Beta Chapter 107: Extra 6: Buy Things

Chapter 107: Extra 6: Buy Things

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Today marked the 38th day of confinement.

Luo Songran, with a despondent expression, sat at the edge of the bed, staring aimlessly out of the floor-to-ceiling window, feeling like a salty fish who had lost its purpose.

He thought giving birth would bring relief, but it didn’t. Moreover, he couldn’t even hold Duan Yizhou, and even after three months, he might not be able to embrace him fully. And during this time, although Duan Yizhou was with him every day, he felt like Duan Yizhou’s attention wasn’t solely on him anymore; he was busy taking care of the babies.

He knew he shouldn’t think like this, but he couldn’t help feeling lost. It was nothing like he imagined. In other words, he was having a hard time adjusting.

To make matters worse, confinement was incredibly boring. He never knew he could feel this bored. He couldn’t stand for long, squatting wasn’t comfortable, he couldn’t eat what he wanted, and he couldn’t go out to play. He hadn’t stepped out of the house for a full 38 days!

Most of the time, he just wandered around the garden. He felt like he was going crazy. Although liberation was just a few days away, he didn’t feel any anticipation. The thought made him feel even worse, and he increasingly wanted to leave home. He couldn’t stay here any longer.

Should he slip away?

When Duan Yizhou returned to the bedroom with goat’s milk, he saw his little darling sitting on the bed with his back to him, hands on his side, staring out the window with an indescribable sense of melancholy. It was a kind of despondency he had never seen before. “What’s wrong? Are you sad?” 

Luo Songran cried, covering his face with his hands. “Nobody loves me anymore… I want to run away from home.”

Duan Yizhou stood still, watching his beloved cry and say that nobody loved him. He felt a pang of sourness and heartache, wondering why he felt this way. Why was he crying alone? Had he overlooked something? He wanted to run away? Did he want to go out and play?

Then, as if realizing something, he gently placed the goat’s milk on the nearby cabinet and quietly left the bedroom for the study.

After crying for two minutes, Luo Songran felt exhausted and stopped. No one was paying attention to him anyway. He instinctively looked towards the bedroom door and saw that Duan Yizhou hadn’t come over. Feeling even more lost and determined to go out for a walk, he thought, ‘Maybe I can sneak out.’

Just then, his phone buzzed. He picked it up and saw it was from Duan Yizhou. Puzzled, he furrowed his brow. Why would Duan Yizhou call him?

“Hello?” he answered the phone.

“Baby, I have an emergency meeting later. I might not be able to be with you this afternoon.”

Listening to Duan Yizhou’s words, Luo Songran felt even more depressed, but the next moment, his eyes lit up. Ah, if Duan Yizhou wasn’t here, then he could sneak out, right?

So, he pretended to be disappointed and said, “Oh, so you won’t be able to nap with me?” Inside, he was ecstatic. Now he could hang out with his roommates!

“I’ll try to come back in time for dinner with you, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll hang up now, baby. Remember to drink the goat’s milk on the cabinet, okay?”

Luo Songran turned his head to look at the cabinet in the room, then saw the glass of goat’s milk on the low cabinet near the door. Suddenly, he felt a strange feeling. Maybe Duan Yizhou did still love him after all. He made sure to remind him every day to drink the goat’s milk.

So, was he really going to run away from home? No, his next actions weren’t called running away from home, but rather, going out of boredom. But what if Duan Yizhou found out?

“Are you already at the office?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then. Don’t overwork yourself. Bye.”

After hanging up, Luo Songran got up, walked to the cabinet, drank the goat’s milk in the glass, and peeked outside with the empty cup in his hand. He looked around and found that the maid wasn’t there. Hmm, she must be napping with the kids. It was indeed a good time to sneak out.

He put the cup back in its place, went to the cloakroom, grabbed a hat, and remembered Duan Yizhou’s warning about not letting him go out during confinement because it was the most vulnerable time after giving birth and he might catch a cold.

But he really couldn’t hold it in today. Duan Yizhou didn’t have time for him, the babies were asleep, and the dads were at home. He couldn’t just ask them to come and keep him company; he didn’t really want that.

So, he had to entertain himself.

It was April, the weather was nice, so he put on a hat, wore a short-sleeved shirt and pants, took the elevator to the garage, and unlocked the car. But then, he suddenly remembered something.

He didn’t have his driver’s license.

His driver’s license had been confiscated earlier because of running a red light, and he didn’t have time to retake the exam and get it back now. So, he couldn’t drive.

What should he do?

In the study, Duan Yizhou watched his little fool standing in the garage, wearing a fisherman’s hat and carrying a water bottle. He probably remembered that he didn’t have his driver’s license and was wondering what to do next.

Should he take a taxi?

Or should he give up and stay home?

He watched the surveillance footage and picked up his phone to call his assistant, Aaron. “Aaron, where is the garage where we had the electric bikes customized for the employees last time?”

“It’s on Daxing Road. Why?”

Duan Yizhou heard that it was on Daxing Road, not too far from here. He glanced at the surveillance footage and saw that Luo Songran was about to call a cab. “Have the garage driver bring a new electric bike to the gate of Langqing Bay now, with the key in it. If he sees Mr. Luo walking over, tell him that all these bikes are available for use, but don’t say it’s arranged by me, and don’t call him ‘Mr. Luo,’ just treat it as a community bike.”

Aaron immediately understood. After all, only Mr. Luo could make Duan Yizhou so anxious. “Okay, Mr. Duan.”

“Can you do it in ten minutes?”

Aaron quickly sent a message to the driver and replied, “Daxing Road is only one kilometer from Langqing Bay. It’s possible, Mr. Duan.”

“Good, then I’ll leave it to you.” Duan Yizhou suddenly remembered something else. “By the way, do we have pink electric bikes?”

Aaron: “I think we do.”

“Okay, remember to put a few more colors for him to choose from.”

Aaron: “…”

After hanging up, Duan Yizhou continued to watch the surveillance footage in the garage and saw Luo Songran still standing there, apparently contemplating something. He frowned. What was going on now?

Then, he saw Luo Songran walk to a corner of the garage and take out a balance bike.

“?!” Duan Yizhou suddenly stood up. Was this guy joking with him? He dared to ride a balance bike while in confinement. If he fell and got hurt, it would be unbearable.

He shouldn’t have indulged him in sneaking out.

But just as he was about to stand up, he saw Luo Songran try to step on the balance bike with one foot, but maybe he couldn’t balance well, so he shook and stepped back on the ground. He tried several times but couldn’t get on.

In the end, he simply gave up on the balance bike, looked at it blankly, and maybe due to a bruised ego, he lowered his head and shoulders and walked away from the garage without trying to ride the balance bike again.

Duan Yizhou silently watched this scene.

The balance bike belonged to Luo Songran, and he used to be very good at riding it. But now, it seemed like his sense of balance had deteriorated.

Thinking of Luo Songran crying with him on his back earlier, he felt even more guilty. He had overlooked the postpartum psychological issues he should have paid more attention to. It seemed he needed to find a way to cheer up his little darling.

“Sigh.”

Luo Songran, who walked out of the villa gate heavily, sighed deeply. He carried a water bottle on his back, pressed down the brim of his hat, and sneezed involuntarily when he took off his helmet. He wiped his nose, quickly put on his hat, and walked into Yuehe Shopping Mall.

Not only did he not lock the bike, he didn’t even take out the key. He walked away carelessly.

“Grandpa! I want that ice cream!”

“No, if your dad finds out later, I’ll be in trouble. Grandpa will take you to eat something else.”

“Grandpa! Can I buy that Ultraman? That Ultraman looks super cool, just like you!”

“Your praise won’t work on me. Grandpa doesn’t have money, all the money is with your dad.”

“Grandpa, why don’t you have anything? Doesn’t dad love you? He doesn’t give you money.”

“Do you have money?”

“…No.”

“Then dad doesn’t love you either.”

“…”

Luo Songran walked into the food court on the first floor of the mall, smelling all kinds of delicious food. Just then, he overheard a conversation between a father and son passing by. He stood next to the ice cream shop and listened for a while, unable to help but laugh.

He was now a father too.

“Hey hey, where’s my dad going? My dad’s leaving me.”

“He’s going to buy clothes for you. You have to wear new clothes to look good when you see your dad later.”

“Yeah, I want to buy clothes too. But my dad didn’t bring me any money.”

“Mine neither. My dad doesn’t love me.”

“What do you mean, your dad loves you.”

“Why didn’t he bring me money then?”

“…” 

Luo Songran walked into the mall, laughing to himself.

If one day both piglets can walk, he’ll surely take them out to buy delicious and fun things. There will definitely be money in his pocket, and he’ll buy whatever they want. After all, happiness is the most important thing.

“Hello handsome, want an ice cream?”

The cashier at the ice cream shop saw a young man wearing a hat standing at the door. Finally, unable to resist, she asked, until she saw the young man turn his head. In that moment, the sudden impact of his beauty made her feel a bit dazed, as if standing there was not a problem at all.

Luo Songran only just realized he was standing outside an ice cream shop. He said it’s no wonder it smells so good. Seeing the ice cream machine inside, his mouth watered with desire. Can he eat ice cream now? Probably not. If Duan Yizhou found out, he would definitely scold him. But since he’s here, not eating one would feel like a waste.

Just then, he heard a conversation nearby.

“…Ah, darling, I want to eat an ice cream.”

“Eating ice cream while pregnant is too cold. Can’t I accompany you after giving birth, dear?”

“But I really want to eat. Just one bite, okay? Please.”

“I really can’t resist you.”

It was a couple, maybe a couple expecting a baby.

Luo Songran looked at the husband who was half-hugging his wife. He saw the husband lower his head and speak to his wife, his face full of helplessness and indulgence towards his wife’s cravings. In the end, the wife got her way, and they went to the cashier to buy an ice cream.

He made some space for them.

Suddenly feeling a bit envious, he wished Duan Yizhou was next to him. If he asked, Duan Yizhou would definitely buy him an ice cream, right?

No! How could he, as an economically independent man, not be able to afford an ice cream!

…No, he wasn’t economically independent.

He suddenly thought of this cruel fact, pressing down the brim of his hat to hide his troubled face. Yes, he wasn’t economically independent; he didn’t even earn the money to buy an ice cream.

The money for the baby formula wasn’t earned by him either.

All his money came from his family and Duan Yizhou.

“Sigh.”

Luo Songran sighed heavily again, choosing to leave the ice cream shop. Forget it, he wouldn’t eat ice cream; he felt a bit guilty.

As he walked, he passed by a skewer shop. The spicy aroma tantalized his senses, and a waitress waved at him, “Hey handsome, want some?”

Luo Songran looked at the spicy skewers in the red oil pot and couldn’t help but salivate. Ah, it smells so good. He had been eating bland food during the postpartum period for quite a while now. This kind of oily and spicy food was his favorite.

He wanted to eat. But could he? Probably not.

Duan Yizhou had said that consuming cold or spicy food during the postpartum period might prolong the recovery period from three months to even longer. Also, the incision from the cesarean section might hurt, and the internal organs might hurt too.

He silently took a few sips from his water bottle, muttering to himself: [I’m not hungry, I’m not craving, these aren’t tasty.]

What a lie. He quickly left the food street, deciding not to stay there and went inside to buy clothes and toys for the piglets instead. Let’s not look at these things anymore! He started wandering around the mall alone. Soon, he passed by a baby products store and walked in.

“Hello, may I help you with something?” The smiling attendant walked up to Luo Songran, noticing how young he was and asked, “Are you the older brother of the second child at home? Or are you buying things for relatives?”

Luo Songran took off his hat and smiled, “No, I’m a dad.”

The attendant seemed surprised by the young dad, “You’re very young, I’m really sorry for the assumption.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t expect to become a dad at such a young age either. Don’t follow my lead; it’s not good.” Luo Songran joked before looking around the store, “Do you have clothes for a one-month-old boy?”

“We do, follow me.”

This was Luo Songran’s first time in a baby products store. Even during the pregnancy, he hadn’t come here because everything had already been prepared at home, including items for the next few years. But today, coming here alone, he felt a very different feeling.

It’s as if the feeling of being a father had become stronger.

Perhaps because throughout the entire pregnancy and even after giving birth, there hadn’t been anything he personally took care of. Even making formula had been something he learned recently, and he felt very little involvement in the whole process. Plus, his memory had become very poor after giving birth, and he was clumsy with everything, making him feel a bit frustrated.

But buying things for the baby seemed to improve his mood. He looked at the cute dinosaur clothes, the adorable bear overalls, the polo-striped suits, and the cotton gentleman’s suits. The more he looked, the cuter they seemed.

Thinking about the piglets and then about Duan Yizhou, hmm, the three of them probably had similar qualities. So, how about buying polo-striped suits and cotton gentleman’s suits?

“Hello, please take two sets of each for me, same size.”

“Two sets each?” The attendant asked in surprise.

Luo Songran nodded, “Yes, I have twins.”

The attendant looked envious, “You’re so lucky to have twins. What size do you need?”

Luo Songran thought for a moment. He really didn’t know what size the piglets wore. At home, they both wore small cardigans, “I want to keep them until their full moon celebration. They’re one month old now, 38 days.”

The waiter probably understood, “Alright, let me help you find the right size. Anything else you need?”

Luo Songran glanced at the small leather shoes next to him, feeling ticklish inside, but he really didn’t know how big Little Piglet’s feet were. Maybe he should wait until he asks Duan Yizhou before buying. “Let’s just get the clothes for now. I’ll come back for the shoes another time.”

But as he was about to check out, an embarrassing situation occurred. He reached into his pocket and found nothing.

Luo Songran and the cashier looked at each other, realizing he had left his phone at home and the store didn’t have a system for refreshing payments. He suddenly felt incredibly frustrated. How could he forget his phone? Such an important thing, and he didn’t even realize he had forgotten it.

He regretfully tapped his forehead and looked apologetically at the waiter. “I’m really sorry, I forgot to bring my phone. Can you hold onto this for me? I’ll go back home now and come back to pay in a bit.”

The cashier nodded. “Sure, no problem. I’ll keep it for you.”

“Thank you.”

Luo Songran put on his hat and left the store, feeling a sudden sense of disappointment as if he had hit rock bottom. Well, he could only go back home to get his phone now, because he didn’t want to call Duan Yizhou. Calling him would reveal that he had sneaked out.

Man, was he being stupid right now?

“Hello.”

Just as the cashier was about to set the packed paper bag aside, a tall, handsome man in a suit appeared in front of her. She was surprised. “Sir, hello, can I help you with something?”

“My partner forgot to pay earlier, so I’m here to settle the bill for him.” Duan Yizhou pointed to the paper bag on the side and smiled.

The cashier was a bit astonished. “So you’re his partner. Why weren’t you with him? He seemed a bit sad when he left.” She handed the paper bag to Duan Yizhou.

Duan Yizhou completed the payment and took the paper bag. He said helplessly, “He’s still in confinement, but he sneaked out.”

The cashier widened her eyes. “Oh, really?” The next moment, she felt like she was being teased. “So you knew he sneaked out and silently followed him?”

“Yeah, I was worried.” After thanking the cashier, Duan Yizhou left the store. Following the little rascal in front of him from a distance.

Luo Songran found the mall exit and looked at the arrow signs above, one pointing to exit A and the other to exit B. He couldn’t remember where he parked his car. After thinking for a while, he couldn’t recall, so he decided to go to exit A first. After circling exit A, he didn’t find his electric scooter. He went to exit B and suddenly remembered that he parked at exit B. Using that memory, he searched for his electric scooter but couldn’t find it after walking around.

“Weird, I’m sure I parked here.” Luo Songran stood still, looking around for his scooter, then slapped his forehead. “I’m so dumb, I should’ve pressed the key.”

He reached into his pocket. He fell silent. Where are the keys? Where are the keys???

“Where are the car keys??”

Luo Songran stood dumbfounded in place, feeling utterly defeated. His expression went from disbelief to a tearful state, wondering how he had become so strange and foolish.

When he went out, he intended to ride his scooter, but suddenly found his sense of balance deteriorating.

Finally encountering an electric bike, he forgot to remove the keys when parking at the mall?!

That wasn’t all; he left home without his phone, unable to pay for purchases.

He was just pregnant, not losing his mind, right?

Now, without a phone, how would he get home? No one knew he was here. Should he borrow a phone to call Duan Yizhou? Would Duan Yizhou then know he had run out?

If they knew he had left without his scooter and phone, would they think he was incredibly stupid?

Luo Songran felt an inexplicable anxiety. He glanced ahead, hoping to see someone passing by, but found no one. In that moment, a sense of frustration and irritation overwhelmed him, an indescribable unease urging him to find Duan Yizhou.

The more anxious he felt, the less he knew what to do.

Just then, someone suddenly tapped his shoulder from behind, startling him as he turned his head in fear.

Meeting Luo Songran’s tearful eyes, Duan Yizhou’s face mirrored his astonishment. He couldn’t help but smile wryly, reaching out to touch his face. “What’s wrong? Did I scare you?”

Before Luo Songran could recover from the shock, he saw Duan Yizhou, whom he had been longing for, suddenly appear before him. After a brief moment of stunned silence, tears streamed down his face, reaching out to embrace him.

“……Wuwuwu, Duan Yizhou, I’m sorry.”

Seeing the little fellow cry out of fear, Duan Yizhou furrowed his brows and, seeing him reach out to him, couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. He gently embraced him. “Silly, what did you do wrong?”

“I shouldn’t have run out.” Luo Songran choked out, holding onto Duan Yizhou tightly, burying his face in his chest. When he smelled the familiar scent, his heart gradually calmed down. “Wuwuwu, I ran out without telling you again, I’m sorry.”

“I know.” Duan Yizhou felt uneasy hearing him cry like this. He held his face in his hands, looking down at him. “Silly, I’m the one who let you out to play this time.”

Before Luo Songran could react to what Duan Yizhou said, he cried even harder, feeling more foolish as he spoke. “……I’m done for. I feel like I’ve become a different person.”

“Where did that come from? You’re still you.” Duan Yizhou wiped his tears with the back of his hand, patiently listening to him.

“Who said so? You don’t even know. I tried to ride my scooter when I went out, but I couldn’t stand steady.”

“Then I forgot to bring my phone when I went out. I didn’t have money to pay for the clothes I bought for the kids just now. The clothes were already packed for me, but I hadn’t picked them up yet.”

“And, when I parked the electric bike just now, I forgot to remove the keys, and it seems like the bike was stolen.”

The more Luo Songran spoke, the more foolish he felt. Overcome with sadness, he cried out, feeling utterly hopeless. “……I’m finished, I feel like I have dementia.”

As he cried, bubbles formed in his nostrils.

He realized it himself, feeling even more foolish, he buried his face in Duan Yizhou’s chest, wiping his tears on his suit, continuing to cry.

Duan Yizhou held Luo Songran, who was crying in his arms, unable to laugh this time. In the past, he would have found it amusing to make Luo Songran cry, but now, he felt heartache.

Pregnancy could bring about significant changes in a person, both psychologically and physically. While physical changes could be addressed through diet, psychological issues were far more significant than food.

The influence of estrogen and progesterone could lead to uncontrollable emotional changes, even emotional breakdowns, in pregnant individuals. He believed he had never ceased to care for Luo Songran, but seeing him cry alone in bed in the afternoon, he found it hard to accept.

Was he too protective of Luo Songran, not allowing him to leave the house during the postpartum period for fear of his safety, but it backfired.

“Baby, it’s okay if the bike is lost.”

Luo Songran looked up, his eyes moist. Hearing Duan Yizhou’s words made him even sadder. “But I haven’t bought the kids’ clothes.”

“I bought them.” Seeing him crying with red eyes, Duan Yizhou bent down and kissed his eyes gently. “They’re already in the car. Please stop crying, okay?”

He was too heartbroken.

“Oh, how did you buy them?” Luo Songran sniffed when he heard Duan Yizhou say that, finally stopping his tears, though the sadness hadn’t subsided.

“Because I’ve been following you.” Duan Yizhou took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his face, his movements careful and gentle. “I’m not afraid of you losing your electric bike, your phone, or anything else.”

Luo Songran stared at Duan Yizhou in a daze.

“I’m only afraid of losing you.”

For a moment, Luo Songran felt a slight relief from his anxiety and unease, realizing that Duan Yizhou was still watching over him, not just for the sake of the children.

Seeing his eyes moist again, Duan Yizhou sighed imperceptibly, then kissed his eyelids lightly. “It’s my fault. I thought as long as you stayed at home, and I was there to accompany you wholeheartedly, you would be happy.”

“Baby, is it too boring to stay at home?”

Perhaps Duan Yizhou’s tone was too gentle, Luo Songran hadn’t felt wronged before, but now he began to feel wronged. He murmured in agreement.

“Then tomorrow, I’ll take you out for a walk, okay?”

Luo Songran’s eyes instantly lit up. “Can I? Great!”

Duan Yizhou rubbed his face, listening to him happily, thinking how easily satisfied his little lover was. He had overlooked the simplest request from the other party.

From now on, he needed to take a different approach to taking care of him.

 

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