Chapter 21: The Form of a Dad

“The baby’s checkup shows no major problems. Just observe him at home,” said the female doctor wearing glasses and a white coat. “You can use a clean towel wrapped around ice to apply a cold compress to the swelling on his head.”

Zhu Jia, holding Xiao Wen, sat in a chair, still in a daze as she listened to the doctor. Mo Yichen, standing behind her, gently put his arm around her shoulders.

The doctor helplessly said, “Parents don’t need to be too anxious. Babies falling off beds is a very common occurrence. Almost every baby has experienced it. As long as they cry and the crying stops within 15 minutes without vomiting, there’s no need to worry too much.”

Zhu Jia nodded, and her mood gradually improved. She regained some color on her pale face and nervously asked, “If his head got hit, he won’t be stupid, right?”

The doctor smiled, “Stupid? The chances of that are very low. In my career, I’ve never encountered a case where a child became stupid from falling off the bed.”

But the doctor quickly became serious. “However, parents should still observe closely. If the baby shows signs of excessive sleepiness or projectile vomiting in the next couple of days, they must be rushed to the hospital.”

Zhu Jia listened carefully to the doctor’s words and remembered them well.

“New parents are always this nervous. You’ll get better with experience,” the doctor smiled and said to the two in front of her.

Mo Yichen looked at the top of Zhu Jia’s head. When he received her call earlier, he had been in a meeting with several executives. He never expected to hear Zhu Jia’s sobbing voice on the other end, stammering as she explained what had happened.

Mo Yichen immediately furrowed his brows, his aura turning icy cold. His usually stern face became even more intimidating.

The executives in the meeting were trembling, fearing that they had made a serious mistake. They didn’t dare to face Mo Yichen’s wrath and lowered their heads. But Mo Yichen just told them to dismiss the meeting and left the conference room.

When he arrived at the hospital and saw Zhu Jia’s red-rimmed eyes and Xiao Wen, who had been hurt, his heart was pulled tight. He gently embraced them both.

Zhu Jia, in his arms, was like a deflated balloon, her tears soaking his shirt. Mo Yichen softly comforted her.

What they didn’t realize was that, at that moment, they had truly become a three-person family connected by blood.

Zhu Jia carefully held Xiao Wen, afraid the bump on his head would be touched. “The baby never used to turn over, so I dared to leave him on the large bed without any barriers.”

The doctor smiled and said, “Babies usually start turning over around three months. The first time they turn over is always when parents least expect it. This is a good sign, marking a new milestone in the baby’s motor development.”

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After confirming that Xiao Wen was fine and applying a simple ice compress, Zhu Jia and Mo Yichen took Xiao Wen back home.

It was exactly 4 PM. Zhu Jia thought Mo Yichen would return to the company, but to her surprise, he stayed at home and didn’t leave.

The early summer weather was getting warmer, and Zhu Jia had sweat all over her body after carrying Xiao Wen back from the hospital.

“Aunt Liu, are you home?” Zhu Jia called loudly when she got home, waiting for a while without anyone responding. Aunt Liu was probably upstairs cleaning.

“What’s wrong?” Mo Yichen took off his suit jacket, leaving just a white shirt on, and unbuttoned the top two buttons. It seemed like he also felt the heat.

“I want to take a shower. Can you ask Aunt Liu to watch Xiao Wen?” Since Xiao Wen fell from the bed today, Zhu Jia no longer dared to leave him alone.

Mo Yichen looked at her damp shirt, which revealed her black straps.

“I’ll watch him,” Mo Yichen pointed to Xiao Wen in the stroller.

Zhu Jia hesitated for a moment. “Can you handle it?”

Mo Yichen nodded. Zhu Jia thought for a moment. Since she could shower quickly, and Xiao Wen seemed to be fine now, it should be safe to leave him with Mo Yichen for a short while.

“Then why don’t you watch him in my room?” she suggested. After all, Xiao Wen would be more comfortable in his own bed than in the stroller.

Mo Yichen agreed. “I’ll go change my clothes and come right over.”

Zhu Jia nodded and took Xiao Wen back to her room. After a few minutes, Mo Yichen returned, now wearing a light gray T-shirt.

Zhu Jia handed him two baby rattles. “Play with him while I quickly finish my shower.”

Mo Yichen took the two sets of hand rattles that made a crisp sound and glanced around.

Zhu Jia’s room was a bit messy. Her and Xiao Wen’s things were scattered everywhere, and there were several large cushions placed on the bed.

Mo Yichen had long noticed that Zhu Jia liked to hold things close to her, but he hadn’t expected that she also needed to hold a pillow while sleeping.

From the bathroom, the faint sound of water could be heard. Mo Yichen walked over to Xiao Wen’s crib. Xiao Wen was currently waving his small fists and kicking his little legs, exercising. The frightening bump on his head had started to shrink after the cold compress.

As soon as Mo Yichen sat down on the sofa next to the bed, Xiao Wen started to hum and whine. He picked up the rattles in his hands and gently shook them by Xiao Wen’s ears.

Xiao Wen was momentarily distracted by the rattle but soon lost interest. Although he had forgotten what had happened hours ago, he hadn’t fully recovered from the shock. At this moment, he needed more care and affection than usual.

Mo Yichen had no choice but to lean down and pick up Xiao Wen, securely holding his neck and bottom.

Xiao Wen’s body wasn’t as soft as before and was becoming firmer, which made him easier to hold now. Xiao Wen gazed at him with focused eyes, as if trying to figure out who this man was in front of him.

At this age, babies could already recognize people. They could tell who was familiar and who was not, but they didn’t always rely on sight—they were more likely to recognize people through sound and smell.

Mo Yichen held Xiao Wen with one arm and sat down on the sofa by the window. With the other hand, he gently shook the rattle and played with him.

Before long, the sound of a door opening could be heard from the bathroom. Zhu Jia, with damp hair, stepped out. She was wearing a white bathrobe and holding a towel to dry her long, wet hair. Her face was flushed from the hot water.

Zhu Jia always felt uneasy when she was in the bathroom. With so many things on her mind, she hurriedly finished her shower, threw on her bathrobe, and rushed out to check on them.

When she saw Mo Yichen holding Xiao Wen on the sofa, she couldn’t help but laugh. The contrast between their figures was striking—one looked tall and slender even while sitting, while the other was round and chubby, like a little ball. The scene felt oddly mismatched.

Zhu Jia smiled. It was surprising to see the dignified, elegant man Mo Yichen also showing such a down-to-earth side. His posture while holding Xiao Wen was quite proper. With a little more practice, he might actually become a great dad.

“Why didn’t you dry your hair?” Mo Yichen asked as he looked at the droplets of water from Zhu Jia’s wet hair dripping down her neck and into her bathrobe, only to disappear soon after. His Adam’s apple moved involuntarily.

“I was a little worried about you two. I didn’t expect you to be so good at this ‘dad’ thing,” Zhu Jia said with a wink, playfully adding, “Now I’ll go dry my hair.”

Mo Yichen lowered his head a little awkwardly, his eyes on Xiao Wen. The little guy, held in his arms, suddenly became unusually obedient, not moving a muscle, just staring at him with wide, round eyes.

Usually, when Zhu Jia held him, Xiao Wen would wriggle and squirm.

Mo Yichen couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed even such a small child could sense who was easier to handle—he probably didn’t look as easy to bully as Zhu Jia did.

…
From that day on, Zhu Jia wrapped Xiao Wen’s head in a clean towel with ice packs for three consecutive days. The bump on his head visibly shrank.

Zhu Jia carefully checked the injury. There were no obvious external wounds, and it should heal without leaving scars.

That night, Xiao Wen had cried a lot after falling, but he gradually recovered from the shock.

Children’s self-healing abilities were really strong. In just a few days, Xiao Wen was back to his usual lively, mischievous self.

Of course, Zhu Jia would never again leave him alone on the big bed without barriers. He was now placed in a crib surrounded by protective barriers on all sides.

After learning to roll over, Xiao Wen practiced it constantly. He could roll over several times in a row and happily played on the crawling mat that Zhu Jia had bought.

About half a month later, Xiao Wen’s head injury was completely healed, and there was no trace of it left. The scary fall was now a thing of the past.

….

Time passed quickly while raising Xiao Wen. Before they knew it, the first day of the next month arrived, which was also Xiao Wen’s grandfather, Mo Ronghua’s, birthday.

That afternoon, before leaving, Zhu Jia made sure to dress up both herself and Xiao Wen carefully. After all, this was her first time visiting the Mo family’s old house as Mo Yichen’s wife, and she would be meeting many people from the Mo family, a prestigious and large family with many relatives.

Zhu Jia chose a white lantern-sleeve, form-fitting dress, paired with nude-colored strappy high heels. It was formal but not too eye-catching. As Mo Yichen’s wife, she knew she would be the center of attention, but she still wanted to keep a low profile.

Inspired by the family photo session, Zhu Jia dressed Xiao Wen in a white long-sleeve shirt with a faux shirt design, paired with a black little vest.

Since reaching his 100-day milestone, the little guy had matured a lot and now looked stylish and cute in his clothes.

Coincidentally, Mo Yichen was also wearing a white casual shirt, paired with slightly tapered black trousers.

Even the driver, Old Xu, was stunned. The family of three, all in matching tones, walking together looked like they had just stepped out of a magazine. Their natural harmony was obvious in every detail.

The Mo family’s old house was about a 30-minute drive away from their home. It was located on a hill in the city, offering a view of the bustling city center. It had a sense of both privacy and control over the entire area.

Everyone living in that area was either rich or powerful, though the area’s remote location meant private cars were the only mode of transportation.

Driving up the winding mountain road, Zhu Jia finally saw the grand residence of the most powerful family in the book—a magnificent building with a huge garden.