Chapter 479: Holding the Child for the First Time
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The baby’s cries subdued each time the nanny raised him up in the air.
Yet, every time she brought him down again, he would cry his heart out.
Pei Ziheng looked at the child and wondered, how did this tiny infant have the energy to cry this much? He frowned and asked, “Why is this child so difficult to handle?”
Xia Ling was a little fl.u.s.tered. “He’s not difficult to manage at all, he’s just a little bored now. As long as the nanny keeps him entertained, he’ll be alright soon.” She was afraid that Pei Ziheng would chase the child out of the house out of annoyance.
Pei Ziheng looked at her cautious expression and couldn’t help but remember what Grandma Ye had told him: [This is destiny. It’s Xiao Ling’s destiny, and yours as well.]
He looked at her and the child with a thoughtful expression.
The nanny was trying her best to entertain the child, but she was out of breath soon after holding him up into the air repeatedly. As he stopped reaching the same height, the baby started crying again.
Xia Ling was getting worried. “This can’t go on, he’ll damage his throat from all this crying.”
Pei Ziheng glanced at her and took a few steps forward.
Xia Ling felt her heart in her throat, not knowing what his intentions were. The nanny stopped entertaining the child, and instead, held him tight as she stood before Pei Ziheng and courteously greeted. “Mister.”
The nanny had reared many children from wealthy families and was no stranger to celebrities and authorities. Yet, she felt an inexplicable fear towards Pei Ziheng, as if he wielded more power than the heirs of other magnates.
Pei Ziheng looked at the child in her arms.
With a straight face, he told the child, “Stop crying.”
The child looked up at him and was stunned for a while, and then he stopped crying immediately. He looked at Pei Ziheng with curious eyes, thinking that it was a novel sight since he had never really seen a father figure thus far. After a while, he seemed to recognize Pei Ziheng from the time he saw him in the nursery room and slowly revealed a pure, innocent smile.
Nanny Zhou felt a warmth in her heart as she witnessed their interaction.
From the perspective of the Pei’s family housemaid, she strongly disapproved of how Xia Ling had had a child with another man and even pushed the responsibility to Pei Ziheng. But from the perspective of a woman, she really adored this baby, and sincerely hoped that he and Mister could build a fond relations.h.i.+p.
They should act like a family, at the very least.
Seeing that the baby was smiling at Pei Ziheng, Nanny Zhou tried to liven the situation up further. “Mister, you’re really good. So many of us have tried all means and ways to coax him, and all it took you was one sentence for him to stop crying.”
Pei Ziheng’s expression softened.
Who knew where this baby had inherited such naivety from, being able to smile in front of such a dangerous person. Then again, he seemed to be pretty good at adapting to situations — seeing that the big man standing before him did not appear too happy, he actually reached his arms out and blabbered a few sounds.
Nanny Zhou smiled and told Pei Ziheng, “The baby wants you to carry him.”
Xia Ling stood up nervously. “Let me do it.”
She was afraid he would hurt the child.
Pei Ziheng did not want to carry him initially — he was just a b.a.s.t.a.r.d child, how could he possibly deserve to be carried by him? But seeing how fearful Xia Ling looked, he changed his mind — wasn’t she highly guarded against him? He deliberately decided to carry the child in front of her to show her who the head of the household really was.
He reached out and received the baby.
“I’ll do…” Xia Ling was so close to grabbing the child from him.
Pei Ziheng calmly looked at her, as if issuing a warning. Xia Ling stopped attempting to take over the child, and instead watched in apprehension as Nanny Zhou helped secure the baby in his arms.
This was the first time Pei Ziheng carried such a young infant, and he was smaller and more fragile than he had expected. Lying in his embrace, the little one looked up at him with big round eyes, and at that moment, Pei Ziheng felt the jitters he had never before experienced. He was so afraid that one minor movement would put the child in discomfort or danger.
Before long, his arms began to ache from tensing up too much. The baby was oblivious to his stiffness and never stopped smiling at him. It was strange, actually. He cried regardless of who carried him, sometimes even when it was Xia Ling, but when it came to Pei Ziheng, he was always cheery and unguarded. The baby reached his arm out and grabbed the b.u.t.ton on Pei Ziheng’s suit.
Pei Ziheng was even tenser now, and it showed on his face. However, his expression was unreadable to others.
Xia Ling was afraid that he would vent his anger on the baby, and hence, hurriedly went forward to grab onto the baby’s hand. She quietly said, “Be good, baby, don’t be naughty.” Because she had to stay with the baby, she ended up standing closer to Pei Ziheng than she had in a long time. Her long hair was resting upon Pei Ziheng’s chest as her scent caught his attention.
It had been a while since she came this close to Pei Ziheng of her own accord.
Pei Ziheng stiffened up, his heart pounding rapidly as every cell in his being reverberated with joy. Xia Ling was completely unaware of it as she continued leaning toward Pei Ziheng to coax the little one.
Pei Ziheng looked down at her.
The baby curiously looked at his mother, and then at Pei Ziheng.
They appeared to be a happy family of three.
Two of the nannies standing by the side suddenly felt as if they had gotten it wrong this whole time — previously, they had suspected that the child wasn’t Pei Ziheng’s flesh and blood, but how could he not be? Mr. Pei was so nice to the child, and the child appeared to like Mr. Pei a lot too. Just because he did not resemble Mr. Pei did not necessarily mean they were not father and son.
Who in the world would be this nice to someone else’s child?
This child had to be Mister’s biological son, he had to be.
Meanwhile, Nanny Zhou, who knew the truth of the matter, was feeling comforted as well. She had been worrying that Mister and Madam would fall out over this child’s ident.i.ty, but now it seemed like there was a good chance for reconciliation.
It should not come as such a surprise though. Mister had adopted Miss Xia Ling and Miss Xia Yu as well and was not against the idea of raising children who were not related to him by blood. If that were the case, there was every possibility that they could get along amicably and blissfully as a family of three. Once Madam fully recuperated, they could have another child of their own to complete their family then.
Nanny Zhou discretely wiped some tears off her eyes as she pictured this perfect scene.
Eventually, Xia Ling received the baby from Pei Ziheng, finally liberating his sore arms. The baby was in his mother’s embrace, but his eyes never left Pei Ziheng. The cheerful, innocent smile was still on his face.
With that, Pei Ziheng’s heart softened as well.