Lu Xinyi laughed at that. This was also what her mother experienced when she gave birth to her.
“If that was alive, he would probably beat you into pulp for making his baby girl cry.” She told Shen Yi.
The doctor called her attention again, telling her to give another push again. She did as what the doctor told her and pushed hard, screaming her pain that reverberated within the room.
Shen Yi winced as she squeezed his hand too tight. He hoped to all deities above that it’d be done soon, or else Lu Xinyi would deform his hand for good. Who knew that her grip was so strong she was able to drain the blood from Shen Yi’s face the moment she gripped it?
“I see the head. One last push, Mrs. Shen!” The doctor ordered.
“Come on, Xinxin. You can do it! Give us one big push.” Zhao Xi cheered beside the doctor.
Lu Xinyi pushed again upon the doctor’s order until her baby girl finally came out. When her baby left her, she sighed in relief.
“Finally!” She panted and caught her breath.
Zhao Xi took the baby and suctioned the stuff out of the baby’s mouth and nose before smacking the baby’s rear. A moment later, a small crying sound from the baby filled the room. Lu Xinyi’s eyes were watery as she listened to their baby’s first cry, letting them know she was alive. Meanwhile, Shen Yi felt a warm, fuzzy feeling wash through him. He was officially a father.
“Shen Yi, do you want to do the honor of cutting her umbilical cord?” Zhao Xi asked.
Shen Yi adjusted the mask covering half of his face and went over to her. He snipped the cord and let Zhao Xi take the baby away to get cleaned up.
Outside the delivery room, Tian Lingyu rose from his place leaning against the wall as he heard the cries of his sister’s baby.
“That’s…” he trailed off, but everyone knew what he wanted to say.
“The baby sure got my brother’s sunny disposition in life.” Shen Xue chuckled.
“Congratulations, Xue. You’re officially an uncle starting today!” Kang Wei smacked Shen Xue’s back while the latter groaned at the sudden hit.
“Do you really have to hit me hard, Kang Wei?” He grunted.
Behind Shen Xue, his father was busy making phone calls, announcing the arrival of his first grandchild to his colleagues. He also called his personal a.s.sistant to prepare the gifts for his granddaughter.
“Double the budget for the initial amount I told you! Buy everything a baby girl would like and need!” He told the a.s.sistant over the phone before hanging up.
“Just how much did you plan to spend on the gifts, Dad?” Shen Xue inquired.
“Uhh… originally, I thought five thousand yuan would be enough.” Shen Huang confessed.
“And you doubled it?” His youngest son teased. “Wow, Dad. Big Sis just gave birth to your granddaughter, but you’re spoiling her beyond how you treat us brothers.”
Shen Huang scoffed and crossed his arms. “It isn’t like this grandpa can’t afford it.”
“Just how much are you intending to spoil the kid, Chairman Shen?” It was Kang Wei’s turn to ask.
“Well, I’m her grandfather”—Shen Huang grinned—”so I plan to spoil her until the day I die and at every chance I get.”
—-
“Xinxin…”
Lu Xinyi heard her name being called, but she was so d.a.m.n tired to move an inch from her rest. Giving birth to a baby was surely tiring.
“Xinxin…” she heard the same voice again. It was weirdly familiar to her ears.
“My baby girl, won’t you wake up for Mommy?”
She still didn’t move until she heard that familiar endearment. Her eyes flung open at the sound of her nickname not used since her parents pa.s.sed away. Lifting herself from where she was resting, the whiteness surrounded her, confused and blinded her at the same time.
“W-what on earth…?”
A laugh followed her words. Turning her head to the sound, she found herself staring at a woman she hadn’t seen for years.
“Hi, baby girl.” The woman smiled brightly at her. Sun Meixiu was sitting next to her with a softened gaze.
“M-Mommy?” Lu Xinyi’s eyes were stung with tears. She threw herself onto her mother and cried her heart out, her hands gripping the white dress Sun Meixiu was wearing.
“Wait? You’re here. Does this mean… I died?” She pulled away, panic written all over her face.
“No, dear, you aren’t. Treat this as a dream,” Sun Meixiu ran her fingers on Lu Xinyi’s hair down to the side of her face with such tenderness. “My baby girl has finally grown up to a beautiful lady. Now, she’s also a mother like me.” She chuckled.
“I miss you, Mommy,” Lu Xinyi rubbed her cheek against her mother’s palm. She didn’t know where she was and what’s happening. If it was indeed a dream, she was thankful that for once she was able to see her mother again.
“I need you, Mommy, especially at a time like this. More than ever, I wished you were here to help me through all of these.”
“I miss you too, baby girl. My Xinxin… you’ll always be my baby girl, even if I’m not around anymore.”
Lu Xinyi continued to cry then a thought crossed her mind.
“Mom, can you forgive me? I hurt your sisters and your father.” She confessed.
“I know, dear, but there are still things you don’t know yet.” Sun Meixiu gave her a sad look. It was as if she was regretting leaving her only child alone in the living world.
Lu Xinyi frowned. “What do you mean, Mom?”
“Go and check the vault under my name on the bank. It should give you some answers about what happened years ago.” Sun Meixiu whispered to her. “Daddy wanted to see you, but he couldn’t be here. However, we’re so proud of you and your brother. We’re so proud of the woman you became in spite of the struggles you have to endure with our absence. Could you forgive Mommy and Daddy for leaving you alone?”
Lu Xinyi nodded, her tears continued to fall down as she held her mother’s hand tightly. This dream felt so realistic to her.
“But know this, Xinxin…” Sun Meixiu tapped the tip of Lu Xinyi’s nose like she used to when she was still alive and when Lu Xinyi was young. “Dad and I will always here to watch over you and Lingyu. Although you can’t see or hear us, we’re in your hearts.” She kissed Lu Xinyi’s temple, her form starting to fade away as Lu Xinyi started to wake up.
“I love you too, Mommy. Tell Daddy I also love and miss him so much…”
—-
“Xinxin?”
Her eyes stirred under her closed lids as she felt her body aching. Lu Xinyi stirred and was awoken by the bright light above her, her eyes snapping shut again in an attempt to avoid the light.
“Xinxin, are you alright? You’re crying in your sleep?” Shen Yi’s voice broke through her thoughts, reminding her of her dream.
Opening her eyes again, she saw him sitting on a chair next to her bed and realized that she was transferred to a private room to recover.
“I’m alright. I-I have a good dream.” She smiled at her husband.