Xiao Tian paid no attention to the midwife and strode directly into the palace. Xiao Yi Xian and the other women followed close behind. The Xiao Family, however, held back for the moment, instead swarming the midwife with a barrage of questions.
Inside the bedchamber, Yun Yun and Ya Fei lay on their sides upon a large bed. Between them, nestled in soft swaddles, were the newborn infants. Their faces were still a little pale, but their tired expressions held gentle smiles as they gazed at the wide-eyed babies. Both women felt their hearts melt, their faces glowing with the radiance of new mothers.
Xiao Tian hurried to their side and knelt. He took in their weary appearance, his eyes brimming with tenderness. Gently, he brushed aside the hair matted to their foreheads by sweat, stroked their heads, and pressed a kiss to each of their brows. "Yun'er, Fei'er. You've worked so hard."
He quickly produced the recovery pills he had prepared long in advance and placed them into their mouths. As the medicine took effect, color gradually returned to their cheeks.
Yun Yun looked up at him, her eyes a mixture of exhaustion and deep fulfillment. "Seeing her… it was all worth it." Her gaze drifted back to the infant, her smile blooming like a spring flower.
Ya Fei's fingers gently teased the baby nestled beside her, her eyes brimming with the longing and joy of a new mother. "Yes, seeing her makes me so happy. It's just a pity we weren't strong enough to give you a son."
Xiao Tian took both their hands in his own, his gaze soft and steady. "Yun'er, Fei'er, please don't ever think that. Boy or girl—it doesn't matter. They are our blood. Our continuation. The most precious, irreplaceable beings. Your safety, your happiness—that is what matters most to me." His voice was firm and gentle. "Both of them are my treasures. I will walk with them as they grow, and I will protect them—and both of you—for the rest of our lives."
His words were filled with love, and the warmth of his hands was like a ray of light that dispelled every shadow in their hearts. Both women looked up, tears of emotion glistening in their eyes, and clung tightly to his hand.
Xiao Yi Xian and the others stood nearby, smiling quietly at the scene.
Just then, the infant girls seemed to sense the powerful love flowing between their parents and let out soft, giggling laughs from their little bed. In that moment, everyone in the room felt a deep, settled happiness.
"Little Brother Xiao Tian, look how happily they're laughing," Ya Fei murmured, watching the two infants giggle together.
Xiao Tian extended a finger and gently tickled each daughter's tiny pink hand. The little ones seemed to feel their father's tender touch. Their miniature fingers curled lightly around his, as if responding to him. That small gesture filled Xiao Tian's chest with an emotion he couldn't quite name. It was excitement. Thrill. Happiness. But above all—responsibility.
He carefully scooped up both infant girls, his warm wood-attribute Dou Qi rising to support them from beneath. He rocked them gently, and their little mouths twitched as they subtly shifted, searching for a more comfortable position. Feeling their tiny movements, Xiao Tian smiled. "You two must grow up quickly. Then Daddy will take you out to play."
Xiao Yi Xian and the others gathered around Yun Yun and Ya Fei, murmuring comforts and congratulations, while Xiao Tian cradled his daughters, teasing them softly and watching the women talk. He sighed inwardly. This was the essence of happiness. A wife, children, a warm home.
After a while, the women came over and gently took the babies from his arms. Han Yue and Xiao Yi Xian each held one, and even the usually aloof Medusa couldn't resist leaning in to tease them.
Xiao Tian sat on the bed and pulled Yun Yun and Ya Fei into his embrace. They rested their heads on his shoulders, watching the scene together.
"Which of them was born first?" Xiao Tian asked.
"Elder Sister Yun was first," Ya Fei replied. Both had delivered in the same bed, giving strength to one another.
"Good. Then the two of you should choose their names," Xiao Tian said gently.
Yun Yun and Ya Fei exchanged a glance. They had already thought this through. Yun Yun spoke softly, "My daughter will be called Xiao Ling. Sister Ya Fei's will be Xiao Meng."
Xiao Tian turned the names over in his mind and found them beautiful. *Ling*—resilience and purity, like a water chestnut, both lovely and unyielding. *Meng*—beauty and hope, a life as vivid as a dream, filled with longing and promise.
"They're perfect. So adorable even now, when they're this small. They'll surely grow into great beauties like their mothers." He gazed at his daughters' pink little faces, their tiny noses, and the constant smiles the women's teasing brought to their lips. A gentle smile rested on his own face.
Once he was certain everything was well, Xiao Tian signaled for Xiao Zhan, Xiao Li, Xiao Yu, and the others to come in and meet their granddaughters and nieces.
"My two daughters-in-law, you've worked hard," Xiao Zhan said as he entered, then immediately looked eagerly toward the infants cradled in Xiao Yi Xian's and Han Yue's arms. They gently passed Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng to him. For a moment, Xiao Zhan was completely flustered, uncertain which granddaughter to hold first. In the end, he did exactly as Xiao Tian had done earlier—one in each arm—his face practically splitting with joy.
Xiao Tian briefly told him their names.
Xiao Li leaned toward Xiao Ding and stage-whispered, "See? I always said Father only likes girls. Now that he's got granddaughters—two of them—he's practically delirious."
Xiao Ding nodded in solemn agreement. "When Xiao Yan Zi and Little Tianzi were born, the midwife announced 'boys,' and I watched Father's face just fall."
Xiao Zhan's expression darkened for a split second. He shot a glare at his two sons. Then his expression melted right back into a beaming smile as he gazed at the granddaughters in his arms.
Everyone else laughed at the three men's antics.
After Xiao Zhan had held them for a while, the others took their turns. The two infants seemed to understand that everyone present was family and showed no resistance at all. Eventually, the group handed the children back and filtered out of the room.
Xiao Tian laid the two now-sleeping infants gently back onto the bed. "Yun'er, Fei'er, you two should rest as well."
Both women, feeling the pull of exhaustion, nodded and soon drifted into sleep. The other women quietly slipped away.
---
At the same moment, deep within the underground magma world beneath Jia Nan Academy, Nalan Yanran, who had been meditating upon a stone, suddenly snapped her eyes open—only to find a pair of glowing red eyes staring directly at her.