Knock, knock. Even in the darkness of night, the sound of knocking on the door was very soft.
I listened to the echo under my knuckles, and my thoughts suddenly drifted elsewhere.
Could it be that Su Liumeng’s door was made of hollow wood?
“Just come in, why bother knocking if you’re here to see me?”
“I’m writing something.”
I mumbled softly, “Isn’t this the most basic courtesy? What if you were doing something that you didn’t want anyone to see?”
I gently pushed open the door in front of me.
Su Liumeng’s ears were sharp; upon hearing my muttering, her expression froze for a split second.
This…
This girl—does she even know what she’s saying, or has she evolved to the point where she can say anything she wants without a care?
The light in the room was very bright, the dazzling incandescent lamp flickering overhead, much brighter than my own room, so much so that when I first stepped in, I instinctively raised my hand to shield my eyes.
Seeing this, Su Liumeng immediately gave a command, and the smart home system in the room instantly switched to the warmest lighting tone.
Near the window, there was a not-so-large desk. Su Liumeng was holding a gel pen, scribbling on paper. I didn’t bother her, but instead lifted the covers and crawled right in.
I held onto a corner of the blanket, revealing only my head, and spoke very gently, “Aren’t you leaving soon? I just wanted to keep you company for a while. You do your thing, don’t mind me, I’ll just watch from the side.”
Su Liumeng was speechless for a moment. Xiaoyan came to keep her company—of course she was happy.
“I’ll be done soon.”
The soft yellow light fell on the girl’s silhouette. There was still another sentence lingering in my belly.
Actually.
It’s not that I’m keeping you company.
I just want you to keep me company for a while.
My small hand under the blanket was gripping both sides of my phone.
Buzz, buzz.
It had been a long time since anyone messaged me.
Because, I barely had any friends.
It was probably another ad push or something. I pressed the mute button on the side of my phone, shoved it under my pillow, and didn’t bother to check the message.
The current scene was too warm and cozy. I didn’t want anything else to disturb my mood.
The air was filled with the scent of gardenias, a fragrance that didn’t belong to Su Liumeng herself. It must have been a new diffuser she used today. Breathing in the scent nearby seemed to calm my restless heart, leaving no room for messy thoughts.
When I finally fell asleep, I didn’t even notice. In my daze, I felt someone tuck in the corner of my blanket, the crisp sound of the central air conditioner adjusting the temperature, and then the dull thud of the bed as someone else lay down beside me.
I was really too tired, unable to think about complicated things. My fading consciousness vaguely recognized it was Su Liumeng, so I reached out and pulled her hand under my head.
Su Liumeng was just about to turn over and find a more comfortable position, when she was held in place by the soft arms of a girl.
Looking down at the cute sleeping profile of the girl, Su Liumeng couldn’t help but laugh helplessly.
Well, that’s fine.
Consider it early practice.
With such a clingy person, who insists on hugging her every night and gets especially angry if she’s not allowed to, Su Liumeng always felt she’d soon develop steel-like arms.
Su Liumeng snuggled deeper under the covers, her eyelids fluttering, her thoughts suddenly returning to the events of the day, to that lonely look the girl gave in the classroom.
She hadn’t missed that sentence.
Love is also responsibility.
She thought she wasn’t ready to shoulder that responsibility yet, which is why she hadn’t taken the initiative to say those words.
Just wait a little longer.
After she returned from the Su Family’s trial, she would give Xiaoyan the most romantic confession ceremony.
When she fell in love, she wanted the whole world to know.
Just like what she did on her personal Weibo.
Su Liumeng didn’t want Si Xinyan to feel wronged.
A romance known by only a few—no matter how you looked at it, it would be unfair to her.
She definitely deserved better.
Under the covers, Su Liumeng held Si Xinyan’s small hand, the girl’s sleepy murmurs still echoing in the room, “When I come back from the Su Family, I’ll confess to you for real and ask you to be my girlfriend, okay?”
The lights went out in an instant, leaving only Su Liumeng’s deep eyes, flickering with unknown emotions.
*****
October 22nd.
I completely changed my attitude from before at the dining table, eating just the right amount, and at night, I behaved obediently in bed, not making anyone worry about me.
Su Liumeng looked at me as if I’d suddenly grown up, her heart pricked by a strange, needle-like pain.
Love really can make a person as childish as a kid.
Love has an element of indulgence; unconditional indulgence always makes people subconsciously forget their age.
At the same time, love can also make a person grow up overnight.
Behind that sudden maturity, there’s often a story that makes your heart ache.
Su Liumeng understood—Si Xinyan hadn’t truly grown up, but was just trying to play the role of someone who had, not wanting her to worry about life after she left.
“I’ll go wash the dishes.” Su Liumeng had just stood up when a small hand pressed down on her shoulder.
My voice was as soft as ever, with just the right smile on my face.
Su Liumeng’s eyelashes trembled uncontrollably, and suddenly she couldn’t hold back her emotions, pulling the small figure in front of her into a fierce hug. “Xinxin, you don’t have to do this.”
“In front of me, you can be a little kid for your whole life.”
My shoulders suddenly trembled twice. My small hands didn’t wrap around her back, but instead clutched tightly at the hem of my own dress.
I gently pushed her away a bit, and smiled again, this time happier and more sincere. “It’s okay, I’ll do it. Didn’t we agree to take turns washing the dishes? How could I let you do all the work?”
In the end, I still couldn’t win against Su Liumeng.
Her insistence left me with no room to argue.
“What if there are additives in the dish soap? Who knows what unknown effects might happen after skin contact? You’re carrying a baby now, you have to avoid all risks.”
My smile froze again and again.
I really was pregnant, but wasn’t it a bit much?
Besides, it’s not even the first three months anymore, how could I be that fragile?
With her persistence, the breath I’d been holding instantly deflated, and I was the first to give in.
Fine.
In the living room, I listened to the clatter of dishes in the kitchen and called out Zhizhi’s name.
Still nothing?
Even after almost reaching perfection in two realms, Xi Zhiruo still showed no sign of waking up.
A trace of worry appeared on my face. Once Su Liumeng left Beiqing, it would mean I’d go back to how I was before.
Living alone.
Maybe it was Su Liumeng’s comfort taking effect. It wasn’t like a real life-and-death parting, so why be so sad? There would always be a next meeting. With that thought, I no longer got stuck in meaningless mental exhaustion. Maybe because I was looking forward to seeing her again, I even began to look forward to the day Su Liumeng would leave, just so I could anticipate our reunion.
*****
October 24th.
Xi Zhiruo seemed to be bigger than other babies.
It wasn’t even twenty weeks yet, and my belly was already not small.
Especially in the past month, the development speed was off the charts—almost visible to the naked eye.
Developing too fast wasn’t a good thing; the first one to suffer was me, the mother. Can you imagine? A flat belly ballooning up in just a month, like inflating a balloon.
Gaining or losing a lot of weight in a short time leaves stretch marks, let alone the way Xi Zhiruo was developing.
“What… are you looking at?” Su Liumeng’s footsteps suddenly sounded.
I hurriedly pulled my clothes back down.
Su Liumeng had never seen me without my clothes.
I really didn’t want her to see right now either, it just felt ugly.
“Nothing.”
Su Liumeng paused, suddenly thinking of something. “Baby, do you have stretch marks?”
“That shouldn’t happen, most people only get them after five months.”
“How many weeks are you now, let me count… Hmm, looks about right. Everyone’s body is different, after all. It’s almost four months now, so it’s not that unusual.”
Su Liumeng suddenly hissed, “So your baby is really big.”
I pulled a face.
Zhizhi’s development couldn’t be measured by normal standards. Back in September, when I first had her, the hospital said she was already over six weeks.
Fifty-four days had passed since then, which was almost eight weeks. With this rate of development, I wasn’t surprised at all.
“Will you give birth early?” Su Liumeng frowned. “Or is your baby just healthy and not actually developing ahead of schedule?”
“I don’t know either.” I spread my small hands, looking innocent.
Even though I said that, deep down I felt Zhizhi probably wouldn’t wait forty weeks to be born.
“Let me see your belly, what’s going on?” Su Liumeng came over and sat at the corner of the sofa beside me. I inhaled her fresh scent and instinctively shrank away, hugging my clothes protectively. “No, you can’t look.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
Su Liumeng didn’t dare act forcefully, so she just fretted on the side.
Listening to the TV, my expression grew awkward. After a while, I suddenly said, “I… I don’t want you to see. But since you care so much, I’ll let you peek for just a second.”
With that, I lifted a corner of my shirt for just a second before blushing and covering up again.
I looked at Su Liumeng with a conflicted expression, afraid she’d say something like “so ugly.” If she did, I’d definitely punch her.
Anyone else could say I didn’t look good, but not her.
For some reason, I felt a bit spoiled, but suppressed the urge to punch her.
Oh well, if she’s honest, that’s fine too.
Su Liumeng’s eyes were like a camera, the image lingering in her mind.
Her breath caught for a moment, then she said, “It’s fine, really. There’s just a bit of a purple mark, but I think it’s beautiful. Anyway, it’ll disappear in time, so don’t worry about it.”
“Really?” My voice lifted, eyes shining.
I’m not dumb; I know some marks never go away, but with Su Liumeng’s comfort, I couldn’t help but feel happy.
“Of course.”
“When have I ever lied to you?”
The curve of my lips was almost impossible to hide.
This Su Liumeng, she’s just too good at comforting people. There’s no one better.
I suddenly stood up and tugged on Su Liumeng’s arm. “Su Liumeng.”
“I…”
Sensing something, Su Liumeng suddenly covered my mouth.
I: “…..”
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