Just as Baby Boy’s lips were about to touch Song Xinya’s cheek, Qin Yuhe mercilessly grabbed his face with one large hand and pushed him back.
Baby Boy stumbled backward several steps and plopped down on the floor. “Ow, I fell down!”
Qin Yuhe asked, “Does your butt hurt?”
Baby Boy climbed to his feet and patted his round little bottom. “Yeah! It hurts so much when I touch it!”
Qin Yuhe said, “Serves you right.”
Baby Boy gazed pitifully at Song Xinya. “Auntie Hua, boo-hoo.”
Song Xinya picked up the Ultraman gift set and handed it to him. “Here, this is for you.”
The pitiful look vanished from Baby Boy’s eyes, replaced by a dazzling sparkle. “I love Ultraman the most!”
He reached out to take it, but Qin Yuhe’s large hand descended once more and snatched the Ultraman gift set away.
Baby Boy cried, “Ah, Ultraman flew into the sky!”
He tilted his head back to look, then corrected himself. “No, the bad uncle stole it!”
Qin Yuhe weighed the Ultraman gift set in his hand. “I was going to give it to you, but now I suddenly don’t want to anymore.”
Baby Boy stared at him with his big, watery eyes. “Uncle Hehe, you really aren’t going to give it to me?”
Qin Yuhe said, “No.”
Baby Boy planted both hands on his hips, stomped both feet, and threw his mouth wide open as he wailed, “Aaaaaah! They’re bullying a child! Oh, great lord in heaven, is there no one who’ll do anything about this? An adult is bullying a child! Aaaaaah! Help! Mother, I’m so pitiful! Aaaaaah!”
His cries shook the heavens and moved the gods.
His mouth was stretched as wide as a gourd.
Just as he wished, all the adults came running because of his crying.
Old Madam Qin looked at the howling Baby Boy, her heart aching so much it seemed to twitch. She pulled him into her arms.
“My little darling, who bullied you? Tell Great-Grandma, and Great-Grandma will stand up for you.”
Baby Boy pointed at Qin Yuhe. “Uncle Hehe bullied me. Boo-hoo.”
Old Madam Qin glared at Qin Yuhe. “Look at you! You’re a grown man, yet you’re bullying a little child. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”
Qin Yuhe said, “How did I bully him? I think he’s the one bullying me.”
Old Madam Qin said, “Nonsense. How could he possibly bully you?”
Qin Yuhe replied, “He’s taking advantage of being young. He’s also very good at crying. He opens his mouth wide and pretends to cry just to bully me.”
“More nonsense,” Old Madam Qin said. “The little darling’s face is covered in tears.”
She reached out to wipe Baby Boy’s face, only to find nothing there.
Old Madam Qin: “…”
She coughed to cover up her embarrassment and said, “Regardless, hurry up and give the Ultraman to Baby Boy. He’s only a child. You have to let him have his way.”
Qin Yuhe said, “That really is a universal excuse.”
Under pressure from his elder, Qin Yuhe handed the Ultraman gift set to Baby Boy.
The little rascal, who had been bawling at the top of his lungs, immediately clamped his mouth shut the moment he got Ultraman.
He held Ultraman high above his head. “Transform! Pew-pew! I’m Tiga!”
Qin Yuhe pressed his fingers to his forehead. What a handful.
Fu Xiaochen and Gu Qingcheng arrived late.
Qin Yuhe looked at Fu Xiaochen. “Hurry up and deal with your son.”
Fu Xiaochen said, “Isn’t he behaving perfectly well?”
Qin Yuhe asked, “How is he behaving well?”
Fu Xiaochen replied, “He’s not trying to steal my wife.”
Qin Yuhe stared at him. “As long as he doesn’t try to steal your wife, that means he’s well-behaved?”
“Of course,” Fu Xiaochen said.
Qin Yuhe: “…Right.”
The whole family gathered around the dining table for a meal.
The two exquisitely adorable babies sat in their high chairs. Every time they opened their mouths, their soft, babyish voices melted the hearts of all the adults.
Inevitably, Old Madam Qin brought up the matter of Song Xinya and Qin Yuhe trying to conceive.
“Xinya, have you and Yuhe been taking folic acid regularly lately?”
Song Xinya said, “Yes, we have. We’ve been taking it.”
Old Madam Qin said, “I heard the testing methods are very advanced these days. A home pregnancy test can detect pregnancy as early as seven to ten days after intercourse.”
Song Xinya thought back to the last time she and Qin Yuhe had slept together. It had been exactly seven days ago.
“I’ll take a test when we get home.”
Old Madam Qin ladled a bowl of bull penis soup and placed it in front of Qin Yuhe. “Drink up. You need to work harder, too.”
Qin Yuhe would have liked to work hard every day, but unfortunately, he could only manage three times a week.
After dinner, Fu Xiaochen took Gu Qingcheng out for a walk. They hid somewhere without the two little rascals around to disturb them, indulging in some romantic time together beneath the flowers and moonlight.
Qin Yuhe helped take care of the children.
When the two babies were thirsty, Qin Yuhe poured them water.
When they were hungry, Qin Yuhe made them milk.
When they were sleepy, Qin Yuhe coaxed them to sleep.
A man who normally appeared cold and stern was actually enjoying himself immensely as he took care of the children.
Song Xinya watched Qin Yuhe interact with the children. The sharp lines of his handsome face softened considerably, and his deep eyes were filled with warm tenderness.
On the way home, Song Xinya asked Qin Yuhe, “You really like children, don’t you?”
Qin Yuhe said, “I do. You like them too, don’t you?”
“I do. I especially love children.”
She asked him, “How many children do you want?”
Qin Yuhe was silent for a moment before asking her, “How many do you want?”
“Two. One boy and one girl.”
She patted his thigh. “You still haven’t answered my question. How many children do you want?”
Qin Yuhe took her hand and completely enclosed it in his palm. Looking into her eyes, he said, “However many children you want, that’s how many I want.”
The reason he hadn’t answered first was that he didn’t want to put any pressure on her. He wanted to leave the choice of how many children to have entirely in her hands.
The Rolls-Royce stopped in front of a pharmacy. Song Xinya twisted around to unfasten her seat belt. “I’ll go buy a pregnancy test.”
Qin Yuhe reached across her and pressed down on the hand unfastening the belt. “I’ll go.”
Song Xinya paused and turned to look at him. “Won’t you feel embarrassed?”
“A little.”
“Then why are you going?”
“Would you feel embarrassed buying one?”
“Yes, a little.”
With a click, Qin Yuhe smoothly unfastened her seat belt, opened the car door, and stepped out. “That’s why I’m going.”
Through the car window, Song Xinya watched Qin Yuhe enter the pharmacy. A while later, he came back out carrying a white plastic bag.
His face looked just as normal as usual, without the slightest change.
He opened the car door and bent down to sit inside, then placed the plastic bag in Song Xinya’s hands.
When they got home, Song Xinya took the pregnancy test into the bathroom.
The bathroom door opened and closed, and Song Xinya came back out.
Qin Yuhe asked, “Did you take the test?”
Song Xinya threw herself onto the bed, pounded both hands against the pillow, and kicked her feet against the sheets.
“What test? I took off my pants, only to look down and find that my period had come.”
Damn it. Boo-hoo. I’m so mad I could scream.
Song Xinya drooped her head. “We’ve been trying so seriously for two whole months. How come I still haven’t gotten pregnant?”
Qin Yuhe stroked her head. “It’s not your fault. The Qin family’s genes are just exceptionally difficult to conceive with.”
When Old Madam Qin learned that Song Xinya hadn’t become pregnant, she first comforted her.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Good things come after hardship. Sweetie Yaya, this isn’t your fault. Uncle Hehe’s seeds just aren’t very good quality.”
Faced with such a comment, Qin Yuhe didn’t try to defend himself. His wife was already upset, and he wasn’t about to make things worse.
Between husband and wife, it didn’t matter who was right or wrong. What mattered most was making his wife happy.
After comforting her granddaughter-in-law, Old Madam Qin began suggesting a solution. “Yaya, Hehe, the two of you should go to the hospital and get yourselves checked.”
The next day, after arranging their work, Song Xinya and Qin Yuhe went to the hospital.
The man’s examination was relatively straightforward: an evaluation of sperm quality.
The woman’s examination involved more procedures—blood tests for the six reproductive hormones, an ultrasound to examine the condition of the uterus and ovaries, and so on.
Qin Yuhe accompanied Song Xinya as she completed all the necessary examinations.
Then it was Qin Yuhe’s turn.
The staff led them into a small room with a computer inside.
“Mr. Qin, please sit beside the computer.”
Song Xinya looked utterly confused. “What’s the computer for?”
The staff member replied, “For Mr. Qin to watch something.”
Song Xinya: ⚆_⚆……
The staff member then handed Qin Yuhe a long, narrow tube.
A label was stuck on it: Sperm Sample Collection Container.
“Put the sample to be tested into this container.”
The male staff member added, “You don’t need me to explain exactly how to do that, do you?”
Qin Yuhe glanced at him. “What? You want to help me yourself?”
Under Qin Yuhe’s sharp gaze, the male staff member turned and ran.
Song Xinya lowered her head and headed for the door. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
There was no way she could stay in there and watch it with him.
How embarrassing.
The door closed.
Half an hour later, it opened a crack. Qin Yuhe’s arm reached through and grabbed Song Xinya, who was standing outside, pulling her inside in one swift motion.
The door slammed shut.
Song Xinya was pressed against it by Qin Yuhe.
He gazed down at her, his eyes dark and deep, concealing a smoldering heat that made her heart race.
“Yaya, help me. I can’t finish without you…”
