Su Ying's relationship was exposed, and it was impossible to keep it a secret.
To avoid constant phone calls from friends and family, Su Ying decided to come clean. She arranged to bring her boyfriend home for dinner on a specific day, which finally quelled everyone's curiosity.
Suddenly, the family group chat became lively.
"When did Su Ying start dating, and why was there no news at all!"
"What kind of person is her boyfriend, and where does he work?"
"Are there any photos? Let's see them!"
"Now that Yingying has a boyfriend, I, as her mother, can finally relax! I was worried she'd be single forever since she never dated before!"
"Everyone has their own destiny, don't worry so much!"
Su He scrolled through her phone, yawning drowsily.
As her belly grew larger, her energy waned. She couldn't sleep well at night and wasn't getting enough sleep during the day, her days and nights were reversed, making her very uncomfortable. Furthermore, the growing baby was pressing on her nerves, causing her backache and occasional leg cramps. The doctor also advised against maintaining one sleeping position, so she had to diligently turn over every night. In short, the comfortable days of early pregnancy were long gone!
One night, as Su He was falling asleep, her leg cramped again.
The moment she moved, Lu Yanbei, lying beside her, opened his eyes. "Where does it hurt?"
"My leg, it's cramping," Su He moaned, painfully cradling her belly as she tried to get up.
"Just lie down, I'll rub it for you." Lu Yanbei knew how difficult pregnancy was for her and thoughtfully sat up to massage her.
After a while, Su He finally felt some sensation in her numb leg.
"I'm sorry, I woke you up," Su He said, looking at the dark circles under Lu Yanbei's eyes, feeling guilty. He had to manage the company during the day and take care of her at night; he was simply exhausted.
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, wife!"
Su He yawned, sleepiness returning. "Husband, when will he be able to come out..."
Her back felt like it was about to break.
"The due date is still over a month away," Lu Yanbei said, gently pulling her into his embrace and patting her back to help her sleep. "Just a little longer, okay?"
Su He hummed and nestled into his arms, drifting into a deep sleep.
Lu Yanbei stroked her belly, urging the baby not to cause trouble. "Mom is having a tough time during pregnancy, let her sleep well tonight."
Perhaps understanding his words, the baby, who had been moving vigorously, gradually quieted down.
***
On the weekend, Su Ying brought her boyfriend home for dinner.
Su He also returned to the Su family with Lu Yanbei.
Seeing her bulging belly, Su Ying couldn't help but exclaim, "She wasn't showing last time I saw her, how did she grow so fast!"
"The third trimester is when they grow faster, about a pound a week," Su He said with a sigh. She had gained thirty pounds in the past 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, cupping Su He's belly.
Su He felt a pang of anxiety with every step she took. Her round belly jiggled slightly with her movements, as if it might drop at any moment. Only when Su He sat down on the sofa did Su Ying breathe a sigh of relief.
"With such a big belly, could it be twins?" she couldn't help but guess.
"I've had a few ultrasounds, and it's confirmed to be a single baby," Su He replied, wishing for a one-time solution but it wasn't to be.
"It's not good for the baby to be too big, you should exercise more in the later stages," Tang Jiaojiao said, emerging from the kitchen. A flicker of worry crossed her eyes as she looked at Su He's belly.
When she was young, her neighbor had eaten too well, causing the fetus to be too large, making delivery extremely difficult. Worse still, her in-laws believed that babies born naturally were smarter and insisted on no C-section, resulting in the pregnant woman enduring excruciating pain and both mother and child perishing.
When the doctor finally delivered the baby, the infant was purple all over, clearly having died from suffocation due to lack of oxygen. If they had followed the doctor's advice and opted for a C-section, both mother and child would have been fine.
And this was the male fetus that the in-laws had longed for! Because of this, the wife's family had confronted them multiple times, demanding compensation for their daughter's life. The husband was filled with regret, but it was too late.
Even forty to fifty years later, Tang Jiaojiao still remembered the incident vividly.
Therefore, seeing Su He's belly made her uneasy.
"I've been controlling my diet recently," Su He said, guiltily looking away. Since becoming pregnant, her appetite had been unusually good; five meals a day weren't enough, and there were plenty of snacks at home.
In the late stages of pregnancy, with the baby growing rapidly, Su He had started to restrain herself. Although she was trying to be moderate, she genuinely couldn't stand to be hungry, and not a single meal could be missed. 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.
"Currently, it looks like a natural birth is feasible," Su He replied truthfully.
Tang Jiaojiao looked at Lu Yanbei.
Lu Yanbei quickly stated, "I'm in favor of a C-section, so she'll suffer less."
Childbirth itself was like stepping one foot into the gates of hell, and he didn't want Su He to take that risk. Rather than waiting until a natural birth failed and then resorting to a C-section, it was better to have a scheduled C-section and avoid suffering twice.
His answer greatly satisfied Tang Jiaojiao.
As a husband, being understanding and caring for his wife was the mark of a responsible and good man!
"I think so too," Tang Jiaojiao said.
Su He pursed her lips. "But wouldn't a scar on my belly be unsightly! I heard it takes years to heal."
"That's still better than losing your life," Tang Jiaojiao said, glaring at her disapprovingly. "And who says there will be a scar on your stomach? Medical technology 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 main focus today is him..." Su He was being lectured by Shen Jiaojiao when she suddenly remembered they had another guest in the room.
Fu Zheng waved his hand. "It's fine with me."
"Yingying, why don't you introduce him to everyone?" Tang Jiaojiao had actually met Fu Zheng not long ago. He had driven to pick Su Ying up 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 think."
Su Ying casually said, "Don't we already know each other? Is an introduction necessary?"
"How can that be the same!" Tang Jiaojiao tutted. "When I asked you before, you said he was your subordinate!"
Su Ying was momentarily stumped and had to put down her sunflower seeds to speak seriously. "Fu Zheng, 26 years old, Master's degree in Journalism from H University, from a neighboring province, 183 cm tall, 60 kg, in good health, with no bad habits. As for his family situation, I don't know much."
"Who asked you to say all that," Tang Jiaojiao clicked her tongue. Then, she warmly invited Fu Zheng to sit down. "Don't just stand there, come sit. You must have worked hard under Yingying, right?"
Su Ying: ...