos. Qiao Le drank it and curled back under the covers.

Shen Hechuan put the cup back and turned off the light, then lay down again.

In the darkness, Qiao Le shifted and nestled into Shen Hechuan’s arms, finding a comfortable spot. “What were you and Uncle talking about for so long?” he asked.

Shen Hechuan held him close. “A lot.”

They talked about Qiao Le’s past, his dropping out of school, his pregnancy…

Once the conversation started, it was hard to stop. They finished pot after pot of tea and chatted until one in the morning.

Shen Hechuan was deeply grateful to Chen Li and Liang Jiancheng. As Qiao Le had said, if not for them, he might not have made it through.

Even now, with their marriage and the pregnancy, the two elders still couldn’t fully put their minds at ease.

He’d repeatedly promised them that he would take good care of Qiao Le and make sure they had nothing to worry about.

But inside, he was uneasy too.

Qiao Le was already over three months pregnant. The babies would be born in six months. He was excited but also filled with anxiety.

He voiced these worries to Qiao Le, who turned to face him in the dark, reaching out to touch his face. His voice, with a smile in it, said, “Why are you more scared than me?”

Shen Hechuan grabbed his hand and kissed it gently. He admitted, “You’ll laugh, but I really am scared. I even have regrets.”

Even though there were successful cases of male childbirth, there was no guarantee nothing would go wrong.

These two babies came with joy—but also endless concern.

Tonight, Liang Jiancheng had said a lot. He talked about how Chen Li nearly bled out giving birth to their second child, how he cried so hard in the hospital that even strangers were startled.

His eyes were red as he spoke.

Shen Hechuan sipped his tea, but it was tasteless.

He thought, if he could go back to the day of their engagement, he would hold himself back. He wouldn’t let Qiao Le get pregnant again.

Not because he didn’t love the babies—but because he didn’t want Qiao Le to face such danger.

Even if they didn’t spell it out, the two of them knew what the other was thinking.

Qiao Le lifted his face slightly, pressed a soft kiss to Shen Hechuan’s chin, then his lips. They shared a warm, gentle kiss.

“Don’t be afraid,” Qiao Le said. “You have to stay calmer than me. That way, I’ll be braver.”

His words made Shen Hechuan’s heart ache. Qiao Le was the one carrying the burden. He was only nineteen, yet he was the one offering comfort.

Suppressing his emotions, Shen Hechuan responded quietly, “Okay.”

They talked a little longer. Qiao Le’s voice gradually dropped and grew faint.

He asked, “Shen Hechuan, when did you start liking me?”

Shen Hechuan thought for a moment. “Probably the first time I saw you.”

That’s why, when Qiao Le mistook him for someone else, he didn’t correct him—and he kept the little note with Qiao Le’s name and number on it.

Qiao Le said nothing more. His breathing was steady in Shen Hechuan’s arms—he had already fallen asleep.

Shen Hechuan wasn’t sure if he had heard his reply, but it didn’t matter. He knew Qiao Le would be able to guess it anyway.

He lowered his head and kissed Qiao Le’s hair, then closed his eyes.

—

The two of them returned to Yunjing City the next day.

After the Lantern Festival, Valentine’s Day came quickly. Shen Hechuan specially reserved a restaurant and made up for the missed romantic dinner, flowers, and gifts all at once.

When school resumed, Qiao Le quit the badminton club and joined the chess club instead.

Chen Hao and Xu Jiayin had officially gotten together. One afternoon after class, they invited Qiao Le to eat hot pot with them.

He was four months pregnant now, entering the most stable stage, so he gladly accepted.

The three met at the hot pot restaurant. Chen Hao stared at Qiao Le for a while and said, “You look like you’ve gained weight.”

“A bit, yeah.” Qiao Le’s appetite had improved, and he was eating a lot more, with almost no food aversions. He’d gained seven or eight pounds compared to before the pregnancy.

Xu Jiayin asked why he quit the club. Qiao Le gave a reason: “Health issues. The doctor said I shouldn’t do intense exercise.”

Hearing this, Chen Hao asked a few concerned questions. Qiao Le waved him off, “Just a small issue, really. But I might need to take some time off later for a minor surgery.”

“Surgery?” Chen Hao was shocked. “It’s that serious? What kind of illness?!”

Xu Jiayin nudged him and said to Qiao Le, “It’s okay if you don’t want to say. Just take care of yourself.”

“Mm.” Qiao Le nodded. “It’s nothing major. Don’t worry about it. Let’s eat.”

“Alright, alright, let’s eat first.”

After the meal, Shen Hechuan came to pick Qiao Le up. Qiao Le said goodbye to the two and got in the car.

On the way back, Shen Hechuan told Qiao Le that Lihua Hospital had gotten in touch with the foreign doctor who had previously performed a C-section on a male patient.

After reviewing Qiao Le’s condition, the doctor agreed to come in five months to perform the surgery.

Lihua Hospital had the most advanced medical equipment and the most professional team—it was the best choice.

The car stopped at a red light. Shen Hechuan turned to Qiao Le and said, “Our child will be born in five months.”

The end-of-February winter was still cold, with specks of snow clinging to the bare branches along the roadside.

But the sun was shining brightly, and even through the window, its warmth could be felt.

Qiao Le looked away from the window and smiled. “I’m really looking forward to it. You?”

“So am I.”

—

As Qiao Le’s belly grew, Wu Huilan and the others also moved into the Linjiang Complex. They lived in the same building, just on a different floor, and they brought Qiao Man along with them.

At first, Qiao Le didn’t intend to keep it a secret from Qiao Man, but later he figured young children couldn’t keep secrets well and might let something slip at kindergarten—so he chose to hide it for now.

As winter gave way to spring, Qiao Le was over five months pregnant.

Auntie Yang had also found out about the pregnancy and was deeply surprised. Soon after, she began researching prenatal recipes, determined to make sure Qiao Le was well-fed and chubby.

After learning about the pregnancy, Liang Jiancheng and Chen Li came by to visit often. If it weren’t for work, they would’ve stayed to take care of him themselves.

Although Shen Hechuan still went to the office regularly, he greatly reduced his social events and business trips, spending all his free time with Qiao Le.

Pei Wenjing, who had waited all Spring Festival without seeing any news of their travel group plans, ended up pestering Shen Hechuan repeatedly. In the end, Shen Hechuan simply gave Judy a vacation and sent the two off to travel together.

Fang Jiaxu confirmed his relationship with his blind date and even sent a photo to Qiao Le, who gave it a thumbs-up on his Moments.

By late April, the weather had warmed up and Qiao Le could no longer hide his belly. He got a certificate from the hospital and applied for leave.

Even while resting at home, he didn’t slack off on his studies. He self-studied what he could, and for what he couldn’t, he waited for video lectures or the teacher to visit.

Summer arrived with the sound of cicadas. By then, Qiao Le was eight months pregnant.

In the third trimester, swelling and cramps became more frequent. Several times, Qiao Le woke in the middle of the night from painful leg cramps. Shen Hechuan would use a hot towel to warm his legs and carefully massage them.

The doctor who was to perform the surgery arrived a month early and conducted a thorough check-up on Qiao Le, then developed a detailed surgical plan.

The due date was set for July 7.

Shen Hechuan’s family, Liang Jiancheng and Chen Li, and Fang Jiaxu all came to the hospital.

Before going into surgery, Qiao Le saw everyone’s solemn, worried expressions and joked to ease the mood: “Why do you all look like that? I’m going to give birth, not to die—”

“Peh! Peh! Peh!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?! Take that back!”

“Oh my god, can you even say things like that?!”

Everyone scolded him. Qiao Le knew he’d said the wrong thing and stuck out his tongue. “Alright, I take it back within two minutes.”

He looked over at Shen Hechuan and asked, “Are you sure you want to be in there with me?”

Shen Hechuan nodded. “Yes.”

“Alright then,” Qiao Le said. “Too bad I’m not delivering naturally—otherwise you could’ve at least helped out a little.”

Shen Hechuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Just then, the medical staff came over and informed them they could enter the operating room.

Qiao Le lay on the surgical bed and was wheeled in, with Shen Hechuan following closely behind.

Once the doors of the operating room closed, everyone outside stood silently, waiting.

The anesthesia made Qiao Le sleepy, and he soon drifted off. But Shen Hechuan remained awake.

That surgery was probably the longest, most difficult moment of his life—he could hardly feel time passing.

It wasn’t until the doctor said, “The operation was a success,” that the weight in his chest lifted, and his blood started to flow again. He felt alive.

The doctor beside him added, “Twins—a boy and a girl,” but he had no mind to ask more.

Qiao Le was still unconscious. Shen Hechuan held his hand and pressed his forehead to it, hiding the moisture in his eyes.

Thank goodness.

The heavens had been kind. Everything went smoothly.