30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 270: Deliver the Baby

Lily Anderson looked at Ethan Blackwood, her fingers lightly scratching the center of his palm. She gave him an apologetic smile. "Are you really this worried about me?"

"Who’d be worried about an idiot?" Ethan scoffed coldly, his face full of disdain.

Not worried, huh?

"Ouch... my incision hurts so much..." Lily’s face scrunched up in exaggerated pain.

Ethan’s expression darkened, and without hesitation, he reached for the emergency button on the wall.

Lily quickly stopped him. "I was joking."

"Joking?" Ethan’s face turned frighteningly cold.

"You said you weren’t worried about me, right?" Lily’s voice faltered as she saw Ethan’s expression. She realized her joke might have gone too far.

"Funny?!" Ethan glared at her.

Did she really think her joke was funny?!

"I’m sorry, I..."

"Lily Anderson! Don’t joke about your health with me!" Ethan shouted furiously, his eyes practically blazing with anger. He turned abruptly and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Ethan... ah..." Lily instinctively tried to follow but, moving too quickly, pulled at her surgical incision, causing her to lean back in pain.

"Miss Anderson, don’t move," Nanny said, rushing over to steady her.

Lily frowned deeply, guilt washing over her. "I really went too far, didn’t I? I don’t even know how to joke properly."

"Mr. Blackwood has been under much stress these past few days. Knowing that you were going into surgery today, he hasn’t slept well for nights. The pregnancy books he’s been reading are stacked as high as I am," Nanny explained.

It was strange. Mr. Blackwood had been so careful and attentive these past few days, taking care of Miss Anderson with utmost care. Why had he lost his temper so suddenly after the baby was born?

The joke might have been inappropriate, but it didn’t seem bad enough to warrant such a vast reaction...

"Give me my phone," Lily said, reaching out. Nanny handed it to her.

He finally picked up after dialing Ethan’s number five or six times. Lily immediately apologized, "I’m sorry... I won’t joke about this again. Please don’t be mad."

"Mm," Ethan responded coldly. His tone had no warmth, but at least he didn’t sound furious anymore.

"Will you come back to the room?" Lily asked tentatively.

"I’m already at the door."

"Huh?"

Before she could process his words, the call ended abruptly. The door to the room swung open, and there he was, standing in the doorway, his face still clouded with gloom as he stared directly at her.

How often had he done this—leaving in anger only to return moments later? What a fool.

Lily couldn’t help but smile. At least he hadn’t really left.

Ethan walked in with a cold expression, shrugged off his jacket, and lifted the blanket to lie down beside her. After all, the hospital bed was big enough.

"I’m sleeping. Don’t bother me!" Ethan said gruffly, closing his eyes. His long lashes cast shadows on his pale face.

"...Oh," Lily replied softly, not daring to disturb him. She turned to Nanny and silently signaled for her to lower the bed. The Nanny understood and adjusted the angle so Ethan could sleep more comfortably.

Even though she was the one who had just given birth, he looked more exhausted than she did.

From now on, she promised herself she wouldn’t make thoughtless jokes in front of him again.

"I’m sorry," Lily whispered, lying quietly beside him. Soon, the exhaustion overtook her, and she drifted off into another nap.

A week later, Lily couldn’t resist getting out of bed and carefully moving around the room. Her incision no longer hurt as much, though it itched slightly.

Bang!

The door suddenly flung open, startling her.

Ethan stood in the doorway, his face tired as his sharp eyes locked onto her. "Where are you going?"

Uh-oh...

Caught red-handed.

Lily forced a sheepish smile. "I... I just wanted to stretch my legs. The doctor said I shouldn’t always stay in bed during recovery."

Most new mothers would have been discharged by now. Still, Ethan insisted she stay in the hospital for her entire postpartum confinement period.

"Just that?" Ethan asked skeptically.

"Mm-hmm."

"You want to see the baby, don’t you?" Ethan’s words immediately revealed her true intentions.

"Yeah... I do," Lily admitted awkwardly.

She had been dreaming about the baby, wondering what he looked like and how much he had grown. But since the baby was in the incubator, she couldn’t see him.

She had even asked Ethan to take a few pictures, but he hadn’t bothered.

He had spent nearly every day in her hospital room, refusing to go check on the baby, which only made her more desperate to see him.

"Get back in bed!" Ethan ordered, stepping forward and scooping her up in his arms. He carried her back to the bed and gently placed her down.

"The doctor said I shouldn’t just lie down all the time—I need to move around," Lily argued, quoting the doctor’s advice. She had been bedridden for a week; wasn’t it time to be up and about?

"Then you can walk around the room, but you’re not leaving it!" Ethan commanded.

"The air here is so stale," Lily grumbled, lying back against the pillows.

Ethan leaned over her, one hand braced on the bed to support his weight as he loomed above her. His sharp gaze met her reluctant expression. "Then walk on the balcony," he said.

Lily rolled her eyes internally. "Ethan, are you keeping me under house arrest?"

"What do you think?"

"Yes."

"Then that’s exactly what it is."

"..." Lily gave up arguing, lightly punching his chest as she pouted. "I won’t go far, I promise. I just want a little walk."

She was going to spend the next nine years mostly bedridden—she wanted to move while she still could.

"No."

Ethan didn’t even entertain the possibility.

She wouldn’t go far—she just wanted to see the baby.

"Why?" Lily asked, genuinely confused. "I just want to see the baby. Is that really such a big deal?"

"You might get overly excited and pull at your incision," Ethan said, coming up with a flimsy excuse.

"I’m not going to get excited."

"You ask at least thirty times a day about how big the baby is, whether he’s cried or smiled... If you’re like this without seeing him, how will you act when you do?" Ethan said coldly.

It was perfectly normal for her to ask those questions.

Lily tried a different tactic, softening her voice to appeal to him. "Please, Ethan? Just one look. Maybe seeing him will calm me down."

She hadn’t seen the baby yet, and the thought of him drove her crazy.

"Lily Anderson! If you keep nagging, I’ll kiss you!" Ethan warned, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation.

"Ethan, I just want to—" Before she could finish, his lips were on hers.

He actually kissed her.

Ethan leaned down, capturing her lips with his own, his hands braced on the bed to avoid putting pressure on her.

His kiss was passionate, his soft tongue teasing her lips before slipping inside, exploring every corner of her mouth with heated intensity.

Lily didn’t resist, letting him kiss her deeply. His tongue danced with hers, igniting a fire between them.

"Mm..."

A soft moan escaped her lips, and Ethan inhaled sharply, his desire fueling the fervor of his kiss. He kissed her even more profoundly, his movements more demanding, as if he couldn’t get enough of her.

The familiar scent of him surrounded her completely. Overwhelmed by the intensity of his kiss, Lily responded instinctively, mimicking his movements as her tongue tentatively met his.

"Lily Anderson, I love you. I love you," Ethan murmured against her lips, his voice husky and filled with emotion.

"I love you too," Lily whispered back.

But Ethan wasn’t done. He kissed her again, more fervently this time. With each break, he repeated, "I love you," before diving back into another passionate kiss.

At first, Lily responded to every declaration of love. But as he continued, it became clear he was speaking more to himself than to her. Eventually, she stopped replying, letting him pour his emotions into his kisses.

I love you.

He had said those three words so often lately that she had lost track of how frequently.

After their intense kiss, Ethan pulled back the blanket and helped her sit up. "Are you hungry?" he asked, his voice low.

"Ethan..."

"If you mention the baby again, I’ll kiss you," he warned.

"I just want to see the baby."

She wouldn’t give up until she did.

"You’ll see him when you’re discharged," Ethan said firmly, ending the discussion. He walked into the kitchen and returned shortly with a bowl of hot porridge.

The porridge carried the faint aroma of medicinal herbs. It was another one of Nanny’s nourishing recipes.

"If I keep eating like this without exercising, I really will turn into a pig," Lily said, patting her round belly.

No patient could look as rosy and well-fed as she did.

Looking back at the photos of her and Ethan from before, Lily couldn’t help but miss her slimmer self...

"Then we’ll deal with it when you do," Ethan said, sitting beside her. He cooled the porridge and held a spoonful to her lips. "Eat."

"I’m not hungry. I feel full," Lily said, sitting up. Suddenly, she asked, "What’s the baby been eating these past few days?"

"I don’t care what he’s eating. I only care what you’re eating," Ethan said, holding the spoon closer. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Is he drinking formula? Is it the brand Nanny and I bought before, or is it something the hospital recommended? He’s a preemie—can he digest it properly?" Lily asked, her brow furrowing with worry.

"..." Ethan stared at her, exasperated.

She was so fixated on the baby that she didn’t notice his presence. Why hadn’t she asked what he had been eating?!

"And what about the incubator? Is it completely safe? The baby’s been in there for a week now. When will he come out?" Lily continued, her questions endless.

"Do you really love this baby that much?" Ethan asked, his voice low and heavy.

She hadn’t even seen the baby yet and was already obsessed. Her constant questions about him had driven him and Nanny to their limits.

"Of course I do," Lily said with a radiant smile. "He’s our son. Don’t you love him?"

Ethan paused his gaze deep. After a moment, he replied, "I do."

"I wonder how much he’ll take after you. I wouldn’t mind if he inherited your looks, but if he gets your personality, that’s too extreme. Not good, not good," Lily said, shaking her head.

Ethan glared at her. Great, now she was dragging their child into her criticisms of him.

"What do you think he’ll grow up to be? Will he follow in your footsteps as a businessman, or will he have his own dreams? Do you think being a doctor or a lawyer would suit him? Those are such respectable professions for a boy," Lily said, her imagination running wild. Even without anyone responding, she could happily chatter away.

"He’s just been born, and you’re already planning his career?!" Ethan scoffed, his tone tinged with incredulity. At this rate, she might give the baby a growth serum to speed up the process.

Was she overthinking?

Lily’s expression dimmed.

If anything, she felt like she hadn’t thought far enough. She hadn’t even considered whether he’d be prone to colds or fevers, whether he’d make friends easily in school, or whether he might inherit the Blackwood men’s notorious penchant for being heartbreakers...