Back in Beijing, Xue Jinxu who was watching on live stream grinned proudly at the sight of her husband on television. She giggled gently and told her twins inside her tummy how proud and happy she is of their father. "Look at your dad! All glammed up in an engineer"s safety coat and shoes with the corresponding hard hat! He looks fabulous!""I couldn"t agree more!" Mo Wenbin agreed on the couch. Kang Sola was also there, watching attentively. Her eyes also sparkled and relayed her true emotions even if she didn"t say anything. "The other two are your uncles, Uncle Minhe and Uncle Li Qiang. They"re both good friends of your father." Xue Jinxu continued talking to her twins while stroking her belly. "And your Uncle Wenbin chose to be with us rather than join them on their exciting excursion. That"s sweet of you Uncle Wenbin!" While saying the last sentence, she used a cute tiny baby voice.
"No problem! I"m on an errand by your father, you see! Hehehe!"
When Kang Sola left the two on a short trip to roam around the hospital premises, Mo Wenbin turned dead serious. "Have you told him yet?"
Xue Jinxu clasped the edge of her blanket unconsciously as her eyes narrowed. She wouldn"t admit it but she got fl.u.s.tered by Mo Wenbin"s question.
"Not yet." It was a curt answer from the lady.
"I am not sure if I"m in the position to b.u.t.t in. I"m sure it"s none of my business, and it"s definitely between the two of you, but, Jinxu, there"s not much time left…"
"… I know." She gazed at the picturesque view of trees beyond the window outside.
"Will she stop giving me two-word answers?" Mo Wenbin wished in his mind. He sighed heavily but did not utter any more words that might further agitate the lady.
"Wenbin… Have I ever thanked you enough for all the help you"ve given us? You always support us no matter what happens to us. You did not just choose Chen Linyun"s side. I"ve heard from my husband how much contribution you have in the success of our relations.h.i.+p, my husband and I being two opposing types of people."
"Thank you, Wenbin."
"En. No – No problem, Jinxu…" Mo Wenbin seems uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. "You"re making me nervous right now. If you"re grateful to me, can you please tell him everything? I"m afraid there"s not much time left. I… I"m keeping it from him only because you asked me to… But not telling him feels like I"m betraying my brother. I mean, you"re my friend, too, and we"re family so I support you not telling him, but it"s a race against time…"
"I got your back. It"s my battle. I"m going to fight my own battle. I don"t want to worry him…" This time, Xue Jinxu sighed. "It"s making me nervous, too, Wenbin, but I can only go on with it and have courage with the fact that he doesn"t know it yet. Otherwise, if I see his fear-stricken face, I might chicken out and not be able to do it."
At this point, Kang Sola returned to the room. Xue Jinxu and Mo Wenbin stopped the conversation for a while, but threw a last meaningful look of "Please support me one last time, Wenbin." From Xue Jinxu and "I"ll see what I can do" from Mo Wenbin.
The man sighed wearily and helplessly. Talking would not do much to Xue Jnxu when she had set her mind already.
Meanwhile, the live media coverage of the petroleum tanker"s launch ended on a positive note on television. A few minutes past, the lady on the hospital bed received a call from her husband, Chen Linyun.
"Congratulations, dear!!! That"s a wrap!" Xue Jinxu greeted cheerfully. Kang Sola and Mo Wenbin both exclaimed their congratulatory remarks as well on the background.
"Come back here, quick, and let"s celebrate!" Mo Wenbin chimed in.
"You"re all too awesome, Ge-ge!!! Kang Sola called out from the couch as she approached the bed.
Xue Jinxu laughed merrily, and at the end of the line, Chen Linyun shared with high spirits, then he informed, "Minhe and I will be boarding the vessel until it reaches its destination in Tianjin. It would take roughly around twelve hours. It"s around eleven in the morning right now. The vessel is expected to leave the port here by around one in the afternoon. Therefore, we are expecting to arrive in Tianjin at around one in the morning tomorrow. Afterward, I will be staying for an hour or two to partially supervise the start of the discharging operations of the petroleum product. Perhaps, I will leave the area by three in the morning, take a two-hour flight back to Beijing and be there in the hospital by around six."
"That"s extremely detailed, Chen Linyun! I"m impressed."
"Of course, I live to impress you, love."
Xue Jinxu giggled. Mo Wenbin who was watching almost puked from the dogfood. He clicked his tongue. He didn"t hear what Chen Linyun had said over the phone, but it"s enough to come up with a sound conclusion just by watching Xue Jinxu"s actions that these two were flirting with each other effortlessly.
"Then I"ll be expecting you to arrive here around six in the morning tomorrow."
"En. Just hang in there for a little longer. I wish to be present when you give birth to our twins."
"I"ll wait for you~"
"Talk to the twins to be cooperative. I"ll be there soon."
"Okay~ Love you~" Xue Jinxu supplied the husband with saccharine delight.
As soon as she hung up the phone, she sighed heavily. Mo Wenbin caught it and commented, "Be brave, Jinxu. I"m sure you"ll survive this. But I do think that Chen Linyun should know about your condition before you go into labor. If you do enter the operating room without him knowing anything, I would have to tell him myself. There"s no stopping me."
"Okay, I understand, Wenbin. I"m sorry."
---
At Shanghai port, the loading operations of LPG ended. The crew proceeded in heaving the anchor up and aweigh. The pilots got ready for the initial tugging of the vessel.
Xue Minhe and Chen Linyun boarded the vessel. Zhu Li Qiang did not join them because he had another task to focus on, and that was to prepare the destination port for the discharging operations. He took a flight via plane to Tianjin instead. He and his team would be there to welcome MV Milady Kins.h.i.+p upon its arrival.
The Xue Young Master arranged beforehand with the Captain for some of his men to board the s.h.i.+p as well, as part of the crew. Those were his comrades from the island.
MV Milady Kins.h.i.+p was sailing smoothly.
Xue Minhe and Chen Linyun retired to their respective cabins in the middle of the journey to recharge their strengths from that morning"s activities.
However, in the middle of their rest, they were both woken up by alarm and from the crew"s radio announcement via intercom from below, "The valve is open! Some gas has escaped! Turn off the s.h.i.+p"s engine! Mayday, mayday!"