Chu Chenyi was speechless. He didn't even get a chance to speak, so he might as well shut up and be a mute.
From inside the room came Feng Jin's intermittent groans, each one striking Ling Mohan's heart like a heavy blow. He wished he were the one suffering in there.
After a while, when the room fell silent, Ling Mohan's anxiety intensified. He clenched his fists tightly, desperately suppressing the urge to rush in.
The midwife hurried out of the room, her hands stained with blood, a sight that pierced Ling Mohan's eyes. "Oh no… oh no… Sir, Madam is having a difficult labor. The baby's head won't come out."
Ling Mohan's heart felt as though it were being savagely wrung. His body swayed, but he quickly steadied himself and dashed into the room, rushing straight to Feng Jin's side.
Seeing Feng Jin's pale face on the bed, Ling Mohan was instantly flustered. He tightly grasped her slightly cold hand. "I'm here… I'm here…"
His murmuring voice reached Feng Jin's ears. She effortfully opened her heavy eyelids and saw Ling Mohan, his face etched with worry, by her side. His eyes were tinged with a faint red. "Who… who let you in… You… get out… get out."
"Don't move… How can I rest easy outside? I'll stay here and watch over you."
Ling Mohan was resolute about not leaving. Rather than enduring the torment alone outside, he preferred to stay and guard her.
"You… Ah…"
Another contraction hit, and Feng Jin cried out in pain, nearly fainting. She bit her lip tightly.
"Madam, push harder… push…"
Feng Jin summoned all her strength, her face turning crimson from the strain. Suddenly, she felt a surge of weakness, and her mind went blank.
"Madam, you can't push like this, the baby's head is stuck."
The midwife was also sweating profusely. Even with her extraordinary skills, if the mother couldn't exert herself, there was nothing she could do!
Feng Jin lay on the bed, panting weakly. She was truly exhausted, lacking the strength even to lift an arm.
"Ling… Ling Mohan, take the ginseng slices from my purse… and let me hold them in my mouth."
"Alright."
Ling Mohan took out the ginseng slices and placed them in Feng Jin's mouth.
She had prepared the ginseng slices beforehand, anticipating such an event. Holding them in her mouth, Feng Jin felt a surge of energy.
"Madam, you must push, the baby can't be stuck for too long."
Feng Jin nodded. Feeling the intense pain in her abdomen, she cooperated and pushed with all her might.
"It's coming out! Madam, push a little harder."
Ling Mohan watched Feng Jin's face, which was turning slightly purplish from the strain. His heart was a mess. He tightly gripped Feng Jin's hand, not even flinching when his fingernails dug into her flesh.
"Wah… wah…"
Accompanied by a clear baby's cry, Feng Jin finally let out a sigh of relief. One was out.
Without a moment's rest, a sharp pain struck her abdomen again.
"Madam, there's another one… push…" the midwife urged, repeatedly telling Feng Jin to exert herself.
"Ah…" Feng Jin screamed, using all her remaining strength.
"Wah… wah…"
The cries reached Feng Jin's ears. Her heart suddenly relaxed. The hand she was gripping Ling Mohan with loosened weakly and fell onto the bed. The voices around her faded, and her vision blurred until it disappeared completely.
After an unknown period of sleep, Feng Jin felt as though she had dreamt a dream, but she couldn't recall its content. When she awoke, she saw familiar surroundings. The faint scent in her nostrils gradually brought her consciousness back.
She moved her lips slightly but made no sound. Her throat felt like it was burning.
She tried to move her arm but was gently held by another force. Turning her head, she saw Ling Mohan leaning by the bedside, his eyes closed.
Feng Jin reached out to move his arm. The moment she touched him, the sleeping man's eyes snapped open. The joy in his eyes was undeniable when he saw Feng Jin.
"You're awake. Do you feel unwell anywhere? I'll call the doctor."
Ling Mohan asked repeatedly, standing up in a flustered state, about to leave.
"Ling Mohan… I'm fine." Feng Jin's hoarse voice stopped him from leaving.
"I… I want some water."
Feng Jin's voice was extremely weak, and she looked utterly drained, her complexion a ghastly pale without a trace of color.
"I'll get it for you. Lie down and rest first."
Ling Mohan carefully helped Feng Jin lie down and quickly brought her a cup of water.
"Drink slowly, don't choke."
Having been parched for so long, Feng Jin took the cup and drank greedily. After several cups of water, her throat finally felt much better.
"Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?"
Ling Mohan asked gently, his eyes full of adoration.
"I'm not hungry." Feng Jin shook her head. Her gaze swept around the room, but she didn't see the babies. Grabbing Ling Mohan's hand, she quickly asked, "Where are the children?"
"The children are in the room next door, being looked after by Cai Qing and the wet nurse. They'll be fine. The most important thing now is you. You've lost a lot of energy during childbirth, so you need to recover well."
Ling Mohan gently kept Feng Jin on the bed, preventing her from moving around.
On the day of the birth, Feng Jin had fainted and remained unconscious for three days. He had stayed by her bedside every day, constantly worried that she might never wake up.
"I'm fine. I need to see the children."
Feng Jin was solely concerned about the babies. She would not be at peace until she saw them with her own eyes. As soon as she spoke, she tried to throw off the covers and get out of bed.
Ling Mohan was startled and quickly pressed her back onto the bed. "Don't move. I'll go and bring the children back."
Ling Mohan hurried out and returned less than fifteen minutes later, carrying one child in each arm.
"How are you holding them? Put them down quickly!"
Feng Jin's heart leaped at his way of carrying the babies and quickly told him to place them on the bed.
Then, Cai Qing and the wet nurse rushed in in a panic. When the young master had entered and scooped up the two babies to run out, they had been so terrified they almost lost their wits. They had rushed to follow, afraid of dropping the children.
"Madam, you're finally awake."
Upon seeing Feng Jin, Cai Qing's pent-up emotions from the past few days burst forth. Her eyes stung, and tears flowed freely. Her voice choked with emotion. "Madam, I… I thought… I thought you… you wouldn't wake up…"
"I'm fine, aren't I? Stop crying, or you'll scare the babies."
Cai Qing quickly stopped crying, wiped the tears from her face, and her emotions gradually calmed down.