Her mind raced. She threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, and ran barefoot to open the door, heading straight for the bathroom.
With a click, the bathroom light turned on.
Song Qiuyu stood in front of the mirror, lifted the hem of her nightgown, and gazed at the woman in the reflection, her expression shifting constantly.
‘Huh? Can someone tell me what’s going on?’
Anxious and flustered, she quickly wet the cloth and wiped herself clean over and over, but instead, the orange-flavored milky scent in the room seemed to grow stronger.
She bit her lip, poked her head out to glance toward Jiang Xiao’s room, opened her mouth as if to speak, then shamefully closed it in panic.
She didn’t know what was happening to her, but deep down she had a bad feeling.
She wiped herself again hastily.
Hearing a sound from Jiang Xiao’s room, her heart tightened. She quickly tidied her clothes, stepped out of the bathroom, and started heading back to her room.
Just then, Jiang Xiao’s door opened.
Jiang Xiao came face to face with her.
“Xi’er?”
Jiang Xiao looked at her curiously.
“Uh…”
Song Qiuyu stopped in her tracks, body stiffening. She swallowed a few times.
Thinking about her situation, her mind raced. “I was just a little thirsty, came out for something to drink.”
“I see.”
Jiang Xiao seemed thoughtful.
As he spoke, he keenly smelled that special scent in the air and couldn’t help frowning.
“I’m going back to my room!”
Song Qiuyu, too guilty to look Jiang Xiao in the face, hurried toward her room. She needed some time to collect her thoughts; she’d tell him once she figured it out.
Jiang Xiao didn’t say a word. He silently watched her rush into her room, watched the door close, and sniffed slightly.
‘That orange-flavored milky scent is so strong. Is it coming from Xi’er?’
This doubt lingered in Jiang Xiao’s mind for only two seconds before a possible answer came to him.
‘Milky scent… could it be…’
The next day, Jiang Xiao woke up early.
He made breakfast, then turned to look at his wife’s door, which still hadn’t opened. Connecting it to last night’s events, he fell into thought.
“Xi’er, breakfast is ready! Come out and eat!”
The room was quiet for a moment, then came a somewhat anxious and uneasy voice: “Okay, I’ll be right out.”
“Mm.”
Jiang Xiao responded, but his gaze didn’t immediately leave the door.
Soon, the door creaked open, and Song Qiuyu stepped out, her face completely flushed.
“Jiang Xiao, I have something to tell you.”
Song Qiuyu fidgeted a little.
“Mm. I have something too, as it happens.”
Jiang Xiao smiled lightly.
“Huh?”
Song Qiuyu blinked in surprise and gave him a puzzled look. ‘What a coincidence?’
“Xi’er, go wash up first.”
Jiang Xiao said with a gentle smile.
“Mm-hmm!”
Song Qiuyu nodded.
After she finished washing up and sat down at the table, her whole body was tense. Seeing Jiang Xiao smiling across from her, she unconsciously clenched her hands tightly.
“Xi’er, you go first.”
Jiang Xiao said courteously.
“Mm.”
Song Qiuyu nodded, struggled for a moment, bit her lip, and said with a red face, “You smelled a strange odor last night, didn’t you?”
“No.”
Jiang Xiao shook his head without hesitation.
“Huh?”
Song Qiuyu’s heart skipped a beat. ‘What’s going on? Can I be the only one who smells it?’
“If you’re talking about that orange-flavored milky scent.”
Jiang Xiao looked at her.
“Uh.”
Song Qiuyu hesitated.
‘What? So you did smell it!’
“About that scent, I don’t think it’s strange at all,” Jiang Xiao shook his head and said thoughtfully. “Don’t you think it smells pretty good, Xi’er?”
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu nodded instinctively, but then quickly shook her head.
She had to admit the scent was pleasant, but the problem was… the problem was that it was…
She shrank back and eyed Jiang Xiao warily, testing the waters. “If you say it smells good, you’re not thinking of eating it, are you?”
“It does seem sweet, doesn’t it?”
Jiang Xiao didn’t answer directly, but replied.
“Pervert!”
Song Qiuyu’s whole body flushed, she was so embarrassed.
Her mind uncontrollably conjured up some risqué fantasies.
‘If Jiang Xiao knew my situation now, he might just righteously press me onto the table and lean close to my chest.’
‘[Xi’er, let me have a taste? It’s so fragrant, so sweet.]’
‘[N-no, Jiang Xiao!]’
‘[Wife, don’t be shy.]’
‘He’d ignore my resistance and gobble down.’
Thinking this, she pressed her lips together tightly and couldn’t make a sound.
“Xi’er?”
Jiang Xiao’s worried voice rang out.
“What if…”
Song Qiuyu clenched her hands together, mustered all her courage, still lifted her head, and said seriously.
Seeing this, Song Qiuyu was stunned. ‘How did Jiang Xiao know?’
“Ah.”
Jiang Xiao let out a helpless sigh.
Seeing him like this, Song Qiuyu was even more baffled. She shot up from her seat, clenching both fists.
Her mind had turned to mush, but her body instinctively wanted to flee.
“You really forgot about that.”
Jiang Xiao looked at the hedgehog about to bristle and also stood up from his seat.
“That?”
Song Qiuyu blinked.
Seeing this, Jiang Xiao stopped teasing her and straightforwardly told her what she had forgotten.
As she listened, Song Qiuyu’s unease slowly settled. Her eyes gradually lit up, and her small hands unconsciously touched her flat belly.
‘So this is a sign of pregnancy?’
‘It’s just pregnancy.’
“Let’s ask the advisor for leave and go to the hospital together to check it out.”
Jiang Xiao walked over to her, patted her head, then pressed her back down into her seat.
“First, finish your breakfast properly.”
“…”
Song Qiuyu stared blankly at Jiang Xiao for a long while before slowly coming to her senses. Her eyes curved into a smile as she nodded obediently.
“Okay, let’s eat first!”
“That’s right.”
Jiang Xiao then walked back to his seat across from her.
After sitting down again, he picked up an egg, skillfully peeled it, and placed it in his wife’s bowl.
“I’ve told you so many times, I can peel my own egg.”
Song Qiuyu said as she placed the egg she had just peeled into her husband’s bowl.
Jiang Xiao found it amusing and helpless.
‘What, you think I can’t peel an egg?’
“Things are different now. You’re carrying a baby, so you need to eat extra—even double!”
Without second thought, Jiang Xiao picked up his chopsticks and put the egg back into his wife’s bowl.
“That makes sense~”
Song Qiuyu’s lips curled up. “Pregnant women really should eat more.”
Then, before she could smile for two seconds, a hint of worry appeared on her face. “Starting today, won’t our daily expenses double?”
Hearing this, Jiang Xiao leaned forward, couldn’t help bending two fingers, and flicked her clean forehead gently.
“On our wedding night, you didn’t say that. You said, ‘Don’t look down on me,’ remember?”
Jiang Xiao didn’t mean to scold her, just wanted his wife to remember.
He watched her rub her forehead, then sat back on the bench, took out his phone, and checked the schedule.
“Besides, it’s not just about money. Now that you’re pregnant, there are many issues to be aware of. Luckily, that movie wraps up in a few days, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Phew…”
Song Qiuyu sighed in relief. “Good, it won’t be a problem.”
“You.”
Jiang Xiao leaned forward again and flicked her forehead once more when she wasn’t paying attention.
“Ow, that hurts!”
The force was about the same, but Song Qiuyu deliberately yelped a little louder.
It was obvious to Jiang Xiao. He kept the half-leaning posture, bending two fingers as if to flick her again.
Seeing this, Song Qiuyu immediately covered her forehead, eyes curving smugly. “Hmph, you’ve already flicked me twice. I’m not stupid—I won’t let you succeed a third time.”
“Who said I was aiming for your forehead this time?”
Jiang Xiao found it amusing.
With that, he pinched her small, high-bridged nose.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “This is my target!”
“Bastard… let go, I can’t breathe!”
Song Qiuyu glared at Jiang Xiao and pursed her lips. With her nose pinched, she couldn’t inhale, so she defiantly held her breath, and her pretty face soon turned blue.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Xiao found it amusing. He let go, sat back on the bench, then picked up three xiaolongbao and placed them in her bowl.
“Here, eat more.”
“Jiang Xiao, I heard that when girls get pregnant, they get fat.”
Song Qiuyu didn’t stand on ceremony. She picked up the egg, took two bites, put it down, took a sip of porridge, then picked up a xiaolongbao, took two bites, and continued drinking the porridge.
She had to nibble on every food in her bowl first.
“A little chubby is good—plump and cute.”
Jiang Xiao meant it.
Slightly plump was his lifelong favorite.
Too thin or too fat were both bad.
“I also heard that when you’re pregnant, your boobs get bigger.”
This wasn’t just hearsay; Song Qiuyu had seen it with her own eyes.
Her mom had definitely grown a lot.
“Oh.”
Jiang Xiao’s reaction was extremely flat.
Song Qiuyu blinked oddly at that, then picked up the remaining xiaolongbao and stuffed them all into her mouth in one go.
As she ate the buns, she occasionally stole glances at Jiang Xiao but didn’t say a word.
The table fell into silence.
After eating, they got leave from their advisor. On the way to the hospital, she hesitated for a long time before tugging Jiang Xiao’s sleeve and asking, “Jiang Xiao, I suddenly want to ask you something. I always thought you were into big chests, but are you actually into small ones?”
At this, Jiang Xiao stopped walking and gave his wife a searching look. ‘If I say I like small ones, will she be under a lot of pressure during her pregnancy?’
How should he answer?