Chapter 35
The night was deep.
The garden outside the Minamino residence was silent.
Moonlight streamed through the curtains and fell on the soft mattress in the bedroom.
The clock by the bedside points to two in the morning.
Minamino Sakura tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
She frowned slightly and raised her hand to her chest.
The dull pain and burning sensation made her feel uncomfortable.
"Hmm..."
She sighed softly and sat up in bed.
Minamino Shuichi, who was next to him, immediately woke up.
He was always a light sleeper, and he would notice the slightest movement from her.
"Sakura?" he called softly, his voice hoarse with sleepiness.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Sakura paused for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed.
She clutched the collar of her pajamas, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"It's nothing... just a slight pain in my chest."
Shuichi's expression immediately turned serious.
He sat up and gently pulled her into his arms.
His voice was deep and gentle: "Is it engorgement? Or are you just too tired?"
"Maybe." She bit her lip.
"The doctor said this is normal, but it's just... a little uncomfortable."
Shuichi lowered his head and looked at her slightly furrowed brows.
"Does it hurt a lot?"
"It's okay, it's just hot... and feels a bit bloated and uncomfortable."
He sighed softly and hugged her even tighter.
"If this happens again, don't hold it in."
I don't want to wake you.
How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?
He scolded her softly, but with a hint of heartache in his voice.
“You are carrying our child now, and I want to know everything, even the smallest things.”
Sakura looked up and met his gentle yet earnest green eyes.
A wave of tenderness washed over me.
“You…” she smiled, “you’re just as long-winded as Dad.”
"There's nothing I can do about it," he said in a low voice. "I'll just keep nagging you."
He reached for a hot towel from the bedside table.
Gently apply it to her chest.
The heat of the towel is transmitted through the fabric.
Sakura's body gradually relaxed, and her expression softened.
"Is this any better?"
"Um……"
She responded softly, her eyelids beginning to feel heavy.
Xiuyi reached out and straightened the blanket for her.
He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
"I know."
She responded softly, leaning against him.
"Shuichi."
"Um?"
"Thank you."
He smiled and answered in a low voice:
"Taking care of you is the thing I want to do most."
The night was so gentle that you could almost hear the wind breathing.
Sakura's breathing gradually calmed down.
She fell asleep nestled in his arms, her expression serene.
Shuichi looked at her,
Fingertips gently traced strands of her hair.
His eyes were full of doting and tenderness.
"What a pitiful little fool."
He murmured softly.
The moonlight shone in through the window.
Their figures, tightly entwined, were reflected in the water.
That was the softest light in the dead of night.
It is also their tranquil happiness.
The night was still.
In the bedroom, only the soft light from the bedside lamp remained.
Shuichi Minamino sat on the edge of the bed.
Quietly watching Minamino Sakura, who was already fast asleep.
Her long hair was spread out on the pillow.
The blanket was gently placed over her shoulders.
Breathing was subtle and steady.
He reached out and tucked the blanket around her.
My fingertips brushed against her hair unintentionally.
At that moment, his heart skipped a beat.
—She is so beautiful.
This kind of beauty is not just about appearance.
It's the kind of gentleness that makes you reluctant to disturb even its breath.
His gaze involuntarily lingered on her profile.
That delicate face appeared exceptionally serene in the moonlight.
The eyelashes cast soft shadows under the eyes.
Her lips were slightly upturned, as if she were smiling even in her dreams.
"This is terrible..."
He murmured,
His Adam's apple bobbed.
Of course he wanted to get closer to her.
That desire was so real it almost turned into pain.
But he knew better than anyone else—
Now is not the time.
The doctor's words still echoed in his mind:
"Avoid any stimulation during the first three months of pregnancy and into the later stages."
He sighed softly.
This kind of patience is not easy for him.
After all, that unexpected incident that night...
It changed everything.
He still remembers the lights that night, her laughter,
Her scent was mixed with a faint fragrance.
That was the first and only time he lost control.
But he doesn't regret it.
—Because of that night, he could never forget her for the rest of his life.
He turned around and took a photo album from the bedside table.
Those were none other than personal photos taken during the wedding preparations—
It contains various photos of Sakura.
There's a picture of her smiling with her head down while trying on dresses at the bridal shop.
There are also photos of her gently cradling her belly in the sunlight in the garden.
Each one is as bright and beautiful as a dream.
Xiu looked through these photos.
My fingertips lightly touched that smiling face.
The restlessness in my heart was gradually softened into tenderness.
"...waiting for you to safely give birth to Huiyi,"
He murmured softly.
"I must take you to the beach to watch the sunset."
By then, not only you, but I should also be able to relax a bit.
He chuckled softly and closed the photo album.
Take a deep breath and calm yourself down.
Then, he moved closer to the bedside.
I sat down and looked at her peaceful sleeping face.
"Thank you for your hard work, Sakura."
He said in a low voice.
"You take care of creating miracles, and I'll take care of waiting."
He reached out and gently kissed her hair.
The moonlight illuminated their intertwined figures—
At that moment, all his longing transformed into restrained tenderness.
In the afternoon at the Minamino residence, cicadas chirped incessantly outside the window.
Sakura nestled on the sofa, hugging a cushion and listlessly watching TV.
Lately, she's been finding things increasingly strange—
Recently, Shuichi Minamino has been staring at her in a daze.
He would either stare at her face thoughtfully or secretly pull her into his arms in the middle of the night, his eyes filled with "complexity".
"Hmph, could it be that he did something wrong..."
She muttered softly, her sea-blue eyes darting around with a mischievous glint.
"Is he having an affair?"
She looked down and touched her belly; her five-month-old abdomen was already slightly swollen.
"Baby," she said with a smile, gently circling her belly with her fingers.
"Mom is now launching a major operation to investigate whether Dad is cheating! If we find evidence, we'll get a divorce, take the household registration book with us! Then I'll remarry and find an uncle who's even more handsome than your dad!"
She smiled like a little devil, stood up gently, and began rummaging through the items.
Study, drawers, bookshelves...
Finally, she found a photo album in a locked drawer.
"Huh? I knew it was hidden so well."
She frowned, her lips twitched, and opened it.
The first page features her.
At 18, she wore a white dress while practicing the piano, her eyes filled with youthful innocence.
The second page contains a photo of her when she was 19 years old, during a tour in France.
She stood smiling beneath the Eiffel Tower, her long hair billowing in the wind.
The third page contains a photo of her wearing a dress and blowing out candles on her birthday.
Her eyelashes were glistening with candlelight, and her cheeks were flushed.
...
Sakura turned to the last page and fell silent.
"...This guy is a pervert."
Her face flushed, and her ears burned.
I was both angry and ashamed.
"What is this... all of it is me?"
"There are even photos of me spacing out, and photos of the blanket slipping off while I'm sleeping..."
She slammed the photo album shut and angrily crossed her arms.
"This...this isn't a photo album at all, it's a private collection of my personal archives from all periods of my life!"
In the evening, Nan Ye Xiu returned home after work.
He had just taken off his coat when he called out with a smile, "Sakura~ I'm back."
The living room was empty.
He walked toward the bedroom, puzzled. As soon as he opened the door, Sakura threw a pillow at him, yelling, "Don't come near me!"
"...?"
Minamino Shuichi was completely bewildered. He reached out and caught the pillow, blinking his eyes.
"Have you been staying indoors for too long? Is it too hot and you've gotten heatstroke?"
"Who's got heatstroke?!" Sakura said angrily, hands on her hips.
"You dare ask me what's wrong?! Explain this to me!"
She threw the photo album heavily in front of his chest.
Nanno Xiuyi looked at it with a subtle expression.
"...You found it."
"What do you mean 'you found it'?! What is this book? Tell me—!"
He pursed his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, revealing a... cough, an expression of difficulty in speaking.
"Cough...it's just...sometimes..."
Seeing her angry expression, he tried to speak calmly:
"You're pregnant, and the doctor said I can't move you around too much these months. I also miss you, so I can only look at photos to ease my longing for you."
Sakura was stunned.
"W-what did you say?"
“I’m not a pervert…” he cleared his throat, “It’s just that I really miss you.”
Since you became pregnant, I've been restraining myself every day. I can't get too close to you, I can't scare you, I can't... miss you too much.
This photo album was compiled by myself.
From the time you turned 18 until our wedding, I secretly collected every trip, photoshoot, and tour you took.
Even if you're not here, I can still... see you.
As he spoke, a wry smile appeared on his face.
“I admit, it sounds like a pervert.”
Sakura's face was already bright red.
She looked at the man in front of her.
My mind is completely in a mess.
She thought he was having an affair.
It turns out he was so frustrated with himself that he used photos to heal himself.
"...What an idiot."
She muttered something, walked over, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Ah, Sakura?"
Blushing, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips directly.
A kiss tinged with sullen anger.
"Stupid fox...how could you be so stupid?"
"Didn't you say I was a pervert?"
"I'm even more perverted; I actually feel sorry for you."
She bit her lip softly, pressing her lips against his chest.
"However—" She tilted her head back, her eyes both alluring and sweet.
"Since I've made you endure so much hardship, I'll reward you..."
"What reward?" His eyes lit up.
She hooked her arm around his neck and breathed softly into his ear:
"I'll let you hold me while I sleep, all night long."
"...This reward is too gentle, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist it."
"If you dare to move, I'll add another punishment—you're not allowed to kiss me for two months."
"...Yes, sir."
He smiled and pulled her tightly into his arms.
That night, the bedroom lights were soft.
They breathed against each other in bed.
There were few words, only heartbeats and the warmth of an embrace.
And that photo album lay quietly on the bedside table.
It became a tender and funny secret in their love story.
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