Extra Story 6
"It's real?! You're pregnant?!"
"Sit down right now! I'll do the cleaning!"
In just a few minutes, An Yuan burst through the front door, panting. He had clearly run all the way home after getting the news.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Chen Cheng using the floor cleaner. He rushed over and snatched it from her hands.
Even though An Yuan always said he wasn’t a big fan of kids, the moment he heard she was pregnant, his brain was overwhelmed with happiness. He couldn’t stop smiling, his joy written all over his face.
Chen Cheng stood there in a daze, letting go of the floor cleaner as she watched him take over the housework.
It still didn’t feel real.
She had thought getting pregnant would be difficult and had mentally prepared for a long battle. But the moment they decided to have a baby, bam, she was pregnant.
Wait… does that mean she has some kind of super fertility?
"Why are you just standing there? Did pregnancy make you dumb already? Go sit on the couch!" An Yuan laughed as he guided her over and gently pushed her down onto the sofa. "From now on, I'll do all the housework."
"Did you tell our parents yet? They already adore you. If they find out you’re pregnant, they might go straight to the temple to light incense and pray for you."
"Do you think it’s a boy or a girl? I kinda hope it’s a girl. What about you?"
An Yuan kept talking excitedly, which was rare for him. Chen Cheng looked at his beaming face, and only then did the joy slowly sink in. She couldn't help but grin like an idiot along with him.
She lowered her head and gently placed her hands over her still-flat belly. It was hard to believe that a tiny life was already growing inside her. Her eyes curved into little crescents as she smiled. This time, not with her usual bright and playful charm, but with a softer, more mature grace.
This newfound elegance, combined with her naturally seductive fox-like eyes, made her look even more alluring.
"I’m fine with either. They’ll both be trouble anyway."
"Yeah, true, both will be a handful."
Just as An Yuan was about to continue cleaning, he noticed that Chen Cheng’s expression suddenly changed, her mood took a sharp dive.
"What’s wrong?!"
At 26 or 27 years old, An Yuan had seen plenty of people his age getting married and having kids. He had heard that pregnancy hormones could make emotions swing wildly, almost like being on an extended nine-month-long period. Some women even developed depression.
Now he understood why Chen Cheng had been so irritable the past few days, even chasing the cat around in a rage.
"There’s a big problem," Chen Cheng said seriously, placing a hand on her belly.
"Is it really serious?" An Yuan’s face immediately turned grim as he braced himself for bad news. "Is it a genetic issue? Or...?"
Chen Cheng looked at him, her face full of concern.
"Does this mean we can’t… you know, do it anymore?"
"......"
An Yuan froze for a second, then quickly grabbed his phone to look it up. After a moment, he nodded with certainty.
"The first three months are a no-go. And the last three months too."
"Wait, so what are we supposed to do?!" Chen Cheng panicked, grabbing onto his sleeve. "I don’t mind, but what about you?!"
…Wait a second.
Shouldn't you be the one freaking out?
You’re usually the one who's always in the mood!
An Yuan wasn’t someone who had to do it every day, but Chen Cheng was another story. She always dressed too scantily at home, even wearing seductive outfits, deliberately trying to lure and seduce him.
And then she had the nerve to turn around and accuse him of being the pervy one!
An Yuan rolled his eyes. "I’ll be fine. I’ll just take care of it myself for a few months. Or… you could help?"
"No way! If you get to enjoy it, what about me?!"
When Chen Cheng had suddenly decided she wanted a baby, she had forced herself to think it through logically. But now, she realized she hadn’t thought it through enough! She had already finished reading an entire parenting book, yet somehow she had completely overlooked this critical issue.
And An Yuan! He had warned her about stretch marks, the pain of childbirth, and possible long-term side effects, but not once did he mention that pregnancy meant no fun times for months!
He should’ve told her sooner!
Chen Cheng lay on the couch, staring at An Yuan with a pout. An Yuan gave an awkward laugh. "Let me finish cleaning first."
The two of them always bickered over little things, but today, An Yuan was extra obedient. Whatever Chen Cheng said, he followed. If she told him to go east, he wouldn’t dare go west.
"Should we go to the hospital for a check-up later?"
"I don’t want to go to the hospital..."
"That’s not okay!" An Yuan knocked lightly on her head as he mopped the floor. "Are you trying to pretend nothing happened? Then keep draining me dry morning and night?"
Chen Cheng turned her head away and grumbled, but she didn’t argue, basically admitting it.
"What about the cat? Should we take it to my mom’s place for now?"
An Yuan glanced at their cat, which was busy scratching the curtains. The once-perfect fabric had already been shredded into strips.
"No way!"
"Didn’t you just say two days ago that you wanted to get rid of it? And now it’s a no?"
"Ever heard of saying things out of anger?" Chen Cheng said confidently. "Besides, this is a great chance for me to practice patience with Naicha! The cat never goes outside, so it doesn’t have any diseases or parasites. Why send it to your mom’s?"
"Alright, we’ll keep it for now."
After finishing the cleaning, he excitedly plopped down next to Chen Cheng on the couch. His movements were extra careful as he nervously stared at her belly.
"Can you feel it kicking yet?"
"It’s only been a few days! It probably doesn’t even look human yet."
An Yuan bent down and pressed his ear against her stomach, hoping to hear something.
Chen Cheng instinctively ran her fingers through his hair, tilting her head to watch him act all silly. Her eyes were full of amusement.
"I heard a gurgle!"
"Maybe because I didn’t eat enough breakfast?" Chen Cheng complained, "I made a whole pot of century egg and pork congee, and you ate most of it, leaving me just a tiny bit."
An Yuan immediately sat up straight, looking eager. "Then let me cook something for you! What do you feel like eating?"
"Hmm… the first thing you ever cooked for me. That egg roll? I haven’t had it in ages."
An Yuan could cook, but his skills weren’t as good as Chen Cheng’s. Over time, he went from being her assistant in the kitchen to just getting in the way, so he had barely cooked in the past few years.
Besides, they didn’t cook at home that often. It was usually takeout or eating at their parents' houses, so An Yuan never really had a chance to improve.
"Got it! I’ll add some ham and fried eggs. I think we still have bacon at home too?" An Yuan checked with her. "From now on, let’s order less takeout. I’ll cook for you instead, it’s cleaner."
"Takeout is clean too…"
"Did you forget the last time we had grilled fish? We both got food poisoning and had diarrhea for two days."
Seeing how serious An Yuan was, Chen Cheng smiled and pushed her luck. "So, whatever I want to eat, you’ll make it for me?"
"If I don’t know how, I’ll look up a recipe. But it’s better to eat light food, right?"
"Then for lunch, I want lobster! A big lobster!"
"No problem! But first, I’ll go make that egg roll."
An Yuan was so happy that he practically bounced his way to the kitchen, looking like a student who had just aced a test.
"Oh! Don’t tell our parents yet!"
Chen Cheng suddenly remembered and poked her head into the kitchen. "Otherwise, they’ll come over and start nagging, bossing me around, and telling me what I can and can’t eat, like I’m some kind of patient."
"We can’t hide it for long, though. You do need to be taken care of."
"Ugh, no way! I’m the pregnant one, so I make the rules."
Chen Cheng had always hated being controlled, and she really couldn’t stand being lectured. An Yuan figured keeping her happy was important, so he quickly agreed.
"Alright, alright. I promise I won’t say a word."