CH 101

When Shen Tiantian was 30 weeks pregnant, Liu Wanjun gave birth to a daughter.

Shen Tiantian, who was accompanying Shan Yi at work in Yue Feng, was both surprised and delighted to hear the news. She excitedly told her wife, “Wanjun has given birth.” 

Shan Yi looked up, not surprised, as Liu Wanjun’s due date was around this time. Seeing her wife so anxious that she didn’t know what to do with her hands, Shan Yi found it amusing. “Do you want to go see her?”

Shen Tiantian’s belly was already quite large, making it difficult for her to move around. She hadn’t been to yoga, and even flower arranging had become tiresome. Perhaps feeling that her own time was near, she had been sticking close to Shan Yi for the past few days, even falling asleep on the office sofa occasionally. Sometimes, Shan Yi wondered if she should add a rest room to make her wife more comfortable.

“I want to, but have you finished your work?” Shen Tiantian asked hesitantly. “Maybe you could have Assistant Yang take me there?”

Shan Yi took the black coat draped over her chair and extended her hand to her. “Of course, this is something I should do myself. Work isn’t important.”

Shen Tiantian burst into laughter, placing her hand in Shan Yi’s and slowly getting up while supporting her belly. “Aren’t you worried people will say you’re neglecting your duties?”

Constantly leaving work and bringing it home.

Shan Yi helped her, expressionless. “They wouldn’t dare.”

Shen Tiantian’s due date was approaching, and she had been gradually handing over her work. By the end of the month, she would stop working to focus on being with her wife until she gave birth.

She hadn’t mentioned this to her wife yet, to avoid raising her expectations and taking maternity leave early on a whim.

Shen Tiantian chuckled to herself.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Sacred Heart Hospital and ran into Shan Yue as soon as they reached the obstetrics and gynecology department.

Shan Yue: “You’re here too?”

“Yes, we came to see Wanjun,” Shen Tiantian smiled, noticing her attire. “Where are you headed, auntie?”

Shan Yue replied without hesitation, “Going to pick up my wife for dinner.”

Shen Tiantian was excited. “It’s great that you two have reconciled. Tian Jing has already given you two babies. When do you plan to marry her?”

“I’m just waiting for her to agree. I’m ready anytime.” Shan Yue chuckled and turned to Shan Yi. “When are you going to give Xiao Jing a break? Her morning sickness is really bad.”

Shan Yi glanced at her wife’s belly, not giving Shan Yue any face. “What do you think? My wife has been pregnant for over seven months, have I said anything?”

Shan Yue gritted her teeth, “You’re something else.”

“Same to you.”

Sensing the tension, Shen Tiantian held her belly and said, “The baby kicked me again. She wants to see her small big sister.”

Shan Yue rolled her eyes at her, “I’m off.”

Shen Tiantian stuck out her tongue at Shan Yue’s back. “I think auntie has a bit of a split personality. She’s so gentle in front of Manager Tian but acts all cold in front of us.”

Shan Yi glanced at her helplessly, “And you, why do you care so much about their business?”

“Gossiping is a woman’s nature.”

Shan Yi: …

What kind of nonsense is that?

The two of them chatted as they made their way to Liu Wanjun’s VIP hospital room. Shen Tiantian knocked on the door and gently pushed it open, peeking inside. Only Lin Haozhi was there, while Liu Wanjun lay on the bed, looking quite spirited. Seeing them, Liu Wanjun quickly had her husband give up his chair.

Shen Tiantian sat down without hesitation, “How are you feeling?”

Liu Wanjun chuckled softly, her voice airy, “Not bad. This little girl didn’t cause much trouble, she’s very well-behaved.”

“That’s good.” Shen Tiantian paid little attention to her wife and Lin Haozhi’s conversation, knowing it was just the usual well-wishes. She touched her own belly, feeling both hopeful and a bit scared. “I hope mine will be as well-behaved.”

The baby’s movements were quite frequent. Within the past hour, Shen Tiantian had been kicked four or five times, as if the baby couldn’t wait to come out, acting very mischievously.

Liu Wanjun reassured her, “She will be.”

“Has Yaya come by?” Shen Tiantian asked.

“No, you know how busy her job is. She should come by after work this evening.”

Shen Tiantian nodded in understanding, having expected that. After sitting for a while, she said, “I’m going to check on the baby.”

Liu Wanjun had a natural delivery, and the baby was very healthy. After being cleaned up, the baby was brought back and was now sleeping soundly in a crib a meter away.

Shen Tiantian tiptoed closer and, looking at the wrinkly little pink bundle, wrinkled her nose and whispered, “She’s so tiny… why is she all wrinkled?”

“Newborns are like that. They’ll smooth out in a few days.” Shan Yi chuckled and walked over to hug her. “Our baby will look like this too when she’s born.”

Shen Tiantian pouted, about to say something when Liu Wanjun spoke up, sounding fierce, “Are you dissing my daughter?”

“No, I’m not…” Shen Tiantian quickly defended herself, showing strong survival instincts.

Liu Wanjun snorted, then looked at Shen Tiantian’s belly, “When is your due date?”

“Next month on the 18th.”

Liu Wanjun nodded, “That’s soon. Are you ready?”

“My wife has arranged a full-service package at a postpartum care center. Everything’s prepared.”

“That’s good.” Liu Wanjun glanced at Lin Haozhi, her tone turning soft, “Hubby, I’m hungry.”

Lin Haozhi immediately went over to comfort her, “You just gave birth, so don’t eat anything just yet. Mom will bring some porridge later. Have some soup tonight, just hold on a little longer, okay?”

Liu Wanjun sighed, “Alright.”

Shen Tiantian’s attention was entirely on the little bundle of flesh, looking at her chubby face. She couldn’t resist reaching out and gently touching her. Shan Yi, standing by, was alarmed. Before she could stop her, the baby started crying loudly as soon as Shen Tiantian’s hand made contact.

Liu Wanjun, still unable to get out of bed, watched as Lin Haozhi awkwardly picked up the baby and gently soothed her in his arms.

Shen Tiantian stood there, awkward and with her hand still outstretched.

“Shen Tiantian, are you looking for a beating?” Liu Wanjun said, half amused and half annoyed. “Did you know she had just fallen asleep?”

Shen Tiantian looked incredibly innocent, “I just wanted to touch her.”

Liu Wanjun raised her hand to rub her forehead. “Let’s see how long she can cry.”

Newborn babies are very fragile, but their cries can be incredibly loud, filling the entire room. Liu Wanjun had her husband hand the baby to her. The baby cried for a good five or six minutes before gradually quieting down, perhaps exhausted from crying. She bit on Liu Wanjun’s chest and whimpered softly.

Shen Tiantian felt extremely awkward, not expecting Liu Wanjun to breastfeed. She remembered Liu Wanjun saying she would return to work immediately after giving birth. If she breastfed, it would take at least a year before she could go back to work!

But finally, the little one stopped crying. Shen Tiantian patted her chest, still a bit shaken. As her gaze fell on her own belly, she realized she would be going through this in a month. She suddenly felt overwhelmed and looked helplessly at her wife.

Shan Yi, seeing through her thoughts, smiled and said, “It’s okay, I’ll take care of it.”

“We’re only having one,” Shen Tiantian said weakly.

“Alright.”

Shen Tiantian asked, “Have you given her a nickname yet?”

“Just call her ‘Dumpling’,” Liu Wanjun replied.

Shen Tiantian chuckled, “That’s cute.”

Liu Wanjun frowned as the little dumpling sucked, and Lin Haozhi’s face darkened. She said with some amusement, “Hubby, check if mom’s here. I feel like I’m running out of milk because I’m so hungry.”

Lin Haozhi gave her a deep look, then silently went out to make a call.

Once the door was closed, Liu Wanjun laughed, “Good thing she’s a girl. If she were a boy, my husband probably wouldn’t let me breastfeed.”

“Why?” Shen Tiantian asked, wondering if Lin Haozhi would be jealous of his own son.

“He says my whole body belongs to him, and no other man can touch me.”

Shen Tiantian was speechless. That’s quite possessive.

Shan Yi gave her wife a strange look. After hearing Liu Wanjun, she also felt uncomfortable with the idea of their son breastfeeding. Even with a daughter, she wasn’t entirely okay with it.

Lin Haozhi soon returned with Lin’s mother smiling behind him. She immediately started talking, “The chicken soup was too oily, so I made fish soup for you instead. I used cooking wine to remove the smell. It’s very fresh… Oh, Tiantian and Shan Yi are here too?”

Shen Tiantian smiled, “Hello, Auntie.”

Shan Yi added, “Congratulations on becoming a grandmother.”

Mother Lin beamed, “Thank you! Have you had dinner yet? Tiantian, would you like some soup too?”

“No, thank you, Auntie,” Shen Tiantian quickly declined.

Shan Yi wrapped an arm around her wife’s waist and said softly, “You all seem busy, so we’ll head out. We’ll come another day.”

“Leaving already?”

“We’ve been here for a while, and Wanjun needs rest after giving birth,” Shen Tiantian said in agreement.

“Alright, be careful on your way.”

After saying their goodbyes to Liu Wanjun, they left the hospital. Shan Yi buckled Shen Tiantian’s seatbelt, gave her a quick kiss, and asked, “Are you hungry? Let’s go to Four Seasons Hall for dinner.”

Shen Tiantian replied softly, “But I don’t feel like having Chinese food today.”

“What would you like then?”

“I want to eat Japanese cuisine.”

Shan Yi thought for a moment and said, “Then give me a kiss, and I’ll take you there.”

Eager to eat what she wanted, Shen Tiantian set aside her shyness. She cupped Shan Yi’s face, turned it towards her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Pausing as if it wasn’t enough, she then kissed her on the lips.

Just as she was about to pull away, Shan Yi suddenly held the back of her head and deepened the kiss. It wasn’t until their tongues were numb that she let go. “Alright, but no ordering anything raw.”

Shen Tiantian took a few deep breaths, glaring at her with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

But hearing that she could have Japanese food, she immediately smiled and nodded, “I know.”

“You pick the place.”

Since getting pregnant, Shen Tiantian hadn’t eaten Japanese food much. The place she used to frequent was a bit far, so she wasn’t sure where to go. She picked up her phone and opened a review app.

She scrolled for a long time and finally chose Showa Japanese Cuisine, which had the highest rating. Even before they arrived, she was reading reviews and looking at recommendations.

Shan Yi started the car and headed towards the address Shen Tiantian mentioned. “Don’t look at your phone for too long.”

Shen Tiantian didn’t mind. She put away her phone and sat quietly.

The Japanese restaurant was only three or four kilometers from the hospital, and they arrived quickly. The parking lot was spacious, and they easily found a spot.

They were greeted warmly at the door, the service surprisingly good, earning the restaurant extra points in Shen Tiantian’s mind. She looked around curiously at the interior decor.

It truly had a Showa-era vibe.

Shen Tiantian’s eyes fell on a two-person booth with a half-raised curtain. She quickly tugged on her wife’s sleeve. “It’s auntie.”