Although he was seething with jealousy inside, Fu Zhiyie still pulled the baby’s crib to the edge of the bed.
Chi Chi couldn’t take her eyes off their child, her whole heart brimming with love. "He’s so cute. Is he really the baby I gave birth to?"
Lying on her side, her fair neck exposed, long lashes trembling, her pale little face was lit up with joy.
The sight tugged at Fu Zhiyie’s heart. His Chi Chi—she was still just a little girl herself.
"Zhiyie, have you thought of a name for the baby yet?"
Chi Chi looked up at him. They’d talked about it before, but since they hadn’t known if the baby would be a boy or a girl, they never settled on anything.
Fu Zhiyie ruffled her hair fondly. He’d long ago decided; in fact, the name was simple. He took Chi Chi’s small hand.
With his head bowed and lips curved in a gentle smile, Fu Zhiyie traced the characters, stroke by stroke, onto her palm:
Fu Xingshu—Ever faithful, a star shining until the dawn.
Chi Chi felt her heart melt. That name… It wasn’t like those names stuffed with hope and heavy expectation.
Instead, it was simple and warm. It held Fu Zhiyie, Chi Chi, and now their baby too.
Their baby was their star—the most precious treasure they had.
"Is it okay?" Fu Zhiyie asked softly, his eyes tender as he waited for her answer.
Chi Chi leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck, nodding. "I love it. I really do."
Fu Zhiyie embraced her. "Then you come up with a nickname."
"Hmm? A nickname…"
Chi Chi tilted her head, thinking. Slipping shyly from his embrace, she shot him a guilty look. "Ahem, can we call him Little Rice Cake?"
Fu Zhiyie was caught off guard by the cuteness, letting out a chuckle. "Why?"
"I’m hungry. I want to eat…"
And so, their baby’s nickname was carelessly but affectionately decided: Little Rice Cake.
Many years later, a grown-up, impeccably dressed Fu Xingshu would still be chased around by his little sister screaming, "Little Rice Cake!"—one step away from losing his mind every day.
The baby, as if afraid his parents would forget him, suddenly let out a loud wail.
The two rookie parents froze for a few seconds, then hurried over.
Chi Chi wanted to hold him but hesitated. The baby was so tiny and soft—she didn’t know how to pick him up.
Fu Zhiyie, on the other hand, had practiced with pillows plenty beforehand. After miming a few movements, he managed to scoop the baby up—only for the newborn to protest by opening his toothless mouth and crying even harder.
"Zhiyie, give him to me."
Chi Chi’s heart ached for the crying baby. Reaching out, she carefully took him and nestled him in her arms, cooing, "Little Rice Cake, don’t cry. Mommy’s got you."
Just then, someone knocked on the door—it was Xu Yan, the maternity nurse Ye Jing had hired from the postpartum care center.
They hadn’t expected Chi Chi to give birth so early; the nurse was originally scheduled to come two days later. The baby had arrived more than ten days ahead of schedule, so they’d just managed to get her here.
"Mrs. Fu, I’m Xu Yan. Has the baby been fed yet? He must be hungry."
Chi Chi realized that after giving birth she’d fallen asleep, and the poor baby hadn’t been fed even once yet.
But—how exactly was she supposed to feed him?
She glanced anxiously at the baby, her cheeks flushing red.
Everyone who worked for the Fu family had been carefully chosen for their professionalism—Xu Yan was in her 40s, experienced from years as a hospital infant nurse, warm and elegant.
She understood: for a young mother like Mrs. Fu, only just a girl herself, it could be awkward to breastfeed with people around.
Xu Yan gently explained the proper nursing positions. On the side, Fu Zhiyie listened even more intently than Chi Chi.
Swaying her baby lightly, Chi Chi absorbed everything Xu Yan said.
"I’ll leave you some privacy—just call me if you need help," Xu Yan smiled, then stepped out.
Ye Jing gave Chi Chi’s hair a gentle pat. “Mom will wait outside too.”
Now the only ones left in the room were Fu Zhiyie and her. Following Xu Yan’s instructions, Chi Chi carefully positioned the baby and hesitantly began to undo her shirt.
Her face burned. “Zhiyie, d-don’t look at me.”
She still wasn’t used to it, and the whole thing felt strange.
“Alright.” Afraid of embarrassing her, Fu Zhiyie gritted his teeth, quickly turning away.
Inside, though, he was frazzled, thinking: Should I ask the doctor if babies can just drink milk formula instead?! Can they still grow up fine?!
As her shirt came up, the baby nestled against her, soft and cuddly. Once properly held, he instinctively rooted for milk, eyes scrunched tightly shut, still glistening with tears, nursing frantically.
Despite a little pain, Chi Chi was so captivated by her baby’s earnest little face that she forgot all discomfort.
So this was what it felt like to be a mother. Seeing her baby quietly drinking milk, she felt like the happiest person in the world.
Once the feeding took, Chi Chi immediately felt more relaxed. She glanced at Fu Zhiyie, who stood beside the bed, obediently looking away—though he was clearly stressed out.
“Zhiyie, can you hand me a pillow?”
She still felt weak, and sitting like this, her lower back ached from the epidural. Plus, she figured her husband needed a little reassuring.
Fu Zhiyie snapped out of his daze, grabbed a pillow, and carefully slid it behind her back, frowning with concern.
"Are you very tired? The doctor said you shouldn’t lift anything heavy. I say Little Rice Cake is heavy—don’t hold him too much!"
…
Declared a "heavy object" by his dad, Little Rice Cake didn’t understand a thing, only that milk was delicious and he intended to keep drinking.
Seeing Chi Chi start to get the hang of it, Fu Zhiyie couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the baby. Reaching out to support his tiny bottom, he grumbled, both fond and exasperated, “You sure can eat!”
The baby’s little mouth worked overtime, drinking greedily. He even gave a tiny squeeze with his hand, as if to protest his dad’s comment.
Once the baby was fed, Fu Zhiyie called the others in and passed him carefully to Xu Yan. With practiced hands, she burped him and snugly fixed his swaddle.
Ye Jing opened the thermal container on the table—inside was a meal prepared by a nutritionist. For now, Chi Chi had to eat something light and gentle: vegetable porridge, chicken soup, and a bit of fish.
She handed another bowl to Fu Zhiyie. “Here, eat while it’s hot. You both must be starving.”
Poor Fu Zhiyie really was famished. He turned to Ye Jing. “Thank you, Mom.”
Since Ye Jing had come to their home, she’d cared for Grandfather and Grandmother Fu, looked after Chi Chi, and even paid attention to his needs—Fu Zhiyie’s gratitude was genuine.
Ye Jing gave him a gentle smile. “No need to thank your mother for this.”
The two of them sat down to eat while Ye Jing and Xu Yan kept an eye on the baby. "Chi Chi, what will the baby’s name be?"
Chi Chi told them the full name. When she mentioned the nickname Little Rice Cake, Ye Jing laughed too.
“That’s adorable! From now on, we’ll all call him Little Rice Cake.”
Little Rice Cake kicked his tiny feet, the adults misreading it as wholehearted approval.