Chapter 95: A Few Glances
Chi Wang moved into the postpartum care center. He felt he was in good shape, but giving birth had taken a toll on his vitality. Even though his heart was already yearning to be out and about, he obediently stayed to complete his confinement period.
An An was also brought to his side. Strangely, when Chi Wang didn’t see him, he didn’t think much about it; his mind was full of thoughts about playing and exercising. But as soon as he saw An An, the paternal love he’d almost forgotten surged back.
A few days after birth, the baby’s skin was still a bit red, not so fair yet. However, his facial features had become more defined. Chu Qing said to him, “Look, his eyes are like yours—so big and especially beautiful. His nose bridge is also high, small but very much like you.”
She couldn’t hide the joy in her voice. It’s great that An An resembles Chi Wang; it’d be even better if his personality were like Chi Wang’s too. That way, the house would be livelier.
Chi Wang looked closely but couldn’t really tell. After all, An An slept a lot and rarely opened his eyes. However, his eye sockets did seem quite large, and his nose bridge was high. He had seen many other babies’ photos on apps, noticing that many newborns seemed to have underdeveloped nose bridges. An An’s prominent nose was indeed rare.
He loved touching the baby’s hands and feet—they were so tiny. His fingers were slender, and his little fingernails seemed barely there. Touching them felt like soft cotton, very pleasant to the touch. But babies sleep with their little fists clenched. Chi Wang would gently pry open his loose fist and place his finger inside, and soon An An would naturally grasp his finger.
He picked up the camera and snapped away.
So adorable he could die.
The care center had professional, top-notch nannies. An An didn’t require much care from Chi Wang. When An An was awake, he would be brought over to play with Chi Wang, but newborns sleep most of the time; their waking moments were few.
Chi Wang learned from the nanny how to hold the baby. Suddenly, he remembered something and said to her, “We need to make sure his head becomes nice and round; round heads look better!”
The nanny laughed and said, “Of course, the boss has already instructed us.”
Chi Wang realized who the ‘boss’ was—oh, it was Chu Qing.
He then thought of something else: Should he start addressing her differently?
Chi Wang: Bald head.jpg
Time to build a closer relationship.
He couldn’t just accept their kindness without reciprocating.
It was time.
Chi Wang felt he shouldn’t be too afraid of close relationships. He’d already taken the first step, so why not explore more?
So that evening, when Chu Qing came to see the baby, Chi Wang spoke up, “Mom, could you bring the baby over for me to see?”
Chu Qing was stunned. After a moment, she turned to look at Chi Wang. “What did you just call me?”
Sitting beside him, mixing his food, Xie Sicheng also looked up at Chi Wang.
Chi Wang, under everyone’s gaze: “…”
Shy.jpg
He had been nonchalant just moments ago, but now, being asked to say it again, he felt a bit tongue-tied. Still, he mustered up his courage, his cheeks slightly red, and called out, “Mom—is that okay?”
Chu Qing’s face flushed with excitement. “Yes, of course! Oh my!”
Even the corners of Xie Sicheng’s mouth couldn’t help but lift.
Chu Qing eagerly said, “Say it a few more times; I’ve never heard it sound so nice.”
“…” Chi Wang thought to himself, Isn’t that a bit exaggerated? But on the surface, he called her ‘Mom’ a few more times.
No wonder Chu Qing was so excited. Chi Wang had called her ‘Mom,’ and specifically used “Mama,” the double syllable! Ever since elementary school, Xie had shortened it to ‘Ma,’ leaving no room for any coquettishness.
Sometimes, there’s a subtle difference between ‘Ma’ and ‘Mama.’ Adding an extra syllable makes it sound more affectionate and intimate.
Chu Qing was over the moon, almost wanting to hug Chi Wang tightly.
But she restrained herself. After all, he wasn’t her biological child, and at his age, how could she?
Chu Qing wished Chi Wang had been her son from the beginning; she couldn’t imagine how happy she would have been.
Sometimes, isn’t raising a child all about that emotional value?
Chi Wang had no idea how excited Chu Qing was. Back in his hometown, everyone called their mothers ‘Mama,’ though in the local dialect.
So he just called her as he saw fit.
This was a regional difference in thinking; Chi Wang hadn’t deliberately tried to be cute or coquettish.
Thus, a misunderstanding was planted, and no one realized it was a misunderstanding.
After Chu Qing left, Xie asked Chi Wang, “Why did you suddenly start addressing her differently?”
Chi Wang said, “Well, there’s no reason not to, right?”
Xie was silent for a moment and said, “It’s a bit fast.”
He thought Chi Wang would wait a bit longer.
Chi Wang replied, “It’s not fast. We’ve already had a child; if I wait any longer, the kid will be in college.”
Xie: “…”
Chi Wang suddenly felt a bit emotional. “You know, how did I become a dad?”
“…” Xie’s voice was cold. “I’ll go get a vasectomy next week.”
Chi Wang was taken aback. “Isn’t that too soon?”
Since he couldn’t be on top, he wouldn’t stop Xie from getting a vasectomy. Although he felt sorry for Xie, his health was more important.
If he got pregnant again, that would be catastrophic.
So if Xie was going, Chi Wang could only offer moral support. As for persuading him not to… well, only a fool would do that.
It’s the optimal solution.
Chi Wang asked, “Who’s going to do it for you?”
Xie said, “Dr. Yu.”
Chi Wang: “Oh, alright then. Go ahead.”
Xie: “Mm.”
The care center also had accompanying doctors and nurses. The wound on his abdomen was handled by them, so Chi Wang could see the sutures. They were indeed neat and beautiful; even the accompanying doctors praised the stitching.
Chi Wang had even more confidence in his attending physician, believing there wouldn’t be any scars.
He took a nap, and upon waking, the nanny brought the baby over again. Chi Wang took him into his arms, whispering, “An An? Baby An An?”
The little baby half-opened his eyes to look at him. Chi Wang didn’t know whom he resembled, but just looking at those big eyes, he did indeed look like him.
Inherited sunny-side-up eyes (lol)
Chi Wang lowered his head to sniff the baby’s scent—a milky aroma. The soft smell made him feel at ease.
The more he looked, the more he liked him. He raised his eyes to look at Xie, happily saying, “Come hold him.”
Xie reached out and took the baby into his arms. The baby was so soft, and his arms were so firm, he was always afraid of accidentally hurting him.
The nanny smiled beside them and said, “An An is especially well-behaved, the most easygoing baby I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t cry or fuss no matter who holds him—so calm.”
Upon hearing this, Chi Wang quickly asked, “Aren’t other babies like that?”
The nanny said, “Other babies recognize people. For example, they cling to their mothers. If someone other than their mother holds them, they’ll cry and insist on being held by her. Many mothers are already exhausted after giving birth, but the baby still clings to them, making them get up at night to hold them—it’s utterly tiring. We nannies have to spend a long time soothing them to become familiar. An An isn’t like that; he only cries at night when he wakes up. He doesn’t cry when others hold him—anyone can hold him.”
Chi Wang’s expression became serious. “Could this be some kind of illness? Like autism or something?”
The nanny was startled and quickly said, “No, it’s just individual differences. I’ve also cared for babies who didn’t recognize people—they’d cry no matter who held them, but they were fine—very healthy babies.”
Chi Wang was somewhat skeptical. “Alright then.”
He looked over at Xie. Xie was still holding the baby, gazing down without any other actions.
The baby didn’t mind him at all, kicking his feet, moving his hands, seeming quite comfortable on his own.
When An An was just born, his hair was wet and seemed sparse. But after a few days, his hair became fluffy, jet-black, and soft, looking quite thick.
The nanny said that after a month, the baby’s skin would become fairer. It’s normal for it to look a bit red and not so fair right now.
Initially, Chi Wang noticed a bruise-like mark on the baby’s buttocks. He thought it might have been from the nurse spanking him—he’d seen documentaries where babies were held upside down and spanked to make them cry and activate their lungs. But after several days, the bruise didn’t fade. He thought to look it up and found out it was a birthmark.
Good thing he didn’t ask; otherwise, he’d have looked foolish.
Chi Wang went to see the baby’s room and found it filled with pictures—the kind of baby posters often seen in hospitals. He didn’t understand why they were there. Upon asking, he was told that looking at these posters over time would make the baby become more adorable.
Chi Wang didn’t grasp the principle behind this and considered it superstitious.
But to be honest, he had become quite superstitious lately, never missing his daily ritual of burning three sticks of electronic incense, still respectfully offering them.
An An was born on June 6th—a Gemini. Chi Wang didn’t believe in astrology, but since he was burning incense, it didn’t hurt to believe intermittently, right?
So he looked up the personality traits of Geminis. After reading, he would secretly wake up laughing, because the descriptions were quite like him.
The only downside was that this sign was said to produce many ‘playboys,’ which worried Chi Wang. He decided to strengthen An An’s moral education in the future, absolutely not allowing him to become a womanizer.
At that moment, An An suddenly started crying loudly. Xie gently rocked the baby to soothe him, but it didn’t help; the crying grew louder.
The nanny quickly came over and said, “He probably needs a diaper change. Let me handle it.”
Xie said softly, “I’ll do it too.”
The nanny was a bit surprised but didn’t think much of it and agreed with a smile. Chi Wang also said, “Do it here; I’d like to watch.”
So the nanny brought over a diaper and demonstrated how to change him. First, she cleaned him up, then applied some baby powder, and finally put on a fresh diaper.
She then said to Chi Wang, “Diapers can’t be used all the time. As he gets older, he should wear open-crotch pants. Keeping him in diapers constantly can affect the development of his reproductive organs.”
Chi Wang took it in and humbly asked, “What about now?”
The nanny laughed, “Right now, there’s no choice. Babies can’t control themselves, so they have to wear diapers. Later on, they won’t need them. Many young parents nowadays are reluctant to let their children wear open-crotch pants, but actually, it’s the best. It keeps them ventilated, and the child stays healthy. Kids who grow up always wearing diapers won’t develop well down there.”
Chi Wang couldn’t help but glance at Xie.
Eyes full of admiration.jpg
Xie: “…”
This is why he doesn’t like taking photos.
- “Bald head.jpg”: An internet meme expressing distress or worry, as if one is pulling their hair out.
- “Shy.jpg”: An internet expression indicating shyness or embarrassment.
- “Inherited sunny-side-up eyes (x)”: The term “sunny-side-up eyes” humorously describes large, round eyes. The “(x)” at the end is an internet slang indicating a playful or joking tone.
- “Eyes full of admiration.jpg”: An internet expression indicating admiration or approval.
