57
The novice parent phase belonging to Ning Ye and Bian Xun began.
The order belonging to Little Grape also restarted.
The newborn baby was wrapped into a half-ball in a soft swaddle.
Lying on the bed like a little gas canister.
Ning Ye couldn't get used to it at first; she always felt that those dark eyes looking at her would open their mouth in the next second and babble a lot of words to her.
A four- or five-year-old child already had very good language skills, and she could always express her feelings with full childlike innocence.
She also couldn't quite adapt to Grape always lying there on her stomach, as if it wouldn't be long before she would catapult out of the crib and start leaving her parkour footprints all over the house.
But the Ning Zhitao she was most familiar with would need another five years to appear, which made Ning Ye feel both melancholic and expectant.
Ning Ye tentatively wanted to know if there were any changes in the outside world. After all, Grape also had her personal social relationships in this world; would they still know her?
Bian Xun, on the other hand, didn't care much about the outside world.
Ever since it was confirmed that they were going to raise the cub from age 0, this man suddenly burst out with super time management skills, setting aside a large chunk of time every day to cram postpartum care knowledge, exuding the aura of a mature man all over.
This was an opportunity to start from scratch.
The CEO vowed to be a good husband and a good father.
It was Old Master Bian's phone call that broke their rich family atmosphere.
Ning Ye felt a burst of tension when she saw Bian Xun answer the phone.
Old Master Bian's words would invisibly reveal to them the shape of the world outside the family, seeing the state after the timelines merged.
Bian Xun sat beside her, seeing her lips purse, her postpartum complexion still a bit pale, so he held her hand with one hand, fingers intertwined, and then lifted it to kiss her knuckles before turning on the speakerphone.
— "Hello?"
On the other end of the phone, Old Master Bian's energetic voice rang out.
"Bian Xun, have you decided on a name for the child yet?"
Ning Ye blinked her eyelashes and met Bian Xun's dark eyes.
Everything about Grape had been dialed back to her own timeline.
The people who knew her would also get to know Ning Zhitao from scratch; there would be no more misunderstandings popping up halfway, and they would welcome this child with love right from the start.
Ning Ye knew this was a good thing, but she still felt a sense of melancholy in her heart, unconsciously intertwining her fingers tighter with Bian Xun's.
Only they remembered; only Mom and Dad remembered that four-year-old Ning Zhitao had once been here.
The sound of rustling pages came from the other end of the phone, as if he was holding some heavy tome, quoting classics.
"Listen up, you two. I've thought of several."
Old Master Bian coughed twice and cleared his throat grandly.
"Bian Xiuzhu, meaning the elegance of bamboo, a lady of a noble family, and of noble character! Bian Huiting, meaning intelligent and sensitive, with a disposition like gold and stone! And also..."
Bian Xun visibly frowned.
What kind of taste is this? What is this stuff?
Ning Ye's melancholy was washed away a bit, feeling a little like laughing. If nothing else, this old man really did look it up in books; compared to him, she didn't put this much effort into naming Grape.
"Oh, and also, Bian Zhenying! How about that? A heroine who is not inferior to men, fitting the temperament of our family's great-granddaughter! There are also some backups, Bian Zihan, Bian Yuxin, Bian..."
Bian Xun interrupted him: "It's already been decided."
Just shut up already.
"What?! How could you not discuss such a big matter with the family!!!"
Old Master Bian's voice was very urgent, as if this was a major event concerning the survival of all mankind.
Old Master Bian asked nervously, "What is the child's name?"
Bian Xun lifted his dark eyes, looked at Ning Ye, the corners of his eyes tinged with a starry smile, and squeezed her palm.
— "Ning Zhitao."
His voice was clear, telling the person on the other end of the phone.
There was only this one name, and it would only ever be this one.
Ning Ye's heart also softened, her apricot eyes meeting Bian Xun's, a smile dyeing her lips.
The two of them murmured this name on their lips, as if they were holding a round little grape in their mouths.
Old Master Bian, naturally having very feudal thoughts, still wanted to question this name: "It's cute, but isn't it a bit too simple? And after all, she is a child of our Bian family..."
Bian Xun's response to this was straightforward: "Hanging up."
The phone turned into a busy tone.
Bian Xun curled his lips and lowered his head, touching Ning Ye's smiling face.
He could probably guess Ning Ye's state of mind in choosing this name; she felt she was a green leaf, and the child was the fruit under the leaf. She lifted the child up, and it nourished her as well.
Bian Xun held this leaf in his mouth, his breath lingering on her cheeks, the tip of her nose, the corners of her lips, but what he smelled was a rich floral fragrance.
How was she a thin leaf? She was a graceful and brilliant flower, a tree.
Ning Ye's fingertips curled slightly, holding his shoulders, closing her eyes following the cool and quiet sandalwood scent. Bian Xun's lips finally landed by her ear, giving a light bite.
Now there were no children running around the house, and she didn't have the mobility to suddenly barge into Mom and Dad's bedroom. In a sense, this was their purer private world for two—
Once her body recovered.
Bian Xun bit her cheek and the side of her neck again and again, only letting go of Ning Ye after a long while, her porcelain-white fingertips covering her earlobe that was red enough to bleed.
He blew lightly on it, the corners of his lips curling up slightly, his voice low and slow.
"How the outside world perceives our child is not important."
"As long as we remember, that's enough."
Ning Ye hummed from her nasal cavity.
Mom and Dad know.
They will only have one little fruit.
The only Ning Zhitao in this world.
...
Gradually, Ning Ye also finally sorted out the current situation.
The development of the world did not undergo major changes because Grape returned to normal. In fact, after the timeline returned to its right track, what really changed were those people, events, and things that did not belong to this time period.
For example, the black card from the future had actually merged into the current black card.
For example, the electronic photo album from the future, its web address had completely disappeared.
And for example, Ning Zhitao.
Only these were existences misplaced in real time.
When they returned to normal, the logic concerning them was sorted out by the massive world system itself.
After Ning Ye turned on her phone, she received a push notification about news that Xu Lanyi was visited in prison by fans, only to be pelted with rotten eggs.
Le Shiqing passionately forwarded it to her, venting with satisfaction: "Serves her right. This woman is really crazy. She actually didn't give up and still wanted to find someone to harm the baby in your belly. She deserves to eat prison food!"
Ning Ye blinked slightly.
Grape's personal time had changed, but the behavioral logic of other people in the world had not changed.
Things that had already happened in the past would not change. The retirement from acting and the public execution when fighting against the plot were all things that had actually happened, and Xu Lanyi would still choose to take revenge on them.
And even without Grape in kindergarten, she would still try to find a way to harm the unborn Grape, and she would still be subdued and thoroughly sentenced.
Ning Ye was not surprised; she knew it would naturally be so. Otherwise, their long resistance would have lost its meaning, and otherwise, Bian Xun's long persistence at a certain moment would have also lost its meaning.
But today, this person was no longer important at all.
Good things had also happened.
For instance, Ning Ye was surprised to find out that she actually had maternity leave. This was the fusion and correction brought about by "Taotao" in the current timeline.
Sister Zhou also shared a wealth of "newbie village" parenting experiences with her. After seeing the photos Ning Ye sent, she sent a voice message howling: "Ahhh! Babies are the absolute cutest at this age!! So soft and squishy, a little dimple with every poke. Later on, they change every year. Ahhh, you must cherish this!!"
Ning Ye's eyes were filled with a gentle smile.
Yes, from now on, she no longer had to hide or keep the fact that she had a child a secret.
It would be hard for Ning Ye at this age to have a four- or five-year-old daughter, but having a newborn daughter was perfectly justifiable and open.
Bian Xun, who had been listening from the side for a long time, suddenly paused.
Maternity leave—?
This meant that Ning Ye's status in the company system had been updated to married, otherwise this leave wouldn't have been approved.
Bian Xun raised his dark eyes, looked at Ning Ye, and parted his thin lips slightly.
He asked Assistant Zhang, who replied: "That's right, President Bian. Didn't you schedule it last month?"
Bian Xun stood up and paced around the house. Following his own habits, he quickly found two little red booklets pressed under a ring box in the study drawer.
Holding these two national-level certificates, Bian Xun returned to Ning Ye's side.
Ning Ye blinked, realizing what had happened.
The second correction regarding Taotao's timeline—Mom and Dad had already gotten their marriage certificates.
Ning Ye took the little red booklets from Bian Xun's hands. Opening them, she saw their side-by-side ID photos with a red background and curved her lips into a smile. "We took a great picture."
Bian Xun, however, expressed his dissatisfaction.
The timeline had merged back on track. For the child to be born normally, the parents getting their marriage certificate was a necessary logical step; otherwise, the child would be undocumented.
But he had missed this important day.
Furthermore, the date they got their certificate was very special.
Bian Xun's thin lips curved slightly as he lowered his eyes to look at Ning Ye. Ning Ye's smiling eyes also fell on that date. In her heart, she thought the two of them were so crazy—
It was the first Friday they were together.
Bian Xun crossed his arms. After a long while, he let out a chuckle, his dark eyes steady. "Next time, we'll go and reshoot the process of getting the certificate."
And not waste that Friday.
Ning Ye used the little red booklet to cover half of her smiling face, her apricot eyes clear and bright. She finally knew how that photo album in the future came to be.
Some people really... loved keeping records.
Bian Xun didn't care.
They stared at those two marriage certificates for a long time.
Unconsciously, their heads leaned very close together.
This was the change Taotao's timeline brought them. In fact, these changes mainly happened between the two of them and were mostly discovered by them.
Because to the whole world, Ning Zhitao did not have such pivotal power to change things.
She was just exceptionally important to her mom and dad's world.
...
Although the marriage certificate was already done, the wedding was still in progress.
This made the CEO slightly more satisfied.
Amidst the preparations, Ning Ye and Bian Xun officially began their task of raising a zero-year-old Taotao.
The house was already equipped with an entire childcare team, and Ning Ye's physical management had been arranged with a complete team of nutritionists and scientific health recovery experts.
Every time the maternity matron auntie saw Taotao, she would smile and sigh, "Look at this little nose and big eyes. She really inherited her parents' best features. Who knows how cute she'll be when she grows up a bit more—"
Ning Ye would just smile. She knew.
She had seen how cute the child would be after growing up a little.
Bian Xun also brought a lot of work back home, so he could free up more time to accompany his wife and child—
This move, however, caused a massive uproar within the Wujiang Group.
Bian Xun? This was Bian Xun??
President Bian wanting a child was already an earth-shattering event, let alone taking care of the baby?
Because in the eyes of the outside world, President Bian was still that germaphobic perfectionist who extremely disliked children, lacked patience, and demanded order.
And cleanliness, order, punctuality, stability—these things he valued—had absolutely nothing to do with raising a child!
Especially this kind of newborn baby, who would spit up on you at the drop of a hat, or even poop on you!
The entire Wujiang Group, from top to bottom, simply couldn't imagine what Bian Xun would be like with a child.
Let alone believe that he would raise the child himself.
—That image was just too twisted, okay!
Bian Xun remained expressionless: "Heh."
Over the past few days, he had observed and learned a lot of experience, simulating it in his mind.
Before becoming the world's richest man, he would first become the world's best father and the world's best husband.
Of course, the CEO hadn't truly gotten his hands dirty taking care of the baby yet.
For the first few days, Ning Ye and him were beginners after all. Sometimes she didn't even dare to hold the baby too tightly. She was afraid that Bian Xun's cold and hard demeanor would scare the child, and that his mechanical watch or suit buttons would scratch the baby. Most of the time, she let the auntie guide her.
Burping, passing gas, coaxing to sleep.
Even the most well-behaved little angel baby would wail, squirm, and crawl around after being born.
Seeing that the child quickly stopped crying in the arms of the auntie and her mother, Bian Xun secretly memorized many key points.
He felt he had the winning ticket; it was completely effortless.
Heh.
Assistant Zhang also adjusted his work according to his boss's schedule, delivering some important documents to President Bian's house every day.
As an old father who had actually raised a child, Assistant Zhang faced the CEO's calm confidence with a silent smile in his heart.
You'll know once she actually poops on you, my CEO.
An old father who hasn't been pooped on by a child is not a complete father!
However, Assistant Zhang was also quite surprised by the fact that President Bian had a child, and felt a bit regretful.
They both had daughters. It was a pity their ages didn't match, otherwise his own daughter could have had another good friend.
Ning Ye passed by the study and saw Assistant Zhang, so she smiled and asked, "Are Sijie and Sister Song Hua back yet?"
Assistant Zhang was a bit surprised and hurriedly replied, "Not yet, they're going to spend the whole summer vacation at my parents-in-law's place."
He didn't expect Miss Ning to know his wife! And she even knew his daughter's name.
A secret tenderness flashed in Ning Ye's eyes as she said to Assistant Zhang, "When Sijie comes back, she should come see Taotao... see her little sister."
For some reason, Assistant Zhang felt a warmth in his heart. "Of course, that would be great!"
Ning Ye looked at the little cub in the crib.
No matter which era was written about in the kindergarten essays.
When you grow up, you will still be good friends.
...
In the evening, the CEO, having finished all his work, finally earned his first trial right to hold the cub.
Tonight's mission: they had to coax the child to sleep.
Bian Xun and Ning Ye stood by the crib, staring wide-eyed at the child.
The little cub, Ning Zhitao, was extremely energetic, babbling and tilting her head, squirming in her swaddling blanket.
Bian Xun slowly unbuttoned his cuffs, took off his watch, and rolled up his sleeves.
Prior to this, four-year-old Ning Zhitao was very familiar with her father's embrace. She would habitually hang onto her dad's neck and find a secure position for herself.
It was evident that he should be very experienced in holding a child.
"For a shoulder hold, support the infant's head and neck, cradle the skin with your palm, and let her lean entirely against your shoulder," the man's voice was deep and certain. His long, slender fingers reached out slowly. "The key is for the adult to lean back, allowing the child's center of gravity to rest on the adult, rather than holding them strictly upright..."
Ning Ye nodded with equal seriousness. He remembered it so clearly; it was exactly what the nanny had said earlier that day.
The CEO confidently and carefully scooped the baby up, only to feel as though he were holding a boneless, soft lump of slime that turned into an unpredictable non-Newtonian fluid in his hands.
The moment Taotao's little head left the crib, she immediately began to wobble, losing her balance and her sense of security. Her two little legs started kicking wildly in the air.
Bian Xun remained somewhat composed, hastily trying to lift her according to the proper technique.
However, it seemed to be of no use.
Ning Zhitao's mouth smacked twice.
Bian Xun looked at the cub calmly: Cut me some slack.
Ning Zhitao very obligingly loaded for three seconds, then twisted her mouth, let out a wail, and started crying loudly.
She cried while spitting up on him.
Beads of sweat formed on Bian Xun's temples.
When armchair theories were put into actual practice, he realized it was no easy task.
Watching from the side, Ning Ye couldn't help but laugh.
To be able to make even Bian Xun feel defeated—sure enough, King Taotao was at the top of the food chain.
Mom and Dad still needed to level up to handle this new stage of Taotao.
It was a pity the baby couldn't speak yet.
If she could express herself, she would definitely be blinking her big, round black eyes, pointing fingers, and loudly accusing her father:
"You're holding me wrong!"
"Daddy, you need to study harder!"
"I'll check if you've made any progress next time—"
Ning Ye could almost hear that familiar voice babbling in her ear.
She blinked gently, and the voice drifted away from her ear like a little butterfly.
Bian Xun, looking utterly serious, used all his reserved knowledge to adjust the baby. "I'll master this quickly, don't worry."
After they finally managed to clumsily coax the baby to sleep, Ning Ye quietly slipped out of the room.
The balcony of their Happy Home was very large—a top-floor glass sunroom with a beautiful view. The south side faced a vast, open forest park, and on a clear day, one could see all the way to the southern edge of Jing City. The little one had always loved basking in the sun here.
At this moment, the woods lay quietly in the night. The cool early-autumn breeze brushed past the windowsill, lingering on Ning Ye's slender, pale fingers as she held the railing.
Alas.
Ning Ye sighed softly in the wind.
Footsteps sounded behind her. The door to the glass balcony opened, and the man walked in bathed in moonlight, stopping behind her.
The little one was asleep.
All the secret changes in the world had settled down.
It was their time now.
"What is there to be sad about?"
Sturdy arms wrapped around her waist, slipping through her slightly bent elbows. Bian Xun lowered his eyes, his fingertips kneading up along her spine.
She had slightly more flesh on her now than before, which was just the right amount. In the past, she was too thin and frail; holding her always distracted him with a pang of heartache. Now, the moderate amount of flesh made her figure even more graceful and well-proportioned. When held tightly in his arms, it felt as though he could apply more force, her body able to bounce back against his explosive impact.
Ning Ye's sorrow was quickly chased away by his shifting fingertips.
On the glass balcony under the moonlit night, her figure perfectly overlapped with the man behind her.
His arms were wrapped around her front.
His scorching palms lifted her slightly, and a teasing chuckle escaped his nose, carrying a tone of deep fondness.
Ning Ye immediately let out a gasp. This was semi-outdoors—
Although an endless expanse of trees stretched out before them, the completely transparent glass ceiling still gave the illusion of being in a public place.
She couldn't help but turn around and swat him. "I'm being sad here!"
The corners of Bian Xun's lips curled up. His usually cold features looked handsome and profound under the pale moonlight, his dark eyes carrying a smile. "Sadness isn't allowed here."
"I—"
"No feeling upset, either."
"And definitely no sighing."
Ning Ye was blocked by his barrage of words and instantly felt stifled.
See, she even lost a helper when arguing.
In the past, Taotao would always stand unconditionally by her mother's side, forming a united front.
Hidden by the moonlight, Ning Ye pouted.
Looking at Little Grape, she kind of missed Big Grape.
Of course, she knew that Taotao was walking toward her, and this time she would be able to see her little footprints as she took every step toward her.
But the change happened so fast. It felt like in the blink of an eye, the little girl she spent day and night with was gone.
The change was too fast and too drastic; she was at least allowed to miss her occasionally, right?
The man's dark eyes watched her quietly. Along with the flowing moonlight, his gaze drifted over her eyelashes and the tip of her nose, caressing her like light silk, tracing her reluctance to let go.
This intense scrutiny made Ning Ye feel a bit embarrassed and annoyed. She reached out to cover his eyes. "You cold, heartless man, you wouldn't understand."
As soon as she raised her hand, Bian Xun happened to release his arms, and Ning Ye fell back into his embrace.
The man's deep laughter brushed past her ear. His fingertips were traveling along the hem of her clothes, pushing aside the fabric hidden beneath her skirt.
The beginner's village meant flustered and clumsy parents.
But it also meant a passionate young married couple.
Ning Ye's previous emotions were completely scattered by his fingertips. With a flex of his arms, Bian Xun lifted her and placed her on the glass balcony's railing. Then, he slowly bent down on one knee. His straight nose landed on her flat stomach, and then his nose slid all the way down as he let out a low chuckle.
Ning Ye instinctively covered the dangerous triangular area. "I don't think we can indulge ourselves just yet—"
Although she hadn't given birth, objectively speaking, her body was still recovering.
Let him die of impatience; there was no Friday Theorem anymore, anyway—
She grabbed his black hair in exasperation. The man's dark eyes looked up at her. Beneath his brow bone, his gaze was so deep and clear, even inexplicably carrying a hint of tender affection.
"No being sad, and no sighing."
"Because this is the Happy Home officially designated by the little one."
Ning Ye's almond eyes blinked.
Her heart suddenly softened.
Oh, right.
Taotao picked the name; they were supposed to be happy here.
They would happily accompany their little one as she grew up, leaving her with the happiest childhood memories, and then they would raise a Taotao who would be happy forever.
...
Ning Ye's tightly gripping fingers loosened slightly. Her heart beat softly, and her voice was low and delicate in the moonlit night. "I know."
She had wrongly blamed the child's father.
But the moment she let go, her entire skirt was completely stripped away. Bian Xun leaned in and kissed her, hearing her let out a short gasp.
The man's laughter was muffled and damp against the fabric.
"I didn't ask you to indulge with me."
"But I can let you have a little happiness first."
His fingertips ground down, and he heard Ning Ye's completely pitched-up voice as her fingers trembled. "Wait, wait a minute—"
He actually waited for a moment and asked with a light chuckle.
"Did you find happiness?"
Under the moonlight, the aloof CEO knelt on one knee on the floor, leaning in front of her. He raised his brow bone from the shadows between her legs. Below his nose, around his thin lips.
There were obvious wet glistening stains.
He looked at her completely flushed face, lowered his head, and accurately licked and bit down.
"I found it, anyway."
You are only allowed to be happy.
Here I come!
No need to rush for Big Taotao either, the what-if timeline Taotao will pop out soon.
I'll try to release the extra chapter earlier tomorrow!!
