The CEO is domineering, the devil Boss is addicted to pampering

Chapter 1387 Yunrui's Sincere Devotion: Postpartum Depression

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the sleeping baby in the incubator and bringing a touch of warmth.

Just as Qi Ruixiang wrote on the note, everything was arranged perfectly – an experienced postpartum nanny stayed in the ward 24 hours a day, a professional caregiver was responsible for daily care, a nutritionist prepared nutritious meals according to her physical condition every day, and even the baby's formula and diapers were the top brands on the market.

Materially speaking, she hardly needs to worry about anything. The only thing she has to do is get up and breastfeed the baby when he/she is hungry.

But the caregiver, Sister Li, was worried every day. She had taken care of many postpartum women, but she had never seen anyone so lifeless.

Yang Xiaotang spends most of her time lying in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, or turning her head to look at the baby in the incubator, her eyes empty like a soulless puppet.

She rarely spoke. Even when the nanny asked her if she was feeling well, she would only nod or shake her head perfunctorily, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

When breakfast was brought in, she would only take a bite or two before pushing it aside; the same was true for lunch and dinner. No matter how the nutritionist adjusted the flavors, she couldn't muster any appetite. More than once, Sister Li saw her burying herself under the covers, her shoulders trembling slightly, and suppressed sobs coming through the blankets, intermittent and heart-wrenching.

Once, when Sister Li went in to change the sheets, she happened to see her sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her baby who had just been breastfed. Tears streamed down her face like broken beads, falling onto the baby's swaddling clothes and leaving a small, dark stain.

“Baby, I’m sorry… It’s all Mommy’s fault…” she murmured over and over, her voice thick with nasal congestion and desperate sobs, “It’s Mommy’s fault for not being able to keep Daddy… that you were born without Daddy by your side…”

The child seemed to sense the mother's sadness and began to cry loudly as well. Yang Xiaotang panicked, clumsily patting the child's back while tears streamed down her face, repeatedly saying, "Baby, don't cry, Mommy's here... Mommy's with you..." But her own emotions became increasingly out of control, and finally she broke down in tears, holding the child in her arms. It wasn't until the nanny arrived, took the child away, and comforted her that she collapsed onto the bed, completely exhausted.

Aunt Zhang, the nanny, sighed to Sister Li in private: "This girl is so pitiful. She just went through a life-or-death experience giving birth, and then her husband ran away. Anyone would be unable to bear it. Look at her emotions, they're so up and down. I'm really worried that something might happen to her."

Sister Li nodded in deep agreement, her eyes filled with worry: "A few days ago, when I was wiping her body, I noticed a few shallow scratches on her arm. When I asked her how she got them, she didn't say anything. I think she's depressed. Her family needs to take her to see a psychologist as soon as possible, otherwise she'll have serious problems sooner or later."

Their worries were not unfounded. Yang Xiaotang's emotions were becoming increasingly volatile; sometimes she would suddenly stare blankly out the window, remaining silent for an entire afternoon.

Sometimes she would fly into a rage over the smallest things, such as if the nanny was a little slow in changing the baby's diaper, or if the caregiver accidentally made a noise. She would instantly lose her temper and accuse the other person in a sharp voice.

But after she vents her anger, she falls into deep self-blame, sitting on the edge of the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, repeatedly saying that she is not a good mother and doesn't even have the patience to take care of her child.

Yang Bin visits his daughter and granddaughter at the hospital every day.

Seeing Yang Xiaotang's increasingly haggard appearance, he felt both heartache and anxiety. He offered to take her to see a psychologist more than once, but she refused each time.

"Dad, I'm fine, just a little tired." She always said this, but she dared not look her father in the eye, afraid that her vulnerability would be completely seen through.

Helpless, Yang Bin could only stay a little longer each day to chat with her and talk about things outside. But most of the time, he was the one talking and Yang Xiaotang was the one listening, rarely responding.

Looking at his sleeping granddaughter in the incubator, he felt a mix of emotions. He hated Qi Ruixiang's heartlessness, but he was also afraid that his daughter really wouldn't make it.

The turning point came on the twentieth day after the child's birth. That day, Yang Bin brought the child's birth certificate, which showed the child's full name—Qi Nian'an.

"This name was sent by Ruixiang before he left, saying that he had thought of it a long time ago." Yang Bin handed the birth certificate to Yang Xiaotang, his tone deliberately relaxed, "Nian'an, Nian'an, it has a good meaning, I hope the child can grow up safely and peacefully."

Yang Xiaotang looked at the name on the birth certificate, gently stroking the two characters "Nian An" with her fingers, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

These days, she is so immersed in her grief that she doesn't even have the heart to ask about her child's name.

That afternoon, while the postpartum nanny, Aunt Zhang, was breastfeeding the baby, she casually mentioned the name to the caregiver, Sister Li:

"To be honest, Mr. Qi is really strange. You could say he cares about his wife and children, but he disappeared before they were even discharged from the hospital. You could say he has no sense of family, but I've arranged things for him quite well."

"So what? You can't overemphasize love when it comes to someone who's willing to spend money, right? Which man with a bit of money doesn't act like that?"

"You think Mr. Qi wouldn't...?"

As she spoke, the nanny drew out the last syllable, and she and the caregiver exchanged a glance, everything understood without a word.

"Do you think there might be some hidden agenda behind this child's name?" the caregiver said in a low voice.

"It's not impossible!"

In the back and forth, the fire of gossip was inexplicably ignited. Little did they know that even when the two lowered their voices when talking about the key parts, they still could not escape Yang Xiaotang's keen ears!

"What do you mean by 'like' or 'dislike'?"

Aunt Zhang was startled by her sudden reaction and quickly nodded: "Yes, there are fathers who don't like their daughters?"

Yang Xiaotang didn't press further. She simply lowered her head again, looking at the child in her arms, her fingers gently tracing the child's cheek, murmuring, "Nian'an... Qi Nian'an..."

From that day on, Yang Xiaotang's emotions gradually stabilized. She was no longer as listless as before, and would occasionally take the initiative to ask the nanny about the baby's condition, such as how much milk the baby had eaten that day and how long the baby had slept.

When she holds her child, a faint smile appears on her face. Although she is still tired, she no longer looks as desperate as before.

She began to diligently feed and change the baby's diapers, and even sang some off-key nursery rhymes to the baby when she was awake.

Once, Yang Bin came to the hospital and saw her holding Qi Nian'an. He said softly, "Niannian, look, what a beautiful name your father gave you. He cares about us. He will definitely come back after he finishes his business."

Seeing the glimmer of light rekindle in his daughter's eyes, Yang Bin breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know if the story about the name was true, nor did he know if Qi Ruixiang would ever return, but at least Yang Xiaotang had something to look forward to, something to keep her going.

Sunlight streamed through the glass of the ward, falling on Yang Xiaotang and her child, bringing a touch of warmth.

Yang Xiaotang looked down at Qi Nian'an, who was fast asleep in her arms, and a faint smile appeared on her lips...