Become a mother in a night

Chapter 67

Michelle Xia hadn't anticipated Alex Ye to question her so directly. If she admitted now that she hadn't given it much thought, wouldn't that be an indirect admission that she had forgotten about Lizzy's birthday? Torn between telling the truth or deflecting, she finally replied carefully, "That day coincides with the promotional livestream for the 'Star Path' game. How should we go about it, Mr. Ye?"
The truth was, Alex, being a novice father, hadn't given it much thought either. He had no experience in planning birthdays for children, and his own parents' past efforts didn't serve as any point of reference. Clearly, neither of them had any solid ideas, and discussing Lizzy's birthday now might take up half the day.
Alex suggested, "How about we discuss it tonight?" Given that it was work hours, he needed to stay focused on his tasks and could ponder about the celebration later.
Realizing the timing wasn't right, Michelle was just grateful for a response from Alex during his work hours. Not wanting to distract him from his bread-winning tasks, she quickly replied with a simple "OK," bringing their chat to a close.
Alex looked at his phone for a moment before placing it face-down on his desk, thinking to himself how abruptly Michelle had ended their conversation.
Although the 'Star Path' story had originally been serialized on ScribeSphere, its gaming project didn't have much association with the platform. ScribeSphere mainly supported promotions and advertisements without diving deep into internal affairs. When Michelle informed Alyssa that she would be joining Brandon Su for the promotional livestream of the 'Star Path' game, Alyssa was taken aback. To Alyssa, Brandon was her "ex," while Michelle was her "current." She couldn't fathom how the two could be connected.
Alyssa inquired, "Is this a perk ScribeSphere secured for you?" In her heart, she always believed Michelle to be a talented creator. "It can't be," Alyssa mused. "If it were a perk from the website, I would have been the one to notify you."
To Alyssa, Michelle was merely an average contracted author. If ScribeSphere truly wanted to ride on the coattails of Brandon's popularity and the 'Star Path' game to promote their new authors, Michelle wouldn't be their first choice.
Patiently, Michelle explained, "Before my contract with ScribeSphere, I worked for NexRealm Studios for a while. Back then, Brandon and I were responsible for the game's storyline and copy."
Taken aback, Alyssa responded, "I had no idea you knew Brandon."
Michelle Xia sensed a peculiar tone in Alyssa's messages and inquired, "What's wrong?"
Alyssa hesitated to disclose her past grievances with Brandon Su and vaguely said, "It's nothing, I just didn't expect you to know the great Brandon Su."
Michelle informed Alyssa about the promotional livestream for the "Star Path" game, not just for casual conversation, but to discuss strategies to attract more fans to her own work. Alyssa got the drift. She inquired about the date and time of the livestream, considering it might align well with the next front-page recommendation.
In the previous cycle, the front-page slot was snagged by Brandon Su, occupying it for two consecutive periods. Now, Lulu was vying to steal it from her. However, Michelle's recent surge in marketing and external traffic meant she didn't need to rely on frequent updates to maintain her subscription numbers. A few additional chapters would suffice to outdo Lulu's protégé in terms of subscribers.
Thinking about the secured front-page recommendation, Alyssa felt a surge of glee. She already plotted how she would break the news to Damien and ensure Lulu would be utterly convinced of her prowess.
After their business talk, they engaged in casual chatter.
Michelle inquired, "Will you be watching the livestream?"
"If they can pixelate Brandon Su's face on the streaming platform, I'll definitely watch," Alyssa quipped.
Michelle was now certain that something was amiss between Alyssa and Brandon, suggesting some past dispute. Yet, Michelle wasn't one to pry into others' affairs, so she didn't prod further.
Recalling that her daughter, Lizzy Xia's birthday was fast approaching, and feeling overwhelmed as a first-time mom, Michelle sought advice from her only friend.
"Little Lizzy's birthday is coming up," Michelle started, "Do you have any suggestions, Alyssa? Also, that day coincides with my livestream with Brandon. I'm a bit worried."
Alyssa had seen numerous women sacrifice their careers for family. Concerned, she shot back, "Don't even think about skipping the livestream to be with your daughter. If you do, I swear I'll resign right away."
Michelle hurriedly reassured, "I won't do that, trust me."
Alyssa's concerns were slightly allayed by Michelle's pledge. Alyssa, without children or a spouse of her own, nonetheless had several younger siblings. Her family had hosted numerous children's birthday parties throughout the year. She guessed that Michelle's family was financially comfortable and could afford to throw a child's party. Thus, she shared her own family's method of organizing children's birthday parties with Michelle.
Children, in essence, are quite easily satisfied. They all yearn to believe they are unique, desiring the attention and love of everyone around them. Their sense of happiness is often easily fulfilled. As long as adults genuinely care, children can feel it, and it makes them happy.
Alyssa knew Michelle Xia was worried about her upcoming live stream which would mean she wouldn't have time for her daughter in the afternoon and evening. She offered a suggestion.
Alyssa: "Aren't you live streaming with Brandon Su that day? You could tell your daughter that it's a surprise for her. When the time comes, let your husband accompany her to watch the live stream."
Michelle Xia: "But it's all about the game. How would a child understand that?"
Alyssa: "That's not an issue. In a child's eyes, their mother is the most beautiful. Her focus will be on you. Why would she pay attention to the content of the live stream? If you're really concerned about this, tell her the game is also a gift for her. Once it's out, you both can play together."
Michelle Xia, somewhat teasingly: "Alyssa, did you major in early childhood education or something?"
Michelle hadn't realized that Alyssa had such a knack for handling kids.
Alyssa: "Not at all. Kids kind of annoy me."
Alyssa: "I have seven younger siblings. If I didn't know how to handle kids, wouldn't I have gone mad by now?"
Michelle looked at her with newfound respect. She decided that from now on, she would learn a new child-pacifying trick from Alyssa every day.
Apart from the birthday party planning, Alyssa shared other insights with Michelle, like creating surprises for kids, gifting them with things they'd love but wouldn't expect, and, most importantly, making them feel loved.
Reading Alyssa's last message, Michelle paused, having an epiphany, realizing things she hadn't before.
Michelle: "I understand now. Thank you so much! Love you!!"
Alyssa, unaware of Michelle's change of heart, simply responded, "Give me an address, and I'll send a birthday gift for the little one."
...
Meanwhile, Alex Ye was also seeking external help. Even though Eleanor Ye was somewhat unreliable, she did raise him. And since she hadn't messed that up and was also Lizzy Xia's grandmother, Alex felt it was only right to consult her on Lizzy's upcoming birthday.
Eleanor was thrilled to hear about Lizzy's approaching birthday. Her attitude towards children had changed drastically. In the past, she found young Alex a bit bothersome and not at all cute. But with Lizzy, it was different. Eleanor found Lizzy utterly adorable, like a soft, sweet marshmallow. It just confirmed her belief that little girls are little darlings, far more endearing than boys.
Eleanor mused, "If only Alex was half as cute as Lizzy when he was young."
Unaware of Eleanor's disdain for him as a child, Alex informed her about Michelle's live stream with Brandon Su on the day of Lizzy's birthday.
After hearing Alex's account, Eleanor understood.
Eleanor, with mock seriousness, commented, "Alright, alright, I got it. I'll look after Lizzy that day. You can go chase your wife in peace."
Alex was silent, pondering, "That's not exactly why I sought her out today, was it?"
Sensing his silence, Eleanor teased, "What's the matter? Did I get it wrong? Or would you prefer to stay home with Lizzy, watching Michelle and Brandon's lovey-dovey live stream?"
His patience tested, Alex retorted, albeit calmly, "They're just promoting a game."
Eleanor scoffed, "Sure."
Eleanor Ye: "Do you really believe that?"
Unable to continue his conversation with Eleanor Ye and sensing he wouldn't get any practical advice from her, Alex Ye cut short their call.
Though he hadn't found guidance from someone who'd "been there," he recalled a contemporary who married and had children at a young age and thought he might offer some wisdom. Deciding it was worth a try, Alex dialed Nathan Ye's number.
Much like Alex, Nathan was a workaholic. It took several rings before Nathan picked up the call. The two rarely collaborated professionally, so Nathan assumed his cousin wasn't calling about work, which made him more relaxed in tone.
Answering the phone, Nathan asked, "Hey, what's up?"
Nathan's daughter, Sophie Ye, was a few months older than Lizzy Xia. This year, because Aria Cheng was pregnant, Sophie's birthday celebration was rather subdued. They kept it simple with just the three of them—sharing a cake and giving her a present.
In reality, Sophie was a child who loved lively gatherings. She would have preferred to invite all her friends over for a birthday bash. However, Nathan told her, "If too many friends come over, they might disturb your baby brother who's still sleeping in mommy's tummy." Hence, they didn't host a grand birthday event for her this year.
After listening to Alex's concerns, Nathan pondered a while. It seemed that the approach he used for Sophie might not be suitable for Lizzy. Hosting a birthday party wasn't a practical idea given Lizzy's current "child out of wedlock" status; a high-profile event would be inappropriate. If the party invited only a few kids, it would be dull and lack excitement. Yet, if they were to invite more children, they would have to include those from other prominent families in Rivenhold, or else it would seem as if the Ye family was losing face. Doing so, however, would essentially announce to everyone that Lizzy was Alex's illegitimate daughter, contradicting Alex's consistent efforts to protect Michelle Xia and Lizzy from public scrutiny.
Taking into account the time when Sophie was in Aria Cheng's womb, Nathan had nearly five years of parenting experience, giving him a deeper understanding of children's psychology compared to Alex.
Nathan shared, "The thing is, what children truly value isn't how many people are with them, but whether the people they love are by their side. There's no child who doesn't wish for their parents' company."
"You might notice that Sophie often seems to dislike me," Nathan continued. "But every time Aria and I have a disagreement, Sophie's always the most anxious. She fears that something might go wrong between Aria and me, and that we wouldn't be there for her in the future."
"Bro, I'm not trying to show off or make you feel bad," Nathan added. "I'm just pointing out that your relationship with Michelle is unique, and it's not the typical parent-child dynamic for Lizzy."
"Rather than obsessing over societal expectations, focus on being there for your child. That's truly what Lizzy desires."