Chapter 331: Wang Yang

"Mom, just sit down, please stop pacing. The doctor said Taozi's health is fine, there's nothing to worry about."

Outside the delivery room, it was already midnight; Wang Yan, sitting on a bench with one leg crossed over the other, urged his anxious mother-in-law who was pacing back and forth.

"How long has it been already? Taozi went in this morning, and now it's nearly the dead of night—how can I not be worried? I'm not saying this to blame you, but how can you be so calm?"

Wang Yan smiled: "Mom, I know traditional Chinese medicine, and I understand Western medicine too—you know my skills are more than enough. I've been caring for Taozi from start to finish, right up to the delivery room—there's absolutely no problem. Just relax."

Duan Xifeng also chimed in: "Yeah, Auntie, didn't Su Qing go in at midnight and only deliver at noon? It's fine. You've got to have faith in Taozi."

"Sumei, calm down. The baby's inside; worrying won't help." That was Li Zhaoxian, sitting nearby—he had long since become part of this family, and got along with them naturally.

"How can I possibly relax? Sigh…" Xue Sumei waved her hand impatiently: "Don't bother me, let me pace for a bit—it helps me feel better."

The three men sitting in a row exchanged glances, then stopped trying to intervene.

Duan Xifeng clicked his tongue and nudged Wang Yan's shoulder: "Hey, I'm not saying this to be rude, but how are you not nervous at all?"

"I've got it all figured out—what's there to be nervous about? If you're talking about being a nervous dad, I'd say you've been running around all day preparing, and I've already prepared everything for Taozi's postpartum recovery—absolutely foolproof. Why should I be nervous? I'm not going to scare myself."

The pacing mother-in-law stopped dead. Was he referring to me? She shot a disgruntled glare at Wang Yan, who was grinning at her, then ignored him and resumed pacing. This son-in-law was perfect in every way—except he never got anxious, which drove her crazy. The worst part was, he always got everything right, leaving no room for criticism. The way he stood there so confident, so certain everything would go perfectly—how could he be so sure?

Another long while passed; it was now deep into the night. Finally, after countless calls and waiting, the delivery room door opened.

Duan Xifeng felt it most acutely—he'd barely heard the door move when he was about to speak to Wang Yan, but in a flash, he saw Wang Yan had already vanished from his seat and stood before the doctor stepping out. You said you weren't nervous? You said you weren't in a hurry?

Before Wang Yan could speak, Xue Sumei's voice rang out: "How is it, Doctor?"

"The delivery went smoothly—a healthy, plump baby boy, seven pounds five ounces. Mother and child are both safe." The doctor removed his mask and smiled at the group, who all let out a collective sigh of relief: "The mother has collapsed from exhaustion and is asleep. After we finish the postpartum checks, we'll move her directly to her room."

After thanking the doctor, Wang Yan and the others waited a few more minutes, then followed the nurse as she wheeled out Yang Tao—drenched in sweat, unconscious—into a private room for recovery.

Unlike her cousin Su Qing, who delivered far ahead of schedule, Yang Tao gave birth just one day before her due date. They had already been hospitalized two days early, and all the messy daily necessities were fully prepared. There was no need to rush home in the middle of the night to fetch anything.

Even though the nurses had already wiped her down, Wang Yan still took the towel he'd prepared earlier, soaked it in water, and gently wiped Yang Tao's face, smoothing the damp strands of hair clinging to her forehead. Though her complexion was pale and she looked frail, the maternal radiance radiating from her—even in deep sleep—could not be hidden after childbirth.

"This child is so beautiful," Xue Sumei gazed at her own newborn grandson, beaming: "I was worried before—if he took after Wang Yan's looks, it'd be terrible."

Li Zhaoxian chuckled softly: "Taozi's beautiful, so the baby took after her. Besides, the best thing about Wang Yan is his expressive eyes—this child has good taste."

"Yes, all the best traits of both parents are in this child—perfect," Duan Xifeng grinned, turning to Wang Yan: "Our kid? Not so lucky—he's all my fault as a father."

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow, surprised by his self-awareness: "You've got insight."

"Get lost."

Wang Yan stopped joking and stood up: "Mom, Uncle Li, Brother-in-law, it's late. Go home and rest. I'll stay here. If you need help, there are nurses right here."

"Alright, I'll come early tomorrow. Take care," Xue Sumei didn't refuse—she was old, her husband Li had only been discharged two months ago, and Duan Xifeng had his own wife and child to care for. Most importantly, Wang Yan was excellent at soothing babies—he'd calmed Su Qing's child so well, she trusted him completely.

"Okay, don't worry, Mom." Wang Yan nodded, then walked over and patted Duan Xifeng's arm: "You look exhausted. Drive slowly, stay safe."

"I've got it. I'm off."

With that, Duan Xifeng led Xue Sumei and Li Zhaoxian out of the room. Wang Yan saw them off until they disappeared around the corner, then turned back, stepped close, and carefully studied the sleeping infant for two long moments.

He was just looking—nothing more. After all, he was the father. He'd only glanced once right after birth, then everyone else crowded around staring. This was his second time looking.

After looking, Wang Yan didn't disturb the sleeping mother and child. He lay down on the companion bed, closed his eyes, and dozed off…

He'd only dozed off around 2 a. m., so he hadn't rested long when a piercing infant cry pierced the air. Even though the private room had excellent soundproofing, Wang Yan's acute senses still caught it instantly. This was a private room—if it had been a shared ward, one baby crying would've set off a chorus.

He checked his wristwatch—it was just past five. Wang Yan sat up, stretched deeply, drank a glass of water, then went to the baby and changed the diaper he'd put on the day before. As expected, it was full. Newborns sleep long and deeply; Wang Yan, as the father, didn't mind at all. He cleaned the baby with practiced ease, patted the baby's slightly bruised bottom, changed the diaper, then left him be. He glanced at the sleeping Yang Tao, then returned to his bed and dozed off again.

He should've woken Yang Tao to feed the baby. But things were fine now—the baby hadn't cried from hunger, and Yang Tao hadn't woken from engorgement. Let one of them wake up first.

More than an hour later, he heard movement on the bed and opened his eyes. He saw her half-lidded, drowsy eyes, picked up the warm water he'd already prepared, and leaned over: "How do you feel? Want to sleep a little longer?"

Yang Tao didn't even look at her husband—she turned her head toward the baby: "I'm fine. No more sleep. Help me sit up. I feel swollen—I need to feed Yang Yang."

The baby's prearranged name was Wang Yang. Wang Yan had simply combined both their surnames—he was too lazy to think of anything else. It was simple, easy to say. Yang Tao had initially objected, but after thinking it over, she agreed—it was a symbol of their love. Imagining the child saying one day, "My dad's surname is Wang, my mom's is Yang, so I'm Wang Yang," she found it sweet, and so the name stuck.

Wang Yan placed the cup on the bedside table, slid one hand behind her back and the other under her arm, gently lifting her, then slipped a pillow behind her so she could lean back comfortably.

Yang Tao knew her husband's strength—she exerted no effort at all, settling into a comfortable position. She gave him a satisfied look, took the cup, and drained it in one gulp: "Bring Yang Yang to me."

Wang Yan walked around, picked up the baby, and placed him in Yang Tao's arms.

Yang Tao lifted her shirt, revealed her nipple, and drew the baby close. Perhaps it was the scent of his mother, or perhaps instinct—before his eyes even opened, before he was fully awake, the baby instinctively turned his mouth toward her and began suckling loudly.

Wang Yan poured another glass of water and set it down: "Have hospital food for breakfast. What do you want for lunch? When Mom comes, I'll go home and cook for you."

"You decide. I don't know as much as you do. I can't eat what I crave anyway—saying it won't help." Yang Tao reached out and poked her baby's tiny cheek: "It's all your fault—you've made Mommy give up good food. If you're bad later, just wait and see what I'll do to you."

Fresh from childbirth, newly become a mother, Yang Tao was overflowing with maternal love—her eyes saw nothing but the baby. Wang Yan, ever tactful, sat quietly to the side, smiling as he watched.

After feeding the baby and checking his diaper again, confirming everything was fine, Yang Tao placed the infant back in his crib and finally turned her attention to Wang Yan—her husband, the baby's father.

"Who does he look like?"

Wang Yan didn't hesitate, didn't even think: "Of course he takes after you. Look at that little nose, that little mouth—identical to your beautiful face. Right now he's cute, but when he grows up, he'll be a heartthrob—girls will fall head over heels for him."

"I think he looks like me too," Yang Tao chuckled, then frowned: "But right now he's so ugly—wrinkled and all. I wonder if he's really as great as you say…"

"Didn't you watch Su Qing's child grow up? He'll look better in a while."

"Mm. I'm beautiful, you're not ugly—Yang Yang can't let us down, okay?"

Not ugly… Wang Yan took that as approval. He was about to speak when the door opened—nurse came in to check, gave instructions, then left. Right after, Xue Sumei arrived with Li Zhaoxian and Duan Xifeng.

"Oh, you're awake?" Xue Sumei looked at her daughter. "Did you feed the baby?"

"Yes, I did," Yang Tao replied, then greeted Li Zhaoxian and Duan Xifeng behind her: "Wang Yan's here—I'm fine. Why are you here so early? You went home so late last night, you should've rested more."

"How could I rest? I dreamed of my grandson all night." Xue Sumei tossed her bag aside and leaned over to admire her grandson: "The more I look, the cuter he gets—I've been thinking about him all night. Oh, by the way, how are you feeling, Taozi?"

"I'm fine, really." Yang Tao answered firmly. In her mother's heart now, her own status had fallen below her son's—she'd said several things already, and only now remembered to ask how she was.

"Then I'm relieved," Xue Sumei nodded, turning to Wang Yan: "Wang Yan, you've been up all night without rest—go home and sleep properly. And don't forget to make Taozi some medicinal soup. Your cooking works wonders—Su Qing recovered so well, didn't gain nearly as much weight as others."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll head home now. I'll bring lunch over at noon."

Wang Yan nodded, didn't dawdle, said his goodbyes, grabbed his keys, phone, and wallet, and left. He wouldn't sleep when he got home—he had to go to the market for fresh ingredients, cook the medicinal soup with the herbs already prepared at home, and the timing was critical—he had to watch it himself. He'd have to shuttle between home and the hospital. But this routine would only last a few days—once Yang Tao was discharged and returned home for her postpartum recovery, things would settle.

Yang Tao had a natural delivery, which recovers much faster than a C-section. After three days of hospital observation, confirmed no issues and the baby thriving, Wang Yan drove Yang Tao home.

But this time they didn't return to their fifth-ring apartment—they went to the earlier three-ring apartment. Nearly a year had passed since its renovation; the fumes had dissipated for half a year. Their renovation had no unnecessary clutter, used only high-end materials. Though some harmful substances remained, they were far less than average.

Combined with indoor plants, tea leaves, and a ventilation system designed before renovation, plus multiple methods to remove toxins and odors, and finally confirmed safe by a professional testing company, they waited longer still—until now, after Yang Tao's delivery and discharge, they moved in directly.

There were indeed specialized companies that handled postpartum care for new mothers, but Wang Yan, as a master of integrated Chinese and Western medicine, had no need for such services; staying at home was more comfortable, so he didn't go, and took personal charge of the care himself.

The news of Yang Tao's childbirth was naturally spread far and wide by Xue Sumei, so in recent days, a steady stream of relatives and friends arrived with gifts to visit. Yang Tao and Wang Yan's friends—including Lan Weiwei and Li Kui, Jiao Yang, Li Hongli, Hu Qixing and his wife Piaopiao, as well as some people Wang Yan had met through film crews, and all the staff of "Tao Yan"—all came to offer their congratulations.

Even Guoran, who was already in Africa, living among cheetahs and lions, eating dust and drinking wind, had sent his blessings and gifts through Hu Qixing.

Xue Sumei's joy was understandable, but too many people came; the newborn had very low resistance, and most of them never even saw the child.

Xue Sumei's thinking was actually very simple: over the past many years, families would go three or two years without any news, yet when it came time to give gifts, they showed up—was she supposed to give out but never receive? That wouldn't do. She had to get it back. This was only the first wave; the next waves would come at the hundred-day celebration, the first birthday, and her own sixty-sixth birthday—there had to be reciprocity.

Wang Yan said nothing, but the constant stream of visitors meant he had to entertain them over and over, which frustrated him; everything else was fine. But Yang Tao couldn't take it anymore—her ears had never known peace—so she had a small talk with her mother. Since the relatives and friends had all been notified, it was finally over, and life began to return to normal.

Of course, "normal" wasn't very normal at all; after all, a new member had joined the household—a crybaby—and even though Wang Yan had immense experience raising children, the house was chaotic day after day, full of lively commotion.

But their family's pleasant days hadn't lasted long before others' good days suffered a great misfortune…