Chapter 71: Condition Part 2

She really couldn’t stand the smell of disinfectant in the hospital. Besides, she didn’t feel any other discomforts—her body seemed almost fully recovered.

“Still don’t know.”

Yang Meijing asked her, “You want to get discharged?”

Cheng Zhanya hummed in agreement. “I’ve recovered pretty well.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Yu Shujing joined the conversation. “Let’s ask the doctor first, and then see what Lele says.”

“Lele was really worried about you.” Yu Shujing glanced at Lin Hanbing in the neighboring bed, a helpless note in her voice. “With her personality, even if you’re feeling great, she’ll insist you stay a few more days.”

“…”

“Indeed.”

Cheng Zhanya glanced at Lin Hanbing.

Given Lin Hanbing’s tendency to worry, she definitely wouldn’t let her leave so soon.

She let the subject drop. The Little One’s sudden wail cut their chat short, startling even Lin Hanbing awake in the next bed over.

In a reflexive motion, Lin Hanbing sat up quickly. She instinctively took the Little One into her arms and began cooing to her with gentle patience.

Yang Meijing and Yu Shujing exchanged a look and smiled in unison.

Lin Hanbing cooed for quite a while, but it had little effect.

She checked her daughter’s diaper. It was still dry.

Only then did she realize that her daughter was probably hungry.

Lin Hanbing paused.

She turned slowly toward Cheng Zhanya, her face wearing an innocently puzzled expression as she chuckled. “Chengcheng seems hungry.”

Lin Hanbing’s expression was peculiar. The two elders didn’t pick up on it, but Cheng Zhanya did.

Her face turned bright red.

She shot Lin Hanbing a dark glare.

Cheng Zhanya reached out, gesturing for her to hand over the child.

The moment the Little One was in her arms—perhaps catching the scent of milk—her cries tapered off. Her tiny face nuzzled frantically against Cheng Zhanya’s chest, hunting for the source.

Cheng Zhanya’s breasts were already engorged. The little one’s rubbing left damp spots on her patient gown.

She felt utterly mortified.

In front of the two elders, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Lin Hanbing noticed Cheng Zhanya’s embarrassment. She murmured a few words to her mother.

Just like that, Yang Meijing and Yu Shujing tactfully excused themselves.

The door clicked shut behind them. Cheng Zhanya wasted no time lifting her gown to let her daughter nurse.

The Little One latched on with unerring precision.

Cheng Zhanya winced at the sharp bite. She clenched her teeth, tilting her chin up slightly. “Mm…”

“Does it hurt?”

“It does.” Cheng Zhanya squeezed her eyes shut. “Not too bad once Chengcheng starts eating, though.”

“It feels so weird. So swollen…”

Murmuring almost to herself, Cheng Zhanya added slowly, “Like it’s about to overflow.”

“Engorged?”

“Probably…”

“I’ll help you,” Lin Hanbing offered.

“No need…”

Cheng Zhanya refused without a second thought, something flashing across her mind.

Lin Hanbing fell silent, merely watching from the side until their daughter finished nursing and drifted off to sleep.

“Fan Yaobai will be here soon,” Lin Hanbing said.

Exhausted from the feeding, Cheng Zhanya half-closed her eyes and murmured her assent.

After a moment, she asked, “Is Baibai coming alone?”

“With Lu Ting.”

Lin Hanbing’s expression darkened at the mention of Lu Ting.

Cheng Zhanya had never understood why Lin Hanbing harbored such strong feelings against her.

With a smile and a teasing glint in her eyes, she prodded, “Sister, care to explain why you dislike Lu Ting so much?”

Lin Hanbing’s face stiffened for a split second before she plastered on her professional smile—one that anyone could see was forced. “I don’t dislike her.”

It was as good as saying: Oh, I dislike her plenty.

Cheng Zhanya burst into laughter that she couldn’t contain, her stomach starting to ache. She kept teasing. “But your face tells a different story.”

Lin Hanbing arched a brow. “And what does my face say?”

“Like this.”

Cheng Zhanya mimicked the expression perfectly, dissolving into hearty laughter at her own imitation.

Lin Hanbing smiled too. With one arm cradling their child, she leaned in close, her voice a whisper meant only for Cheng Zhanya’s ears. “Because she has a thing for you.”

From their very first encounter at the coffee shop, Lu Ting had given her that impression.

Even now, Lin Hanbing couldn’t shake her prejudice.

Sure, Lu Ting was with Fan Yaobai these days, and Cheng Zhanya had borne their daughter while preparing to remarry—but before all that, Lin Hanbing hadn’t dared let her guard down.

Cheng Zhanya’s laughter cut off abruptly.

She stared at Lin Hanbing in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

Lin Hanbing didn’t respond. Instead, she busied herself playing with their daughter.

Cheng Zhanya felt a mix of amusement and exasperation at Lin Hanbing’s guilty expression.

What on earth?

They didn’t get a chance to continue. A knock sounded at the door, and Fan Yaobai and Lu Ting stepped inside.

Fan Yaobai hurried straight to Cheng Zhanya’s bedside. The sight of her friend lying there so frail unleashed the worry she’d been holding back.

“Yaya, how are you?”

“Why keep something this huge from me until now?”

Fan Yaobai had only found out that morning through Lin Hanbing’s social media posts. She’d pored over the three photos obsessively. She’d planned to visit after work, but impatience won out. She’d rushed off a hasty leave request and dragged Lu Ting along.

Only on the way did she think to message Lin Hanbing, worried their sudden arrival might disturb Cheng Zhanya’s rest.

Fresh from childbirth, what her friend needed most was recovery time. Fan Yaobai longed to meet her goddaughter, but her friend’s health came first.

Once Lin Hanbing replied, Fan Yaobai had barreled over.

Seeing Cheng Zhanya looking relatively well eased her fears, transforming them into mock anger. She poked her friend’s forehead. “What’s the deal with you?”

“You’re not treating me like a friend at all.”

Cheng Zhanya nodded politely to Lu Ting before turning back to Fan Yaobai with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, Baibai. It all happened so suddenly.”

“I didn’t have a chance to tell you.”

“It’s my fault.”

Her sincerity was plain as day. “Once I’m out of confinement, punish me however you want, okay?”

Fan Yaobai stared hard at her, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish in the face of such earnestness.

She’d only been half-joking, after all.

No one chose when to give birth.

She pursed her lips and played along. “You promised!”

“I did,” Cheng Zhanya said with a smile and a nod.

Fan Yaobai shot her a sidelong glance before turning her attention to the baby in Lin Hanbing’s arms.

She looked to her friend for approval, and with a silent nod, she stepped closer to Lin Hanbing. Gazing at the peaceful little bundle, Fan Yaobai’s voice softened unconsciously. “Let me hold her.”

Lin Hanbing carefully transferred their soft, squishy daughter into Fan Yaobai’s arms. Uncharacteristically talkative, she even offered pointers on the best holding position for the Little One’s comfort.

For all her private gripes about Lin Hanbing, Fan Yaobai had to admit the new mom had her technique down pat.

The child—who’d been squirming restlessly before—settled right down after the adjustment.

“Chengcheng~”

Fan Yaobai cooed in a syrupy voice.

“I’m your godma, you know.”

“You’d better remember that.”

After all, she was the first to know this little one even existed.

Smug satisfaction bloomed in Fan Yaobai’s chest.

Her greeting earned only a bubble of drool in response. The Little One turned her eyes indifferently, oblivious.

Newborns didn’t make expressions yet, let alone subtle ones.

Chengcheng simply stared in Fan Yaobai’s direction.

Or maybe not at her specifically—just happening to look that way.

At three days old, the baby was still adjusting to the world. Everything around her sparked curiosity, people included but hardly limited to them.

The Little One let out a couple of grunts, as if startled by the unfamiliar face. Fan Yaobai had barely held her a few minutes when an earsplitting wail erupted.

Fan Yaobai froze in place, panic-stricken.

She looked to Lin Hanbing in helpless dismay, clutching the child like a hot potato she was dying to hand off.

In just two short days, Lin Hanbing had grown accustomed to her daughter’s unpredictable crying fits.

Babies were all like that, it seemed.

A new mother and child had checked into the neighboring room the night before—born the same day as Chengcheng. Their cries were no quieter.

The hospital’s soundproofing left much to be desired.

In the dead of night, their daughter would finish crying only for the neighbor to start up. Once the neighbor quieted, Chengcheng would take her turn again.

It was like they’d worked out a schedule.

Lin Hanbing’s head throbbed at the memory.

She took back her daughter, first checking the diaper to confirm it was just fussiness. Then she rocked her gently.

Within minutes, the Little One quieted.

Fan Yaobai watched in awe.

She never would have imagined that someone as lofty as Lin Hanbing could master baby-wrangling so quickly.

And do it so well, too.

Truly, the capable ones picked up anything in no time.

Motherhood was no exception.

What a prodigy.

In Lin Hanbing’s arms, the Little One waved her tiny limbs and blew contented spit bubbles, thoroughly entertained by her own little world.

Adults just couldn’t break into a baby’s universe.

Fan Yaobai let out a heavy sigh and shifted her focus back to her friend.

She noticed her girlfriend deep in conversation with Cheng Zhanya—though she couldn’t make out the words. Cheng Zhanya glanced her way, and Lu Ting smiled.

It was a beautiful smile, laced with an allure Fan Yaobai couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Puzzled, she blurted, “What are you two talking about?”

“You guess,” Cheng Zhanya said, smug.

“I’ll bite.” Fan Yaobai narrowed her eyes, feigning worldly suspicion. “You’re badmouthing me, right?”

“Spot on,” Cheng Zhanya laughed.

Fan Yaobai rolled her eyes. “Be serious.”

“Come on, what is it? Give me something to work with here.”

Cheng Zhanya and Lu Ting shared a conspiratorial glance before turning back to her with smiles. “I was just telling Director Lu how much you seem to like kids.”

“If you love them that much, why not have one of your own?”

Fan Yaobai’s face went rigid.

She shot a quick look at Lu Ting, her ears burning.

Flustered and annoyed, she sputtered, “What kind of nonsense is that?”

Try as she might, she couldn’t suppress the grin tugging at her lips.

Lu Ting gave her a faint glance and chuckled softly without a word.

Fan Yaobai frowned.

What was that reaction supposed to mean?

She obsessed over it, wondering what lay behind that subtle smile.

Did Lu Ting not want to have a baby with her?

Or had she never even considered it?

Fan Yaobai held her tongue, swallowing the questions bubbling up inside her.

As evening deepened into night, Fan Yaobai and Lu Ting finally said their goodbyes to Cheng Zhanya and left the hospital.