Zheng Wei glanced at Na Muzhong with unfriendly eyes upon hearing this: "You're helping him before you're even married?"
"Boss, even if I get married, I'm still an independent individual, aren't I?" Na Muzhong retorted instinctively.
Lin Xin pouted from the side: "Old Na, didn't you say you were against marriage? How come you're so readily admitting to future marriage now? I'm telling you, psychologically speaking, your reaction is a reflection of your true inner feelings. Meaning, you actually don't reject marriage."
"Now is not the time to discuss this, we're talking about design, alright?" Na Muzhong actually knew about Shen Xiaoyan's pregnancy. However, her relationship with Shen Xiaoyan was very close, and she knew what Shen Xiaoyan was thinking. Furthermore, many people didn't know that Shen Xiaoyan's current design inspiration was at its peak. Otherwise, their recent designs wouldn't have been so well-received.
Shen Xiaoyan reached out and held Zheng Wei's hand. As Zheng Wei turned his head, she nodded earnestly.
"Then we need to charge!" Zheng Wei said, stroking Shen Xiaoyan's head.
Shen Xiaoyan: "..."
"A high price," Zheng Wei chuckled at Lu Taobao.
Lu Taobao didn't mind; it wasn't him paying anyway, it was his cousin.
"My wife has it tough too, carrying a baby and still needing to earn milk money. This is my dereliction of duty as a father," Zheng Wei immediately reflected on himself.
Lin Xin scoffed: "Are the milk powders at your house made of gold?"
In recent days, there had been fewer and fewer negative remarks about Shuijiao online. Because no matter how they tried to smear them, Shuijiao remained true to themselves, not even issuing a single announcement. Their unwavering stance, though seemingly unconventional, actually yielded excellent results, highlighting the brand.
Regarding the porcelain theme, Na Muzhong truly kept her word. In just two days, on top of completing her own work, she had prepared all the materials Shen Xiaoyan could possibly use. Since Shen Xiaoyan was basically not using a computer, and even her design drafts were done by hand, the materials Na Muzhong provided were all printed and formed a thick stack.
Upon receiving the materials, Shen Xiaoyan completely ignored Zheng Wei and devoted herself to reviewing them.
Seeing his wife abandon him again, Zheng Wei poured her a cup of milk and then quietly took a photo of Shen Xiaoyan's desk and sent it to Lu Taobao.
Lu Taobao's phone rang. He put down his wine glass and looked at it. Although Zheng Wei had only sent a photo and said nothing, he could imagine Zheng Wei's complaining tone. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent this photo.
Seeing that Shen Xiaoyan's head was almost obscured by the documents, Lu Taobao got up, walked lightly to the study, and took a photo of the "superwoman" to send back to Zheng Wei as a reply.
Hmph, Zheng Wei was lonely now, but was he alone? Na Muzhong seemed to handle everything perfectly, as if she had extra hands, but in reality, she was just as busy when she got home at night! He couldn't even hold her to sleep now.
Night.
The two men were complaining about each other. When Zheng Wei saw the photo Lu Taobao sent back, he wasn't surprised at all. Na Muzhong was someone who never showed weakness on the surface.
Thinking that he couldn't even hold his wife now, Zheng Wei lost any desire to talk to another man. Even though that man was his good friend, so what?
His wife was naturally more important!
...
After Shen Xiaoyan's design drafts were completely finished, Zheng Wei's daily routine was to go to work during the day, spend his evenings alone looking through files, and at 10 PM, he would go to the study and drag his still-busy wife back to bed.
When the design was finally unveiled, Zheng Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief. When he held his wife, who could still open her eyes and talk to him, in his arms again, Zheng Wei sighed with immense satisfaction: "You know, these past few days, Taobao and I have been so... pitifully lonely!"
Shen Xiaoyan knew what he meant. She hadn't paid much attention to him these past few days, yet he had still been so considerate, bringing her milk, covering her with blankets, taking care of the dog, bathing it... essentially doing all the things a doting wife would do.
Seeing his wronged expression, Shen Xiaoyan wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into his embrace.
"It's so good, my wife hasn't hugged me for ten days," Zheng Wei, at this moment, was clearly getting the best of both worlds and complaining. But Shen Xiaoyan still cooperatively nuzzled his neck.
She rarely acted coy or coquettish, but when she did, her charm was immense, making Zheng Wei completely defenseless. He could only hold her contentedly.
After submitting the designs, Shen Xiaoyan no longer accepted any design briefs. As her belly grew larger day by day, her focus was now solely on herself.
Concerned about her delicate health, Zheng Wei secretly sought out Sima Han. While learning some things, he also found two nutritionists and a fitness coach. Of course, the so-called exercise wasn't high-intensity training like in a gym, but rather to assist Shen Xiaoyan's body and ensure a smoother delivery.
Zheng Wei coordinated all these matters secretly. He dared not make a fuss about them, as it might put pressure on Shen Xiaoyan and make her feel overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Old Chief Zheng and Ms. Lü bought the house not far from where Zheng Wei and Shen Xiaoyan lived. To make it easier to look after the child later, they moved their residence. Ms. Lü would also visit frequently to cook soup for Shen Xiaoyan.
...
Time passed quickly, and soon it was Shen Xiaoyan's due date.
As the estimated due date drew nearer, Zheng Wei decided to delegate his company affairs. For these past few days, he stayed home, constantly watching over Shen Xiaoyan.
Thanks to the coach's guidance, although Shen Xiaoyan was close to labor, she hadn't gained weight except for her belly. Instead, her figure appeared firm and well-proportioned, a result of her previous training.
In contrast to Shen Xiaoyan's relaxed state, Zheng Wei, while appearing calm on the surface, was extremely anxious inwardly every day, fearing any oversight. His eyes were constantly fixed on Shen Xiaoyan; though his face betrayed nothing, it was all evident in his gaze.
"Don't be nervous, I'm fine," Shen Xiaoyan showed Zheng Wei a note.
The moment Zheng Wei saw Shen Xiaoyan slightly hunching over, he nearly jumped up from the sofa in alarm.
"Xiaoyan, don't move for now," Zheng Wei called out, then strode forward and carefully supported Shen Xiaoyan.
Ms. Lü and Na Gu were busy in the separate kitchen. When they heard Zheng Wei's shout, they thought something had happened. Ms. Lü rushed out of the kitchen excitedly, asking anxiously: "What's wrong with Xiaoyan? Do we need to go to the hospital?"
All preparations for the impending birth had been made. The two drivers at home were on standby 24 hours a day, and several large bags of necessities for labor and delivery had been packed. In short, all they had to do was wait for the baby to arrive.
After Ms. Lü's surprised exclamation, she realized that Shen Xiaoyan had merely bent over slightly, and Zheng Wei was acting as if she was about to give birth.
Ms. Lü, startled, quickly patted her chest. Her face had not yet recovered from the shock when she angrily hit Zheng Wei's arm and said impatiently: "If you keep startling people like this, don't just say me, you'll scare Xiaoyan too!"
Why was this rascal so unstable at such a crucial moment?
"Mom, will this baby really come on the due date? I just can't feel at ease. How about we accompany Xiaoyan to the hospital tomorrow?" Zheng Wei felt that waiting at home was not as good as waiting in the hospital. Waiting at home always felt too rushed.
"Didn't we agree with Aunt Lu that we would go to the hospital the day before the due date to wait? If we go too early, I'm afraid Xiaoyan won't be comfortable staying there. After all, it's a hospital, how can it compare to home?"
Ms. Lü tried her best to comfort her son. It was Ah Wei's first time being a father, so being nervous was normal. But even if he was nervous, he shouldn't show it in front of Xiaoyan.
Ms. Lü pulled her son aside and gently admonished him: "You are the man of the house, the pillar of this family. You must stay calm in front of such matters. Otherwise, what will Xiaoyan think? If you appear more nervous than her, how can she not be nervous? Didn't you hear the coach say that emotions are very important? You need to keep Xiaoyan in a good mood!" Ms. Lü lectured Zheng Wei, even pulling his ear.
"En, I understand," Zheng Wei replied somewhat dazed. He hadn't slept well these past few days, yet surprisingly, he didn't feel exhausted.
"Madam! I think Xiaoyan is going into labor!" Just as mother and son finished their conversation outside and were about to return to the house, Na Gu suddenly cried out from inside. Upon hearing this, both Zheng Wei and Ms. Lü rushed into the house. Ms. Lü said to Zheng Wei as she ran: "It's all your fault for talking nonsense!"
Zheng Wei no longer paid attention to his mother's reprimand. The driver was already waiting outside. He picked up Shen Xiaoyan and got into the car to head to the hospital. Ms. Lü and Old Chief Zheng would follow in the second car, with all the necessary preparations already loaded.
...
On the road.
Ms. Lü looked at their car, which was quickly disappearing ahead, and worriedly held Old Chief Zheng's arm: "Old Zheng, why is Xiaoyan a few days early? There were no signs of premature labor during the previous check-up. If she's rushing to the hospital in such a panic today, won't the baby be scared?"
"Ah Wei is not a child anymore. He's about to become a father. If he can't even handle this, how will he protect Xiaoyan and the child in the future? You, stop worrying so much. Xiaoyan is in good health, she'll be fine! This child is also not easy. When the baby is born, you can help take care of it." Old Chief Zheng was very satisfied with their current life, including his son and daughter-in-law. Naturally, his greatest anticipation was for the little treasure of the Zheng family.
He truly hoped Heaven would bless them with a little granddaughter. Their Zheng family hadn't had a girl for many generations.
As for inheriting the family business, girls could inherit too. At worst, they could find a professional manager later, and the treasure could simply enjoy counting her money.
...