Extra Story 8
“Ugh!”
While cooking, perhaps from the smell of the cooking fumes, a strong wave of nausea suddenly surged up.
Chen Cheng leaned over the sink, trying to throw up. Tears welled up in her eyes from the effort, but in the end, she only spat out a mouthful of sour liquid.
Weak and nauseous, she slumped over the sink, gasping for air. She wiped away her tears, sniffled, and then, as if nothing had happened, turned back to continue cooking.
She was pregnant, yet An Yuan still had to rush off to work...
It’s not like they were short on money. Even if he didn’t work, they’d still have more than enough...
Some internet troll was running their mouth in the comment section again. She checked their profile, turns out they criticize everything they read. If she argued back, she’d look petty, which wouldn’t be good for new readers. But if she ignored it, she’d feel frustrated...
Expressionless, Chen Cheng plated the stir-fried tomato and eggs. Then, she carefully lifted the steamed turbot fish from the pot, placing it in a bowl. She sprinkled some scallions on top, drizzled it with steamed fish soy sauce, and finally, heated up some peanut oil and poured it over the dish.
The sizzling sound filled the air. A few drops of hot oil splattered onto Chen Cheng’s hand, making her flinch and take a step back. Her brows furrowed even deeper.
Why was nothing going right today?
She quickly ran her hand under cold water, dried it, and picked up a plate in each hand, ready to serve dinner.
She had put in so much effort today, specially preparing a feast for An Yuan after his long day at work!
She could already imagine it, An Yuan coming home, exhausted but lighting up at the sight of his loving wife and the delicious meal. He’d hug her and shower her with compliments~
Thinking about it, her bad mood started to fade, and a smile naturally crept onto her face.
“Meow!”
As soon as she stepped out of the kitchen, her foot landed right on the cat’s tail.
A sharp, agonized yowl startled her so much that she flinched, hurriedly lifting her foot. But in the process, she lost her balance. Her shoulder hit the wall, and the two dishes in her hands crashed to the floor.
She stood frozen, staring at the mess on the ground. Her apron was covered in stains.
For some reason, a deep sense of grievance welled up inside her. Before she could stop it, it all turned into a wave of sadness. Her legs gave out, and she slid down against the wall, sitting on the floor.
“Chengzi~ I’m home!”
“What time did you wake up today? Whoa! Something smells amazing! Did you cook?”
The moment An Yuan stepped inside, he was greeted by the aroma of freshly cooked food. He grinned as he entered the house, expecting Chen Cheng to come bouncing up to welcome him.
But she didn’t.
He didn’t see her anywhere, nor did he hear her usual cheerful greeting.
“Chengzi?”
Kicking off his shoes in a hurry, he didn’t even bother putting on slippers as he walked across the carpet, looking around.
“I went to check out some houses this afternoon. Found a good second-hand one, built just two years ago. It used to cost 15,000 yuan per square meter, but now it’s down to 10,000. Fully furnished, move-in ready! I took a video—”
He was still rambling when he stepped into the dining area and froze.
The floor was a disaster. Food was spilled everywhere.
And in the middle of it all, Chen Cheng sat slumped on the ground, silently crying, looking pitiful.
His heart skipped a beat. He rushed over in a panic. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
“The cat…” Chen Cheng sniffled, pointing toward the living room while wiping her tears. “I stepped on its tail… and spilled all the food…”
“Did you hurt yourself?”
“No…”
“As long as you’re okay.” An Yuan let out a breath of relief. He squatted down in front of her, looking at the tear-streaked mess of a girl. With a helpless sigh, he said, “I don’t see you cry very often.”
Chen Cheng tried hard to hold back her tears. She tilted her head up and choked out, “Do I look really bad?”
“You look like a pear blossom in the rain, so pitiful.” An Yuan didn’t mind the dirty floor and sat down beside her. “Seeing you cry is breaking my heart.”
“Where’s it breaking? I don’t see it.”
“You want me to take it out and show you?”
“Yes!”
An Yuan couldn’t help but laugh. He reached out and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. “Alright, no more crying~ Seeing you cry makes me want to cry too. Go change your clothes, I’ll clean this up later.”
“But I worked so hard to cook this…”
“There’s still food on the table, right? I’ll cook something for you later and show off my skills!”
An Yuan gently comforted her. He had expected her mood swings due to the pregnancy, but he never imagined she would become this fragile.
Back when she had just become a girl and was struggling to adjust to her new body, she would only cry secretly after drinking. Even then, she held back her tears.
But now? Just because she spilled some food, she was crying so hard it was heartbreaking to watch.
Honestly, he would rather she just got mad and complained. This kind of crying was too much to handle.
“Come on, get up?”
Chen Cheng shook her head, still feeling down.
“Then let’s talk about something happy.” An Yuan wrapped an arm around her waist, grinning mischievously. “The house I saw today is only a little over a million yuan! The owner spent at least two million on buying and renovating it, but now he can’t even afford the mortgage. Lucky for me, I found a great deal!”
“He’s already struggling, and you’re laughing at him?”
“Uh…” An Yuan scratched his head awkwardly and pulled out his phone. “I took a video, take a look. If you like it, we can buy it and help him out.”
But Chen Cheng’s eyes were still filled with tears, her vision blurry. She wasn’t in the mood to care about houses. Instead, she pitifully tugged on An Yuan’s arm. “I felt really sick just now… I threw up some sour water. It was awful.”
"Is it morning sickness?" An Yuan lowered his head and lifted her shirt slightly, placing his hand on her still-flat stomach. He squeezed her soft, slender waist, thin enough to fit a pair of glasses around. “It’s been over a month, but you don’t look pregnant at all.”
“It takes three or four months to show, right?” Chen Cheng also looked down at her belly. “So slow.”
“What’s the rush?”
Her tears had finally stopped, but now her face turned red with embarrassment. She muttered in a small voice, “I have to wait three months before we can… you know…”
She was seriously starting to think that her emotional breakdown today had a lot to do with holding back for the past month!
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was. “That must be why I cried today! Anyway, it's been a month! Everything's fine now!”
Oh no! Why did this little succubus suddenly bring this up?!
An Yuan looked troubled. “Wait a second… I haven’t touched you in a month either…”
“What do you mean you haven’t touched me?!” Chen Cheng’s brows furrowed. All her earlier sadness was instantly gone, replaced by fiery indignation. She looked like an angry kitten. “My thighs have been rubbed red, okay? My hands are sore, and my jaw nearly dislocated!”
“You enjoyed it yourself and just ignored me!”
“Uh…” An Yuan could only chuckle awkwardly, trying to change the subject. “Come on, get up from the floor. I’ll clean up.”
Chen Cheng was pulled to her feet while An Yuan went to tidy up and cook a few more dishes.
Meanwhile, she stuck to him like a shadow, nagging non-stop. “I’m sure it’s fine now! An Yuan~ An Yuan~”
“Just a little bit won’t be a problem, right? I don’t believe other pregnant women can go three months without… you know.”
“How about we ask the doctor tomorrow? If the doctor says it’s okay, then it’s okay, right?”
“If you don’t help me out later, don’t expect me to help you anymore! Hmph!”