Chapter 31: Thank You for Giving Me Such a Wonderful Experience
Feng Qizhou’s eyes were playful. His long, slender, fair fingers poked into the dark barrel of the gun, and he stared at Xue Yu. “If you have something to ask, just ask. Why are you pointing a gun at me?”
Xue Yu quickly put the gun away and asked solemnly, “Feng Qizhou, did you have a baby behind my back?”
“Yes.”
Xue Yu looked at his abdomen with some concern. “Who delivered the baby for you? How is your body recovering?”
Feng Qizhou calmly tapped on the screen of his watch, checking the surveillance footage of the child in his office while replying to Xue Yu.
“I did the C-section myself. I was bored, so I made a cut on my belly with a knife, and the baby fell out.”
He said it casually, as if it were a very easy thing.
After checking the surveillance, he shifted his gaze back to the child in Zhou Siyan’s arms. “And you guys? Where did this big fatty come from?”
Xue Yu first glanced at Zhou Siyan, then said to Feng Qizhou, “It’s a long story.”
“Then tell it slowly. I’d love to hear it,” he said, looking at Xue Yu expectantly.
The three adults were crowded in the lounge.
Xue Yu walked out to the office, sat down on the sofa, and then briefly recounted the story.
“When Zhou Siyan found me, his belly was already very big. We had no choice but to go to the South Continent to give birth.”
“The journey was very hard. We drove for ten days to get to the South Continent. We had no experience, so we rushed to buy baby supplies and then found a black-market doctor to perform a C-section on him.”
“It was so busy. We didn’t even have time for a postpartum period. We just rushed back in the car.”
Feng Qizhou’s tongue pushed against his cheek. “You mean, you took care of him all the way and were present for the birth?”
“Yes!” Xue Yu replied with full confidence, proving that she was a responsible and good mother. “I even went into the delivery room with him.”
Feng Qizhou squinted at Zhou Siyan, who was holding the baby and standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. He frowned and complained with dissatisfaction, “Why did you let her go into the delivery room? It’s so bloody. Weren’t you afraid of scaring her?”
Zhou Siyan picked up the rubber ball the baby had dropped and didn’t reply.
Xue Yu quickly clarified, “I’m fine. I’m not afraid of those things anymore. People always need to grow.”
She spread her hands magnanimously and continued, “Since you were going to have a baby, why didn’t you tell me? If I had known, I would have taken both of you to the South Continent. It would have saved you from cutting yourself open. How dangerous.”
Feng Qizhou’s tongue pushed against his cheek again, his fingertips tapping rhythmically on the armrest of the sofa. He asked again, “Did you two decide to go to the South Continent to have the baby from the very beginning? You never thought about getting rid of it?”
Xue Yu: “We did. When Zhou Siyan first came to me, he said he wanted me to accompany him for an abortion. On the way, he changed his mind and said he wanted to have it, so that’s what happened…”
Feng Qizhou slowly stood up, walked a few steps, and stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with his back to Xue Yu. He stared at the metal buildings outside with a complicated expression and said nothing.
Xue Yu was worried he had postpartum depression. She walked over and peeked at him. “Feng Qizhou, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just a little triggered.”
He clenched his fist and lightly punched the glass window.
He had been so paranoid all day, worried that Xue Yu wouldn’t be able to accept the child, afraid that if he confessed, he would scare her away.
He hadn’t expected that Zhou Siyan would go directly to Xue Yu, even have her accompany him through childbirth, and happily bring back a big fatty.
Feng Qizhou composed himself and turned to look at the child in Zhou Siyan’s arms.
He couldn’t resist and went over to forcibly pick her up, weighing her in his arms. “How much does this one weigh? She’s so sturdy.”
He touched the baby’s legs and then her arms. “These arms, these legs, so strong.”
Zhou Siyan said, “She’s almost seventeen jin now. She was ten jin at birth.”
His pride was unconcealed in his words.
“Ten jin at birth?” Feng Qizhou was incredulous.
Zhou Siyan: “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Xue Yu.”
Feng Qizhou turned to Xue Yu. “Is it true? Ten jin at birth? Is it that exaggerated?”
Xue Yu came over and touched the baby’s face. “It’s true. She was so big at birth. It must have been hard on Zhou Siyan.”
Feng Qizhou lifted the baby higher, looked at her chubby face, and asked again, “Have you named her?”
Before Xue Yu could speak, Zhou Siyan cleared his throat and answered first, “Her nickname is Xue Xiaohai. We haven’t picked a proper name yet. Xue Yu said that since it’s her first child, she has to think carefully about the proper name. We’ll decide on the proper name in a few days, when we have the baby’s full moon celebration.”
Xue Yu and Feng Qizhou both turned their gazes to Zhou Siyan and spoke in unison—
Feng Qizhou: “Did I ask you?”
Xue Yu: “Did I say we were having a full moon celebration?”
The corner of Zhou Siyan’s mouth twitched secretly. He calmly took the baby back, sat down in the office chair again, and adjusted the lamb hat on the baby’s head, as if nothing had happened.
The baby reached out to Xue Yu. “Mommy…”
Xue Yu leaned over the desk and teased her with a rubber ball. “Mommy is here.”
Feng Qizhou also leaned in to look at the baby, surprised and amazed. “This big strong baby can talk already? How did you teach her?”
Zhou Siyan: “Just teach her slowly, and she’ll learn.”
Feng Qizhou picked up a plush toy from the desk and shook it in front of the baby. “Come on, sweetie, say ‘daddy’.”
The baby grabbed at the toy in his hand. “Daddy.”
Feng Qizhou was overjoyed, his expression very smug. He said to Zhou Siyan provocatively, “It seems you’re not a very good teacher.”
Zhou Siyan’s eyes were dark and gloomy. “What about the one you had? Bring it over for us to see.”
“Alright, wait for it.”
Feng Qizhou brushed past Xue Yu, deliberately bumping her shoulder lightly. His fox-like eyes were very cunning. “Get ready. I’ll give you a surprise later.”
He first went back to the residential area, packed a few clothes, and then returned to the lounge in his office.
Inside the lounge, a small baby was lying in a temperature-controlled box, playing boredly with the various plush toys attached to the wall of the box.
Feng Qizhou went to the baby’s side and lowered his head to kiss her:
“Poor baby, it’s Daddy’s fault. Daddy is too timid. If Daddy had been a little braver and had gone to find Mommy earlier, with Mommy by your side, maybe you would have grown into a big fatty by now.”
He first fed the baby, and only after she was full did he put her back in the box, close the lid, and carry her to Zhou Siyan’s office.
At first, the baby would cry and fuss when she was in the box.
Now she was used to it. When the lid was closed, she would obediently hug her toys and stare at the soft, warm light inside the lid.
When he arrived at Zhou Siyan’s office, he locked the door.
Feng Qizhou first threw a bulging canvas bag onto Zhou Siyan’s desk.
“Let your big fatty wear these. I bought them for my baby before, but she’s too small and can’t wear them.”
Zhou Siyan opened the canvas bag and saw that it was full of baby clothes.
Xue Yu looked eagerly at the box in Feng Qizhou’s hand. “Is the baby in there?”
Feng Qizhou placed the box on the sofa, pressed the fingerprint lock, and the lid opened to reveal a small baby inside.
This child was too small compared to Xue Xiaohai, with a palm-sized face and small arms and hands.
“Why is she so small? How much does she weigh?” Xue Yu asked.
Feng Qizhou: “A little over five jin.”
Xue Yu was stunned. “Even a newborn wouldn’t be this small, would it?”
Zhou Siyan came over with Xue Xiaohai, glanced at the baby in the box, and then at Feng Qizhou. “How are you raising the child?”
As soon as the baby saw Xue Yu, she started crying loudly, her two hands reaching out and flailing, wanting to get closer to Xue Yu.
Feng Qizhou skillfully picked up the baby and carefully placed her in Xue Yu’s arms. Only then did he say, “It’s probably because she was premature. She only weighed four jin at birth. At first, I kept her in an organ life support box, and then I moved her to a regular temperature-controlled box.”
Zhou Siyan’s brow furrowed. “The baby wasn’t even fully developed. Why were you in such a hurry to deliver her?”
Feng Qizhou lifted the hem of his shirt, pulled one of Xue Yu’s hands in, and let her feel his belly.
“I’m pregnant with twins. The two of them were acting up in my belly together. I had no choice but to deliver one first.”
Xue Yu was so scared she pulled her hand back. “Deliver one first? You mean there’s still one in your belly?”
Feng Qizhou pulled her hand back and stuffed it into his clothes again, saying with guilt, “Yes, there’s still one inside. I’m sorry. I won’t be so reckless this time. I will definitely wait until the baby is ten jin before I deliver her.”
“Why are you apologizing to me? Your body is more important than the child!”
Feng Qizhou laughed, changed the subject, and looked down at the child in Xue Yu’s arms. “Let’s look at the eldest first. The eldest misses you very much.”
Xue Yu pulled her hand back from Feng Qizhou’s abdomen, held the baby higher, and nuzzled her face.
The baby immediately smiled, her round eyes staring at Xue Yu.
When Xue Yu turned her head, the baby’s little head would follow her, always staring at her.
Zhou Siyan approached Xue Yu with Xue Xiaohai. “Xiaohai, look, this is your little sister. Little sister is so small.”
Feng Qizhou: “She will grow.”
The three of them officially laid their cards on the table.
Xue Yu also told Feng Qizhou about the data in her spiritual landscape. As long as the child grew, she would receive spiritual power in return.
Feng Qizhou clapped his hands and cheered. “Then we have to have a few more! With a few more, my child and I can rely on you to win in life.”
They then talked about Mo Li.
Feng Qizhou said, “What mission is he on? Call him back. I’ll perform the surgery for him. My skills are much better than the doctors in the South Continent. For your sake, I won’t charge a fee.”
Xue Yu was so happy she was on the verge of tears. She grabbed Feng Qizhou’s hand. “Thank you. I thank you on behalf of Mo Li. I’ll tell him right now.”
She handed the baby back to Feng Qizhou and went to the side to call Mo Li.
Mo Li answered quickly, but his voice was very low, and there were chirping insects in the background. She didn’t know if he was on a mission.
“Mo Li, is it convenient for you to talk now?” Xue Yu asked.
Mo Li: “Yes.”
Xue Yu was very excited, her voice trembling. “Mo Li, you don’t have to earn money anymore. Come back quickly.”
“Feng Qizhou has agreed to perform the surgery for us for free. If you want to have the baby, you don’t have to go to the South Continent. Feng Qizhou can help us deliver the baby in the White Tower.”
Mo Li thought for a moment before replying, “Why would he help us for free?”
Xue Yu: “Because he also had my child, twins. One has already been born, and the other is still in his belly.”
Mo Li was silent on the other end, the only sound being the chirping of insects.
Xue Yu: “Mo Li, are you listening?”
Mo Li: “Yes, I’m listening.”
Xue Yu: “Come back. It’s too dangerous outside. I’ve also awakened my spirit body now. I will take care of you and earn money to raise the child.”
Mo Li: “I don’t feel any discomfort right now. When the baby misses you, I’ll go back.”
Xue Yu was helpless and could only say, “Then be careful. Take care of yourself.”
Mo Li: “You too.”
Xue Yu’s nose tingled for some reason. She hung up the phone and put the Cloud Sound Box in her pocket.
Feng Qizhou asked, “What did he say?”
Xue Yu wiped her face with both hands. “He said that when the baby misses me, he will come back.”
Someone was knocking on the door. It was the deputy director, who said he needed to report something to Zhou Siyan.
Zhou Siyan told him to come back later.
The three of them couldn’t gather here for too long.
Xue Yu kissed Xue Xiaohai and then Feng Qizhou’s little baby. “Then I’ll be going. I have to go train. If you need anything, just contact me. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“You’re not going to participate in the promotion selection competition, are you?” Feng Qizhou asked.
Xue Yu didn’t hide it anymore. “I’ll give it a try. Don’t worry too much about it. I’ll definitely be very embarrassed and come in last again. Just don’t ask.”
Feng Qizhou: “Who dares to say you’re embarrassing? I’ll tear their mouth apart.”
Xue Yu lowered her head. “I feel embarrassed myself.”
Feng Qizhou patted the back of her head. “But in our eyes, in the children’s eyes, you are the best. Don’t care about what others think.”
Xue Yu looked up and met his charming, amorous eyes. “I mean, Blueberry is always flirting with other spirit bodies in the training pool. It’s very embarrassing for me.”
The comforting mood Feng Qizhou had just built up instantly collapsed. “That is indeed embarrassing. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.”
Zhou Siyan said, “Alright, we can’t be together for too long. We’ll talk about things tonight.”
“Then I’ll be going. I’m going to the training grounds,” Xue Yu said, turning to leave.
Feng Qizhou said from behind, “If you’re bored, you can think of names for the children. Both proper names and nicknames.”
Xue Yu waved her hand. “I know.”
***
Xue Yu returned to the marine pool at the training grounds.
She deliberately avoided the male area and found an area with more female spirit bodies before letting Blueberry in.
Half an hour later, a female jellyfish, a female megalodon, and a sawfish were all clinging to Blueberry, rubbing against each other.
Blueberry blew a stream of bubbles in the middle of them, very pleased with itself.
“Whose seahorse is this? Can someone control it!” a girl shouted loudly.
Xue Yu ran over to look, jumped into the water, and scooped up Blueberry. “I’m so sorry. My Blueberry is a bit enthusiastic and unrestrained. I’m really sorry.”
The girl looked at Xue Yu. “Xue Yu? Is that you?”
Xue Yu: “Yes, it’s me. The seahorse is my spirit body.”
The girl: “Everyone comes to the training grounds to train, not to play. Don’t delay everyone’s training.”
Xue Yu: “Yes, yes, I’m sorry.”
Xue Yu had no choice but to hold Blueberry and stay in the corner.
She waited until it was completely dark and everyone had taken their spirit bodies back to the dorms.
She checked around to make sure there were no other spirit bodies in the pool, then took off her jacket and shoes and jumped into the water with Blueberry.
Xue Yu didn’t know what her limit for holding her breath was, but she was already at ease in the water.
She felt like she had also become a fish, swimming around with Blueberry in the water without any effort.
There were many obstacle courses in the water, with maze-like trenches and ridges, and occasional whirlpools and undercurrents, with the water flow changing from strong to weak.
This was Xue Yu’s first time in the water. She could only explore again and again, first leading Blueberry through a long, narrow trench, and then being swept into a whirlpool.
After coming out of the whirlpool, Blueberry suddenly swam in another direction.
Blueberry, you’re being naughty again! We have to train while no one is here!
Xue Yu chased after Blueberry.
In the hazy underwater, she saw Blueberry entangled with a giant octopus.
Her underwater vision was not clear. Xue Yu got closer and realized that this octopus seemed to be… Xiaoxue, Mo Li’s blue-ringed octopus?
Just as she was about to go over, a hand grabbed her waist and pulled her up.
The other person was very fast. When they surfaced, Xue Yu saw Mo Li’s face.
Mo Li’s face was covered in camouflage paint. His hair was very short, and his features were still very handsome even under the paint.
“Mo Li, why are you back?”
Xue Yu reached out and touched his abdomen. “Did the baby miss me? Did the baby bother you?”
Mo Li held her hand and moved it from his abdomen to his own chest, his voice very low. “I missed you.”
His voice was so low that Xue Yu didn’t even hear him clearly. “What did you say?”
Mo Li didn’t reply and led her to the shore.
He was still carrying that large military backpack.
After getting ashore, he took off the backpack and removed the outer waterproof cover. He unzipped it and took out three sets of children’s clothes.
“I came back in a hurry and didn’t bring any gifts. This set is for Xue Xiaohai, and these two sets are for Feng Qizhou’s twins. I don’t know if they’ll fit.”
Xue Yu held the clothes. “Mo Li…”
She and Mo Li had been together for a very short time and had never understood his personality. She only knew that he didn’t like to talk and was always cold.
These past few days, Xue Yu had been thinking about how to get along with Mo Li after he had the baby, but she had no clue.
Mo Li took out another set of clothes from his bag. It was a water-type training combat suit. “I wore this when I was training before. It’s not broken. If you don’t mind…”
Xue Yu took the combat suit and shook her head vigorously. “I don’t mind. How could I mind?”
Mo Li added, “This type of water-type combat suit is very hard to buy now. I asked a few stores, and they’re all out of stock. You can wear mine to train for now. If I find a channel later, I’ll buy you a new one.”
Xue Yu had only learned today at the training grounds that the White Tower had had a subtle aversion to water-type spirit bodies in recent years.
The training combat suits for air and land types were given out for free, but the water-type combat suits were out of stock in many stores and couldn’t even be bought.
So even though Mo Li took on missions desperately, he still couldn’t gain the favor of his superiors.
“Mo Li, thank you. It’s all my fault. I’ve brought you trouble.”
Xue Yu’s voice trembled slightly. She found a sense of resonance with Mo Li. They both seemed to be outcasts.
Mo Li’s rough fingertips wiped the water droplets from her face. “It’s not trouble. That night, I was the one who wanted to have relations with you. I’ve never regretted it. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful experience.”