Originally, Qiao Wanqing planned to stay in the hospital starting five days before her due date, but after just one day there and no signs of the baby moving, the doctor said she could come back when labor started.

So, she went home.

But being at home made her feel restless.

The due date for her second baby was November 11th.

Qiao Wanqing hoped the baby would come earlier to avoid the awkward birthday.

If it was a boy born on Singles’ Day, it would be quite unfortunate.

However, such things can’t be rushed.

November 11th, or Singles’ Day, is a big event for Taobao sellers.

Their Taobao store had already set up for the big sale, planning to work through the night.

They had several links prepared, and if all went well, they would make a significant amount of money.

Qiao Wanqing was itching to see their first big e-commerce event live, as Tang Yueyue had been talking it up.

But her body wasn’t cooperating.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Gu Yanqing asked when he got into bed, noticing Qiao Wanqing still on her phone well past 11 PM.

“I’m waiting for midnight to shop for Double 11.”

Shopping is almost a woman’s nature, and Qiao Wanqing had been browsing Taobao a lot while at home, adding many items to her cart.

Many discounts were available from midnight to 1 AM, so she had to wait for midnight.

Qiao Wanqing realized that no matter how much money she had, she couldn’t resist the temptation of Double 11’s huge discounts.

It wasn’t about anything else; it was simply joyful to buy a bunch of things and save a few hundred bucks.

Qiao Wanqing sighed with contentment as Gu Yanqing gently massaged her legs.

The discomfort from swelling and cramps was easing under his skilled touch.

She had indeed enjoyed a long nap earlier, so she wasn’t feeling sleepy, and the small indulgences of online shopping were a welcome distraction.

Gu Yanqing, while he was clearly concerned about her comfort, couldn’t help but admire how quickly she adapted to the rhythm of their life together, even with her current challenges.

As he worked his hands carefully over her legs, he asked, “How’s your belly? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

Qiao Wanqing shook her head slightly, her eyes still closed as she relaxed. “It’s manageable. The baby’s been active today, which is probably why my belly’s been a bit sore. But your massages really help with the other aches.”

Gu Yanqing smiled softly. “That’s good to hear. If there’s anything else you need, just let me know. And don’t stay up too late, okay? You need to rest.”

She opened one eye to peek at him and gave a tired but appreciative smile. “I’ll try to keep that in mind. Thanks for everything.”

Gu Yanqing nodded, continuing the gentle massage.

The connection between them felt deeper in these quiet, intimate moments, and he cherished every one of them.

“It’s good that he’s being relatively well-behaved now,” Qiao Wanqing sighed. “Tomorrow is the due date, but this baby is really taking his time.”

Her first baby, Koko, couldn’t wait to arrive a few days before the due date.

“It’s not even the due date yet, so don’t worry,” Gu Yanqing kissed her. “The doctor said everything is normal, so just relax.”

Qiao Wanqing wasn’t exactly worried, but having the baby inside her felt like living with a ticking time bomb.

She had to be ready for the baby to “explode” at any moment, and she couldn’t go out for a walk alone for fear that she might go into labor while out.

Also, with her belly so large now, carrying the baby and amniotic fluid must weigh at least ten pounds.

The constant weight on her belly was exhausting.

She had to take daily walks, but usually, she could only manage a few hundred meters before getting too tired.

At midnight, after indulging in shopping, she finally went to bed.

As she drifted off, she thought to herself, “I really hope the baby doesn’t arrive on Double 11. Since it’s been delayed, I hope it’s a little later.”

Double 11 turned out to be a calm day.

Madam Gu had come over a few days earlier.

Qiao Wanqing was surprised to find that Madam Gu also indulged in online shopping for Double 11, and she seemed to enjoy it thoroughly.

So, it wasn’t just Qiao Wanqing; even Madam Gu, who had a privileged upbringing, couldn’t resist the lure of such low prices.

Madam Gu saw her approach, put down her phone, moved a cushion from the seat beside her to make space, and said, “Come, sit here. How’s your stomach today? Any movements?”

Qiao Wanqing shook her head. “It seems like the baby isn’t ready to come out yet.”

“There’s no rush. Take it easy,” Madam Gu comforted her. “It’s normal for it to be delayed a few days. Good things come to those who wait.”

Having been through it herself, Madam Gu knew that pregnant women can get anxious, but it’s important to stay calm to avoid insomnia and other issues.

“Alright,” Qiao Wanqing said, touching her belly. “I’ve waited this long, a few more days won’t matter.”

“Why don’t you have a C-section?” Madam Gu asked.

She had chosen a C-section herself because she heard natural birth was very painful, and she was afraid of pain.

Qiao Wanqing replied, “Koukou was born naturally, and it wasn’t too difficult, so I just went with the natural birth.”

If she had known this baby would be so troublesome, Qiao Wanqing might have chosen a C-section.

By now, she would already be in her confinement period.

Madam Gu nodded. “Natural birth is also good.”

The two women had a brief, light conversation.

Madam Gu then answered a phone call, and Koukou came over, taking Qiao Wanqing’s hand and saying, “Mommy, let’s go out!”

Qiao Wanqing made it a point to go out for walks every day to exercise.

It was time for their walk, and Koukou was very eager, pulling Qiao Wanqing along and urging her to hurry.

Usually, either Madam Gu or Gu Yanqing accompanied Qiao Wanqing on outings, but Madam Gu was on the phone, and Kouko was eager to go.

Qiao Wanqing told the housekeeper, “Qing Shu, please let Mom know that Kouko and I are going out for a bit. I have my phone with me, so she doesn’t need to come with us today. I’ll call if anything comes up.”

Pregnancy isn’t a high-risk condition; if something unexpected were to happen, she could call for help in time.

Qing Shu nodded, “Alright. Please be careful on the road.”

Qiao Wanqing and Kouko went out together.

Their outings usually involved just walking around the neighborhood.

Though Qiao Wanqing walked slowly, Kouko was always very enthusiastic about these walks.

He would explore everywhere, with a strong curiosity that made Qiao Wanqing feel like she was walking a small dog.

Seeing Kouko happily running around, Qiao Wanqing placed her hand on her belly and said, “Little baby, come out soon and play with your brother.”

It was as if the baby heard her, as it gave her a little kick.

A smile naturally spread across Qiao Wanqing’s face.

When she was pregnant with Kouko, it wasn’t a planned pregnancy, so she didn’t feel much maternal love while he was in her belly.

Instead, she felt repulsion, fear, and helplessness, with a lot of uncertainty about the future.

Thankfully, Kouko turned out to be such a wonderful child.

Qiao Wanqing and Koko took a stroll around the neighborhood and then went to rest in the gazebo.

It was late morning on a workday, so there were few people around.

Qiao Wanqing sat on a stone bench, supporting her belly.

Kouko sat on the stone bench opposite her, swinging his little legs and saying, “So comfortable, yay~”

“Little egghead!” Qiao Wanqing teased him.

Kouko pouted, “I’m not a little egghead!”

“Then you must be a big egghead.”

“I’m not an egg!” Kouko shouted.

Almost two and a half years old, Kouko occasionally pauses while speaking but rarely stutters and has learned to refer to himself as “I” instead of just “Kouko.”

Qiao Wanqing found his earnest corrections amusing and was about to comfort him when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her belly.

This familiar sensation meant it was time to give birth!

Shouldn’t there be some clear signs before labor starts?

This felt different.

It seemed like once it started, it was coming fast.

Ignoring everything else, Qiao Wanqing pulled out her phone to call Gu Yanqing.

Unfortunately, she was so nervous that she accidentally dropped the phone on the ground right after unlocking it.

Unable to bend over to pick it up, she said to Koko, “Quickly, Kouko, the baby is coming! Help Mommy pick up the phone.”

Koukou also noticed that something was wrong with his mom.

He quickly picked up the phone but didn’t hand it to Qiao Wanqing.

Instead, he tapped into his dad’s chat window on WeChat, held down the voice message button, and spoke into the phone, “Dad, something’s wrong! The baby is about to be born!”

Qiao Wanqing was stunned by Koukou’s actions.

Koukou had actually sent a voice message to his dad.

How did he learn to do that?

Gu Yanqing had been at home with Qiao Wanqing for the past few days, expecting the baby to arrive soon.

But the baby hadn’t come yet.

Today, he couldn’t avoid going to the office because there were pressing matters that needed his attention, so he decided to quickly handle them in the morning.

He felt uneasy all morning, as if something was going to happen.

…..

“Mr. Gu, here is the solution proposal from Huida. Please review it. The electronic version has also been sent to your computer,” Wang Xiao said, placing a thick stack of documents on his desk.

Their company was looking to purchase a management software, and several suppliers had submitted proposals for the large project.

The proposals from a few top suppliers were now on Gu Yanqing’s desk.

“Have the other executives seen them?” Gu Yanqing asked as he flipped through the documents.

“They’ve all received them,” Wang Xiao replied.

“Alright, notify everyone. We’ll have a meeting in half an hour,” Gu Yanqing said.

Wang Xiao left, and Gu Yanqing briefly reviewed Huida’s proposal.

Half an hour passed quickly.

As he was gathering his things to head to the meeting room, he heard a WeChat message notification.

His eyelid twitched for some reason.

He picked up his phone and saw that Qiao Wanqing had sent a voice message.

As soon as he played it, he heard Koko’s urgent and stammering voice saying that Qiao Wanqing was in labor!

Thinking something serious might have happened, Gu Yanqing quickly put down his things, didn’t even grab his coat, and hurriedly ran out while calling Qiao Wanqing.

But the call kept going to voicemail.

He tried twice with no success.

Similarly, Qiao Wanqing was also trying to call him, but her calls were also going to voicemail…

Fortunately, the pain was only intense initially and then subsided.

Qiao Wanqing called Madam Gu, who rushed over with the housekeeper.

They drove Qiao Wanqing to the hospital.

As Qiao Wanqing sweated from the pain, Madam Gu wiped her with a tissue and offered comforting words.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Kouko standing nearby, looking down and sobbing.

She quickly asked, “What’s wrong with the little one?”

Kouko wiped his eyes and said, “Mommy, is Mommy going to die?”

Madam Gu and Qiao Wanqing were speechless.

Children speak without a filter.

If anyone else had said something like that, Madam Gu would have definitely been upset.

But since it was her own grandson, she couldn’t bear to be angry with him.

She held him close and said, “Mommy is going to have a little brother or sister for Koukou. Everything will be fine.”

“But,” Koukou cried even harder, “On TV, it looks really painful, and people, they die.”

“……”

So children shouldn’t watch too much TV.

Madam Gu comforted Koukou for a long time until he was convinced that his mom wasn’t going to die, just have a baby.

Gu Yanqing rushed from the office and arrived at the hospital almost at the same time as them.

He carried Qiao Wanqing into the hospital, but she wasn’t ready to give birth immediately.

When they arrived, the cervix was just starting to open, so they had to wait.

This waiting continued into the next day, past Double Eleven, before Qiao Wanqing finally went into labor.

While everyone was relieved, a different kind of tension began to build.

Gu Yanqing had arranged for Madam Gu to be brought over so that everyone could witness the moment together.

When Koukou saw his mom being wheeled away, he tearfully told his dad, “Mommy, Mommy has been taken away.”

“Mommy is going to have the baby,” Gu Yanqing said, holding him and comforting him. “Don’t worry, she’ll be out soon.”

“I’m scared~”

“Don’t be afraid. How about the butler takes you for a walk? By the time you come back, Mommy will have had the baby.”

Koukou clung to his dad’s neck. “No, I want to wait for Mommy.”

Gu Yanqing patted his head and held him as they waited together.

They waited and waited.

When the delivery room door finally opened again, it felt like it had been a century, though it was only a little over an hour.

The nurse came out first with the baby, as the mother wasn’t out yet.

The nurse, holding the baby and smiling, said, “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Gu. It’s a little princess. Both mother and baby are safe.”