Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Silence fell around them.

Pei Qingji was quiet for a long time before he softly said, "Okay."

Cheng Yuan felt conflicted.

The next day, they returned to the villa.

Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, the baby developed a high fever.

The two of them rushed to the hospital and went straight to the ER.

After bloodwork and a series of tests, the verdict was just a common flu.

The flu's been bad lately, and newborns can easily catch it if you're not careful.

Plus, their baby was a bit more fragile than most newborns.

Cheng Yuan looked grim and asked worriedly, "Doctor, how is the baby?"

"He needs an IV."

The doctor typed a few things into the computer, printed out a script, and told them to go get the IV started.

When Cheng Yuan saw how thick the nurse's needle was,

his heart clenched.

This was the baby's first shot—was he going to cry?

"Hey there, little one," the nurse said in a soft voice.

After speaking to the baby, she looked up at them and instructed,

"One of you should find something to distract him first, otherwise he might squirm and we won't hit the right vein."

"If we have to stick him again, it'll be worse for him."

Luckily, Pei Qingji had brought the rattle.

"Hey baby, look at the rattle!"

Cheng Yuan felt slightly relieved. He picked up the rattle and shook it, making a crisp noise.

The baby's attention was hooked. He stared blankly, then broke into a goofy smile.

"Hold his hand and keep him still."

Pei Qingji nodded.

The nurse was quick and steady. She swabbed the back of the baby's hand with iodine, then uncapped the needle.

Cheng Yuan's heart clenched at the sight. He tried even harder to distract the baby, keeping his eyes on the rattle.

The second the needle went in,

the baby froze for a second, then his face scrunched up, his lips trembling like he was about to cry.

The nurse worked fast and had the IV in before the baby could even fuss.

"Done."

She looked surprised that he hadn't cried. "He didn't even cry."

"Since you didn't cry, Auntie's gonna give you a lollipop. Here, play with it."

The baby grabbed the lollipop, turned away from the nurse, buried his face in Cheng Yuan's chest, and stuck out his little round butt.

He was upset, but he still didn't cry—just let out a few soft whimpers.

Such a good baby.

He looked like he wanted to cry but was holding it in—tough and brave.

Cheng Yuan glanced around the room.

Other kids were screaming their heads off during their shots, some letting out gut-wrenching cries.

But his baby was being so good. He'd been bracing himself for a long crying fit and was already thinking about how to calm him down.

Cheng Yuan's chest suddenly ached, a dull, spreading pain.

He patted the baby's back and murmured,

"Our baby's the best, isn't he? How about we give him some milk as a reward?"

Pei Qingji had already mixed the formula. He handed the bottle to the baby, held the bottom, and fed him.

After drinking, the baby settled down a lot.

His eyes were a little red, but he still hadn't cried.

"What a brave baby. Such a good boy."

Watching the baby drink his milk so quietly and obediently made Cheng Yuan feel even worse.

He'd rather the baby cry his heart out than hold it all in.

The other babies were still crying, but theirs was already nodding off, his head bobbing.

Pei Qingji went to the nurse's station for more iodine and some anti-inflammatory cream, then gently dabbed it on the baby's eyelids.

The baby slept deeply and barely stirred, so applying the ointment was easy.

The IV drip didn't finish until the middle of the night.

Pei Qingji told Cheng Yuan to get some sleep while he held the baby.

Cheng Yuan shook his head, but he could barely keep his eyes open and his back was killing him.

Pei Qingji said gently, "Get some sleep. I've got him. If anything happens, I'll wake you right away, okay?"

Truth was, Pei Qingji hadn't gotten any rest all night either.

He'd been running back and forth—grabbing lab results, changing diapers, feeding formula, or flagging down the nurse to swap out the IV bag.

He took the baby into his arms, being extra careful to avoid the IV site.

He then tucked a small blanket over him to keep him from catching a cold.

Cheng Yuan sat on the other chair.

The hospital chairs were cold.

Pei Qingji had someone bring over a soft cushion and a back support.

Cheng Yuan's lower back ached, and he was very sleepy.

He fought to stay awake but eventually gave in and dozed off.

Pei Qingji turned and noticed he had fallen asleep, his head bobbing slightly.

He paused, then gently guided Cheng Yuan's head onto his shoulder with his free hand, letting him sleep more comfortably.

This was a public hospital, not a private facility.

They could have requested a private room, but the situation had been urgent, and it seemed like too much hassle for no real need.

Besides, once the baby's condition stabilized, they could leave soon enough.

It was already 6 a.m., and Assistant Lin had gone downstairs to grab breakfast.

The hospital smelled of disinfectant, and at this hour, the cleaning lady came to mop the floors, tidy up, and take out the trash.

Assistant Lin bought preserved egg and pork congee, plus some lightly greasy buns—some with meat, some with veggies.

The baby was too young for solid food, so he'd have to wait until he was older to have rice congee.

Cheng Yuan was still asleep.

Assistant Lin walked over quietly, carrying the food.

"Let him sleep a bit more."

Just then, Pei Qingji's mother called, and he freed up a hand to answer.

His mother sounded anxious.

"How are things? Is the baby okay? What about Xiaoyu?"

"The doctor said it's just a mild flu. An'an is asleep next to me."

"Do you want us to come over?"

"No, that's not necessary."

Pei Qingji had held the baby all night.

The baby's head had been resting on his arm all night, leaving it sore and numb.

He had dark circles under his eyes, since he hadn't slept at all.

His voice was hoarse—he might be coming down with a cold.

He slipped off his jacket and draped it over Cheng Yuan, leaving himself in just a white dress shirt.

Even though it was summer, the night air was still cool.

Luckily, the baby was bundled up well and didn't catch a chill.

The baby had been well-behaved all night and hadn't fussed.

"Let me make the formula for the little one."

Assistant Lin had picked up a thing or two from always being around Pei Qingji.

Pei Qingji told him to grab the bottle and formula from the black bag and get some water from the cooler.

The hospital only had hot water, no cold.

So he shook the bottle to cool it down, then tested it against his wrist—if it wasn't too hot, it was good to go.

Once the temperature was right, he woke the baby and fed him.

It was a lovely scene in the hospital.

A handsome man holding a baby, with his partner—presumably—asleep against his shoulder.

People passing by saw them and started whispering.

"Wow, they look so happy together."

"Both dads are gorgeous, and the baby looks like a little doll—so adorable."

Just then, Cheng Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

He realized he'd dozed off and immediately looked around, panicked.

"How's the baby? Is he alright?"

Cheng Yuan froze, seeing both Pei Qingji and the baby staring at him.

The baby was giggling away.

Looks like everything was fine.

Cheng Yuan let out a sigh of relief.

Pei Qingji said, "Go wash up and have breakfast."

Cheng Yuan nodded.

The breakfast was still warm, and the congee slid down easily, warming his stomach.

It was a bit chilly today, so this hit the spot.

"You're not eating?"

Seeing he was still holding the baby and hadn't eaten, Cheng Yuan said, "Go eat. I'll take the baby."

Pei Qingji shook his head. "I'll eat once you're done."

"Why don't you catch some sleep?"

He noticed the dark circles under Pei Qingji's eyes and realized he hadn't slept all night. He paused, looked down, bit his lip, then looked up again.

Pei Qingji was taken aback for a second, then said it was nothing.

"What exactly is the situation? We'll have to wait for the doctor to come and check."

"Our baby should be fine, don't worry."

He was clearly exhausted, yet he was still trying to reassure himself, telling himself not to worry.

Cheng Yuan felt a pang of guilt for no clear reason.

"Did Auntie say anything about it?"

Pei Qingji visibly hesitated at that.

"They called to ask if they should come, and I told them not to."

The baby's fever had broken, but the doctor said it might spike again over the next few days.

They were told to keep a close eye on it, since this was normal, and to come back to the hospital right away if anything unusual happened.

Even after hearing this, Cheng Yuan's worry hadn't fully eased.

He didn't know when the baby might run a fever again, and it was always a low-grade one at that.

But the constant back-and-forth was agonizing.

The doctor advised, "Let's run another pheromone test in a bit; we can't rule out pheromones as a factor."

Pei Qingji's pheromone disorder hadn't been passed down to the baby, but the doctor said it could be due to the baby's weak constitution.

This could be improved over time with consistent care and nurturing.

It wasn't until the doctor gave the okay that the two of them took the baby home.

Since birth, the baby had been hit with one illness after another, big and small, with barely any break.

It was heartbreaking for Cheng Yuan to watch, especially since the baby had to get IV drips every day lately.

The IV had left bruises and swelling on the baby's hand, and the skin, already delicate, was now peeling.

Cheng Yuan's heart ached at the sight.

Footsteps grew closer.

Pei Qingji stopped at the balcony door, watching his back.

He spoke apologetically,

"I'm sorry, this is on me."

Cheng Yuan shook his head. He didn't blame him—this illness was congenital and unpredictable.

After all, who would want to have a condition like this?

"I don't blame you, so you don't have to keep apologizing."

Cheng Yuan looked up, not wanting him to keep apologizing.

He didn't know when it had started, but this once defiant Pei Qingji was now always saying sorry to him.

Pei Qingji's body went rigid.

The doctor said the baby needed Pei Qingji's pheromones to ease the symptoms.

The baby was in poor health and couldn't be without Pei Qingji; maybe staying by his side was the best option.

Cheng Yuan looked at the baby in the crib, his thick, long lashes hiding the emotions in his eyes.

Author's note:

None.