Ge'er wanted to say no, but when she first learned about her pregnancy, she and Shang Jincheng had searched online for prenatal education.
It indeed needed to be done by the father, as his voice could bring a sense of security to the fetus.
Since Shang Jincheng was absent, someone had to fill the void.
Although Lei Dongyi wasn't an ideal candidate, there was no one better at the moment.
Besides, his voice wasn't unpleasant, so she'd just treat him as a tool and bear with it.
Ge'er was silent for a moment: "If you want to tell it, then tell it."
Lei Dongyi turned off the dim lights in the room, searched for fairy tales on his phone, and explained to her as he did so.
"I'll buy some parenting books tomorrow for you to read. For today, just listen. What do you want to hear? The Frog Prince, Tom and Jerry, or The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats?"
At nearly thirty years old, she never expected to need a man to tell her fairy tales to lull her to sleep.
Ge'er thought for a moment, "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats, please."
Shang Jincheng started reading to her from his phone. After a few sentences, he felt they were too far apart.
"Do you think he can hear me like this? Is there any reaction from your belly?"
Ge'er couldn't help but scoff at him, "That would be a miracle. I'm not even three months along."
"Alright then, we'll leave it like this. I'll speak a bit louder."
Shang Jincheng, as if completing a solemn task, increased his volume slightly, adopting a broadcast-like tone and vividly reading the entire story.
Although she had heard him give many speeches in school, this was the first time she heard him tell a story so amusingly.
Ge'er initially found it a bit funny, but as she got used to it, she felt at ease and unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
She slept until late morning. When she opened her eyes, the curtains had already been opened by Lei Dongyi.
Bright sunlight streamed onto the bed. The sky outside the window was a brilliant blue, looking truly vibrant.
Lei Dongyi hadn't gone far; he was sitting on the bay window in front of the room, seemingly working.
Perhaps it was telepathy, or perhaps he saw movement from the windowsill.
As soon as Ge'er woke up, he quickly turned his head.
"Awake? Are you hungry? I bought you San Ding Bao and chicken congee from Yue Hai Ju. Go wash up and eat quickly."
Yue Hai Ju was not close to where Ge'er lived, and it was a rather chic place where one had to book in advance even for morning tea.
It was thoughtful of Lei Dongyi to arrange such a good breakfast.
Similarly, he carried her to the bathroom. Lei Dongyi squeezed the toothpaste for her and handed her the toothbrush, then leaned against the door and window to watch her brush her teeth.
Ge'er felt awkward. At her age, she still needed someone to help her with such small matters.
"Can you stop watching me? Go do your own thing. I'll call you when I'm done."
Lei Dongyi looked at her sleepy, disheveled face, the messy little fuzz around her temples, her smooth and tender skin, his eyes as gentle as water.
"Then I'll go warm up the breakfast and bring it in. Don't move, okay? Call me when you're done."
Ge'er sat on the bed eating breakfast, while he returned to work on the bay window.
Perhaps it was because he had a lot to hand over for his entry into Zhonghe, but he was extremely busy, with constant phone calls and video conferences.
Seeing him working in the bedroom, Lei Dongyi had to explain to everyone why he was working from home.
He said he had twisted his ankle.
Everyone offered their condolences and wanted to visit him, but he declined, sounding very convincing.
"Someone is taking care of me. Don't worry, I'm fine."
The others responded with understanding: "Oh, we get it, we get it. Lawyer Lei has a lady accompanying him, so I won't disturb you."
Ever since Shang Jincheng's incident, Jiang Jingyu had taken over most of Ge'er's work.
Ge'er now held a nominal position, and no one bothered her even if she didn't go to work.
Ge'er enjoyed the leisure, lying in bed daydreaming.
Daydreaming, in fact, was watching Lei Dongyi busy himself.
Indeed, when her gaze was fixed on him, she didn't think about anything else, and time passed quickly.
Moreover, she didn't experience morning sickness today. She ate two large steamed buns and drank a bowl of congee, and nothing else. Soon, she was hungry again.
Lei Dongyi was busy until ten-thirty. His work finally reached a temporary conclusion. He raised his hand to check his watch and then looked back at Ge'er.
She was staring at him with wide eyes, daydreaming on the bed, looking quite adorable. He couldn't help but smile.
"What are you thinking about? Are you hungry? What do you want for lunch? I'll go buy it for you."
Ge'er didn't know what she wanted to eat: "You can buy whatever. Just not chicken soup, pigeon soup, or anything like that."
Lei Dongyi said, "I think the food from Yue Hai Ju suits your taste. How about we go there again? Wait for me, I'll be back soon."
He said he would be back soon, but halfway there, a serious car accident occurred on a main road, causing a massive traffic jam.
Lei Dongyi's car was stuck in the middle, unable to move forward or backward, and remained there for a full half hour without budging.
Seeing that it was already half-past eleven, he became anxious.
Finally, he gritted his teeth, got out, negotiated with the drivers of the cars behind him, and asked them to reverse. Only then could he squeeze through a gap, make an illegal lane change, and return the way he came on a different road.
On his way home, he stopped by a supermarket to buy a pile of ingredients, and also bought two parenting books and essential reading for expectant mothers.
Ge'er's bed rest was not a matter of one or two days. Buying food out every day was a waste of time and not a long-term solution.
Moreover, if they were to be together in the future, and have children, someone would have to know how to cook.
Since Ge'er didn't want to, he had to prepare early.
He could use this opportunity to practice his cooking skills.
He returned home without stopping, carrying a large bag of ingredients. Before he even opened the door, he heard the sound of men and women talking inside.
He couldn't help but wonder who would be at the house at this hour.
Then, the door opened, and he saw Qin Shen.
Although the lighting at the KTV last time was a bit dim, he had still seen Qin Shen clearly.
He had thought that Qin Shen and Ge'er had only met by chance, but he didn't expect him to know her home address.
Ge'er, knowing full well that the doctor had forbidden her from exerting herself, had opened the door to let him in!
Lei Dongyi, knowing he had no right, still couldn't help but get angry.
He walked to the coffee table with the ingredients, placed them down, and looked at Ge'er sternly.
"What did the doctor tell you? Didn't they say you shouldn't exert yourself? Who told you to get out of bed?"
Furthermore, a pile of food and drinks was laid out on the coffee table, with beautiful desserts, and Ge'er was holding an empty delicate small bowl in her hand.
She had actually eaten the food this man had brought her?!
Even though he had gone out and worked hard for over an hour without bringing back any food, she couldn't eat food brought by someone else behind his back, could she?
"What have you eaten? Your appetite has just started to recover, and you're already eating things you shouldn't. Have you forgotten what it feels like to vomit uncontrollably?"
Qin Shen, standing nearby, saw Lei Dongyi's jealousy clearly and couldn't help but feel surprised.
"Sister, who is this?"
Ge'er found Lei Dongyi truly annoying.
He was the one who had caused her to be in this state, and he was the one who had volunteered to take care of her, yet this was his attitude?
Did he feel a sense of accomplishment by scolding her like a child in front of an outsider and embarrassing her?