Chapter 134

The twenty-minute journey felt like an agonizing eternity for the two men. Huo Lingtian, a king of the business world who feared nothing, had never known such overwhelming dread. Only when Rong Qing was admitted to the hospital did he realize his palms were slick with sweat and his heart was consumed by a restless, suffocating anxiety.

"How is she?" Upon hearing that Rong Qing had been taken to the hospital, Huo Zhen had rushed over with his attendants, arriving at the private clinic in a flurry. His face was etched with worry, and his elderly frame was breathless, gasping for air after the hurried arrival.

No matter how anxious he felt, Huo Lingtian maintained a facade of composure and reason. He steadied his grandfather, saying, "Grandfather, don't worry. Qing is already inside. She will be fine; there is absolutely nothing to worry about." This wasn't just to comfort Huo Zhen; it was a promise to himself. If the hospital with the most advanced equipment in X City couldn't handle a delivery, then it had no reason to exist.

Just then, a doctor emerged from the emergency room. He approached Huo Lingtian respectfully and said, "Master Huo, the Young Mistress is stable. It was merely premature labor pains. She is in excellent health, and there are no complications. We allow one family member to accompany her during the delivery. Would you like to?"

"I’m going in!"

"I’m going too!" Huo Lingtian shot a sharp look at his grandfather. *Why are you trying to get involved? This has nothing to do with you!*

The old man refused to back down. *Hmph, that is my granddaughter-in-law, why can't I go in? I was the one watching when you were born, you know!*

Huo Lingtian didn't waste time arguing and followed the doctor into the emergency room. He donned a surgical gown, mask, and gloves. Inside, Rong Qing’s condition had improved. She lay on the sterile hospital bed, eyes squeezed shut in pain, her lashes fluttering. The room was filled with doctors and nurses moving tensely around her, whispering. His beloved lay alone, curled up against the cold medical instruments.

Huo Lingtian stepped forward, crouching by the head of the bed. He stroked her forehead and eyelashes with trembling hands before finally clasping her small, cold hand firmly in his warm one. His throat was dry, but he managed to whisper the reassuring words she needed: "Baby, open your eyes. I’m here."

Rong Qing’s pained expression softened as if spring had arrived. Her fluttering lashes were wet with tears, but the helplessness she felt being wheeled into the emergency room and the loneliness of facing the cold equipment were instantly cured. It felt as if this man had been by her side all along, and with him there, there was nothing to fear.

Rong Qing’s hands curled into his, the crushing pressure in her lower abdomen easing. She was never a fragile person, but in this moment, she was acutely sensitive. She reached out, her small hands trembling as they wrapped around the man’s neck, pressing her forehead against his. That deep, bone-searing heat gave her courage and strength.

During the delivery, even through the intense pain, Rong Qing bit her lip, clutching his hands tightly. Despite the unbearable agony, she drew endless strength from the person beside her. Sweat beaded on her pale face, and while the doctors worked with cold, mechanical efficiency, Huo Lingtian watched the process without blinking. For most, childbirth is a bloody and brutal sight, but Huo Lingtian remained hunched by the bedside for hours like a devout and sacred statue. His eyes were filled with pain, yet his movements—wiping sweat from his wife’s brow—were filled with reverence and devotion. In his eyes, this raw and messy process was a profound act of love and a deep, permanent memory.

The visceral connection, the thrumming of a heartbeat, left him unable to contain his emotions. This moment of delivery was a profound tempering of his soul. In that instant, it was no longer just love that bound their family together; it was a new life, a shared bloodline, converging into a complete home—a fusion of love and kinship.

"Waaa—" The moment the infant’s cry rang out, not only did Huo Lingtian’s expression shift, but the doctors and nurses also visibly relaxed. The Young Master of the Huo family, who held the power of life and death over them, had been staring fixedly at their every move. Even the most professional hands had become gentle, and every procedure was weighed with extreme caution. *Phew*—the moment the heir was born, they felt as if they had been granted a new lease on life.

The medical staff quickly sealed the umbilical cord and cleaned up the young heir. The little one was plump, healthy, and beautiful. The doctor couldn't wait to present the baby to Huo Lingtian. The man merely glanced at the little thing with a strange, deep look before turning his full attention back to the exhausted, sleeping Rong Qing. He pressed a soft, pure, and sacred kiss to her forehead.

The doctor stood awkwardly, holding the baby. He had seen many first-time parents who were desperate to hold their child, but here was the head of a great family completely ignoring the infant to attend to the mother. He couldn't help but admire the man’s deep devotion. The veteran doctor gently poked the baby’s cheek and sighed, "Well, your parents are too busy for you. Let's head to the observation room for a while."

And so, the next-generation heir of the Huo family, without receiving any fanfare, was whisked away to the observation room. Rong Qing was transferred to a high-end VIP suite, where she remained in a deep, weary sleep.

When the old patriarch finally got a glimpse of his precious great-grandson, he was only allowed to watch from outside the observation window. The old man was so furious he nearly tapped the doctor’s head with his cane. Though he couldn't get close, watching the little one in the incubator, waving his tiny limbs and kicking his legs, filled Huo Zhen with love and satisfaction. In his lifetime, he had seen four generations; to witness the birth of his great-grandson, the future hope of the Huo clan, was enough for a lifetime.

Looking through the glass, the iron-willed old man found his eyes brimming with tears. It was the fulfillment of a life's journey. He hadn't been this emotional when Lingtian was born. Truly, as one ages, the heart grows softer and more doting toward the young.

All afternoon, the patriarch of the Huo family beamed like a daisy, his wrinkled face creased with smiles over the birth of his great-grandson.

Rong Qing didn't know how long she had slept. When she groggily opened her eyes, she was surrounded by her loved ones. Huo Lingtian’s face was filled with fervent affection, and his grandfather looked on with concern. She moved her parched lips, "W-where is the baby?"

Huo Lingtian helped her sit up and gave her a few sips of water before saying, with a huff, "That little thing is still sleeping in the incubator. You lot, go and bring him over." His tone was full of mock disdain. Poor little baby—he didn't know that even before birth, he was already being envied by his "wife-doted" father, all because he had put his "big treasure" through so much during his arrival.

When Rong Qing held the baby in her arms, her eyes and heart were overflowing with love. That bone-deep connection—a piece of her own flesh—was her heart and soul. The little one was still a bit wrinkled, but it didn't detract from his beauty at all. He was plump and fair; according to the old patriarch, the baby was even more handsome than Lingtian had been at birth!

The sleeping infant seemed to sense the change in the warm aura around him. He stirred and opened his large, beautiful eyes. His dark, limpid eyes were filled with spirit, as cunning and bright as the finest black pearls. It was a stunning sight that instantly captivated the entire family. The baby had been born for a day and hadn't opened his eyes despite his father and grandfather’s best efforts, yet after being held by Rong Qing for a moment, he opened those beautiful eyes.

"Goo!" The little one seemed to recognize his dear mother. He waved his tiny hands and feet, and that crisp sound made everyone’s eyes well up with emotion. Rong Qing had never imagined that such a soft, well-behaved, and beautiful creature was hers. A strange, overwhelming emotion flooded her heart—he was her baby, her flesh and blood. The feeling was too wonderful, leaving her heart tingling with warmth.

Rong Qing pressed a devout kiss to the baby’s forehead, a light touch that contained all her love. Feeling his mother’s kiss, the little one’s smile deepened, and he giggled incessantly, filling the hospital room with the simple, pure happiness of a family.

"Grandfather, you hold him." Seeing the joy and eagerness in the old man’s eyes, Rong Qing handed the baby to him. The eighty-year-old man looked stunned, his wrinkled hands trembling, but the excitement and strength in his eyes forbade him from backing down.

He cradled the baby gently. The little one was light, but the old man protected him tightly. The baby kicked and wiggled in his arms, and Huo Zhen indulged him every step of the way, his face beaming as he made soft, soothing sounds to the little one.

"This is the greatest blessing and treasure heaven has bestowed upon our Huo family. Rong Qing, I think we should name the child Tianci (Heaven's Gift)," the old patriarch declared with a smile, sealing the decision. Little did they know, the old fellow had spent months pondering this, consulting countless scholars just to name the little one.

"Yes, Huo Tianci. Huo Tianci—I think that’s wonderful," Rong Qing agreed with a smile.

Huo Lingtian stood to the side with a dark expression, his eyes burning with jealousy as he watched the old man. *You snatched my child, and now you’re naming him too? That’s going too far.* But Huo Lingtian had no say in the matter; the child’s name had been decided by the pair in the room.

"Lingtian, what do you think? Huo Tianci—a gift from heaven. It’s very nice, isn't it?" Rong Qing said, smiling and repeating the baby’s name.

Huo Lingtian: *(;~ (≧▽≦) /~)* *Wife is always right; I must obey her decree.*

He took one calm look at the smug old man, and finally, reluctantly, spat out two words: "Very good."