They thought labor would have been the hardest part, but neither had expected that their newborn baby would showcase how healthy her lungs were for the umpteenth time that week. Were the babies really born to have such a feat that they could wake up everyone with their crying?

Lu Xinyi buried her face on her pillow and groaned. Maybe if she waited a little more, Shen Yi would get Qing Qing this time. She and Shen Yi had decided to become hands-on, taking care of Qing Qing in spite of their busy schedules.

However, now, she wondered if they chose the right decision. Seconds ticked off, but neither she nor husband made a move to check Qing Qing who was crying at the nursery room. Lu Xinyi groaned, turned around, and shook her husband’s arm.

“Yi, it’s your turn to get her.”

Shen Yi covered his eyes with his arm and grunted. “You’re the one in charge of feeding her. ”

“Qing Qing probably needs changing,” she contested.

However, Shen Yi was too tired to deal with his daughter right now. He felt himself falling back to sleep. He’d a long day at work earlier and had barely had time to rest. -.

“Got a meeting early tomorrow. You get her,” he said sleepily before snoring loudly.

She was about to graduate at Silver Leaf for the next two months, and with finals nearing, Lu Xinyi had to balance her time studying for the exam while taking care of the twins and Qing Qing. Meanwhile, her husband had started working at the company again.

Lu Xinyi sat up and kicked her husband out of the bed. Work. Work. He always used work to avoid taking Qing Qing in the middle of the night! What happened to his promise that he’d help her to take care of Qing Qing?

Shen Yi rolled from his side of the bed and fell on the carpeted floor with a loud thud.

“Xinxin! That was uncalled for!” He grunted.

“I’ll kick you once more if you forget our deal!” Lu Xinyi glared back before pulling herself out of the bed to see Qing Qing herself. They decided to take turns to check on their baby, but Lu Xinyi found herself doing the job more than her husband.

Her grandmother Tang was right. As a wife and a mother, the first thing she’d miss after the baby arrives was her alone time and sleep! Hopefully, their little princess would settle down soon and stop her crying in the middle of the night.

Lu Xinyi stumbled into the nursery and found her daughter’s face red from crying. She shushed her crying baby and cradled her gently into her arms. Her diaper was dry so Qing Qing must be hungry.

She tried to blink her sleepiness away as she sat on the rocker next to the window, feeding her baby. Initially, the Shens tried to bottle feed her, but Little Qing Qing refused to have any and preferred her mother’s breast. Her small mouth easily found the tip and started sucking. Lu Xinyi rocked them, quieting her baby’s whimpers with a song.

Ten minutes later, Lu Xinyi’s eyes lidded, her head lowering.

Her eyes shot open and looked down on her arms only to find Qing Qing gone. She looked at the floor in fear that she might have dropped her baby, but Qing Qing wasn’t even there.

“Oh my god! Qing Qing!” She stood up and was about to run out of the nursery when Shen Yi came to the doorway, holding their baby.

Relief washed through Lu Xinyi at once. She dropped back at the rocker, holding her chest.

“I thought I dropped Qing Qing.” She started to cry for her negligence. “I’m a bad mommy.”

“Not a bad mommy. Just tired.” Shen Yi put their sleeping baby in the crib and tucked her for the night. “Qing Qing was still awake when I found you. You look so tired so I took her and rock her to sleep.”

“I’m so sorry, Yi. This will never happen again.” Lu Xinyi promised, still in tears.

Shen Yi ran his fingers lightly on his daughter’s head before coming over his wife.

“There’s no need for you to apologize, Xinxin. I should be the one who says sorry for not doing my part.” He scooped her out from the rocker and kissed her forehead. Lu Xinyi rested her head on his chest and sighed. “Now, let me put you in the bed, too.”

She giggled as he brought her back to their own room.

Their life wasn’t perfect in contrast to what other people thought they would have. Waking up in the middle of the night, arguing whose turn it was to get Qing Qing, suffering for weeks for sleep deprivation, as wells as making sure to take care of the twins… it all was enough to keep them busy.

While the help of nannies was very much appreciated, it seemed their children thought otherwise as they preferred Shen Yi and Lu Xinyi’s presence among the people.

Coupled with Lu Xinyi’s schooling and Shen Yi’s packed schedule, there were times the stress was unbearable for them.

—-

It was in the waking hours of the morning when Shen Yi was awakened. His mind was still a little out of focus as he wondered just what woken him. His head turned to his wife, her chest rising slowly and eyes closed still asleep, before his eyes shifted to the baby monitor and found the answer to his question.

Sliding out from their bed silently, Shen Yi made his way swiftly but silently down the halls towards their daughter’s nursery. He found her having her small fist in her mouth, wide eyes staring back at him.

Now at five months old, Qing Qing was a quiet baby. When Lu Xinyi finally graduated from the academy, she spent more time at home with their children.

Qing Qing mostly took entertainment by watching her elder brother and sister playing with a curious gaze. She also simply enjoyed the comfort and warmth of her parents, with her head snuggling on their chest with a look of contentment.

“Good morning, Qing Qing. You’re up early today,” he murmured to his daughter.

Little Qing Qing reached out her tiny arms to her father and said, “Dada…”

Shen Yi felt warmth filling his chest, a smile tugging his lips as he heard their daughter’s first word.

“Qing Qing, we have to keep this a secret, okay? Mommy will be disappointed if she finds out you called me first.” Shen Yi gently took his child out of the crib. He smiled softly as he stroked his little girl’s hair. “Let Mommy sleep for a few hours, okay? Wanna go out to see if Zi Gege and Yan Jie awake? Yes? Good girl.”

Shen Yi sauntered toward the twins’ room and found them playing on the floor with their toys, still on their pajamas. They lifted their head in unison when they heard his footsteps.

“Good morning. I see Qing Qing isn’t the only one who woke up early today. Ready to prepare the surprise for Mommy?” he asked.

The twins’ faces instantly lit up. Today was Lu Xinyi’s 28th birthday, and Shen Yi and the twins had been preparing secretly for weeks.