"Don't want to watch, huh?" Jada, clearly upset, gave Ren a sharp look. "If you don't want to watch, then forget it. I won't wear these things ever again..."
"Wait!" Just as Jada turned around to change out of the outfit, Ren stopped her with a grin. "It's just... you were so against this kind of outfit before, I wasn't expecting it. And why the sudden change? Did something good happen? Did a big company go bankrupt?"
"Sort of," Jada said, her eyes darting mischievously. "The 'Tiga' movie is finished and awaiting approval. Thinking about how much money it might make makes me happy."
"Really?" Ren was momentarily confused. It still felt off. His wife never reacted like this, even when their other projects were successful... He scrutinized Jada and suddenly had a realization.
Grabbing her shoulders, he looked her in the eyes and asked seriously, "Are you trying to distract me, making me so happy I forget about the nutrient thing tonight?"
"No..."
Seeing Jada's shifting eyes, Ren knew he'd guessed correctly. He smiled smugly. "You were trying to be too clever. You lost the bet, and I get my nutrients tonight! Not only that..." Ren glanced at the open box of costumes. "Since you tried to trick me, there's a penalty!"
"You jerk... ugh..."
...
Late at night, the once noisy bedroom became very quiet. The floor was littered with Ren's favorite outfits. Jada's face, as soft as a baby's, still had a blush. Suddenly, her calm expression turned to a grimace. She let out a muffled groan and then opened her eyes wide, feeling intense pain wash over her body.
It was a pain she remembered well, making her cry out, "Honey! Honey!"
Ren, startled, jumped out of bed and turned on the bedside lamp. Seeing Jada's pale, pained face, he panicked, "What's wrong?"
"I... I think I'm having contractions... it feels like labor..." Jada clutched her belly, the pain causing her to curl up slightly.
"Labor?!" Without hesitation, Ren called 911. No matter what, he knew he couldn't handle this alone. "What's going on? It's too early... Did I hurt you today?"
Ren was frightened. He knew the baby wasn't due for a few more weeks. If Jada was going into labor now, it meant an early delivery. He knew from the pregnancy books he'd read that premature babies' organs aren't fully developed, and they often face high risks of complications or even death.
"I... I don't know..." Jada, also aware of the risks, was overwhelmed with fear and began to cry.
"Don't worry, don't worry..." Ren tried to comfort her, though he was scared too. If he panicked, it would only make things worse for Jada.
"Dad, Mom, what's going on?"
Yueyue, yawning and rubbing her eyes, walked into the room, looking confused. She had been sound asleep and was woken up by the commotion.
"Sorry, sweetie," Ren said, trying to keep calm. "Mommy's stomach hurts. We're going to the hospital. Get dressed and pack your school bag, okay?"
"Okay," Yueyue replied, still sleepy but now a bit excited. She'd never been in an ambulance before! She quickly ran back to her room to get ready.
Ren stayed by Jada's side, holding her hand. "Don't be scared, I'm here with you."
"Okay..." Jada whispered.
A short while later, Yueyue, now in her school uniform and carrying her backpack, came over to the bed. Seeing her mother in pain and sweating, she felt worried. Imitating how her mother would care for her when she was sick, Yueyue took out her small handkerchief and wiped Jada's forehead. "Mommy, does it hurt a lot?"
Looking at her daughter's concerned face, Jada felt touched despite the pain. She gently placed her hand on Yueyue's head. "It hurt a lot, but having you here makes it much better."
"Really?" Yueyue smiled, then put on a mysterious expression. "Then I'll make you feel even better!"
She placed her small hands on Jada's belly and started chanting, "Pain, pain, go away!"
After repeating it several times, Yueyue looked at Jada with hopeful eyes. "How is it, Mommy? I saw this in a lot of cartoons."
"Yes, much better," Jada said, smiling at her daughter's innocence.
The tension in the room lightened a bit. Not long after, the flashing red lights of an ambulance appeared outside, and the sirens blared. Ren quickly ran downstairs to let the paramedics in.
Jada was lifted onto a stretcher and taken to the ambulance, with Ren and Yueyue following.
"So this is what the inside of an ambulance looks like," Yueyue said, wide-eyed and curious. However, she knew not to touch anything and soon grew bored.
Ren, sitting beside her, noticed and softly said, "Yueyue, if you're tired, you can sleep for a bit."
After all, she had school tomorrow, and Ren didn't want her to be exhausted. "Okay," Yueyue said, stifling a yawn. She looked at her mother, worried. "Dad, will Mommy be okay?"
"Don't worry," Ren reassured her. "By tomorrow morning, you might have a little brother."
"Really? A brother!!" Yueyue's eyes sparkled with excitement. But then she remembered Ren's words about dark circles and looked concerned. "I don't want to be an ugly sister!"
With that, she quickly snuggled into Ren's side. Before long, in the warmth and safety of her father's arms, Yueyue fell asleep.
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