The contractions still weren't regular yet—there was always a stretch of calm before each new wave of pain.

Taking advantage of the lull, Fu Zhiyie gently helped her sit up and changed her clothes.

Cecilia glanced at her gown and felt at a loss for words. Who goes into labor while wearing an evening dress, with a diamond necklace and full makeup in a hospital room?

Fu Zhiyie unclasped her necklace and, executive habits forgotten, tossed the expensive jewelry aside before carefully removing her dress.

The hospital gown was generous and soft—the moment Cecilia put it on, she felt far more at ease.

Instead of bringing a chair, Fu Zhiyie just knelt by the head of the bed after helping her change, watching her closely.

He was so tall and long-legged that crouching like that, he looked just like a big loyal dog. Cecilia managed a faint smile on her pale face and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Pull over a chair, don't just squat here like a puppy."

…

Fu Zhiyie pretended not to hear his wife's teasing. As long as she wasn't hurting too badly, she could say whatever she wanted to him.

Obediently, he stood up and moved a chair over, worry clouding his expression. "Try to get some sleep. Dr. Song said you need to conserve your strength."

"Mm." After a few pain cycles, Cecilia was truly exhausted. She closed her eyes to rest but just couldn't fall asleep.

Each time the pain surged, she gripped Fu Zhiyie's hand and endured. After a while, his hand was red from her squeezing.

Suppressed, pained sounds periodically slipped from her lips, and each one crushed Fu Zhiyie's heart a little more.

He gently wiped away the sheen of sweat from her forehead, afraid that even a touch too firm would add to her discomfort.

Knowing how worried he was, Cecilia forced herself not to cry.

Not long after, Ye Jing and the others arrived at the hospital, arms full of supplies. The moment they saw Cecilia in her hospital bed, both Ye Jing and Grandma Rivers’s eyes reddened with tears.

"Oh, our poor Cecilia, you’re working so hard, sweetheart," Grandma Rivers said, pushing Fu Zhiyie aside to bend over the bed, face full of concern.

Cecilia shook her head, voice soft and raspy. "Don’t worry, Grandma Rivers."

Every woman goes through childbirth, but seeing Cecilia in pain, how could her mother not feel distressed? Ye Jing hovered by the bed, heart clenching tight for her daughter.

Since this was the VIP floor and the Fu family’s madam was about to give birth, the whole level had been cleared out. Even so, it wasn’t convenient to crowd so many people in the room, so Grandma Rivers herded Grandpa Rivers and Fu Zhiyie into the room next door, leaving Ye Jing to keep Cecilia company.

Fu Zhiyie was still worried and clearly didn’t want to leave, but Cecilia said she wanted to talk to her mother for a while.

Now the room held only mother and daughter. Seeing her mom brought out the little girl in Cecilia—her pain-borne grievances surged up all at once.

"Mom, it hurts so much," she sniffled.

Fu Zhiyie was already anxious enough—she didn’t want him to see her cry.

Ye Jing sat down by the bed and gently caressed her daughter’s cheek. "You’re so brave, Cecilia. Once the baby’s out, the pain will be over."

Cecilia nodded, her little hand cradling her belly, voice faint.

"You must have suffered so much giving birth to me, too…"

Her voice was thin, and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

Ye Jing brushed away her own tears. "My sweet girl, you’re worth every bit of it."

"When I saw you for the first time, I was so happy that everything else was forgotten."

"Mm. I’ll do my best, too. I’ll bring my little one into the world safely."

"Mmm..."

Another contraction came. Cecilia dropped her head and gripped the rail of the bed, fighting through the pain. Ye Jing reached out to gently massage her daughter’s aching back.

With Ye Jing taking care of her, Cecilia managed to doze off for a little while. Song Ying checked in twice but, seeing her asleep, quietly let her rest.

When Cecilia woke again, more than an hour had passed. That brief nap hadn’t helped—the pain in her belly felt like it had just leveled up.

"Uh..." Her eyes hadn’t even opened; the pain was already there.

Fu Zhiyie, who had been unable to stay away and had long since returned to the room, was watching her from his chair. As soon as she woke, he was at her side.

"Mmm, how much longer... how much longer until the baby arrives?" Cecilia could barely take it anymore, voice tight as she sniffled.

"Not much longer, sweetheart. Just hang in there, okay?"

He couldn’t do anything but try to distract her. "Baby, what do you think—do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?"

Her face all wrinkled up, Cecilia still obediently gave it some thought. "A girl. I’d like a girl."

"Me too. Well, I’d love either. If it’s a girl, she’d be as beautiful as you."

Listening to Fu Zhiyie, Cecilia found herself thinking a boy would be adorable, too—a tiny version of Fu Zhiyie. She’d seen photos of him as a little kid, not cold at all, just cute.

"If it’s a boy, he’ll look like you," she mumbled so softly it made him ache. Fu Zhiyie bent down and kissed her, once, then again.

Cecilia let him, but suddenly remembered her mom might still be in the room. Awkwardly, she edged away and looked around—Ye Jing had quietly slipped out at some point.

Time dragged on. Aunt Whitney’s nourishing soup arrived, and after sipping some, Cecilia felt a bit revived.

Song Ying came by again to check her progress. "You’re dilating a bit slowly—first baby, and a bit early, too. Cecilia, if you have the strength, let President Foster help you walk around a bit. It’ll help the baby come faster."

Cecilia grew anxious. "Is the baby alright?"

"All good. It’s just taking a while, and you’ll have more strength if you move around."

"Okay." When it came to the baby, Cecilia always listened to the doctor.

"Good, keep it up! When you’re dilated to three centimeters, we’ll give you an epidural. Rest up tonight, and you’ll meet your baby tomorrow."

Song Ying’s words gave Cecilia a much-needed boost of confidence.

With Fu Zhiyie’s help, Cecilia got to her feet. Now that she was about to give birth, her belly didn’t roundly jut out anymore—it drooped low, like a water droplet about to fall.

Standing felt awful, but with Fu Zhiyie’s steady hold, she managed to shuffle around the room. Every time the pain struck, she’d want to sit down; only Fu Zhiyie’s arms kept her upright.

After a few circuits, there was finally some progress. Song Ying checked and announced it was time for the epidural.

The needle was long, and though Cecilia’s petite frame was trembling with pain and sweat, she gritted her teeth.

Fu Zhiyie shielded her eyes, not daring to look.

"Sweetheart, hold still. It’ll be over soon."

The towering President of the Fu Group was a mere shadow of his usual self—just a worried husband and father-to-be.

As the medication took effect, the edge of the pain dulled. At last, Cecilia managed some relief.

Fu Zhiyie dabbed her sweat away and coaxed her to rest.

——

Yaya’s notes: Yay! Full chapter's up. Tomorrow's the big day! Will it be a boy or a girl?!