The silence of the Liu family men as their razor sharp gazes were staring intently at the delivery room was beginning to suffocate the women of the Liu family men.
Nana held her hands on her waist, exasperated. "Jinhai, what are you doing?"
"Praying for our first grandchild's safety."
"Everything will be fine, Jinhai. I understand it's Ai's first delivery but we are not going to war."
"It is war until I see my grandchild."
"War against who, Jinhai?" She dryly asked.
"Who knows?"
"..."
Then why are you giving the chilling looks as if somebody is going to die?
"Aaaahhhhh!!!"
The men jumped up with Ai's yet another scream resounding in the corridor. Jian, who was next in line to become a father in a few months, narrowed his eyes. "Is Jun even protecting my sister-in-law?"
Leina asked, "From whom does Ai need protection?"
"The hospital staff of course! Clearly they are doing something very wrong if it's that painful."
Nuo coughed. "Labor pains are just like that, Bro."
Leina burst into tears. "Don't remind me, Nuo. It will be my turn next soon."
With every painful scream of Ai, Xing Bi would also let out another bout of tears as if they had a shared connection. "My poor Ai…Why is God so cruel to women, Aunt?"
Xie Nuying nodded. Her heart ached to imagine her delicate daughter in the agonizing pain of the labor too. She patted Xing Bi's head who had buried her head in her chest. "My Ai is very strong. She will be-"
"Aaaahhhhhhh!!"
"Sh-She will be fine! Jun is there with her inside," she comforted her thudding hearts.
Zhou Yichen similarly couldn't concentrate. He couldn't make up his mind if he was excited to meet his grandchild or worried about the pain his daughter going through.
Ai-chan...
—
Inside the ward, Jun was fighting a whole nother battle between the doctor and Ai. The doctor wanted Ai to push, but Ai had already reached her maximum pain bearing capacity to push anymore further.
"I…can't…" she breathlessly pleaded. Sweat filled her temples and eyebrows as they slid down along her hairline. She was clenching on Jun's hand so hard as if she had made up her mind to fracture it at any cost.
Watching his tired and helpless wife gasping for breath and unable to exert any more pressure, his heart squeezed as if it was tightening into several knots. He gently kissed the back of her hand, encouraging her. "Just a little more, Ai…"
"I cannot…" Tears pooled in her eyes. "I am a failure, Jun. I am the mother but I cannot even give birth. Is our child going to be forever in my belly?"
"What nonsense! You are not a failure! You are doing great! Super duper great!" He bobbed his head up and down.
"Then why is he or she not coming out?" Her eyes grew wetter. "He or she definitely doesn't like meeeee."
"Your thoughts are heading in a completely wrong direction…"
The doctor pitched in to comfort. "Mrs. Liu, please don't be so hard on yourself. It's nothing like that. First deliveries are always tough. We are almost there. If you could squeeze just a little more, we will make some progress!"
Jun hopped into that positivity train. "Yes, yes. I am here with you, Ai."
The doctor suggested. "Mr. Liu, I have an idea. Since it's difficult for Mrs. Liu to push herself, you can aid her with that. Keep your hands on her belly and push like this…" she acted it out to him.
It was easier said than done because Jun completely froze at that point. "I…I help Ai? To push?"
"Yes."
He chuckled with his face growing paler. "You are kidding, right? I am a man. I don't know how much strength I will end up using. What if it hurts Ai? What if it hurts our child?"
She coughed. "You are worrying needlessly, Mr. Liu. You have to push, not smash her stomach."
Ai shed her fifteenth dam of tears by now. "You have to help me, Jun. Please, please, please!"
Jun couldn't bring it in his heart to reject the urgent wish of his crying wife. "O-Okay…"
He glared at the doctor, letting her fully understand the consequences. "You better properly guide me all the way or if I end up hurting any one of them, you are done for!"
"..."
He placed his shivering palm on her belly, swallowing his saliva. "W-what now?"
"Now gently apply pressure."
He did so and immediately asked, "Did the baby come out?"
Her brow twitched. "Mr. Liu, you hardly exerted any pressure."
He cursed in his breath and pressed his hand harder. "Now? Now? The baby is definitely out now, right?"
The doctor shot him an impatient glare. "Still very little!"
His gaze darkened. "Are you a doctor or our enemy!? How harder do I have to push? You are evil!"
The doctor inhaled a calm breath and smiled. "I am the doctor here. I know how far you can go and how far you cannot. So until I don't say stop, you keep pushing."
Jun grumbled in complaint.
"Mrs. Liu. You too have to help with the pushing."
She sniffled and nodded.
After a few more tries, Jun seemed to get the hang of applying the appropriate amount of pressure. Clenching her teeth and shutting her eyes, Ai did her best to go along with the help Jun provided.
"Yes, yes! Keep it going! I can see the crown."
"Waaaahhhh!!!"
The melodious cry of the baby finally rang through the delivery room. The moment arrived with a mix of joy and emotions that were hard to describe.
"Congratulations. It's a boy."
Jun stared at the tiny, delicate figure snuggling in the doctor's arms and wailing heartily to get everybody his presence known.
The doctor offered Jun to cut the umbilical cord. He let the precious moment sink in and with trembling hands, he took the scissors.
"A-Ai d-do you see him…?"
He looked back at her with his teary eyes and found her slipping into unconsciousness. He panicked hard. "What is happening to Ai!?"
"Calm down, Mr. Liu," the doctor quickly assured. "She is exhausted and drained. It's natural with such a painful and lengthy labor. She needs a lot of rest. She is fine."
"Ba…Baby…" Ai murmured.
She could hear the sweet cry of her child, but the fatigue was inviting her to a tempting, peaceful sleep. Her head was dozing off to the side, her eyelids closing in.
The nurse gently placed the little bun in Jun's arms, who couldn't stop the flow of his tears ever since he heard his son's wail. His tiny eyes, nose, lips melted his heart.
"Welcome champ…" he softly hushed and then chuckled. "You bullied my wife with your entry quite a bit."
He turned towards Ai, who breathed steadily asleep. He carefully nestled their baby boy beside her chest and kissed her forehead with the most scintillating smile on his lips. "Our Ailun is here, Ai."
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