Liang Zhiyi felt a warmth surge in her heart upon hearing his words, and a smile appeared on her face:
“Then I must be really fortunate…”
“Here, have some water first.”
Pei Chen helped her drink some water. At that moment, their parents, who had just finished seeing the babies, walked into the hospital room, laughing and chatting. They saw that she was awake:
“Oh, Zhiyi is awake…”
“Zhiyi, how are you feeling? Does the wound hurt?”
The young woman gave a faint smile, “It hurts a bit, but I’m okay…”
Zhong Xinrou patted her head gently, “It’s normal to feel pain for a week or two after a C-section. If it gets too uncomfortable, you can take some painkillers. I’ll have the doctor come and check on you later.”
“Okay.”
Pei Yongxia looked at the girl, as if she were his own daughter, and said, “Zhiyi looks so weak right now. You must take good care of yourself during this period, and make sure you recover well.”
Gong Qinxin nodded in agreement, “Yes, it’s harder to recover from a C-section, so you need to be extra careful, especially with the scar. Make sure it doesn’t get infected.”
The young woman smiled softly, “Don’t worry, in a few days, I’ll be moving to the postpartum care center.”
Pei Chen had already booked the most exclusive postpartum care center in Lincheng, with everything arranged perfectly. Both she and the two babies would receive the most thoughtful and scientific care.
“By the way, I want to see the two little ones…”
Right now, she was eager to see what the two precious little ones, who had just come from her, looked like.
Pei Chen and Zhong Xinrou then brought the two babies over. Liang Zhiyi saw them lying quietly in their arms, soft and delicate, with their eyes closed and tiny bubbles forming at their mouths. Their bodies were reddish, and their faces were wrinkled.
Liang Tianming looked at them and said to Zhong Xinrou, “The two babies’ eyes look exactly like Zhiyi’s when she was born.”
“Yes, indeed…”
Liang Zhiyi murmured softly, “Was I this ugly when I was born?”
Zhong Xinrou laughed, “All newborns look like this. There’s no baby who comes out looking all fair and tender! Don’t worry, they’ll look beautiful as they grow.”
“Really…”
Gong Qinxin agreed, “Yes, the two of them look exactly like Pei Chen did when he was born.”
Zhong Xinrou chuckled, “So they’re like little versions of their father…”
Hearing this, Liang Zhiyi turned her gaze to meet Pei Chen’s eyes, and her eyebrows curved in understanding, “Well, that’s fine, that’s fine. As long as they grow up to be as handsome as our Pei Chen, that’s all that matters.”
Pei Chen’s eyes softened with a helpless yet tender smile as he asked in a low voice, “And then they’ll meet a girl as obsessed with looks as you?”
The young woman snorted lightly, “Wouldn’t that be great?”
Liang Zhiyi held each of the little ones in her arms. “What should I do? They look so alike, I can’t tell which one is the older brother and which is the younger.”
“There’s actually a slight difference,” Zhong Xinrou pointed out. “The older one has a small circular birthmark on the back of his right wrist. The other one doesn’t.”
“Having a birthmark makes it much easier to tell them apart.”
“Don’t worry, as their mother, after a few days of caring for them, you’ll be able to tell them apart easily.”
Even though they were identical twins, differences would naturally emerge as they grew older. Besides, for parents, who know their children intimately, it becomes easy to distinguish them—sometimes, even a glance is enough.
As the young woman held her babies, her heart overflowed with love, and her eyes were filled with happiness.
After a while, the two little ones were taken away so she could rest properly.
Since there were still matters to attend to at Liang Group, Liang Tianming left first. Considering Pei Yongxia’s age, Liang Zhiyi also urged him and Gong Qinxin to go home and rest, assuring them that Pei Chen and the nanny were there to take care of everything at the hospital.
As for Liang Tongzhou and Ji Fei’er, they had business to attend to, and planned to visit her again in the evening.
In the end, only Pei Chen remained in the room, staying by her side.
Liang Zhiyi looked at him with a teasing smile, “I thought you’d go keep the babies company. Why are you still here with me?”
The man propped himself up on the bed beside her, leaning down to look at her with a soft laugh, his voice gentle, “Are they more important than you?”
She smiled as he gently stroked her head, his eyes full of warmth. “Zhizhi, you’ve worked so hard. Thank you.”
He was thanking her for all the hardships she’d endured over the past few months, hardships he’d witnessed and felt deeply.
She chuckled, “Silly, why are you thanking me?”
She held his hand, “Pei Chen, we have two boys. Are you happy?”
“Yes, very happy.”
“I thought fathers would prefer daughters more, like little sweethearts.”
“It’s a bit of a pity. I did wonder if they might be as adorable as you were when you were little.”
“I knew it…”
He kissed her soft lips, “But as long as they’re our children, I love them all the same. Though with two boys, I have a feeling things are going to get chaotic.”
Just thinking about it made his head ache a little.
Liang Zhiyi smiled softly, her fingertips lightly hooking his collar as she murmured, “Well, when they get naughty, they’ll be your responsibility. After all, you were the one who tried so hard to get me to have them. Regretting it now, aren’t you?”
He smiled and said:
“It’s okay, I’m happy to do it.”
—
Compared to a natural birth, a C-section requires a longer recovery period.
After two days in the hospital, once all of Liang Zhiyi’s health indicators were normal, she was discharged and moved into the postpartum care center.
Since childhood, the young woman had always been more sensitive to pain, often crying easily when it hurt. The first few days after giving birth were particularly difficult for her. Fortunately, the doctors and nurses at the care center were very professional and took great care of her. In addition, Pei Chen delegated some of his work to Liang Tongzhou and Xuan Xia, so he could spend more time by her side.
In the evening, in the room at the postpartum care center, Pei Chen sat by the bed peeling an apple for Liang Zhiyi, while Liang Tongzhou, who had come to visit, played with the two little babies. His lips curled into a smile, and his eyes were filled with affection for his two nephews.
Ji Fei’er, who was nearby, remarked, “These two are pretty well-behaved today. It’s so nice when they’re asleep.”
Liang Zhiyi sighed helplessly, “They were just crying before you guys arrived. When one starts crying, the other follows, and it takes a lot of effort to finally get some peace.”
Having twins brings double the joy, but also double the trouble when it comes to their crying.
“It’s normal for babies to cry, but these two little cuties are just too adorable…” Ji Fei’er was absolutely smitten with the sweet, fragrant little ones.
Liang Tongzhou smiled lazily, “Why don’t you give us one?”
Pei Chen glanced at him and asked, “Would you prefer the older brother or the younger one?”
“You’re actually giving me one?!”
Pei Chen’s lips curled slightly as he handed the peeled apple to Liang Zhiyi and replied, “You wish.”
Liang Tongzhou: “…”
Everyone laughed, and Liang Zhiyi teased, “If you two want one, you’ll have to have your own. Stop eyeing my two.”
Liang Tongzhou turned to Ji Fei’er and, in a low voice, asked, “How about we have two of our own?”
Ji Fei’er blushed, “You’re so annoying…”
Ji Fei’er and Liang Tongzhou stayed at the postpartum care center for a while but eventually left as it got later.
Around 9 PM, Aunt Zhao, who was responsible for taking care of Liang Zhiyi, brought in a basin of warm water. Since Liang Zhiyi’s C-section wound couldn’t get wet yet, she could only have her body wiped down.
Pei Chen took the basin, insisting that he would do it. After Aunt Zhao left, Liang Zhiyi sat up, half-leaning against Pei Chen. As he gently wiped her stomach, she murmured softly, her tone a bit awkward:
“Aunt Zhao could’ve done this. You don’t need to tire yourself out…”
He paused for a moment, then smiled, “Why are you being so polite today?”
“It’s not that…”
She lowered her eyes and said, “It’s just that I think the scar on my stomach is a bit ugly, and I don’t want you to see it.”
Pei Chen was stunned by her words and looked directly into her eyes:
“Is that really what you think?”
“I’m just afraid that after having the baby, I won’t look as good to you anymore…”
Pei Chen’s brows furrowed instantly, and he sighed:
“Silly, who told you that?”
“Mm…”
Pei Chen gently pulled her into his embrace, running his hand through her long hair. His voice was thick with emotion, “The scar on your stomach is a mark left by our baby, by the family we’ve created together. So, even with the scar, you’re still the most beautiful person in my eyes, always the most beautiful, understand?”
No decent husband would ever judge his wife’s appearance after she’s gone through pregnancy and childbirth.
The young woman was so touched that her nose tingled, and she nodded. Pei Chen then asked, “And when you saw the scar on my knee, did you think it was ugly or did it bother you?”
“Of course not…”
“That’s exactly how I feel too.”
Loving someone means loving every part of them.
Pei Chen kissed her forehead gently, “Don’t ever think like that again, okay?”
“Okay.”
Liang Zhiyi leaned into his chest, smiling sweetly.
Although she already knew what his answer would be, hearing him say it still warmed her heart deeply.
—
After the two little ones were born, the matter of naming them became a priority. Since breastfeeding was quite exhausting for Liang Zhiyi, she left this task to Pei Chen.
A few days later, in the morning, sunlight poured into the room through the window. Pei Chen sat by the bed, saying that he had thought of the names. He placed a piece of paper with two characters in front of Liang Zhiyi—
One character was “溯” (Sù).
The other was “澈” (Chè).
“Do you remember the poem I recited to you on our wedding day?” he asked.
Back then, he had recited “The Reed” from the Book of Songs, and the character “溯” was taken from the line, “Pursuing it against the current, the road is long and difficult; pursuing it downstream, it seems to be in the middle of the water,” symbolizing the act of moving upstream.
For Liang Zhiyi, moving upstream symbolized how she pursued Pei Chen fearlessly. For Pei Chen, it represented his later decision to love her and be with her steadfastly, no matter how difficult it might be.
The character “澈” was also taken from the Book of Songs, from the line “The water is clear, and pure.” It signifies that after overcoming all obstacles and going against the current, the destination they reach is pure, bright, and full of beauty. These two words symbolize their love.
The older brother was named Pei Su (裴溯), with the hope that he would be resilient and brave enough to go against the tide. The younger brother was named Pei Che (裴澈), with the hope that he would be as clear and pure as water, living a life full of ease and happiness.
Liang Zhiyi loved the names, and so the two children’s names were decided.
During this period, the young woman focused on recuperating at the postpartum care center and also began some postnatal recovery exercises. The month passed quickly, and after her confinement period, the family returned to their villa in Yunhai Hu’an. The villa had been renovated months ago, and the nursery was now especially cozy and warm.
A few days later, the Pei and Liang families hosted a grand celebration for the babies’ one-month milestone, inviting the elite and nobility of Lincheng. Everyone who saw the twin babies couldn’t help but admire the double blessing they represented.
Moreover, at the one-month celebration, Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen also invited Mr. and Mrs. Lin, the elderly couple who owned the noodle shop.
Back when Liang Zhiyi was pregnant, she and Pei Chen would occasionally visit the noodle shop for a meal. At the time, Liang Zhiyi would feel nauseous after eating anything greasy, but somehow, Uncle Lin’s pig’s trotter noodles were an exception—she never got tired of them and could always eat them with pleasure.
In fact, the Lin couple had been a part of their lives for a while, witnessing their journey from getting married to now having children, and they felt genuinely happy for them.
After the one-month celebration, it was almost time for the New Year.
This year was different from previous ones; with the arrival of the two little babies, the festive season was more joyful and lively than ever. On New Year’s Eve, the Pei and Liang families gathered for a reunion dinner, and the atmosphere was warm and full of joy.
Everyone noticed that Pei Su and Pei Che, being true brothers, seemed to share a special connection. When one smiled, the other would follow suit; when one cried, the other would start crying too. Their actions were often synchronized, making them a pair of adorable little rascals at times, and at other times, quite a handful.
Liang Zhiyi gave them nicknames: the older brother was called “Little Dumpling (Doubao),” and the younger brother was “Little Rice Cake (Niangao).”
Pei Su was a bit quieter and less prone to crying. Sometimes, he would just sit there, biting his little hand in a daze, his soft face resembling a plump dumpling. The younger brother, on the other hand, was more clingy and loved being held, which earned him the nickname “Niangao (Niangao).”
After the New Year, spring slowly arrived.
Everything was coming back to life, and the warmth of the season was in the air.
Doubao and Niangao were growing up healthy and strong.
One weekend morning, after sleeping in, Liang Zhiyi woke up to find that Pei Chen wasn’t beside her. She walked to the nursery and saw the two babies lying in their crib, babbling. Pei Chen was by their side, gently entertaining them with a rattle, his eyes filled with tender affection.
After the children were born, Liang Zhiyi noticed that Pei Chen was a very gentle and patient father. He would often hold the twins as much as he could, sometimes to the point where she felt a little “jealous.”
“Honey—”
She walked in, smiling as she sat down next to him. “Why did you wake up so early today?”
Pei Chen put his arm around her, “I was worried they might start crying, so I came over to check on them.”
“Doubao, Niangao, let Mommy hold you…”
She laughed as she picked them up. The moment the little ones realized it was their mother, they became visibly excited, flailing their tiny arms and legs, their dark, grape-like eyes sparkling as they made soft, cooing noises.
After playing with the babies for a while, a nanny came in to take over, and the couple went to have breakfast.
They spent the entire day at home.
Even though it was the weekend, there was still work to be done, so the two of them worked from home.
That evening, in their small WeChat group, the group members were chatting away. Xuan Xia and Liang Tongzhou were joking about stealing away Doubao and Niangao, each taking one home to play with.
As the conversation became lively, Pei Chen appeared in the group chat after a while:
Pei Chen: “Don’t even think about taking my sons.”
Liang Tongzhou laughed: “Brother-in-law, we’re just trying to lighten the load for you and my sister. Aren’t kids a handful? Isn’t it exhausting to take care of them?”
Pei Chen: “Not exhausting at all. They’re very well-behaved.”
Xuan Xia: “Hey, big brother, do you really need to be so protective? Just wait until they both start crying at the same time tonight—you’ll have a tough time then.”
Pei Chen smiled, firmly quashing their hopes of taking the little ones away, mainly because the two babies were just too adorable—everyone who met them couldn’t help but fall in love.
A while later, after finishing his work, Pei Chen returned to the bedroom and saw Liang Zhiyi stepping out of the bathroom after her shower.
Tonight, she was wearing a silk nightdress with a thin robe draped over it. Her skin was as fair as snow, her eyes shimmering, and her features were as radiant as a dewy rose, exuding a youthful charm that made her look nothing like a mother who had just given birth.
She glanced at him, lightly biting her lip, her eyes filled with allure:
“Honey, are you done with work?”
Since completing her postpartum confinement period three months ago, he had been holding back, refraining from intimacy to ensure her full recovery.
To say he didn’t want her would be a lie.
Every night had been a struggle for him.
At this moment, the sight of her ignited a burning desire within him, and an uncontrollable longing spread through his entire body.
Pei Chen swallowed hard, walked over, and pulled her into his arms, immediately catching the sweet scent of gardenias on her, which enveloped him.
He took a few steps forward, pressing her against the wardrobe.
His dark eyes lowered, and his voice grew hoarse:
“Did you do this on purpose?”
Liang Zhiyi smiled mischievously and played dumb, asking back, “Did what on purpose?”
He tilted his head and kissed her earlobe, his breath unsteady: “What do you think? Do you know how much I’ve been suffering? And tonight, you wear something like this?”
She smiled, tiptoed to wrap her arms around his neck, and breathed into his ear: “Pei Chen… I’ve pretty much recovered. You don’t have to hold back anymore.”
Hearing this, Pei Chen’s eyes darkened with desire:
“Alright, if you say so.”
He then captured her lips with a heated kiss, rekindling long-awaited memories. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her towards the living room, but just then, they heard the sound of one of the babies crying from the cradle.
Oh no, here we go again.
They had just finished their milk not long ago, and now they were hungry again.
As soon as Doubao started crying, Niangao joined in, forcing Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi to pause what they were doing.
The young woman had no choice but to pick up the babies and start breastfeeding them.
Pei Chen watched, trying to suppress his emotions, and said helplessly, “These little guys really know how to pick their moments.”
He hadn’t even gotten his “turn,” and they had already claimed theirs.
Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, “It’s okay, we have plenty of time tonight.”
After feeding one, it was time to feed the other. Finally, after both little ones were satisfied, Pei Chen felt like ants were crawling all over his heart. He pulled the young woman back into his arms, his deep voice particularly enticing: “Is it my turn now?”
But just as the words left his mouth, Doubao started crying again, kicking his tiny feet to signal that he wasn’t full yet.
Pei Chen: “…”
Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh and said to him, “Just wait a bit longer.”
Yes, after feeding this one, the other one might want more too.
That’s the “torture” of having twins.
Pei Chen, with a dark expression, leaned back against the headboard without a word and pulled out his phone. Liang Zhiyi asked him curiously, “What are you doing?”
The man lifted his eyelids to look at her, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth:
“I’m contacting Xuan Xia and Liang Tongzhou to see which one they prefer. They can come by tomorrow and take one home.”