Cheng Tong asked enviously, "All right, who is she?"
"Su Ningwei." Ye Chen didn't hide it anymore.
Su Ningwei had already agreed to marry him. It was only a matter of time before they made it public.
Cheng Tong was his closest friend, so there was even less reason to keep it from him.
Cheng Tong looked utterly incredulous. "Who??? Su Ningwei? You mean the Su Ningwei I'm thinking of? Did I hear that right?"
"That's right, the Su Ningwei you're thinking of. Su Ningwei, the lead singer of the Rose Girl Group," Ye Chen replied.
Cheng Tong's eyes widened as he blurted out, "Holy crap! You—you—you actually had a baby with our goddess? Is this for real?"
"It's real," Ye Chen replied.
Cheng Tong looked envious and impressed. "You're incredible! A cow riding a chainsaw—now that's a whole new level of incredible! No wonder Su Ningwei suddenly announced she was leaving the group and disappeared. She was having your baby! You're the ultimate winner in life! Did you have a boy or a girl?"
"Two girls and a boy."
"You've got the best of both worlds, and two little darlings to boot. Unbeatable! I'm so jealous... I'm still single as can be..."
"Give me a break. It wouldn't be hard for you to find a girlfriend. You just don't want to settle down yet. By the way, keep this under wraps for now."
"I get it. Famous people attract a lot of gossip, right? Public figures need to keep a low profile. Don't worry, I won't say a word."
"Mm. I'm planning to move in with my wife and kids so I can take care of them. I'll be a full-time dad for a while, so please turn down my part-time jobs for now."
"Sure, got it. Is fifty thousand enough? If it isn't, I've got more than ten thousand here. I'll transfer that to you too. Keep it for now. Having a kid comes with plenty of expenses."
"That's enough. Thank you so much." Ye Chen didn't actually need to borrow any more money from Cheng Tong, but he hadn't figured out how to explain where his money came from. He planned to pay Cheng Tong back with a little extra interest in a while.
Cheng Tong replied, "No need to thank me. If you need more, just tell me. Being a dad isn't easy these days. If you need help, just ask. They say sons bring good fortune and daughters bring wealth. Things will only get better."
"Mm. Once I've settled in, I'll invite you all to the wedding banquet," Ye Chen said, feeling warmth spread through his heart.
Cheng Tong replied with a laugh, "Sure. I'll get back to work, then. Call me if anything comes up."
Ye Chen thought that, with something as important as getting married and having children, he should tell his parents right away.
But it had all happened so suddenly. Mountain City was far from Magic City, and his family still had their shop to run. His father, Ye Dashan, needed Li Juan to look after him.
So Ye Chen decided to wait until he was settled in before telling his family, even if it meant waiting a little longer.
After tidying up the kitchen,
Ye Chen was still too excited to sleep. While Su Ningwei and the three babies were asleep, he had a delivery service buy some nourishing supplements for her, then ordered baby clothes and other essentials online.
The babies slept for nearly three hours before waking with little whimpers and smacking their lips, ready for milk again.
Ye Chen hurried to soothe the three little ones, afraid they'd wake Su Ningwei.
Su Ningwei had been sleeping deeply, but when she heard the babies' whimpers, her breasts began to ache, and she woke up.
"The babies must be hungry. Bring them to me and I'll feed them," Su Ningwei said.
"Okay. I wanted to let you sleep a little longer. Being a mom really is hard." Seeing that Su Ningwei was awake, Ye Chen brought her Xiaobao, who was crying the loudest.
It really was true: the baby who cried got the milk.
Su Ningwei lifted her shirt and replied with a smile, "It's not hard. The babies will grow up eventually, and I love feeling that they need me. You're the one who has to cook and wash dishes, and take care of the babies and me. You're the one who's tired."
"I'm more than happy to be your husband and the babies' father." Ye Chen bent down and kissed Su Ningwei on the forehead.
She was such a wonderful wife. It was impossible not to love her, and she made him ache with tenderness.
Soon, all three babies were full. They lay quietly in their little bed, taking in the new world around them.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
"I'm the nurse. I'm here to check on you," the nurse called from outside.
Ye Chen hurriedly drew the curtain and went to open the hospital room door.
After checking the babies, the nurse asked, "Have they passed their first stool yet?"
"They have," Ye Chen replied quickly.
The nurse nodded. "Did you change this diaper?"
"Yes. Is something wrong?" Ye Chen asked nervously.
The nurse smiled. "No, I've just never seen a first-time dad hold a baby so well. You're a pretty competent rookie dad."
"Nurse, could you do a DNA test for us?" Su Ningwei asked.
The nurse glanced at Su Ningwei, then at Ye Chen, looking a little surprised.
Ye Chen was puzzled too. He was just about to say that he trusted her and there was no need for a paternity test.
Then Su Ningwei explained with a smile, "We haven't gotten our marriage certificate yet, and the Birth Medical Certificate requires a DNA paternity test report."
So that was why, Ye Chen thought. It was a good idea to get one done anyway. It would put a stop to other people's wild speculation.
"All right." The nurse nodded and took samples from the babies and Ye Chen.
After collecting the samples, the nurse checked how Su Ningwei was recovering and asked, "Have you started producing breast milk?"
"Yes." Su Ningwei nodded shyly, too embarrassed to say that Ye Chen had helped massage it out.
The nurse nodded. "That's good. I'm going to press on your abdomen to help clear the lochia. It'll hurt a little, so you'll have to bear with it."
Su Ningwei had been given anesthesia before giving birth and had a pain-relief pump, so childbirth hadn't felt especially painful. She assumed that having her abdomen pressed to clear the lochia wouldn't hurt either.
"It's fine, go ahead," Su Ningwei replied with a smile.
The postpartum-care skills in Ye Chen's head told him that pressing on the abdomen to clear the lochia was no simple matter. It hurt like hell.
"I'll stay with you. If it hurts, squeeze my hand to let off some steam." Ye Chen sat on the stool beside Su Ningwei and took her hand.
The nurse glanced at Ye Chen, thinking what a good man he was.
Su Ningwei clasped his hand back and replied with a smile, "How painful can it be? I've got the pain-relief pump."
The nurse stepped forward, avoiding the incision, and pressed on Su Ningwei's uterus, which hadn't fully contracted yet.
"Ah! It hurts!" Su Ningwei cried out immediately.
It hurt so much...
The pain was even worse than giving birth.
Tears streamed down Su Ningwei's face, and her hand instinctively clamped down hard on Ye Chen's.
Ye Chen felt her grip painfully tight around his hand, but it couldn't compare to the ache he felt for Su Ningwei. He loved her even more.
The nurse didn't go easy on Su Ningwei. Wanting to make sure she recovered properly, she pressed firmly and thoroughly before finally stopping.
By the time the nurse left the hospital room,
Su Ningwei's face had gone pale with pain, and beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.
Realizing she might have hurt Ye Chen, Su Ningwei quickly let go and anxiously examined his hand.
It was bruised from her grip.