He glanced at the time. The message had arrived three minutes ago, so it wasn’t too late.
Chen Yuan: "Sure, what’s up?"
A moment later, a video call from Jiang Wanyi came through.
Chen Yuan slipped on his sandals and went out to the deserted stairwell before answering the call.
Jiang Wanyi had changed clothes. She was wearing a black slip dress and holding the baby.
"She just woke up, and I’m afraid she’ll be hungry soon, but I don’t know how to burp her. I wanted to ask you the proper way. Do I just hold her upright and pat her back?"
"That’s not the right way to hold her. You need to let her head rest on your shoulder. And don’t use your palm—cup your hand by putting your fingers together and bending them slightly, so your palm is hollow..."
Following Chen Yuan’s instructions, Jiang Wanyi tried patting a few times, looking completely flustered and clumsy.
"You’re not patting her right. Hold the baby higher, so her head rests on your shoulder."
Jiang Wanyi tried to lift the baby higher, but she couldn’t get the baby’s head to rest on her shoulder.
Just then, the baby saw Chen Yuan on the screen. Her eyes crinkled into a smile, and she started babbling, "Aah, aah, aah."
Jiang Wanyi noticed that her daughter seemed to really like Chen Yuan. It had been like this since the first time they met.
Chen Yuan cooed at the baby for a moment, then said to Jiang Wanyi:
"Try adjusting the angle again. Burping is very important. She’s only eight months old, so it’s dangerous if she chokes."
"I’ve seen a lot of news stories about that, so I’m a little scared. I didn’t want to bother you, but I watched a ton of videos and still couldn’t figure it out."
Jiang Wanyi’s face was full of apology. But besides Chen Yuan, she didn’t know who else to ask at a time like this.
"It’s fine. I’ll teach you slowly. Just do as I say."
"Okay."
Over the next ten-plus minutes, Chen Yuan tried various methods to teach Jiang Wanyi how to burp the baby, but she still couldn’t get the hang of it.
Chen Yuan suddenly understood the plight of his high school teachers.
’You’re the worst-performing mom I’ve ever taught.’
"Stop trying for now. I’ll come over and teach you in person."
"Won’t that be a bother?"
"Not at all. I don’t have much to do on my break anyway. If I stay in the dorm, I’ll just be sleeping."
"I’ll send you my exact address."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Chen Yuan went back into his dorm room, got dressed, and prepared to leave.
Just as Chen Yuan reached the door, Sun Pengnan called out to him with a strange expression.
"Boss, I’ve got a bad feeling about this."
"What’s wrong?"
"I just got to the part where Xiao Yan and Yun Yun meet, but the plot development feels a little off."
"You’re imagining things. Trust me, just keep reading. The good part is coming right up."
With that, Chen Yuan left...
"HOLY SHIT!"
He had just stepped out the door when a cry of anguish echoed from the dorm room.
’What kind of 4D novel is this? He can even feel the pain?’
He left the campus and took a bus to the entrance of Jiang Wanyi’s residential complex.
Following the address she provided, he quickly found her apartment.
"Come in, quickly."
She was still wearing the black nightgown, but it was a bit different from how it looked on the video call; she had a camisole on underneath.
In terms of physique, Jiang Wanyi and Song Jianye were distinctly different. One was voluptuous and sophisticated, the other youthful and stunning. The vibe was completely different.
"Eee-eee... yah-yah..."
The moment she saw Chen Yuan come in, little Mili immediately started making sounds.
She held a small rattle drum, shaking it and giggling happily at Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan smiled, walked over, and patted her little cheek.
’So soft...’
’I want to kiss her.’
’I’m such a creep.’
"It’s been three hours since she fell asleep, right?"
"I was afraid she’d be hungry, but since I don’t know how to burp her, I didn’t dare feed her."
Jiang Wanyi helplessly pressed her forehead, looking mentally exhausted. "I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve been asking friends to help me find a suitable nanny, but I haven’t had any luck."
"Let me put it this way: a good nanny is like a good job. They’re basically never on the open market. The ones you can find are usually not that great."
"That’s why I’m so worried. I can barely handle the feeding part alone, and she gets hungry so fast."
"That’s how babies are. Plus, she’s on formula, so it’s normal for her to get hungry quickly."
Subconsciously, Chen Yuan glanced at Jiang Wanyi and said:
"How many months old was she when she started on formula?"
"After she was one month old, we started supplementing with a bit of formula..."
’That’s some next-level helplessness.’
"She’s eight months old now. You can start introducing some solid foods."
"Solid food at eight months? Isn’t that a little early?"
"Not at all. A little bit is fine. Since she’s not being breastfed, you have to start introducing these things," Chen Yuan said.
"Look at her teeth, they’ve only just started to peek through. That might be related to what she’s eating."
"Sigh, I wanted to breastfeed, but I only produce a tiny amount each day. I’ve tried so many methods, but nothing works."
Jiang Wanyi sighed repeatedly. It was clear she wasn’t worried about her breasts sagging; she just wanted to give her child the best.
"Um..." Chen Yuan asked tentatively, "Have you tried seeing a lactation consultant?"
"Don’t even get me started. I’ve already seen three of them, and I’ve tried all sorts of dietary remedies. Nothing worked. I’ve given up."
Jiang Wanyi looked at her child. "Sometimes, when I look at her, I feel like I’ve failed her."
"Because you couldn’t give her the best?"
"Yeah. The doctor said she should drink as much breast milk as possible, that even the best formula can’t compare to it. And I haven’t been able to give her much at all."
[System Task: Help Jiang Wanyi feed her child to satisfaction on her own. Reward: 600 RMB cash, The Complete Guide to Human Cub Solid Foods.]
Looking at the new task, it wasn’t exactly difficult, but it wasn’t simple either.
’The professional-grade lactation techniques rewarded by Tongzi should be effective,’ he thought. ’But getting this ’all-show-and-no-go’ contestant to feed her baby to satisfaction on her own in a short amount of time is going to be a little difficult.’
’Besides, I’m a guy, which makes this kind of thing awkward to handle. But the task is right there, so I have to figure out a way to complete it.’
"I can teach you some techniques. They should be helpful."
Chen Yuan pointed to a spot on his own chest. "Press here."
"You even know about this? Aren’t you just working part-time for a housekeeping service?" Jiang Wanyi said in astonishment.
"Ah, it was just something I picked up along the way. I practiced on a mannequin, so no one could accuse me of being a pervert."
"Pfft-hahaha..."
Jiang Wanyi was so amused she bent over laughing, her chest heaving with the motion.
"Okay, I’ll learn from you."
"Do as I say. Press here," Chen Yuan said, pointing to his own chest.
"Press?"
Jiang Wanyi was confused. She extended a finger and tentatively pressed on the spot on Chen Yuan’s chest.
"Like this...?"
Erm...
Chen Yuan didn’t say anything. The atmosphere became slightly awkward.
"I’m a man. You could press me to death and you still wouldn’t get any milk..."