Shen Qingzhou’s newly purchased house in Beijing was not only in a prime location but also a spacious two-story villa, naturally priced far beyond what most people could even consider. With this house, the issue of buying a home for their marriage was resolved, but there were still some furnishings needed, especially those suited for a woman.
Speaking of furnishings, the nursery for their future child also needed preparation. Lin Qiao was already pregnant, and a third of the ten-month pregnancy had already passed. Her belly had started to show, and the time for childbirth was no longer distant. While preparing for their wedding necessities, arranging the baby’s room naturally became a priority.
Shen Qingzhou contacted a familiar renovation company to convert a small room adjacent to their bedroom into a nursery. He personally sketched out the design and gave detailed instructions before finally taking Lin Qiao to the supermarket to shop.
Lin Qiao was now more than four months pregnant. Compared to other expectant mothers, her belly showed more prominently, and she had already begun wearing loose clothing. Shen Qingzhou held her hand as she wore a chiffon dress with an elastic waistband positioned just below her chest, ensuring it wouldn’t press on her growing belly. As the weather had turned colder, she also wore stretchy leggings underneath. Though she wasn’t quite as fashionably striking as before, she willingly embraced this change for the sake of her child.
With a pregnant woman by his side, Shen Qingzhou—who usually drew attention wherever he went—was now less noticeable. Previously, when Lin Qiao wasn’t pregnant, people could still imagine him as an eligible bachelor. But now, with her belly clearly showing, it was obvious they were newlyweds soon to become parents. Few women, at least those with sound values, would pursue someone already in such a committed stage of life.
As for those with questionable values, they simply weren’t worth considering.
Lin Qiao and Shen Qingzhou first headed to the baby products section. After a quick walk-through, Lin noticed that baby items were often more expensive than adult products. However, this was understandable—babies’ skin was delicate, requiring higher quality materials, unlike adult products where corners could be cut. With the rising cost of living, the higher prices were justifiable.
Lin Qiao carefully selected clothes, hats, toys, and other essentials for the baby. Meanwhile, Shen Qingzhou stood beside her, bored and looking down at his phone. When Lin Qiao glanced back and saw him like this, she couldn’t help but pinch him, prompting a quiet giggle from the salesperson.
Lin Qiao offered the salesperson an apologetic smile before pulling Shen Qingzhou aside and whispering, “Are you really that impatient to be out shopping with me?”
Shen Qingzhou’s looks had only improved with time. His eyebrows were long and well-shaped, elegantly set above his eyes. His face was always cleanly shaven, like a bright moon in the night sky. His eyes were dark and narrow, deep and captivating, holding a gaze that made it hard for anyone to look away.
In response to her accusation, Shen Qingzhou gave a short chuckle and put his phone away. “No,” he replied simply.
Watching him tuck the phone back into his Zhongshan suit pocket, Lin Qiao gave a faint smile, choosing not to call out his impatience. She understood men’s aversion to shopping, so she silently sped up her selection and urged him to pay before moving on to the vanity selection.
When choosing the vanity, Shen Qingzhou was clearly more focused. He bent slightly, carefully inspecting each one Lin Qiao looked at twice. One by one, he rejected them until, just as she was about to lose patience, he finally nodded.
“This one is acceptable,” he said, pointing at a white European-style vanity. “Don’t rush. This kind of thing must be carefully selected. It comes with a mirror, so the placement must be considered carefully. I need time to think about its position and orientation; otherwise, it could cause trouble.”
The store clerk looked slightly bewildered after hearing Shen’s lengthy explanation and turned to Lin Qiao with a dazed expression. Lin Qiao, trying to maintain composure, said, “Please don’t mind. My husband pays a lot of attention to feng shui. We’ll take this one, no more picking. Please deliver it to this address.” She handed the clerk a piece of paper with the address already written down and casually asked, “Where do I pay?”
The word “pay” snapped the clerk back to reality, and the young girl quickly replied, “This way, this way. Please follow me, madam. Watch your step, the floor is slippery.”
Lin Qiao thanked her and followed to pay. Shen Qingzhou had already handed her his bank card, so he didn’t need to participate in the payment process and stayed behind to continue inspecting the remaining details.
He was someone who never used credit cards. In his own words, he had plenty of savings and didn’t need to rely on a credit card that required monthly repayments. His mind was filled with useful things, and tedious matters like bills were never part of his considerations.
After purchasing the vanity, Lin Qiao and Shen Qingzhou proceeded to buy some bedding and clothes. Pregnancy progressed quickly, and while Lin Qiao’s belly wasn’t too noticeable yet, by the fifth or sixth month, the changes would be significant, and her current waist-fitting clothes would no longer fit. Maternity clothes needed to be prepared in advance.
After purchasing everything necessary, Lin Qiao and Shen Qingzhou headed home. When they arrived, Lin Weiming and Xie Jiayi were already there, busily working on something at the table.
Notably, Du Xinling and Xiao Ning were also present. Xiao Ning had been in good health recently, so Du Xinling had brought him home for a couple of days. Staying in the hospital for too long would make the child feel like mold was growing on him.
Hearing the door open, Xiao Ning was the first to run over, eager to give Lin Qiao a warm hug, only to be stopped by his father.
“No,” Shen Qingzhou said sternly, frowning. “Xiao Ning, no more hugging like that.”
Xiao Ning looked up, puzzled. “Why not? She’s almost my mom now. Can’t I even give her a hug?”
Lin Qiao felt slightly awkward and tugged at Shen Qingzhou’s sleeve. He gently held her hand and explained to Xiao Ning, “Because Auntie Lin is pregnant and can’t handle such rough hugs.”
Xiao Ning was stunned for a moment before suddenly realizing, “Oh! That’s why Dad asked me the other day if I wanted a little sister…” He looked at Lin Qiao’s belly with a childlike seriousness, murmuring, “So Auntie Lin is pregnant.”
Du Xinling slowly approached the door, leaning against the stairs and watching Lin Qiao and Shen Qingzhou. Seeing Shen carrying all the shopping bags, he couldn’t help but laugh mockingly, saying, “So you’ve finally come to this day.”
Shen Qingzhou gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing, walking into the house with the bags.
Xiao Ning remained standing there, just like Lin Qiao, puzzled by Du Xinling’s words. Being a child, he directly asked, “Uncle Du, why did you say Dad has finally come to this day?”
Du Xinling smiled at the child. “Xiao Ning, your dad used to never carry things himself when he went out. He always had excuses—saying it didn’t match his outfit or that carrying bags in a certain color would bring bad luck. Anyway, he always had a reason not to carry anything.”
Xiao Ning blinked for a while before finally understanding. He turned to Lin Qiao and asked, “Then Auntie Lin, did Dad refuse to carry anything today?”
Lin Qiao thought for a moment and then replied seriously, “No. He was actually quite proactive and didn’t even let me carry things myself.”
Xiao Ning sighed and walked to Du Xinling, consoling him with a tone of understanding. “Uncle Du, I think the real reason is just one thing.”
“What reason?” Du Xinling was now thoroughly confused by the child.
“Because you’re a guy,” Xiao Ning said matter-of-factly. “And not just any guy, but a grown-up man. Dad never lets me carry things by myself. Every time he sends me to school, he carries my backpack for me.”
Du Xinling’s face fell into a bitter smile as he patted Xiao Ning’s head and sighed, “Alright, enough joking. Come in and rest. Auntie Lin must be tired after walking all day.”
Lin Qiao smiled and nodded, changed her shoes, and entered the house. Xiao Ning walked slowly, as if waiting for her. When she finally caught up, he took her hand and whispered, “Auntie Lin, when you have your little sister, will you like me less?”
Lin Qiao had been afraid of him having such thoughts, so she quickly replied, “Of course not. Auntie Lin will love you just as much as the little sister. The little sister will also love you as her big brother.”
“Really?” Xiao Ning looked up, his brows furrowed and lips pursed, his expression looking pitiful.
Lin Qiao bent down with some difficulty and gently stroked his head, softly saying, “Of course it’s true. You’re such a good boy, Xiao Ning. How could Auntie Lin not love you? Your little sister will also love you as her big brother.”
Children are ultimately simple-hearted. With this assurance, Xiao Ning no longer had any doubts and happily smiled. Actually, it was because Xiao Ning had been well-educated—kind-hearted, unselfish, and obedient. Otherwise, this could have been a real problem.
“Auntie Lin,” Xiao Ning suddenly asked, “why are you and Dad so sure it’s going to be a sister? It could also be a little brother, right?”
By this time, Lin Qiao had already walked into the living room with him, and everyone was there. So his question drew everyone’s attention.
Lin Qiao looked at Shen Qingzhou, who was standing beside Lin Weiming, watching him write. Lin Qiao’s father had come in person to write the couplets and “Xi” characters for their wedding. Xie Jiayi was also helping with the paper folding. The whole family was gathered together in a warm and joyful atmosphere, something that hadn’t happened in a long time.
“Actually, I haven’t really thought about whether it’s a boy or a girl,” Lin Qiao said, squinting slightly. “Your dad said it’s a girl, so I just went along with it. But whether it’s a sister or a brother, Xiao Ning will love and protect him or her the same, right?” She looked at Xiao Ning with a sincere and hopeful expression, a look that even a child couldn’t refuse.
“Right,” Xiao Ning nodded firmly, hugging a pillow and patting the spot beside him on the sofa. “Come sit here, Auntie Lin. You’ve been standing too long; the baby must be tired.”
Lin Qiao hesitated for a moment, then smiled and walked over to slowly sit down on the sofa. When she looked at Shen Qingzhou, she noticed that his expression was also filled with contentment.
Their biggest challenge had been the child’s heart. They were worried about hurting Xiao Ning and also worried about hurting the unborn child, so there had always been a knot in their hearts.
Now that they had talked it through, the knot in their hearts was finally untied, and as they looked around at everything, their moods had greatly improved.
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