293: Chapter 293 Su Yuling with the Child

The birth of Qin An was like throwing a pebble into a calm lake.

Ripples spread out in circles, affecting everyone on the The Ark.

First, there was the sound.

The The Ark used to be quiet.

The women spoke in hushed tones, their footsteps were absorbed by the soft flooring of the corridors, and even the clattering of pots and pans in the kitchen was minimized by the intelligent System.

After Qin An arrived, everything changed.

His crying was not that kind of weak, tentative whimpering, but a loud, assertive declaration that said, "I am here."

He cried when hungry, cried when he needed a diaper change, cried when he couldn't sleep, and cried when he woke up and found no one by his side.

Su Yuran's room was on the east side of the first floor of the The Ark, right next to the corridor.

Whenever Qin An cried, the whole corridor could hear it.

Second, there was the scent.

The unique milky scent of an infant, mixed with the freshness of diaper disinfectant, drifted through the corridor.

Every time Li Ran passed by Su Yuran's room, her footsteps would unconsciously slow down, her nose would twitch slightly, and the corners of her mouth would curl up.

Third, there was the flow of people.

Su Yuran's room became the liveliest place on the The Ark.

Lin Wanwan would come over with her big belly, sit by the bed, and watch Qin An for half an hour at a time.

Han Yurou would run over several times a day, always asking, "Has he opened his eyes? Has he smiled? Why is he crying again?"

Li Ying also came once, stood by the crib for a few seconds, said "Not bad," and then left.

Su Yuran recovered very quickly.

The The Ark's Physique Enhancement System certainly did not disappoint in this regard; she was able to get out of bed and walk around on the third day postpartum, and by the fifth day, she had basically returned to normal.

But taking care of a newborn has little to do with one's Physique.

The first night, Qin An woke up every two hours.

Crying, nursing, burping after eating, changing diapers, soothing to sleep, falling asleep.

Then, two hours later, another round.

Su Yuran barely slept, but she did not complain.

She just repeated these actions quietly and attentively, over and over again.

Li Ran saw this and felt her heart ache.

On the fourth night, she knocked on Su Yuran's door.

Su Yuran was walking back and forth in the room holding Qin An. Qin An had just finished nursing but refused to sleep; his eyes were half-open and half-closed, his little mouth opening and closing.

There was obvious exhaustion on Su Yuran's face.

"Mom?" Su Yuran was stunned when she saw Li Ran.

Li Ran walked over and reached out to take Qin An.

Her movements were light and steady, her palm supporting the back of Qin An's head, her arm pressed against his back, and her other hand protecting his waist.

"I'll take him tonight, you get a good night's sleep," Li Ran said, her tone as flat as if she were asking, "What's for dinner tonight?"

Su Yuran looked at her, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.

Li Ran did not give her a chance to refuse and turned to leave with Qin An in her arms.

When she reached the door, she turned back and said, "I'll bring him back to you when it's time to nurse."

The door closed.

Su Yuran stood in the room for a few seconds, then slowly, very slowly, sat back down on the edge of the bed and lay down.

As soon as her body touched the mattress, exhaustion surged up like a tide.

She closed her eyes and rested her hand on her stomach; it was empty now, but she hadn't fully gotten used to it yet.

"Thank you, Mom," she said softly.

In the corridor, Li Ran walked very slowly while holding Qin An.

Qin An was very quiet in her arms; his eyes went from half-open to fully closed, and his little mouth was still moving, as if savoring that last feeding.

Li Ran looked down at him, the corners of her mouth curling up.

After she returned to her own room, Su Yuling poked her head in from the doorway. Su Yuling was wearing light blue loungewear, her hair tied in a low ponytail, with a flush on her face from just returning from outside.

"Mom, why did you bring him here?"

"To let your sister get some sleep." Li Ran gently placed Qin An on the bed and surrounded him with pillows to prevent him from rolling over.

Qin An moved a little, his face scrunching up, but he didn't wake up.

Li Ran lay down beside him, turning on her side, and rested her hand on him, gently, like a leaf falling onto the surface of water.

Su Yuling also leaned over, lying on that side, watching Qin An.

The little guy was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly, his eyelashes long, like two little fans pressed against his eyelids.

"Mom, he's so small." Su Yuling's voice was very soft.

"Mm, very small."

"Were we this small too?"

"Mm, you were this small too." Li Ran looked at Qin An, her gaze passing through him and landing somewhere far away. "You were even smaller than him when you were little. You were premature, only five pounds when you were born."

Su Yuling was stunned: "I was premature?"

"Mm. I was too tired when I was pregnant with you; working, taking care of your sister, and managing the household chores." Li Ran's tone was very calm, as if she were telling someone else's story. "Your father had already started not coming home by then."

Su Yuling fell silent.

She lowered her head, looked at Qin An, and reached out to gently touch his little hand.

Qin An's fingers immediately grasped her index finger, holding it very tightly.

"Mom." Su Yuling's voice was very soft. "Was it hard for you back then?"

Li Ran thought for a moment, then smiled: "It's all in the past."

Qin An yawned in his sleep, his little mouth opening and closing, then continued to sleep.

Li Ran and Su Yuling both smiled.

Their laughter was very light, like the sound of wind blowing over flower petals.

Qin An spent the night in Li Ran's room.

Every time it was time to nurse, Li Ran would carry him to Su Yuran's room, and after he finished nursing, she would carry him back.

Su Yuran would go back to sleep after each feeding, sleeping for eight or nine hours straight, and when she woke up the next morning, she was obviously much better.

When she went to Li Ran's room to pick up Qin An, she saw Li Ran asleep against the headboard, her hand still resting on Qin An, in the exact same position as last night.

Su Yuling was also sleeping beside them, her leg resting on Li Ran's leg, and her hand resting on Qin An's little blanket.

The three of them were squeezed onto one bed, the scene quiet and full of Warmth.

Su Yuran stood at the door for a long time, not waking them up, then gently closed the door and returned to her own room.

Su Yuling also often helped out.

At first, her posture when holding Qin An was very clumsy.

She didn't know where to put her hands; her arms were stiff, her shoulders hunched, as if she were holding a bomb that might explode at any moment.

Qin An was uncomfortable in her arms too; his face was scrunched up, his mouth pouting, ready to cry at any moment.

"Relax," Li Ran instructed from the side. "Support his head with your hand, yes, just like that. Put your other hand under his bottom, don't use force, just support him gently."

Su Yuling adjusted according to what Li Ran said, and Qin An's expression slowly relaxed, changing from a wrinkled ball into a calm little face.

"Mom, he looked at me." Her voice was very soft, filled with a cautious surprise.

"He can't see you clearly," Li Ran said.

"Then he still looked at me," Su Yuling insisted.

Li Ran smiled and didn't correct her again.

The amount of time Su Yuling spent holding Qin An grew longer and longer, from the initial few minutes to half an hour later on, and from half an hour to an hour.

She learned to distinguish between Qin An's different cries.