About twenty minutes later, Chen Mu walked briskly into the hospital ward, her face glowing with joy.
"Xiao Mo, I just spoke with your father and Xiao Yu's mom. We want to hear your thoughts."
She placed a holographic phone on the table. A moment later, a projection flickered to life—Wang Lan, Xiao Yu's mother, appeared in a half-length 3D image, her expression filled with excitement and affection.
"Mom!" Xiao Yu called out immediately.
"Hello, sweetheart." Wang Lan smiled, then looked at Chen Mo. "I heard you were sick. Are you alright?"
"Just a little exhaustion. I'm fine now," Chen Mo said calmly.
"That's good. You need to take better care of yourself. Now, your mother said you're finally planning to hold the wedding? Is it true?"
After a quick glance at Chen Mo and seeing his subtle nod, Xiao Yu answered with a soft but clear, "Yes."
"That's wonderful!" Wang Lan's face lit up. "We just discussed it briefly. Now we'd like your input, Chen Mo. When do you want to hold the ceremony? We'll need to plan according to both families' traditions and make proper arrangements—invite friends and relatives, book the venues…"
"I'll leave it to Chen Mo," Xiao Yu said, gently holding his hand.
The news still felt sudden to her, and her heart was a mess of emotions—excitement, anxiety, lingering guilt from his collapse. She hadn't had time to think everything through, so she leaned into his lead.
Chen Mo thought for a moment, then offered a simple reply. "Let's keep it flexible. You and our parents can discuss the traditions and the banquet details. We can host ceremonies both in our hometown and here in Binhai. That way, we'll cover everyone."
He added, "Let's also have someone check for a few auspicious dates. Once we've got a shortlist, I'll pick one as our official wedding day."
"Sounds perfect," Wang Lan nodded.
Chen Mu beamed. Everything was falling into place. Even Wang Lan nodded in agreement from the projection.
"As for the venue setup, we'll hire a professional wedding planning company," Chen Mo added.
With that settled, everyone relaxed. Chen Mu was glowing with pride. Her son's hospital stay now seemed trivial next to the joy of a wedding on the horizon.
For the next hour, Zhen Zhen and Zhang Xinxin chatted with Chen Mo about everyday things, mostly light and teasing. Eventually, Chen Mu took the girls and left.
"The doctor said it's nothing serious—just a mild fever and exhaustion," she told Xiao Yu at the door. "Now that he's awake and recovering, I won't get in the way of you two lovebirds."
She paused and looked serious for a moment. "Xiao Yu, I trust you to take care of him. He's been running himself ragged. Don't let him push himself again."
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll keep an eye on him," Xiao Yu promised, though her face turned slightly red remembering the moments Chen Mu had walked in on.
"And you—get some rest too," Chen Mu added, her tone motherly. "Zhen Zhen told me you barely slept or ate yesterday. Look at yourself, you're worn out. You're also preparing for pregnancy—you must take care of your health."
"…Okay," Xiao Yu replied, touched and slightly embarrassed.
Once everyone left, Xiao Yu returned to the ward and spotted Chen Mo fiddling with a holographic projection on his phone. Her brows creased.
"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously. "You promised me you'd rest."
Before she could snatch the phone, Chen Mo grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm not working," he said innocently. "I'm designing a wedding ring."
"…Wedding ring?" Xiao Yu blinked, then looked at the projection. It did look like a sleek, modern band.
Her heart melted—but she was still worried. "You just woke up. No thinking-heavy activities. That's what the doctor said."
"This isn't thinking-heavy for me," Chen Mo chuckled, knocking gently on her forehead. "If I can design complex systems using this phone, drawing a ring is just a warm-up."
"I don't care. Not until you're fully recovered."
"Okay, okay. You win." Chen Mo gave up and put down the phone. "Mom and the girls are gone. Let's rest."
Xiao Yu had only napped lightly that morning and had been running around non-stop. She looked visibly tired, even though she tried to hide it.
"Alright." She nodded and was about to move to the extra bed when Chen Mo pulled her back.
"No need. This bed's big enough."
"…Okay."
She didn't argue. Instead, she lay down beside him, curling up and holding his arm. Within moments, her breathing slowed, and a faint, steady nasal hum emerged.
She was truly exhausted.
A day of panic, heartbreak, and relief had worn her down. Now that Chen Mo was safe in her arms, her nerves finally let go.
Chen Mo looked at her sleeping face and gently brushed her hair away from her forehead. A smile crept across his lips.
While she slept, he quietly picked up his phone again and resumed refining the DIY wedding ring design.
Over the next two days, Chen Mo was strictly under Xiao Yu's care.
She enforced rest like a military drill. Games on the tablet? Allowed. Research? Banned. Thinking too hard? Forbidden. Even checking data on controllable light nuclear fusion had to wait.
Chen Mo felt like a retired master being forced into early vacation.
Still, he didn't resist much. Occasionally, he would play games with Xiao Yu, or sketch some playful ring ideas for her approval. There was peace in the simplicity of it.
Xiao Yu had also arranged several health checks for him—just to be safe. If someone didn't know better, they'd think Chen Mo was a lab rat being monitored for an experiment.
Only after confirming that he was 100% healthy did Xiao Yu finally agree to let him leave the hospital.
"Alright, everything looks perfect," Xiao Yu said, adjusting Chen Mo's T-shirt collar one last time. She stepped back and eyed him like a designer appraising her creation.
"Pretty handsome, right?" Chen Mo teased.
"Don't get smug."
But she couldn't hide her smile. Her eyes curved like crescents, full of satisfaction and affection.
"Let's go."
Chen Mo took her hand and led her out of the ward.
After three days in the hospital, he finally breathed in the fresh outdoor air. Compared to the sterile scent of the hospital, the air outside was revitalizing.
He stretched and smiled. "Let's take a little detour."
"Huh? Aren't we going home?"
"Nope. Jewelry shop. We're getting the wedding rings custom-made."