After dinner, Ling Ruoke snuggled in his arms to watch TV and chat.
Taking advantage of a trip to the restroom, she grabbed another pregnancy test and slipped inside. This time, she was even more nervous than when she took the test before meals. That test had given her immense hope! She practically held her breath, waiting for the results. When the two red lines reappeared, she screamed with excitement and rushed out.
Huo Qingfeng was puzzled when he saw her run out excitedly. Seeing her head straight for him, he caught her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ling Ruoke looked at his face, wanting to tell him the good news, but she stared at him blankly, unable to speak for a long time. "I...I..."
Huo Qingfeng grew anxious and put his arm around her. "What's wrong?"
"I...I might be pregnant." She finally said it, then held her breath, waiting for his reaction.
Huo Qingfeng frowned, not understanding. "Got it? What is it?"
Just as Ling Ruoke was about to explain to him, she saw him suddenly widen his eyes, then look at her cautiously and ask, "Wife, do you mean you're pregnant?" His voice rose several octaves for the last three words.
Ling Ruoke was taken aback by his loud question. "I... I guess so? I tested it with a test strip, but I don't know how accurate it is."
Huo Qingfeng put his arm around her and suddenly stood up. He looked at her for a moment, then rushed into the bathroom.
Ling Ruoke paused for a moment, then followed him inside. She saw him holding the stick, looking at it intently.
He suddenly turned around, grinning. "It's really there! It's really there!" His expression was incredibly silly, like that of a complete idiot.
Ling Ruoke hurriedly said, "I don't know if this is accurate, maybe..."
"Don't worry, it's definitely true!" Huo Qingfeng interrupted her. He rushed over, picked her up, and spun her around. "Wife, we're going to be mom and dad!"
He shouted like a child, which was particularly silly.
Ling Ruoke, who had been uncertain, suddenly smiled upon seeing his reaction. She believed that fate wouldn't play tricks on her. She had a feeling that this time it was real! The child was inside her, connected to her by blood, and she believed this feeling was being conveyed to her by the child! He definitely existed!
Huo Qingfeng laughed heartily, put her down, and then looked at the stick again, as if afraid that the two lines would disappear. It was as if it were a treasure that he had to keep a close eye on.
Ling Ruoke smiled, her lips pursed, feeling a warm glow in her heart as she watched the usually shrewd man become so silly. His unusual reaction amplified the joy in her heart, turning it into a vast ocean.
"No, I have to call my mom!" Huo Qingfeng put down the stick, turned around, picked her up, and walked towards the telephone in the living room.
Ling Ruoke hurriedly said, "Let's not. Let's go to the hospital tomorrow to confirm." She was still a little worried, although she really wanted to share the good news with her relatives and friends right now.
Huo Qingfeng was about to tell her she was overthinking it, that it must be true. But seeing her big, wet eyes, he put the phone down again. After looking at her for a while, he suddenly picked up the phone again. "I'll make a call, we need to go to the hospital right away."
Ling Ruoke paused for a moment; he had already made the call.
After hanging up the phone, Huo Qingfeng picked her up and grabbed the car keys. "Let's go, let's go to the hospital to double-check." He trusted her, but she was worried, so he let her rest assured.
This time, Huo Qingfeng took her to another private hospital. As soon as they arrived outside the gynecology department, doctors and nurses were already waiting.
A routine urine test came back positive! A blood test was then performed, and the result was the same: I'm pregnant!
But the full prenatal checkup will have to wait until another day.
Huo Qingfeng remained relatively calm, while Ling Ruoke was completely stunned. She took him to the doctor's office to listen to the doctor's explanation of precautions. Ling Ruoke was in a daze the whole time, while Huo Qingfeng silently and carefully wrote down every point the doctor made.
Finally, the doctor gave him a small notebook, in which he could find most of what had just been said.
Huo Qingfeng was quite confident in his intelligence, but he still took the notebook, said thank you, bent down, picked up his woman and child, and left the hospital.
Ling Ruoke gasped, only snapping back to reality when her body was lifted into the air. "Where are we going?"
"Let's go home. Now you're sure, are you relieved?" He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Seeing her silly look, his heart softened.
Huo Qingfeng appeared calm, but his heart was anything but. It was just that as a special forces soldier, he rarely showed his emotions, except at home. The woman he deeply loved was carrying their child; the feeling was too wonderful to describe. A tidal wave of emotions was surging within him. At first glance, his face showed nothing, but a closer look revealed a smirk playing on his lips.
Ling Ruoke asked again, seemingly naive, "So, I'm really pregnant? I'm going to be a mom, and you're going to be a dad?"
"right."
Ling Ruoke looked at him, then suddenly reached into her pocket. "I need to call Mom and Grandpa!"
Huo Qingfeng laughed heartily and helped her into the car. Not the front passenger seat, but the back seat—the seat behind the driver, which is theoretically the safest place. "We'll go buy some anti-radiation suits first, then we'll call them."
Ling Ruoke took a while to finally say "oh".
It wasn't too late yet, so the streets were still bustling and many shops were still open.
Huo Qingfeng parked his car outside a maternity and baby supplies store called "Mama & Baby." All kinds of maternity and baby products could be found there; the selection was very comprehensive. The prices were on the higher side, but the quality was excellent. Pregnant women and children were considered the most precious things, so everyone was willing to spend money there.
"Hello, welcome! What would you like to buy?" A friendly waitress greeted us with a sweet smile.
Huo Qingfeng disliked shopping, especially the incessant chatter of salespeople when he was buying things. So, he would immediately frown whenever a salesperson approached him to ask questions. Of course, this didn't apply to places like restaurants.
Ling Ruoke was about to tell the waiter to let them see for themselves when she was surprised to hear Huo Qingfeng answer himself.
"You stay here and follow along. Answer me only when I ask you a question, and don't ramble on and on if I don't ask." His face was serious, and his voice was cold, like a command.
The waiter was stunned for a moment, then nodded under his sharp gaze.
Ling Ruoke tugged at Huo Qingfeng's clothes. Turning to the girl, she smiled gently and said, "Don't mind him. He's a rather serious person. He just doesn't like having someone constantly explaining things to him. He'll ask you questions if he wants to know something, and you can answer them for him."
"Okay, no problem." Seeing his wife's gentle demeanor, the waiter wasn't afraid of her husband's rudeness anymore. Because once inside the restaurant, the wife was the one in charge; the husband was the one paying. Let the man be rude, as long as he was willing to pay.
Huo Qingfeng put his arm around his wife's slender waist, no longer walking as quickly as before, afraid that she might bump into something. "You, tell me which brand of anti-radiation clothing is the best."
The saleswoman paused for a moment, but quickly recovered. She glanced at Ruoke's belly, knowing he was probably expecting a father, and hurriedly led them to the display of anti-radiation suits. Meanwhile, Huo Qingfeng's manner of speaking told her, with her experience, that this kind of person would buy whatever he wanted, regardless of the cost. Looking at how carefully he held his wife, she figured if she could persuade them, they'd probably buy quite a lot.
Wow, it looks like there's a great chance of getting a bonus this month!
The emotional turmoil immediately translated onto her face, and her smile became even brighter. She led them to the location of the anti-radiation suits and briefly explained which brand was the most popular and its advantages.
"Wife, which style do you like?" Huo Qingfeng looked at the styles of the clothes and was a little confused.
Ling Ruoke flipped them open to look. They were of various lengths, some were vest-style and some were tank top-style, and there were many colors. She was a little confused by what she saw.
"You, introduce her to me." Huo Qingfeng pointed at the waitress, signaling her to introduce her.
The waiter was no longer intimidated by him and, with a beaming smile, began explaining to Ling Ruoke which styles were convenient and easy to match with clothes, and which colors were the most popular. It was like setting off firecrackers, one after another popping and exploding outwards.
Ling Ruoke chose a purplish-red, wide-strapped, mid-length halter top. When indoors, she could simply wear a thermal undershirt underneath and a radiation protection suit on top. She also picked a pink one with white trim, similar to a bellyband. This style wouldn't interfere with wearing other clothes underneath and was easy to conceal and match with other outfits.
"Alright. Two items are enough." Seeing that the colonel seemed to want to buy more, Ling Ruoke quickly stopped him. She then turned to the sales assistant and said, "Give me one of each of these, small size, so I can try them on."
"Okay, please wait a moment." The waiter squatted down, rummaged around for a bit, and pulled out the clothes.
Ling Ruoke was led to the fitting room, and the sales assistant went in with her.
Huo Qingfeng stood with his legs straddling and his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the fitting room she went into, as if afraid she would suddenly disappear, or as if afraid the sales assistant would hurt her.
Ling Ruoke was dressed today in a black base layer with black skinny jeans and black low-heeled boots, topped with a beige down jacket. Now, after taking off the down jacket and changing into a purplish-red anti-radiation suit, the effect was quite good.
"Does it look good?" Ling Ruoke asked with a smile, tugging at her clothes as she was about to turn around to show him, when he stopped her.
"Be careful." He straightened his clothes again and said, "My wife looks good in anything."
Ling Ruoke noticed that the waitresses were all smiling with their lips pursed, their faces slightly flushed. She changed back into that halter-neck style dress, and when she came out again, Huo Qingfeng's eyes widened in surprise!
"This is so sexy!" That was the only thought in Huo Qingfeng's mind. The small bodice accentuated her slender waist, while her high, full breasts were even more prominent, making her look incredibly alluring!
Huo Qingfeng waved his hand dismissively. "I'll take both of them." He then consulted with Ling Ruoke, saying, "Should we take two of each, so we can change them?"
Ling Ruoke stretched out her slender finger and poked him. "No need, you idiot. Let's go, let's go see something else."
"Yes, we also need to look at maternity clothes." Since we're here, we definitely have to buy everything we need; that's Huo Qingfeng's principle.
Ling Ruoke looked at him. "Isn't it too early to buy it now?" Her belly won't show for at least two months.
The waiter was quick-witted and immediately replied, "Actually, now is the best time to buy. Our clothes fit perfectly, and sometimes when you're full or bending over, they can feel tight around your abdomen. Some of our maternity clothes are just a little looser and won't make you look bulky. You can come and take a look with me."
With the salesperson's persuasive sales pitch and Huo Qingfeng's aggressive sales tactics, they ended up buying not only maternity clothes but also baby formula and quite a few other items. If they didn't still not know the baby's gender, he probably would have even wanted to buy baby clothes. Not only that, they also looked at children's toys!
Ling Ruoke managed to stop him in time, preventing him from going on a spending spree. Even so, he still bought a lot of things, racking up a hefty bill. Judging from the waiter's wide grin, it was clear this was a considerable sum!
Originally, Huo Qingfeng had no concept of money and was absolutely not stingy. Even if they did have that kind of pressure, given his personality, he wouldn't hesitate to spend money on his wife and children. He was the kind of person who could very clearly distinguish what was most important!
Ling Ruoke didn't want him to buy too much for another reason. That was because the child's grandmother was also a spendthrift. Now that she was pregnant, Yang Ziyun would definitely be coming over, and who knew how much stuff she'd buy then. Speaking of money, Yang Ziyun was even more extravagant than Huo Qingfeng, because she went shopping far more often than her son.
"Take care, and welcome back next time!" The waiter's voice was so sweet it was almost cloying.
Ling Ruo left wearing that maternity-style radiation protection suit because she was going to make a phone call later to share the good news. Looking at the time, it was already ten o'clock; she wondered if they were asleep yet. "How about we call tomorrow?"
"Don't worry, they're not asleep yet. Even if they were, she'd be happy to be woken up by this," Huo Qingfeng said with a smile, starting to dial a number. He wanted to bother everyone and tell them he was a father.
Yang Ziyun's call went through quickly, meaning they were still awake. "You brat, you even know to call your mother!" Yang Ziyun scolded immediately.
Huo Qingfeng put the call on speakerphone, and the two of them smiled at each other when they heard Yang Ziyun's voice. "Mom, don't rush to scold me. Your daughter-in-law has something important to tell you. Listen to her first before you decide whether to scold her or not."
"What's wrong? Ruoke, what happened? Did someone bully you? Tell Mom, and Mom will get revenge for you!" Her tone suggested that if Ling Ruoke uttered a name, she would drag the person out and beat them up.
Ling Ruoke couldn't help but smile, her heart filled with a warm and sweet feeling. "Mom, no one is bullying me. It's...it's because I'm pregnant."
After she said it, she instinctively held her breath.
There was silence on the other end. After a while, a loud thud was heard, as if something had been hit on the ground. Then came the sound of running footsteps, and Yang Ziyun was heard shouting, "Huo Zhixun, great news! Fantastic good news!"
"What good news?" It was the general's voice, less serious than usual.
"Oh my god, Ruoke is pregnant! You're going to be a grandpa, and I'm going to be a grandma! Oh no, you have to go tell Dad right away, so he can be happy too! Hurry up and go!"
"But he just fell asleep, is it okay to disturb him like this?"
"Don't worry, he won't be angry. Go on!" Yang Ziyun was definitely pushing him to leave.
"No need, I've already heard it!" It was Huo Zhenbang's voice that rang out. If you listened carefully, you could hear the subtle fluctuations within it. "Am I really going to be a great-grandfather?"
“Dad, I’m absolutely sure and…” Yang Ziyun seemed to be thinking of a synonym. “Oh dear, I’m not talking to you anymore, I need to talk to my daughter-in-law. Hello, Ruoke?”
"Mom?" Ling Ruoke and Huo Qingfeng were already laughing hysterically. The arrival of this child truly fulfilled everyone's expectations.
Yang Ziyun's voice was so excited that her tone changed. "Ruoke, are you feeling any discomfort? Do you feel nauseous or anything...?"
She started talking non-stop about a whole bunch of things.
Huo Zhenbang couldn't hold back any longer and shouted from the side, "Stop talking so much nonsense and let me say a few words to Ruoke."
"Dad, you go ahead and wait in line. You can speak after I've finished." Yang Ziyun didn't bother to disobey him and continued speaking.
Huo Zhenbang wouldn't have it. "At this rate, you won't finish talking even when it's dawn. My granddaughter-in-law and great-grandson need to get some rest. I'll give you five more minutes, and when those five minutes are up, you get out of the way!"
"No, I need ten minutes!"
"Five minutes, not a second more!"
"Those eight minutes?"
"..."
These two are practically reversed in age. Luckily, Huo Zhixun has a cold personality and didn't join in the fun, otherwise it would have really turned into a mess.
Ling Ruoke nestled in Huo Qingfeng's arms, bursting into laughter. As she laughed, she buried her face in his chest, silently shedding tears. Her eyes drifted from his side to the distant sky.
Mom and Dad, Ruoke is very happy. She has many, many people who love her. Can you see that?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com