Madam, Please Behave
Chapter 402: Worth It

An Yuanyao looked very unwell.

After being wheeled back into the hospital room, Liu Changqing could clearly see that her complexion was nothing like usual—it was a visible kind of pale, the kind that anyone could spot.

She’d probably sweat a lot during labor. Her hair was a complete mess. Even though it had already been over an hour since she gave birth, she still hadn’t fully recovered.

Liu Changqing’s heart ached.

Even though it was a natural birth, he could only imagine the kind of pain she went through. As her husband, the moment he realized this, he deeply regretted the accident that kept him from being with her during the delivery.

He dragged a chair over and sat down.

He reached out and held An Yuanyao’s hand.

Calling out to her softly.

“Honey, how are you feeling? A little better?”

A weak sound came from her lips. Looking utterly drained, An Yuanyao forced her eyes open and looked toward Liu Changqing by the bed.

When her gaze met her husband’s face—so full of worry—

It was like her mind hadn’t fully cleared. She stared for five or six seconds before opening her mouth, her voice tinged with tears.

She started complaining, stammering between breaths.

“My mom lied to me again... it hurt so bad I thought I was going to die...”

“Don’t say things like that. It’s bad luck.”

Liu Changqing quickly responded, holding her hand a little tighter.

“I saw the babies. They’re adorable… They look like you. Zhi’an is the boy, Chunnuan is the girl.”

“Really...? That’s wonderful.”

Hearing about the babies, An Yuanyao first let out a faint reply. Then, as something came to mind, she tried to sit up—but she was far too weak.

Panting a few times, she finally asked after a while,

“Where are the babies? I want to see them...”

Hearing this, Liu Changqing immediately stood up and walked to the baby crib they had prepared earlier.

He carefully picked them up one by one and gently placed them beside her.

By conventional beauty standards, newborns weren’t exactly cute. Their hair was sparse, their tiny faces wrinkled and reddish—most people wouldn’t call that adorable.

But… to parents, these babies were different.

It was An Yuanyao’s first time becoming a mother. She had gone through the entire process herself.

Nearly nine months of pregnancy, and the painful labor—those memories were etched deeply into her mind, impossible to forget.

They were harsh, exhausting memories. But the moment her eyes landed on the two babies—

They vanished without a trace.

Motherhood.

The instant she saw her children, that feeling bloomed deep inside her heart. As she looked at them, her expression softened.

Her voice was hoarse, and she mumbled softly, almost to herself.

“They’re… really cute…”

“Right? I think so too.”

Liu Changqing crouched beside the bed, leaning close to the babies. Feeling their even breathing, he was just as moved.

He wanted to touch their little faces.

As soon as the thought popped into his head, he couldn’t resist. Slowly, his hand reached out—

“Don’t touch them...”

An Yuanyao stopped him.

“Let them sleep. This is... their very first sleep in this world...”

“……”

Liu Changqing pulled his hand back. Looking at An Yuanyao as she lay there, head turned to face the babies…

A gentle, pampering smile appeared on his face.

In a warm tone, he said,

“Whatever you say.”

The two of them continued watching the babies—

Their babies.

Their love, made flesh.

Outside the hospital room came a rush of quick footsteps.

Both parents, still watching the babies, turned their attention toward the door.

After nearly six hours of travel, the An family had arrived, led by Su Yan. An Quancheng, An Qianxun, his wife, and the baby in their arms all appeared at the doorway.

Except for the two older kids who had gone to school, all other family members were present.

The moment An Quancheng saw his daughter, he clearly breathed a sigh of relief. The tense look on his face faded completely.

He walked forward steadily, one step at a time, toward the bed.

The others followed close behind.

“Dad...”

An Yuanyao called softly.

Hearing her call him “Dad,” the stern expression on An Quancheng’s face melted away and was replaced by a warm smile.

He opened his mouth and said,

“My daughter… you’ve worked hard.”

An Quancheng’s heart ached.

His daughter was his first child.

Back in his younger years, influenced by the times, An Quancheng had held the old-fashioned belief that boys were better than girls.

When he was told that his wife had given birth to a girl, he had felt a bit of disappointment.

Compared to a girl who’d eventually marry out, the younger him had wanted a son who could carry on the An family name.

But... that idea didn’t last long.

The moment he laid eyes on newborn An Yuanyao, that old belief vanished completely.

In that moment, the young An Quancheng made a silent vow in his heart—

That he would protect this child for the rest of his life.

But… life is unpredictable.

His daughter’s marriage had not been a happy one.

An Quancheng had always been dissatisfied with her ex-husband and had even advised her against it. What shocked him was that his daughter had talked back and didn’t speak to the family for a long time.

Later… they reconciled.

In the play called life,

An Quancheng played the role of the strict father—

He seemed cold and uncaring, but in truth, he had invested more emotion in his child than even her mother.

He had expected to be a grandfather one day. He just didn’t think it would come this late.

But now, looking at the two babies beside the bed, An Quancheng clearly understood—

All the waiting had been worth it.

A boy and a girl.

He raised his hand.

His eyes stayed on the two babies, but his palm landed on Liu Changqing’s shoulder as he crouched beside the bed.

He gave it a firm squeeze.

“Take good… care of them.”

“……”

Hearing those words, Liu Changqing looked up at his father-in-law.

He saw—this aging man’s eyes were slightly red.

Slowly, Liu Changqing stood up.

As he did, An Quancheng withdrew his hand from Liu Changqing’s shoulder, and his gaze moved from the children to his son-in-law.

He heard—

His son-in-law say, firmly,

“Of course. That’s a husband’s responsibility.”