It wasn’t long after Tang Xue Mei and Feng Shihan had settled into their room with the twins that the peace was shattered once again. The soft whimpers from Shenhua quickly turned into loud wails, soon followed by Shenmei’s cries, filling the room with their distressed sounds.
Tang Xue Mei, still exhausted from the little onslaught, sighed immediately sat up and tried to comfort Shenmei, gently rocking her in her arms. "Shenmei, baby, what’s wrong again?" she whispered soothingly, her voice filled with concern.
Feng Shihan was already up, cradling Shenhua and trying his best to calm the baby. "Shenhua, shh, it’s okay," he murmured, pacing the room with Shenhua in his arms. Despite their best efforts, the twins wouldn’t stop crying.
They heard a soft knock on the door not long after. And they immediately knew who it was.
"Auntie Gu sorry to bother you again, we’re making lose your valuable sleep time.."
Auntie Gu, hearing the noise, had rushed in to help. "It’s okay young madam, I’ll do my best to help you, so you can help yourselves in the future" she offered, taking Shenmei from Tang Xue Mei’s arms and rocking her gently. "Sometimes they just need a little extra comfort, soft rocking and gentle affirmations of love."
But even with Auntie Gu’s experienced hands, the twins continued to cry, their tiny faces scrunched up in discomfort.
"It’s not working," Tang Xue Mei said, a touch of worry creeping into her voice as she stood up, moving to take Shenhua back from Feng Shihan. "What do we do?"
Feng Shihan frowned, his brow furrowing as he tried to think. "Maybe they’re hungry again? Or uncomfortable?"
Tang Xue Mei checked their diapers and shook her head. "They’re dry, and I fed them not too long ago."
The minutes dragged on, and nothing seemed to calm the babies. Auntie Gu, looking concerned, handed Shenmei back to Tang Xue Mei. "Sometimes they just need to be close to their mother," she suggested softly.
Tang Xue Mei took Shenmei back into her arms, sitting down on the bed and holding her close. Shenhua was still in Feng Shihan’s arms, but neither twin showed any signs of quieting down.
After what felt like an eternity, the twins began to slowly calm in the warmth and closeness of their parents’ embrace. Their cries quieted into soft hiccups, but now their bright, wide eyes were fully open. They were no longer sleepy, and it was clear that they were completely awake.
Tang Xue Mei sighed in exhaustion, but a small smile tugged at her lips as she gently bounced Shenmei in her arms. "I guess we’re not getting any sleep tonight."
Feng Shihan chuckled softly, sitting beside her with Shenhua. "I think they just wanted all of our attention."
Tang Xue Mei laughed softly, though she was still tired. "Well, they’ve definitely got it."
The twins, gazed up at their parents, their little hands curling and uncurling as if fascinated by everything around them. Though exhausted, Tang Xue Mei couldn’t help but marvel at the small, perfect beings in her arms. She leaned her head against Feng Shihan’s shoulder, finding comfort in the moment despite the long night ahead.
"Seems like they take after their mother, I was a quiet baby," Feng Shihan said, his voice soft and reassuring as he glanced down at Shenhua. "Huahua did you take after your mama? You have her pretty eyes and hair."
Tang Xue Mei smiled tiredly as she gave Feng Shihan a light pinch "You were the noisy baby, my mum said all I said was sleep, how can I be the noisy one."
"Haha, alright I was the noisy one..don’t be angry mama .."
Feng Shihan smiled as he wrapped his free around Tang Xue Mei as she sighed.
"Xue Mei? Mei?.."
Feng Shihan looked down hearing a light snore coming from Tang Xue Mei. He chucked light and placed Shenhua on the bed and then carried Shenmei off Tang Xue Mei’s hand, placing her next to Shenhua before he moved to Tang Xue Mei.
"What about the baby....i.."
"Don’t worry darling, I’ll look after our little ones while you sleep.."
Feng Shihan gently tucked Tang Xue Mei under the covers, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face as she drifted off into a well-deserved slumber. He glanced down at the twins, Shenhua and Shenmei, their eyes still wide open, taking in the dimly lit room.
"Alright, little ones, let’s see if we can get you back to sleep," Feng Shihan whispered, his voice low and soothing.
He picked up Shenhua first, cradling him close and gently bouncing him in his arms. "You’ve got to be tired after all that crying," he murmured with a chuckle, his tone soft and playful. Shenhua blinked up at him, his little mouth curling into a contented expression as he stared at his father’s face. Feng Shihan’s heart warmed at the sight.
Not wanting to leave Shenmei out, Feng Shihan carefully propped Shenhua in his arm and reached down to scoop Shenmei into his other arm. Now holding both twins, he slowly paced around the room, humming a quiet tune to them. The rhythmic motion and the warmth of his embrace seemed to help calm the babies, though they remained wide awake.
"You two sure know how to keep your daddy busy," Feng Shihan whispered, his voice a mix of amusement and affection. "But that’s okay. I don’t mind spending time with you like this. Kyaa you two better not grow up so quickly, daddy wants to create a huge album filled with cute images of all of us, especially cute pictures of you and your mama. We’ll go lots of vacation."
As the minutes passed, the twins gradually began to settle. Shenhua’s eyes started to droop, and Shenmei’s little fists unclenched as her breathing slowed. Feng Shihan kept up the gentle movement, rocking them both in his arms until finally, at around 2 a.m., both babies had fallen asleep.