"You're actually agreeing to have my mom come over to help?"
Lin Feng froze for a moment. He had sensed Lu Qingxue's hesitation earlier, which was why he had gone on at such length. He had expected her to need more time to think it over, yet she had agreed just like that.
Seeing the stunned look on Lin Feng's face, Lu Qingxue lowered her head, feeling uneasy. "D-did you change your mind?"
Lin Feng's earlier promise to protect her and the children had certainly moved her, but it wasn't enough to dispel all her concerns. However, watching his clumsy attempts at changing a diaper had shown her a different side of him—he was truly committed to his word, not just making empty promises. When she considered that neither of them knew what they were doing and that they panicked and rushed to find a doctor every time the babies cried, she realized this wasn't sustainable.
Lu Qingxue had finally gathered the courage to make the request. She hadn't expected Lin Feng to be stunned, and she immediately felt anxious.
"Of course not." Lin Feng smiled slightly and took out his phone. "I'll call my mom right now."
*Beep... beep... beep...*
The call connected, and Zhang Hui’s vigorous voice rang out: "Xiaofeng, have you thought about the thing with your girlfriend?"
Lin Feng glanced at Lu Qingxue on the bed and said somewhat awkwardly, "Mom, let’s not talk about that for now..."
"Why not?" Zhang Hui’s voice was full of confusion. "Can you bring your girlfriend home for the New Year or not?"
"Cough, cough! ...No."
"If you can't, then you can't. Just come back and go on some blind dates during the holidays." Zhang Hui didn't sound disappointed; she said cheerfully, "There's the daughter of your Auntie Wang. You met her when you were little—you could say you were childhood sweethearts..."
"Stop! Mom, I can't come back for the New Year either. I'm currently..."
Before Lin Feng could finish, Zhang Hui’s voice rose an octave. "You stop right there! You're not coming back for the New Year? You're not even coming home just to avoid blind dates?!"
"Lin Feng, you had better give me a perfect reason."
Lin Feng glanced awkwardly at the one adult and two infants on the bed and rubbed his nose. "Mom, it’s not just that I can't come home for the New Year; it seems you can't either."
"Huh???"
"Well, I've become a father. You need to come over and help me take care of the kids."
As soon as he said this, Lin Feng instinctively pulled the phone away from his ear to avoid his mother’s high-pitched screech. But on the other end, there was dead silence. After a long while, she said, "...What did you say? Kids? You're a father??"
Lin Feng nodded guiltily, then suddenly remembered she couldn't see him and hurriedly said into the phone, "Yes."
"Ahh—!! Lin Feng—!!!"
Lin Feng’s eardrums buzzed; there was no escaping this.
"Whose daughter did you ruin? You didn't do anything illegal, did you?"
Lin Feng: "............ I didn't, Mom. You have to believe me."
On the other end, Zhang Hui was losing it. "I’m an open-minded mother, but I didn't tell you to jump the gun! How can you face that poor girl?"
"Mom, stay calm, stay calm!" Lin Feng said helplessly. "Now is not the time to lecture me. Come over and help; I can't handle being a rookie."
"...I give up! Look at the mess you've made! Give me the address!"
Lin Feng quickly rattled off the hospital address and gave a few more instructions before hanging up. When he turned back, he saw Lu Qingxue staring at him with an unreadable expression.
"Your mom wants you to go home for a blind date?"
"...That's not happening."
"Childhood sweethearts??"
"...You certainly know how to pick out keywords."
Lu Qingxue’s fingers clenched tightly inside the blanket, then suddenly relaxed. She didn't know why she had made those comments. Wasn't she and Lin Feng just partners in raising children? Seeing Lu Qingxue’s suddenly calm face, Lin Feng triggered his rare defensive instinct. "Don't misunderstand. I didn't know about you and the babies before, so my family was just eager to get me married."
"Things are different now. My concern is only how to take good care of you and the children."
At these words, Lu Qingxue was stunned. Why was Lin Feng suddenly so serious? Was there any need for him to explain? Still... it felt quite nice.
"Mm, thank you."
Lu Qingxue turned her head away toward the babies, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The quiet babies seemed to sense their mother’s happiness and began to gurgle along.
"Mm-hmm~" "Huh~"
The little ones' cooing melted both Lu Qingxue and Lin Feng’s hearts. Just as he wanted to tease the babies, the nurse on rounds knocked and entered. "Lu Qingxue? Have you begun breastfeeding yet?"
Lin Feng asked with confusion, "Excuse me, what does that mean?"
The nurse glanced at Lin Feng, saw he was quite young, and explained: "It means to stimulate milk production. The baby's first feed should ideally be the mother’s colostrum. If the mother doesn't feel any letdown, it's best to hold the baby close and let them suckle to stimulate it."
Lin Feng understood, though he felt a bit embarrassed. He asked Lu Qingxue, "Um... do you feel anything?"
Lu Qingxue checked, turned slightly red, and shook her head gently.
The nurse understood immediately. "That's very normal for a first-time mother. Just hold the babies and let them suckle; it will be fine. Don't worry, the babies have strong suction and are born with the instinct to do this. If it really doesn't work, you can hire a lactation specialist."
She paused, looking at Lin Feng’s overly youthful face and the beautiful Lu Qingxue, and added, "I mean let the babies suckle. If they can't get it, call a specialist. You absolutely must not let the father help."
"An adult's mouth has many bacteria, and at this time, the mother's mammary glands are very fragile. If a bacterial infection occurs, it can travel deep into the glands. I've had young mothers before who ended up needing surgery because of this; it's nothing to joke about."
Lin Feng’s face turned bright red at the end. *Let the father help...* He hadn't even thought of that! As expected, behind every strange medical instruction lay a bizarre accident.
Lu Qingxue was also blushing deeply. How could such an outrageous thing even happen?
After giving her instructions, the nurse looked at the blushing young couple and was baffled: "Wait, you two already have kids, why are you so shy??"
"Never mind. Hurry up and get started; if the babies go too long without feeding, they'll get hypoglycemia."
When it involved the children, Lin Feng immediately turned serious. He rushed to pull the curtain for Lu Qingxue. "Um, you go ahead and start, I'll go stand guard outside."
Lu Qingxue nodded, her face still flushed.
Lin Feng escaped the room like he was fleeing a fire. Just as he stepped out, he saw Zhou Cheng carrying medicine.
"Brother Feng, I've picked up the medicine for your wife. Why are you coming out?"
"Something is going on inside, don't go in yet." Lin Feng pulled Zhou Cheng back and smiled. "You've been a huge help today. How much did it cost? I'll transfer it to you."
Zhou Cheng took the receipt out of his pocket and handed it to Lin Feng, laughing. "I really didn't expect you to be such a capable new dad. If this gets out at school, who knows how many girls' hearts will break."
Mentioning this, Zhou Cheng sighed with great regret: "Why didn't you let me tell everyone?"
"That way, when would we be able to curb-stomp that green tea Liu Ruyan??"
Lin Feng efficiently transferred the money and shook his head. "Why can't you get past that? Is there any point in remembering a woman like that? Anyway, I have kids now, and a future wife—I'm not wasting any brain cells on that kind of drama."
Zhou Cheng: "Dope! The school beauty really is sweet."
Lin Feng paused, saying helplessly: "Don't talk about my business at school for now. I mainly don't want Lu Qingxue to be in the spotlight."
"Alright, you should head back. It's not convenient for a guy to hang around here."
Zhou Cheng’s eyes widened. "Didn't you call me over because you were overwhelmed? Now you're kicking me out??"
"It's fine. I spoke to my mom, and she'll definitely be here tomorrow."
Zhou Cheng looked at Lin Feng’s smile. "Dope!"
Lin Feng slapped him on the shoulder. "Could you expand your vocabulary, please! ...Money is sent, now get lost!"
Zhou Cheng turned away, shaking his head and sighing, "Watch out for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law war, then."
Lin Feng: "..."
A war was unlikely, but getting a good scolding from his mom was almost certain. What was he going to do?
Before he could come up with a solution, the nurse’s voice came from inside: "Family member! Come in for a second! Use a hot towel to compress the mother's breasts!"