"Use the breast pump. Where is it? I’ll go get it for you."
"How could I forget about that? It’s in the first section of the wardrobe. You’ll see it as soon as you open it."
It was clear she didn’t use it much, to have forgotten all about it.
Chen Yuan went back to the bedroom and opened the wardrobe door. It was filled with mother and baby supplies, and he quickly found the breast pump.
He went to the bathroom door, turned his back, and passed the breast pump to her.
Chen Yuan returned to the room. Mili was still sleeping, but she was restless. The small blanket had been kicked aside, revealing her soft, pink little bottom.
Quietly, Chen Yuan went over and saw that Mili had wet herself in her sleep. He got a waterproof pad and placed it under her.
Before long, Jiang Wanyi came out holding the breast pump, a joyful look on her face that she couldn’t hide.
"Look, it’s almost 100 milliliters. If I hadn’t wasted some earlier, I would’ve had at least 120."
A baby over eight months old needs about 150 to 200 milliliters per feeding. In Jiang Wanyi’s current state, she could just barely manage to feed the baby once if it wasn’t extremely hungry.
"This shows it’s working pretty well. After two more sessions, there shouldn’t be any more problems."
Looking at Jiang Wanyi’s ample size, Chen Yuan felt she had a natural gift for it.
’120 milliliters in one session is definitely not her limit,’ he thought. ’120 from just one side is more like it.’
"I can’t believe I managed to get this much. After two more sessions, I’ll be able to stop using formula."
"You can’t stop completely," Chen Yuan said.
"Right now, the baby is on stage two formula. After she turns one, the nutrients in breast milk decrease, so you’ll need to supplement with stage three formula. But breast milk should still be the main source."
After hearing Chen Yuan’s explanation, Jiang Wanyi felt like she had learned something new again.
But the more this happened, the more she felt like an incompetent mother.
"I see. Can I start feeding her some solid food now too?"
"You can. Things like fruit puree, rice cereal, or pork liver powder. But don’t give her too much. These are just supplements; breast milk should still be the main food source," Chen Yuan said.
"You should keep what you have there. Store it in the fridge. When it’s not convenient to breastfeed, you can just heat it up for her to drink."
"I think I remember there are special little bags for storing breast milk."
Chen Yuan nodded. "You don’t have any?"
Jiang Wanyi looked a little embarrassed. "I... didn’t have a use for them before..."
"Then let’s go buy some," Chen Yuan said.
"We can buy some other things while we’re at it. Besides massage, diet is also an important part of this."
"Should we go after the baby wakes up?"
"She’s been asleep for a while. You can go get changed now."
Chen Yuan walked out, leaving Jiang Wanyi feeling a bit strange.
’The baby isn’t awake yet,’ she thought. ’There’s no rush to change, is there...?’
The next second, Jiang Wanyi understood what Chen Yuan meant.
She was still wearing that top, and it was still damp, to the point of being slightly see-through.
’How indecent...’
Chen Yuan went to the living room. Before long, Jiang Wanyi came out, having changed into a simple white short-sleeved shirt. Her figure looked much fuller.
She went to the kitchen and put her 100-milliliter trophy in the fridge.
And just then, the baby woke up.
Hearing the baby’s cries, Jiang Wanyi became flustered and rushed into the bedroom to soothe Mili.
But after she tried to comfort her for a while, the crying didn’t stop, so Chen Yuan followed her.
He stood at the bedroom door. Mili, who had been crying her eyes out just a moment ago, stopped the instant she saw Chen Yuan. She broke into a wide grin, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
Jiang Wanyi was baffled. ’Does Chen Yuan have some kind of superpower? Why does the baby stop crying the moment she sees him?’
"Let me take the baby. You go get ready."
"Okay."
Chen Yuan carried the baby to the spare bedroom, grabbing a diaper on the way.
"And this," Jiang Wanyi said, taking out a matching top and pants.
"This set is a bit thick. It’s so hot today, there’s no need to wear something this heavy. Do you have anything thinner?"
"I do. Let me look."
Jiang Wanyi rummaged through the wardrobe, found a thinner set, and handed it to Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan took the baby to the spare bedroom and gently placed her on the bed. First, he put on her diaper, then the little top and pants.
Mili was very well-behaved the whole time. He happened to see a small pink clip by the window and gently fastened it in her hair.
"There, that looks much better."
When he came out with the baby, the master bedroom door was still closed. Jiang Wanyi hadn’t finished getting ready.
Chen Yuan put the baby in her playpen and watched her crawl on the floor, reaching for a small toy not far away.
"Go, Mili, go..."
Chen Yuan held a small ball in his hand, trying to guide her to crawl in his direction.
Mili huffed and puffed as she crawled toward Chen Yuan, moving quite quickly.
Chen Yuan played with the baby like this for a few minutes before Jiang Wanyi came out.
She was wearing the same white T-shirt, paired with denim shorts. Her full thighs were whiter than he had imagined, and her long, dark hair was tied up in a bun, giving her the air of a mature, married woman.
"Let’s go."
"We should bring some water for the baby."
Chen Yuan went to the kitchen, filled a thermos with some warm water for the baby, and grabbed two spare diapers.
Seeing Chen Yuan move with such practiced ease, Jiang Wanyi stood and watched him.
She discovered another one of his good qualities: he was thoughtful. Incredibly thoughtful.
She also knew she needed to bring water for the baby when they went out, but while getting ready, she was so focused on going shopping that bringing water and diapers completely slipped her mind.
’He’s tall, neat, and thoughtful. He probably doesn’t lack for girlfriends at school.’
Chen Yuan quickly finished preparing everything they needed to take, and Jiang Wanyi, picking up on the cue, brought out a small backpack.
After packing everything inside, they took the stroller and left the apartment.
"Let me hold her."
While waiting for the elevator, Jiang Wanyi felt bad letting Chen Yuan hold the baby the whole time.
"It’s fine, she’s not heavy."
The two of them got into the elevator and pressed the button for the first basement level. But the elevator stopped on the 16th floor.
Outside was a middle-aged woman, also pushing a stroller with a little boy in it. It was the same female neighbor Jiang Wanyi had run into when she went downstairs yesterday.
"Taking the baby out..." the neighbor said conversationally. She was quite talkative.
Jiang Wanyi smiled and nodded.
"Oh, right, I just remembered," the neighbor said.
"If you can’t find a good lactation consultant, just have your husband massage you. Back when I was nursing, the consultant would do it during the day, and my husband would do it at night. It works, too."
It was a bit awkward.
"This is my younger brother, not my husband," Jiang Wanyi explained, embarrassed.
"Your brother?"
The neighbor looked a little surprised, then said with a laugh,
"You two really look like a married couple standing together. I thought you were husband and wife. Turns out you just look alike."