The drive home was short since it wasn’t far.
Chen Yuan, just like before, held the baby in one arm and carried their things in the other, leaving the lightest item—the stroller—for Jiang Wanyi.
Watching Chen Yuan’s tall back and broad shoulders, she felt like a dainty woman trailing behind him.
As they walked toward the elevator with their things, Chen Yuan, who knew nothing about real estate, could tell from the decor alone that this place wasn’t cheap.
They entered the elevator one after the other. The stainless-steel car was polished so clean you could use it as a mirror.
Looking at his reflection, Chen Yuan felt a wave of complicated emotions.
’I’m a newly-enrolled college freshman, and I’ve somehow become a stay-at-home dad. Talk about a plot twist.’
’Most importantly, this isn’t even my own kid.’
’Tongzi, did you catch the flu or something? Is your code fried? You can’t mess with me like this.’
Soon, the elevator reached the 19th floor.
Chen Yuan set the things down by the door, preparing to hand the baby to Jiang Wanyi.
She opened the door but made no move to take the child, stepping inside first.
"Hurry and come in. I’ll get you some water."
"I don’t know if I should."
"It’s fine, no one’s home."
Jiang Wanyi was very straightforward, seemingly not overthinking it and just believing it was the right thing to do.
Chen Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony and walked in, still holding the baby.
The apartment was huge—a three-bedroom, one-living-room unit with at least 100 square meters of usable space.
The living room was tidy and uncluttered.
A few hours ago, Chen Yuan wouldn’t have seen anything wrong with this.
But after Tongzi hit him with a wave of Unlimited Void, this scene seemed a bit off.
The living room was large enough that it should have been covered with a play mat, set up with a playpen, and strewn with some toys. It would be a place to play with the baby and help her practice crawling.
’For a mother, she’s surprisingly clueless, just like a total novice.’
Once inside, Jiang Wanyi immediately went to the kitchen to prepare a bottle for the baby. She also took a bottle of mineral water and a Coke from the fridge.
"It’s pretty hot out. Have some water first."
"No rush."
Chen Yuan didn’t reach for the water. Instead, he took the baby bottle from Jiang Wanyi’s hand.
Feeling it was a little too warm, he squeezed a few drops onto the web of his thumb.
"What was the water temperature?"
"I think it was 50 degrees."
"Set it to 45 from now on."
He unscrewed the cap, swirled the bottle a few times to cool it down, then screwed the cap back on and started feeding the baby.
Jiang Wanyi stood beside him, watching motionlessly. She realized that everything about him, from the way he held the baby to how he fed her, was incredibly professional.
After two or three minutes, Chen Yuan checked the bottle. The baby had drunk about 100 milliliters.
"That’s about enough."
"Isn’t that a little too little? I remember the doctor saying that 150 to 200 milliliters is a normal amount for one feeding."
"Didn’t you feed her a little earlier? That must have been at least 50 milliliters. I just fed her another 100, so that should be enough. Also..." Chen Yuan said,
"It’s okay for a baby to be a little hungry or a little cold. If she eats too much every time, she’ll get indigestion, which affects her spleen and stomach. The most obvious symptom is eating a lot without gaining weight."
"And you’re dressing her too warmly. In this weather, a single thin layer is enough. Overheating can weaken her constitution and make her more susceptible to colds in the future."
Now Jiang Wanyi was truly stunned. He really seemed to know everything.
"I’m always afraid she’ll catch a chill, so I can’t help but overdress her."
"I understand how you feel. Just try to hold back a little in the future. But don’t dress her in too little, either."
Chen Yuan patted the baby’s little bottom. "I’m going to take her diaper off for a bit and put it back on later. It’s so hot, she could easily get a heat rash."
"I’ll do as you say."
Chen Yuan took off the baby’s pants and diaper, then held her and walked around the room.
[Task Complete: Reward: 200 RMB cash, Professional-Grade Burping Technique]
"You must be tired too. Give the baby to me. Sit down, have some water, and rest for a bit."
"No rush. The baby just finished her milk, so she needs to be burped, or she might spit up."
’The maternity nurse had told her about this and even tried to teach her a few times, but she never managed to learn.’
He held the baby, gently resting her head on his shoulder. He brought his fingers together, curving his hand slightly to form a cup, and gently patted her back.
Watching Chen Yuan burp the baby, she realized he seemed even more professional than her former maternity nurse.
’Is this a skill a young man like him is supposed to have?’
As Chen Yuan slowly paced around the living room with the baby, another prompt appeared.
[System Task: Attempt to lull the baby to sleep. Reward: 300 RMB cash, Professional-Grade Lactation Induction Technique.]
Hmm?
’Forget the money for a second—though another 100 bucks is nice—but a Professional-Grade Lactation Induction Technique...’
Subconsciously, Chen Yuan glanced at Jiang Wanyi.
’She was definitely well-endowed but seemingly non-functional. It looked like she really needed this skill, but since he was a guy, it was hard to say if he’d ever have a chance to use it.’
’Looking back at the task Tongzi gave him, it wasn’t actually that difficult.’
’Normally, a baby gets sleepy after finishing her milk anyway.’
And just like that, after patting her for a little while, he noticed the baby in his arms had gone still. He glanced down carefully and saw she had fallen asleep, though not deeply.
’This task is almost complete.’
Chen Yuan looked back at Jiang Wanyi and made a shushing gesture. She instantly understood.
She took a couple of quick steps and led him to the master bedroom.
Hanging on the headboard was a rose-pink silk nightgown, and next to it, a flesh-colored bra.
The style was plain, with a triangular-like clasp on the cup that could be opened for easy nursing.
In a couple of quick strides, Jiang Wanyi snatched up her nightgown and bra, balled them up, and tossed them into the closet.
It wasn’t that she was messy, but it was just a bit awkward for a young man in his prime to see such things.
Jiang Wanyi took out a small blanket printed with a cartoon of a little white pony and a rainbow, along with a small pillow.
Gently, Chen Yuan laid the baby down on them, adjusted her position, and looked back at Jiang Wanyi.
"Do you have any waterproof pads at home?" Chen Yuan asked in a low voice.
"A waterproof pad... I think I do. Let me look."
Jiang Wanyi opened one side of the closet, which was filled with mother and baby supplies, and pulled out a package.
"Is this it?"
Chen Yuan nodded, took the package from her, pulled one out, and placed it under the baby’s bottom.
[Task Complete: Reward: 300 RMB cash, Professional-Grade Lactation Induction Technique.]
A 0.001x-strength output from Unlimited Void delivered a flood of information that was practically R-rated, and he mastered yet another new skill.
"Girls are different from boys. It’s best to let her air out whenever possible, but don’t open the window while she’s sleeping," Chen Yuan said.
"I know, but won’t she pee everywhere?"
Chen Yuan thought for a moment.
"Probably not. There’s a difference between a shotgun and a sniper rifle..."