The surprise came too suddenly, and Chen Dongyang once again thought he had misheard.
Pushing away Tian Tian's hand in disbelief, he patted his forehead.
"Do I have a fever? Am I delirious?"
"Shouldn't Tian Tian be at school right now? How could she suddenly come to find me, suddenly propose to me?"
"Heavens, I'm hallucinating. Have I gone mad wanting to get married?"
Seeing his self-muttering silliness, Tian Tian knew she had tormented him severely lately and felt guilty and heartache.
Then, as Chen Dongyang lowered his arm, she suddenly lunged into his arms, cupped his chin, and offered her lips.
It wasn't until he tasted her unique flavor and felt her warmth that Chen Dongyang finally reacted.
This was not a dream, not a hallucination; Tian Tian had truly come to find him.
He stood there dumbfounded until Tian Tian had kissed him enough and released him, then he finally spoke.
"Tian Tian, this is..."
Tian Tian beamed, finally returning to her former self.
"I want to propose to you, I want to marry you, Chen Dongyang."
"Don't ask why. The answer is you're worth it. Do you agree?"
When Ge'er was six months pregnant, Tian Tian and Chen Dongyang took time off to return to Nancheng.
Besides registering their marriage, they also had a meal at Ge'er's home, which was cooked by the two men, Lei Dongyi and Chen Dongyang.
Tian Tian and Ge'er sat alone on the sofa in the living room. Tian Tian wanted to ask about their current relationship, but Ge'er stopped her.
"I'm still carrying Shang Jincheng's child. Let's have some humanity and don't talk about irrelevant things."
Tian Tian knew that Ge'er hadn't gotten over it yet.
In the final exams, with the active encouragement of Tian Tian and Chen Dongyang, the school's ranking soared, reaching seventh place in the entire county.
On the eve of the holiday, Tian Tian and Chen Dongyang held a simple wedding in the school cafeteria.
The principal was the host, and the other teachers and all the students were the witnesses.
Although the wedding was simple and unpretentious, it fulfilled the wish of all the students to see their favorite couple together, and everyone was happier than the bride and groom.
After handling matters at the school, Tian Tian and Chen Dongyang repeatedly promised everyone that they would return next year before the students let them go.
The day after returning to Nancheng, Ge'er went to the hospital for a cesarean section.
Thanks to Lei Dongyi, who pampered her with good food and drink all day, Ge'er gained more than thirty kilograms during her pregnancy.
Although amniotic fluid and the fetus accounted for a large portion, she visibly became fairer and plumper.
The fetus was overnourished, leading to an oversized head circumference. The last check-up advised against a natural birth.
This child represented the efforts of two generations from the Zhan and Shang families, and any mishap was unacceptable.
Finally, everyone unanimously decided on a C-section.
On the day of hospitalization, the parents and siblings from both the Zhan and Shang families went, with over a dozen people gathered at the maternity ward entrance.
Lei Dongyi knew his special identity made it inconvenient to be present. Early in the morning, he packed Ge'er's hospitalization necessities, watched her leave, and did not follow.
A healthy baby boy weighing seven pounds and eight ounces was delivered; he was healthy and perfect in every way, except he cried a lot.
Shang's parents held him and tried to soothe him for a long time, but he continued to cry. They asked the doctor what to do.
The doctor said the baby felt insecure after leaving the mother's body, and if prenatal education had been done, hearing the father's voice would help, suggesting the father hold him.
Jiang Nan Fang called Lei Dongyi.
Regarding Lei Dongyi's identity, Jiang Nan Fang had privately discussed it with Shang's parents a few months ago.
The child belonged to the Shang family and would undoubtedly take their surname.
However, she proposed that Ge'er raise the child.
No matter how close grandparents are, they cannot replace parental love, especially since his paternal grandfather had questionable character and might not set a good example for the child.
They could visit the child anytime, and the child would surely interact with them in the future.
But the paternal love the child lacked also needed to be compensated.
Lei Dongyi had good character and was willing to take responsibility for the child; having an extra person to love the child was a good thing. She hoped the Shang family could accept him with an open mind.
Therefore, when the doctor asked where the child's father was, Shang Jincheng's mother was the first to look for Lei Dongyi.
"Where is he? Didn't he come?"
Jiang Nan Fang made the call, and soon, Lei Dongyi rushed over.
The tiny child, placed in his arms, immediately quieted down.
For the sake of their grandson, Shang's parents accepted the situation.
"Let it be. As long as the child is well and Ge'er is happy, we are fine with anything."
The child was very intelligent and could speak by eighteen months.
He could say not only "Daddy" and "Mommy" but also "Eat," "Hug," and simple "Grandpa," "Grandma."
It was a Friday. Mother Shang missed her grandson, so Ge'er took the child to her home to visit, spending the entire day at the Shang residence.
As evening approached, Mother Shang did not ask them to stay for dinner but instead started sharing her thoughts with Ge'er.
"Time flies. It's almost the end of the year. The child is growing up so well and can already call people. It's not just you who's worked hard, but Dongyi has too. Ge'er, you'll both be close to thirty after the new year. Isn't it time to give Dongyi an identity?"
"What Nan Fang said is right; it's always good to have one more person to love the child. We've seen Xiao Lei's performance all this time, and he's impeccable. He's not young either, so don't keep him waiting."
"It has to be done sooner or later anyway, so let's do it early. The child's identity will then be legitimate."
"Speaking of which, this child is also blessed. One person has become the darling of three families. With the Zhan and Lei families doting on him, what else do we need to worry about?"
After all, she was Shang Jincheng's mother, and facing her, Ge'er always felt a sense of guilt.
Before she could figure out how to answer, the nanny announced, "Madam, Dongyi is here."
As the words fell, Lei Dongyi entered, wrapped in a dark blue overcoat over a sharp black suit, looking dashing and walking with purpose.
He first greeted Mother Shang and then began to take off his coat while looking at the child.
"Baby, did you miss Daddy?"
Yes! Missed him terribly!
In the more than a year since coming into this world, his father was there when he slept, dressed him, bathed him, and changed his diapers. Their son was too attached to him.
Originally sitting on his grandmother's lap picking at a toy, he heard the voice, turned around instantly, and flapped his hands and feet excitedly: "Daddy! Daddy!"
Lei Dongyi, afraid of passing the coldness from his clothes to the child, quickly unbuttoned his suit jacket.
Only when his shirt was fully exposed and the child was warmly enveloped in his chest did he smile.
"Good baby, did you miss Daddy?"
His son leaned against his chest, his fair and chubby little hands touching his stubble.
"Mm!"
"Then do you want to give Daddy a kiss?"
"Smooch," the little one planted a kiss on his face.
After interacting with his son enough and having his fill of laughter, Lei Dongyi finally looked at Ge'er.
"Are we going back tonight? I just came to see the baby because I missed him. If we're not going back, I'll leave after dinner."
Mother Shang smiled and ushered them out, "Yes, you're not staying for dinner today. Go ahead."
"Ge'er, think about what I said. I'm sincere."
Lei Dongyi walked out with the child in one arm and Ge'er in the other.
"What did you think about? What did you talk about today? Are you unhappy? Do you have something on your mind?"
Ge'er was silent for a few seconds: "Lei Dongyi."
"Let's get married."