Shen Fangyu’s chair squeaked as he abruptly stood up and said to the two women, “You guys eat, I’ll pay the bill, and I’m going home first.”
Shen Fangyu rushed home, and when he saw the fresh green peppers at the market downstairs, he pinched his brow in annoyance and bought a big bag of them to take home. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Jiang Xu sitting motionless in the living room.
Seeing him come back, Jiang Xu glanced at him and then moved his gaze back to the computer, swallowing back the stiff “What the hell have you been doing?”
He knew that Shen Fangyu had not gone grocery shopping and his upbringing told him that it was inappropriate to question him like that.
And even if he did, Shen Fangyu could still go on to lie to him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to come back so early.”
Unexpectedly, Shen Fangyu suddenly explained in a flustered voice, “I shouldn’t have lied to you, I invited Zhong Lan out, and I was with her when you called me just now.”
After hearing this, Jiang Xu gave a complicated “oh.”
He didn’t expect Shen Fangyu to take the initiative to explain to him, after all, there was no need for the two of them to report to each other in this way.
Such honesty made Jiang Xu’s displeasure at being deceived fade, but the content of Shen Fangyu’s report didn’t make him very happy.
Why did he ask Zhong Lan out?
Why did he agree to have dinner with him, only to go and ask Zhong Lan out?
Unexpectedly, Shen Fangyu went on to explain as if he could read minds, “But I didn’t eat; I don’t have any intentions towards her either, I just had some questions I wanted to ask her. Wait for a while, I’ll go cook right away, and we’ll be able to eat in half an hour.”
Jiang Xu suddenly looked over, but Shen Fangyu had already entered the kitchen with the vegetables.
Originally, Jiang Xu planned that when Shen Fangyu came back and continued to lie to him, he would throw him out tonight, along with his suitcase.
But once Shen Fangyu confessed to him, he suddenly seemed unable to lose his temper.
On the table were the tiger-skinned green peppers he had been longing for. Shen Fangyu put food in his bowl one chopstick after another. “Is it good? From now on, if you want to eat anything, just tell me, any dish will do.”
Jiang Xu looked down at the mountain of tiger-skin green peppers in his bowl and wanted to tell Shen Fangyu that he wasn’t a green paper worm and that just because he liked them didn’t mean he had to eat so many.
Shen Fangyu couldn’t hear his internal complaints and confessed to him, “There are some things I couldn’t understand before; maybe you could see it too, but I won’t be like that again, Jiang Xu.” He looked into Jiang Xu’s eyes and said seriously, “I promise.”
Jiang Xu suddenly looked up at Shen Fangyu.
Was Shen Fangyu thinking out loud?
Could it be that the warning he had issued to Shen Fangyu in his brain had worked?
He briefly lamented this bizarre metaphysical power before realizing that he …… didn’t have to be estranged from Shen Fangyu anymore.
This realization made Jiang Xu feel a lot more at ease, and he even ate more of his food.
After putting down his chopsticks, he said to Shen Fangyu, “Come with me tomorrow for a 4D ultrasound.”
In the blink of an eye, the child has been inside his body for more than five months, and the 4D ultrasound was a large-scale abnormality scan that could show the development of the fetus’ various organs and five senses more clearly, as well as help diagnose fetal malformations at an early stage.
Jiang Xu was actually a little uneasy.
Perhaps it was the hormones at work or something else, but ever since that one fetal movement, Jiang Xu had become more and more concerned about the baby’s physical condition.
Because of his unique situation, his ultrasound examinations were more frequent than those for normal mothers, and although his previous results had all been good, it was still hard for Jiang Xu not to worry about the effects of his unhealthy behaviors in early pregnancy.
In addition, the previous ultrasound was a 2D, which was not as clear and accurate. The 4D ultrasound was like a magic mirror; most of the deformities that were not visible before could be seen in the 4D ultrasound.
If a deformed baby is detected, Jiang Xu will have to make the difficult decision of terminating the pregnancy.
For the first time, Dr Jiang, who had never been afraid of anything and could carry everything on his own, felt that he did not want to face this examination alone.
Shen Fangyu didn’t expect Jiang Xu to be easily coaxed. He was prepared for Jiang Xu to lose his temper with him, but in the end, not only did Jiang Xu not get angry with him because of what happened earlier, he even invited him to go to the prenatal test for the first time.
It was like an aloof kitten was suddenly willing to jump on him and be close to him in a rare moment, making his brain drift a little and his whole heart feel like it was being glued with honey. He felt sweet.
It was only after the feeling of floating on clouds was over that Shen Fangyu suddenly reacted to something: “Why didn’t Tang Ke contact me this time?”
Jiang Xu: “……”
Because it wasn’t Tang Ke who urged him this time, it was he who was counting the dates and thought it was time to go for a check-up.
But he wasn’t going to say that to Shen Fangyu. He only glanced at him and said calmly, “Because he thinks I’m more reliable.”
“Okay, you’re the most reliable,” Shen Fangyu didn’t call him out and echoed him. “Then I’ll buy an empty CD before the test tomorrow and load our daughter’s ultrasound images, then we can study what she really looks like.”
Just as Jiang Xu was about to rebuke him, Shen Fangyu suddenly added, “If only she looked like you, she would be a very beautiful girl.”
Jiang Xu withdrew his words; his mood was a little delicate.
What was wrong with Shen Fangyu tonight? He was talking so nicely, and he wasn’t fighting him about everything anymore.
Shen Fangyu propped his head up with one hand, a small smile on his lips, as he looked at Jiang Xu’s face earnestly.
In his eyes, there was probably no one better looking than Jiang Xu.
He thought that it would be great if his daughter looked like Jiang Xu.
Now when Jiang Xu was in a good mood, he would let him touch his stomach and listen to her heartbeat. The baby’s fetal movement had become more frequent with each day, and Shen Fangyu felt it was special whenever she gave a kick when he was listening to the fetal heartbeat. What good “filial piety”.
He sat down next to Jiang Xu, his gaze falling on his stomach. The latter idly sipped his soup, letting him watch without hiding.
The five-month pregnancy was a bit obvious, but fortunately, it was nearing winter, so Jiang Xu usually wore a lot of clothes and loose sweatshirts that Shen Fangyu had bought for him, so he could barely cover it up.
But when he got to the operating room and changed into the thin scrubs, the clothes would be held up in a slight curve, and Jiang Xu would quickly ask the nurse to give him an outer layer of a sterile surgical gown. However, sometimes the nurse would tie it too tightly or put it on slowly, and someone would see it.
“Today Yu Sang asked me how I’d grown a pot belly,” Jiang Xu said a little gloomily, “and asked if I wanted to go next door to get a gym card.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t wonder if it was fatty liver disease or Cushing’s syndrome.” Shen Fangyu teased, “Yu Sang is still not good at comprehensive case analysis, you have to criticize him.”
Jiang Xu glared at him, and Shen Fangyu immediately became serious, “Speaking of which, how long do you plan to work at the hospital?”
“It’s hard to say,” Jiang Xu said, “I have to ask for a leave of absence ……”
“I’ll find a way to get it for you,” Shen Fangyu said. “If you feel that your body can’t take it anymore, just tell me, and I’ll ask for it for you.”
Although Tang Ke had told him to ask Shen Fangyu to solve the problem of taking leave, Jiang Xu still did not believe that Shen Fangyu could handle it. Hearing him mention this, Jiang Xu immediately mocked him, asking, “Is your father the hospital president?”
“I can get you a job even if my father isn’t the president,” Shen Fangyu said shamelessly, “but if I do, then you have to agree to some conditions.”
Jiang Xu gave a “tsk” and didn’t take it too seriously, but Shen Fangyu kept asking, “First, tell me how long you want to work for.”
“A month or two more.” Jiang Xu didn’t think he had the ability and spoke casually.
He was already feeling a little tired now. The weight of the fetus and amniotic fluid had added a lot to his burden. He was gradually decreasing his overtime, and he could still fool his colleagues with a pot belly, but if he still went to work when he was late in his pregnancy, Director Cui would probably come to ask him if he had some serious illness.
“Wouldn’t it be too hard?” Shen Fangyu asked.
“I can still work,” Jiang Xu pursed his lips and worried, “there are so many patients.”
Jiang Xu felt that according to those laborious rules of Jihua, it would be remarkable if Shen Fangyu could help him get a month’s leave before and after the birth.
“You’re a patient, too.” Shen Fangyu said.
Jiang Xu glanced at him emotionlessly, the warning in his eyes obvious.
Shen Fangyu knew that Jiang Xu was a man with a strong sense of pride, and he withdrew his words of argument in good faith.
“Then let’s do as you say.” Shen Fangyu snapped his fingers and pressed Jiang Xu’s shoulder, saying, “You prepare for the longest vacation.”
With that, he stood up to clear the dishes. Half a moment later, he suddenly remembered something: “I brought you two bottles of stretch mark cream, I will put them on your bedside table later, remember to apply them when you’re done showering.”
Jiang Xu’s eyes flickered a little.
To avoid stretch marks, the most important thing was to control weight and use preventive topical medication. He exercised a lot and ate appropriately, so his weight had been well controlled. Moreover, the baby was not too big, so applying stretch mark cream …… Jiang Xu’s heart was more or less complicated and resistant.
The last time he applied anything special to his body was probably the prickly heat powder his mother patted on him as an infant.
After taking a shower, Jiang Xu sat in the study for a while, dawdling for a long time before finally walking back to the bedroom. He picked up the two bottles of stretch mark cream and looked at them over and over again.
He often prescribed this medicine to his patients, but when it was his turn, he felt embarrassed.
After a long moment of agonizing, he simply unbuttoned the hem of his loungewear and stared at his protruding stomach for a moment.
A knock at the door suddenly interrupted Jiang Xu’s thoughts, and he violently tossed the things aside and quickly covered himself with the blanket before clearing his throat and saying, “Come in.”
Shen Fangyu yawned as he walked in, sweeping his eyes at Jiang Xu, “Why are you covered so tightly? Isn’t it hot?”
He picked up the stretch mark cream that had fallen over and looked at it, saying, “Have you finished applying it?”
“I don’t want to use it.” Jiang Xu said.
Shen Fangyu picked up a bottle and sat down on the edge of Jiang Xu’s bed, “You will be unhappy if they develop.”
Jiang Xu tilted his face away and said, “No, they won’t.”
Shen Fangyu lifted the blanket, “Shall I put it on for you?”
After a long silence, Jiang Xu looked up at the ceiling as if he were dying.
His abdomen was warm to the touch, and Shen Fangyu had rubbed the cream in his hands to warm it up before applying it.
After a while, Shen Fangyu’s teasing laughter came to his ears: “Do you have to look so generous and heroic?”
Jiang Xu: “No one will take you for a mute if you don’t speak.”
Jiang Xu’s words fell, and the baby in his stomach followed with a kick.
The fat on his abdomen was thin, and the baby’s movements were always easily transmitted to the outside. Although it wasn’t very visible on the surface, it felt very clear when touched by hand.
Shen Fangyu couldn’t help but laugh, “She’s really on the same page as you.”
Jiang Xu was a little worried, “How come she doesn’t recognize people?”
At five months, the baby’s hearing is already developed, and he or she could rely on sounds to tell who was the one carrying them. Patients often say that their babies move when they touch them, but nothing happens when the husband tries. This is also because the child can judge that it was not the mother touching him, making them insecure.
Jiang Xu didn’t know why the one in his stomach didn’t feel insecure at all, she was not only unafraid when Shen Fangyu interacted with her, but she was also quite energetic.
“That means my daughter trusts me.” Shen Fangyu paused and gently tugged at Jiang Xu’s trousers. “Do you want me to apply it down there too?”
Stretch marks are not only found on the stomach but also on the inner thighs and buttocks.
Jiang Xu slapped Shen Fangyu’s hand away and took back the bottle of medicine, saying, “Go to sleep.”
Shen Fangyu smiled and laid back on his floor bed, breathing a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Jiang Xu hadn’t asked him to apply it, otherwise, he might have had to give Jiang Xu another performance.
I’m too old to give birth now, but I’ve always had stretch marks on my thighs even when I was super skinny as a teenager. 😅
I love how Shen Fangyu is finally coming into terms with his feelings. Hoping for Jiang Xu’s too💜 Translator-nim, thank you so much for this wonderful translation!🥰💜 I really am enjoying the story so much. It’s late but I can’t still put my phone down. Ah, I should be sleeping right now as I still have some things to do tomorrow😂