Chapter 54 Pregnant Man... Are you hiding something from me?
The bedroom was so quiet in the dead of night that the ticking of the clock could be heard. Shuzhi lay on her side, her back to Dai Yuzhuo, unable to fall asleep. Behind her came his suppressed breathing, occasionally punctuated by a faint retching sound, like tiny needles gently pricking her heart. She instinctively gripped the blanket tighter, her heart filled with conflicting emotions. On one hand, she felt that Dai Yuzhuo was tormenting himself because he couldn't let go of his "ex-wife"; on the other hand, the subtle sounds of pain made her inexplicably uneasy.
After an unknown amount of time, the noise behind them suddenly grew louder. Dai Yuzhuo sat up abruptly, staggering towards the bathroom, the suppressed sound of vomiting seeping through the crack in the door, revealing her barely concealed embarrassment. Shuzhi froze on the spot, her fingers unconsciously digging into the sheets, but finally couldn't hold it in any longer and got up to walk to the bathroom door.
Through the crack in the door, Dai Yuzhuo was leaning over the toilet, retching. His face was as white as paper under the light, and the stray hairs on his forehead were soaked with cold sweat, clinging to his skin. His other hand was tightly protecting his lower abdomen, the movement gentle yet firm, as if guarding some fragile treasure. Shuzhi watched that scene, and a strange feeling suddenly swept through her heart.
That posture didn't seem like a simple case of illness; rather, it carried an almost reverent sense of cherishing.
"Do you need any help?" Shuzhi was taken aback when she asked the question. She hadn't wanted to ask, but seeing Dai Yuzhuo's weak appearance, her tone unconsciously softened slightly.
Dai Yuzhuo turned to look at her, a layer of surprise appearing in his eyes, which was then covered by exhaustion. He shook his head, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "No need, I... I'm fine." He paused for a moment, then added, "Go back to sleep, don't catch a cold."
Shuzhi didn't move, she just stood at the door watching him. It wasn't until Dai Yuzhuo leaned against the wall and slowly straightened up that she subconsciously reached out to help him, but as soon as her fingertips touched his arm, she quickly withdrew them and turned to walk towards the kitchen: "I'll pour you a glass of warm water."
When she returned with the water, Dai Yuzhuo was already sitting in a chair in the bedroom, his head resting against the back of the chair with his eyes closed. Shuzhi handed him the water glass, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "If you're really not feeling well, go to the hospital tomorrow."
Dai Yuzhuo opened his eyes, took the water glass, and felt a slight coolness as his fingertips touched her hand. He looked at Shuzhi's slightly awkward profile, a hint of warmth rising in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by worry: "No need, it's just an old problem, it'll be fine in a few days." He didn't dare mention the pregnancy, afraid that she wouldn't be able to accept it, and even more afraid that she would distance herself from him again because of it.
Shuzhi didn't press further and turned back to bed. This time, she didn't turn her back to Dai Yuzhuo, but faced the ceiling, her mind replaying the image of Dai Yuzhuo protecting her lower abdomen. She felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. In silence, listening to the even breathing of the person beside her, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Shuzhi was awakened by soft noises coming from the kitchen. She went to the living room and saw Dai Yuzhuo standing in front of the stove, carefully cooking porridge. His movements were much slower than usual, and he would stop every now and then to press his hand to his chest to relieve his discomfort. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on him, making his thin figure appear even more vulnerable and pitiful.
"Why are you up?" Shuzhi walked over, her voice softer than usual.
Dai Yuzhuo turned to look at her, a faint smile on his face: "I thought you like to eat porridge in the morning, so I cooked some millet porridge, it's good for your stomach." He paused, then added, "If you don't want to eat it, I'll fry you an egg."
Looking at the steaming millet porridge in the pot, Shuzhi felt a sudden surge of familiar warmth, as if someone had cooked porridge for her like this long ago. She walked to the table and sat down, saying softly, "No need, porridge is fine."
Dai Yuzhuo ladled out the porridge and placed it in front of her. Then, he picked up a spoon, carefully blew on it, and handed it to her, saying, "Be careful, it's hot."
Shuzhi took the spoon and lowered her head to drink a mouthful of porridge. The warm porridge slid into her stomach, carrying a faint aroma of rice, finally relaxing her heart, which had been tense for so long. She looked up at Dai Yuzhuo's pale face, hesitated for a long time, and finally asked, "You... are you hiding something from me?"
Dai Yuzhuo froze, the spoon in his hand hovering in mid-air. He looked at Shuzhi's questioning eyes, opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back. He could only force a smile, avoiding her gaze: "No, how could that be? Drink your porridge, it won't taste good when it's cold."
Shuzhi didn't press further, simply lowering her head to continue drinking her porridge. But she knew in her heart that Dai Yuzhuo was definitely hiding something from her. And that secret seemed to be hidden in the way he always protected his lower abdomen, in the suppressed vomiting sounds he made late at night, and even more so in the complex and profound emotions in his eyes when he looked at her. She didn't know what the secret was, but she could sense that it must be related to her.
After finishing her porridge, Shuzhi offered to tidy up the clutter on the balcony. A few days ago, she had noticed several dusty cardboard boxes piled up there, with glimpses of old items peeking out from inside.
Dai Yuzhuo wanted to stop her, but seeing the rare initiative in her eyes, he swallowed his words and only told her, "Be careful, don't touch anything too heavy."
The breeze on the balcony carried the chill of early autumn. Shuzhi squatted in front of the cardboard box and gently opened the top layer. Inside were mostly old clothes and books, until she touched a hardcover photo album. The cover was yellowed, and the edges were stained with water. She opened the album, and the first page was a photo of two people. In the photo, she was wearing a white dress, holding a celadon tea canister, and smiling broadly. Beside her, Dai Yuzhuo was wearing a light-colored shirt, looking down at her, his eyes almost overflowing with tenderness.
Shuzhi's finger paused on the photograph, her heart skipping a beat. Suddenly, more vivid images flashed through her mind: her basking in the sun on the balcony, holding a tea canister, Dai Yuzhuo embracing her from behind, whispering, "Next year we'll move to a house with a yard, filled with plum blossoms"; her sitting at her desk drawing plum branches, Dai Yuzhuo bringing her warm milk, his fingers gently wiping the milk stains from the corner of her mouth; and a blurry rainy day, her crying as she shoved something into Dai Yuzhuo's hand, while he clutched that tea canister tightly in his hand…
"Shuzhi?" Dai Yuzhuo's voice suddenly came from behind, tinged with panic. "It's windy outside, don't stay too long." His words stopped when he saw the photo album in Shuzhi's hand, and his face instantly turned pale.
Shuzhi turned to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion and shock: "This photo, the person in it is me? Then what about the 'ex-wife' you mentioned..."
Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting her. Dai Yuzhuo, as if grasping at a straw, hurriedly said, "I'll go open the door, it's probably a delivery." He strode towards the door, his palms already sweating—he knew who it was; coming at this time would undoubtedly push his secret to the brink of disaster.
As expected, the obstetrician was standing in the doorway when the door opened. Holding the prenatal checkup report, the doctor smiled and said, "Mr. Dai, you forgot to bring your report yesterday, so I just happened to be passing by to deliver it and check on your progress today..."
Before the doctor could finish speaking, Shuzhi walked over from the balcony. She looked at the doctor in the doorway, then at Dai Yuzhuo's tense expression, her doubts deepening: "And who is this?"
Dai Yuzhuo's Adam's apple bobbed, trying to find an excuse to cover it up, but the doctor spoke first: "Hello, I'm Mr. Dai's obstetrician. He's experiencing some morning sickness, but yesterday's prenatal checkup showed the baby is healthy; he just needs to rest more..."
"Pregnant?" Shuzhi's voice rose instantly as she looked at Daiyu Zhuo in disbelief. "You're pregnant?"
Dai Yuzhuo's face was as white as paper. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but didn't know where to begin. The doctor also realized the awkward atmosphere and stood awkwardly at the door, the prenatal test report in his hand feeling as heavy as a ton.
Seeing Dai Yuzhuo's evasive gaze, and recalling his dry heaving late at night, his clutching of his lower abdomen, and the lies about his "ex-wife," Shuzhi's emotions surged instantly—shock, anger, and a hint of inexplicable grievance. She took a step back, her voice trembling: "So you've been hiding things from me all along, not just about your 'ex-wife,' but also about the pregnancy? How many more secrets are you keeping from me?"
Dai Yuzhuo strode forward, trying to grab her hand, but she pulled away. Looking at the disappointment in Shuzhi's eyes, his voice was hoarse: "Shuzhi, listen to my explanation. I didn't mean to hide it from you; I was just afraid you..."
"What are you afraid of me for?" Shuzhi interrupted him, tears welling in her eyes. "Are you afraid that you'll leave me after I find out the truth? Or do you think I have no right to know these things?"
The doctor stood at the door, glanced at Dai Yuzhuo who was frozen in place, and listened to the silence from the bedroom. His embarrassment deepened. He coughed lightly to break the silence: "Mr. Dai, I've left the report here. Remember to come back for your follow-up appointments on time. Contact me anytime if you feel unwell." After saying that, he left hurriedly without waiting for Dai Yuzhuo's response.
The footsteps in the hallway gradually faded away. Dai Yuzhuo slowly raised his hand, his fingertips touching the cold door panel, and gently closed the door.
The only sound in the living room was the ticking of the wall clock, a sound that seemed particularly jarring at that moment, each tick like a blow to his heart. He turned to look at the sofa, where the photo album that had been thrown onto it was open, the first page featuring a striking photo of the two of them, their bright smiles clashing with the oppressive atmosphere of the living room.
Dai Yuzhuo slowly walked to the sofa, squatted down, and carefully picked up the photo album. His fingertips traced the smiling face of Shuzhi in the photos, his eyes filled with pain and helplessness. He knew that Shuzhi's mind must be in complete turmoil right now. The truths he had deliberately concealed were like a sharp knife, not only piercing Shuzhi but also wounding himself deeply.
.
In the bedroom, Shuzhi leaned against the door, her body trembling slightly uncontrollably. The doctor's words, Dai Yuzhuo's evasive gaze, and those details she had overlooked kept replaying in her mind: his suppressed dry heaving in the middle of the night, his subconscious act of protecting his lower abdomen, and his hesitation when the topic of "ex-wife" came up.
It turns out that none of this was her imagination.
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