Extra Story 2: Time to Enjoy Life
"An Yuan, what if… we have a baby?"
On the messy bed, Chen Cheng lay limp in An Yuan’s arms, completely drained. Her mind was still hazy from the overwhelming pleasure just moments ago. With a slightly hoarse voice, she asked the question out of nowhere.
An Yuan had finally managed to tame this little succubus and was enjoying the warmth of their moment together. But then he heard something completely out of character for Chen Cheng.
He opened his eyes in surprise, looking at the charming and beautiful face so close and asked "Why do you suddenly want a child?"
After all, Chen Cheng had always disliked children, especially their high-pitched, ear-piercing screams. Even now, any loud noise could easily give her insomnia and stress. Over the years, their most common reason for moving houses was noise complaints.
"Don’t listen to all that nonsense from our parents. It’s not like they’ll be the ones paying to raise the kid. At most, they’ll help babysit once in a while. It’s easy for them to talk when they don’t have to deal with it themselves."
An Yuan assumed she was just feeling pressured by the elders and reassured her, "Forget what they say. Haven’t you always been a rebel? Why not stick to that for this too?"
"Mm..."
The faint flush on Chen Cheng’s skin hadn’t completely faded. Her eyes were still glistening as she lowered her gaze, gently stroking her flat stomach.
For the first time, An Yuan caught a glimpse of something new in her. A maternal instinct.
This girl, who used to be his childhood friend and playmate, had gone from a mischievous buddy to his wife. And now, she actually seemed ready to become a mother.
Chen Cheng herself was confused by this sudden impulse. Resting her head against An Yuan’s shoulder, she furrowed her brows in thought.
"Maybe… it’s because we can afford it now?"
With An Yuan’s stable salary of five or six thousand yuan a month and Chen Cheng’s inconsistent but decent earnings as a freelancer, money was no longer a concern. Even without touching their savings, they were financially comfortable in their small city. Raising a child wouldn’t be a burden.
"It’s going to hurt a lot," An Yuan warned. "And pregnancy can ruin your figure. Stretch marks don’t go away easily. If you need a C-section, you’ll have a scar across your belly."
More than just preparing her mentally, he was genuinely worried about her.
Since she had chosen to be with him, he had done everything he could to protect her from pain and hardship. Well, except for the teasing and playful bullying he did himself.
"Hmm…" Chen Cheng’s frown slowly relaxed, and she nodded decisively. "Never mind, then."
"Kinda suspected you were just running on hormones."
"Yeah, I think so too."
Even if she ever truly wanted a baby, she knew it couldn’t be a spur-of-the-moment decision.
She yawned lazily. "An Yuan~ take me to the shower. I’m too tired to move~"
"Give me a sec. I’m feeling sleepy."
An Yuan turned and wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her like a life-sized plush toy, as if he wanted to merge her into his body.
"Ouch… not so tight."
"How about another round?"
"No way! I’m sore all over."
After a bit of playful banter, An Yuan dozed off with Chen Cheng still in his arms.
But she stayed awake, staring at the ceiling before glancing over at his sleeping face.
She slowly leaned in until their faces were nearly touching, so close that she could faintly feel his body heat.
Chen Cheng let her thoughts wander, trying to picture what life would be like with a child.
"……"
Nothing.
She couldn’t picture herself as a gentle, loving mother, nor could she imagine having a well-behaved, easy-to-raise child.
After all, her personality was a lot like her mother, tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She had a habit of taking out her frustrations on those closest to her. In her past life, even the pets she raised often became the target of her bad moods. In this life, An Yuan frequently had to deal with her random sour moods.
She was afraid that if they had a child, the kid would end up just like her. Rebellious, emotionally distant, and hurt by family conflicts. If it weren’t for the life-changing event that happened nine years ago… if it weren’t for An Yuan’s protection, she wouldn’t have the life she had now.
Because she had been through it herself, she didn’t want her child to go through the same childhood she had.
Even though Chen Cheng was well aware of her own personality flaws, she could never really change them. Fortunately, An Yuan was incredibly patient with her, though he did suffer for it at night.
Sleepiness started to creep in. She had always been a night owl, making up for it with a nap at noon alongside An Yuan. But right now, she just felt sticky and uncomfortable.
"He couldn’t even help me clean up…"
Luckily, once An Yuan fell asleep, his arms loosened around her. She carefully slipped out of his embrace, tiptoeing naked out from under the blanket.
Throwing on a bathrobe, she walked barefoot to the bathroom, her legs shaking slightly.
Compared to when she was seventeen or eighteen, her appearance hadn’t changed much. If she put on a school uniform, she could probably still blend in with high school students. But now, having been cherished and loved, the natural charm in her features had fully bloomed, making her look even more alluring.
Unless it's absolutely necessary, she preferred wearing glasses when going out, just to tone down her seductive aura, even though she had already gotten laser eye surgery after high school.
As for her figure… whether it was good food or the effects of regular “massages”, Chen Cheng's breasts had become much bigger, and her bottom had become even more round and firm.
Standing completely bare in front of the mirror, Chen Cheng admired her own reflection and nodded in satisfaction. Even without regular workouts, her body was still in great shape. Except for the slight softness in her lower belly.
But An Yuan actually liked it. He thought a little softness there made her look even more sensual and feminine.
As she stepped into the shower, steam quickly filled the space. She tilted her head back, letting the warm water cascade over her skin, still confused by her earlier impulse.
That wasn’t like her. Why did she suddenly want a child?
Logically, she had zero interest in having kids. She disliked children, was afraid of pain, worried about the side effects, feared a decline in her quality of life… there were so many things she didn’t want.
And yet, deep inside, an undeniable urge had surged through her. It was instinctive, overwhelming. Even for a moment, she thought using protection was a waste. It would’ve been better to just let him fill her up…
Chen Cheng groaned in frustration, covering her face with both hands.
When An Yuan woke up from his nap, he saw Chen Cheng sitting nearby, silently watching him. There was something unreadable in her gaze, yet it was softer than usual.
His eyes drifted downward, her curled-up position had lifted the hem of her nightgown, fully revealing her underwear.
"What’s with that look? I have to get up for work, you know. Don’t tell me you’re still not satisfied?"
An Yuan stretched lazily and got out of bed, rolling his shoulders. But just as he was about to stand up, his legs suddenly gave out, and he collapsed back onto the mattress.
He felt like he had just run a marathon, one hour of sleep hadn’t been enough to recover.
"Pfft!" Chen Cheng burst into laughter.
"What’s so funny? Your husband works this hard just to please you!"
"Too weak."
"You sure weren’t acting all high and mighty when you were begging me earlier, calling me ‘Daddy’ and everything."
Chen Cheng wrinkled her nose. "That was cheating."
She got up and pulled out a fresh set of clothes for him from the wardrobe. "Go take a shower before your coworkers smell something weird on you."
"No rush. Five minutes for a shower, ten minutes to get to the office. I still have five minutes to spare."
As he casually pulled the damp bedsheet off the bed, he suddenly asked, "By the way, why did you suddenly think about having a baby earlier?"
This time, Chen Cheng had a clear answer.
"Because… this world is so beautiful. I want them to come and experience it too."
"They’d be born to enjoy happiness."