Lu Boyan had heard few babies crying over the past 30 years.
But at this moment, he heard the babies of him and Su Jian’an crying.
For a few seconds, Lu Boyan felt like he was shrouded in something. The rhythm of his heartbeat was faster than ever as if his heart was going to jump out of his chest.
After a while, Lu Boyan realized that he was in a state of euphoria.
He had once wondered why others would describe it as “like a ray of sun brightening my life.”
At that moment, he finally knew how it felt.
The babies were more than two new lives.
They were created by him and Su Jian’an with love. They were related by blood with him and Su Jian’an. He thought that the babies’ arrival in this world had filled in the missing part of his life. He realized that his life would be complete from then on.
He was Tang Yulan’s only son, Su Jian’an’s husband, the president of Lu Enterprises, and the two babies’ father from that moment on.
He would bring up the two kids with Su Jian’an as his father had done until the day they could take care of themselves.
Lu Boyan bent over and kissed Su Jian’an’s sweaty forehead, then he slowly stood up.
Two nurses walked over, each holding an infant with a smile. “The baby boy was born five minutes earlier than the girl, so he’s her elder brother. Mr. Lu, you may hold them in your arms.”
Lu Boyan was at a loss for the first time when he gazed at the two babies.
They were too tiny and only a little bit bigger than his palm. Their skin was red, and they looked so tender and delicate that he didn’t dare to touch them at will.
The nurse looked at Lu Boyan. She realized for the first time that the man, who was a legend, was also flesh and blood. He was as excited as most fathers when he saw the infants, although he was more reserved.
“Mr. Lu, take it easy.” The nurse encouraged him with a smile. “Hold the baby the way I do.”
It occurred to Lu Boyan that he had learned from ‘The Book For Expectant Fathers’ how he should hold an infant. He had especially read that chapter for several times.
He thought that he had a good memory. At that moment, however, it took him a long time to recall the procedures, only after which did he dare to take the baby in his arms.
The little thing looked dirty with blood all over her body. Her small fist was lifted to her mouth while her eyes were closed. Her faint breathing was barely audible.
“Mr. Lu, it’s your daughter that you’re holding.” Another nurse walked over and said with a smile, “Here’s her elder brother.”
The baby boy was heavier, not as delicate as his sister. He was quiet, with eyes closed, and he looked a bit like Lu Boyan.
Lu Boyan motioned for the nurse to give him the baby boy. The nurse hesitated. “Mr. Lu, you may need to hand his sister to Xiao Zhang first, don’t you?”
“It doesn’t matter. I can do it.” Lu Boyan was in a rare good mood. He stretched out his other arm and took the baby boy.
The infant boy moved his little arms in Lu Boyan’s embrace as if he had felt him. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Lu Boyan.
“His eyes are so beautiful!” The nurse couldn’t help exclaiming in excitement. “I’ve never seen a baby with such good-looking eyes!”
Perhaps the infant boy heard the praise, or he knew that he was in his father’s arms. He kicked his legs and grinned at Lu Boyan.
In an instant, Lu Boyan felt overwhelmed with joy as if his heart had been filled up with warmth and flowers.
He raised the corner of his lips and greeted the little guy with a smile, “Hello, I’m your father.”
It seemed that the little thing could understand Lu Boyan’s words. The boy fixed his dark eyes on him as he raised his little hand with a smile.
Lu Boyan, who had always looked solemn, beamed with an expression of gentle affection, no longer looking like the unapproachable president of Lu Enterprises.
The nurse found that Lu Boyan didn’t want to part from his two babies who weren’t supposed to stay with him for too long. So she said cautiously, “Mr. Lu, we need to bathe your babies first. You may take care of Mrs. Lu.”
The nurse’s words diverted Lu Boyan’s attention away from his babies. He handed them to her and said, “Be careful.”
Lu Boyan smiled as he saw the nurses leave with the babies in their arms. Then he noticed the scene on the other side of the green curtain—
He saw the blood. There was blood everywhere.
There was blood all over the operating table and also on Su Jian’an’s belly, and on the doctor’s gloves.
Lu Boyan had seen extensive blood twice over the past 30 years.
The first time was when his father had a car accident.
It was the second time—the blood he saw was all from Su Jian’an.
The pungent odor of blood suddenly rushed into Lu Boyan’s nose. He felt dizzy while his heart ached sharply as if it had been hit by a hammer.
He then realized why Su Jian’an didn’t want him to accompany her in labor—he would never forget the scene.
“Mr. Lu, stop looking at it.” Dr. Han finished stitching and cut the thread. “It’s a good thing you only saw me stitch. You would be even more disgusted if you saw the surgical procedures. However, it’s always like this when mothers choose cesarean section. They have to suffer it.”
That was why people usually said: mothers were the greatest in the world.
Not only because they gave birth to us, but because they managed to endure so much pain in order to bring us into the world. They were brave.
Lu Boyan soon forgot the joy of the babies’ arrival. He walked to Su Jian’an—she was too tired to wake up.
Lu Boyan held Su Jian’an’s hand again and asked, “When will my wife regain consciousness?”
“In about two hours. Or maybe later than that.” Dr. Han motioned for Lu Boyan to rest assured. “Mrs. Lu is fine now. She just needs sleep. Let’s send her back to the suite.”
Lu Boyan took Su Jian’an out with several nurses. They found that Tang Yulan and Su Yicheng were still waiting outside the operating room.
The doctors and nurses were very surprised. Usually, those who waited to see the puerpera were her own family while others were simply eager to visit the infants.
Therefore, Dr. Han didn’t think it was strange that Su Yicheng was waiting outside the operating room. But he didn’t expect that Tang Yulan was also there.
As an old lady who had been looking forward to seeing her grandchildren for years, she was supposed to stay with the two infants. However, she cared about Su Jian’an so much that she had been waiting outside the delivery room to see her.
Su Yicheng and Tang Yulan walked over as soon as they saw the door to the delivery room open. They both looked at Su Jian’an first.
Due to excessive blood loss, Su Jian’an looked pale. She was lifeless with her wet black hair stuck to her forehead.
Su Yicheng asked anxiously, “How is Jian’an?”
Tang Yulan also stopped Dr. Han and asked the same question at the same time as Su Yicheng did.
“Old Madam, Mr. Su, don’t worry.” Dr. Han smiled. “Both the mother and the babies are safe. We’re going to send Mrs. Lu back to the suite. She needs to have a rest. You may go to visit the babies first.”
Tang Yulan and Su Yicheng had seen the infants when the nurses took them out of the delivery room. Both were worried about Su Jian’an, so they asked Luo Xiaoxi to watch the nurses bathing the babies while they stayed behind to wait for Su Jian’an.
After making sure that Su Jian’an was fine, Tang Yulan finally beamed with joy. Then she asked the nurse to take her to the two infants.
Lu Boyan didn’t expect that Su Yicheng would send Su Jian’an back to the suite on the top floor with him instead of going to visit the babies.
They put Su Jian’an to bed, but she was still asleep. Lu Boyan and Su Yicheng asked a nurse to take care of her and then went to the balcony of the living room.
Only then did Lu Boyan find that it was afternoon. He didn’t pay attention to the time at all when he was in the delivery room.
Su Yicheng looked at Lu Boyan. “You don’t look well. What’s the matter?”
When they took Su Jian’an out of the delivery room, Su Yicheng had noticed Lu Boyan’s serious expression. It seemed that he was agonizing over something instead of being immersed in the joy of becoming a father.
Lu Boyan also noticed his serious face in the door glass—he looked strained with lips compressed—he was overwhelmed with remorse instead of happiness.
After a while, Lu Boyan said, “Dr. Han told us that both Jian’an and the babies are safe. Why did you say that?”
Su Yicheng said, “I can tell from your look that there’s something wrong.”
“Do you have any cigarettes?” Lu Boyan suddenly asked.
Su Yicheng had always been in the habit of smoking, so he quickly handed a pack of cigarettes and his lighter to Lu Boyan.
Lu Boyan lit a cigarette and exhaled after a few puffs. He said, “I decide not to have any more babies.”
“Why?” Su Yicheng was confused. “You can absolutely have another baby.”
Lu Boyan frowned as he shook his head. “Jian’an paid a high price. Just now I saw the operating table and found that it was covered with her blood.”
Su Yicheng finally figured out why Lu Boyan didn’t look well. He thought for a moment and said,
“Jian’an knows about the whole process of the operation, you know. She knew what she’s going to go through the first day she found that she was pregnant, but she didn’t flinch from it. It meant that she was willing to pay the price.
“It’s up to you whether to have more babies or not. I have no right to interfere in it.
“But as Jian’an’s brother, I must tell you that you don’t have to blame yourself for it. This is how we all come into the world.”
Lu Boyan finally didn’t look grave anymore. He stubbed out the cigarette and said, “Go and see the babies. It will take a long time before Jian’an wakes up. I will accompany her after taking in some fresh air.”
Su Yicheng nodded and left the suite.
Lu Boyan stood on the balcony. The summer wind came and soon blew away the tobacco odor from him.
He walked back into the suite and gargled with mouthwash before returning to the bedroom.
