TSBDRA 78: Father and Son are Safe

Normally, childbirth involves three stages. In the first, the pregnant person experiences gradually intensifying contractions. In the second, when the cervix is fully dilated, the pain becomes excruciating—like being torn apart.

Xu Xishuang skipped the first stage entirely.

Pain wracked his entire body, making him tremble uncontrollably. His vision flickered between black and white, and it felt like someone was stabbing into his belly with a steel fork, churning everything inside. Beside him, Dr. Xu was shouting to keep him conscious—he absolutely couldn’t pass out now. The doctor quickly stuffed a soft cloth into his mouth to keep him from biting through his own tongue from the pain.

The anesthetic started to take a slow effect. The sharp pain dulled slightly, his limbs grew numb, and his thoughts began to slow. He truly felt like he was dying. Clutching tightly at Yan Yushan’s arm, he whispered, “If I die…”

“You’re not going to die,” Yan Yushan cut him off, voice trembling. He didn’t even know if he was reassuring Xu Xishuang or trying to convince himself.

Looking at Xu Xishuang’s pale, bloodless face, still murmuring about “final wishes,” Yan Yushan felt a searing pain in his chest. He wanted to tell him to stop saying such ominous things, but he couldn’t bear to speak harshly. Gritting his teeth, he issued a threat, “Xu Xishuang, hold on a little longer. If you dare to give up, I swear I’ll…”

“If you give up, I’ll make your entire browsing history and all those little videos public,” Yan Yushan said, staring straight into Xu Xishuang’s eyes. “I’ll let everyone know you once watched a video of a gecko wagging its tail over a hundred times.”

Xu Xishuang was stunned.

Even as he was wheeled into the operating room, he still couldn’t process the fact that Yan Yushan had actually threatened him… with his video history!

But he had to admit—Yan Yushan knew exactly how to push his buttons. Xu Xishuang cared a lot about his image. There’s no way he would let anyone find out about his oddly specific interests. If Yan Yushan really dared to post his browsing history online, Xu Xishuang would crawl out of his coffin just to beat him up.

Fueled by that breath of indignation, he managed not to pass out from the pain. Instead, under the effects of the anesthetic, he slowly slipped into unconsciousness. In the haze of it all, Xu Xishuang drifted into a long, winding dream. This time, he didn’t see the original “Xu Xishuang” again.

He returned to his own world.

This time, Xu Xishuang was fully aware that he was dreaming.

Like a ghost, he drifted silently through the scenes—watching as his own body, electrocuted in the bathroom, was discovered by the cleaning lady who had come to tidy up. She screamed, called the police, and then his family was contacted to handle the arrangements. Xu Xishuang couldn’t help thinking, at least he’d been wearing a bathrobe… otherwise, that would’ve been really embarrassing.

Time sped up in that familiar dreamlike way. He watched as his family held a funeral for him. A lawyer read out his notarized will—every bit of his estate had been donated to charity. News of his death spread online, and people mourned the loss of the once-beloved “Nation’s Senior.” But the internet’s memory was short. The people who had mourned him soon moved on, returning to their normal lives.

His family and friends gradually came out of their grief too. His younger cousin got into college, made friends with her new roommates, and they shared their favorite novels with one another.

While going through the bookshelf one day, she pulled out the same book she had once shown him—the one he had read before everything happened. The very book that had taken him into its world.

Xu Xishuang saw it. He floated over behind his cousin, wanting to take another look at the book with her—only to hear her suddenly exclaim, “What the hell? This book totally botched the ending!”

“No way, the author just ghosted after posting ‘The main story is finished’? Not a single extra chapter written?” She flipped to the final page in disbelief. “Author’s note… ‘I’m sorry about the controversial plot points. Including Xu Xishuang as an unnecessary cannon-fodder character was my poor judgment. I’ll revise the story and try to give everyone a proper ending.’”

Her voice turned sharper, incredulous, “Then why didn’t you?! Why did you disappear?!”

Xu Xishuang was just as stunned. He was about to float a little closer to see if there was anything else—when suddenly, a powerful force yanked at him from behind, tearing him away from that world and pulling him back into his own body.

His lashes trembled. Slowly, Xu Xishuang opened his eyes.

The hospital room was filled with bright light. His vision blurred for a moment, shadows overlapping beside his bed before gradually sharpening.

Professor Fred, Dr. Xu, and Yan Yushan were all gathered around him, watching him anxiously. The moment he opened his eyes, all three let out a collective breath of relief.

Dr. Xu took off his mask and gave a relaxed smile. “Congratulations. Both you and your son are safe. He weighs six pounds eight. He’s a big, healthy boy.”

Six pounds eight? Wasn’t it supposed to be eight pounds eight in the book?

Xu Xishuang paused for a moment then smiled.

He realized he had truly broken free from the plot. He had survived the life-threatening childbirth. The child he gave birth to wasn’t the same as in the book. From this moment on, he was no longer just a background character destined to deliver a baby and disappear. He was no longer a cannon fodder. The original storyline had nothing to do with him anymore.

How wonderful.

“Does the incision hurt?” Yan Yushan held his hand tightly, looking at him with concern.

“A little,” Xu Xishuang answered honestly.

“A few more days of rest and you’ll be fine,” Professor Fred said, speaking fluent Chinese. “Oh, Xu—you are a beautiful miracle. I am deeply honored, and incredibly lucky, to have witnessed it. Congratulations.”

Xu Xishuang gave him a gentle smile. “Thank you, Professor.”

The surgery led by Professor Fred was a miracle in itself. He had defied the odds of a mere 10% success rate—saving Xu Xishuang’s life and bringing a healthy newborn safely into the world. Every second of that operation had been a race against death, with both Professor Fred and Dr. Xu pouring in everything they had.

Now that it was finally over and Xu Xishuang was safe, Professor Fred left the operating room utterly exhausted, ready to get some much-needed rest.

Before leaving, Dr. Xu turned back and said to Xu Xishuang, “You’ll be able to see your baby in about half an hour. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or the maternity nanny Mr. Yan hired. Now get some rest.”

After Dr. Xu left, Xu Xishuang suddenly remembered something. He turned to Yan Yushan with a fierce glare and snapped, “You actually tried to socially ruin me!”

He was absolutely adding a new line to his final wish list. If he ever died, his phone and computer had to be wiped—not a single browser history entry left behind!

“I’m sorry, baby,” Yan Yushan said, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “I was just so scared. I won’t ever bring it up again. Please don’t be mad.”

Xu Xishuang didn’t say anything, which only made Yan Yushan more amused. He leaned in and gave him another kiss, continuing to coax him softly, “Baby, you were amazing. Giving birth is so hard—you were so strong. I love you so much.”

The praise worked. Xu Xishuang melted a little, letting himself be soothed. Then he suddenly remembered something, turned his head toward Yan Yushan, and said seriously, “From now on, whenever we do it, you have to wear a condom. Got it? I am not going through this again.”

When Xu Xishuang noticed that Yan Yushan didn’t respond right away, he assumed he was unwilling. Annoyed, he tried to pull back his weak hand, not wanting Yan Yushan to hold it anymore. Yan Yushan immediately caught his hand again and quickly explained, “I’ll wear it, I promise. But, baby, Professor Fred and Dr. Xu told me—you won’t be able to get pregnant again.”

When Yan Yushan first heard that news, his immediate reaction was relief. He knew exactly how hard pregnancy had been, how painful and dangerous childbirth was. He didn’t want Xu Xishuang to ever go through that again.

Hearing this, Xu Xishuang felt much more at ease. He didn’t want to experience something that awful a second time, either.

The two of them stayed in the hospital room for a while. When the time was up, Yan Yushan went to the incubator and gently brought the baby over to show him.

Newborns were always red and wrinkly, looking a bit like tiny monkeys. Xu Xishuang frowned slightly, clearly not impressed. Yan Yushan quickly added, “Dr. Xu said he’s got a good head of hair. Once he grows up a little, he’ll definitely look better.”

Xu Xishuang reached out and poked the baby’s cheek. The little one opened his toothless mouth but didn’t cry, which made him look a little more tolerable.

Yan Yushan’s heart melted. He glanced at his phone and said to Xu Xishuang, “You’re still recovering and don’t have much strength, so my mom and the others decided they’ll come visit in two weeks—they don’t want to disturb your rest. I already sent them photos of the baby. My mom says his eyes and mouth look like yours… I honestly don’t know how she can tell.”

Neither Xu Xishuang nor Yan Yushan could really see how the baby looked like either of them.

After putting the baby back into the incubator, the two of them began discussing the baby’s name again.

They had actually talked about it before. Yan Yushan had wanted the child to take Xu Xishuang’s surname, out of love and guilt, knowing how much pain Xu Xishuang had gone through during the pregnancy. But Xu Xishuang insisted the baby should take Yan Yushan’s surname. That way, all the child-rearing responsibilities could be pushed onto Yan Yushan—after all, the kid shared his name.

In the end, they settled on the name Yan Qingci. As for a nickname, they agreed to wait until the baby developed some quirky or unique traits before choosing one.

In the days that followed, under the attentive care of Yan Yushan and the maternity nanny, Xu Xishuang was happy and relaxed—spending his time on his phone, picking out cute clothes for the baby. While browsing the orange shopping app, he hesitated for a few seconds, then finally added to cart a pair of open-crotch pants with a cartoon corgi on the butt… tail and all.

But his peaceful recovery didn’t last long. Soon, Xu Xishuang was faced with his first real problem.

The maternity nanny gently reminded, “Generally, one to two days after giving birth, breast milk starts to come in. We do recommend breastfeeding if possible. The breast milk contains many essential nutrients and antibodies that are important for newborns…”

She glanced quickly at Xu Xishuang, then added tactfully, “Of course, formula is also a perfectly acceptable option nowadays. I also have this app here—it’s full of parenting tips shared by experienced parents. There’s a community section where new parents can support each other, and one feature is a breast milk sharing network. If a mother has trouble producing milk, she can seek help there, and other local moms with extra milk can deliver it for feeding.”

Xu Xishuang’s entire face flushed red. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself under a blanket and pillow, but he couldn’t exactly tune it out either.

After the nanny left, Xu Xishuang glanced over at Yan Yushan, who had been listening intently the whole time. He reached out and poked him. “What do we do?”

Yan Yushan turned toward him, and his gaze landed—without meaning to—on Xu Xishuang’s chest.

Xu Xishuang instinctively tried to cover himself, but it felt even more awkward. Moving felt weird, not moving felt weirder, and in the end he could only fume with embarrassment and mutter, “Hurry up and think of something.”

Yan Yushan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he exchanged a look with Xu Xishuang, then pretended to be serious and said, “Let me check if you have any… issues.”

His expression and tone were grave, and for a moment, Xu Xishuang was fooled into thinking Yan Yushan was genuinely trying to resolve something important. He nodded in agreement, watching as Yan Yushan got up and locked the door behind him.

As Yan Yushan walked back toward him, Xu Xishuang started to sense something was off. Just as he was about to speak, Yan Yushan silenced him with a kiss.

It was the first time they’d kissed since the baby was born. Yan Yushan kissed him fiercely, like someone who had just survived a disaster. The intensity made Xu Xishuang’s limbs go weak and his mind blur into a haze. He followed Yan Yushan’s lead in a daze, returning the kiss.

Yan Yushan opened his eyes and saw the dazed, intoxicated look on Xu Xishuang’s face. His hand slipped under his clothes, and following the method the nanny had taught them, he began to knead gently in circular motions around the tip with his fingers.

His body jolted as if struck by electricity. The sudden stimulation made Xu Xishuang tremble and snap back to awareness. He arched his back and tried to shrink away, but Yan Yushan’s other hand firmly held him in place, not allowing him to escape.

By the time Yan Yushan finished his “inspection,” Xu Xishuang was completely slumped in his arms, gasping for breath like a shrimp cooked to perfection, his whole body flushed red.

Before Xu Xishuang could even catch his breath, he saw Yan Yushan lift the hand he’d used to cause all the chaos, bring it to his lips, and give it a lick. Then he said seriously, “There really isn’t anything wrong.”

Xu Xishuang froze for a second.

His face turned so red it looked like it might explode, and he shouted in embarrassed fury, “Yan Yushan!”

If he ever believed in Yan Yushan again, he’d be a dog!!

When it came to coaxing Xu Xishuang, Yan Yushan was already a seasoned pro. He quickly leaned down and kissed Xu Xishuang on the cheek, then launched into his three-step apology, “I’m sorry, baby. I really was trying to check your milk. I just couldn’t hold back at the end.”

Xu Xishuang shoved his face away and glared. “Why aren’t you saying you promise never to do that again?”

Yan Yushan paused, then replied sincerely, “Baby, your reaction just now was way too cute. I honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to resist touching you again next time I’m… helping, so I can’t make that promise.”

Xu Xishuang: …

Once again, his understanding of Yan Yushan’s shamelessness was shattered and rebuilt. He held it in, again and again, until he finally said, “Go download the app!”