When they arrived at the Qin family's residence, Old Mrs. Gu and Fang Meiyan had already left, and the house felt much quieter.
In the following days, Qin He paid a visit to Old Mrs. Gu.
She occasionally handled matters for the research institute online. When she had the energy, she would drive to the West District to "date" Gu Qichen.
Because they needed to keep their relationship secret, their dating spot was set in Liu Xing'an's office.
The main activity during their dates was learning about mortise and tenon joints. More accurately, Gu Qichen accompanied Qin He in learning.
Half a month passed in a flash. Qin He's belly was now eight and a half months pregnant, with less than a month until childbirth.
Qin He quietly went for a prenatal check-up. The fetus in her womb was very healthy.
Even so, she didn't dare to travel around carelessly at this crucial time.
Ming Yuzhu repeatedly admonished her, "You mustn't run around wildly at this time. Even a small stumble now could be a big problem!"
Qin He stayed home to rest and nurture the pregnancy. Her interactions with Gu Qichen shifted to daily video calls.
She felt a vague sense of unease, worrying about when those people lurking in the shadows might appear.
If it happened when she was giving birth, she would be in a very passive situation.
Qin Family Residence.
In Qin He's bedroom, she nestled on the small sofa, typing a message to Gu Qichen on her phone.
They hadn't seen each other for three days.
Gu Qichen: [Can I really not come to the Qin family to see you?]
Qin He thought for a moment: [No, my mother and brother still don't know about you.]
Gu Qichen: [When do you plan to tell them?]
Qin He recalled her brother's darkening expression whenever Gu Qichen was mentioned and hissed.
[After the baby is born.]
After all, Ming Yuzhu and Qin Yun had a very poor impression of Gu Qichen.
Qin He chatted with Gu Qichen with a smile for a while, then washed up and got into bed.
The baby in her womb suddenly kicked her. She let out a small cry, lifted the blanket, and looked at her belly.
On her visibly rounded abdomen, another small bulge appeared, a mark of the baby kicking.
Qin He's lips curved into a sweet smile. The feeling of becoming a mother for the first time was filled with joy and anticipation.
Even now, she still didn't know if the baby in her womb was a boy or a girl.
As Qin He was pondering, two soft sounds came from the window again.
Qin He immediately got up to look. A man stood on the steps outside the window, a faint smile on his face.
She quickly got up and hurried over, opening the window. Gu Qichen flashed inside, landing on the balcony.
"Mr. Gu, you really are the epitome of scaling walls to visit your beloved," Qin He mumbled, but her smile was undeniable.
After entering the room, Gu Qichen embraced her tightly.
He buried his face in Qin He's hair, deeply inhaling the fragrant scent of her.
"It's only been three days since we last met, and I feel like I miss you terribly," Gu Qichen said, taking a deep breath. Since he and Qin He had confirmed their relationship, his longing had grown wildly like weeds.
Only by staying by her side, breathing in her scent, could he feel truly at peace.
Qin He's face flushed and her heart pounded at Gu Qichen's sweet words.
Gu Qichen's voice deepened: "After the baby is born, why don't we set the engagement date?"
Qin He was startled: "You want to hold an engagement banquet?"
"Yes, I will host the grandest engagement banquet in Qingcheng for you."
Gu Qichen's voice was deep: "I want to give you double of everything best!" He would spare no expense!
Qin He felt conflicted. Although she had lost her memory of the past two years, everyone in Qingcheng now knew that she and Gu Qichen were divorced.
Even if they got back together now, if it came to marriage, Qin He's plan was to simply have a meal with a few close friends in their circle.
It wasn't about being frugal, but rather that she disliked facing so many people.
As Qin He was contemplating, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
She hadn't agreed to marry Gu Qichen at all, and they had only just started dating. Why was she already considering it so seriously?
Qin He's brow furrowed slightly.
Gu Qichen put an arm around her waist, shifted his body, and lowered his head to kiss her.
Qin He quickly placed her hand between their lips. She took a deep breath.
"This is moving a bit too fast."
Seeing the blush on her neck, Gu Qichen gave a faint smile and didn't press further.
They sat on the balcony for a while. Gu Qichen spoke softly to Qin He about their future plans, some of which were related to after the engagement.
It seemed so distant, it was almost unbelievable.
Qin He lowered her gaze, gently stroking her abdomen.
There was something weighing on her mind now. Since she had gotten back together with Gu Qichen, the parentage of the child in her womb...
Qin He hesitated for a few seconds, then looked up to see Gu Qichen looking at her: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Qin He replied with a smile.
They didn't talk for too long. Gu Qichen had climbed over the wall to get in, and Qin He was afraid that Qin Yun and Ming Yuzhu would discover him.
Before Gu Qichen left, he leaned down and kissed Qin He's cheek.
"This shouldn't be too fast, right?" Gu Qichen whispered.
"You should leave quickly—" Qin He said softly, "In a few days, our family's security will likely be increased. Don't climb over the wall again. What if you get caught?"
Gu Qichen chuckled softly: "Okay."
After sending him off, Qin He returned to her bedroom, washed up, and got into bed.
The night was deep.
On the bed, Qin He let out an uneasy sigh.
In her dream, she turned to look around. Everything was dark, with no light.
Qin He called out loudly: "Mom, brother."
There was no response. Even her voice seemed to be absorbed by the darkness. The space was utterly silent!
Qin He's heart suddenly panicked!
She moved slowly in the darkness, her steps unsteady as she advanced.
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind her.
"Qin He, get out of the way!"
The voice struck her heart directly. Qin He's eyes widened.
All the darkness receded with the cold voice. Qin He found herself standing in a very unfamiliar room.
She looked down at herself. She was wearing a very old, tattered nightgown, and her abdomen had somehow become flat.
Qin He immediately panicked, patting her stomach: "Where's the baby? Where is my baby?"
She looked up at Gu Qichen opposite her and asked for help: "Gu Qichen, the baby is gone!"
As she spoke, Qin He blinked.
Gu Qichen stood not far away, watching her. His eyes seemed devoid of any emotion, cold and distant. He looked at her as if she were nothing but air.
Qin He frowned and strode forward: "Gu Qichen—"
Gu Qichen reached out and pushed her away directly, saying coldly, "Since you've married me as you wished, you should abide by my rules!"