CHAPTER 418: CHAPTER 418: JUST TO TAKE A LOOK

"Huff!" After rocking back and forth for a while to soothe him, Yang Jun in her arms finally quieted down. He was still young, and even though he wanted his mother and occasionally whispered "mommy" stubbornly, he couldn’t resist the drowsiness that overtook him. In no time, he fell asleep obediently, prompting Xu Xiuxiu to sigh in relief unconsciously.

Just then, Song Yuanhuan and Song Chengguang had also finished the task of lulling the boy and girl twins to sleep. Father and son emerged one after the other from the twins’ room, treading carefully.

"Are they asleep?" Xu Xiuxiu asked them softly.

Song Yuanhuan and Song Chengguang nodded in unison, then looked at Yang Jun in her arms with puzzled expressions. Seeing this, Xu Xiuxiu smiled and nodded, intending to take little Yang Jun into the twins’ room to let him sleep with them.

"Mommy, let Junjun sleep with me!" Song Chengguang blurted out unhappily when he saw Xu Xiuxiu about to enter the twins’ room, recalling Xu Xiuxiu’s words about letting Little Baby sleep with Junjun.

"Hmm, okay." Xu Xiuxiu looked down at Song Chengguang, who had grabbed her sleeve and asked; after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. She then changed her path, heading towards Song Chengguang’s bedroom.

Carefully placing Yang Jun on Song Chengguang’s bed, Xu Xiuxiu turned and anxiously instructed Song Chengguang, "Chengguang, Junjun is still little. He might wake up at night. If he cries, you must come find Mommy right away, okay?"

"Okay," Song Chengguang nodded.

"Then you should also go to sleep soon, Chengguang. Good night!" After giving her orders to Song Chengguang, Xu Xiuxiu was pleased to ruffle his little flattop and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Mom, I’m already in elementary school. Stop kissing me all the time," Song Chengguang said with a flushed face, feeling a bit awkward as he muttered to Xu Xiuxiu.

Xu Xiuxiu watched him, amused, and was about to say something to him when a large hand mischievously tapped Song Chengguang on the head, "She’s kissing you, how is that a loss for you?" Song Yuanhuan said jealously, his tone carrying a threat.

Song Chengguang, having just been tapped, looked up at Song Yuanhuan with innocent eyes and bit his lip slightly in frustration. Reluctantly, he suppressed the annoyance in his chest. There was nothing he could do. If it were any other time, he might argue with Song Yuanhuan about the head-tapping, but not in front of Xu Xiuxiu, and not when the person hitting him was Song Yuanhuan. As a son, what could he say? He could only sigh, being a son wasn’t easy.

After settling Yang Jun in, Xu Xiuxiu felt tired herself, and after a quick shower, she was ready to head back to her room to sleep.

But Song Yuanhuan, lately always leaving early and returning late, felt he hadn’t properly enjoyed the privileges of a husband. The following day being a rare weekend rest day, with the three children also not having to go to school, they could justify staying in bed late. Consequently, he shamelessly caught hold of Xu Xiuxiu, wanting to introduce her to a new model of airplane he had recently discovered. He also wanted Xu Xiuxiu to fully experience the new plane’s performance, and afterward, they could discuss how she felt about it.

Xu Xiuxiu was absolutely exhausted by Song Yuanhuan’s shameless persistence. For some reason, she recalled articles from her past life that claimed a man’s marital relations with his wife would slowly decline over time after marriage. However, it seemed like Song Yuanhuan’s military vigor spared him from this trend, as there was no reduction in frequency. Whenever he had time, he’d cling to her relentlessly, each encounter as intense as their first, constantly switching up the routine, until her exasperation and protest were the only things that would make him cease.

After an intense session in the bedroom, Xu Xiuxiu was completely spent, her eyes drooping heavy. Just as she was about to fall asleep, doubtfully conscious, a knock came from the door, instantly jolting her awake. Murmuring, she asked Song Yuanhuan, "Is someone knocking?"

"Mmhm," nodded Song Yuanhuan.

Who could be knocking at their door at this time didn’t require much speculation—it was undoubtedly Hu Meitao, who had hurried home. Song Yuanhuan didn’t want to wake Xu Xiuxiu, but the idea of a grown man like him opening the door for Hu Meitao seemed awkward and uncomfortable to him. Reluctantly, he woke Xu Xiuxiu, and under her exasperated, rolling eyes, the two went to answer the door together.

Sure enough, it was Hu Meitao standing outside, looking completely worn out. However, upon seeing Xu Xiuxiu open the door, her eyes suddenly brightened as if gaining a burst of energy.

"Sister Xiu, I’m so sorry for bothering you so late at night. Did I wake you both?" Hu Meitao started apologetically, her gaze lingering on Song Yuanhuan who stood beside Xu Xiuxiu for a moment. "I just rushed back from the hospital. I was supposed to stay there overnight, but Junjun is so attached to me, he’d surely cry if he couldn’t see me. I couldn’t stop worrying, so I thought I’d come back to check on him. Is he asleep now?"

"Yes, he’s been asleep for a while. He was really looking forward to your return earlier," said Xu Xiuxiu as she let Hu Meitao into the house. "Sister Hu, did you come to pick up Junjun, or do you have to go back to the hospital later?" Seeing Hu Meitao’s exhausted state, Xu Xiuxiu wondered if her sister-in-law would even have the capacity to watch over Junjun, given the amount of work at the hospital.

"I just missed Junjun, so I wanted to see him, but I have to hurry back to the hospital to be with my husband. My in-laws won’t arrive in Imperial City until tomorrow morning, so I might have to trouble you to take care of him for another night, is that okay?" Hu Meitao inquired, her tone expressing difficulty since she knew she was imposing, and her voice carried a plea.

"Of course! Even though he’s already asleep, you should still come in and see him," Xu Xiuxiu insisted, leading Hu Meitao into Song Chengguang’s bedroom.

As Song Chengguang grew older, his wariness increased. Though he was already asleep, the moment Xu Xiuxiu entered the room and turned on the light, his eyes opened. Looking hazily at Xu Xiuxiu, he asked, "Mommy, what’s going on?"

"Nothing to worry about! Auntie Hu just came to check on your little brother. Go back to sleep," Xu Xiuxiu said softly, comforting Song Chengguang.

Song Chengguang muttered an acknowledgment. Perhaps it was the presence of Xu Xiuxiu that relaxed him, assuring him there was no danger, which allowed him to close his eyes and drift off to sleep contentedly.

Meanwhile, Yang Jun lay quietly asleep, undisturbed by the noise. Earlier, missing Hu Meitao had driven him to tears, and even though he was now sleeping, his eyes were still somewhat swollen, looking pitifully sad.

Hu Meitao approached the bed, gently caressed Junjun’s little face, and felt an urge to cry. She was the epitome of a married woman who hadn’t worked since getting married, spending her days at home with her child. Yang Jun had never been away from her for this long before. It wasn’t just the child who couldn’t adapt; she, as the mother, was constantly missing him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have braved the late hour, knowing it would certainly disturb others, just to catch a glimpse of her child.