Chapter 133 Fetal Movement
Nan Zhiyi didn't sleep well at night; her pregnancy and worries made her toss and turn.
In a daze, a familiar body temperature, carrying the refreshing scent of soapberry, approached her.
The scent seemed etched into her very bones, causing her, even in a half-dreaming state, to follow the warmth and press herself against his waist, her cheek nuzzling against his cool neck: "Gu Xiao...am I...dreaming again?"
A voice rang out above her head: "It's not a dream, Zhiyi. I'm back."
Before he finished speaking, Gu Xiao placed a kiss on her forehead, followed by a warm palm patting her back. "Sleep, I'm here."
Nan Zhiyi hummed contentedly twice and snuggled even deeper into his arms.
Gu Xiao lowered his head and carefully looked at her sleeping face.
My cheeks are a bit rounder than before, they feel warm to the touch, and my complexion is pretty good.
He kissed her cheek, then carefully placed his large hand on her abdomen, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
I slept soundly through the night.
In the early morning, before Nan Zhiyi was fully awake, her gaze fell upon the sharply defined profile of the man beside her pillow.
She blinked, then blinked again, to make sure it wasn't a dream.
Gu Xiao was still asleep, breathing evenly, with faint dark circles under his eyes.
She couldn't bear to wake him, so she lay on her side and quietly watched him.
Her gaze slid from his brow bone, across the bridge of his nose, down to his rosy lips, then along the curve of his Adam's apple, and finally to his exposed chest... A flutter of excitement and heat quietly crept into her heart.
"You've been looking at it for so long, but you're not even going to touch it?" Gu Xiao suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and still carrying the languor of someone who had just woken up.
Nan Zhiyi was startled, and her face flushed red.
She was caught red-handed, and he was still keeping his eyes closed, making even her attempts to dodge seem deliberate.
She retorted stubbornly, "Who...who looked at you! I don't want to touch you!"
"Oh?" Gu Xiao's lips curled into a mischievous smile, his eyes still closed. "Then... it's something I thought of?"
He found her hand, took it, and pressed it to his lips.
When her fingertips touched those warm lips, Nan Zhiyi's heart skipped a beat.
As if bewitched, she traced her fingertips along his lips, across his chin, and slowly onto his chest.
Beneath his palms were elastic muscles and a steady, powerful heartbeat.
She gently stroked his chest a few times with her fingertips.
This subtle flirting, for a man who has been celibate for a long time and is already full of vigor, is like adding oil to a raging fire.
Gu Xiao's breathing became heavier.
He opened his eyes, and a burning kiss landed on her lips, lingering and caressing them with suppressed desire.
After a long while, he stepped back slightly, his forehead touching hers: "My little darling...please have mercy on me...I really can't be teased at all right now."
Nan Zhiyi's breath hitched from his kiss, and she could clearly feel a change in a certain part of his body, pressing against her.
Overwhelmed with shyness, she leaned in and kissed his chin: "Then...I'll get up, you can sleep a little longer."
As she spoke, she tried to break free from his embrace and get up.
"Don't move, let me hug you a little longer."
Gu Xiao's arms tightened around her from behind, his chest pressed against her back, making the burning heat even more pronounced.
He buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath of her unique fragrance.
...The hand placed in front of her involuntarily covered her upper body, feeling its amazing softness and weight.
He sighed softly, "...It's gotten bigger."
As she spoke, her fingertips even lingered for a moment, gently pinching the full tip twice.
"Gu Xiao! You...you pervert!" Nan Zhiyi was so ashamed that her toes curled up, and her face was burning red.
She grabbed his large hand and pressed it back onto her stomach, stopping him from exploring further.
Just then, the little one inside her moved.
A clear and powerful punch and kick landed squarely on Gu Xiao's palm.
"!"
Gu Xiao was struck as if by an electric current, or as if he had been ambushed on the battlefield. He was instantly thrown back half a foot from Nan Zhiyi, his eyes filled with shock and panic.
He stared at Nan Zhiyi's stomach as if some incredible monster was hiding there, his voice trembling: "It moves? It kicked you?! Does it hurt?! That kick just now!"
Nan Zhiyi was amused by his overreaction and her earlier embarrassment and annoyance dissipated.
She took his hand and gently placed it back on her belly: "It doesn't hurt, it really doesn't hurt. This is fetal movement, Commander Gu, the baby is saying hello to you."
Gu Xiao placed his palm on her stomach, but after only a second, he withdrew his hand, lifted the blanket, and got out of bed.
"Go to the hospital right after breakfast, that was too much force!"
His brows were furrowed, as if his wife had just been punched hard.
Seeing his tense and alarmed expression, Nan Zhiyi couldn't help but rub her forehead.
Gu Xiao quickly put on his military uniform shirt, buttoning it all the way up to the top, restoring his cold and serious demeanor.
"Raise your hand." He turned around, picked up Nan Zhiyi's light-colored long dress, and gestured for her to cooperate.
Nan Zhiyi let him help her put on the clothes, and then put on thick cotton leggings.
Finally, he went to the closet and found a beige cardigan, carefully helping her put it on, buttoning it up one button at a time with utmost care.
He frowned: "I packed up all the clothes you left in the family compound last time and sent them back, so why does this closet still look empty?"
Nan Zhiyi followed his gaze and saw that the closet was already crammed with clothes for all four seasons.
She couldn't help but chuckle: "Where is there any empty space? Look, it's all full. As long as there are enough clothes, that's fine. Look, this dress was made for me by my mom a long time ago. It's loose, and it fits perfectly now."
“Not enough.” Gu Xiao felt it was too unfair to her. “These old clothes will have to do for now. When we get back from the hospital, I’ll take you to the tailor shop and have a few new ones made so you can change into them. The weather is getting warmer, so you need to dress more comfortably.”
Nan Zhiyi glared at him: "Commander Gu, you don't know the value of money until you're in charge! I'm heavily pregnant now, it's such a waste to make clothes for me. In a few months, I won't be able to wear any of these dresses."
She considered the cloth ration coupons and expenses, and felt it was really unnecessary.
Gu Xiao, however, showed rare shrewdness in such trivial matters of life. He took a step closer and gently tapped her belly with his finger: "Who says it's a waste? When this little one comes out, we can take these dresses apart and alter them to make little clothes and pants for him/her. It's not a waste."
He was seriously calculating his options, saying, "The cloth coupons we save can be used to make you a new coat."
This unusual line of thinking initially surprised Nan Zhiyi, but then she burst out laughing.
She couldn't help but raise her hand and punch his arm: "How could you even think of that! To take my dress and turn it into children's clothes? You're really plotting something..."
Gu Xiao took her hand that was hitting him, cupped it in his palm, and smiled, "As long as it makes you smile, that's enough."
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