Su Ying's romance being exposed was inevitable.
To avoid a barrage of phone calls from friends and family, Su Ying decided to confess. She arranged to bring her boyfriend home for dinner on a specific day, which finally satisfied everyone's curiosity.
The family chat group immediately became lively.
"When did Su Ying start dating? How come there wasn't a whisper of news!"
"What kind of person is her boyfriend, and where does he work?"
"Are there any photos? Let us see!"
"Su Ying has a boyfriend, I, her mother, can finally relax! I was worried she'd be single forever since she never dated!"
"Everyone has their own destiny, don't worry so much!"
Su He scrolled through her phone for a while and yawned sleepily.
As her belly grew larger, her energy waned. She slept poorly at night and wasn't rested during the day, her days and nights mixed up, making her very uncomfortable. On top of that, the baby's growth pressed on her nerves, causing backaches and occasional leg cramps. The doctor also advised against maintaining a single sleeping position, so she had to diligently change positions every night. In short, the comfortable days of early pregnancy were long gone!
One night, as Su He was sleeping, her leg started cramping again.
The moment she moved, Lu Yanbei, lying beside her, opened his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"My leg is cramping," Su He whimpered, painfully cradling her belly as she tried to sit up.
"You lie down, I'll rub it for you." Lu Yanbei knew how difficult pregnancy was for her and considerately sat up to massage her leg.
After a while, Su He finally felt some sensation returning to her numb leg.
"I'm sorry for waking you up," Su He said, looking at the dark circles under Lu Yanbei's eyes, feeling a pang of guilt. He had to manage company affairs during the day and then take care of her at night; he was simply too tired.
Lu Yanbei, however, found joy in it. "Does it still hurt?"
Su He shook her head.
Lu Yanbei helped her change her sleeping position before lying down beside her. "You've worked hard, my wife!"
Su He yawned, sleepiness washing over her again. "Honey, when will he be able to come out..."
Her back felt like it was going to break.
"The due date is still more than a month away," Lu Yanbei said, gently pulling her into his arms and patting her back to help her fall asleep. "Just hang in there a little longer, okay?"
Su He hummed and snuggled into his embrace, sinking into a deep sleep.
Lu Yanbei gently stroked her belly, whispering to the baby not to cause trouble. "Mom is already working very hard during pregnancy, let her sleep well tonight."
As if understanding his words, the baby, who had been moving vigorously moments before, gradually quieted down.
***
On the weekend, Su Ying brought her boyfriend home for dinner.
Su He also brought Lu Yanbei back to the Su family home.
Seeing her swollen belly, Su Ying couldn't help but exclaim, "She wasn't showing last time I saw her, he's grown so fast!"
"The late stage of pregnancy is when they grow faster, about a pound a week," Su He said with a sigh. She had gained thirty pounds in the last two months and now had a double chin.
Su He had never been this heavy in her life.
"Hello, baby, I'm your auntie," Su Ying said, cradling her belly.
Su He's heart pounded with every step she took. Her round belly swayed slightly with her movements, as if it might drop at any moment. Su Ying only relaxed when Su He finally sat down on the sofa.
"With such a big belly, could it be twins?" she couldn't help but wonder.
"I've had several ultrasounds, and it's confirmed to be a single baby," Su He replied. She wished it were twins so she could get it over with in one go, but that wasn't the case.
"It's not good for the baby to be too big, you should exercise more in the later stages," Tang Jiaojiao said as she came out of the kitchen, a flicker of worry in her eyes as she looked at Su He's belly.
Her childhood neighbor had eaten too well, resulting in a fetus that was too large, making labor extremely difficult. To make matters worse, her in-laws believed that babies born naturally were smarter and insisted on a vaginal birth, not allowing a C-section. Ultimately, the pregnant woman suffered excruciating pain, leading to the death of both mother and child.
When the doctor delivered the baby, its entire body was purple, clearly a result of oxygen deprivation and suffocation. If they had followed the doctor's advice and opted for a C-section, both mother and child would have been fine.
That was the male heir the in-laws had been longing for! Because of this incident, the wife's family had come to their door several times demanding compensation for their daughter's life. The husband deeply regretted it, but it was all in vain.
Even forty to fifty years later, Tang Jiaojiao still had vivid memories of the event.
Therefore, seeing Su He's belly made her uneasy.
"I've been controlling my diet recently," Su He said, her gaze shifting guiltily. Ever since she became pregnant, her appetite had been unusually good; five meals a day weren't enough, and they had plenty of snacks at home.
In the late stages of pregnancy, as the baby grew rapidly, Su He finally started to exercise some restraint. Although she was trying to be careful, she truly couldn't stand to be hungry; she couldn't skip a single meal. The only thing she could do was eat less at each meal and take more walks in the neighborhood every day.
"What did the doctor say, natural birth or C-section?" Tang Jiaojiao asked with concern.
"So far, it seems like a natural birth is possible," Su He replied truthfully.
Tang Jiaojiao looked at Lu Yanbei beside her.
Lu Yanbei quickly stated, "I advocate for a C-section, so she'll suffer less."
Childbirth was like stepping into the gates of hell with one foot, and he didn't want Su He to take that risk. Instead of waiting until a natural birth failed and then resorting to a C-section, it was better to have a Cesarean directly and avoid enduring twice the suffering.
His answer greatly pleased Tang Jiaojiao.
As a husband, understanding and caring for his wife showed him to be a responsible and good man!
"That's what I think too," Tang Jiaojiao said.
Su He pursed her lips. "But a cut on the belly would be so ugly! I heard it takes years to recover."
"That's better than losing your life," Tang Jiaojiao said, giving her a disapproving glance. "Besides, who says there will be a scar on your belly? Medical science is so advanced now; haven't you heard of cosmetic scar removal?"
Su He was indeed quite vain, and a large part of her desire for a natural birth was her fear of affecting her appearance. Hearing Tang Jiaojiao's words, her concerns immediately vanished.
"Mom, don't forget the star of today is him..." Su He was being lectured by Shen Jiaojiao when she suddenly remembered there was another guest in the room.
Fu Zheng waved his hand and said, "It's okay with me."
"Yingying, why don't you introduce him to everyone?" Tang Jiaojiao had actually seen Fu Zheng not long ago. He had driven to pick up Su Ying for work, and she had caught a glimpse of him from afar.
At the time, she had suspected their relationship. However, Su Ying had denied it. "He's my assistant and driver, not what you're thinking."
Su Ying said dismissively, "Don't we already know each other? Is there a need for an introduction?"
"How can that be the same!" Tang Jiaojiao tutted. "When I asked you before, you said he was your subordinate!"
Su Ying was momentarily stunned and had to put down the sunflower seeds she was holding to say seriously, "Fu Zheng, 26 years old, Master's degree in Journalism from H University, from a neighboring province, 183 cm tall, weighs 60 kg, in good health, no bad habits. As for his family situation, I don't know much."
"Who asked you to say all that," Tang Jiaojiao scoffed. Then, she warmly invited Fu Zheng to sit. "Don't just stand there, come and sit. You must have worked hard under Yingying, haven't you?"
Su Ying: ...