WMSR – QT Chapter 23

 

WMSR – QT Chapter 23

By

siofra

Chapter 23

Yet persistence ultimately pays off. Perhaps after Bai Yichen left for S City to study, Bai Jinchuan and his wife—who had previously poured every ounce of their attention onto their eldest son—began to feel an empty nest syndrome creeping in. Or perhaps it was simply the psychological priming of Bai Yichen’s endless, running commentary over the years. When Qin Yi discovered she was pregnant once again, although surprised, she didn’t waste time hesitating. Both parents decided to go through with it; after all, this younger brother or sister was something their eldest son had wished and prayed for over many years.

And so, after countless years as an only child with just one peerlessly brilliant son, the Bai household finally prepared to welcome a second child.

With Qin Yi’s advanced maternal age, not only was she trailed by a dedicated medical team at every turn, but Bai Yichen wasn’t sitting idle either. Even while staying in S City, he devoured stacks of books related to prenatal and postnatal care. Whenever the holidays rolled around, he would fly back to his parents’ side at the earliest opportunity. Anyone could see just how earnest and expectant he was toward this incoming sibling.

Every single move Bai Yichen made was watched closely by Song Junchi and Su Yuanhang. Though neither of them voiced their thoughts aloud, both grew noticeably quieter over time as they realized a sobering truth: Yichen genuinely seemed to adore children.

If just a younger brother or sister could make him care this deeply, what about the day Yichen had children of his own…?

Suddenly, both Song Junchi and Su Yuanhang found themselves unwilling to follow that line of thought any further.

Time flowed like water. Under the meticulous care of her medical team, an expectant Qin Yi grew rounder by the month until her time finally arrived, delivering a chubby, fair baby boy into the world.

Though an older mother, Qin Yi had been cared for with such exquisite precision that her body suffered no complications, and her postpartum recovery was remarkably swift. Her newly born youngest son was the picture of robust health.

When Bai Yichen looked down with his own eyes at the tiny infant who hadn’t even opened his eyes yet, he felt the heavy stone in his heart finally drop into place. The reassurance that would allow him to leave this world in peace had finally arrived.

Watching her eldest son stare blinkingly down at the baby, a wave of emotion stirred in Qin Yi’s chest. On an impulse, she thrust the soft bundle in her arms straight toward him with a playful smile: “There. The younger brother you wanted—take him.”

Unprepared, Bai Yichen suddenly found a soft, boneless little creature dumped right into his arms, instantly freezing him in place. A bachelor across two lifetimes, he had never once interacted with a specimen as foreign as a newborn infant.

Qin Yi, however, was completely at ease—or rather, she held supreme confidence in her steady, exceptional eldest son. Her brilliant firstborn, who excelled at everything he touched since childhood, would surely make a fantastic older brother. Besides, this youngest boy was the one he had relentlessly begged for.

Beaming as she watched the harmonious picture of the two brothers together for a moment, Qin Yi waved a hand dismissively: “Alright, carry him out to play for a bit. I’m going to take a nap; bring him back in if he starts crying.”

And so, holding a milky baby doll in his arms, Bai Yichen was summarily booted out into the hallway, where his gaze immediately collided with two pairs of eyes waiting outside.

Because the little fellow arrived at the most opportune moment—dead in the middle of summer during their university summer break—not only did Bai Yichen have free time, but Song Junchi and Su Yuanhang also practically lived at his house whenever they had a free moment.

Clutching a little brother who was a full twenty years his junior, facing two lifelong childhood friends, Bai Yichen smiled rather awkwardly.

Yet Song Junchi and Su Yuanhang stared at Bai Yichen in that exact pose without even daring to blink. Yichen, already breathtakingly handsome, holding something as delicate and soft as an infant produced a wondrous chemical reaction that instantly softened the heavy, intimidating aura of absolute perfection he usually carried. Instead, it magnified the inherent gentleness and warmth nestled deep within his personality.

Even though both Song Junchi and Su Yuanhang had nursed raging, jealous fits of pre-birth resentment over this little squirt, they had to admit: Yichen like this was devastatingly alluring—so gorgeous it made people’s hands itch to act.

Though Qin Yi had told Bai Yichen to take his brother out to “play,” what on earth did a newborn baby know about playing? From the moment he was placed in Bai Yichen’s arms until now, the little guy had slept straight through. Bai Yichen could only cradle the tiny creature and sit quietly in the living room, flanked—of course—by his two clinging shadows.

Click!

The sudden, sharp sound made Bai Yichen snap his head around to look at Su Yuanhang, who was holding up a smartphone right beside him.

Catching Bai Yichen’s quizzical look, Su Yuanhang lowered his phone with an utterly natural expression, flashing the screen as he murmured, “Chen-gege, look how cute the baby looks in this shot.”

Bai Yichen glanced down at the phone screen. It captured him holding the little bundle, and the baby’s chubby, sleeping face genuinely looked precious beyond words, his tiny fists curled up so adorably it made you want to wrap your fingers around them. A spontaneous smile tugged at Bai Yichen’s lips: “Ah, it’s great. Send me a copy later.”

Song Junchi was a beat slower to react, but the moment the realization hit him, he shot Su Yuanhang a murderous, spiteful glare in his heart while mentally cursing him as a shameless thief. His movements, however, were not a fraction slower as he whipped out his own phone: “I’ll snap a few pictures of the baby too.”

And so, click, click—Bai Yichen sat anchored to the sofa, posing for flash photography until his heart was content. Watching the pair’s eyes sparkle with bright-eyed enthusiasm as they snapped photos, a faint wave of puzzlement washed over him. Since when did Junxhi and Xiao Hang love babies this much? How come I never noticed it before?

By the time Song Junchi and Su Yuanhang finally took their leave that afternoon, both wore deeply satisfied grins. The reason? Naturally, it was the goldmine of fresh photos packed neatly inside their phone galleries.

Armed with a legitimate excuse to take endless, wide-open photographs of Yichen, they suddenly decided that the little brat who had hijacked all of Yichen’s attention wasn’t actually all that much of an eyesore anymore.

University summer vacations are exceptionally long. During this period, Bai Yichen fully delivered on his mother’s expectations, stepping effortlessly into the role of the perfect older brother.

By the time Bai Yichen had to return to university for the new term, the little guy threw an unprecedented, epic tantrum because he couldn’t see his big brother, crying inconsolably no matter who tried to soothe him.

Of course, even back at school, Bai Yichen remained a stellar older brother. Whenever he had a free moment, he video-called the little fellow and ordered toys for him, and every single break meant a flight straight back home. As a result, the little guy never grew distant from him.

Bai Yichen’s younger brother—younger by a full two decades—was ultimately named Bai Minghao. Because he was a late-in-life child born when his parents were older, and with an older brother who was already more than enough of an overachieving pillar, Bai Jinchuan and his wife were far less stern with this youngest son, indulging him blindly. Sometimes, looking at the utterly spoiled youngest child, Bai Jinchuan couldn’t help shaking his head with a sigh: Minghao, Minghao, what a blessed life you’ve got [cite: Minghao means “bright/clear destiny or fortune”]—back when your big brother was your age, he certainly wasn’t coddled like this.