Su He was startled by the topic of childbirth. Honestly, she still felt like a child herself and wasn't ready to be a mother.
"I respect A'Yan's thoughts," Su He replied, regaining her composure and deftly passing the buck to Lu Yanbei. This was something they had agreed upon beforehand: if anyone asked about children, he would answer. Su He was determined to stick to this principle.
"Yanbei is thirty years old, he should have a child!"
"That's right! Otherwise, who will inherit this vast family fortune?"
"It's very necessary to prepare for pregnancy! Young people today are under a lot of pressure and it's not easy to conceive. If there are problems, it's best to seek treatment early."
Whether it was a rumor or not, these relatives seemed to be fixated on Su He's stomach. Su He's ordeal of being kidnapped and confined in a refrigerated truck for nearly an hour had taken a toll on her health. Women are already prone to cold uterus, and if left untreated, it could affect childbirth.
Su He picked up her soup bowl and took a few sips, maintaining her indifferent demeanor. "Children are a matter of fate; you can't rush it. A'Yan and I believe in letting things happen naturally."
"That's true, but you need to be proactive. Grandfather is old and waiting to hold his great-grandchild! Don't wait until you've made up your minds and then something happens to Grandfather... sigh, Auntie means well for you..."
Su He gave a half-hearted smile and glanced at the buxom elder. As far as she remembered, this aunt's daughter had married a man over ten years her senior. After entering the family, she had given birth to two daughters. It was said that she was looked down upon by her in-laws for not having a son and had even suffered domestic violence. Last year, that cousin finally got her wish and gave birth to a son, and her family finally held their heads high.
"Your aunt is right! But don't put too much pressure on yourself. Whether it's a boy or a girl, if you're pregnant, have the baby. The Lu family's prosperity depends on you!"
As these older women urged Su He to have children, they also shared tips on how to get pregnant quickly. Their excitement was so palpable that an uninformed observer might have mistaken Su He for their daughter-in-law.
"This is something that doesn't require your concern." Just as Su He was contemplating how to politely deflect their advice, Lu Yanbei appeared at their table. He stood behind her, his long fingers resting on her shoulder, giving her an immense sense of strength. Su He reached back and clasped his hand, sweetly calling him "husband." Lu Yanbei shot a cold glance at everyone before returning his gaze to Su He. "Don't you love crab roe stew the most? I've asked Aunt Li to prepare it and send it to the room."
"Excuse us, everyone," Lu Yanbei said, not waiting for a response, and pulled Su He up to leave. Lu Yanbei's aura was so powerful that the relatives dared not voice their displeasure. Only after they disappeared up the stairs did they recover.
"Did I say anything wrong just now?" a timid woman nervously asked her neighbor.
"We were only trying to do what's best for the young couple. If they don't appreciate it, fine, but to give us such a cold shoulder! What kind of juniors speak to their elders like that? It's like biting the hand that feeds you, ungrateful!"
"Alas, perhaps we were being too meddlesome! Young people nowadays have their own ideas!"
"We only suggested they have children early, it wasn't anything bad..."
"Forget it, let's eat. Don't overthink it! I heard they have a Michelin chef personally preparing the meal tonight, how rare is that..." These people were shrewd enough to avoid offending the hosts, and with a few words, they changed the subject.
Back in their room, Su He found her favorite crab roe stew waiting for her on the small table on the bedroom balcony. This was the season when crabs were at their plumpest. However, as those people had said, she had a cold uterus and couldn't eat too many cold foods like crab. Lu Yanbei only allowed her to have it occasionally, which made her crave it terribly.
"Love you!" Su He turned and blew a kiss to Lu Yanbei before eagerly digging into the meal. Lu Yanbei pulled up a stool and sat beside her, helping her to shell the crab.
While slurping on the crab meat, Su He mumbled, "Aren't you supposed to go down and socialize?" It seemed impolite for both of them to have left the gathering.
"I'm not feeling well, I don't feel like going down," Lu Yanbei replied.
"Ah? Where are you not feeling well?" Su He's heart immediately tightened with worry. Lu Yanbei continued to serve her food with concentration. "It's just a minor ailment, nothing serious."
"Is your stomach hurting again? I'll ask the maid to bring some medicine!" Su He took off her disposable gloves, her hand clutching his with concern. Lu Yanbei stopped her in time. "It's Grandfather's birthday today, it's better not to cause any trouble."
"I've had some wine, I can't take medicine. These minor aches and pains will pass if I just bear with them."
Su He frowned, "If you know your stomach hurts, why are you forcing yourself!" Listening to her nagging, Lu Yanbei felt an immense sense of peace. It felt good to have someone care for him!
Under his affectionate gaze, Su He's cheeks flushed slightly. "Are... are you really okay?"
"After a bowl of soup, it doesn't hurt anymore," Lu Yanbei leaned in and wiped the crab roe from the corner of her mouth. "Want more? I'll shell it for you!"
Su He hesitated for a moment, then honestly said, "Yes!" Lu Yanbei then put on his gloves again and patiently began extracting the meat from the crab claws for her. In the entire B City, the only person he would serve like this, besides Old Master Lu, was likely Su He.
Su He enjoyed her meal immensely, and it was truly satisfying to avoid the so-called lectures from the gossiping relatives. By the time they went downstairs again, most of the guests had already departed. In the living room, Old Master Lu was directing the servants to clean up the remnants of the banquet. Seeing them come down, he couldn't help but glare at Lu Yanbei. "You, why did you disappear mid-meal?"
Lu Yanbei casually made up an excuse. "Something urgent came up at the company, I had to take a call upstairs."
"A very urgent matter?" Lu Yanbei, without batting an eye, nodded. "Very important!" Seeing that it wasn't some trivial reason, the old man didn't press further. When he turned to Su He, his granddaughter-in-law, his face lit up with a smile. "Su Su barely ate a few bites before going upstairs, was the food not to your liking?"
"No, Grandpa," Su He quickly denied. "I ate very well." To divert the old man's attention, Su He quickly presented the birthday gift she had prepared. "Grandpa, I had this Go manual brought from abroad. Take a look, do you like it?" Everyone knew that the old man loved playing Go. However, his skills were only average, yet he enjoyed participating. Su He's gift was precisely to his liking, hitting the bullseye. "Su Su knows me best!" The old man opened the box, his smile stretching from ear to ear.