SGEIRS -Chapter 573 Giving Up on a Second Child

After taking his medicine and sleeping for a while, Gu Jingxi’s high fever finally subsided, and he looked much more energetic.

When Meng Jinyao brought in another bowl of medicine and said she wanted to feed it to him, he resisted with all his might. “A-Yao, I’m already better. I don’t feel unwell anymore—can we skip the medicine?”

Ignoring his protest, Meng Jinyao scooped up a spoonful of the pitch-black liquid and brought it to his lips, speaking gently, “Be good, husband. Drink one more dose to consolidate it. You won’t need to take it tomorrow.” She paused, then looked at him with a half-smile. “Open your mouth. Don’t make me call someone to hold you down and force it into you.”

Gu Jingxi had no choice but to comply. He opened his mouth and accepted the feeding, steeling himself as he drank the entire bowl—without leaving a single drop. Then he said, “A-Yao, I was wrong.”

Meng Jinyao set the bowl down and asked, “Mm? And then?”

“A-Yao, don’t be angry anymore.” As he spoke, Gu Jingxi pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

“I was angry at first,” Meng Jinyao replied, “but seeing you sick, I couldn’t stay mad. Don’t you understand how I feel about you? I could never grow tired of you in this lifetime. Don’t overthink things again in the future.”

Gu Jingxi held her and let out a soft “Mm.”

Noticing how listless he looked, Meng Jinyao lifted her head to look at him. “What, now you’re feeling wronged?”

“Didn’t I already get dealt with and behave myself?” Gu Jingxi looked even more aggrieved. “Why don’t you kiss me—see how bitter the medicine was?”

She couldn’t help laughing. “You deserved it. Who told you to mess around like that? It was snowing outside and you dressed like that. If it were summer and you showed up in front of me dressed that way, your scheme would’ve worked for sure.”

Gu Jingxi pondered this for a moment, then quickly came up with an idea. A smile crept onto his face.

Suddenly remembering something, Meng Jinyao asked with a smile, “Husband, a few days ago Xuanling brought her daughter back to visit Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law. That little girl was so fair and delicate, and she smiled all the time—adorable beyond words. Should we give Wanwan a little sister too?”

As soon as she said that, Gu Jingxi’s smile froze. He shook his head instinctively. Pregnancy and childbirth were far too hard. A-Yao had been anxious throughout her pregnancy, suffered terribly during delivery, and was anxious again afterward. That kind of hardship—better not go through it a second time.

Meng Jinyao hesitated. “Could it be that you don’t like daughters?”

“Don’t think nonsense. As long as it’s our child, son or daughter, I’ll love them all.” Gu Jingxi sighed helplessly. “You really forget the pain once the wound heals. Have you forgotten how painful childbirth was? Forgotten how hard pregnancy was? Wanwan isn’t even a year old yet, and you’re already thinking about another?”

At his words, Meng Jinyao recalled lying in the delivery room, the pain so intense it felt like she was about to die. Fear surged up again, and the budding thought was instantly snuffed out.

Gu Jingxi continued, “And what if we suffer all over again and it’s still a son, not a daughter? Your wish wouldn’t be fulfilled—would you try for a third child then? With that kind of energy, we’d be better off thinking about how to raise Wanwan properly. Next year he’ll be talking and walking. Once a child learns to walk and talk, they’re full of boundless energy. If we can even keep up with him, that’ll already be good enough.”

Meng Jinyao found his reasoning sound and completely abandoned the idea of trying for a daughter. She nodded in agreement, then smoothly changed the topic. “Oh right, husband—Mother heard you were ill and came to see you.”

Gu Jingxi was startled. “When did she come?”

“She hasn’t seen you yet,” Meng Jinyao replied. “When she arrived, you had already taken your medicine and fallen asleep. She didn’t bother you and went straight to see Wanwan. She’s still with him now. I’ll go call her over.”

Hearing this, Gu Jingxi fell silent for a couple of breaths before saying, “Mother just came to see Wanwan—and only happened to see me along the way, right?”

Meng Jinyao shot him a look. “What nonsense are you talking about? Mother came to see you.”

“But after she arrived, she didn’t even look at me and went straight to Wanwan,” Gu Jingxi said. “You could say she didn’t want to disturb my sleep—but now that I’m awake, she still hasn’t come to see me and is stil with Wanwan. That proves that seeing me was just incidental.”

Meng Jinyao fell silent. Thinking it over carefully, it did seem that way. After Mother learned that her husband had woken up, she only asked her to supervise him drinking his medicine, then went back to playing with Wanwan.

About half an hour later, Old Madam Gu prepared to return to her own courtyard and finally came to see her son. Seeing that he was fine, she was reassured. With a stern face, she scolded him, “You’re not a child anymore. How can you not know to keep yourself warm? Remember to add clothes in the future. Don’t fall ill again and trouble your wife—she has to take care of the child and you as well. That’s quite exhausting.”

Gu Jingxi nodded repeatedly. “Mother is right. This son will definitely be more careful in the future.”

“All right, get some good rest. I’ll head back now,” Old Madam Gu said.

Gu Jingxi tried to get out of bed to escort his mother to the courtyard gate, but she stopped him. He could only say, “Safe travels, Mother.”

She gave a brief “Mm,” then turned to her daughter-in-law. “A-Yao, you don’t need to see me off either—it’s cold outside.” Seeing that Meng Jinyao still wanted to say something, she added, “Enough, be good. Don’t let both husband and wife fall ill—this old woman can’t take care of both of you.”

Only then did Meng Jinyao give up.

After Old Madam Gu left, Meng Jinyao murmured softly, “Husband, you were right. Mother really did come specifically to see Wanwan. Seeing you was just incidental—she left after saying only a few words to you.”

Gu Jingxi laughed. “What else could it be? It’s just a common cold. Normally, if I caught one, she wouldn’t come specially. Today I was riding on that little brat Wanwan’s coattails.”

Meng Jinyao glanced at him, thoughtful. “Husband… you’re not actually jealous of Wanwan, are you?”

“So what if I am? So what if I’m not?” Gu Jingxi raised his hand and pinched her cheek lightly. “I’ve known for a long time that the most important person to you two—mother and daughter-in-law—is no longer me, but that little fellow who hasn’t even been weaned yet.”

Hearing his jealous words, Meng Jinyao found it amusing. A grown man, jealous of a nursing baby. She spoke softly, “In Mother’s heart, whether your position has been shaken or not, I don’t know. But in my heart, husband, you’ll always be number one. Without you, where would Wanwan come from?”

Whether she was just coaxing him or not, Gu Jingxi felt immensely comforted by her words. The corners of his lips lifted unconsciously, though he still asked skeptically, “A-Yao, are you just trying to cheer me up because I’m sick?”

She shot him a glare and scolded, “I’m telling the truth, and you say I’m tricking you. You’re really getting more and more fussy with age. I’m ignoring you.”

Gu Jingxi quickly reached out and pulled his little wife into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck and nuzzling gently. “In your husband’s heart, A-Yao is also number one. Always number one.”

“Mm. I know.”

Meng Jinyao’s lips curved upward. She wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling the warmth radiating from him—happy, content, and at ease.