Ye Zhen, who had seen Meng Jie out, started to have contractions that night. After a bit of panic, Ye Zhen was brought into the operating room.

  Mother Lu called up Lu Beichuan, who was still at work.

  Lu Beichuan stepped away from his desk the moment he received the call. He started walking out with the cellphone in his hand and stayed on the call the entire time, learning about everything that was going on every step of the way. He rushed the chauffeur several times on his way to the hospital and was finally able to get there within half an hour.

  “Where’s Zhenzhen?” asked Lu Beichuan as he looked at Mother Lu intensely.

  “She’s inside the operating room right now. The doctor is performing the cesarean section as we speak.”


  “How long has it been already?”


  “It had only been half an hour so far. Don’t worry. The doctor told us that Zhenzhen and the babies are very healthy, and they are not expecting any problems.”


  That might be what they had said, but one never knows for certain when it comes to the matters of operation. Mother Lu prayed while holding onto a string of Buddhist rosary beads as she paced back and forth in front of the operating room.

  Lu Beichuan, just like he did when Ye Zhen gave birth to Zhouzhou, leaned against the wall and stared at the door to the operating room and the light indicating that the operating room was in use.

  While this was all happening, Aunty Yue had also brought Zhouzhou over from the mansion.

  As opposed to the two worry-looking adults, Zhouzhou seemed much more carefree. He looked up at the door to the operating room. Leaning into Mother Lu, he asked, “Where’s Mommy?”


  “Mommy is giving birth to your little brother and sister there. You will be meeting your little brother and sister in a little while.”


  “She is going to give birth here?”


  “Of course. This is where Zhouzhou was born too.”


  Zhouzhou looked seriously from the operating room door to the silent Lu Beichuan before asking softly, “But, Grandma, how come Zhouzhou doesn’t remember that he was born here?”


  Mother Lu, taken aback a little, finally busted out laughing, “Oh, you child…”


  “When will Mommy be out? My teacher praised my drawing today.” He pulled out his drawing from his backpack and displayed it in front of Mother Lu. Pointing at the little people in the drawing, he said, “This is Grandma. This one is Daddy. This one is Mommy. And this one is Zhouzhou.”


  Mother Lu pointed at the two little people that Zhouzhou was holding. “What about these two?”


  “This one is my little sister and this one is my little brother,” said Zhouzhou crisply. “I am their big brother and I need to grow up quickly so I can protect my little brother and sister!”


  “Our Zhouzhou’s drawing is amazing!” Mother Lu was not frugal when it came to doling out praises. “We will show it to Mommy when she is out, okay? I am sure she will love it.”


  “Okay! We will show it to Mommy when she comes out!”


  Zhouzhou smiled and was about to put his drawing away when Lu Beichuan walked over and sat down next to Zhouzhou. He looked down at the warm and fuzzy drawing that was done in crayons.

  Zhouzhou gathered up his courage and showed his drawing to Lu Beichuan. “Look, Daddy. I drew this. My teacher praised me over it too!”


  As Lu Beichuan looked at the drawing, a smile began to appear on him.

  “Good job, Zhouzhou. This is such a good drawing.”


  Zhouzhou lowered his head and smiled shyly. And, the very next second, he realized that this was a praise coming from his father and whipped his head up. Looking at Lu Beichuan with sparks in his eyes, he asked again in disbelief, “Do you mean that, Daddy?”


  They hadn’t spent too much time together, and this was perhaps the first time ever that Zhouzhou had heard a direct praise from his father. His daddy just said his drawing was good. And he didn’t say that with a strict face; instead, he said it with a smile.

  Daddy was so good-looking when he smiled!

  “Of course I mean it.” Lu Beichuan picked up Zhouzhou and put him on his lap. “We will show it to Mommy together when she comes out, okay?”


  “Okay!”


  Lu Beichuan, with Zhouzhou in his arms and looking at the operating room door, suddenly felt his empty heart had been filled up and that his anxieties had been quelled.

  Everything would be fine.

  He, Zhouzhou, and his mother were all waiting for her out here. The people that she loved most and that loved her the most were all here. She would not let anything happen to herself that would break their hearts.

  Mother Lu had cycled through her rosary over and over again and had lost count of how many times she had paced in front of the operating room when the door finally opened up.

  The doctor walked out from the operating room, removed his mask, smiled at Lu Beichuan and the others and said, “Congratulations. The mother and the children are all safe.”


  “Safe!” Mother Lu cried tears of joy and thanked the doctor with her hands together.

  Lu Beichuan closed his eyes and let out a deep, long breath.