Five days later, in the bedroom, Shang Yushang was once again gently wiping down He Changning’s body. His eyes turned red as he looked at the large patch of bruising across Changning’s chest—marks left by the defibrillator, which would take a long time to heal. His abdomen was still wrapped in thick bandages. His face was terrifyingly pale, lips almost completely drained of color. Bai Mo had explained it was due to massive blood loss. Thankfully, Changning had been well-nourished throughout the pregnancy—otherwise, he might never have woken up.
It had already been five days. He Changning remained in a deep sleep. Shang Yushang hadn’t left his side even once, staying close around the clock while the IV steadily delivered nutrients and antibiotics into Changning’s body, hoping he would wake up soon.
“Baby, come on, wake up. The kids and I are all waiting for you. Don’t you want to see the babies you risked your life to bring into the world? Changning, don’t sleep anymore. Wake up—we haven’t even had a proper honeymoon yet. This time, wherever you want to go, I’ll take you. However long you want to stay, I’ll stay with you. Just don’t keep sleeping. I’ll agree to anything you want. Changning, I can’t live without you. So, please, don’t break my heart. Wake up, and let’s raise our kids together, alright? Changning, I love you. Don’t ignore me. Say something. There’s something I still haven’t confessed to you. Don’t sleep—let me apologize to you, okay?”
Every day, Shang Yushang would say these words softly into He Changning’s ear, over and over, never tiring of it. He would chat about how the babies cried again, or how one of them wet the bed. He’d talk about how much the twins could eat, how they were getting chubbier and fairer, and how they looked like both of them. Sometimes he would even carry the babies in to sleep next to He Changning, lying beside them as the three of them rested together—father and sons, under his watchful gaze.
Old Madam Shang visited daily. She would sit by the bed and talk to He Changning—about Yushang’s childhood, about how adorable and healthy his own babies were, hoping her grandson-in-law would open his eyes soon and see them.
Shang Yushang worried the old lady might wear herself out, gently coaxing her to rest at home. But she insisted on coming every day, and had visibly lost weight. It made Yushang anxious. Gu Cheng also tried to persuade her, and she finally agreed to take one day off to rest.
Gu Cheng and Aunt Qin would often come by to check on He Changning as well. They knew Shang Yushang was constantly on duty and couldn’t go on like this, so Gu Cheng tried to convince him to take breaks and let him keep watch instead. But Yushang never rested for more than an hour or two before he was right back at Changning’s side.
Xiao Wu kept his post outside the bedroom door, always accompanied by A’Yin.
Another day passed, and there was still no sign of He Changning waking. After his routine check, Bai Mo explained, “He lost a lot of blood. His body’s gone into a deep sleep to repair itself. As for when he’ll wake, it’s hard to say. It all depends on his willpower. The effects of deep sleep are unpredictable—he could wake in the next moment, or it might take longer. But don’t worry. This kind of sleep doesn’t harm the body. In fact, it helps recovery better than being awake. So, really, there’s no need to panic.”
He also checked on the babies. “The little ones are doing amazing—eating, sleeping, growing fast. They’re even bigger than most twins. All their vitals are perfect. You can relax.” He patted Shang Yushang’s shoulder. “I’m seriously jealous—two adorable babies, and your man’s going to be fine. But your condition, on the other hand, doesn’t look great. You keep burning the candle at both ends like this, you’ll collapse. And when that happens, your wife’s gonna feel terrible. Look—he risked his life to give you those babies. The least you can do is take care of yourself so you can be with him for a long, long time. Don’t you agree?”
Shang Yushang didn’t say much—he just gave Bai Mo’s arm a light pat to show he understood.
Night fell. After Aunt Qin and Gu Cheng helped feed the babies, change their diapers, and lull them to sleep, Shang Yushang returned to the bedroom. He went into the bathroom, soaked a towel in warm water, and came back to wipe He Changning down.
“Changning, the boys were born five days ago. How much longer before you finally open your eyes and look at them? If you wait too long, they might not even recognize you as their dad.” He started with Changning’s arms, then gently wiped his chest and belly, his touch firm but careful. “Look at this—after having the babies, your stomach has folds like old tree bark. Hurry and get better, and I’ll help you train. I want to see that trim, elegant figure of yours again. That’s the kind of body that’s perfect to hold. Baby, wake up soon—I’m getting impatient. You promised you’d make it up to me. Don’t you dare go back on your word.”
Then he moved on to clean Changning’s long legs. “You’ve got such gorgeous legs—so long and straight. When they wrap around my waist, it feels incredible. And why are they so pale? Your skin’s flawless. Even your toes are pretty. If you don’t wake up soon, I’m going to start tickling you and see if that gets you up.”
As he spoke, he lightly scratched the underside of Changning’s toes.
He Changning’s foot twitched slightly, and a dry, raspy voice came from him:
“That tickles… stop it.”
Yushang didn’t even notice the towel slipping from his hand—all he could focus on was the fact that his lover was speaking to him. He gently set He Changning’s legs down and, unsure if he was dreaming, walked over to the bed. The moment he saw those familiar, bright eyes gazing back at him, all the tension he’d held in for days shattered. He collapsed to his knees at the bedside, clutching He Changning tightly and sobbing uncontrollably.
“Changning… Changning… my Changning, you’re back. You’re really back.”
Tears trickled from the corners of He Changning’s eyes, disappearing into his hair. With all the strength he could muster, his frail fingers reached up and brushed against the hollow, pale face of the man he loved. His voice was hoarse and broken.
“Jianzhi, don’t cry… it hurts my heart to see you like this.”
Tears poured from Shang Yushang’s eyes like a flood. Never in his life had he felt such overwhelming gratitude for a second chance.
“Changning, I love you. I love you. I love you… please don’t scare me like that again. Stay with me forever, alright?”
He Changning’s eyes welled with tears, but even through the haze, he could see the deep love and devotion in the other man’s gaze.
“Okay. We’ll be together—forever. Even in the next life, I’ll still be yours.”
Shang Yushang kissed those long-missed lips, gently and slowly, until the tide of emotions settled. He hurriedly wiped away his own tears, then tenderly wiped Changning’s, kissing the corners of his eyes.
“Baby, are you thirsty? Hungry? Want something to eat? I’ll make you whatever you want.”
He Changning gave a tired but blissful smile, his pale face glowing with happiness.
“Just some water… I’m not really hungry.”
“Alright, just wait a moment—I’ll go get it.”
After drinking half a cup of warm water, He Changning’s parched throat felt a bit better. His voice was no longer as raspy.
“Jianzhi… come lie down. Hold me for a while.”
Shang Yushang looked like a shadow of his former self—emaciated, pale, with red-rimmed eyes and dark circles that spoke of many sleepless nights. Seeing him like this broke He Changning’s heart.
“Okay.”
Shang Yushang stripped off his pajamas, keeping only his underwear, and carefully slipped into bed. He made sure to avoid Changning’s injuries and gently gathered him into his arms, kissing his forehead.
“Sleep. I’ll be right here with you.”
“Mhm… but you sleep too, Jianzhi. I want you to be healthy. Only if you’re well can you stay by my side.”
“Alright. Whatever you say, baby—I promise.”
Outside the room, Xiao Wu sat on the floor by the door, his expression soft and smiling. A Yin had his arm around Xiao Wu’s shoulder and kissed his forehead.
“Get some sleep.”
For once, Xiao Wu didn’t snap at A Yin for being overly affectionate. He simply curved his lips into a gentle smile.
“Okay.”
A Yin was completely mesmerized. He cupped Xiao Wu’s chin and kissed him deeply, the intensity of his feelings flowing into that lingering kiss that brought their young hearts even closer.
When they finally pulled apart, both were breathing heavily. A Yin couldn’t help placing feather-light kisses on Xiao Wu’s flushed lips again and again.
“Xiao Wu, I love you.”
Xiao Wu lowered his eyes and softly replied, “Mm.”
Hearing that, A Yin joyfully hugged him tight, knowing this quiet, adorable guy had finally accepted his love. He kissed Xiao Wu’s cheek again and whispered,
“Sleep. I’ll hold you.”
The next morning, everyone in the villa knew that He Changning had woken up, but no one dared to disturb the couple who had weathered so much together.
It wasn’t until mid-morning that Shang Yushang finally awoke. The moment he opened his eyes, his first instinct was to check if his lover was alright. Seeing his darling sleeping soundly in his arms, color returned to his cheeks, Shang Yushang felt like his heart was so full it might burst.
Carefully sliding his arm out from beneath Changning’s neck, he got out of bed without a sound. Without even stopping to wash up, he opened the bedroom door and called out,
“Xiao Wu, go tell the kitchen to prepare something to eat—meat congee, side dishes, milk, everything. Changning will be waking up soon.”
For once, Xiao Wu had a rare smile on his usually expressionless face. “Young Master, the kitchen’s been ready for a while now. As soon as Young Master Ning wakes up, his meal’s all set.”
Shang Yushang gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Go get some rest. Let someone else take over the shift.”
Lao Ba chimed in, “Young Master, we already told him to rest, but he insisted on waiting until Young Master Ning wakes up before going back to his room.”
Lao Jiu tilted his head thoughtfully. “Ayin’s probably in Xiao Wu’s room right now.”
Lao Ba nudged Xiao Wu. “Then what are you waiting for? She’s probably waiting on you.”
A flush rose on Xiao Wu’s cheeks. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Lao Ba smirked smugly. “Come on, as if no one saw anything. Last night, someone was cuddling and kissing like their life depended on it.”
Xiao Wu’s face turned red, even his neck flushed, and he lowered his voice. “Quit talking nonsense. Young Master Ning is still sleeping.”
Shang Yushang, in a great mood, didn’t bother scolding these shameless guys for teasing Xiao Wu. “Go get some rest. I’ll give you a few days off for your wedding later.”
Xiao Wu was flustered and embarrassed. “Young Master, I… I don’t have—that kind of thing…”
“Alright, it’s settled,” Shang Yushang cut him off with a smile.
Lao Ba suddenly tugged at Shang Yushang’s arm, his eyes shining. “Young Master, we want time off too!”
Shang Yushang gave him a once-over. “Sure—just find yourself a wife, and I’ll give you a honeymoon.”
Lao Ba looked crushed. “Young Master, that’s not fair. I’m too ugly. No one wants me.”
Shang Yushang calmly pulled his arm back. “Then there’s nothing I can do.” With that, he turned and headed inside, shutting the door behind him.
Left outside were Lao Jiu, looking gleeful, and Lao Ba, grumbling and bitter, both ganging up on Xiao Wu, complaining that ever since he got himself a girl, he’d forgotten all about his brothers. Absolutely no sense of loyalty.
By midday, He Changning finally stirred awake. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Shang Yushang gazing at him with a warm smile, planting a kiss on the corner of his lips.
“You’re awake?”
He Changning blinked slowly. “Mm.”
Shang Yushang handed him a cup of warm water. He Changning drank half of it with his help.
Shang Yushang gently helped him sit up against the headboard, then told someone to bring up the porridge and side dishes. He personally fed him half a bowl before calling Bai Mo to come up for a check-up.
Bai Mo arrived with a bright smile, unpacking his tools. “Your body’s recovering really well. With a bit of rest, you’ll be up and walking soon. Changning, you really gave us all a scare this time. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. If something had happened to you, your man would’ve had me drawn and quartered.”
He Changning was still weak. After all, he had practically walked through death’s door and come back.
“It’s alright. He wouldn’t have done anything to you. He’s more likely to be grateful. I am too.”
