"You two are finally back!"
"Little Xingxing, this little troublemaker, cried for so long. No matter how we tried to calm her, nothing worked."
As Lin Yang and Shu Mengyao returned home, Mother Lin hurried over like she'd found her savior. Even Father Lin looked visibly exhausted.
"Why was she crying? Is she hungry?" Lin Yang and Shu Mengyao were instantly on edge, worried that the baby might be unwell.
"She had formula, and we changed her diaper. She seems fine physically, but she just wouldn't stop crying."
"Looks like I'm getting old. I can't even handle taking care of a baby anymore," Mother Lin said with guilt.
Father Lin comforted her, patting her on the shoulder. But his expression was equally troubled. As grandparents, they wanted to help out with the baby. Letting the baby cry for so long felt like they had failed in their duties. Mother Lin was even considering calling her son for help when the two walked in.
"Mom, Dad, it's not your fault. Please don't blame yourselves," Lin Yang reassured them. "I'll check on the baby."
Though Lin Yang was worried, he didn't want his parents to feel any worse. After calming them down, he went to the baby's room.
Sure enough, Yun Yun was lying quietly, staring at the ceiling as if lost in thought, showing her brother's usual deep contemplation. Meanwhile, Xingxing was crying her heart out.
"Xingxing, sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Yang gently picked up Xingxing, his voice filled with concern.
Shu Mengyao and Lin's parents quickly followed.
"If this keeps up, we should head to the hospital," Mother Lin said, clearly distressed. "Babies are so small and can't express themselves. What if something is wrong?"
Before she could finish, they saw Xingxing nestled contentedly in Lin Yang's arms. Her tiny fists had unclenched without anyone noticing. As Lin Yang gently spoke to her, Xingxing even let out a few soft coos in response, her crying completely gone. She looked utterly adorable—nothing like the wailing baby from moments ago.
"Looks like she's fine. She's just a little clingy," Lin Yang said with a wry smile.
Xingxing had shown signs of being attached to her dad before, but he hadn't been gone long. He hadn't expected her to be so dependent on him that even a short absence would upset her.
Lin's parents exchanged confused glances. That's all it took? The crying stopped just because she saw her dad?
"So, she was crying just because she missed you?" Mother Lin asked, her tone both exasperated and relieved.
"It seems so," Lin Yang replied, still cradling Xingxing.
"As long as she's okay," Mother Lin said with a sigh of relief. "I was so worried she might be sick."
"Ah, I almost forgot something important!" Mother Lin suddenly exclaimed.
Turning to Shu Mengyao, she said with a beaming smile, "Mengyao, now that you've officially gotten your marriage license, even without a wedding, it's time for you to call us something new!"
She handed over a thick red envelope. "This is our gift to you for changing how you address us. You two must take good care of each other. And if my son ever gives you trouble, just let me know—I'll teach him a lesson!"
Shu Mengyao glanced nervously at Lin Yang, who gave her an encouraging nod. Blushing, she took the red envelope.
"Thank you, Auntie—"
"You still called me 'Auntie'! Time to change that!" Mother Lin teased, her smile growing wider.
"Thank you… Mom and Dad," Shu Mengyao said softly, her face flushed.
Though her voice was barely above a whisper, it was filled with sincerity.
"Oh, I just love my new daughter-in-law more and more!" Mother Lin exclaimed, her joy evident.
"Alright, we've accomplished what we came for," Mother Lin said. "We have work tomorrow, so we'll head back now."
Lin's parents hadn't planned to stay long, wanting to check on the baby and spend some time with Shu Mengyao. Originally, Mother Lin had thought about taking some vacation days to help out, but after seeing how capable Lin Yang was, she decided against it.
"Let me take you to the station," Lin Yang said. Then, he handed them a box of premium tea. "By the way, this is a gift from Mengyao for you two. She was too shy to mention it."
Shu Mengyao's eyes widened in surprise.
"How did Mengyao know we love tea? But this tea is so expensive!" Father Lin eyes lit up as he reached for the gift, only for Mother Lin to smack his hand away.
"You're raising a baby now. Money should be spent wisely. This is too extravagant; let's return it."
Father Lin reluctantly withdrew his hand, swallowing his disappointment.
Lin Yang chuckled. "Mom, you know that returning something like this isn't easy. And it's Mengyao's way of showing her appreciation. If you don't accept it, you'll hurt her feelings."
He placed the box firmly in his dad's hands.
"Alright, alright," Father Lin said, finally relenting. "But don't go spending so much on us next time!"
Father Lin, now holding the tea, couldn't hide his grin.
On the way home, Mother Lin couldn't resist snapping pictures of the gift and sharing them with her friends.
Back at home, Lin Yang and Shu Mengyao sat on a play mat in the baby's room.
"…Husband," Shu Mengyao murmured, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Lin Yang turned, thinking he must have misheard, only to see Shu Mengyao's flushed face. Realizing she'd truly called him that, his heart skipped a beat.
"What did you just call me?" he asked, pretending not to have heard clearly.
"Nothing!" Shu Mengyao blurted, quickly turning away in embarrassment.
"You definitely said it. I heard you," Lin Yang teased.
"Then why are you asking again?!" Shu Mengyao buried her face in her hands, her voice muffled and full of shyness.
She had seen on TV that couples often changed how they addressed each other after getting married. Though Lin Yang hadn't brought it up, she had worked up the courage to call him "husband" just once. But now, she was too embarrassed to say it again.
"Because it sounded so nice," Lin Yang replied with a gentle smile. "I just wanted to hear it one more time."