He went to the bathroom to wash his hands using soap before taking off his blazer. When he came back, Zong Qifeng asked, “Are you that free? Why are you back so early?”
Zong Jinghao was at a loss for words once again.
“Take a break.”
Hence, Zong Jinghao sat there and watched, as his father played with his son.
Zhuang Zijin placed the folded clothes on the sofa. “Did you come back early to see your son?”
“Upon finding out the twins were mine, I was so excited. Hence, I’m terribly excited now too,” Zong Jinghao told her.
The little baby is my son.
After the baby was born, he was sent to the neonatal department. Zong Jinghao had to change into a new set of clothing before visiting the newborn baby. The tiny baby was in an incubator. His entire body was green like a huge rat. The medical equipment was hooked to him to record his vitals. It was a miracle that he had managed to survive and recover that swiftly.
It was amazing.
He was an atheist, but the moment he saw his son, he couldn’t help but thank the heavens for allowing his son to arrive in this world safely.
If his son had died, he would blame himself for the rest of his life.
After all, he had signed the consent form to save the adult instead of the baby.
“Where’s Yan?”
He hadn’t seen her upon his return, back home.
“She went to visit Ya,” explained Zhuang Zijin with a sigh. She pitied Qin Ya for what she had to go through.
“Look, he’s smiling!” Suddenly, Zong Qifeng exclaimed.
The baby’s eyes were shut. He was clearly asleep, but his tiny lips were curved up.
Aunt Yu rushed over at once.
Unfortunately, when she arrived, the baby was no longer smiling. Aunt Yu was about to express her dissatisfaction when the baby smiled once again.
“Oh, how adorable! He must be dreaming about something good. You’re so happy, huh? Are you dreaming about your wife?”
Zhuang Zijin was about to head upstairs with the folded clothes when she heard that. “He’s still a baby.”
“Twenty years later, he’ll be a handsome lad. He’ll have a girlfriend by then,” responded Aunt Yu.
Zhuang Zijin chuckled. That’s still a long way to go.
Aunt Yu bemoaned, “I wonder if I’ll get to see that.”
“You’ll live till a hundred years old,” uttered Zhuang Zijin.
Aunt Yu grinned at her words.
That night, after Zong Yanchen and Zong Yanxi returned from school, the latter claimed her baby brother for herself again. She laid beside his bed, poking his cheek and patting his head while saying, “This is my little brother.”
A calm Zong Yanchen sat beside her with his hands folded. “Daddy, what does it feel like to be a father?”
Zong Jinghao responded coolly, “This isn’t my first time. I’ve already gotten used to it.”
“What about you? How does it feel like to be a brother?” he added.
Zong Yanchen’s reply was cool. “This isn’t my first time. I’ve gotten used to it.”
It rendered Zong Jinghao speechless.
That night, Lin Xinyan didn’t join them for dinner. Zong Qifeng monitored the kids as they did their homework.
Aunt Yu wanted to hold the baby, so Zhuang Zijin was in charge of washing the dishes.
The baby sucked on his milk bottle vigorously. He had finished twenty milliliters of milk in little to no time at all.
Aunt Yu put the bottle away and wiped the baby’s mouth. Upon finishing his milk, the baby fell asleep.
“Oh, you’re like a little piglet who falls asleep after eating.”
Zhuang Zijin came over to take the milk bottle away for cleaning and sterilization. She heard Aunt Yu’s comment and laughed. “He’s just a baby. He only eats and sleeps so he can grow up.”
Aunt Yu chuckled. “Who does he resemble?”
“Jinghao,” Zhuang Zijin replied.
“I think he that he resembles Mrs. Zong. If a son looks like his mother, he’s blessed,” Aunt Yu declared.
“He’ll be blessed no matter who he resembles. Look, all of us dote on him. Besides, I think he’ll be a handsome boy if he resembles Jinghao,” returned Zhuang Zijin with a smile.
There was a saying that mothers-in-law usually liked their sons-in-law the more they interacted with them. Indeed, Zhuang Zijin thought that her son-in-law, Zong Jinghao, was nothing short of perfect.
“Hey, aren’t you Mrs. Zong’s mother? Isn’t she pretty?” Aunt Yu exclaimed. How can she belittle her own daughter?
Zhuang Zijin wasn’t belittling her own daughter. Rather, she thought that it would be strange for her grandson to look like her daughter. Hence, she hoped that the baby would take after Zong Jinghao’s manly looks.
“No matter who he resembles, he won’t be an ugly baby,” concluded Aunt Yu.
Zhuang Zijin nodded in agreement before leaving with the empty milk bottle.
At night, Lin Xinyan would take care of the baby herself. Zhuang Zijin had offered to help, but she insisted on taking care of the baby for now.
When it was bedtime, Aunt Yu brought the baby upstairs.
Zong Jinghao was alone in his room. He had taken a shower and had changed into his pajamas. Sitting beside the window, he flipped through a document in his hand.
His legs were crossed elegantly. Half of his handsome profile was in the dark, while the other half was visible under the light.
Aunt Yu placed the sleeping baby in the bed and asked gently, “Mrs. Zong isn’t back yet?”
“She’ll be back later.” Lin Xinyan had called earlier to inform him that she would be staying with Qin Ya because no one was with her.
Heading out, Aunt Yu closed the door behind her.
After a while, the baby began to sob.
