Su He noticed the changes in her body a month later.
One day, while looking for something in a drawer, she accidentally glimpsed the packaging box tucked away in the corner. It was then that she vaguely remembered that her period had been absent for a long time.
"Is it possible?" she wondered, lowering her head and placing a hand on her stomach. She didn't have any pregnancy symptoms at all! Wasn't it said that pregnant women experience nausea? Her appetite, however, was excellent!
Su He bit her lip, feeling both anxious and a little excited.
Perhaps she should buy a pregnancy test kit to check?
Su He was a woman of action. She immediately went to the pharmacy in her neighborhood. To ensure accuracy, she bought test kits from different brands. The salesperson looked at her with a smile, as if it were nothing new.
Su He paid for her purchases, clutched the pile of items, and sneakily returned home.
She let out a huge sigh of relief when she didn't run into any familiar faces on the way.
Back home, Su He eagerly took the pregnancy test to the bathroom.
Five minutes later, she emerged with a complex expression.
The two lines on the test kit spoke for themselves.
She hadn't expected to be pregnant so soon!
Before, she had meticulously tracked her ovulation period every month, afraid of missing it. She had even taken many supplements, hoping to conceive as quickly as possible. But it had all been in vain.
Now, as her mindset gradually relaxed and her expectations waned, the baby had arrived!
The elders said that children come when they are meant to, and there was indeed some truth to that. The more you rushed, the more they wouldn't come. When you stopped being eager for success, they would appear.
Su He tightly gripped the pregnancy test, thrilled.
She wanted to share the news with Lu Yanbei immediately. However, after typing out the message, she hesitated to send it. What if there was a mistake?
Su He paused for a moment, then walked back into the bathroom.
*
Seeing that his boss had finished signing a stack of documents, Cheng Jue seized the opportunity to knock and enter. "Mr. Lu, may I request a couple of days off?"
"Is something the matter?" Lu Yanbei asked, raising his hand to rub his temples. The intense work all morning had caused discomfort in his eyes.
"Well, my girlfriend's family wants to meet me," Cheng Jue said, scratching his head sheepishly.
Lu Yanbei let out a soft hum.
Cheng Jue had been with him for many years, and he was no longer young. It was indeed time for him to get married.
Thus, the generous Boss Lu readily signed his leave request. Moreover, he didn't forget to give him a gift to help him win over his future father-in-law.
"Thank you, boss." Cheng Jue accepted the heavy gift box, continuously expressing his gratitude. The box looked very expensive. If he wasn't mistaken, it was likely a vintage bottle of wine.
"Perform well," Lu Yanbei encouraged, patting him on the shoulder.
Cheng Jue smiled ingenuously. "I'll count on your good wishes!"
Cheng Jue left with the gift, and outside, congratulatory and well-wishing sounds could be heard intermittently.
Lu Yanbei watched his retreating figure and was suddenly reminded of his own experience meeting Su He's parents. Indeed, all men were the same when it came to meeting the parents, filled with trepidation, afraid of making a mistake that might affect their future together.
Thinking of this, Lu Yanbei involuntarily thought of his dear wife at home. He wondered what she was doing at the moment, if she had woken up yet. Su He had been a bit drowsy lately, sleeping until past noon every day. Lu Yanbei couldn't help but worry that sleeping so much might not be good for her stomach.
Unable to resist, he immediately called Su He.
"Husband?" Su He answered the phone, sweetly calling out to him.
Lu Yanbei felt that something was not right.
Usually, when Su He addressed him like this, it was either because she needed something or because she was happy. Could it be that she had sensed something?
"When did you wake up? Have you had breakfast yet?" Lu Yanbei asked, feigning calmness.
"I woke up after ten, and I had a bowl of seafood congee," Su He replied obediently. "Are you busy right now? There's something I want to tell you."
"Not busy," Lu Yanbei said, setting aside the document he had been reading.
"I want you to accompany me to the hospital," Su He said, her hand resting on her stomach, her breathing cautious.
"Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Lu Yanbei's heart instantly leaped into his throat.
"No, I just want to get a check-up," Su He said, taking a deep breath and trying to maintain a calm tone.
Lu Yanbei suddenly stood up. "Wait for me at home."
With that, he hung up the phone.
He picked up his mobile, dialed the driver's number, and instructed him to wait downstairs. Then, he grabbed his jacket from the coat rack behind the door, closed his office door, and hurried out.
The company employees were greatly surprised to see their boss leave.
"Why is the boss leaving work so early? This is truly a sight to behold!"
"He looked quite rushed. Could something have happened?"
"Besides the Old Master, there's probably only that one person who could make the boss this concerned..."
"It would be great if Secretary Cheng were here; we could ask him about it..."
Under the astonished gazes of the employees, Lu Yanbei strode out of the office building as if he had wings.
When he returned to their residence, Su He was napping.
She had only woken up after ten, eaten a meal, and was already feeling sleepy again. No wonder some people gain weight during pregnancy; if this continued, she would turn into a ball too.
As Lu Yanbei entered, Su He was sound asleep, wrapped in her blanket.
She seemed to be having a pleasant dream, her lips curved into a faint smile.
Lu Yanbei sat down gently beside her, reached out to stroke her hair, and his suspended heart finally settled back into its place.
It was good that she was alright!
By the time Su He woke up, it was almost dark, and the plan to go to the hospital had been abandoned.
Su He felt a pang of annoyance.
How could she have slept so soundly!
Looking at the man lying beside her, a warmth spread through Su He's heart. "When did you get back?"
Lu Yanbei put down the book he was reading, turned to her, and kissed her. "A while ago. Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I'll ask Sister Li to make it for you."
Hearing him say that, Su He suddenly felt a bit hungry.
Ever since she had conceived, her appetite had become exceptionally good, and she got hungry quickly, wishing she could eat five meals a day.
"I want to eat hot pot," Su He said with great enthusiasm.
"How about something milder?" Lu Yanbei was concerned that spicy food might be too irritating for her.
Su He nodded, compromising.
She was going to be a mother now and couldn't be too willful, especially with her diet. She had to be extremely careful, restraining herself from many things and eating only small portions even when she did.
Sister Li, downstairs, received the instructions and immediately busied herself in the kitchen. "The young madam loves crab. I'll also stew a spicy crab pot."
Before Lu Yanbei could speak, Su He herself refused. "Let's have steamed shrimp instead. I don't feel like eating crab for now."
Since she hadn't had a thorough check-up yet, Su He felt embarrassed to reveal that she was pregnant.
Sister Li just assumed she had gotten tired of it and didn't suspect anything.