Chapter 211 - The Beginning And The End (1)
Shen Zichen looked down at his daughter, and his heart felt like it was ready to burst at any moment, his legs wanted to give out. She was so tiny and delicate. He still couldn't believe that he and Li Chuntao made such a beautiful baby together.
After her delivery, Li Chuntao was drained and exhausted. The moment her daughter's cry reached her ears, she couldn't stop her tears from flowing. Her baby was alive. Fate hadn't taken her like it did her older brother.
The last time she gave birth to her stillbirth baby, Li Chuntao was ready to die along with him. Yet, now that she had Shen Zichen by her side, and hearing their daughter wailing out as loud as she can, she was reminded why she needed to continue living.
"Wow, she looks like Sister Chuntao," Li Chuntao heard her brother-in-law, Shen Lingtian commented as they took their turns to see her baby.
"She'll be a great beauty someday. Zi Gege should be prepared." Shen Yuyan snickered next to him.
Shen Zichen scowled at his twin sister's words. She surely knew which buttons to press to annoy him. His daughter was barely a day old and she was already spitting out such nonsense?
"That would never happen. I will never allow them around her!" He retorted.
The baby was then passed to Li Yuren who had been awkwardly silent since they entered the room with the Shens. His wife giggled by his side as the baby was placed in his arms. He looked like he was about to freak out while holding his granddaughter.
"Now, now, dear. There's nothing to be worried about. You've done this before, right? You won't hurt the baby." Zheng Yue assured him. She was reminded of how her husband acted when she gave birth to their son, it was exactly like this!
Li Yuren nodded and looked down at the tiny baby in his arms. Just as Shen Lingtian said, the girl looks like her mother, although her nose and face shape came from her father. And because she resembled Chuntao, she also reminded Li Yuren of Ying.
If Ying hadn't died last year, she would've given birth to a child like Chuntao too.
"Have you given her a name yet?" He asked Shen Zichen, who was sitting next to the bed, holding Li Chuntao's hand.
Shen Zichen turned to look at his wife before nodding.
"Yes, we've decided to name her Shen Xiulin." He announced.
Since their daughter resembled Chuntao and her twin sister, Ying, they decided to name their daughter 'Xiulin' which means 'a beautiful orchid', a flower that represents love and beauty like the Li twins.
"That's a good name, Zichen." Zheng Yue couldn't stop the tears brimming in her eyes. Even if Ying wasn't here with them anymore, her love and memory would forever remain in their hearts.
"Maybe we should go and let Chuntao get some rest. Zichen, take care of your wife. We'll be back tomorrow. You should try to get some sleep too." Madam Shen said before kissing her daughter-in-law goodbye, followed by her other children.
Li Yuren and Zheng Yue stayed and talked with Shen Zichen while Li Chuntao blacked out for her much needed sleep. She had fought hard to bring her daughter into the world and now it was time for her to relax, knowing her baby would be safe with her husband. All was well, for once.
"Have you decided when you'll leave?" Li Yuren asked as Shen Zichen placed his daughter into the bassinet next to the bed where his wife was sleeping. Shen Xiulin immediately followed her mother into slumber as soon as she was done with her first feeding.
"Not yet. We're thinking of waiting until she reaches her third month before we pack up and set off." Shen Zichen replied. He and Chuntao had talked about it.
The other man nodded in agreement. At least they would still have enough time to spend with Li Chuntao and Shen Xiulin. Li Chuntao was supposed to stay here for only a year, but now she was leaving for good together with her husband and baby.
He supposed this was better than seeing her mop for days, knowing she was thinking about her sister again. Life was just too unfair for Chuntao. She only had Ying, but still, Chuntao lost her. Being with Shen Zichen and Lin'er this time, Li Yuren hoped that his niece could finally be happy.
"I know I can't convince you to stay anymore. I'm selfish to wish that you would stay with us, but I also know that Chuntao needs to grieve properly. It won't be easy for her, but please Zichen, take care of Chuntao for us." Zheng Yue said with teary eyes.
They knew how Ying's death almost broke Chuntao, and they felt helpless that they could do nothing to ease her pain. She was like a shell that had lost the will to live, hoping that fate would let her cease her life.
However, now that Li Chuntao had a family of her own, they hoped that this would be enough for their niece to find a new reason to continue living.
"You understand why she couldn't forgive them, right?" Li Yuren asked Shen Zichen out of the blue.
Shen Zichen remained silent for a while, understanding what the older man meant. Li Chuntao could only be truly happy if she could face her own demon and accept Ying's death, which was easier said than done. This wouldn't be easy for her.
"You don't forgive people because of what they did. You forgive them for yourself." Shen Zichen looked at his troubled wife and sighed. She had been trapped in such a dark place since Ying's death and there was nobody there for her. Not even him.
It would be hard for Li Chuntao to forgive Mu Jianyu and Lin Meirong, but it'll be harder to forgive herself for failing to protect her sister.