The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 770: Qiaoqiao’s Psychological Counseling

(Thanks to those who kindly voiced their encouragement and gifted their monthly tickets: Be Gentle with Me, Eve, and Bu Ri Gu.)

While Tang Dou was upstairs with her own children, little Doudou downstairs became everyone's beloved plaything. Despite his small size, Doudou was incredibly popular.

With his short legs toddling around, he just about toured the entire place.

Actually, he'd occasionally come over to play with Wang Jingxian, but his little memory capacity was somewhat limited, being of the regular auto-delete variety.

"Alright, Brother Liu, we're off for now. You and Sister Qiaoqiao should go rest up too. We'll come play again tomorrow."

Seeing Doudou let out a small yawn, Qiu Mingyuan scooped him up.

"Tiggie, Tiggie, time to go home."

The little one even waved to Tiggie, who was lying down nearby.

"The more I look at Doudou, the more I adore him. I have to try hard; I must have a son too," Qiaoqiao said, grabbing Doudou's little hand.

"Sister Qiaoqiao, what if you give birth to two sons? How will you handle it?" Xiao Yue asked.

"Uh... no problem. It's ultimately up to what the kids want anyway," Qiaoqiao waved her hand dismissively.

Actually, she was a bit worried. She'd never considered this problem before.

"Alright, should we leave our parents alone now? Can we go rest earlier and think about what we can do tomorrow?" Liu Banxia asked.

"I'm not sleepy yet. What do you have in mind for tomorrow?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"Whatever you want, whether it's playing at home or going out. You're the boss," Liu Banxia replied.

"Also, once we're done with this busy period, I'll truly have some time to rest. I'll start living a more regular life, and no matter how busy I am, I'll be able to come home."

"Hehe, hurry up then. Would I annoy you if you were coming home every day?" Qiaoqiao happily asked before furrowing her brows.

"I don't know about that. Regardless if you find me annoying or not, I'll have to come home anyway. I'm going to take a shower, and then we can chat in bed. Tomorrow morning, we can sleep in," Liu Banxia said and ran upstairs.

Home holds a special meaning in everyone's heart.

Even if Liu Banxia only came home from work to sleep, this home, which Qiaoqiao paid for, was still his. It was a place that allowed his heart to find peace.

The feeling of being home was different; it naturally made one's mood wonderful.

After taking his shower and returning to their room, Liu Banxia was dumbfounded.

Qiaoqiao was lying in bed, Tang Dou was squatting on the floor, and her four puppies were sprawled on the bed, sleeping soundly.

"What's going on? Why did you kidnap Tang Dou's babies?" Liu Banxia asked, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Blame me? She brought them over herself," Qiaoqiao replied helplessly.

"She used to get upset if we even touched her babies, but now she's just offered them up. That ungrateful little thing! What are we going to do? They might poop at any moment, you know."

Looking at Qiaoqiao's mischievous grin, Liu Banxia felt even more helpless. "You're terrible. Even if they poop on my side, they'll still dirty the sheets."

"I'll go bring over their little den and put down some puppy pads. Let them stay in our room for the night. I have to admit, these four little ones are actually quite cute."

After saying that, Liu Banxia hurriedly ran out. These little ones might be cute, but they could also be quite troublesome. They hadn't even opened their eyes yet and couldn't take care of themselves.

When Liu Banxia returned, he set up the nest for Tang Dou, laying down two layers of puppy pads.

But as soon as he put Tang Dou's puppies down, she was adamant about returning them to the bed.

"What is Tang Dou trying to do?" Qiaoqiao asked curiously.

"I don't know. Does she insist they sleep on the bed? You'll need to nurse them in the middle of the night, you know?" Liu Banxia was getting a bit worried.

Tang Dou paid no heed. After placing the last pup on the bed, she dragged the big cushion from the nest and pulled it over to Liu Banxia's side of the bed.

"Agh... I'm so exasperated. What are you trying to do, compete with me for my husband? Even though you gave birth first and had four, I also have two in my belly!" Qiaoqiao complained.

"Perhaps she's suffering from a bit of postnatal depression. Maybe she's worried because people are always looking at her puppies," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.

"Really? You're not lying?" Qiaoqiao frowned.

"Probably. Why else would other dogs be so protective of their young?" Liu Banxia said.

"Because Tang Dou sees us as her own family, it doesn't matter whether you or I hold her babies. She gets uneasy if strangers hold them, and she doesn't want others to see them."

"Actually, animals can be very smart and have their own emotions. Tang Dou is so intelligent; she certainly has her own little maternal thoughts, right?"

After saying that, Liu Banxia gave Tang Dou's head a good rubbing.

Tang Dou was very happy. She licked Liu Banxia's hand and then snuggled back into her nest.

Qiaoqiao frowned slightly. "From what you're saying, it does seem that way. From now on, I won't let others see Tang Dou's babies, and I won't play with her babies either."

"When her babies open their eyes, Tang Dou will be too busy to manage them all herself. She'd be glad for the help then," Liu Banxia said, then sat next to Tang Dou.

"Tang Dou, ah, she really worries a lot about these puppies. She has gotten thinner; I can feel her bones. Let's buy some pet milk powder tomorrow to supplement their feeding."

"These four little ones just eat and sleep without a care. Our dear Tang Dou has it really tough. She worries every day, afraid that her babies will be taken away. The pressure is immense."

"It's alright. Soon the puppies will be bigger, and no one will be able to steal them. When we go running, we'll take the puppies with us. Come on... let me scratch your belly."

After Liu Banxia gave her a good scratch, Tang Dou stretched out languidly, clearly comfortable. Only then did Liu Banxia return her four puppies to the nest. This time, Tang Dou didn't move them to their bed; instead, she began to earnestly lick her little ones.

"How are you so amazing?" Qiaoqiao's eyes sparkled.

The change was obvious. Regardless of whether it was postpartum depression or not, Tang Dou seemed to be in a much better mood now. She showed no signs of defensiveness; she was back to her usual self, calmly cuddling her puppies.

"It was just a lucky guess, and I also asked Sister Huang from our hospital's obstetrics department," Liu Banxia said.

"She said that giving birth is a life-threatening ordeal for women. It's not all over after the birth. There's still the confinement period and taking care of the baby; mental health is very important."

"Hormonal imbalances during that time can lead to overthinking. If the baby doesn't sleep through the night and frequently wakes the mother, the lack of sufficient rest can make her even more anxious."

"If something is troubling you, you have to tell me. Don't keep it to yourself and overthink things. I'm here for you in everything. The only thing I can't do is carry the babies in my belly for you; otherwise, I would."

"So, it's important for you to maintain a good mood not just now, but also after the babies are born. Just think of it this way—you know how people joke that you have kids for fun? If not for fun, why bother having them?"

"Two new 'playthings' all at once, how fun is that! Let others be envious. Anyway, everyone at our hospital already looks at me with such envy."

"Geez, why are you bringing all this up for no reason? You're making me feel all emotional," Qiaoqiao said, patting him lightly.

"Because I know you're very independent. But you're my wife now. Hmm... Although, whenever I visit Jinbao, everyone there pretty much considers me the 'boss's husband'," Liu Banxia said.

"Haha, they told me about it. It's quite funny," Qiaoqiao said with delight.

"But now I am a bit worried. Do you think I should take care of the children myself in the future? I'm afraid I'll do a bad job, and I don't trust others to do it either."

"That's something to worry about when the time comes. We can discuss it then. Anyway, our family's child-rearing support system is very strong; even Wang Jingxian can help out," Liu Banxia said.

"Mmm... that's true. Oh, but what if I can't produce enough milk to feed both babies? Will they have to drink formula then?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"Absolutely. I can't let you suffer. We'll just let nature take its course. If the babies take after me and are big eaters, your milk might genuinely not be enough for them, and they'll need formula then," Liu Banxia said.

"Mmm, that makes sense. I feel relieved then. Everyone says breastfeeding is best," Qiaoqiao said, pleased.

Liu Banxia gently pinched her nose. "Alright, go to sleep now. Sleep is very important. You should spend less time fiddling with your phone. If you really want to watch something, cast it to the TV to save your neck from aching."

"Got it, you're such a nag. Now, give me your arm. Let me use it as a pillow for a bit; I'm not sleepy yet," Qiaoqiao said.

Liu Banxia indulged her. She was the boss, after all.

Although Qiaoqiao kept saying she wasn't sleepy, she fell asleep in less than five minutes.

DING! Consultation completed.

Experience earned: 100 points.

Seeing the system notification pop up, Liu Banxia let out a long sigh of relief. Qiaoqiao really did have something weighing on her mind. Ever since they got home, he'd had a feeling that Qiaoqiao's mood was a bit off—a little too excitable, not like her usual self. This was a very common situation. Every new mother is affected. It's just that, due to different personalities, the outcomes vary. If these feelings are properly managed, there's no problem. But if they're ignored? Over time, they can accumulate and potentially lead to depression. At that point, intervening wouldn't be so easy. Qiaoqiao was very strong-willed and didn't always share everything she was feeling. Moreover, her mother had passed away when she was young, which undoubtedly had a psychological impact on her. Carrying two babies, along with the joy, naturally came with its share of burdens and anxieties.