Shu Yi'an looked at the young girl and sensed something was amiss. Normally, Chu Weiyuan would never stay home so peacefully during the New Year.
"Yuanyuan, how are things between you and Ji Hengdong?"
Chu Weiyuan's fingers, which were holding the clothes, froze, and she awkwardly lowered her head. "Nothing's wrong..."
Afraid that Sui Qing would hear, Shu Yi'an whispered to her, "Did he bully you? Or did something happen that made you sad?"
Chu Weiyuan's eyes welled up with tears of grievance. "Sister-in-law... he doesn't like me at all... he just treats me like..." Before she could finish speaking, Sui Qing knocked on the door and interrupted their conversation. Chu Weiyuan quickly wiped her face and pretended to be nonchalant.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival is celebrated. Every household hangs up red lanterns to light up the night, and the water in the pot is boiling with glutinous rice balls. Everything seems normal, but then Shu Yi'an feels something is wrong.
Sui Qing looked at her anxiously, forgetting to put down the bowl in her hand. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Shu Yi'an stared in horror at the wet patches on her pants, on the verge of tears. "Mom... I think... I'm going into labor."
Unfortunately, there was no one to lead the household, and the maids panicked. Being the matriarch of the family, Sui Qing steadied herself and calmly instructed them to prepare Shu Yi'an's things, while simultaneously having Chu Weiyuan contact the hospital to prepare a delivery room and start the car. With Chu Mu not around, even the usually composed Shu Yi'an was a little scared, tears welling in her eyes as she clung to Sui Qing's hand. Chu Weiyuan drove incredibly fast, almost as fast as Chu Mu, fearing something might happen to her sister-in-law.
When Chu Mu arrived at the hospital after getting off the plane, Shu Yi'an had already been in the delivery room for an hour. Because it was a natural birth, no one knew what unexpected situations might occur. Chu Mu stood at the door of the operating room, breathing quietly, and could clearly feel his heart pounding wildly and powerfully.
It was a mixture of worry for his wife and anticipation of becoming a father. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling for the first time that all the composure and rationality he had cultivated over the past decade had vanished. He paced back and forth at the door like a manic patient. The Chu family members sat in a row on the bench, quietly and nervously awaiting the birth of this little life.
In the delivery room, all of Shu Yi'an's pain was magnified a thousandfold. She never knew she was such a pain-tolerant person. With each push, Shu Yi'an silently recited Chu Mu's name, as if he were some kind of power.
Fortunately, the little one was very considerate of his mother and came into this world without much trouble. The nurse carefully washed the little one and put him on the scale, then smiled and congratulated Shu Yi'an.
"A very chubby girl! Seven pounds and six ounces, congratulations!" Shu Yi'an, who had been gripping the operating table tightly, loosened her grip and thought weakly that at this moment, all the suffering she had endured before was worth it.
Upon seeing the nurse carrying the child out, the entire Chu family rushed forward, with Chu Mu leading the way.
"Mother and daughter are both safe! She's a very pretty little girl!"
The little one was unlike any other newborn baby; she was incredibly beautiful. Her fair, delicate skin and pair of dark, moist eyes looked just like Shu Yi'an's. Sui Qing was overjoyed and immediately reached out to hold her. "A girl is wonderful! Our family has been missing a little angel like her!" Father Chu also came over with a kind expression and touched the baby's little hand, expressing his complete agreement. Chu Weiyuan, standing to the side, was even more adoring.
Chu Mu looked at the tiny baby, who was barely longer than his forearm, and carefully took the child from the nurse's arms, his eyes welling up with tears. A young, handsome man gently placed a kiss on the baby's palm, his warm voice echoing in the empty corridor.
“Baby, Daddy’s here.”
Shu Yi'an, who had just emerged from the operating room, witnessed this scene, and many years later, the memory still stirred her heart. —To Chu Mu's left were his family who had been by his side throughout the first half of his life; to his right were his daughter, whom he had just brought into the world, and his wife, who had given him everything. At the end of the New Year, all of Chu Mu's pride and glory in life finally came to an end, leaving him with no regrets.
A few days later, Shu Xuehong, who lived in Yangzhou, came to Beijing to visit her great-granddaughter and named her Chu Yuqiao. The name, derived from the phrase "Tall trees in the south," signifies the immense favor and cherishment this girl receives within the Chu family.
When people talk about Chu Mu again, they don't just think of him as a shrewd and elegant diplomat, but more so as his infatuation with his daughter.
This concludes the main text.