Incurable Chapter 65 It’s Anzhi (1)
Learning to Hold a Baby
Mu Wan had seen plenty of children before.
While filming, she had worked with little child actors only two or three years old who could barely speak yet. They were soft, sweet-smelling, and adorable, and during breaks between scenes, Mu Wan would sometimes go over and play with them.
But this was the first time she had ever seen such a tiny newborn.
The baby was a soft little bundle, with milky-white skin and eyes as dark and glossy as black glass. He wore a pale yellow outfit, his tiny hands stretched open while his little arms waved back and forth.
The moment Mu Wan saw him, she caught the faint scent of milk.
Standing beside the crib, she suddenly had no idea what to do.
She simply looked up at Xu Xingkong and said, “He’s so beautiful.”
Xu Xingkong followed her gaze toward the baby.
There was a deep tenderness about her now. Hearing Mu Wan’s praise, she smiled and looked up at her encouragingly.
“Do you want to hold him?”
Mu Wan’s eyes immediately brightened.
She clearly wanted to, but with her own belly already so large, it did not seem very convenient.
Xu Xingkong took her hand and smiled.
“Sit here.”
She guided Mu Wan to sit on the carpet beside the crib.
Mu Wan watched as Xu Xingkong lifted the baby out.
The little one seemed especially happy in his mother’s arms. Not only did his chubby arms wave around, but his little legs began kicking too.
Mu Wan’s heart practically melted.
A quiet laugh escaped her.
Xu Xingkong laughed as well. She sat beside Mu Wan and carefully handed the baby over.
The smile on Mu Wan’s face immediately vanished.
Her expression turned solemn and cautious.
She looked completely flustered.
Seeing how nervous she was, Xu Xingkong laughed.
“Open your arms. Use one hand to support his head and put the other beneath his legs.”
“Okay.”
Mu Wan listened carefully.
Following Xu Xingkong’s instructions, she finally held the little baby in her arms.
Although he was tiny, he still had a surprising amount of weight.
It was almost as though that weight rested directly against her heartbeat.
Even Mu Wan’s breathing became lighter.
The faint milky fragrance filled her senses.
She looked down at the little boy.
He looked back at her.
He was not afraid of strangers at all. His beautiful eyes stared at her curiously.
“He’s so soft.”
Mu Wan looked toward Xu Xingkong, her eyes bright with excitement.
Even her voice had automatically softened.
“Babies are all like that.”
Xu Xingkong looked at Mu Wan with amusement.
The way Mu Wan held him so carefully looked almost exactly like the way Xu Xingkong herself had when she had first learned to hold the baby.
Babies always seemed to make people especially gentle and cautious.
After Mu Wan held him for a while, Xu Xingkong worried that she might get tired and took the little one back.
The baby clearly recognized his mother.
The moment he returned to Xu Xingkong’s arms, he opened his mouth and babbled softly, moving his little head as well.
He looked adorably innocent.
Xu Xingkong brought his tiny hand to her lips, then smiled again.
Watching the intimacy between mother and son made Mu Wan slightly envious.
She wondered whether the little one inside her would be this close to her too.
Their pregnancies had not been far apart.
Xu Xingkong was about three months ahead of Mu Wan, so she began telling her about some of the things she would face later, along with what she had learned from her own experience.
As they talked, time passed quickly.
By the time Liu Qianxiu knocked on the door, the two women looked outside and realized it was already evening.
Sunsets by the sea were always especially red.
Crimson clouds stretched across the sky.
It was beautiful.
“Come in,” Xu Xingkong called with a smile.
A moment later, the door opened.
Liu Qianxiu entered, with Huai Jing following behind him.
Huai Jing’s gaze immediately fell on the baby in Xu Xingkong’s arms.
“Let him lie down by himself. It’s tiring to keep holding him.”
Xu Xingkong ignored him.
He was always worried that she might tire herself out.
Instead, she looked toward Liu Qianxiu.
“Qianxiu, do you want to hold him?”
Liu Qianxiu had just helped Mu Wan up from the carpet.
Hearing Xu Xingkong’s suggestion, his gaze shifted toward the baby.
The little one had just awakened.
He gave a tiny yawn, and a thin sheen of moisture covered his dark eyes.
Someone gently tugged at Liu Qianxiu’s sleeve.
He lowered his gaze.
Mu Wan was looking up at him with sparkling eyes.
In a small voice, she told him about her experience.
“I just held him. He’s really soft, and he smells nice. He’s very comfortable to hold.”
Looking into her eyes, Liu Qianxiu’s expression softened slightly.
“I’ll try.”
Mu Wan watched him walk over, assuming that Xu Xingkong would have to teach him too.
But once Liu Qianxiu reached them, his movements were surprisingly practiced.
He quickly and securely took the baby into his arms.
Liu Qianxiu was already tall.
Against his body, the tiny baby looked even smaller.
He only held him for a short while.
Worried that the baby might dislike being held by someone unfamiliar, Liu Qianxiu handed him to Huai Jing.
Huai Jing took his son and looked directly at Liu Qianxiu.
Then he suddenly smiled.
“You clearly know how to hold a baby. And you still came here pretending to be humble, saying you wanted to learn from me.”
The corner of Liu Qianxiu’s mouth lifted faintly.
His gaze settled on the baby’s face.
“He looks like you.”
Huai Jing smiled too.
When it was time for dinner, Mu Wan and Liu Qianxiu did not stay at Xu Xingkong’s house.
They returned to the Liu residence.
After dinner, they went for a walk in the back garden.
Mu Wan repeated everything Xu Xingkong had told her.
Liu Qianxiu acknowledged each point.
After the Spring Festival, spring gradually arrived.
The temperature had risen slightly, though the nights were still cool.
Mu Wan was six months pregnant now.
Her belly had grown another size.
With her thick clothing and rounded abdomen, she could barely see the tips of her feet anymore.
Lights illuminated the garden.
A river of stars stretched across the night sky.
The scenery was beautiful.
The two walked side by side.
Once Mu Wan finished explaining everything, she glanced at Liu Qianxiu.
“You already knew all the things I just told you, didn’t you?”
“Some of them.”
Holding Mu Wan’s hand, Liu Qianxiu guided her over a step and into another section of the garden.
He answered calmly.
When Liu Qianxiu said he knew some of it, that usually meant he knew quite a lot.
Mu Wan did not argue with him.
She simply smiled.
Her heart felt happy and content.
“I don’t know any of it, and I can’t do any of it either,” Mu Wan said. “Doesn’t that make me seem pretty irresponsible?”
She had always been somewhat carefree.
After becoming pregnant, her brain seemed to work even less efficiently.
The little one inside her had not caused her much suffering.
Mostly, the baby made her sleepy and slowed her reactions slightly.
She spent most days feeling lazy.
When it came to practical matters, Liu Qianxiu always thought more carefully and patiently than she did.
She hardly needed to worry about anything.
Liu Qianxiu naturally arranged everything for her.
The moment Mu Wan finished speaking, Liu Qianxiu stopped.
They were standing on a small bridge in the middle of the lake in the back garden.
Beneath the lights, koi swam through the water.
Rippling reflections flickered across the walls nearby.
Mu Wan wore a down jacket.
Her scarf covered most of her face.
Only her eyes were visible as she looked at him.
Liu Qianxiu lowered his gaze and met hers.
His Adam’s apple moved slightly.
Moonlight seemed reflected in his eyes.
Cool and bright.
“There are things I can’t do either,” Liu Qianxiu said.
He raised a hand and stroked her hair.
Mu Wan shrank her neck slightly.
“What can’t you do?”
She blinked and leaned closer into his arms.
Her fingers caught his clothes.
She smiled up at him.
“You can’t give birth for me?”
That was certainly one of them.
In marriage—and especially when bringing a new life into the world—men seemed to have it easier than women in many ways.
They did not have to endure ten months of pregnancy.
They did not have to experience the pain of childbirth.
They did not have to bear the same physical and emotional pressure.
Nor did they have to recover physically after giving birth or breastfeed the baby afterward.
Liu Qianxiu did not answer.
Mu Wan looked at him, unable to tell what he was thinking.
Then she smiled and nestled closer against him.
As though comforting him, she patted his shoulder confidently.
“Don’t worry. I’m pretty good at handling pain.”
Mu Wan was not merely boasting.
When she was young, she had suffered abuse in her uncle’s household.
After becoming an actress, she had endured plenty of injuries from wire work, stunts, and physically demanding shoots.
She genuinely believed she had a high tolerance for pain.
But her words did not seem to comfort Liu Qianxiu.
He took her hand.
Mu Wan felt him hold her even tighter.
— To be continued in Part 2 —
Comments
Post a Comment