The room returned to quiet. Ji Taoyu placed his own weak, soft hands, like two limp noodles, on top of Huo Shu's hand. Feeling the coldness of his fingertips, he couldn't help but feel distressed for him.
He had never seen Huo Shu look so disheveled and dejected before. The look in his eyes when he woke up was exactly the same as the one in his dream.
If he hadn't seen Huo Shu in the dream, perhaps... he really wouldn't have woken up.
The two of them were silent like this for a while before Ji Taoyu said: "I made you worry. I'm alright now."
Huo Shu closed his dry eyes, which felt as if they had been bleeding. He gently helped Ji Taoyu sit up a bit, letting him lean against the pillow.
"I'll bring Xiao Taohe over for you to see."
His voice was hoarse and rough, a stark contrast to Ji Taoyu's. His movements were unsteady as he hurried to the side of the room where a small crib stood. He carefully gathered up the infant who, after a period of fretful crying, had finally cried himself to exhaustion and fallen asleep.
Watching Huo Shu carry over a small bundle wrapped neatly in a small quilt, a wave of inexplicable nervousness washed over Ji Taoyu.
He had been looking forward to this little fellow day and night for so long, but now that he was about to see him, he was at a loss.
He vividly recalled the searing pain that had consumed him for what felt like an eternity before this little one was born. In that fleeting moment after the birth, he had desperately wanted to see his child, but by then he had used up all his strength, his eyes had closed almost immediately, pulling him into a deep sleep.
He thought he had only been unconscious for a little while, but he didn't expect a full two days had already passed.
Huo Shu carefully placed the child next to Ji Taoyu. Seeing the little one's peaceful sleeping face, his nearly numb face finally showed a trace of a loving expression.
He said softly, informing Ji Taoyu who had been unconscious and knew nothing: "It's a boy. Grandfather has seen him. He is very healthy."
Ji Taoyu looked down, staring fixedly at the little one sleeping comfortably in the swaddling clothes, with his small mouth slightly open and his little face chubby.
His skin still carried the delicate reddish tint common to newborns. A layer of fine, downy hair, soft and pale, covered his head. He seemed the picture of vulnerability—utterly harmless and defenseless, evoking an instinctive desire to shelter and protect him without question.
Ji Taoyu couldn't help but reach out a finger to touch the little one's tightly clenched fist. So tiny, even the most black-hearted bun shop in the city probably couldn't make a bun this small.
So soft, it felt somewhat unbelievable to him.
He couldn't suppress the smile in his eyes. It was worth the effort of giving birth.
Whether he sensed his little father or was disturbed by the touch, the little fellow suddenly opened his eyes, his sleepy eyes looking at Ji Taoyu.
A pair of big eyes blinked, clearer than mountain stream water.
Ji Taoyu instinctively held his breath. But the little one just blinked, sleepiness flooding back, and actually fell asleep again peacefully.
"He's asleep again."
Ji Taoyu turned his head to look at Huo Shu, his eyes still curved. He immediately forgot the struggle and fear from the dream, filled entirely with the novelty and joy of seeing the little one.
Huo Shu subconsciously lifted the corners of his mouth in response, but in fact, he wasn't yet completely convinced that Ji Taoyu was awake and already out of danger.
Two days ago, he had finally guarded until the child was born and rushed frantically into the delivery room, only to find Ji Taoyu already unconscious, without even a glance for him. That moment was the darkest moment of his life.
A paralyzing, icy dread had taken root deep within his bones, spreading through his limbs until his entire body felt numb and frozen. Even though Huang Yinsheng had assured him that Ji Taoyu was merely unconscious from sheer exhaustion, it still couldn't disperse half of the cold in his heart.
He had witnessed it before—cases where a person slipped into unconsciousness and never found their way back. These were not just abstract fears or rare stories to him; they were memories. He had seen it happen.
Therefore, the word "unconscious" held no comfort for him.
Fortunately, Xiao Taohe did not lose his little father just after being born.
Ji Taoyu could see the person in front of him was still somewhat distracted. He patted his hand, trying to divert his attention: "I want to drink some water."
Hearing this, Huo Shu moved at once, quickly pouring a cup of warm water. He carefully brought it to Ji Taoyu's lips, supporting him as he drank. Ji Taoyu managed half the cup, the liquid soothing his parched throat and settling warmly in his empty stomach, and he felt a bit more comfortable overall.
Ji Taoyu then passed the water cup to Huo Shu: "You drink some too. Look at you, almost turned into sun-dried wood, all withered and dry."
Huo Shu looked at Ji Taoyu and, following his words, poured the remaining water into his mouth.
Ji Taoyu smiled: "Have you chosen a name for Xiao Taohe yet?"
"Not yet."
Ji Taoyu blinked his eyes: "Will you choose it?"
"I'm not very good at naming."
Huo Shu put down the cup and sat on the edge of the bed, also leaning back against the pillow.
He reached out and encircled Ji Taoyu, letting him rest his head on his chest. Between them was the still sleeping Xiao Taohe. Both the big one and the small one were protected by him, both pressed close against him. Their warm temperature finally made him feel a bit more settled.
"I thought to wait until you woke up before choosing a name."
Ji Taoyu looked at Xiao Taohe: "Then let me think about it slowly."
"Okay."
Huo Shu responded: "I'll listen to you in everything."
"This little guy feels like such a small bundle when you hold him, but lying here he looks so sturdy. I thought he would be much smaller when I gave birth to him."
Ji Taoyu leaned against Huo Shu and couldn't resist reaching out to pinch the little one again.
Previously, when he was in the belly, he could only imagine touching the little one by stroking his own stomach.
In what seemed like a single night, it was as if he had just slept and the little one inside his stomach had moved to the outside.
Thinking of this, he quickly wanted to lift the quilt to look at his own stomach, but he had little strength in his hands and feet, and even pulling back the quilt was somewhat difficult.
"What's wrong, are you hot?"
Huo Shu hurriedly helped to pull the quilt back a little.
Ji Taoyu touched his own stomach, then looked up at Huo Shu: "Why is my stomach still like this? It hasn't shrunk down at all."
Huo Shu said: "Grandfather said Xiao Taohe weighed over seven catties at birth. His physique is larger than an average child's, so the birth was particularly strenuous. Your stomach was probably stretched out and will need some time to recover."
Ji Taoyu raised his eyes to look at Huo Shu: "When I was pregnant with the little one, Grandfather said he was afraid the fetus would be too large, making a difficult birth, and told me to move around more and not eat too much."
Huo Shu nodded: "Yes, he did say that."
Ji Taoyu poked Huo Shu: "If that's the case, how come Xiao Taohe was still born so sturdy?"
Huo Shu suddenly understood what he was implying: "Is it because he inherited it from me?"
Ji Taoyu retorted: "Then was my own frame that big?"
"It's my fault."
Ji Taoyu poked Huo Shu again: "That's not what I meant, I'm not blaming you."
"It's good that Xiao Taohe is a boy and his physique is like yours. But his features resemble mine more, which makes him look less fierce."
"Yes, I think so too."
Huo Shu looked at the little one in the swaddling clothes. These past two days he had been guarding Ji Taoyu and hadn't really looked closely at this little guy who had nearly cost his father half his life.
He felt so soft that even holding him through the swaddling clothes felt like he might melt.
Thank you for the updates!!
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