Due to three cola-flavored chicken wings, Yu Antong had an epiphany. Whether sooner or later, it's all the same outcome. Why not get it over with?

After dinner, Yu Antong told Xing Lixuan and Xing's mother about his decision, “I’ve suddenly decided to have the surgery sooner.”

Xing Lixuan asked with concern, “What happened? Weren’t we waiting for Xiao Nian to show any movement before the operation?”

Unable to admit his real cravings in front of the elder, Yu Antong explained, “I heard it's best to fast and avoid water 8 hours before a C-section, aiding in emptying the intestines. If we wait for labor and I've just eaten, it could be a problem.”

Yu Antong reasoned, “Whether sooner or later, it's better to plan the surgery.”

Xing Lixuan remained silent. He knew Yu Antong's reasoning was sound, but the thought of him on the operating table worried him deeply.

Xing’s mother comforted her son, “It's better to have the baby earlier, so you both aren't always anxious. It’s also easier for Antong.”

Xing Lixuan nodded, “I’ll discuss it with Dr. Smith.”

Shortly after, Dr. Smith arrived and informed them about the pre-operative procedures.

With the matter settled, Xing's mother said, “I'll go home and bring all the essentials for the baby's birth, like the swaddle, bottle, and formula.”

Xing Lixuan replied, “Mom, you don't need to run back and forth. The surgery is scheduled for 8 a.m. tomorrow. Rest at home tonight and come with dad tomorrow.”

Xing's mother agreed, and though Xing Lixuan wanted to see her off, she told him, “Stay with Antong, I'll be fine.”

As soon as she left, Yu Annan, Antong's sister, called, “Bro, did you see the photos I sent you? How are they? My photography skills have improved, right?”

Previously torn about her college major, Yu Annan finally chose photography at C Media University, which she's been attending for almost a month.

C Media University is in another province. Although she hasn't been home since starting, she often calls Yu Antong.

“I saw them. They're impressive. No wonder you're my sister,” Yu Antong praised, “If only your school wasn't so far, I'd have had you shoot my maternity photos.”

Remembering, she asked, “Isn’t your due date approaching?”

She had been thinking about this.

“Yes,” Yu Antong replied, “Planning to have a C-section tomorrow.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Yu Annan fretted, “I’ll book a ticket and come home right away.”

Yu Antong reassured her, “The decision was made just now. There's no need to rush back; your nephew will be here when you come for the National Day holiday.”

With the upcoming National Day, all train tickets were sold out, making it impossible for Yu Annan to return early.

“I’ll come back in a few days then,” Yu Annan said, a bit upset.

The next morning, both Xing's parents rushed to the hospital, and Yu Antong was just getting dressed.

"Mom, Dad, why are you here so early?"

Mrs. Xing replied, "We couldn't sleep well at home. We thought it would be better to come early and be with you. Here are the things we brought for Xiao Nian after his birth; I'll put them in the cabinet."

Taking a bag from Mr. Xing's hands, Mrs. Xing began to place Xiao Nian’s clothes and diapers into the cabinet, and then she put the baby bottles and nipples into the sterilizing cabinet.

Everything will be ready to use as soon as Xiao Nian is born.

"Li Xuan, come and have some breakfast," Mr. Xing said, laying out the steamed buns and seaweed egg drop soup on the table.

Xing Li Xuan responded, "I'm not hungry. I'll eat after the surgery."

Since Yu An Tong couldn't eat anything before the surgery, Li Xuan had lost his appetite as well. As the clock hands slowly approached eight, his anxiety grew.

Mrs. Xing gently said, "You should eat something. You'll need the strength to take care of both An Tong and the baby later."

Yu An Tong nudged Li Xuan playfully, "Go on and eat! Don’t just sit here and make me hungry."

After Li Xuan ate his meal without much taste, a nurse soon arrived, "Doctor Smith is ready. We can start the surgery now."

Li Xuan accompanied Yu An Tong into the operating room.

As Yu An Tong lay on the bed, allowing the nurse to prepare him for surgery, the cold touch of the alcohol swab made him tense, gripping Li Xuan's hand tightly.

Li Xuan asked anxiously, "Does it hurt?"

Shaking his head, Yu An Tong cracked a smile, "Not painful, just cold and odd. It's making me want to laugh."

While Yu An Tong seemed to relax slightly, Li Xuan held his hand even tighter, full of concern.

The anesthetist then instructed Yu An Tong to turn sideways for the epidural injection. The needle piercing between the vertebrae was slightly painful, causing Yu An Tong to purse his lips, making Li Xuan's heart ache even more.

"Never again," Li Xuan thought, "I won't let him go through this again."

After the injection, the pain relief took effect while Yu An Tong lay flat.

The procedure used spinal anesthesia, which has a rapid onset and minimal side effects for both the mother and the child.

Once the anesthesia took full effect, Dr. Smith commenced the surgery.

Li Xuan faced Yu An Tong, clutching his hand against his forehead, unable to watch the procedure.

Outside the operating room, the anxious parents of the Xing family waited.

"Oh, Mr. Xing, stop pacing! It's making me nervous!" exclaimed Mrs. Xing.

Pausing in his tracks, Mr. Xing sat beside his wife, full of worry, "Why hasn’t there been any news?"

Mrs. Xing, equally concerned, responded irritably, "They've only been in there for a little over thirty minutes. What's the rush?"

"Has it been just over thirty minutes?" Mr. Xing glanced at his watch and remarked, "I can't believe it's only been half an hour. It feels like ages. How much longer before we know anything?"

"Perhaps another forty to fifty minutes," Mrs. Xing speculated, rising from her seat and pacing a couple of steps.

Observing her, Mr. Xing quipped, "You teased me about being restless earlier, but look at you now."

"Are you looking to pick a fight with me today?" she retorted.

"No, I wasn't..." Mr. Xing began, but his voice trailed off. "Did you hear that? Was that the baby's cry?"

They exchanged glances, their conversations silenced. Pressing their ears against the operating room door, they faintly discerned a cry.

Overcome with emotion, they exclaimed in unison, "The baby's here!"

Within the operating room, the cries of little Xiaonian sounded even more heartfelt and robust.

"Is it over?" Yu Antong, looking a shade paler, craned his neck, attempting to catch a glimpse.

Xing Lixuan turned to see a nurse gently cleaning a tiny baby, wiping away the fresh birth stains.

Xing Lixuan softly kissed the back of Yu Antong's hand, "The baby's here. Stay still, love; you'll see soon."

After cleaning and weighing the infant, the nurse presented him to Yu Antong, saying, "Born at 8:36, weighing 3.56 kilograms. He's a chubby little fellow!"

Xiaonian's tiny fists were clenched, his arms and legs flexed, his eyes shut tight, crying wholeheartedly.

Yu Antong gazed upon the plump, ruddy-faced newborn, a smile breaking across her face.

They say newborns have a unique appearance, but to Yu Antong, Xiaonian looked delightful, his chubby legs kicking energetically.

"Undoubtedly our son," she mused. "Even at this tender age, he's utterly adorable. He'll grow up to be a real heartbreaker."

Shortly after, Xiaonian ceased crying, prompting a concerned Yu Antong to ask, "Why has he stopped?"

As Dr. Smith continued stitching up Yu Antong, he joked, "This little guy seems so poised. Perhaps he'll become a statesman in the future."

Hearing that, Yu Antong felt reassured, realizing the baby's behavior was normal.

The infant's mouth gently moved, seemingly fast asleep. Perhaps he dreamt of a sumptuous feast.

Xing Lixuan spared a few glances at the baby, but upon seeing the child's vitality, his focus shifted entirely to Yu Antong, "Darling, rest your voice for now."

After allowing Yu Antong some time with the baby, considering the procedure wasn't complete, the nurse took Xiaonian outside for the grandparents to see.

"Oh, my precious one," Mrs. Xing whispered, gingerly taking Xiaonian, now wrapped snugly, from the nurse.

Mr. Xing peered over, eager to catch a glimpse of the newborn.

Seeing the baby asleep, they both inquired in hushed tones, "How's the mother doing?"

The nurse said, "The surgery went smoothly, the patient's blood pressure and heart rate are within normal ranges. She'll be out soon. You can be at ease."

"That's a relief, that's a relief!" Both Mr. and Mrs. Xing felt as if a weight had been lifted from their hearts, their faces glowing with restrained joy.

It wasn't long before the delivery room door opened again.

Mrs. Xing, holding little Nian, called out, "Tongtong."

Yu Antong gave a slight smile, signaling that she was okay.

Yu Antong was wheeled into the ward, and the nurse proceeded to give various postoperative instructions.

Xing Lixuan was still recovering from the previous tension and seemed absent-minded, only focused on wiping the sweat from Yu Antong's forehead. Mrs. Xing was the one who attentively took note of what the nurse said.

"I'm tired," Yu Antong murmured, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion.

Xing Lixuan immediately replied, "You rest."

"Bring Nian over. I want to see him again."

Hearing this, Mrs. Xing brought the baby closer, whispering, "He's such a good boy. Look how peacefully he sleeps."

As they were talking, the little one yawned adorably, causing laughter to ripple through the room.

"Little chubby," Yu Antong said, chuckling as she pointed to Nian's double chin, "already has it at such a young age."

She wanted to poke it but hesitated, afraid of harming the fragile newborn. She gently touched his soft skin instead, marveling at its smoothness.

Gazing at the baby, Yu Antong slowly drifted off to sleep.

Xing Lixuan sat by the bedside, watching the two of them, his eyes filled with unparalleled warmth. His heart overflowed with gratitude and relief.

Grateful that everything went without a hitch and thankful to the heavens for granting him these two treasures, completing his life.

Observing how deeply Yu Antong and Nian slept, the sleep-deprived Mr. and Mrs. Xing couldn't suppress a yawn, their worries having abated.

In a hushed voice, Xing Lixuan said, "Dad, Mom, you should go back and rest. I can handle things here."

Mrs. Xing questioned, "Are you sure?"

Not wanting to disturb Yu Antong, Xing Lixuan raised the bed's side rails and stepped outside to talk to his parents.

"I've done my research beforehand. I should be able to take care of both of them," he reassured. "If not, I'll call you. How about you both take a room next door to rest?"

This hospital was a private venture invested in by Xing Lixuan. These family suites were luxurious and often vacant. It made sense for his parents to stay close by.

Yu Antong was awakened by the baby's cries. As she groggily tried to turn over, she felt the pain from her surgical wound and remembered she'd given birth.

Although the pain was minimal due to the analgesic pump, Yu Antong turned towards the crying sound to find Nian.

She saw Xing Lixuan gently rocking and comforting the baby, "Shush, Nian. Don't cry. We can't wake Daddy up."

Xing Lixuan held the baby expertly, yet Xiao Nian wasn't making it easy for him, crying loudly and wriggling, looking utterly aggrieved.

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Yu Antong asked, "Is he hungry?"

"Did he wake you?" Xing Lixuan glanced at Yu Antong, holding Xiao Nian and moving closer.

"Give him to me," Yu Antong said. "Help me sit up, and you can prepare his formula."

Having not eaten since birth, he must be famished; no wonder he's crying so hard.

Xing Lixuan handed the baby to Yu Antong and went to prepare the formula.

A few hours later, the initial wrinkles on Xiao Nian's body diminished, making his little face even more cherubic, evoking an overwhelming sense of paternal love in Yu Antong.

Author's note:

Tongtong: "Son, perform a little act to earn your formula!"

Xiao Nian: Puffs, trying to blow bubbles.

Xiao Nian's hungry! Time to feed our little boy!

Thanks to the angels who supported me between 2020-03-09 00:13:53~2020-03-10 00:10:29.

Special thanks to the supporters: The rest of my life will be different, Short Essay Preparation.

Thank you to the angels who nourished: Zhong Shuangming 20 bottles; I also want to drink Wangzi 10 bottles; Mo Shang Chang'an 2 bottles; Gu Xingyan, Meng Li Nan Ke, Ying Jie 1 bottle each.

I truly appreciate all the support and will keep working hard!

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