Chapter 26: The Joy of Becoming a First-Time Father

.In a state of shame, anger, and panic, she realized with despair the terrifying disparity in physical strength between them. A sudden chill made her shiver slightly, followed by an overwhelming heat...Chapter 26: Joy of Becoming a First-Time Father

Lǐ n felt extremely guilty, self-reproaching, and distressed when he heard that Yán Luòxī had fallen.

In fact, except for going to work at the company these days, Lǐ n spent all his free time watching over Yán Luòxī. He bought a villa near where she lived, and there was an advanced miniature surveillance camera in his room whose lenses were all focused on Yán Luòxī.

Knowing that Yán Luòxī didn’t want to see him but still missing her terribly, he could only watch over her from afar like this.

Lǐ n would come home immediately after work every day and stay at home watching Yán Luòxī through the surveillance camera: seeing her eating meals, listening to music, reading books, sleeping; witnessing her confused expressions and gentle smiles. He watched her move from room to room, saw what she ate and drank each day, and even observed her curled up helplessly on a large sofa, lonely and miserable.

Lǐ n’s heart was always entwined with Yán Luòxī’s; he felt happy when she was happy and sad when she was distressed. He constantly tried to understand what she needed and provided for her in time.

He thought that this way, he would be doing his best for Yán Luòxī, but didn’t expect that there would still be a flaw in his plan, leading to something happening to her.

At present, Yán Luòxī was leaning against her mother’s embrace, feeling pain throughout her body and trembling legs. Her mother's arms were usually soft and comforting, yet they could no longer ward off the cold; a chill seemed to rise from her feet, causing her body to involuntarily shiver.

The lively and mischievous little girl inside her usually didn’t cause trouble, but now she had fallen silent, not daring to kick or punch against her mother’s stomach anymore. Yán Luòxī saw everything turning dark before her eyes; oh little one, please don't leave mommy...

"Luòxī, just hold on a bit longer! We're almost at the hospital!" Xuè Lìpíng kept encouraging her daughter. They were indeed very close to the hospital now; the ambulance that arrived had taken them to the nearest medical facility.

Yan Luoxi felt her strength and warmth slipping away bit by bit, with her abdomen experiencing intermittent pain, making it feel as though she were being suffocated. She closed her eyes in a tragic manner.

"Luoxi..."

This was her mother's voice.

"Luoxi, hold on, we're almost there, just a little bit longer..."

"Luoxi..."

Yan Luoxi felt the pain in her abdomen intensify to an unbearable degree. But she wanted to keep the baby safe. She clenched her teeth and held onto her mother's hand tightly, trying her hardest not to pass out.

Lǐ n drove towards the hospital with his heart feeling as though it were being pricked by countless fine needles followed by a burning sensation from hot peppers, causing immense agony.

When things go wrong, they tend to get worse. On Lǐ n's way to the hospital during rush hour, he encountered nothing but red lights and traffic jams. Watching time slip away second by agonizing second was torture for him.

By the time Lǐ n arrived at the hospital in his car, Yan Luoxi had already been taken into emergency care. Staring at the tightly closed doors of the emergency room, he couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine; it felt like this place was turning into a terrifying hell.

The doctors performed immediate examinations and treatment for Yan Luoxi. This fall had caused her to experience mild placental abruption, leading to bleeding and signs of premature labor. Since there was still one month until the expected delivery date, the doctor decided to treat Yan Luoxi conservatively, prioritizing efforts to maintain the pregnancy.

In the VIP ward, there was a thick imported carpet on the floor. The central air conditioning kept the temperature at twenty-three degrees, creating a warm and spring-like environment.

Yan Luoxi's bedside was adorned with a large bouquet of flowers in an antique vase that was simple yet elegant; not only did the flowers look beautiful, but even just the vase itself was pleasing to the eye.

Ever since she fainted last night, Yan Luoxi had been in continuous sleep without waking up. In her dream, it seemed she was constantly plagued by nightmares. Throughout half the night, she tightly held onto Li An's hand, occasionally letting out low whimpering sobs that broke his heart piece by piece.

Xue Liping quietly entered from outside and saw Li An sitting beside Yan Luoxi’s bed. In just a matter of hours, this man who was usually exceptionally handsome and imposing had become pale and haggard.

His eye sockets were sunken, his face was grayish—a terrible shade of ashen—yet there were bloodshot veins in his eyes.

The Li An at present was no longer the proud second son of the Li family who once shone with vitality and arrogance. He now wore an expression of fear, confusion, pain, and helplessness.

Xue Liping had never seen this side of Li An before; right now, he was just a regular man—a father worried about his wife and child.

"Li An, why don't you rest for a while and have something to eat I'll stay here with her," Xue Liping said softly out of concern for him.

Li An shook his head blankly, raising his eyes to look at Xue Liping. His voice was filled with profound sorrow: "I need to be here by her side and protect the baby. Even if she doesn't admit it verbally, deep down, she needs me."

Xue Liping felt a pang in her heart; witnessing Li An’s state made her feel very uncomfortable. Li An and their daughter were truly an odd pair—despite loving each other deeply and caring for one another immensely, they had encountered so many complications.

"Sigh, you silly child. The doctor has already said that LuoXi and the baby are currently safe. LuoXi had a bit of bleeding and is now weak; she will likely wake up around morning tomorrow. You should try to get some sleep."

"No." Li An stubbornly shook his head.

Since learning that Yan Luoxi was carrying his child, Li An's excitement had been like any other young first-time father, looking forward to this role change with anticipation. It felt wonderful and intimate to him; these days he had looked forward eagerly to the birth of their child and imagined what it would be like for them to all be together as a family.

He wanted to give Yan Luoxi and the baby the happiest, warmest home in this world. He intended to decorate the room himself and buy every piece of furniture personally... He loved Yan Luoxi and the child deeply...

But now something had happened to Yan Luoxi and their child!

"Then at least eat something, or drink a little water. If you don't eat or drink anything, you might faint before LuoXi even wakes up," Xue Liping looked somewhat worriedly at Li An.

"No thank you, Auntie. You go rest, I'll be fine," Li An shook his head firmly, leaving no room for compromise in his refusal.

Xue Liping understood Li An's mood to some extent and didn't say anything further; she sighed and sat down on the other side of the bed.

Li An’s bloodshot eyes stared intently at Yan Luoxi’s face.

In just one night, Yan Luoxi had become pale and haggard. She lay there so weak that she seemed like an inanimate doll. Li An's heart ached as it clenched; was this still the plump and happy Yan Luoxi from yesterdayom abroad; maybe then Li An wouldn’t be so bold anymore.Sitting on the bus, she was surrounded by several girls her age who were chattering excitedly about a movie they had just watched. They all felt...