Chapter 35: Daily Life and Adjustment After Marriage (Final Chapter) — Ripples of Surprise
After experiencing a minor controversy regarding their child's education, Huo Linshen and Su Lingwan's marriage seemed to have undergone a gentle tempering, becoming more resilient and transparent. They learned to listen amidst disagreements, compromise amidst persistence, and found their own unique way to balance each other's edges.
The days flowed smoothly, a mixture of busyness and sweetness. Huo Linshen was still the mastermind of the business world, but at home, he increasingly showed his "homely" side. He would ask the driver to go out of his way to buy roast goose from a time-honored restaurant just because Su Lingwan casually praised it. On weekend mornings, he would try to make her a breakfast based on a video tutorial, which might not look good, but was full of heart. Even when she was working at her desk, he would sit by her side, clumsily helping her organize design materials that he couldn't understand at all, just to spend a little more time with her.
Su Lingwan's "Luminance" brand was gaining momentum, and the success of her "Pearl" series had catapulted her to international fame, bringing with it a steady stream of commissions and collaboration offers. Yet, she remained unfazed by her fame. Instead, she immersed herself more deeply in her creations, consciously slowing down to savor her time with Huo Linshen. When he came home late from work, she would wait for him in the living room with the lights on, leaving a bowl of warm soup for him. When he returned home drunk from social events, she would quietly complain while meticulously cleaning his face and feeding him hangover tea.
They are like two polished pearls, slowly integrating each other into the deepest part of life in the shell of marriage, shiny and warm, inseparable.
However, life always throws unexpected stones into the calm, creating new ripples.
Lately, Su Lingwan has noticed she's been feeling a bit tired and her appetite isn't what it used to be. Initially, she dismissed the sweltering summer weather and the all-consuming preparations for a new "Luminance" collection as reasons, so she didn't take it too seriously.
Until one weekend morning, Huo Linshen personally cooked and fried her favorite sunny-side-up eggs and bacon. When the aroma of the food wafted in, Su Lingwan suddenly felt inexplicably nauseous. She covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom.
Huo Linshen stood there in a daze, holding the spatula, his brows knitted tightly. He quickly followed to the bathroom door and saw Su Lingwan retching in front of the sink, his face darkening.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" He stepped forward to support her, his tone filled with unmistakable anxiety, his hand already reaching for her forehead. "Did you eat something bad? Or is your stomach upset? I'll call a doctor."
Su Lingwan rinsed her mouth, suppressed the discomfort, and shook her head: "It's okay, maybe I'm just a little tired recently and have a poor appetite."
Huo Linshen was worried and insisted on calling a family doctor. Su Lingwan had no choice but to agree.
While waiting for the doctor, Huo Linshen carried her to the living room sofa, carefully covered her with a thin blanket, and poured her some warm water. He sat beside her, his brows still furrowed. He held her hand, his fingertips a little cold, revealing his inner tension.
Su Lingwan looked at him, his fearful expression, and felt that he was being overly fussy, yet at the same time, she felt warmed by his concern. She leaned on his shoulder and joked, "Mr. Huo, I'm just a little nauseous. There's no need to be so nervous."
Huo Linshen looked down at her with a serious look in his eyes: "Anything about your body is not a trivial matter." He paused, as if he remembered something, his eyes moved slightly, but the thought was too fast and he didn't catch it.
The family doctor arrived quickly and carefully inquired about Su Lingwan's recent condition - fatigue, drowsiness, changes in appetite, and occasional nausea in the morning.
The experienced doctor looked at the couple sitting side by side, especially Huo Linshen's tense expression, and already had some guesses in his mind. He smiled and said to Su Lingwan, "Mrs. Huo, to be on the safe side, I suggest that in addition to the routine examination, it would be best to do an early pregnancy test."
The words "early pregnancy" struck Su Lingwan like a subtle electric current. She froze, instinctively rubbing her belly. Her heart skipped a beat. Her... her period seemed to be a few days late this month... She'd been so busy lately that she hadn't noticed.
As for Huo Linshen, upon hearing those two words, he froze as if under a spell. His grip on Su Lingwan's hand tightened unconsciously, so tightly that it even caused her some pain. He slowly turned his head and looked at Su Lingwan. His eyes, always deep and unfathomable, were now clearly filled with shock, bewilderment, and a rapidly building, almost bursting, feeling of incredible ecstasy and nervousness.
The doctor left the pregnancy test strips and considerately left, asking them to contact him anytime if they had any results.
There were only the two of them left in the living room, and the air seemed to freeze.
Su Lingwan held the small test strip, her fingers trembling slightly, her heart beating like a drum. She looked up at Huo Linshen and found him staring at her intently, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to say something, but no sound came out. The man who had always been so powerful and composed in the business world was now like a young boy, at a loss, even breathing cautiously.
"I...I'm going to the bathroom." Su Lingwan's voice trembled slightly.
Huo Linshen stood up almost immediately and followed her, as if guarding the most precious and fragile item in the world. He stood outside the bathroom door, his back straight, his hands clenched into fists, listening intently to the sounds inside. Every second felt like a century.
Su Lingwan followed the instructions, placed the test strip on the sink, and waited for the results. She stared at the small test window, a mixture of emotions. There was anticipation, nervousness, trepidation, and also an indescribable, strange feeling of happiness.
Time passes by every second.
When the two clear and unambiguous red bars gradually appeared, Su Lingwan felt that all the blood in his body rushed to his head in an instant, his brain went blank, and only his heart was beating wildly in his chest.
She... is really pregnant.
Her child with Huo Linshen.
She covered her mouth, tears welling up without warning, filled with joy, emotion, and awe for the miracle of life.
She took a deep breath, tried to calm her excitement, picked up the test paper showing a clear result, and opened the bathroom door.
Huo Linshen was standing at the door, and almost the moment she opened the door, his eyes were fixed on the test paper in her hand. When he saw the two bright red bars clearly, his tall body shook suddenly, as if he was a little unsteady on his feet due to the huge surprise.
He raised his head and looked at Su Lingwan. There were still traces of tears on her face, but there was an indescribable, gentle and holy light on her face.
"Lin Shen..." She just opened her mouth and her voice choked.
Huo Linshen took a step forward and suddenly hugged her tightly, tightly in his arms, with such force that he almost crushed her. His arms trembled slightly with excitement, and he buried his face deeply in her neck, breathing hot and heavy.
Su Lingwan could clearly feel his heartbeat as violent as a galloping horse under his chest, and could hear his almost whimpering breathing suppressed deep in his throat.
He said nothing, but just hugged her tightly, as if he wanted to convey all the emotions surging in his heart to her through this hug.
After a long moment, he finally let go of her and cupped her face in his hands, his fingertips trembling slightly. His eyes were red, churning with such turbulent and pure emotions that Su Lingwan had never seen before—ecstasy, awe, bewilderment, and a love as deep as the sea that threatened to overflow.
He looked at her for a long, long time, as if he wanted to carve this moment of her, along with the little life in her belly whose existence had just been confirmed, into the depths of his soul.
Then, he lowered his head and kissed her lips very gently and cherishingly. This kiss was free of lust, only filled with endless gratitude, excitement, and an indescribable sense of sacredness.
After the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, his breathing still unsteady. He spoke, his voice hoarse and trembling with an almost pious tone:
"Ling Wan...we...are having a child?"
Su Lingwan nodded vigorously with tears in her eyes, raised the test paper in her hand in front of him, and smiled with tears in her eyes: "Yes! We are going to be parents, Huo Linshen."
Huo Linshen hugged her again, this time with much gentler, more protective movements. He carefully and tentatively placed his palm on her still flat belly, where the fruit of their love, the continuation of their life, was being nurtured.
His palms were warm and trembling slightly, as if he was touching the most fragile treasure in the world.
"Our child... is here?" he asked in a low voice, his tone filled with incredible surprise.
"Yeah." Su Lingwan placed her hand on the back of his hand, feeling the shared connection and throbbing.
Huo Linshen stopped talking and just held her like this, his big hand resting protectively on her lower abdomen. The sunlight poured in through the window, enveloping the two people hugging in a warm halo.
At this moment, all words seem pale.
Only each other's heartbeats, and the surprise called "hope" and "future" that came quietly, flowed quietly in the air, spreading circles of happy and perfect ripples.
Because of this unexpected gift, the daily life of the marriage has opened a new chapter that is more touching and more challenging.
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