He waved to Jiang Nan Fang, "It's fine, you rest."
Then he went to the window, his back to her, and started making phone calls to arrange work matters.
After finishing the work arrangements, his second assistant called him, saying that he had found five top-tier confinement nannies from the best domestic help companies in the southern city and was bringing them over for an interview.
These were people who would be spending their days with Jiang Nan Fang, so they had to be taken seriously.
Zhan Bei Jue conducted the interviews himself.
The second assistant stood at the doorway with the candidates, while he stood inside the room.
The first confinement nanny handed over her health report and various qualification certificates.
Zhan Bei Jue looked at her age, only 27. Although she was a graduate of a prestigious university with a Master's degree, she had never been married or had children. Her knowledge was all theoretical, so how could she take care of a pregnant woman?
He passed on her directly.
The second candidate's age was suitable, and she had extensive work experience. However, she was over 50, was from out of town, and her Mandarin was very non-standard. Zhan Bei Jue couldn't understand many of her pronunciations.
He didn't want Jiang Nan Fang to feel uncomfortable or have to strain to understand what was being said, so he passed on her as well.
The third candidate was good in every aspect.
She was 32, married with children, had a long work history, and decent education. However, her psychological resilience was poor.
It was the first time she had seen such a handsome and imposing employer. She stammered when speaking to Zhan Bei Jue, her teeth chattering. He passed her on too.
In short, none of the five were suitable.
The second assistant hurried to tell him, "Then I'll go look again. President Zhan, don't worry, I'll be back soon."
After the assistant left, Jiang Nan Fang felt he was being too strict and wanted to say something to him.
However, he turned around, frowning, and his expression was not good as he slowly sat down in the chair.
"What's wrong? What exactly is making you uncomfortable? Why do you look so terrible?"
"I suddenly have a bit of a backache."
This was the first time Zhan Bei Jue had experienced a backache. He put his hand behind his back and massaged it.
Jiang Nan Fang tried to sit up to show her concern.
"Did you strain a muscle when you were holding me just now? Let me give you a massage."
"No need. Don't get up. Lie down properly. I'm a grown man, what harm can a slight strain do? You don't need to worry about me."
While waiting for the next batch of confinement nannies to be brought in, Jiang Nan Fang closed her eyes to rest. Zhan Bei Jue took out his phone to search for precautions after experiencing fetal distress.
As is commonly known, one should not casually search for medical information on their phone when feeling unwell.
There were all sorts of symptoms and cases, and the doctors' descriptions were always exaggerated. It felt like the previous incident was about to repeat itself. The more Zhan Bei Jue read, the worse his mood became.
Finally, unable to sit still, he closed his phone in low spirits and began pacing by the window.
Looking at the distant scenery, he couldn't help but imagine what Jiang Nan Fang had gone through, carrying quadruplets alone when he wasn't around.
Having to work to earn a living while pregnant must have been extremely difficult. What had he been doing at that time?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he wasn't human. The more he thought, the more he felt he had wronged her and the children. He glanced back at her lying on the bed, as frail as a piece of paper.
His nose twitched, his eyes reddened, and he felt an urge to cry.
He walked to the bedside and sat down, burying his head on Jiang Nan Fang's shoulder.
Jiang Nan Fang was lying down comfortably when she felt Zhan Bei Jue come over and hug her.
It was fine for him to hug her, but after a few silent seconds, the clothes on her shoulder became wet.
He was crying.
Oh my goodness.
After being declared infertile by the doctor, conceiving a child was supposed to be a joyous occasion. Why was he crying when they should be happy?
Besides, he was Zhan Bei Jue, how could he cry?
Jiang Nan Fang patted his back, comforting him, "Don't cry."
"Although I experienced fetal distress, it doesn't hurt at all. And didn't the doctor say there's no major problem? Don't act like something terrible has happened."
The more she tried to comfort him, the more he felt she was wonderful, the more he regretted his past actions, and the more he felt he wasn't human. His tears flowed uncontrollably.
It was as if his tear ducts had become loose, and he even started to sob. Jiang Nan Fang's shoulder was thoroughly soaked by his tears.
Jiang Nan Fang could feel his emotional tears. Thinking about how difficult it had been for them to reach this point, she wondered if she should also try to feel sentimental.
Just as she was building up her emotions, she heard his choked sobs, and suddenly found it hilarious. She couldn't help but let out a giggle.
Zhan Bei Jue finally looked up.
He looked at her with his tear-filled, red eyes, his voice thick with a nasal tone.
"You're not angry with me? You can still laugh?"
His appearance was indescribably vulnerable and endearing, a complete change from before.
Jiang Nan Fang laughed uncontrollably, her body shaking with mirth.
"I tripped myself, you didn't push me. What reason do I have to be angry? Are you crying because of this?"
She was still laughing?
Zhan Bei Jue didn't know what was wrong with him, but he felt immensely wronged. His nose twitched, and with a sigh, large tears rolled down his cheeks silently again.
"I just feel like I'm not a good father, and I've failed you and the children. I'm so afraid this will end like before. Can you please stop laughing?"
Jiang Nan Fang laughed while wiping away her tears.
"Alright, alright, I won't laugh. I'm sorry. I'll lie down and rest properly and make sure to protect this child. Don't worry, I promise."
Perhaps because the child wasn't inside him, he felt an uncontrollable anxiety when danger arose, which was why he was so distressed.
Jiang Nan Fang tried to understand him, holding him and patting him to comfort him. It took a while before he stopped crying.
The calmed Zhan Bei Jue felt quite embarrassed.
He was a grown man, and even the most catastrophic work-related events had never made him feel sad. What was wrong with him today?
It was too embarrassing. Before anyone else could see, he quickly went to wash his face.
Upon returning from the restroom, he encountered the doctor entering to check on Jiang Nan Fang.
"How are you feeling? Are you alright?"
Jiang Nan Fang said she was fine and then secretly glanced at Zhan Bei Jue, giving the doctor a knowing look.
The doctor took a good look at Zhan Bei Jue, noticing his red nose and eyes, typical signs of excessive crying, and was slightly surprised.
"Mr. Zhan, are you feeling unwell?"
Zhan Bei Jue wished he could banish her immediately. "No."
Jiang Nan Fang revealed, "Yes, he has a backache. And I saw him fiddling with his neck just now. Don't be shy, tell the doctor what's really wrong."
Zhan Bei Jue still wanted to pretend he was fine, but a wave of intense nausea surged up in his stomach.
He couldn't help but swallow a couple of times and rubbed his chest with his hand.
The doctor seemed to understand, "Mr. Zhan, is your stomach upset?"
"Perhaps the smell of disinfectant in the hospital is too strong. I'm not used to it."
"Are there any other symptoms?"
"Are you examining me or her? Ask her, why are you asking me?"
The doctor, an experienced chief physician in obstetrics, couldn't help but smile at his demeanor.
"In my opinion, Mr. Zhan might also be ill."
"Ah?"
Jiang Nan Fang immediately became concerned.
Zhan Bei Jue hurried over, sat beside her, wrapped his arm around her head, and rested it on his shoulder.