Yu Antong took his son, giving him a gentle kiss on his chubby cheeks. Perhaps sensing the familiar scent of his father, the baby's crying softened, whimpers emerging like those of a kitten, as he began to suckle.

"My sweet little one," Yu Antong cooed, melted by his son's cuteness. He used a soft cloth to wipe away the baby's tears while urging Xing Lixuan, "Honey, is the formula ready yet?"

Preparing baby formula seems easy, but for a new father like Xing Lixuan, amidst the sonorous cries of his child, he clumsily added too much hot water and had to start over.

After securing the bottle's lid, Xing Lixuan tested the formula's temperature on the back of his hand. This time, it was just right.

"It's ready," he said, swiftly approaching with the bottle.

He leaned over the edge of the bed, his large hand holding the tiny bottle to the baby's mouth.

The hungry little one immediately latched onto the bottle as soon as he felt it against his lips, suckling with such vigor. His eyes were shut tight, and his tiny fists clenched as if he was using all his strength to drink.

Watching the little one's rhythmic sips, it didn't take long for him to consume almost half the bottle.

Xing Lixuan gently pulled the bottle nipple from his mouth. Without the sweet taste of the formula, Xiaonian waved his little arms as if trying to stop his father.

Yu Antong looked at Xing Lixuan and said, “He's not full yet.”

Xing Lixuan placed the bottle on the table, “The doctor said that newborns have delicate stomachs. They shouldn’t consume too much at once.”

Xiaonian fussed for a few seconds before settling down, smacking his lips contentedly. With his eyes wide open, his dark pupils darted about, looking utterly adorable. It seemed he was somewhat satiated, as he didn’t cry or fuss.

“Xiaonian, look at Daddy.” Yu Antong said, shaking her head playfully as she noticed him opening his eyes.

“Newborns don't have clear vision yet.” Xing Lixuan replied, “Are you tired? Let me hold him.”

The hefty little bundle weighed over seven pounds. Having recently undergone surgery, Yu Antong found it manageable to hold him for a short while but challenging for extended periods.

“I’m a bit tired, but I still want to hold him. What should I do?” Yu Antong looked up at Xing Lixuan with a playful pout. “Watching him eat made me hungry too.”

She hadn’t felt like eating after the surgery, but having fasted for nearly 20 hours, her hunger was now quite pronounced.

As Yu Antong spoke, Mr. and Mrs. Xing entered the room.

“I had our housekeeper make this fish soup for you, Antong. You must be hungry,” Mrs. Xing said as she walked in and placed the thermos on the table, pouring a bowl for Yu Antong.

She had asked the housekeeper to prepare the soup, remembering the nurse's advice that a mother should consume liquid food post-cesarean.

“Thank you, Mom and Dad. You both must be exhausted as well. Have you had your meals yet?” Yu Antong inquired.

Mrs. Xing approached with the bowl while Mr. Xing adjusted the small dining table by Yu Antong's bed. “Not yet. We just took a short nap. The meals the housekeeper sent are in the next room. Drink your soup first; we’ll eat later.”

Xing Lixuan handed the cooing Xiaonian to Mrs. Xing, “Mom, can you hold him for a moment? I’ll help Antong with her soup.”

“Oh, let me hold him!” Mrs. Xing was more than eager, her face beaming with joy as she cradled her cherished grandson. “Xiaonian, Grandma's here! Are you happy to see me?”

After his feed, Xiaonian was calm, endearing himself even more to his doting grandparents.

Xing Lixuan sat beside the bed, feeding the fish soup to Yu Antong spoon by spoon.

The soup, with minimal seasoning, was a creamy white consistency, and its rich flavor was utterly delectable. Yu Antong finished the entire bowl.

“Would you like more?” Xing Lixuan asked.

Yu Antong shook her head, “No, I’m good.”

Xing Lixuan took Xiaonian into his arms, suggesting that his parents have their meals and return later to relieve him.

Yu Antong remarked, “You should eat too. I’ll watch over Xiaonian.”

Xing Lixuan hesitated, concerned that Yu Antong might strain her surgical wound if she held the baby.

Xing Lixuan said with a poker face, "I'll hold him; Xiaonian prefers me."

"Waa! Waa!"

Just as Xing Lixuan finished speaking, Xiaonian contradicted him by bursting into tears.

"What happened?" Yu Antong leaned forward anxiously. Suddenly, a sharp pain at his surgical incision made him gasp and lie back.

"Don’t move!" Xing Lixuan, out of concern, sounded stern. Seeing the slight hurt in Yu Antong’s eyes, he softened his tone, "Stay still, I think Xiaonian wet himself."

He felt warmth when he touched the diaper at Xiaonian’s bottom.

Xing Lixuan gently placed Xiaonian on the bed and started to change his diaper.

Not just wet; there was a mess too.

The once-unflappable businessman, always composed, was thrown off-balance by a tiny baby.

The diaper-changing tutorial made it seem simple, but the real-life infant wasn't that docile. Xing Lixuan cleaned Xiaonian, managing his wriggling chubby legs, ensuring he didn’t smear himself.

"Little stinker, you're stronger than you look!" Xing Lixuan remarked, impressed by his son's strength.

Once cleaned, he quickly disposed of the soiled diaper, replaced it with a fresh one, and sprinkled some baby powder before wrapping him up.

Job done, Xing Lixuan sighed with relief.

Feeling fresh and comfy, Xiaonian stopped his fussing.

With Xiaonian calmed, Yu Antong teased Xing Lixuan, "You dared to say he prefers you? The moment you held him, he cried. He didn't give you any face at all!"

Xing Lixuan played with Xiaonian's little fists, softly replying, "Just as disobedient as you."

Yu Antong huffed, "How so? I'm so sensible. Xiaonian is always good, only crying when he has basic needs. Where can you find such a well-behaved baby? And you dare to criticize him!"

Yu Antong bent down to coo at Xiaonian, "Little one, isn't your dad so mean? Saying such things about our adorable Xiaonian! So unjust!"

The little one gripped Yu Antong's finger, the corners of his mouth turning up in what seemed like a smile.

The son was too adorable; Yu Antong could never get enough of him.

The family basked in the joy of their new member and only thought to notify relatives and friends two days later.

Xing's parents reached out to their family and friends to share the good news and invited them to Xiaonian's full moon celebration.

Yu Antong didn't feel like informing his relatives, preferring to avoid unnecessary drama. However, he thought about inviting some business partners associated with the Xianren Banquet.

He informed Fu Xin, asking him to make a guest list and send out invitations.

Upon hearing this, Fu Xin was so shocked he almost fell off his chair, exclaiming, "Boss, are you kidding me?"

"Wait, so the younger boss is involved with Mr. Xing? How did two men suddenly have a son?"

Yu Antong activated the video call, smiling, “I’m not joking. Take a look at my son.”

Now that Xiao Nian has been born, the evidence is undeniable – a chubby baby boy right there. They would have to believe him now.

“Impressive, right? My son is incredibly cute. Envious?”

With such tangible proof, Yu Antong spoke with newfound confidence, displaying signs of a proud parent.

The chubby baby appeared for a few moments on the video before it shifted back to Yu Antong. Fu Xin, always articulate, stumbled over his words, “Is this... did you two have a surrogate?”

Surrogacy isn’t legal, so Fu Xin lowered his voice, thinking Yu Antong wouldn't go down that route. But the baby did bear some resemblance to Yu.

Especially those eyes; even though they were closed, they had the same shape as Yu Antong's phoenix eyes.

Yu Antong replied, “Surrogate? No, this is my biological son. Didn’t I mention to you that I was pregnant? Now you believe me, don't you?”

Fu Xin began to stammer again, inadvertently revealing his inner thoughts: "For real? I thought you were just making excuses not to work!"

Yu Antong rolled his eyes, annoyed, “After all the hard work I've put in while pregnant – promoting our show, developing new dishes – and you accuse me of slacking off? Fu Xin, you're losing your bonus this month!”

“I apologize, boss! Congratulations on the birth of your son. Maybe we, the employees, could get a celebratory bonus?”

The thought of his lost bonus sobered Fu Xin up, and he quickly changed his tone.

In this vast world, nothing was more important than his hard-earned bonus.

Yu Antong smirked, “Dream on! Pay your share for the baby's gifts first.”

Fu Xin noticed the cold undertone in Yu Antong’s voice, reminiscent of Mr. Xing. They say spouses start to resemble each other after a while. Pretending he didn’t hear that last comment, he feigned innocence, “Boss, I’ll notify our business partners now. Goodbye.”

Han Lele, upon hearing the news, immediately brought Qi Jingyao to the hospital to visit Yu Antong.

When they arrived, Yu Antong was being helped by Xing Lixuan to walk around to ease his post-operation pain. Protecting his surgical site, he bent slightly forward, struggling a bit with every step.

Upon hearing a knock, Xing Lixuan assisted Yu Antong to sit down, and Xing's father opened the door.

“Hello, uncle and auntie, I am a friend of Yu Antong.”

“Ah, Jingyao is here too.” Xing's mother didn’t recognize Han Lele, but she knew Qi Jingyao, “Come in, dear. And why have you brought so many things?”

After exchanging pleasantries, Han Lele sat next to Yu Antong’s bed, playfully engaging with the baby, “Hi, little Xiao Nian. I’m your brother Lele.”

Yu Antong burst into laughter, “If you're my son's brother, shouldn't you call me Uncle? Haha!”

“Oops, my bad!” Han Lele quickly corrected himself, “I meant Uncle Lele.”

Qi Jingyao ruffled Han Lele’s hair, “Aren’t you silly?”

Defensively, Han Lele said, “No, it’s just...calling myself 'uncle' feels weird. I’m only in my early twenties. Being called uncle makes me feel so much older, you know?”

After speaking, Han Lele ignored Qi Jingyao and continued to play with Xiaonian. He pulled out a bunch of toys from his bag and dangled each in front of Xiaonian, saying, "All these toys are gifts from Uncle Lele. Do you prefer the trumpet or the little car?"

Xiaonian grinned in a serene manner, not being fussy at all. With his chubby cheeks, he was utterly adorable. Han Lele, consumed by envy, turned to Qi Jingyao and said, "I wish you could have one too."

Under Han Lele's slightly disdainful gaze, Qi Jingyao shivered, finding this naive side of Han Lele exasperating.

Flawless Novels Website

The handsome and dashing Master Qi never imagined that he'd be looked down upon by his partner for not being able to have children!

Author's note: Xiaonian: Boop~

Tongtong: Xiaonian says thank you for all the nourishment, dear godmothers!

Thanks to the angels who gave me royal votes or sent nourishment between 2020-03-10 00:10:29 and 2020-03-11 00:09:02~

Special thanks to angels who set off mines: Xuan Dongshibā (2); Shenqiu, Zhiliang, Na, Having Wings Means Can Fly, There Won't Be Another Like You in My Remaining Life (1 each);

And to those who nourished: 29446555 (60 bottles); Black and White Sketch (30 bottles); Ailan Meow (24 bottles); Night Rain Listening (23 bottles); Easy Little Beiyan (20 bottles); Meow Meow (19 bottles); Lemon Sugar, This Life_Feels Like Crossing a Calamity, Lankē, Yuyu, Civil Affairs Bureau, Sanya, Ling, Crescent Moon, Effort, Little Lord Little Night, Empty Yogurt Box, Stinky Treasure, Yvette, Zhisi, Stop Spreading Rumors About Me (10 bottles each); Lost Lili (9 bottles); Meow Meow, Na (8 bottles); History Gives Me a Headache (7 bottles); Baiyun, Glfters (6 bottles); Circle Eating Fruits, Orange Fragrance, A Bright Future, Sasuke, Chemicals Made Me Bald, Zhang Yaya, Kemila, Update Soon Please, You Guys Are So Creative With Names, Dong Dong Dong, Cash Out Chick, Xiao Rabbit Chick, Baize, Lemon, 28018161 (5 bottles each); Xiaoxiao (4 bottles); Face Face Baba, Fresh Gentle Rain, Other Shore Flower, Super Pen, Chris Ling (3 bottles each); Untitled, Itchy Mouse, 37613020 (2 bottles each); Sear, Qiaoqiao, Ying Sister, Time Chen, Every House Remains Lit, Memories of The Past, Ling is Good, Morning Sauce, Flower 97 Fall, River Maples Fish Lights, Gu Xingyan, Dream of Nanke (1 bottle each);

Thank you so much for supporting me! I'll keep working hard!

Click to download the best novel-reading app; many readers use it for audiobook listening!