Chapter 85

Shen Yiyi reached into his pocket and took out a handful of chocolate from his space. Breaking off a small piece, he fed it into Lin Daniu’s mouth. “Don’t be so pessimistic. If you leave, what will happen to Wangcai?”  

Would Chen Qiang take care of him?  

In the short term, it was possible. But what if Chen Qiang remarried in the future?  

By then, Chen Qiang might not even be able to protect the child growing in Lin Daniu’s belly—his own flesh and blood—let alone Wangcai.  

Lin Daniu paused.

Clearly, she had considered the same possibility. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she began sobbing uncontrollably.  

Granny Wang grew anxious. “Don’t cry! You need to conserve your strength!”  

Shen Yiyi continued to push chocolate into her hands. “Even if the situation really becomes as dire as choosing between saving you or the baby, you must always save yourself first! Only by surviving can you have the right to love your child! Besides, things aren’t that bad yet. As long as you believe in yourself, both you and your child have hope of making it through safely.”  

Lin Daniu quickly wiped away her tears.  

Seeing that she was finally persuaded, Shen Yiyi let out a sigh of relief and handed her another piece of chocolate. “Calm yourself first, then eat all of this. Chocolate replenishes energy—it’ll help you regain strength.”  

Hearing this, Lin Daniu immediately took the chocolate from Shen Yiyi’s hand and stuffed it into her mouth.  

Shen Yiyi gave her all the chocolate, and soon, the brown sugar water from outside arrived. She drank some, gradually calming down. Enduring the intense pain, she gathered her strength.  

An hour later, after a piercing scream, a loud and clear infant’s cry echoed through the room.  

The baby was born—a girl, weighing nearly seven pounds!  

The moment Lin Daniu heard her child’s cries, she was completely drained and passed out.

Granny Wang held the newborn in her arms, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and let out a sigh of relief. Using warm water, she carefully cleaned the baby before wrapping her in a piece of cotton cloth. Then, she carried the child outside.

The moment the door opened, the people waiting outside rushed forward.

Chen Qiang was the first to step up. He glanced at the baby in Granny Wang’s arms, then peered inside the room before turning back to Granny Wang with a tense expression.

Granny Wang smiled warmly and announced: “Mother and daughter are safe! Both are safe!”

Chen Qiang let out a deep breath of relief. Only then did his expression relax into a smile as he looked at the baby in Granny Wang’s arms. “A daughter?”

“Yes.” Granny Wang confirmed with a smile.

Chen Qiang wiped his hands, his movements slightly nervous and uncertain. He turned to Li Chen, who had arrived at some point, and said excitedly: “Brother Chen, I have a daughter now!”

His words were filled with undisguised joy.

Li Chen simply responded with a casual “Mm.” his eyes scanning the room in search of his own wife.

Mother Chen lay on a reclining chair, unable to move. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she repeatedly murmured: “Good, good, good.”

Only little Wangcai rushed straight to his mother’s side.

Seeing her unconscious, he panicked, thinking something had happened to her. Tears welled up in his eyes as he gently pushed her.

Shen Yiyi quickly stopped him. “Your mother is fine. She’s just exhausted and has fallen asleep. Don’t disturb her—let her rest properly.”

“Mm!” Wangcai wiped his tears and nodded.

“Is Daniu asleep?” After some time, under Granny Wang’s guidance, Chen Qiang finally managed to hold the baby properly. He showed her to his mother before handing the child back to Granny Wang. Then, he took out two coins and gave them to her before stepping inside to see his wife. His face was still filled with happiness.

Lin Daniu had fought with all her might to give birth to this child, yet in the end, this was the response she got from Chen Qiang.

It was understandable, perhaps. But as a woman, a mother, and Lin Daniu’s friend, Shen Yiyi couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger toward Chen Qiang.

In response to his question, Shen Yiyi simply snorted.  

Chen Qiang, who had just been met with Shen Yiyi’s cold attitude, touched his nose in confusion, not understanding what he had done wrong.  

“Make some millet porridge for your wife later.” Shen Yiyi said. “Add some red dates. Do you have any?”  

Chen Qiang hesitated. “…No.” How could he have remembered such details?  

Under Shen Yiyi’s gaze, he suddenly felt a strange sense of guilt, as if he were some heartless man. Feeling uneasy, he quickly asked: “Sister-in-law, do you have any? Can I buy some from you?”  

Shen Yiyi didn’t even know what to say. She suspected that the brown sugar water Chen Qiang had prepared earlier had probably come from the batch of brown sugar she had given Lin Daniu when she had asked her to make clothes. “I’ll have Li Chen bring some up later.” she finally said.  

“Ah, okay! Thank you!” Chen Qiang hurriedly expressed his gratitude.  

“Take good care of your wife and daughter.” Shen Yiyi added. “Especially your wife. Giving birth to such a strong and healthy girl wasn’t easy for her. Treat her well.”  

Chen Qiang nodded repeatedly.  

Shen Yiyi wasn’t sure how much of her words he would actually take to heart. She wanted to speak up for Lin Daniu, but in the end, this was someone else’s family matter. Besides, Chen Qiang wasn’t exactly a scumbag or a terrible husband.  

In fact, by the standards of the time, Chen Qiang could even be considered a decent man.  

Realizing this, Shen Yiyi felt an even deeper appreciation for Li Chen.  

She had been pregnant twice. Her first pregnancy with Da Bao and Er Bao had been the result of her attempting to drug Lin Jiadong, only to mistakenly end up with Li Chen instead.  

Xiao Bao, on the other hand, had come about after she had overheard Jiang Wanrou confronting Lin Jiadong about his relationship with her. She had listened as Lin Jiadong desperately distanced himself, insisting that she was already married with children and that there was no longer any possibility between them. Heartbroken, she had drowned her sorrows in alcohol and, in her drunken haze, had once again ended up with Li Chen.

Both of her pregnancies had been unplanned and against her wishes.

At the time, she had absolutely hated Li Chen and treated him terribly.  

Yet, Li Chen had never once shown any resentment toward her.  

Throughout her entire pregnancy and recovery, he had treated her like a precious treasure.

When she gave birth, he had taken her to a hospital, and the moment it was over, he had rushed in to see her.  

During her postpartum recovery, he had prioritized her in everything.

The most common nutritional supplements for pregnant women in this era—red dates, brown sugar, eggs, malted milk—were never in short supply at their home.

On top of that, he frequently made her bone broth, fish soup, and chicken soup.  

At the time, Shen Yiyi had been following the storyline, and thanks to the system’s assistance, she had felt no pain during childbirth.

Her labor had gone smoothly, and her body had suffered no damage.

She hadn’t even truly needed the nourishment.  

But despite that, Li Chen’s unwavering devotion had moved her deeply.  

She had even thought the original author had set things up unfairly—why would such a deeply affectionate man fall in love with a woman who already had feelings for someone else, a so-called vicious female supporting character?  

As she pondered this, she caught sight of Li Chen standing outside the door from the corner of her eye.

Immediately, joy surged within her—  

It didn’t matter anymore. Now, he loved her, and she would never treat him the way she had in the past!  

Having said all she needed to say to Chen Qiang, Shen Yiyi no longer paid him any attention. She walked out and immediately clung to Li Chen’s arm, her voice turning soft and sweet. “Why are you here too? Are the Three Baos at home by themselves?”  

“Mother is watching them.” Li Chen replied as he gently brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead. “Are you hungry? Let’s go home and eat.”  

“Okay.” Shen Yiyi responded with a bright smile.  

The two of them left the Chen household together.  

On the way, Shen Yiyi keenly sensed that something was off with Li Chen. His voice was slightly lower than usual, even more tender than before. She glanced at him curiously.  

Li Chen noticed her gaze. Without a word, he suddenly withdrew his hand from hers and instead wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  

Holding her like this felt more real to him.

And to Shen Yiyi, it brought an even greater sense of security.