Chapter 303: Just the Two of Us

*Runze’s POV*

The absence of Siying’s bright voice leaves the sitting room feeling remarkably spacious.

I unbutton the high collar of my silk loungewear, relaxing against the sofa cushions. The main house has settled into total stillness. Feifei took Siying down to the city an hour ago, her excited chatter fading down the driveway inside the car, leaving the two of us alone in our wing for the first time all day.

Bael stands near the low side table, his posture tense, his hands resting against the edge of the polished surface. He hasn’t moved or spoken since Liang Feng brought his phone back inside after taking the photos in the garden.

I watch him for a moment, remembering the way he had avoided my eyes when Siying asked for a baby brother. I know what has been troubling him ever since.

I stand up from the sofa, walking over to where he stands. Reaching out, I lay my palm gently over the back of his hand where it grips the edge of the table, feeling the tension in his fingers.

“She is six years old, Bael,” I say softly, my thumb stroking over his knuckles. “She saw her classmate holding a newborn at school and thought it looked fun. It’s how children think.”

Bael’s fingers loosen slightly under my touch, but his gaze remains fixed ahead. “It isn’t a simple game, Runze. A second child isn’t a toy to keep her entertained on weekends.”

“I know it isn’t a game,” I tell him, turning my hand to lace my fingers through his, guiding him away from the table. “Come sit with me.”

He lets me lead him to the sofa and sits beside me, his hands resting on his thighs.

I shift closer, resting my hand over his wrist, feeling his pulse beating rapidly beneath his skin.

“You are thinking about the delivery room,” I say quietly.

Bael’s jaw twitches. He looks at me, his eyes clouded with an emotion so intense it takes my breath away. “I remember that day, Runze. I remember standing beside that bed, knowing you were in pain and being unable to do anything to help you.”

He turns his hand over, locking his fingers tightly through mine.

“I watched you lose consciousness,” he rasps, his voice rough and bare. “I watched you suffer until you couldn’t even hold my hand. I swore to myself that day that I would never put you through that kind of agony again.”

Hearing him say it out loud brings a sudden tightness to my throat.

The memory of that day isn’t something we bring up. After Siying came home and settled into our lives, Bael had brought a small prescription bottle to our room one night. He held my hand, his voice trembling with an absolute, terrifying fear, and asked me to take the birth control daily because he couldn’t survive watching me bleed or scream like that a second time.

I had agreed instantly, taking the small white pill every morning without hesitation, because his peace of mind mattered more to me than anything else.

I slide my other hand up to rest flat over his chest, feeling the fast, frantic rhythm of his heart beating against my palm.

“I know,” I whisper, tracing the firm line of his collarbone through his shirt. “I know how much it hurt you to watch me go through that, Bael.”

“It doesn’t change the pain you suffered,” he rasps, his hand coming up to cover mine where it rests over his heart, pressing my palm tighter against his skin. “It doesn’t change what it took out of you.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I agree, looking directly into his eyes so he can see every bit of truth in my face. “I remember the pain too, Bael. I remember how scared I was when everything went blurry.”

I pause, leaning closer so our breath mingles in the small space between us.

“But I have never regretted a single second of it,” I tell him softly, my voice rich with feeling. “Not once. Because through all that pain, we brought Siying into this world. Looking at her every day, seeing how sweet and bright she is, makes every single moment of that suffering completely worth it.”

Bael gazes down at me, his breath catching in his throat as he listens to my words.

“Holding a child we created together, watching them take their first steps and grow up right in front of us… it’s one of the most incredible things we could ever experience.” I pause, looking into his eyes. “If we ever choose to have another baby, it won’t be just to grant Siying’s birthday wish. And thinking about it now, I know I wouldn’t hesitate to go through it all over again just to bring another sweet life like hers into our family.”

Bael searches my eyes, looking for any trace of fear or uncertainty. “You would really do that?”

“I would,” I admit, a soft smile touching my lips as I look around our sitting room, at the complete peace and security we have built together over the years. “We aren’t in danger anymore, Bael. We have a home filled with love and stability. When Siying spoke today, my first thought wasn’t no.”

Reaching out, Bael wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me firmly off the cushions and straight onto his lap. I settle against him naturally, wrapping my arms around his neck as he buries his face into the side of my neck, his chest heaving with a deep, shaky exhale.

“I was so scared of losing you that day,” he murmurs against my skin, his fingers tightening against my back as if holding onto something irreplaceable. “For months after we brought her home, I would wake up in the middle of the night just to place my hand on your chest and feel you breathing.”

“I know,” I whisper back, brushing my lips gently against his temple, smoothing my fingers through his hair until his breathing settles into a steady rhythm. “I know you were.”

He stays like that for a long time, holding me securely on his lap, listening to the calm beat of my heart while I gently stroke his back. When he pulls back slightly to look at me, the defensive wall in his eyes is gone, replaced by an intense devotion that makes my chest swell.

His large hand comes up to cup my face, his thumb gently smoothing over my cheekbone.

“You truly want this?” Bael asks, his voice low, looking for total honesty. “For us?”

“I want this,” I tell him, meeting his gaze with complete certainty. Then I pause, leaning my face slightly into his hand, looking straight into his eyes. “But what about you, Bael? Forget the fear of the delivery room for a second. In your own heart, do you actually want to raise another child with me?”

Bael goes still for a moment, his dark eyes searching my face as my question sinks in. The protective guard on his face softens completely, revealing something raw and tender underneath.

“I do,” Bael says, his voice quiet, filled with a deep, unmistakable certainty. “Watching you with Siying every day, watching her grow up in this house… I want to experience all of that with you again. I want another child with you, Runze.”

A quiet relief spreads through my chest at his words, settling every remaining doubt in my mind.

“Then let’s do it,” I tell him softly, leaning up to press a quick kiss against the side of his jaw.

Bael looks down at me, a soft, genuine smile touching his lips before his tone turns firm and protective as he strokes my cheek. “We will talk to Dr. Xi first. We will have every checkup done and make sure your body is completely ready before you stop taking a single pill.”

I let out a soft laugh, placing my hand over his on my cheek. “Agreed.”

He leans in and kisses me—unhurried, tender, and full of a quiet, unbreakable promise.