Although Lin Qiong was initially very resistant to the skirts and dresses Fu Xingyun bought, he completely fell in love with it after wearing it once.
He now wears dresses every day, flitting around the house like a colorful butterfly, catching everyone's attention.
Lin Qiong was awkwardly following a health exercise routine on TV, but after just five minutes, he was so tired that he plopped down on the yoga mat.
He lowered his head and touched his rounded belly.
Fu Xingyun saw this and sat down beside him.
Seeing him, Lin Qiong immediately lay down on the yoga mat, then casually put his fair legs on FU Xingyun's knees, a very natural and practiced gesture.
Due to his pregnancy, he often experienced leg cramps.
Fu Xingyun looked down, then raised his hand to massage his legs.
He sighed inwardly; since Lin Qiong got pregnant, they had fewer intimate moments, and what tormented him even more was him wandering around in skirts every day.
Lin Qiong, enjoying the massage, lay on the yoga mat like a lazy cat and squinted his eyes.
Seeing this, Fu Xingyun lowered his head and kissed his fair leg.
Lin Qiong, who had been very relaxed, instantly shivered, "What… what are you doing?"
Fu Xingyun, with a calm expression, replied, "Kissing you."
Then his large hands started to move up his leg and under his skirt.
Lin Qiong blushed and quickly grabbed the mischievous hand under his clothes, "What are you doing?"
Fu Xingyun felt like he was going crazy; it had been six months, and although Lin Qiong had helped him in other ways, it wasn't enough.
The man leaned down and whispered in Lin Qiong's ear, "I miss you."
Lin Qiong knew what he meant, but he was still worried. Holding onto the large hand, he blushed and said, "No."
Fu Xingyun's dark eyes looked at him, "Why not?"
Lin Qiong moved the hand to rest on his belly.
Fu Xingyun's voice was hoarse, "The doctor said it's okay now."
But Lin Qiong still shook his head, blushing.
Seeing that Lin Qiong was unwilling, Fu Xingyun resorted to his usual tactic, "You don't miss me."
Lin Qiong looked at him, "I do."
"Then why not?"
Lin Qiong placed his hand on his belly, "There's a child in here."
Fu Xingyun was about to say that it was safe to do it now.
Then Lin Qiong shyly said, "It's not appropriate for children."
"..."
The man gazed at him longingly for a few moments before reluctantly giving up.
Although Lin Qiong's pregnancy has been difficult for Fu Xingyun, there have been sweet moments too.
For instance, they can take baths together every night.
Now that Lin Qiong has a big belly, it's not convenient for him to bathe himself, so this "laborious task" is handled by Fu Xingyun, who enjoys it. After washing him, Fu Xingyun would hold him and soak in the bathtub for a while. The smart bathtub not only massages but also has a heating function, making Lin Qiong feel so comfortable that he feels like he's melting.
Usually, after the bath, they would move on to the nightly story time session, with Fu Xingyun reading a new storybook, like "Little Red Riding Hood." However, as Fu Xingyun was about to enter the room with the book, he was stopped.
Lin Qiong's face was flushed from the bath, and Fu Xingyun looked at him with loving eyes, speaking softly, "What's wrong?"
To his surprise, Lin Qiong dropped a bombshell, "Let's sleep in separate rooms."
Fu Xingyun's hand holding the book froze, "Why?"
"The doctor said it's better for me to sleep in a separate room now that I'm further along."
Fu Xingyun was decisive, "No."
Lin Qiong asked, confused, "Why not?"
Fu Xingyun, with a serious expression, replied, "I can't let you sleep alone."
Lin Qiong pointed to his belly, "I'm not alone."
"…"
Fu Xingyun gritted his teeth, "I wouldn't feel comfortable with you two sleeping alone. You might need help at night."
Lin Qiong thought for a moment and realized he had a point, "Then we won't sleep separately."
Fu Xingyun sighed in relief upon hearing this. He then took the storybook and, like every night, gently rubbed Lin Qiong's belly while telling a story.
Lin Qiong watched him, thinking about how much Fu Xingyun had changed in the past two years. While he still appeared cold and distant to others, to Lin Qiong, he was the perfect, loving husband.
As Lin Qiong watched, he soon closed his eyes. Fu Xingyun bent down to kiss his forehead and belly.
"Good night."
——————————
With about ten days left until Lin Qiong's due date, Fu Xingyun had to go to the company but didn't feel comfortable leaving Lin Qiong alone at home. So, he called his sister to come over and help.
Fu Yuan readily agreed. She had visited Lin Qiong a few times before, and they got along well.
To be considerate of Lin Qiong's condition, Fu Yuan didn't wear any perfume while getting ready. Her son, Fu Jinglin, noticed and commented, "Mom, are you going on a date?"
Fu Yuan adjusted her hair, "What are you talking about? I'm going to your uncle's house."
Fu Jinglin was curious, "Why?"
"Your uncle has to go to the company and doesn't want to leave Lin Qiong alone at home, so I'm going to check on him."
She then looked at her son, "Do you want to come along?"
Fu Jinglin's eyes lit up, "Sure!"
When Fu Jinglin was young, Fu Yuan was often busy, so Fu Xingyun had taken care of him most of the time. As a result, Fu Jinglin was very close to his uncle, perhaps even more so than to his mother.
Fu Yuan gave him a once-over, "Then go tidy yourself up."
"What's wrong with how I look?" Fu Jinglin felt good about himself.
"People are very particular about prenatal education nowadays. What if the baby turns out messy like you?"
Fu Jinglin shrank back at his mother's reprimand.
After getting ready, the mother and son headed out.
Fu Yuan reminded him, "Make sure to control your temper when we get there. Lin Qiong is about to give birth; don't scare him."
Fu Jinglin nodded in agreement.
When they arrived at Fu Xingyun's house, the door opened to reveal Lin Qiong with his pregnant belly.
Fu Jinglin was stunned; this was the first time he'd seen a man pregnant. However, Lin Qiong's condition seemed perfectly natural and not at all strange.
Fu Yuan greeted Lin Qiong with a smile and began to inquire about his health. Her concern and care were so genuine that it felt like she was an older sister to Lin Qiong, who felt deeply touched. As lunchtime approached, Fu Yuan went into the kitchen to prepare soup.
Lin Qiong lounged lazily on the sofa when he felt a heated gaze on him. Turning his head, he saw Fu Jinglin staring intently at his belly.
Lin Qiong asked, "What's wrong? Does it look strange?"
Fu Jinglin shook his head, "I just think it's kind of amazing."
Lin Qiong looked down at his belly, "I was half-scared to death when I first found out."
He rubbed his belly, "But when I thought about how this is Xingyun's and my child, I accepted it quickly."
Fu Jinglin watched him, reflecting on how, because of his parents' failed marriage, he'd always viewed love as fragile and unreliable—until he saw Lin Qiong and his uncle together.
Lin Qiong slowly sat up, and Fu Jinglin quickly moved to help him. Noticing his nephew's curious gaze, Lin Qiong offered, "Do you want to feel it?"
Fu Jinglin straightened up, "Can… can I?"
Lin Qiong nodded.
Fu Jinglin took a deep breath and carefully placed his hand on the round belly. It felt firm, and he thought he felt something move inside.
Feeling the new life, Fu Jinglin grew excited, "I think he moved."
Lin Qiong's face suddenly showed discomfort, "I felt it too."
Fu Jinglin looked at him, "Is he waking up?"
Lin Qiong replied, "He's wanting to come out."
Fu Jinglin: !!!
Lin Qiong felt a sharp pain in his belly, and sweat broke out on his forehead. Fu Jinglin, panicking, quickly called emergency services and then started shouting, "Mom! Mom!!"
Fu Yuan rushed out of the kitchen, "What's wrong?!"
"He—he's going into labor!"
Fu Yuan was shocked as well, "Quick, we need to get to the hospital!"
————————
When Fu Xingyun learned that Lin Qiong was in labor, he rushed to the hospital in a panic.
"Where is he? Where's Lin Qiong?!"
Fu Yuan tried to calm him down, "Xingyun, calm down. Xiao Qiong just went in."
As the door to the operating room opened, a doctor came out. "Who are the patient's family members?"
The three of them hurried forward, "I am."
"One family member can accompany the patient in the delivery room. Who's going?"
Both Fu Xingyun and Fu Jinglin said, "I'll go."
Fu Yuan gave Fu Jinglin a gentle smack on the head, "What are you going in for?!"
Fu Jinglin, rubbing his head, said, "They say that if the baby sees a good-looking person first, it'll grow up to be good-looking too."
He muttered softly, "It'd be a waste if I didn't go."
Fu Yuan: ...
Fu Xingyun, dressed in sterile clothes, walked into the room. He had barely stepped inside when he heard Lin Qiong's cries.
"It hurts! Fu Xingyun... Fu Xingyun, it hurts..."
Lin Qiong lay there, his eyes swollen from crying, tears streaming down his face. He was pale, with blood flowing from below, and he kept calling out Fu Xingyun's name in pain.
Fu Xingyun's eyes immediately reddened with emotion as he hurried to Lin Qiong's side, holding his hand.
Seeing Fu Xingyun, Lin Qiong's tears flowed even more, "Xingyun, it hurts so much."
Fu Xingyun felt like his heart was being torn apart. "Lin Qiong, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
He didn't tell Lin Qiong to endure it but kept apologizing, regretting ever letting him go through this pain.
The labor seemed slow and excruciating for Lin Qiong, and he suddenly broke down crying loudly.
"It hurts! I don't want to do this anymore... I can't!" Lin Qiong pleaded, but the doctor remained unfazed.
Desperate, Lin Qiong clung to Fu Xingyun like a lifeline, "Xingyun, can we stop? It hurts... it hurts so much..."
Fu Xingyun almost lost his composure. He stood up and rushed to the doctor, "Doctor, he's in so much pain. Is there anything you can do?!"
The doctor replied, "Once the baby is born, the pain will stop."
But Lin Qiong's cries continued, echoing in the room.
Fu Xingyun, panicked and desperate, shouted, "Doctor!"
The doctor, noticing his distress, braced himself for the worst.
"No, don't say it, don't say it!"
Fu Xingyun blurted out, "He's in too much pain! Can't we just stop?!"
"Get this family member out of here!"
Once Fu Xingyun was escorted out, things progressed more smoothly. Within three hours, the baby was born. Lin Qiong, pale and exhausted, looked at the wrinkled little newborn in the nurse's arms and gradually smiled.
The nurse, noticing Lin Qiong's expression, said, "It's a boy."
Lin Qiong asked cautiously, "Is... is he healthy?"
The nurse reassured him, "Very healthy, seven pounds seven ounces."
The doctor asked from the side, "Have you decided on a name?"
Lin Qiong stared at the ceiling for a moment. "The formal name will be Fu Chenyì, and the nickname..."
He turned his head to look at the chubby little baby, who weighed over seven pounds, and said, "The nickname will be
"..."
The nurse and doctor were momentarily speechless, but Lin Qiong seemed pleased with his choice.