Chapter 20 (1/2)

This is the end of the story, the ending you've all been waiting for. ❤ ❤ Only epilogues to go!

Chapter 20 —

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In the dozen or so days that followed, she soon integrated into this family.

Yi Wenze's mother loved cooking and especially liked Chinese food. Jia He was also happy to keep her company and chat with her, and over the next few days, she actually spent more time with his mother. The first thing the two did after waking up every morning was to look into what they would eat for the day's three meals. When their discussions led to a dish that neither of them knew how to make, they would go online to look up the recipe and then study it in detail.

Eventually, both Yi Wenze and his father could not stand this anymore, and they persuaded the two women to simply have a barbecue in the backyard and not, just for the sake of one meal, prepare for two to three hours while, in the process, casting aside and ignoring the two grown men.

”Jia He, you have a very healthy appet.i.te.” His mother was very pleased. With a white brush, she swept some olive oil onto the fresh vegetables. ”I like little girls who eat and drink well. It's nice and healthy.”

I'm long past being a little girl…

Jia He responded with a smile, ”I usually eat a lot in the winter, and then in the summer I won't have much appet.i.te. It might be because my body is still stuck in China mode, so I still have my winter appet.i.te.”

The person in front of her gave her a meaningful look, then suddenly dropped her voice and inquired, ”Have the two of you been using any form of birth control?”

An ”Ah?” slipped from Jia He, but no words came to her for the longest time.

That was just too direct. Even her mom had never outright asked her like that…

Her head hanging low, she brushed oil onto the chicken wings with all her might. Faltering many times over her reply, she finally squeaked out, ”No.”

It shouldn't be. These last few months, her periods had been normal, and she had not shown any obvious symptoms either. Other than… She searched her mind. It seemed, other than a little bit of change to her bust size, everything was the same as normal. It shouldn't be, right?

The more she pondered on this, the more self-conscious she became. What made it worse was that the eyes of the person by her side were still fixed on her.

Soon, a delicious smell wafted from the chicken wings above the continuously prancing flames. From somewhere by her hand, someone suddenly handed her a basting brush. Only then did she snap back to the present. As she hurriedly made a couple of sweeps with the brush, she heard his voice ask, ”What are you thinking about?”

Jia He's cheeks burned even more furiously. But though she spent a lengthy time trying to work herself up to it, she still could not make herself say anything.

Last time, it was because she had mistakenly believed she was pregnant that she had been filled with eager expectation and taken the test so many times, but it had turned out to be nothing. If a repeat of that were to happen this time, she would die simply from getting laughed at… Amid the increasingly tantalizing aroma surrounding them, she finally, filled with uneasiness, snuck a peek at Yi Wenze. ”Do you think… I should take a test and see?”

Oh no, I did end up saying it.

Her eyes were darting around nervously, and she nearly burned her hand.

Yi Wenze took from her the things she was holding. His manner was utterly demonstrating that this was all within his expectations. ”I've already made an appointment. You might need to wake up a little earlier tomorrow.”

Huh?Jia He stared incredulously at him. ”When did you make the appointment?”

”Before we came, when we were in Shanghai.” He plated all the food items that were done grilling. ”I was afraid you would be too uptight, so I didn't tell you ahead of time.”

Jia He gawked at him the entire time as he brought the plate over, came back, and continued grilling more food. After a long while, with her eyes fastened on him, she mumbled, ”I don't even feel anything; how can you feel something? …”

”I'm the baby's father. How could I not feel something?” His expression was placid, as if this was only to be expected.

After mulling over that for a moment, she felt that it did sound rather reasonable… even though there was no scientific basis for it. She would just treat it as if their hearts and minds were in sync…

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The next day, she had not even woken yet when he picked her up in his arms and started helping help her to get dressed.

Her mind stayed in its muddled state for a long time before she at last remembered what they were going to do today. She gazed at him, wanting to say something, but then she noticed that his attire was particularly proper-looking today. She had thought that, since they became a couple, she had gradually developed immunity to him. However, on this morning, this sight that charged into her view when she opened her eyes still ended up taking her breath away, and she honestly wanted to grab her phone and take a photo, forever preserving this picture.

Seeing that all this time her eyes had never left him, Yi Wenze very resignedly asked, ”Awake now?”

She made a sound of ”mm-hmm.” Abandoning the idea that her besotted mind had concocted, she docilely followed him downstairs.

When the two arrived at the hospital, they began methodically going through the tests. She only needed to let Yi Wenze lead her, continually going into different rooms, doing various tests. All the doctors were very courteous, but they did not provide so much as one sentence of useful information to her.

Finally, when they were waiting for the results report, he privately had a few words with the doctor.

As Jia He sat on the couch, studying his expression that showed not even the slightest ripples of anxiety, she speculated that he might be concerned that she would be disappointed and hence was discussing things with the doctor first. She had to say, regarding this particular point, he was being extremely thoughtful.

At the end, she left the hospital in trepidation, still not prodding him for any information.

If she really were pregnant, the doctor would have given a very detailed explanation as well as some instructions… But judging from the look on Yi Wenze's face, he did not appear to have anything that he wanted to say. She surmised that he was worried she was going to experience yet another instance of disappointment, and so was weighing how he should break the news to her. While all these random, baseless thoughts were whirling through her head, an intense feeling of guilt was already beginning to rise in her, and she was incessantly thinking up all sorts of words of persuasion she could use.

The car had driven to a broad, open gra.s.sy area before he slowly brought it to a stop.

At the end of that stretch of green was the beach. Beneath the flood of suns.h.i.+ne, the crystal-clear ocean was suffused with a hazy, white glow. Simply gazing out upon this sight would improve anyone's mood immensely. She followed him out of the car and strolled along the beach. Both near and far, there was no one around but the two of them.

In the serene surroundings, there was only the sound of the rus.h.i.+ng waves.

Was she? Or was she not?

Was he trying to give her a happy surprise? Or was he trying to think of how to comfort her?

Jia He groaned inwardly. Seriously, such a conflicted life. Why can't I just ask straight out?