Chapter 7
The afternoon sun shone through the sheer curtains into the living room, and the air was so still that you could almost hear the passage of time.
Sakura Hoshino nestled on the sofa, wearing a soft, off-white loungewear dress, her long, golden, knee-length hair draped over her shoulders. She held a small cushion in one hand and gently placed the other on her still-flat stomach.
Her eyes were gentle, and her fingertips traced her flat stomach, as if she could feel the tiny life quietly existing there through her skin.
"It's only been a month..." she murmured, but a slight smile crept onto her lips. "But it seems... it's starting to feel real."
She lowered her head, pressed it against her stomach, and whispered:
"Baby...aren't you like a little bean right now? Aren't you curious about the outside world too?"
"Dad is noisy, isn't he? He's always busy with this and that."
She looked up at Minamino Shuichi, who was not far away.
The man, dressed in a shirt and trousers with his jacket casually draped over the back of his chair, sat at his desk reviewing a wedding program. Sunlight shone softly on his red hair, casting a warm glow. He made phone calls to confirm the guest list while his fingers deftly scribbled notes, his expression focused and calm.
He's always like that; once he gets into his work, he forgets about everyone else.
But Sakura was completely absorbed in watching.
She stared at it for a long time without realizing it.
Originally, she felt that this marriage was nothing more than a responsibility, a compromise, and a change she had to face for the sake of her baby.
But now... she suddenly felt...
If the person next to me is Shuichi Minamino.
That doesn't seem so scary after all.
After hanging up the phone, Shuichi turned around and met Sakura's soft eyes as she looked at him.
"Looking at me?" he asked with a smile.
Sakura's eyes flickered, and she immediately turned her head to pretend to look out the window, muttering to herself, "Who's looking at you... I'm just... spacing out."
He walked closer, glanced down at her, and said, "Really? You were laughing just now."
"I didn't."
"Your lips are turned up so high."
"The baby is moving!"
“A one-month-old baby can’t move.” He exposed her excuse.
Sakura blushed instantly and hugged a pillow to cover her face.
Xiuyi smiled and bent down, reaching out to hold the little hand that was resting on her stomach.
His palms were warm and large, his fingertips gently touching the back of her hand and her abdomen.
“Although I can’t see or feel it yet,” he said softly, his eyes calm, “I can already imagine what he would look like when he was born.”
"...Does it resemble you or me?" she asked softly.
“Like you.” He said without hesitation, “but the hair is like mine, and the eyes are like yours.”
"That's such a mismatch!"
"Mix and match also looks good."
Sakura chuckled softly.
“When you smile…” Shuichi suddenly said, his eyes burning, “I want to kiss you.”
"...Would you die if you didn't flirt with me for a day?"
"You won't die, but you'll suffer a lot."
"You, you're busy with the wedding!" Sakura threw a pillow at him. "You're not allowed to keep thinking about lewd things while hugging your wife!"
"Who told you to be so beautiful, my wife?" He bent down and kissed her forehead. "After we get married, I can kiss you every day without any problem."
"Aren't you kissing people every day now too?"
"This is the 'trial version' now; after marriage, it will be the 'official version,' and the permissions will be different."
"You...you scoundrel!!"
"I am your legal thug."
"If you say that again, I'll run away from home!"
"If you dare to leave, I'll... I'll make you have a second child."
"...Minamino Shuichi, you've really gone mad!!!"
The two of them joked and laughed as the sunlight gently shone on them.
As the wedding date drew closer, their hearts also quietly grew a little closer together.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains and fell on the soft sofa inside the Nanye family villa.
Sakura Hoshino nestled in a corner of the sofa, hugging a cushion, wearing a soft knitted sundress, her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. She gently stroked her flat stomach while using her other hand to browse shopping websites on her phone.
Her gaze darted back and forth between the delicate little dress, the spaghetti strap jumpsuit, and the fashionable two-piece outfit that subtly revealed her waist, growing increasingly envious with each look.
"This white cropped top is so cute...it would go perfectly with a high-waisted skirt..."
"Waaaaah...and this beige camisole...it's totally my favorite type!"
"And this fitted sequined dress... If I weren't pregnant, I would have ordered it right now!!!"
Sakura hugged the body pillow, burying her face in it, and let out a soft "Eek—"
"Why did I get pregnant at this time?!"
"I'm only twenty! It's the perfect time to dress up, wear a tight little dress, go out in heels, have afternoon tea, and take full-body selfies to upload to social media!"
"I haven't taken enough great OOTD photos yet!!!"
She got angrier and angrier as she spoke, and her voice got softer and softer, but her whole being exuded an atmosphere of "maximum resentment and anger of a young girl".
She rolled around on the sofa, phone in hand, like a lazy, aggrieved blonde cat, before finally staring blankly at the ceiling and muttering to herself:
"That... bastard who drugged me..."
"You have ruined the golden, youthful, and most fashionable time of a young girl's life."
"You not only robbed her of her teenage life, but you also made it impossible for her to wear a corset, show her legs, or even drink coffee."
“I’m telling you, if I find out who you are—I really, absolutely will—personally!”
Before she could finish speaking, Minamino Shuichi pushed open the study door and walked in, holding the documents he had just signed.
Who made you angry again?
"Hmph!" Sakura turned her head away from him.
"Shopping online again?" He walked over and sat down next to her, casually ruffling her hair. "Why are you pouting again?"
"I can't go out!" she complained, looking up at the sky. "I can only look at these beautiful clothes online! But I can't wear them now!"
"Don't you think I'm incredibly pathetic?"
"I'm still young! I'm only twenty! I want to wear spaghetti straps, fitted dresses, high heels, and lipstick too!!!"
"You won't let me leave the house! All I see every day is you and the dining table!"
Minamino Shuichi was taken aback for a moment, then suppressed a laugh: "With that whiny face of yours... who are you trying to seduce?"
"Hmph! I don't want to talk to you." She buried her head in the cushion in a huff. "You're the culprit too!"
“Me?” He raised an eyebrow.
"Who told you to do it so many times that night..." she muttered softly, "and you clearly took advantage of me when I was in a daze..."
"Who are you? The one who drugged me—"
She suddenly looked up, squinted at him, and smiled faintly:
"You...you wouldn't happen to be the fox who drugged me, would you?"
"Me? I didn't drug her." Xiuyi looked completely innocent.
"But you took advantage of my vulnerability, didn't you!" she continued, harping on the point. "Did you do it on purpose?! Did you take advantage of me because I'm pretty and cute?!
"you say!!!"
“…Okay.” He raised his hands in surrender. “I admit, I really couldn’t resist.”
"I knew you were a beast," she said quietly. "You ruined the last summer of my teenage years when I could lose weight and wear tight dresses."
"You have to make it up to me."
How to fix it?
"After I give birth, I'm going to wear pretty clothes for you every day." She said fiercely, hands on her hips. "You're not allowed to stop me from going out! You're not allowed to say I'm dressed too revealingly! You're not allowed to stare at me with that weird look that says, 'You're my wife, no one else is allowed to see you!'"
Minamino Shuichi smiled and nodded: "Okay, as long as you're willing to wear them, I'll buy you all your clothes."
"……real?"
"Yes, I can even help you design it."
"Then buy me five new items now." She immediately opened her shopping cart and showed the screen, "Just these few. Pay."
"...Your reaction was too quick."
"I've been prepared for this all along, just waiting for you to agree."
"..." Minamino Shuichi sighed, "Aren't you pregnant? Still at full shopping power?"
"Women never compromise on beauty just because they're pregnant!" she said proudly, puffing out her chest. "And I'm going to be the most beautiful hot mom after giving birth!"
"Okay." He smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "You are the most beautiful."
"Then why did you complain that I couldn't wear a tight-fitting dress?"
When did I ever complain?
"There was clearly a hint of pity in your eyes just now!!"
"That's because...you're dressed too cutely, and I'm afraid I won't be able to resist kissing you."
"...Perverted fox!"
"Exclusively for my wife."
The afternoon at the Minamino family's house returned to calm once again.
Hoshino Sakura nestled on the sofa, hugging the new clothes that Minamino Shuichi had ordered for her, a victorious cat-like smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Minamino Shuichi sat beside her, signing documents while stealing glances at her—the girl who, despite carrying a tiny life in her arms, remained alluring and captivating.
She lived with her dreams and shopping desires; and he willingly compromised for all her emotions and whims.
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