Xavier Fostern immediately crouched down, anxiously looking at her tightly scrunched up little face. “What’s wrong, baby? Not feeling well?”
Chi Chi clutched her belly with one hand, enduring a few seconds of pain before the ache suddenly eased and her stomach softened again.
“I... something feels off. My stomach hurts.”
That wave of pain was nothing like the false labor pains she’d felt before—it was sharp, making sweat bead on her back in an instant.
Xavier Fostern’s mind went blank. Stomach pain? That meant… the baby was coming.
How could this be? There were still more than ten days before her due date. He reached out to touch Chi Chi’s belly—inside, the baby was moving wildly.
He stood up, suddenly at a loss. He’d practiced this so many times back at the old house—when her belly hurt, go downstairs, have the driver ready the car, and go to the hospital.
Why did it have to happen here? Forcing himself to calm down, he exhaled deeply. He couldn’t panic. If he lost control, Chi Chi would only get more scared.
Lao San walked in holding a glass of water. Xavier Fostern spun around and said urgently, “Go! Start the car! We need to get to the hospital now!”
“Huh?” Lao San nearly dropped the glass and dashed out, not bothering to close the door behind him.
Chi Chi was still in her dress, so Xavier Fostern slipped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her petite figure, bending down to soothe her.
“There, there—don’t be scared. We’re going to the hospital right now. Dr. Song is all ready for us. It’ll be okay.”
But telling her not to be afraid was a bit pointless—his own hands were shaking.
Seeing the look on his face, Chi Chi couldn’t help but give him a small smile. “Don’t panic. It’s not that fast, not yet. The pain’s gone now.”
“Right. I’m not panicking.”
He said it, then took a deep breath, finally bending down to scoop her up in his arms, hurrying outside and leaving the stunned photography crew behind.
The car was already parked out front. Xavier Fostern carefully settled her in the back seat. Despite the situation, Chi Chi remained relatively calm. After all, she’d been through countless check-ups over the past months, blood tests, and all sorts of procedures.
In her heart, she’d already been hoping their baby would come early—Dr. Song had said a few days sooner was perfectly normal.
But it really did hurt. She’d always been afraid of pain, but for the baby’s sake, she’d grit her teeth and endure.
Xavier Fostern’s jacket draped over her looked enormous. He climbed into the car and gently nestled her against him, asking with concern, “Does it hurt a lot?”
Chi Chi had just started to shake her head when another cramp hit. Her whole belly clenched so tightly she could barely breathe, and she dared not touch it, only biting her lip to bear the pain.
“Mmm…”
Her delicate white hand gripped the collar of Xavier Fostern’s shirt so hard that she left deep wrinkles in the fabric.
Because she was allergic to certain medications and with the baby’s good position, Dr. Song Ying had suggested a natural birth. Chi Chi insisted on it, too.
This was their first child; neither of them had any idea what lay ahead—how long it would take, or how painful it could become.
Xavier Fostern’s heart ached for her more than words could say. His Chi Chi had always been afraid of pain—just how much would this hurt?
It was still the hot days of August. After just two bouts of pain, Chi Chi was already sweating, beads of moisture across her forehead, her hair plastered to her cheeks. In an instant, her face had lost all its color.
Xavier Fostern gently kissed the side of her face, wordlessly trying to comfort her. No matter how anxious or pained he was, there was nothing he could do to share her burden.
It was only after bearing through another long wave of pain that Chi Chi managed to catch her breath, whispering, “It hurts so much…”
The pain was relentless, gnawing. It had barely begun, and she was already a little terrified.
“Zhiyen…” She snuggled closer to his chest, clinging to him in nervous fear.
“I’m here. I’ll stay with you, baby. We’ll wait for the little one together.”
His gentle voice by her ear at last soothed her a bit.
“As long as you’re with me, I’m not scared.”
The car sped steadily towards the hospital.
Up front, Lao San’s hands were slick with sweat. Seriously—why was he so nervous? He wasn’t the one about to become a father!
In just half an hour, the car pulled up at the hospital entrance. They’d called Dr. Song Ying on the way, and she was already waiting for them at the door.
Xavier Fostern carried Chi Chi out of the car himself, ignoring the hospital stretcher, taking her straight upstairs.
Dr. Song quickly led the way, guiding them into the elevator and then into a prepared room. She readied to examine Chi Chi right away.
The moment Chi Chi was placed on the bed, she curled up, surprised by how much giving birth really hurt. Her whole body felt depleted of all strength.
After sterilizing her hands and putting on gloves, Dr. Song said seriously, “Chi Chi, let me check you first.”
While Chi Chi struggled through another contraction, Xavier Fostern helped her lie down. The examination was anything but comfortable—if anything, it was even harder to bear.
Xavier Fostern offered his hand for her to squeeze, watching her pale face and bitten-red lips—aching for her.
Chi Chi couldn’t help curling up even tighter, and Xavier Fostern wished all that pain could fall on him instead.
Finally, the check was over. Dr. Song said, “You’re only around one centimeter dilated—it’s still early.”
“Eat something to keep your strength up—maybe some chocolate. If you can sleep, try to rest for a bit. It’s going to be a long night.”
Chi Chi nodded, letting out a breath before turning to look at Xavier Fostern.
“Rest for now. I’ll come back later,” Dr. Song said, leaving the room to give the couple some privacy.
Xavier Fostern reached out to stroke Chi Chi’s forehead, his own eyes rimmed with red. “Can you sleep, baby? Or do you want to eat something?”
There was nothing he could do except stay by her side.
Chi Chi shook her head, looking a bit pitiful. “I… I want my mom.”
The pain and fear made her think of her mother—she realized how much her own mom had endured to bring her into the world, and suddenly missed her terribly.
“Alright, I’ll call Grandpa Rivers, Grandma Rivers, and your mom. I’ll have them bring your things, too.”
He called home—Grandma Rivers answered, momentarily confused. Hadn’t the two of them gone out for a photoshoot? How did it turn into labor so suddenly?
After the shock wore off, she grew flustered. “Zhiyen, take good care of Chi Chi! I’ll come right over with Grandpa Rivers and her mom!”
“Don’t worry, it’s not urgent—doctor says it’s just the beginning. Bring along all the things Chi Chi will need.”
“Alright. Hand the phone to Chi Chi, let Grandma Rivers say something to her.”
Chi Chi had been listening the whole time, her eyelashes trembling. Xavier Fostern held the phone to her ear. In a nervous, slightly tearful voice, she called, “Grandma Rivers…”
Her voice held both fright and vulnerability.
“There, there, Chi Chi, don’t be scared. Grandma Rivers and Mom will be right over. Be good, darling, it’s going to be alright.”
Grandma Rivers’s gentle, patient voice calmed Chi Chi immediately.
“I’m not scared anymore, Grandma Rivers.”
“Good. I’ll hang up now, and we’ll be there soon.”
As soon as the call ended, Grandma Rivers had the maid fetch Ye Jing and the old man of the house, then rushed to pack Chi Chi’s hospital bag.
Both Ye Jing and the old master hurried downstairs, worry etched on their faces when they heard Chi Chi was about to give birth.
The old master paced back and forth before finally ordering someone to ready the car.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s only just starting. Let’s grab her things and head to the hospital.”
Despite the chaos, Grandma Rivers was the calmest—she double-checked the list with Ye Jing and reminded Aunt Whitney to send over nourishing soup later.
Once they were sure nothing had been forgotten, the three of them piled into the car, racing off to the hospital.