Chapter 67

Chapter 67

On the day of Cheng Mi's wedding, You Nan and Jiang Songen went together.

The wedding wasn't held in their city but in the north, entirely arranged by Cheng Mi’s partner’s family.

The ceremony was incredibly lavish, booking out an entire luxury hotel. Among the bustling guests, You Nan recognized several faces from the news.

With the banquet still a while away and no sign of the two grooms, You Nan grew tired quickly. Jiang Songen held him close, letting You Nan rest his head on his shoulder. "Get some sleep," he said softly. "I'll wake you when it starts."

You Nan nodded and closed his eyes.

Despite the crowded, noisy surroundings, You Nan fell asleep.

Now further along in his pregnancy, his sleepiness was getting worse. Sometimes, Jiang Songen would be talking to him one moment, and the next, You Nan would already be fast asleep.

They didn’t have to wait long before the wedding began. Jiang Songen gently nudged his husband awake, and You Nan blinked his eyes open drowsily. It was only then that they finally saw the two grooms of the evening.

Cheng Mi and his man walked in through the grand entrance, wearing luxurious outfits.

Cheng Mi’s cheeks were flushed, his lips rosy and glossy. The other groom stood tall and dashing, over 6’3”, a well-built, tough-looking man who exuded masculine charm and energy.

Standing together, they looked like an ideal couple from a BL story, stepping out of a fantasy before everyone’s eyes. The impact of such sheer attractiveness left many in the audience breathless.

Everyone remarked on how perfect they were together.

Anyone could see that Cheng Mi’s partner’s family had put immense effort into this wedding.

Mrs. Jiang was carefully observing and learning.

She even added the wedding planner and the performance group’s contact on WeChat.

She thought the young man performing at the wedding had a wonderful voice.

Mrs. Jiang wasn’t up on celebrity gossip much, so she didn’t realize the singer whose contact she’d asked for was actually a current hot celebrity in the entertainment industry.

Pleased with getting his info, Mrs. Jiang nodded to herself in satisfaction.

For her son and Xiao Nan’s wedding, she’d definitely hire someone to sing too.

What a fantastic voice, and he was good-looking too—perfect for making it impressive!

You Nan didn’t eat much before growing tired again. Jiang Songen, always attentive to his husband’s condition, noticed You Nan getting sleepy and stopped eating himself. He took You Nan to the lounge area to rest, staying by his side.

They missed the newlyweds’ round of toasts.

The door to the lounge opened with a soft sound. Jiang Songen looked up sharply and saw Cheng Mi standing there.

Cheng Mi stared at Jiang Songen, who hadn’t moved from sleeping You Nan’s side even for a moment. Biting his lip, Cheng Mi felt a deep ache in his heart.

He’d liked this person for so long, yet in the end, the one by his side, the one he loved, was never him.

"What brings you here?" Jiang Songen asked calmly, breaking the silence between them.

Cheng Mi replied, "I didn’t see you two during the toasts, so I came looking."

He pulled up a chair and sat down, trying to act calm. "So, you two are together now?"

Jiang Songen murmured "mm-hmm," his gaze softening with genuine tenderness as he looked at You Nan.

Cheng Mi couldn’t bear to see him like that.

Uncomfortable, he searched for something to say. "What’s wrong with You Nan? He looks exhausted, passed out like that."

As soon as he asked, Cheng Mi regretted it, his face turning pale; he wanted to hit himself.

What a stupid question to ask.

They were all adults; he knew exactly what could leave someone so tired the next day—he had experience with it himself.

Cheng Mi gritted his teeth.

Even though he was married now, he still couldn’t maintain his composure and dignity in front of Jiang Songen.

Maybe that was the power of an unrequited crush.

When the man came to his family to propose, just introducing himself and offering some benefits was enough to make his family members eagerly persuade Cheng Mi to agree.

When he hesitated, some whispered behind his back, calling him ungrateful, wondering why the man hadn’t chosen someone else in the family.

Cheng Mi was proud, strong-willed, and quick-tempered. He couldn’t stand hearing such things, and in a fit of anger, he agreed.

By the time he cooled down and regretted it, there was no turning back.

Unless the other party willingly released him, he’d be tied to this man for life.

Cheng Mi knew he couldn’t win against him, and before today, he’d already accepted his fate.

But when he spotted Jiang Songen in the crowd during the ceremony, his dormant heart seemed to beat again.

Yet now, having come to find him, nervous but hopeful, he realized Jiang Songen knew everything and was indifferent.

"Nothing much. He just didn’t sleep well last night."

Jiang Songen dodged Cheng Mi’s question casually.

His fingers gently adjusted the blanket over You Nan.

Cheng Mi didn’t know that beneath that blanket was a belly the size of a small watermelon.

Cheng Mi hadn’t been sitting long when his phone rang from his pocket. He knew who it was and ignored the call.

Soon, it rang again. Cheng Mi bit his lip, frowning, and had just dismissed it when the door to the lounge opened from the outside.

Cheng Mi’s face fell immediately.

It was Cheng Mi’s husband.

The man’s gaze first landed on Cheng Mi’s face, ensuring he was alright, then turned to Jiang Songen in the room.

The two dominant men made eye contact in a brief, silent acknowledgment.

Cheng Mi’s husband stepped forward and introduced himself to Jiang Songen.

Jiang Songen stood, gave his name, and the two shook hands, exchanged a few words, and swapped business cards.

Cheng Mi quietly slipped further into the lounge area, moving closer to You Nan.

Both Jiang Songen and Cheng Mi’s husband kept an eye on him discreetly.

They could see everything Cheng Mi did the moment he did it.

They saw Cheng Mi approach You Nan, but didn't expect that as Cheng Mi stared at the blanket Jiang Songen had draped over You Nan, he grew increasingly furious, his breathing becoming rapid.

Cheng Mi yanked it right off.

As soon as he pulled it away, he was startled, and his husband was also stunned.

It was Jiang Songen whose eyelids twitched twice as he quickly walked over, firmly grabbing Cheng Mi's hand and pulling the blanket back from him.

"What's... what's with his stomach?"

Cheng Mi was held from behind by his husband, his eyes still straying uncontrollably toward the sleeping You Nan.

You Nan's stomach wasn't that big yet.

With the air conditioning on indoors, he only wore a close-fitting thermal shirt, which clearly outlined his slightly swollen belly.

Cheng Mi and his husband immediately noticed the unusual shape of You Nan's body.

Jiang Songen heard Cheng Mi's question but didn't answer.

He silently covered You Nan with the blanket again.

Cheng Mi, however, couldn't stop his mind from racing.

Perhaps men always like to say all sorts of shameless things in bed.

Cheng Mi's husband especially enjoyed saying things to scare him and make him cry.

Cheng Mi was both terrified and turned on.

Hearing it so often, Cheng Mi's mind was filled with these words, and coupled with his spaced-out state at the time, he just went along with whatever the other said. He even went along with it, saying many things about wanting to have a child.

"You Nan is pregnant?"

Cheng Mi blurted out the words without thinking.

The other two people in the room were stunned.

One didn't hide it and answered calmly.

The other lowered his gaze, his gaze intense as he stared at Cheng Mi's flat stomach.

After receiving Jiang Songen's confirmation, Cheng Mi was incredulous. "He's a man, how is that even possible?!"

Jiang Songen shot back, "Do it enough times and it'll happen."

Hearing this, Cheng Mi snapped back to reality at that, shuddering all over.

He immediately turned to look at the man holding him, just in time to catch the interest in the other's eyes.

Clearly, the man was really intrigued by what Jiang Songen said, even itching to try.

Understanding the other's intention, Cheng Mi's face instantly paled.

The other was too well-endowed for him.

Every time they started, it hurt so bad he wanted to die.

Throughout the process, he felt stretched full, aching and burning as if on fire.

If the other really took Jiang Songen's advice, it would literally kill him.

Cheng Mi's hand clenched his man's sleeve, his knuckles turning white from the force, revealing his unsettled state.

The man noticed Cheng Mi's fear but didn't offer any comforting words, just quirking a slight smile. He gently stroked Cheng Mi's back.

Jiang Songen kept his eyes to himself.

Cheng Mi had brought this upon himself; he really had it coming.

Cheng Mi and his husband didn't stay long.

They still needed to go out and see the guests out.

Cheng Mi's husband said a word to Jiang Songen and then led Cheng Mi out.

Although they were supposed to see people off together, Cheng Mi never showed up again until everything was over.

Clearly, on the first day of their marriage, there was already a little tension between them.

Mrs. Jiang had attended and observed a wedding this time, and after speaking extensively with the emcee and organizers present, she now felt confident in organizing things.

Mr. Jiang was busy with work every day and couldn't do much, so he assigned a few more capable, all-purpose assistants to assist his wife, letting her run with it freely.

He also transferred money from his account to his wife, allowing her to do as she pleased.

Mrs. Jiang took over the wedding preparations, so the young couple only needed to just kick back at home.

With his younger brother Xiao Youruan and 007 keeping him company at home, along with a nanny looking after him, You Nan didn't need Jiang Songen to drop all his work to stay with him.

Jiang Songen was ordered by his wife to go earn money, sighing as he felt a little rejected.

Before You Nan could comfort him, Mr. Jiang called his son to ask if he was still building up his nest egg.

Without another word, Jiang Songen went to work.

If he didn't work, he wouldn't have money to support his wife—that was a no-brainer.

After learning about his older brother's pregnancy, Xiao Youruan's attitude toward You Nan changed noticeably.

He became cautious, often eyeing his brother's belly with excitement. He also loved the gentle, motherly vibe his brother now carried.

The child even tried to beg to sleep in the same bed, but was refused by his brother's husband.

The child's eyes reddened, his lips pursed, not saying a word.

He looked as sad as a little peach sprite.

You Nan couldn't bear to see him like that.

Whenever Jiang Songen wasn't home, he let Xiao Youruan stay with him, soothing his little brother.

When Jiang Songen found out, he grew jealous, clinging to You Nan at night, asking for affectionate kisses and cuddles.

But You Nan wasn't having it.

"Xiao Ruan's just a kid, and you're a grown man! How can you compare with him?"

Jiang Songen went quiet.

Xiao Youruan, however, lit up with a smile, his eyes crinkling into happy crescents.

Xiao Youruan stayed by his brother's side, keeping himself busy.

He always listened to his family.

Mrs. Jiang arranged many prenatal activities for You Nan. The kid, not trusting others, volunteered to read books to his unborn niece or nephew.

Now, You Ruan was in the fifth grade.

The school had excellent teachers and offered a wide range of subjects.

Xiao Youruan was learning more characters and could speak English, German, and French fluently.

He opened his textbook and started reading from the fifth-grade books.

Not only did Xiao Youruan read, but he also imitated his teacher's teaching style, using a small blackboard to go over lessons with his brother's belly.

Whether the baby in You Nan's belly understood or not was unclear, but Xiao Youruan ended up sorting out many problems he hadn't understood before.

This was a nice surprise.

Both You Nan and Mrs. Jiang were full of praise for him, calling him clever.

Xiao Youruan got all blushy from the praise and became even more enthusiastic about the prenatal education.

You Nan found the sound of the child reading to be perfect white noise.

He fell asleep to his brother's reading and woke up to it as well.

Life was really easy.

After winter break, You Nan's belly grew larger.

As the weather got warmer and clothes got lighter, if You Nan continued going to school, his prominent baby bump would be unmistakable, easily noticed by others.

Jiang Songen was concerned about this. He discussed it with You Nan, who had been thinking the same thing, and agreed to take time off from school.

The whole family was relieved and rejoiced.

Now, You Nan's days were spent listening to his brother read, chatting with 007, exercising, and occasionally looking over his schoolwork when he had nothing else to do.

Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, it was time for the baby.

He had already been admitted to the hospital arranged by the Jiang family.

Two days after being hospitalized, You Nan had a son with Jiang Songen.

The newborn was pretty small, a smaller but healthy baby.

This was the result of everyone's efforts to ensure You Nan had it easier during the process.

Fortunately, it all worked out.

"What should we name the child?" Mrs. Jiang looked at her little grandson, thrilled, grinning from ear to ear.

The wedding preparations were almost complete, just waiting for two months until You Nan was back on his feet, and then it could be held!

"What about Maomao?"

While You Nan was still thinking, he heard this name right next to him and immediately looked up at his husband.

Jiang Songen squeezed his hand. The name had come to him in that moment, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt it was just right.

"Our family all loves 007, so why not let the child's nickname be Maomao? It'll be like a little buddy for 007."

"Maomao, Maomao..."

Mrs. Jiang gently cooed the name twice to the baby in the cradle.

Whether the baby knew he now had a name or not, he let out a loud "Mm~" sound without even opening his eyes, getting everyone's attention.

Mrs. Jiang said happily, "Our little grandson likes this name! Let's call him Maomao then!"

And so the child's name was decided.

Jiang Songen noticed You Nan's spaced-out look and gave his hand a shake, bringing his attention back.

"What's wrong, babe? You seemed zoned out just now." Jiang Songen offered You Nan some water.

You Nan took a few sips and shook his head, "Nothing really."

He just felt like he had heard the name "Maomao" somewhere before.

In that moment, his heart skipped a beat, and the weird feeling still hadn't subsided.

You Nan looked at the cradle by his bedside, an automatic smile of happiness spreading across his face.

.

Maomao was very small at birth, and it wasn't until he was a month old that he started to fill out a bit.

Perhaps seeming to know he needed more nutrition, he drank a lot of formula every day, putting away a lot each time.

Soon, he grew to be about the same size as other babies born at normal or even heavier weights.

Little Maomao was pale, pudgy, and soft, always surrounded by a sweet milky smell.

In the two months after giving birth, Mrs. Jiang strictly followed postpartum rules for new moms when arranging You Nan's routine.

No heavy lifting, no exposure to wind, etc. You Nan felt pretty useless, stuck in bed, only able to watch TV or read novels.

Mrs. Jiang wouldn't allow him to do anything else.

Sometimes when Mrs. Jiang wasn't around, You Nan thought about returning to school after his leave and wanted to study.

But the postpartum nanny and babysitter were on top of it, always mindful of employer Mrs. Jiang's requirements, and quickly caught him.

You Nan had no choice but to negotiate with them, eventually getting maybe twenty, thirty minutes of reading time—any longer and his books would be confiscated.

You Nan couldn't argue with that.

Mrs. Jiang was truly very concerned about him.

You Nan thought to himself, sighing, and felt deeply moved.

The only thing that could relax him and keep him company in the postpartum center was Maomao, who had come from his own belly.

By one month old, Maomao already knew how to seek out his mother and stick close to her.

It was okay for the postpartum nanny and the nanny to hold Mao Mao, but only for a while; after a short time, he would cry, wanting to find You Nan.

Mao Mao was clean, with his eyes open—a pretty, adorable baby.

Having worked for so many years, the nanny and postpartum nanny had never seen such a beautiful child; they were utterly fascinated.

But this was mainly because both of his parents were good-looking, and no one in the family was bad-looking.

They wanted to hold the child more, but they were no match for his crying as he wanted his mother.

So they reluctantly had to place the child next to You Nan’s pillow.

But Mao Mao still cried, leaving everyone at their wits' end.

Finally, You Nan had a sudden idea and used a few of her own clothes to wrap the child up, making a makeshift nest.

Wrapped in his mother's scent, Mao Mao finally stopped crying.

The nannies and postpartum nannies nearby marveled at this and gained a new understanding of the depth of the child's attachment to his mother.

Among everyone who had held Mao Mao—whether grandparents, dad, or uncle—he would always want his mother after a while.

No one could make Mao Mao an exception.

And as the child grew older, this only got worse.

Even when feeding Mao Mao, You Nan had to hold his little body close, letting Mao Mao press against her, so the nanny or postpartum nanny could feed him.

In Jiang Songen’s eyes, this was just ridiculously spoiled!

Jiang Songen worked every day to earn money for formula, and his father kept loading him with endless projects. Jiang Songen had to squeeze every minute out of his day to ensure he could finish work before leaving the office.

Tired from working during the day, he just wanted to hold his wife and rest at night.

But he hadn’t expected a little one to come along and steal his wife away from him.

Jiang Songen couldn’t stand seeing his son monopolize his dear wife.

No matter how capable or restrained a man in his twenties might be outside, when it came to his own son, he’d always act up a bit.

Jiang Songen would deliberately make his son cry.

Then he'd snap a picture with his phone the moment his son made a scene.

At first, Mao Mao didn’t dislike his dad.

He really liked his dad.

He wouldn’t cry when his dad held him, but when it was time, the child still wanted his mother.

But Jiang Songen was being mean; he stubbornly refused to let the child return to You Nan. So Mao Mao sat crying in Jiang Songen’s arms.

Mao Mao cried almost silently. His big, watery eyes just shed tears like pearls, his eyes reddened, and he pursed his little lips.

Ordinary people couldn’t resist such a pitiful sight.

Especially since he didn’t wail but just silently shed tears, mastering the art of weeping gracefully even at such a young age.

Only Jiang Songen, with his ruthless heart, was completely unfazed even as his son cried like this. He even deliberately turned to smile at his wife, pointing at his son to make fun of Mao Mao.

“Xiao Nan, look…”

Before Jiang Songen could finish his sentence, he felt a warm, wet sensation on his clothes.

You Nan burst out laughing—"Pfft!"—and laughed so hard her stomach hurt.

It turned out Mao Mao had protested by peeing on his dad while crying.

Jiang Songen’s face changed.

Holding the child in his arms, he didn’t know whether to put him down or throw him away. His brows furrowed tightly.

All trace of his earlier mischief was gone.

If this weren’t his own biological son, he'd have flung him away long before the pee even came out.

Snickers and "pfft" sounds came from the side—the postpartum nanny and nanny were lucky enough to witness this “father-son showdown.”

They had tried to hold it in, gritting their teeth, but after hearing You Nan’s laughter, they couldn’t help themselves and failed to save the eldest young master’s dignity.

Jiang Songen stared at his son in his arms.

Mao Mao also looked back at him with teary eyes.

That innocent, clear, and bright gaze—if he weren’t just a two-month-old baby, one might suspect he’d done it on purpose.

Jiang Songen carried his son into the bathroom, his face dark.

The bathroom was fully stocked with everything Mao Mao needed, like diapers and baby powder.

Jiang Songen had become a pretty competent dad by now. He came out in less than ten minutes, having gotten the little one cleaned up, and placed him neatly into the little nest next to his wife’s pillow.

But Mao Mao was still shedding tears.

Jiang Songen’s eyelid twitched. “Stop crying.”

Mao Mao ignored him.

You Nan stepped in to save face for her husband and asked the nanny to bring the prepared milk. “Maybe Mao Mao is just hungry. He won't cry once he’s full.”

Jiang Songen gave his son one more chance.

The nanny brought the bottle, and the child opened his mouth to drink.

But after a couple of sips, he’d let go, gulp down the milk, sob a couple of times, shed a few more tears, then go back for another couple of sips, let go again, swallow, and sob.

This smooth little routine made Jiang Songen’s vein in his temple throb.

Especially when he saw that his wife only had eyes for this little thing and paid him no attention, Jiang Songen deeply regretted what he had done that night.

His dad often said to always listen to his wife.

Jiang Songen remembered that and usually lived by it.

But that one time he didn’t listen to You Nan, and now he was paying the price.

This little one was born to be at odds with him!