Olivia Young's sleep had become sporadic—constantly waking up at night, the baby kicking non-stop, feeling uncomfortable no matter how she lay.
Frederick Fairfax was still on set and hadn't come home. He'd said he'd wrap up filming two weeks ago, but now even Bella Snow had returned to resume her scenes. When it came to picky directors and producers, there was nothing to be done.
Olivia Young didn't reply to Frederick Fairfax, so he flooded her with more messages.
[Frederick Fairfax:]
She ignored him.
[Olivia Young: Your kid keeps me up all night, my body feels huge, my face has completely changed. You want me to chat with you every day? I am just not in the mood!]
[Frederick Fairfax: So the poor stepdad has to take the blame? Life is hard!]
[Olivia Young: Or you could skip the blame—baby just won't call you 'Dad' in the future.]
[Frederick Fairfax: Call me 'Uncle'? That doesn't sound right. We're at least a married couple!]
[Olivia Young: It's a agreement marriage!]
They still hadn't torn up the marriage agreement.
[Frederick Fairfax: Lily, I promise I'll be back before your due date.]
[Olivia Young: Really, it’s fine! You don’t have to come back.]
Even if he came home, he wouldn’t be much help.
Now, not only Quentin Young, but also her parents had moved in. Even Sir Fairfax was staying over. So, Jingche or not, it didn’t make much difference.
A few days later, Olivia Young was walking in the garden with Sophia Sinclair.
The whole villa was buzzing. With the baby on the way and New Year around the corner, everything was decked out in red and gold.
After a stroll, the two returned to the main hall.
Inside sat a middle-aged couple, who looked every bit Frederick Fairfax’s parents.
"You must be Lily. Sorry we only just got back now."
"Pregnancy is tough. You’re doing great."
Jingche wasn't here, but now she was facing his parents.
Talk about awkward!
"It’s really fine. I’m being well taken care of at home," Olivia Young replied sweetly. "You just got back, so get some rest."
"We’re fine. We came back mainly to see you—and our soon-to-be grandchild."
Clearly, they knew full well the baby was Frederick Fairfax’s.
After some polite small talk, Sophia Sinclair helped Olivia Young upstairs.
"So, what’s the story?"
"My dear, look at you! Sir Fairfax and Jingche’s parents are already treating the baby as their heir! No wonder you’re my daughter—everyone loves you," Sophia Sinclair said as she gently helped her sit down.
"Honestly, Mom," Olivia Young said quietly, "isn’t it possible that this child really is Jingche’s…"
"What!!"
Sophia Sinclair’s hand trembled, threatening to spill her tea. She set the cup down, stunned.
"The baby is Jingche’s? Why didn’t you tell me before? Olivia Young! You’re something else. Keeping such a big thing from me? Who else knows?"
"I only told Sir Fairfax. Looks like his parents have figured it out. And as for Jingche, I’ve tried telling him, but he thinks I’m still talking about being his stepchild’s father." Olivia Young pulled her mother to sit down again. "Mom, relax. It’s a bit dramatic."
"So you agreed to this agreement marriage with Jingche because the child was his all along…" Sophia Sinclair had an epiphany.
Young people these days! Hiding things like this...
She didn’t get it. She was utterly shocked.
Her mind was spinning; for so long, she had worried the Fengs wouldn’t accept this baby and that after it was born, they’d have to raise the child themselves. She’d even thought, if needed, her daughter could have another child with Jingche later.
"When do you plan to tell him?" Sophia Sinclair asked, full of complicated emotion.
"When the time is right. Honestly, I’ve tried to drop hints, but Jingche is completely stuck in the role of ‘stepdad.’"
"You… You really should tell him. This isn’t a small matter. You guys… when you were overseas, that one-night romance…"
"Frederick Fairfax didn’t even recognize you, so the two of you…"
Can mother and daughter really discuss a topic like this?
"Mm…"
Suddenly, Olivia Young leaned back, clutching her belly. "Ah, it hurts—Mom, mom…"
A universal Chinese trait—something goes wrong, you call for your mom.
"Is this it? Are you in labor?"
"Hang in there, darling. I’ll get help right away!"
The agreementions started—waves of pain, coming early, several days before her due date.
The whole villa sprang into action—some rushed to get the car, some grabbed the hospital bag, some frantically tried calling Frederick Fairfax.
He didn’t pick up.
So many people for just one birth; several cars followed to the hospital.
At the hospital, Olivia Young wasn’t ready to go into the delivery room yet.
She ate some food between agreementions—howling in pain when they hit, wolfing down everything in sight when they didn’t. After all, once the baby came, spicy snacks and barbecue would be off-limits for a while.
"Sis, sis!"
"Sis…"
Quentin Young stuck his head close—Olivia Young grabbed his hair with a vengeance. "Ahhh—"
Pain! Unbearable pain!
As the pain subsided, she let go. (⊙o⊙)…
She’d yanked out a clump.
Quentin Young’s eyes filled with tears. "Ow, sis…"
"Why'd you lean so close?"
If not his head, she could have bitten his hand instead.
Fuming, Quentin Young called Frederick Fairfax again. Still no answer.
Fine then! If you can’t be bothered, this kid’s going to have my last name—Yu!
Several hours later, Olivia Young was finally wheeled into the delivery room.
She had just gone in when Frederick Fairfax called back.
Quentin Young picked up for his sister. "It’s me! You’re too late!"
"How is she?"
"She just went in! Even if you come back now, you’ll never make it in time. There are loads of us taking care of her." He stared intently at the doors, his heart pounding.
He hadn’t slept well for days. The algorithm kept shoving pregnancy and baby articles at him, and he’d accidentally seen some nightmare-inducing stories about difficult deliveries.
He was losing sleep—terrified his sister might have a rough time like that.
"I’m in the middle of work—the final day of filming. I thought she had a few days left; how was I to know she’d go into labor early?" Jingche’s frustration seeped through.
He should have thought of this possibility. Everything had to happen on the very same day—his wrap party and her giving birth.
"Fine, go back to your work!" Quentin Young was ready to hang up.
"Don’t hang up! I’ll be finished soon, I’ll come back as soon as I can."
Did he think this was just a movie set?
No matter how long you waited, from outside the delivery room, you couldn’t hear a thing from inside.
Quentin Young didn’t hang up—he just kept the phone in hand.
It was quiet at the hospital. Through the phone, the roar of Frederick Fairfax’s car was obvious, sometimes punctuated by sharp horn-blasts. He was clearly speeding.
"Has she delivered yet?"
"It’s not that fast!" Quentin Young snapped. "Brother-in-law, you’ve asked that fifty times!"
It’d only been an hour—birth wasn’t instant.
He wished it would be quick, so his sister wouldn’t have to suffer.
Every few minutes, Jingche would ask again. Quentin Young couldn’t take it and handed the phone to Lucas Young.
Lucas Young took the phone awkwardly—he really had nothing to say to his son-in-law. He shot a glare at Quentin Young.
"Lily delivered yet?"
"Che, not yet. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when she does," Lucas Young replied, his mind wandering. "Even though the baby’s not yours by blood, you care so much for her. I really feel at ease leaving her to you."
Sophia Sinclair, standing to the side, almost blacked out when she heard that. She hadn’t had a chance to tell Lucas Young that, actually, the child was Jingche’s all along.
Things like this, better let her daughter explain them herself. As a mom, she really didn’t follow all the twists and turns.
Meanwhile, Frederick Fairfax was on a plane, ready for takeoff. The flight attendant was already signaling him to switch off his phone.
"Just a second."
Jingche was about to hang up when he heard the faintest sound of a baby crying.
The cry was instantly drowned out by excited voices.