At nine weeks of pregnancy, as scheduled, Lu Rang accompanied Shang Wu to a private hospital for her first formal ultrasound examination.
On the way to the hospital, Lu Rang's palms were sweaty as he gripped the steering wheel. Although he remained calm on the surface, his taut jawline betrayed his inner turmoil.
Shang Wu was calmer than him. She gently placed her hand on the back of his hand, which was resting on his crotch, and said softly, "Don't worry, didn't Dr. Li say that all the indicators are very good?"
Lu Rang took her slightly cool hand in his own, nodded, but said nothing.
The shadow hadn't completely dissipated; it had simply been forcibly suppressed in his heart, transforming into his current almost obsessive protectiveness.
The hospital environment was warm and private, but the smell of disinfectant still made Shang Wu frown slightly.
Lu Rang immediately took out a citrus-scented essential oil smeller from her pocket, which she found more palatable recently, and held it to her nose.
This small gesture made the nurses next to them take another look, their eyes filled with kind smiles.
"You can lie down now."
Lying on the ultrasound bed, Shang Wu felt Lu Rang standing by the bed, holding her other hand tightly with a rather strong grip.
The doctor skillfully operated the probe, and a blurry black and white image appeared on the screen.
Shang Wu opened her eyes wide, trying to make out what was going on, her heart beating faster than usual.
Lu Rang's gaze was fixed on the screen, as if he wanted to see through the image.
"Relax, the location is great."
The doctor spoke gently, adjusting the angle of the probe.
A moment later, she pointed to a small, regularly flashing white dot on the screen and said with a smile, "Look, that's the baby's heartbeat, it's very strong!"
At that moment, time seemed to stand still.
The tiny, rapidly flashing dot on the screen stubbornly danced against the gray-black background.
Thump, thump, thump...
A regular and powerful rhythm emanated from the loudspeakers, filling the entire examination room.
Shang Wu's tears welled up instantly, and an indescribable feeling of emotion surged in her heart.
This little life truly exists, proclaiming its vitality with its strong heartbeat.
Shang Wu subconsciously gripped Lu Rang's hand tightly in return.
Lu Rang stood frozen in place, motionless, as if he had turned into a statue.
His gaze was fixed on the flickering light, his eyes quickly reddened, and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.
After several seconds, he lowered his head and looked at Shang Wu with an unbelievable reverence.
Lu Rang's lips moved, but he couldn't make a sound. He just gripped her hand tighter, so tight it almost hurt.
Shang Wu could truly feel the surging emotions he was experiencing at that moment.
It is the ecstasy of something lost and found again, the excitement and bewilderment of becoming a father for the first time.
"The heartbeat is very good." The doctor looked at the obviously excited expectant parents and added with a smile, "The size of the embryo is also in line with the gestational age, and everything seems normal so far."
Shang Wu smiled and thanked him, "Thank you for your help, doctor."
After leaving the hospital, she followed Lu Rang into the car.
Lu Rang didn't start the car immediately. He turned around, looked deeply at Shang Wu, leaned down, and gently embraced her.
“Ah Wu…” His voice was terribly hoarse, with a thick nasal tone, “Thank you.”
Shang Wu leaned against him, listening to his still somewhat rapid heartbeat, and her heart softened.
She knew that the sound of that heartbeat not only reassured her about the baby's existence, but also soothed the hidden wound in Lu Rang's heart.
“Let’s thank the baby together,” she replied softly, raising her hand to stroke his slightly trembling back.
This ultrasound examination was like a powerful reassurance, but it did not lower Lu Rang's guard level. On the contrary, it made him even more determined to be absolutely sure.
However, the previous tension was mixed with unease, while now it is more of a cautious anticipation.
Soon, Shangwu's morning sickness reached its peak around the tenth week.
Her sensitivity to smells is practically radar-level.
The unscented laundry detergent they were using at home suddenly smelled strange, prompting Lu to contact seven or eight different brands overnight until he found one that she approved of.
The kitchen has become a key area for monitoring.
Any smell of cooking oil, or even the steam from cooked rice, can trigger her discomfort.
Lu Rang directly hired a live-in nanny who was skilled at making light and nutritious meals. She strictly followed the nutritionist's recipes and stipulated that cooking could only be done when Shang Wu was not at home or far from the kitchen.
He himself completely gave up coffee.
Because Shangwu can't stand the smell of coffee.
The law firm's employees were surprised to find that the contents of Lu Rang's thermos cup on his desk had changed from black coffee to all sorts of health teas.
It was supposedly recommended by his family's nutritionist.
Nutritionist-designed diets are scientifically sound, but sometimes they can be monotonous.
Lu Rang racked his brains to get Shang Wu to eat even a little more.
He learned to cook light dishes from the nanny and studied how to make food look more appealing by plating and adjusting the cooking temperature without destroying its nutritional value.
Once, Shang Wu suddenly said she wanted to eat the kind of porridge she used to eat when she was a child, made with chicken broth, where the rice grains dissolved in the soup.
Lu Rang immediately called the chef at the old house to ask about the recipe in detail, and then personally stayed in the kitchen to watch the heat, simmering it for a full two hours.
Only when the rice grains had bloomed and the soup had turned milky white did he carefully serve it to Shang Wu.
Seeing that Shang Wu drank it down in small sips without spitting it out, Lu Rang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling even more accomplished than winning a lawsuit.
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