Chapter 56

Chapter 56

In less than half an hour, Fu Yuze was reunited with his long-awaited kitten, holding him close to warm him. While exchanging pleasantries with Bian Han, he volunteered, "On the morning of the 30th, I'll take A Ning to his grandpa's."

"Alright, head back and get some sleep."

Seeing how her own kid immediately threw himself into the other's arms the moment he arrived, Bian Han reminded Jiang Jining to be careful of his stomach and said, "Drive safe on the way home. Give me a call when you get home."

Jiang Jining poked his head out and replied crisply, "Okay."

Fu Yuze walked him back to the car, an arm around him. Along the way, he listened to Jiang Jining share funny stories from his day and how Bian Jiacheng wasn't going to pursue Xi Wang anymore. He responded, "Not really. Last week, Bian Jiacheng was still helping Xi Wang contact doctors for heart surgery, with plans to take him abroad for further treatment."

Nestled in the soft blanket, Jiang Jining tilted his head curiously and asked, "Do you guys usually talk about these things?"

"No, he came to ask me about Xi Wang's schedule."

Fu Yuze wasn't about to give out an employee's private info; he made him give a legitimate reason and slowly put the pieces together. Otherwise, where would he get the gossip to share with his kitten? "Bian Jiacheng was there when Xi Wang broke up with his boyfriend, probably around the day Sister Bian Han accompanied you to have your leg cast removed."

That happened?

Jiang Jining quickly perked up with interest. The two chatted all the way back to Xieting. After taking off their coats, they climbed into bed in their pajamas and snuggled together, chattering away. Less than ten minutes later...

Jiang Jining felt a couple of pokes against his lower belly.

"Stop teasing her all the time..."

It felt weird. Jiang Jining lifted the blanket, turned red when he realized what it was, and buried his face in Fu Yuze's chest, saying, "It doesn't look right, now that I have Ya'er."

So they couldn't do it.

The doctor said if they did, it had to be very, very gentle.

Picking up on his worry, Fu Yuze asked, "What doesn't look right?"

"She... has grown a bit."

Resting his head on Fu Yuze's shoulder, Jiang Jining was a little worried.

Fu Yuze felt with him for where Dou Ya'er was, lifted the hem of his pajama top to reveal his belly—pale and smooth—and smiled as he lowered his gaze to kiss it, saying, "It's beautiful."

Jiang Jining wasn't sure whether to say it.

While lost in thought, his calf rested on Fu Yuze's thigh and brushed against him again. Feeling shy, he tried to pull back, but his ankle was held. A gentle voice came from above him, "Just like that. Use your foot."

Jiang Jining protested, unconvinced, "It'll hurt you."

"I won't." Fu Yuze lowered his eyelids, his gaze gradually darkening as he coached him one-on-one. "This is just fine."

Jiang Jining wondered if this was really okay.

But so he wouldn't seem too obsessed with that spot, Fu Yuze took Jiang Jining's hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, asking, "Didn't you have something else you wanted to tell me earlier?"

Jiang Jining loved the baby dearly, so why would he suddenly think his pregnant body wasn't attractive?

"I..."

Jiang Jining's mind felt hazy.

Before being covered in kisses by Fu Yuze in a daze, he took Fu Yuze's hand and placed it on his own chest, silent yet direct.

Hmm?

Fu Yuze quickly understood what he'd been hesitant about.

It wasn't just Dou Ya'er who had grown.

Jiang Jining had too.

Realizing this, a surge of electricity stimulated every part of Fu Yuze's body, especially his scalp, which tingled with a numbing pleasure. The premature end made Jiang Jining heave a sigh of relief, leaving no time to question his condition today. He quickly pulled up his pajama top, which had slipped off his shoulders, and sat up.

His calf and ankle were slightly red.

"Let me wipe it."

Fu Yuze, a wolf in sheep's clothing who only needed to pull up his sleep pants, was also a gentleman. He got out of bed, went to the bathroom, wrung out a towel, and wiped the legs of Jiang Jining, who was too shy to speak.

His fair skin made the marks obvious.

After returning, the lights were turned to their brightest.

Fu Yuze sat Jiang Jining on his lap facing him, kissed his burning cheek, and deftly unbuttoned all the pajama buttons with his fingertips. "Let me take a good look."

Jiang Jining: "..."

He was getting worse and worse.

But Jiang Jining did have an unspeakable difficulty, something he couldn't share with anyone except Fu Yuze.

Fu Yuze knew he couldn't interpret Jiang Jining's body using ordinary physiological knowledge. It was less of an examination and more of an appreciation—

Tender and delicate, like the enticing, beautiful tip of a juicy peach on a June branch. Lush, yet not fragile; soft and fair, fitting into his palm with just a small touch.

"When did you notice this?" Fu Yuze straightened his collar, pinched Jiang Jining's troubled face, and listened as he confided, "It started hurting these past few days."

Deep down, he had an inkling of why.

But...

Fu Yuze suddenly asked him seriously, "Could you breastfeed Ya'er yourself?"

Jiang Jining: "..."

How could he just say it out loud like that?

Such a thing was unheard of. In wealthy families, wet nurses were always hired; there was truly no precedent for a father breastfeeding a baby. He had never heard any doctor mention any specifics about men with his constitution after pregnancy, so he really didn't understand.

"No."

Jiang Jining had observed; he didn't have that.

He just didn't know why they had grown a little, and the color had deepened from pale pink to a ripe hue.

"It'll go back to normal after the baby is born." Fu Yuze had noted the relevant medical advice and pregnancy materials. Seeing Jiang Jining somewhat uncomfortable with this, he felt a pang of heartache. Out of understanding and a bit of selfishness, he kissed the corner of Jiang Jining's mouth to distract him. "Usually, I don't get to see A Ning like this. It's very beautiful."

He knew he'd say that!

Jiang Jining pushed him away with both hands and lay down facing away, feeling a burning sensation from the soles of his feet up his calves to his cheeks.

"Tomorrow, I'll ask the doctor." Fu Yuze was also somewhat concerned and hugged him from behind. "To see if there's any way to intervene or alleviate it. Does it hurt when you wear clothes normally?"

They'd already done the most intimate things, so while Jiang Jining was shy, it wasn't hard for him to open up. He muttered, "No."

The fabric of his clothes was all very fine.

Normally, there was no feeling of chafing or pain.

Jiang Jining was still hung up on what Fu Yuze had said about personally feeding the baby. Thinking about how things were ultimately different here, he wished he could ask the family physician for advice. Did a baby born to someone with his constitution need special care?

If only his mother were by his side too.

This was his first time carrying Ya'er, and he knew nothing about it.

That night, Jiang Jining didn't fall asleep until the wee hours, feeling Fu Yuze's warm embrace and steady heartbeat against his back, gazing through the white gauze curtains at the blue-white tone of the moonlight in the snowy night.

Were Father and Mother looking at the same moon?

*

With the New Year's arrival,

Jiang Jining found himself busy all day long.

On New Year's Eve, the red envelopes prepared by Fang Wenjun and Bian Zeming were bulging, and Bian Han added even more, doubling the amount for Dou Ya'er. Several thick stacks and two pairs of gold child bracelets piled up like a small hill beside Jiang Jining during the reunion dinner.

Before this little mountain of gold could even warm up,

on the afternoon of New Year's Day, Zhou Yeying's call arrived even before Fu Yuze himself did. Worried that the in-laws might be reluctant to give up the child, she deliberately timed it for after the meal: "Ning'er, are you taking a nap?"

Jiang Jining answered the phone.

"Ding-dong—"

When Bian Han opened the door, she thought, *Just as expected*, seeing Fu Yuze laden with heavy New Year gifts, unceremoniously coming to collect him.

Don't they have their own kids at home?

When will this child-snatching ever end, ahhh!

Bian Han seethed inwardly as she watched her parents, happily coaxed by Fu Yuze, willingly hand over their only precious one.

And so, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Fu Yuze brought Jiang Jining through the doors of the Fu family's old mansion as he wished. Even the afternoon nap was taken in his warmly decorated bedroom.

The land and feng shui of the Fu family's old mansion had blessed ten generations—a fortunate and wealthy family. The energy here was incredibly soothing. The villa revealed traces of top-tier designers from the last century, showcasing a timeless classicism and the weight of old money. Every antique vase was meticulously preserved, and the entire house still featured soft water, fresh air systems, and full smart-home automation.

For a moment, Jiang Jining felt a sense of historical continuity similar to his own home, making him relax unconsciously.

This was where Fu Yuze grew up.

Fu Yuze also knew that Jiang Jining quite liked it here—so much so that he started napping as soon as he touched the bed, without any reserve, even seeming like he didn't really need Fu Yuze there.

Just being in the same space brought them both peace of mind.

When Fu Yuze drew the curtains and stepped out of the room, he was met with three pairs of eyes staring quietly but intently from outside. He gently closed the door behind him. "What are you all doing?"

The house had many rooms.

Fu Yuze had moved alone to the fourth floor since he was ten. The second and third floors each had master bedrooms for his parents and Fu Huaisheng. The soundproofing and spatial design were excellent, giving everyone ample independent space.

Had his parents come up to the fourth floor with Xingxing for a stroll?

That was clearly impossible.

Through the wide railings and red velvet lanterns, Fu Yuze saw Ji Huan preparing fruit platters with the nanny at the kitchen island, while Fu Huaisheng was in the living room helping repair Xingxing's block house. Fu Yuze casually picked up his soft, white nephew. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"The nanny said Xingxing changed into his sleep sack by himself and sat on the stairs waiting for you to come down."

Fu Sichuan spoke much more amiably during the New Year.

The little one nodded at Fu Yuze, clutching his small hands obediently and saying, "Want to sleep with Ningning."

Xingxing was a baby who could sleep through the night even as a newborn. His small body was warm and soft, carrying a rich scent of milk and grapefruit-scented lotion. Jiang Jining loved to pinch and hug him whenever he had the chance.

Fu Yuze ruffled his soft bangs. "Ningning has a baby in his belly. Be good and don't kick him."

The tuft of hair on Xingxing's head swayed. "Mm!"

Fu Yuze carried Xingxing and gently tucked him into Jiang Jining's bed. The little one snuggled up to Jiang Jining bit by bit, feeling just as soft and fragrant as himself. He closed his eyes, ready to sleep.

Zhou Yeying waited for her son to come out and asked, "What time does Ning'er usually wake up from his nap? Will he want something to eat?"

Fu Yuze glanced at his watch. "Before four o'clock, and yes, he'll eat."

"Then I'll have the servants prepare something first." Zhou Yeying, arm in arm with Fu Sichuan, came and went freely. Before stepping into the elevator, she reminded her younger son, "Later, when Second Aunt and the others see Ning'er, they'll probably stuff him with all sorts of red envelopes and gifts. Help him by holding them and guiding him to greet everyone—there'll be too many for him to remember. Oh, and make sure Ning'er gives out the red envelopes you prepared!"

"Okay."

Fu Yuze took the mission to heart.

This year, with Jiang Jining by his side, things felt different. The unit shifted from the individual to the family. There were quite a few younger relatives, and he usually gave red envelopes to siblings of the same generation too. The amount in each envelope was three times what it had been in previous years.

Let everyone share in Jiang Jining's good fortune.