Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Li Xiujin asked coldly, "What is he eating?"

Lin Ze hadn't expected to be caught in the act and was too ashamed to speak.

But even without Lin Ze's answer, Li Xiujin could see clearly.

Li Chongyi was nestled in Lin Ze's arms, suckling at the lower breast, gulping noisily. Hearing his voice, as if finding it noisy, he even furrowed his tiny brows, burrowed deeper into Lin Ze's embrace, and then let out a whimper that signaled he was about to cry...

Lin Ze had promised to let only him nurse, but now he had broken his word. Lin Ze felt deeply ashamed, yet he also sensed that Li Chongyi was about to cry.

"Xiujin, can I explain later? Let me put him to sleep first..."

Li Xiujin's brow furrowed deeply.

Just then, his work phone rang. He left, his expression cold.

After Li Xiujin left, Lin Ze picked up Li Chongyi. Even though he was full, Li Chongyi insisted on keeping the nipple in his mouth. Lin Ze coaxed him for quite a while before he finally obeyed, burying his little head in Lin Ze's chest, whimpering twice, and then drifted off to sleep.

Lin Ze carefully placed him in the cradle.

When Lin Ze went to the study, Li Xiujin had just hung up the phone and was staring at him with a shadowed gaze.

"I noticed it this afternoon. I was planning to tell you after he fell asleep..." Lin Ze walked up to him and explained softly.

Li Xiujin's face remained cold.

"I'm sorry, I broke my promise..." Lin Ze tentatively touched his cheek. Seeing no reaction, he gently cupped his face and said shyly, his cheeks flushed. "I think there's still some left, Xiujin. Do you want to drink?"

Li Xiujin's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Let me feed you, okay?" Lin Ze's face turned crimson.

Finally, Li Xiujin pulled him onto his lap.

Lin Ze had worn a jacket when he came out to the study. After parting the jacket, the thin sleep shirt inside was already soaked through. Trembling slightly with embarrassment, Lin Ze unbuttoned the damp shirt. The place that had just been suckled by the baby was flushed a deep red, beaded with droplets of milk, emitting a rich, milky fragrance...

Li Xiujin's eyes darkened.

Lin Ze held his breast with both hands and offered it to him. The moment Li Xiujin took it into his mouth, Lin Ze's entire body went weak...

Li Xiujin gripped his waist, drinking too quickly. Just like Li Chongyi, some milk trickled from the corner of his mouth. Lin Ze endured waves of pleasurable weakness and lovingly wiped it clean for him...

"Xiujin, slow down, drink slowly..."

A child's appetite was no match for an adult's. Soon, Lin Ze sensed it was empty. But he seemed even hungrier than the child. In his shame, Lin Ze squeezed, trying to produce more for him...

When there was truly nothing left, Li Xiujin still refused to let go, closing his eyes and burying his face in Lin Ze's embrace...

Lin Ze's delicate face was damp with sweat. He asked softly, "Xiujin, are you still angry?"

Li Xiujin finally released it with a soft 'pop'. The nipple was now swollen and red. Lin Ze flushed all over, his skin turning pink, and hurriedly covered himself with his clothes.

"I'm less angry now."

From the moment Lin Ze entered the study, he had stopped being angry with him. But he liked it when Lin Ze coaxed him like a child; it made him feel like he was the most important person to Lin Ze.

"Then I'll feed him less from now on..."

"Not a single drop is allowed."

"But he's our baby..."

"Let him drink formula."

"Mm..." Lin Ze murmured in agreement, ashamed.

"Are you still angry now?"

Li Xiujin didn't speak, just kept nuzzling against his neck. Lin Ze's heart was melting. A habit he shared with Li Chongyi, he liked to burrow into his embrace and nuzzle him.

"Call me baby too."

Lin Ze paused, slightly surprised. "...Baby."

A wave of warmth spread through him. Li Xiujin's throat tightened as he looked up at him with a deep, intense gaze.

Lin Ze shyly pressed his forehead against Li Xiujin's and called again, "...Baby."

*

After the birth, Lin Ze's body hadn't fully recovered, making it impossible for him to return to work immediately. He could only stay home temporarily to care for the child.

Li Chongyi was a child extremely attached to Lin Ze. He wouldn't accept anyone else—neither the household staff nor the postpartum doula—only Lin Ze. Although it was a bit tiring, whenever his warm little body lay in Lin Ze's arms, the tiredness instantly seemed insignificant in the face of happiness.

In the morning, after Li Xiujin left for work, Li Chongyi soon woke up. As soon as he woke, he demanded to be fed. When the maid brought him the bottle of prepared formula and put it to his lips, he would cry. If forced to feed him, he would resort to his old trick and spit it out...

"What should we do if he won't eat?" The maid was beside herself with worry.

Lin Ze said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, "You can leave for now. I'll feed him."

After the maid left, Lin Ze also tried feeding him with the bottle. Li Chongyi cried even harder, his eyes and nose turning red. Heart aching, Lin Ze held him in his arms. Having no other choice, he unbuttoned his clothes. Only then did Li Chongyi stop crying, latching on hungrily.

Lin Ze lovingly wiped the tears from his face. The more he looked at him, the more he resembled a tiny version of Li Xiujin. He couldn't help but kiss his forehead.

In the past, seeing a mother wolf feed all six of her cubs until their bellies were round, Lin Ze had worried that if he had a child, he might not be able to feed him enough. But perhaps his physical constitution was too good; even after Li Chongyi finished drinking, Lin Ze still felt full and engorged, as if there was plenty more.

In the morning, Lin Ze fed him once. After drinking, Lin Ze carried him around the living room. He lay in Lin Ze's arms, his two eyes curiously looking around everywhere. At noon, Lin Ze managed to trick him into drinking a little formula, but he caught on and spat it all over himself. With no other option, Lin Ze carried him back to the room, unbuttoned his clothes, and fed him. After being full, he lay in Lin Ze's arms and fell asleep in less than two minutes. Lin Ze also ate something and then fell asleep holding him.

Before Li Xiujin returned, Lin Ze unbuttoned his clothes and fed him once more.

"Chongyi, you're full now. You can't eat anymore when Daddy comes back later, or Daddy will get angry..."

Hearing the car, he had also finished feeding Li Chongyi. He wiped clean the messy area where Li Chongyi had fed, and buttoned up his clothes.

When Li Xiujin pushed the door open, Lin Ze was holding a glowing toy to amuse Li Chongyi.

"Xiujin, you're back..." Lin Ze said softly.

Li Xiujin didn't answer. Instead, frowning, he first pulled open Lin Ze's nightgown to inspect.

Ashamed and guilty, Lin Ze didn't dare move, letting him check.

Finding nothing amiss, Li Xiujin was satisfied. "I'll hold him and play with him for a while. You rest."

"Mm."

Lin Ze secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As soon as Li Xiujin carried Li Chongyi out of the room, Li Chongyi began to fuss wildly, his little hands clawing directly at Li Xiujin's face. Li Xiujin leaned his head back, neither coaxing nor comforting him, letting him make a scene.

Finally, worn out, Li Chongyi went limp against Li Xiujin and soon closed his eyes.

Seeing the child was asleep, Li Xiujin carried him to the study and called Fu Zhi, giving him a few instructions.

Mid-call, Li Xiujin felt a warm wetness on his arm, liquid trickling down.

Li Xiujin hung up and looked, realizing the child had peed all over him.

Li Chongyi was sound asleep, breathing softly.

Li Xiujin summoned a servant and had her take Li Chongyi to get changed, then instructed her, "He'll sleep with you tonight."

"Yes, General."

He then went to the bathroom, showered three times, changed into clean clothes, and returned to the bedroom.

"Xiu Jin, where's Chong Yi?" Lin Ze had caught some sleep and felt somewhat refreshed.

"I had the servant put him to sleep."

"He'll cry when he wakes up..."

Li Xiujin's jaw tightened.

Lin Ze had already gotten a read on his temper—he wouldn't tolerate Lin Ze caring more for the child than for him. Lin Ze was quick to add, "It's good for him to get used to it. He can't always sleep with us..."

Li Xiujin burrowed into his arms and said coldly, "Your son peed all over me."

Lin Ze fought back a laugh.

"He probably didn't do it on purpose."

Li Xiujin snorted.

"Don't be angry..."

Li Xiujin slipped his hand into Lin Ze's pajamas, gently squeezing, and his palm was immediately soaked. Pressing his forehead against Lin Ze's, he studied him intently and asked, "Did you secretly feed him?"

Lin Ze shook his head guiltily.

Only then was Li Xiujin satisfied. He kissed his lips, then moved down, burying his head and sucking hard as if starved, swallowing in large gulps.

While feeding from one, he squeezed the other, causing droplets to trickle out. Finally, he took both into his mouth...

Lin Ze went weak from his intensity, cheeks flushed as he held Li Xiujin's head and gently kissed his forehead. "Xiu Jin, it's all yours. Don't rush, don't choke..."

After there was nothing left, Li Xiujin remained unsatisfied, his mouth dry. He cupped Lin Ze's face, pried open his lips, and thrust his tongue deep into his mouth, stirring wildly for a moment before hooking Lin Ze's tongue, making him feed it into his own mouth, sucking it greedily...

Lin Ze clung tightly to his neck, cheeks flushed, eyes unfocused, trembling with waves of pleasure...

After who knows how long, Li Xiujin released him and went to shower...

Not yet a month postpartum, they couldn't have intercourse. Lin Ze shamefully covered the dampened area...

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for the full-month celebration. Li Xiujin wasn't one for extravagance or flaunting power, but this time he put Fu Zhi in charge of a lavish event.

All eyes were on him, and he wanted to make it clear to everyone the place Lin Ze held in his heart.

On the day of the celebration, military personnel and prominent figures from the business world all attended.

Li Xiujin, in military uniform—a man often called a tyrant—was uncharacteristically amiable, politely receiving them.

Everyone present was shrewd; seeing the scale of the banquet, they understood that the child and the child's mother held an extraordinary place in Li Xiujin's heart, and they grasped how to conduct themselves moving forward.

Exchanging glances, they immediately offered their congratulations to Li Xiujin with utmost courtesy.

Su Wang arrived halfway through the banquet. To express his apology, he brought a very precious gift for the child and said, "General Li, you and Colonel Lin really kept such a big secret. How could you not tell me about the pregnancy? Thankfully, Colonel Lin is fine, or I would have blamed myself for life."

Li Xiujin chuckled.

"I thought General Li planned to stay single forever. Who knew you secretly got married and had a child without telling us."

"How does it feel having a child?"

"Not bad."

Su Wang wore the expression of someone who had been through it all. "You'll have plenty to worry about in the future."

"As long as one does no evil and has a clear conscience, what is there to worry about?" Li Xiujin retorted.

Seeing his expression—though smiling, it carried a sharp edge—Su Wang suddenly felt a bad premonition and quickly agreed, "That's true, that's true..."

After Su Wang took his seat, Yang Yu watched his back and quietly reported to Li Xiujin, "Su Wang and Zhou Dingshan are being very cautious. They've already moved to another residence, but we've found their new address. Now we just wait for them to make a move..."

Li Xiujin nodded.

Near the end of the celebration, Lin Ze and the child finally made an appearance.

Li Xiujin held the child in one arm and wrapped the other around Lin Ze, earnestly introducing Lin Ze's identity to everyone.

After the celebration ended and everyone had left, Li Xiujin and Yang Yu went into the study to discuss some matters. When they came out, Lin Ze was playing with the child in the living room.

Since he still had work to attend to, Yang Yu played with the child for a bit before leaving.

"Xiu Jin, didn't you say we'd keep it simple?" Lin Ze hadn't expected so many people to attend today, nor had he anticipated Li Xiujin introducing his identity to so many. Although his military rank had been restored, many still held reservations about him.

"I wanted everyone to know you gave birth to my child."

Lin Ze's cheeks flushed.

Li Xiujin leaned in to kiss him.

Lin Ze nervously glanced at Li Chongyi.

Somehow, Li Chongyi had gotten hold of a toy bone and was chewing on it.

Li Xiujin cupped Lin Ze's face and turned it back, not allowing him to look at the child. As they kissed, he burrowed into Lin Ze's chest, wanting to feed...

Lin Ze said shyly, "Xiu Jin, wait... wait until the child is asleep, okay?"

Li Xiujin grunted in agreement.

The servants were tallying the gifts. After checking repeatedly, they noticed something amiss and immediately reported it to Li Xiujin.

"There's a congratulatory gift here from an unknown sender."

All the congratulatory gifts were labeled with names, except for this one—it was a thick stack of money.

Li Xiujin flipped through it and found a note tucked inside the money.

To Lin Ze.

For Lin Ze.

Li Xiujin frowned. Before their marriage, he had investigated everyone Lin Ze knew. Everyone who learned Lin Ze had a child had already sent congratulations and gifts ahead of time.

"Didn't see their face clearly?" Xiujin asked.

"No."

"Set it aside for now," Xiujin instructed.

Late at night, Xiujin returned to the bedroom.

Both the child and Lin Ze were asleep. Xiujin gently moved the child to the nearby cradle, then took his place lying in Lin Ze's arms. He unbuttoned Lin Ze's pajamas and fed himself.

After finishing, he kissed Lin Ze's abdomen, then spread him open and, after so long, entered…

Lin Ze opened his eyes, dazed for a moment before being rocked by fierce thrusts. He covered his flushed cheeks: "Xiujin, why didn't you wake me?"