The next day, Guo Xuyang woke up late, the sun already high in the sky. He didn't linger at the safe house and headed straight for the hospital.
It was Xu Yifan's second day here, and he couldn't just skip the hospital for the entire morning. After all, his mother-in-law had arrived, and he didn't know how she would react if he wasn't seen at the hospital all morning.
"Why are you only coming now?" Li Minxi said upon seeing Guo Xuyang.
"I had something to attend to. Is Auntie here?" Guo Xuyang asked.
"My mom didn't come," Li Minxi replied.
"She didn't? What happened?"
"She said she sprained her ankle going downstairs and can't walk. A doctor just came to see her." Li Minxi explained.
"How could she be so careless? Who's looking after her?"
"Of course, Ranran is, along with Bingbing and a few others."
"Did Auntie discover my relationships with these people?"
"You didn't cause trouble again yesterday, did you?"
"No, no, I wouldn't dare. Doing those things in front of my mother-in-law would be suicidal!" Guo Xuyang said guiltily.
"What are you saying? What do you mean, 'in front of my mother-in-law'?"
"I misspoke. I specifically told them to be careful."
"Then why did my mom tell me to be careful of you when I called? She said not to let others take advantage of you."
"Perhaps Auntie feels I'm too outstanding because of my family's wealth? This is her first time here."
"You just keep boasting. Too outstanding? I think you're too much of a scumbag." Li Minxi's words made Wu Jia and Yang Bin chuckle.
Yuer added, "Whether he's a scumbag is debatable, but everyone knows he's thick-skinned."
"Can't you all be a little considerate? Last night, after sending Auntie and the others back to the Royal Villa, I rushed to Brother Liang's place and worked all night. I woke up early this morning to come here. But you all just enjoyed watching me make a fool of myself."
"What happened at Brother Liang's place?" Li Minxi asked.
"We captured two important figures, and I needed to help with the interrogation. So I was busy all night."
"Then why did Yuer say Yezi was called to a certain place to deliver food?"
"Yezi is more familiar with that place, so I had to send her. Besides, it was too late, and I didn't want to bother her, so I asked Yuer to relay the message."
"I thought you were hiding Yezi away?"
"How could I? You all are enough to handle. If I found a few more, it would surely wear me out!"
"You know you're already past your prime? You're still so young, but you'll feel it when you're older." Li Minxi said, sitting up.
"Why are you sitting up? Lie down again."
"If I lie down any longer, I'll rust. I started getting out of bed slowly yesterday afternoon."
"How is it? Are you okay?"
"What do you mean, 'are you okay'? Try giving birth and see if you're okay." Li Minxi glared at him.
"It was my fault for speaking inappropriately. I deserve a hit." Guo Xuyang said, mockingly hitting himself on the face.
"Your face is thicker than a city wall, it won't hurt no matter how hard you hit it. Just behave yourself for a few days. Once my mom leaves, you can do whatever you want. I can't control you anyway. But for the few days my mom is here, you need to leave a good impression on her, so she doesn't worry about me."
"Don't worry, I would have been careful even if you hadn't said anything. What time is it? Why hasn't the food arrived yet?"
"I asked Liu He to help me prepare some bone broth. It should be here soon."
"Bone broth? What's this about?"
"The doctor said I'm a bit deficient in calcium and need to supplement."
"Oh, I remember we had some tiger bone left. I'll get it out for you to stew."
"That stuff is too potent. Beef bones will do."
"I thought you meant pork bones."
"You should eat less pork, or you'll gain weight easily."
As they were talking, a young man arrived with food containers. "Mr. Guo, Ms. Li, the food is here."
"Thank you for your trouble," Guo Xuyang said, taking the food containers.
"It's no trouble, Mr. Guo. Today we have four dishes and two soups. We added beef tendon soup for lunch." The young man said as he brought out the four dishes and two soups, simultaneously clearing away the morning's dishes.
"Thank you!" Guo Xuyang said.
"You're welcome. Please eat while it's hot. I'll be going now." The young man turned and left.
"Quick, eat while it's hot. It won't be as good when it gets cold," Guo Xuyang urged.
"Please serve me some beef tendon soup first to cool, I'll eat later," Li Minxi said.
"What? Aren't you hungry?"
"I see Little Niu Niu is about to wake up. I need to feed her first."
"Eating doesn't take that long. If you feed her later, who knows how long it will take? When the food gets cold, it won't be good for you or Little Niu Niu." Guo Xuyang said, serving her a portion of beef tendon soup and setting it aside.
"Is your milk supply enough these days? Do you still need to use formula?"
"My milk ducts have opened up these past two days, and I can't consume it all. We can give the leftovers to Da Bao when we get back."
"That kid doesn't mind eating anything. If he starts eating too, Little Niu Niu might not have enough."
"Isn't there Ilena? Besides, Little Hong is also eating with them. It should be enough."
"Then you've truly become nannies."
"I'm his stepmother, aren't I?"
"Yes, yes, that's right. Stop talking. Hurry up and eat. Wu Jia, Yang Bin, Yuer, all of you come and eat. We need to take care of Little Niu Niu after we finish." Guo Xuyang called out.
"After eating, I'm going back to check on Auntie. If it's not serious, I'll help her recover."
"Oh, right! With a divine doctor like you here, why would we need to find other doctors?" Li Minxi exclaimed, patting her head.
"Who are you calling a divine doctor? Be careful, you might hit yourself silly. After I eat, I still need to go to the police station to give my statement."
"What's happened now? Did you get into trouble?" Li Minxi asked.
"On my way to Brother Liang's last night, I saw two delinquents harassing a young girl, and I couldn't help but teach them a lesson."
"Oh ho, a hero saving the damsel in distress? Did the girl throw herself into your arms?"
"What are you talking about? Those two girls had tattoos all over them, and they didn't seem like good kids," Guo Xuyang said.
"That suits your taste, doesn't it? That way, you don't have to worry about getting rid of them."
"What's with you today? Why are you so jealous?"
"It's all because of you. Thinking about it now makes me angry. Tell me, what do I see in you? You're so fickle every day, not quiet at all." Li Minxi retorted.
"Let me give you some advice. They say women in confinement shouldn't get angry, as it's bad for their health. Not only is it bad for you, but it's also bad for the baby. Anger can spoil your breast milk, affecting the baby's digestion."
"What nonsense are you spouting? What does this have to do with the baby?"
"If you don't believe me, search it online. See if what I'm saying is true. Don't search now, just eat first, and then search later." Guo Xuyang said, bringing the beef tendon soup to her. "You need to maintain a happy mood during confinement. This way, the child you raise will be sunny and beautiful."
"You're just trying to trick me." Li Minxi said, but she still took the beef tendon soup.