RMM -Chapter 209 The Origin of Xi Zi

The next morning, He Wen and the others arrived at the hospital early. But when they pushed open the ward door, they found Su Ruo looking gloomy and unhappy.

“Sis, you’re awake?” Su Heng’s loud voice rang out, brimming with excitement.

Su Ruo lifted her eyelids to glance at them, forced a small smile, then lowered her head again, too indifferent to really engage. Her face was full of displeasure.

“Ruo Ruo, what’s wrong? Are you still in pain?”

He Wen stepped forward to ask. When they had heard the news that Su Ruo had woken up last night, they had been eager to rush to the hospital immediately, only to be stopped by Shen Liang, who told them to come the next morning. So they had come at first light.

But they hadn’t expected to see such a scene. Even if there wasn’t the emotional outpouring of tears and embraces, Su Ruo certainly shouldn’t be sulking and ignoring them like this…

“No,” Su Ruo said, shaking her head with a smile. But everyone could see the perfunctory nature of that smile.

The group was baffled. What happened? They had finally come through safely, so why this expression?

At that moment, Xi Yuechen came out of the bathroom carrying a basin filled with steaming hot water. Seeing them didn’t surprise him; he walked straight toward Su Ruo without a glance elsewhere, remaining silent as usual.

Hong Shirong had been thoughtful when arranging things: Su Ruo’s ward was the hospital’s highest-grade single room, complete with a private bathroom. Otherwise, Shen Liang and the others would have insisted on transferring her. Although it was the best available room here, compared to the hospital in City B, it still lagged behind. But there was nothing to be done—Su Ruo was still bedridden, and the little one was in an incubator; they couldn’t simply transfer her back to City B. So, no matter their dissatisfaction, they had to make do.

Last night had been exhausting for everyone, as Su Ruo’s tossing and turning left no one well-rested. Only in the latter half of the night did things finally settle down. Xi Yuechen then sent Zhang Huaqing and Shen Liang to the hotel that Su Heng had booked to rest, while he stayed behind. A single room felt cramped with three people even just sitting.

Of course, the two others weren’t willing to leave; with Su Ruo in this state, they couldn’t relax, let alone rest. In the morning, they quietly left the ward—not to rest, but to prepare breakfast for Su Ruo.

They were far from satisfied with the hospital, from the room to the meals, so naturally, they wanted to cook for Su Ruo themselves.

As for Su Ruo, since Zhang Huaqing and the others had finally coaxed her into stopping her crying last night, she had remained in this sulky, gloomy state.

Xi Yuechen walked to Su Ruo’s bedside, placed the basin on the floor, wrung out the towel from the water, and took her hand to start washing it carefully.

Everyone watched, eyes wide, as Xi Yuechen meticulously cleaned her hand. Su Ruo pouted at him, her eyes full of grievance and dissatisfaction, moving even the onlookers.

What were these two up to now?

Xi Yuechen couldn’t ignore the sorrowful and pitiful look in Su Ruo’s eyes. Before, he might have turned a blind eye, adhering strictly to his principles. But now, after Su Ruo had just faced life and death, how could he let her suffer even a little?

Just as Su Heng was about to speak and break the tension, Xi Yuechen said, without looking up, while still focusing on Su Ruo’s hand:

“Su Heng, go take a photo of the little one. Your sister wants to see.”

Little one…

Su Ruo’s eyes widened in anger. “Little one? You call him that? You—your whole family—are all little ones! How can you call her son a ‘thing’? And in front of so many people? How is he supposed to grow up with dignity?”

Su Heng and He Wen were momentarily flustered. Little one… Could Xi Yuechen’s “little one” really be his son?

Flustered as they were, Su Heng dared not slack off even for a second. He quickly nodded: “Okay, I’ll go now, be right back!”

With that, he dashed out of the ward.

Su Ruo’s sulky mood stemmed from this: last night, once she confirmed the baby was safe and her belly was no longer at risk, relief overwhelmed her. She had cried tears of joy, exhausting the three people nearby.

Once she finally stopped, all she wanted was to see her baby. But how could she? Both mother and child couldn’t leave their spots yet. She couldn’t bear it—her desire to see her son was overwhelming, leaving her unwilling to sleep.

The three tried to soothe her again—though only Zhang Huaqing and Shen Liang actively coaxed, while Xi Yuechen fretted silently. Su Ruo had just undergone a cesarean with heavy blood loss; her body was fragile, unable to withstand such fussing.

The son was in the incubator, and she could barely move. When would mother and child finally meet? Ten days? Half a month? Su Ruo felt she might go mad.

I want to see my son! Her maternal instinct, months in the making, surged forth naturally. It was understandable that she wanted to see the child who had almost been lost.

But Xi Yuechen didn’t understand this. All he knew was that Su Ruo couldn’t leave the ward, the little one couldn’t leave the incubator—so they couldn’t meet. He also realized, however, that if she couldn’t see the baby, she wouldn’t calm down, and a bad mood would be harmful to her health.

For the first time, the usually strict Xi Yuechen compromised, thinking of a middle ground: have Su Heng take a photo of the little one and show it to Su Ruo.

This should satisfy her, right?

Xi Yuechen thought so, still busy with his task.

But Su Ruo barely appreciated his intentions. She reluctantly accepted the “only option,” but her attention was caught by Xi Yuechen’s words little one, and she glared at him in frustration, seeing He Wen and the others trying not to laugh.

Little one… little one! Her painstakingly delivered child was just called a “thing”?

Her resentment deepened. She corrected him not to call her son a “thing,” but he loved calling him that. Then she thought—why not… just call him Xi Zi? Perfect! It’s a “thing,” and it carries his surname!

Thus, in a fit of pique, Su Ruo decided on her son’s nickname. Xi Zi would stick with him for life, becoming an inescapable shadow in his life. Everyone almost forgot his real name; opening his mouth always meant Xi Zi, much to his annoyance until adulthood. Only after he grew into his father’s imposing presence did this little rebellion subside, though close ones still called him that—a lifelong, indelible mark.

Xi Yuechen sensed Su Ruo’s resentment. Looking at her, his expression carried confusion. He thought she was unhappy just seeing a photo of the little one and felt helpless. He considered alternatives but found none better than showing a photo. He gave her an innocent look, signaling he truly had no other choice.

“Ahem, Ruo Ruo… let’s just look at the baby’s photo for now. When your body is better, and you can move, we’ll see the baby in person.”

Su Ruo glared at Xi Yuechen, ignoring the others. He Wen and the others exchanged glances, suddenly feeling unnecessary. Was it an illusion?

Clearing his throat, He Wen tried to coax Su Ruo gently. This awkward standoff made even onlookers feel uneasy—the couple’s tension dominated the room, and yet leaving wasn’t an option; they were here to see the patient.

Su Ruo noticed them then, eyes slightly widening, a smile appearing on her pale, thin cheeks. “You’re here?”

…We’ve been here for ages! You just talked to us! Is this the legendary “pregnancy stupor for three years”? Or are you just ignoring us completely?

He Wen and the others could only smile wryly. “Yes, we came to see you.”

Xi Yuechen completely ignored this scene, continuing silently with his task.

Though awake, Su Ruo was still weak; she soon showed signs of fatigue, her pale face revealing tiredness.

He Wen and the others understood and spoke softly a few more words before stopping. After all, unlike normal childbirth, this birth had been extremely dangerous, draining all of Su Ruo’s energy—she needed rest.

Su Heng arrived quickly, bursting into the ward with his phone. The quiet room had Su Ruo nearly dozing. His entrance startled her awake, and Xi Yuechen shot him a disapproving glance.

“Where’s the photo?” Su Ruo asked urgently as soon as she saw Su Heng.

He Wen and the others were silent again. Did Su Ruo even realize when they had arrived? If she did, why the delayed reaction? If she didn’t, how did she remember Su Heng going to take the photo?

Pregnancy stupor really does vary depending on the person and the situation, it seemed.

Under all these gazes, Su Heng nervously chuckled. “Yes… Sis, do you want to see it? The little baby is so cute…”

Su Heng’s words were forced. In reality, his first reaction upon seeing the tiny, wrinkled Xi little one was shock—how did he look like this? Like a little red monkey!

But he dared not speak the truth aloud; he would be beaten to death at home!

So, no matter how he felt, the baby was perfect, and he had to say so. This sudden realization made him feel as though he had discovered the ultimate truth.

“Really? Bring it here, let me see.”

Su Ruo’s eyes shone, and she perked up immediately, eagerly asking.