Wei Yumeng, having just given birth, obviously had no energy to think about trivial matters. Besides feeling physically exhausted, she was filled with joy at having delivered twins. She had once lost sleep over whether she would have a boy or a girl, but now, with both a son and a daughter, her life felt complete.
Zhan Mohan sat by her side, holding her hand tightly. "Yumeng, you've worked hard to give me two healthy babies."
She rested for half a day before mustering the strength to speak. "What about the children? Have you seen them?"
Zhan Mohan shook his head. "I've been here guarding you. Grandfather has seen them, so don't worry."
He didn't want to leave Wei Yumeng's side for even a moment. The two children were born prematurely, and premature birth had some impact on the mother. He was concerned, so he stayed by Wei Yumeng's side, waiting for her to wake up.
Wei Yumeng guessed his thoughts and didn't blame him for not attending to the children more. Instead, she squeezed his hand back. "Our children are born, and from now on, we are a family of four. We must trust each other."
This was a promise between them. Giving birth was akin to walking through the gates of hell, and despite the advanced medical technology today, childbirth was still a highly risky affair. Wei Yumeng had just come back from the brink of life and death, but that didn't mean she had forgotten what had happened earlier.
If Jiang Siyu hadn't caused such a scene, her children might not have been born prematurely. She made a mental note of this.
Zhan Mohan intertwined his fingers with hers and firmly promised her, "I will protect you and the children completely. I will never let you suffer harm from anyone again."
After speaking, he remembered the soup by the bedside and quickly opened it to pour a bowl for Wei Yumeng. "This is soup that Grandfather specially had someone stew for you. It will help with your postpartum recovery. Would you like to try some?"
Wei Yumeng felt hungry hearing him say that. Moreover, the soup smelled rich and appetizing, making her stomach rumble.
As Zhan Mohan brought the spoon to her lips, she took a small sip and her eyes immediately widened. "This is delicious! How much more soup is there?"
Zhan Mohan couldn't help but chuckle. "There's plenty more. It's all yours. Drink it slowly. I'm not going to fight you for it. Grandfather also said that while you're in confinement, they'll bring you different soups every day to prevent you from getting tired of them."
Hearing him say this, Wei Yumeng couldn't help but smile. She had never seen Old Master Zhan dote on anyone so much. So this was what it felt like to be cherished for one's children; it wasn't as uncomfortable as she had imagined.
As they were feeding each other spoonfuls of soup, Zhan Yichen and Mu Linjing returned from outside, carrying large bags and packages.
They had taken advantage of Wei Yumeng's rest to go out and purchase many items needed for hospitalization, as well as some baby supplies.
Looking at the items, Wei Yumeng chuckled. "Linjing, didn't we buy quite a few things for the baby before? You could have just brought them from home. Why buy new ones?"
Her question caused Mu Linjing to pout. She gestured with her chin towards Zhan Yichen. "Ask him."
Zhan Yichen, having been called out, grinned. "Sister-in-law, these are all gifts for you from me. It's my token of appreciation, and I'm also borrowing some of your good luck."
This left Wei Yumeng speechless. "Borrow my good luck for what?"
"Of course, it's the good luck of having twins! I also want to be like Big Brother and have twins in one go."
As Zhan Yichen spoke, he winked at Mu Linjing, his syrupy demeanor evident.
Mu Linjing admired his imagination. Twins were a matter of luck; he was certainly ambitious.
Besides, their relationship was still in its early stages; his dreams might be a bit far-fetched.
However, everyone was happy now, so she naturally wouldn't say anything to dampen their spirits. She just shook her head at Wei Yumeng. "Yumeng, don't pay attention to him. He's having one of his fantasies."
The four of them chatted happily. Although Zhan Mohan was reserved and didn't join their conversation, only focusing on refilling Wei Yumeng's bowl with soup, seeing her amused by their banter, his mood became even more cheerful.
What should have been a joyous and celebratory moment was, unfortunately, interrupted by unwelcome guests.
Wen Yulan entered without even knocking. Zhan Yichen and Mu Linjing were playfully wrestling, both having collapsed onto the sofa, still bickering. Wei Yumeng was watching with amusement, but everything came to an abrupt halt the moment Wen Yulan entered with Qiao Ningzhi.
Dressed luxuriously and with Qiao Ningzhi on her arm, she stood haughtily at the hospital room door.
Hearing the commotion, Mu Linjing stopped and saw her and Qiao Ningzhi. For a moment, she was stunned.
Though she was reluctant to admit it, seeing Qiao Ningzhi standing beside Wen Yulan, she strangely felt they looked like a mother and daughter-in-law.
In terms of attire and demeanor, Qiao Ningzhi perfectly fit the image of someone who could stand by Wen Yulan's side and add to her presence. Looking at herself, Mu Linjing felt like an ugly duckling gazing up at a swan.
Wen Yulan, believing herself to be the most senior person present, stood at the door without a word or any extraneous movement, making it difficult to tell if she was there to offer congratulations.
Qiao Ningzhi beside her also felt a bit awkward. She quickly put down the gifts she was carrying. "Aunt Zhan called and told me that Mrs. Zhan gave birth to twins today, so I came to visit and brought some gifts. I hope you like them."
Wei Yumeng bore no animosity towards Qiao Ningzhi, so she greeted her with a smile. However, Mu Linjing did not feel as good.
Although she knew Qiao Ningzhi was helping Zhan Yichen with his charade, she simply couldn't bring herself to like a woman who was superior to her in every aspect.
Furthermore, it wasn't just her who would secretly compare herself to others; even outsiders, like Wen Yulan, deliberately put them side by side for comparison, causing her to fail repeatedly in her attempts to convince herself not to care.
Sensing her discomfort, Zhan Yichen quietly put his arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
However, their interaction was naturally noticed by Wen Yulan. Wen Yulan's objective today was to make them feel uncomfortable, which was why she had specifically brought Qiao Ningzhi to humiliate Mu Linjing and make her retreat.
So, she deliberately said loudly, "Yichen, why aren't you even greeting Miss Qiao? She came here out of respect for you."
Knowing she was deliberately provoking him, Zhan Yichen didn't back down. "Mom, I made it clear to you this morning. Miss Qiao and I are just friends. Your tactics are quite boring."