Chapter 48 Superstition
Shen Huai'an's steady steps froze instantly, and he even stumbled slightly. But for some reason, he steadied himself immediately, turned around, and carefully placed the person on the bed.
It was all because of what Bai Zhenzhen had just said: "Shen Huai'an, I'm pregnant."
The man's heart raced for a moment, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but more than that, there was a bright light of joy, excitement, and delight.
"...Zhenzhen, are you...are you telling the truth?" Shen Huai'an's usually calm and collected voice trembled slightly as he looked at the person in front of him and pressed on, "Are you really pregnant?"
"Yes, it's been over a month." When talking about her pregnancy, Bai Zhenzhen initially found it unbelievable, because apart from being a little sleepy and hungry quickly in the first few days after arriving abroad, but also becoming more picky about food, she had no other physical discomfort.
But overseas, they have the most advanced and clearest ultrasound equipment, and the doctor who examined her repeatedly confirmed that she was indeed pregnant before she believed it.
However, despite believing it, Bai Zhenzhen still didn't feel it was real.
She had promised to give birth to a grandson for her father when she was trying to persuade him to go abroad for surgery, but her words were not what they seemed. To this day, Bai Zhenzhen has no feeling what it means to be a mother.
When Shen Huai'an first heard the news of her pregnancy, he felt the same way as her. The child came too quickly, and neither of them felt it was real. They hadn't learned about the precautions that new parents should know beforehand.
Faced with this unexpected surprise, Shen Huai'an's first reaction was to let go of her, and he didn't even dare to hug her tightly anymore.
"How are you feeling now? Is there anything that's bothering you?" Shen Huai'an asked anxiously after learning that Bai Zhenzhen had just gotten off the plane that afternoon.
Because he cared, his face changed several expressions in an instant. Bai Zhenzhen found it fascinating and couldn't help but pinch his slightly thin cheeks to see if this person was still the same Shen Huai'an.
During her absence, Shen Huai'an almost returned to his previous routine, arriving earliest and leaving latest every day. His colleagues at the procuratorate, seeing Shen Huai'an become a workaholic since his wife left, often discussed and sighed in private that a lonely person is indeed less human than one with a family.
Look at Prosecutor Shen as a perfect example. His work attitude after his wife moved in and after she moved out is completely different. Although he is now more focused on cases and puts more time and energy into his work, the leaders of the procuratorate have talked to him several times, hoping that he can take a break from work. People are not machines, and they still need to rest properly after work.
Shen Huai'an listened to this advice. He took the case files home to study and ate at the cafeteria or just grabbed a quick bite every day. This is why he lost a lot of weight in the short period of time that Bai Zhenzhen left.
Although his face became more handsome and defined after he became thinner, the sharpness between his eyebrows and eyes also became more obvious. Compared to him, Bai Zhenzhen still preferred him to be a little bit chubby. When he picked her up just now, his arms were like iron arms holding her tightly, and they even hurt her.
"I'm fine. Secretary Wang took good care of me the whole way, and the flight attendants were very helpful. I don't feel uncomfortable at all," Bai Zhenzhen said, noticing his worry. She added a few more words of explanation.
No sooner had I finished speaking than my stomach started rumbling.
Bai Zhenzhen subconsciously touched her stomach, but her palm was covered by a large hand. Shen Huai'an was faster than her, placing his hand on her flat stomach, his brows furrowed with concern. "What's wrong? Is your stomach uncomfortable? I'll take you to the hospital right now..."
"..." Before he could finish speaking, Bai Zhenzhen covered his mouth with a blushing face. Wasn't this guy usually quite smart? How come he couldn't even hear her stomach rumbling?
After his mouth was covered, Shen Huai'an quickly realized why her stomach was making noises. He was indeed smart, but his mind was still reeling from the huge surprise of learning that she was pregnant, and his thoughts were subconsciously heading in the wrong direction.
"You haven't had dinner yet?" Shen Huai'an asked, standing up first and carefully pulling her towards the living room. "You're pregnant, so don't wait for me next time. Eat as soon as you're hungry. It's not good for your health."
"I ate some snacks and desserts that the flight attendant gave me before I got off the plane, and I also ate a bowl of wontons cooked by Aunt Wang after I got back..." Bai Zhenzhen was eating just an hour ago, but her stomach felt like it was never full. She always gets hungry quickly lately.
When she was abroad, she didn't pay much attention to this problem because she was a picky eater. Sometimes when she was short of breath, the doctor would just say that she was too thin and needed to pay attention to nutrition, without mentioning anything else.
Unexpectedly, her appetite increased dramatically as soon as she returned to China. After being led to the dining table by Shen Huai'an, Bai Zhenzhen looked at the food on the table and was a little worried that if she kept eating like this, she would become a big fat woman when she gave birth.
Shen Huai'an didn't understand her worries. After touching the food on the table, which was still warm and at the perfect temperature to eat, he picked up a bowl and chopsticks and put a few of her favorite dishes on her plate. "Aren't you hungry? Eat up."
Despite her thoughts, Bai Zhenzhen honestly accepted the chopsticks handed to her, picked up the bowl, and began to eat.
Wow, the ribs smell so good, the steamed pork is so tender and soft, and the handmade fish balls are so fresh. Aunt Wang's cooking skills seem to have improved again. It's all so delicious.
While she was enjoying her meal, Shen Huai'an peeled a few more boiled shrimp and put them in her bowl. He only started eating after watching her eat until she was half full.
After dinner, Shen Huai'an tidied up quickly, took a shower, changed into clean pajamas, and sat on the sofa to watch TV with Bai Zhenzhen.
As soon as he sat down, he felt the person in his arms bury their head in his neck, sniffing gently with their little nose, and finally hugging his neck and snuggling into his arms. Shen Huai'an's heart melted completely.
The two embraced quietly, neither paying attention to the TV series playing. Shen Huai'an stroked her hair gently, while Bai Zhenzhen yawned slowly, smelling his familiar scent, and soon fell asleep after closing her eyes.
With his long, slender hand, he picked up the remote control and pressed the play button. Shen Huai'an lifted her legs with one hand and put his other arm around her back, carrying her back to the bedroom to sleep.
The next morning, Bai Zhenzhen woke up in her familiar two-meter-wide bed. Although the bedside was empty, there was a bunch of bright red roses on the bedside table.
A faint floral fragrance wafted to her nose. Bai Zhenzhen pulled out a rose, played with it, and pushed open the door to the living room. Aunt Wang was busy in the kitchen. Seeing her come out, she immediately smiled and came over. "Zhenzhen, you're awake. Are you hungry now? I made some paper-wrapped shumai this morning, with your favorite corn and shrimp filling, and..."
Bai Zhenzhen glanced around the small room, and only asked when she didn't see anyone, "Aunt Wang, did you put that bouquet of flowers in my room?"
Aunt Wang's smile widened as she heard her mention it. "No, it was Xiao Shen who brought it back this morning. He told me that you're pregnant and need to eat more nutritious food. But I think you two need to eat more too. I've noticed that Xiao Shen has lost quite a bit of weight."
The guess was confirmed. Bai Zhenzhen twirled the rose in her hand and smiled with a slight upturn of her lips.
At noon, Shen Huai'an took some time to come back and have lunch with Bai Zhenzhen. At the table, Aunt Wang nagged a few times, saying that she had only been away for a few days, but the young couple had lost a lot of weight. She said that she should make more nutritious food for them to replenish their bodies during this period.
After Bai Zhenzhen went abroad, Shen Huai'an did not ask Aunt Wang and Uncle Liu to come to the family compound to take care of him separately. Instead, after discussing it with Bai Zhenzhen, he gave the two of them a period of leave so that they could take the opportunity to go home and spend time with their families.
During the holidays, Aunt Wang would occasionally go to the villa and the family compound to do some routine cleaning, and cook a meal for Shen Huai'an from time to time. She had taken care of Bai Zhenzhen for more than ten years and had long regarded her as a family member, and Bai Zhenzhen felt the same way.
She wasn't annoyed by Aunt Wang's nagging, but she couldn't help but say that she was afraid of gaining weight from eating too much.
"No way, you're only newly pregnant, it's the time to make sure you get enough nutrition. You can eat as much as you want while you can," Aunt Wang said, having been through it all before. Hearing her words, she offered her more advice.
Shen Huai'an knew nothing about these things, so he listened very attentively and even planned to take some time to go to the bookstore to see if there were any related books to learn from.
Bai Zhenzhen was completely relieved after hearing what Aunt Wang said. Aunt Wang meant that there was no need to control it too much in the early stages. If she was really afraid, she could wait until the fetus was almost fully grown before controlling it.
Besides diet, Aunt Wang also told them that they should exercise a little more after getting pregnant. She couldn't explain the specific reasons, but she knew that it would be good for the baby and the mother's health.
After reading several more medical books about pregnancy, Shen Huai'an understood what she meant. More exercise can help with digestion, so that pregnant women don't feel uncomfortable from overeating. Also, more exercise can promote the absorption of nutrients by the stomach and intestines and improve immunity. In short, you can't lie down or sit for too long.
From that day on, Shen Huai'an would take Bai Zhenzhen to the nearby park for a walk every evening after dinner. The neighbors in the residential compound often saw the young couple holding hands as they went out.
In just a few months, the neighbors have witnessed firsthand how Shen Huai'an's family has gone from being cold and desolate to living a harmonious and loving life. The changes are truly remarkable.
Bai Zhenzhen's pregnancy is currently only known to close relatives. Shen Huai'an only told his mother and family when he called home, because Aunt Wang had mentioned a superstitious belief that the fewer people who know about a pregnant woman's pregnancy before she is three months along, the better, otherwise the baby will be too shy to come.
Shen Huai'an, a legal professional who was about to be promoted to prosecutor, actually did as instructed after hearing this.
When Bai Zhenzhen laughed at him for being 'superstitious,' she heard Shen Huai'an carefully looking at her belly and saying, "Baby, Mommy and Daddy are really looking forward to your arrival."
The man's gentle eyes made her heart skip a beat, and she reluctantly agreed to his request.
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Author's Note: [Dog head carrying a rose][Dog head carrying a rose] Here it is~
(The story will officially end tomorrow, with more side stories to follow.)
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