THE REAL PROTEGE

Early the next morning, light streamed through the latticework windows of the bridal chamber, bathing the silk-covered bed in soft gold. Ling Li stirred slightly, her lashes fluttering like butterfly wings — slow, delicate, and hesitant — only to find Four Eyes already awake, lying beside her with an unyielding gaze.

His glasses had slipped to the tip of his nose, yet he hadn't moved. He was studying Ling Li's face as if trying to memorize every curve of it.

"Do you like what you see?" he asked, his voice playful yet husky with warmth.

Ling Li blinked, then snorted. "Aren't you the one staring at me while I was sleeping?"

"Oh, I loved what I was looking at," he replied unabashedly, slipping an arm around her waist and tugging her into him. "So I kept staring. I may have fallen in love for the twentieth time."

Ling Li chuckled, burrowing briefly into his chest before pulling away. She sat up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression shifting to something more contemplative. "Honey… I have something to tell you."

Four Eyes' heartbeat thudded. The sudden shift in tone made his breath hitch. His fingers subtly clenched the blanket, knuckles pale. His mind was already running wild. 'We just reconciled yesterday. Did I do something wrong? Did I miss anything? Did I not perform well?'

"Tell me," he said, struggling to keep his voice even. His eyes, however, betrayed the creeping anxiety.

Ling Li tilted her head, eyes mischievous. She saw how anxious Four Eyes was and couldn't resist the urge to tease him.

"Um… Let me think… what was it again?"

"You—!" Four Eyes narrowed his eyes in mock annoyance. "Don't toy with me, wife. Spit it out."

Ling Li broke into laughter. "Alright, alright, you're way too impatient."

"I'm desperate. Don't make me wield the information out of you." His smirk deepened. "Five rounds of morning exercise. Your choice."

Ling Li's face lit up with alarm. "No, no, no! I'll tell you now," she said quickly, giggling as she dodged his playful reach.

He leaned in, eyebrows arched with anticipation.

"Chu Yan," she said, her tone shifting into gentle gravity.

"Um…" he said, already sensing something life-altering.

"I'm pregnant."

Silence.

"OK."

Then Four Eyes blinked — once, twice — before springing forward, grabbing her shoulders. "Say it again!"

Ling Li "...."

Ling Li let out an amused sigh. "I said I'm pregnant!"

Four Eyes' breath left him in a rush. He surged in, planting a quick, fervent kiss on her cheek before enveloping her in an embrace that nearly knocked her backward.

"Honey! Thank you! I'm so happy! I'm going to be a father again!" His voice cracked with elation, and his grip tightened as though he feared she might vanish if he let go.

Ling Li gently peeled herself from his embrace. "Chu Yan… I'm not done yet."

His brow furrowed. Giving Ling Li a questioning look.

Ling Li grinned, a dimple curling at the corner of her mouth. "I'm pregnant — not with one baby, but three. It's triplets."

Four Eyes froze.

"!!!!"

His mouth opened slightly, but no sound escaped.

As Ling Li's words echoed through the chamber, Four Eyes remained perfectly still. His eyes twitched slightly, his mouth hung open with no sound, and his brain began firing warning signals like temple bells in the middle of a storm.

For the first time since their wedding, Four Eyes — ever articulate, ever dramatic in front of Ling Li — was stunned into complete speechlessness.

Ling Li tilted her head. "Cat got your tongue?"

Still no reply.

Then Ling Li burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the morning-lit chamber like wind chimes in spring.

Four Eyes' Inner Spiral:

'Triplets.'

'Three. Not one. Not two. Three.'

'Triplets. Not trip-wristlets, not trip-sips of morning tea. TRIPLETS.

Three baby diapers at once. Three sleepless cries. Three sets of shoes. Will I ever sleep again? Will my hair survive this?'

Four Eyes blinked slowly, his entire brain grinding to a halt like an ancient abacus trying to calculate nursery expenses. He stared at Ling Li, who looked entirely too calm for someone who had just dropped a life-changing bomb made of three tiny humans.

'First, we had twins… now triplets!'

His mind played it back in slow motion: diapers, bottles, crying at three different pitches, simultaneous midnight wails… 'What was next? A whole basketball team?'

"...."

'Why do our babies arrive in bulk? Are we subscribing to some kind of premium package?'

Four Eyes inhaled sharply.

'Breathe, Chu Yan. You're a smart businessman. You defeated many companies using only your pinky toe. You can handle three babies.'

He blinked again.

Then he felt something… strange.

'Wait. Why am I smiling? Why do I feel like my lungs are full of cherry blossoms?'

Because beneath the panic and the mental crisis, he was already planning, there was a pure, unfiltered joy.

Four Eyes looked at Ling Li, radiant and calm, and felt it hit him square in the chest.

'I need to call the bank. And a spiritual consultant. Possibly both at the same time.'

Four Eyes blinked one more time.

'We made three whole people. Together. My wife is amazing. She's a goddess. And I… I'm a sleep-deprived legend-in-progress.'

Then his gaze settled back on Ling Li, glowing with mischief and joy, and all his spiraling thoughts settled into one truth:

'I wouldn't trade this for anything. Not even silence. Or naps. Or personal freedom.'

Four Eyes gave Ling Li a dazed but devoted grin, eyes glassy with shock and love.

"We're going to need a bigger rice cooker," he muttered to himself.

Ling Li, who has sharp ears "...."

He grinned slowly, still clutching her hands. "Three little dumplings," he whispered reverently, before dramatically collapsing back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling as if trying to negotiate peace with the gods of parenting.

Then Four Eyes realized something, "Wife, did I hurt you last night? I was too rough! Will the babies be alright? Should we go for a check-up?"

His questions amused Ling Li. She doesn't know which to answer first.

"The babies are fine, and there's nothing to worry about. I can always protect them with my internal energy."

"Ah! Really! That's great! Honey, you are truly awesome! That means there's no need for the three-month abstinence!" Four Eyes happily said.

Ling Li "...."

'Did I shoot myself in the foot?'