My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 106 Part 3

In Huo Shu's perception, Ji Taoyu was already impossibly soft—yet this newborn child was somehow even softer.

He examined the chubby little one carefully, it was indeed just as Ji Taoyu had said.

"Bring him closer."

Ji Taoyu wanted to reach for him, but his body lacked the strength, so he could only direct Huo Shu.

"Hmm?"

Huo Shu, not understanding, brought the little one closer in front of him.

"Let me kiss him."

Ji Taoyu leaned in and pressed his lips against Xiao taohe's face. The soft sensation made him reluctant to pull away.

"Quick, you kiss him too."

Huo Shu's brow furrowed slightly. He opened his mouth a little, somewhat unsure of what to do.

After all, besides Ji Taoyu, he had never kissed anyone or anything before.

Seeing Ji Taoyu's frown, as if he would get angry if he didn't comply, he tentatively leaned forward like Ji Taoyu had. Just as he was about to kiss the little one, he forgot about his own stubble. The moment it touched Xiao Taohe's cheek, the little guy started crying with a wail.

Huo Shu froze in place. Ji Taoyu quickly patted the little one's back and rocked him until he fell asleep again.

Ji Taoyu saw a clear red mark on the little one's fair cheek and found it both funny and exasperating.

"You really must go and shave your beard properly later."

____

After giving birth to Xiao Taohe, Ji Taoyu's body was weak for a long time.

The family spent all day long making all sorts of nourishing foods in various ways to help him recuperate.

Even so, although his body slowly recovered postpartum, he remained as thin as before.

He had never been able to put on weight since childhood, and no one expected he could start now. As long as his body recovered to health, the family was reassured.

Every single day, visitors came to see Ji Taoyu. Without fail, each person who heard the story of the birth day said it brought a tear to their eye and made them want to wipe them.

This event had indeed caused Ji Taoyu great suffering. Merely thinking back on it filled him with a deep, lingering fear. However, as his relatives repeatedly recounted the events during their visits, the frequent retellings and shared memories gradually lessened his own fear.

The Ji family's sixth branch had sparse population. Now that they had an eldest grandson, the whole family was extremely happy.

Ji Yangzong was overjoyed, spending every day carrying the little one from one room to another, unable to bear being apart from him for even a moment.

He used to be so proper and upright, but now he carried his grandson around, coaxing the little one in a high-pitched voice, acting like an old child.

Huang Manjing would shake her head upon hearing this, saying it gave her goosebumps all over.

Ji Taoyu was still weak after giving birth and wasn't well enough to care for the child. Worried that Xiao Taohe would disturb his rest, the couple suggested they look after the child first until he recovered enough to take over.

They even moved the small bed originally placed in the young couple's room directly into their own room.

Only during afternoon naps would Xiao Taohe sleep with Ji Taoyu.

In fact, Xiao Taohe wasn't a fussy little fellow—he seldom cried, had a good appetite, and slept soundly.

The little one was a bit yellow when first born, but after some days, the jaundice faded and his skin became fair.

His facial features closely resembled Ji Taoyu's. However, as a boy, he did not possess the delicate appearance often associated with a little ger. Instead, he had inherited some of Huo Shu's brave and imposing demeanor.

Everyone who saw the little one said he was good-looking.

Having crossed this hurdle and added a new member to the family, life seemed to be getting even better.

But Huo Shu was still shaken from that thrilling experience.

Since the child was born, he had been watching over Ji Taoyu even more closely than before.

He used to travel around, hunting in the mountains and gathering supplies in the city, but now he stayed by Ji Taoyu's side without leaving for a moment.

Everyone noticed something was wrong, but no one dared to say anything. The people under him knew his focus was entirely on Ji Taoyu now and tried their best not to disturb him with matters big or small.

"A-Shu, come here, come here."

After entering the twelfth lunar month, the weather turned cold, and the wind always whistled through the mountains.

At night, Ji Taoyu couldn't go without a charcoal brazier and a tangpozi.

He was even more sensitive to the cold than before.

No matter how cold it was, he resisted the urge to immediately dive under the covers.

"Look at the name I chose for Xiao Taohe. What do you think?"

Ji Taoyu looked at the man walking over and quickly pulled him to sit beside him.

"You've chosen a new one again?" Huo Shu said as he looked at the paper weighted down by a paperweight on the table. Two characters were written on it, and he couldn't help but read them aloud: "An Ding?"

Ji Taoyu nodded: "Yes."

"Huo Anding."

[安定 (Āndìng): peace stability.]

These days, Ji Taoyu had been thinking about what name would be best for his Xiao Taohe.

He searched through ancient books and texts and had selected several potential names, leaving the final decision to Huo Shu. But Huo Shu was just like when he was choosing fabric—he thought this one was good, that one looked fine too.

Knowing that Huo Shu was merely deferring to his preferences made settling on a name even more difficult. The names that had initially seemed appealing gradually lost their charm the longer he considered them.

Seeing Huo Shu hesitate to respond, Ji Taoyu couldn't help but emphasize: "Really, this time I’ll decide and won’t change it!"

"Okay~"

Huo Shu rarely drew out his words, replying with a hint of indulgence, then added: "There really is nothing better than peace and stability under heaven."

Ji Taoyu leaned against Huo Shu: "I always hope Xiao Taohe can grow up in peace, like I did when I was little."

Huo Shu rubbed Ji Taoyu's hair: "Yes, I also want him to develop a personality like yours. With me here, he definitely won't have to experience what I did in my youth."

Ji Taoyu happily nuzzled Huo Shu.

Finally settling on a name for Xiao Taohe was a big task accomplished.

Huo Shu carried Ji Taoyu into the bed warmed by the tangpozi, felt his feet to make sure they weren't cold, and only then tucked them securely under the blankets.

Ji Taoyu looked at the person carefully arranging the blankets and said tentatively: "Let's go take a look at the pasture tomorrow. A-Liang and Jin ger's wedding day is just around the corner."

"Okay, if you want to go, I'll accompany you. You really were cooped up for a long time while pregnant with Xiao Taohe."

Ji Taoyu said seriously: "It's not entirely for that reason. You've been by my side all this time, with no mind to attend to anything else, and I know you're worried about me."

"A-Shu, everything is better now. Please don't worry about me anymore, okay?"

Huo Shu looked at the person before him, his eyes glimmering.

Ji Taoyu held Huo Shu's hand: "I know giving birth to Xiao taohe scared you, but fortunately, it was a fright without real danger. Aren't Xiao Taohe and I both perfectly fine?"

Huo Shu gripped Ji Taoyu's hand back, pulled him into his arms, and held him tightly. He slowly said:

"Xiao Taozi, let this be the only time."

He finally voiced the words that had been weighing heavily on his heart these days: "Having just Xiao Taohe is enough for us. If we had to go through this again, I'm afraid I would truly go mad."

Ji Taoyu looked into Huo Shu's eyes: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

He leaned in and kissed his cheek:

"I don't want to make you worry and fear anymore either."